Henry Danger Oneshots

Hidden Pain (2)

I recommend you read the first part to this for context. 

Piper's Point of View 

I couldn't help but groan as I flipped the page of the fifth Harry Potter book, knowing what was about to come. That happens after you've read the entire series seven times. I look up at my brother who still lay motionless, the ventilator that Schwoz had switched Henry to, taking out the chest tube, breathing for him. It's been a few hours, maybe five, but Schwoz reassured me that that was normal. 

Rai had tried to get me to sleep but I swear, wild horses couldn't keep me from my brother. He was a dumb ass, sure, but he was also in pain, unable to breathe on his own and needed someone. Sure I was definitely going to hit him with my book when I woke up but he still needed someone.

I was sitting almost perfectly still, just shy for the casual turn of a page, allowing the steady tone of the heart monitor and the soft whoosh of the ventilator to calm me. It was the steady tone and the soft sounds of the machines alerting me that Henry was still alive that kept me calm, or well, it did keep me calm. The heart monitor started to beep rapidly. The change in the sounds caused a shrill form of panic to set in my heart. I tossed the book aside in a quick panic, forgoing my tendencies to bookmark the page or at least check the number. I pressed the call button for Schwoz as fast as I possibly could. When I finally took a moment to look over Henry and actually see what was going on, I was stunned to find the hero's eyes open, blown wide with fear. He was choking on the tube down his throat, his body bucking in a weak attempt to dispel the foreign object away. His soft eyes rolled around with panic, finally landing on my blue ones to which they stayed firmly planted.

I took a hold on my brother's hand as he bucked and gagged, trying to soothe him. Henry's chest was heaving with quiet but forceful rasps as he worked his way around the tube. They weren't pained to say, but they were definitely exhausted from the sudden work after not being in use for hours. 

"Shh, it's alright bro. I'm right here, you're safe. Calm down Henry. Hey, don't do that, it's there to help you," I scolded softly when my brother's nimble hands found their way to the tube extending from his mouth and tried to pull it away, pushing his hands away. 

I kept my eyes on Henry's as we waited for the foreign scientist to arrive. I stroked my thumb against his hand to keep him grounded so he wouldn't dissolve into the panic that was 'Holy shit there's a tube down my throat!'.

When Schwoz arrived, Rai trailing him, both wearing worried looks, I sit up straighter. "He's awake." I announce. 

"Great. Henry, I'm just going to take a look at your vitals and if everything looks ok, I'll remove the ventilator, ok?" Schwoz explains. Henry stiffly nods. Schwoz then proceeded to shoo me away as he checked over my brother, shining a light into his eyes, ignoring the fact that he cringed away at the bright light, his pain med riddled brain obviously not ready for such a bright light, either from the - maybe five? Six? - hours of pain medication induced sleep or the confusion that the came with panic he was in at the moment. 

"Ok Henry, I'm going to need you to try and cough for me as I take out the tube. It's going to feel very uncomfortable, and you'll want to try and stop but it's crucial we get this out as smoothly as possible. Understood?" 

Henry again nodded. Schwoz quickly makes work of tearing the tape off of Henry's cheek. Henry began to cough weakly as Schwoz began to pull out the tube. His coughs soon became strangled and weak, his lungs proving their lack of use. As the tube began to make its way up his throat, his coughs became harsher, bordering on a gag, with his face turning tomato red. I couldn't help but wince in sympathy for my brother as his cheeks went redder and redder. I couldn't even begin to imagine just how uncomfortable that was on his battered lungs. 

When the end of the breathing device finally made an appearance, both Rai and I sighed a sigh of pure relief. Henry gave one more cough, this one much weaker, and all but sagged back down to the Man Med's bed, clearly exhausted.

"Everything seems to be repairing itself as it should. If for any reason you think something is wrong, call me." Schwoz said before heading back through the sprocket similar to the main one in the central room of the Man Cave.  

"Do you want some time alone?" Rai asked us. Before Henry could even attempt answer, I quickly respond. 

"Yes, I need to have a word with this idiot." I say. 

Rai looks at Henry worriedly before going back to me giving a look of resignation. He exited the Man Med through the sprocket leaving just my brother and I. Another weak raspy cough brought my attention back to Henry, who was still giving panting breaths. I look over to see him rolling his head in discomfort, trying to get comfortable. I squeeze his hand, promising to only be a second. I quickly run to the Med's auto snack, ordering a cup of ice chips and a spoon. 

"Pi-" Henry rasped as I returned to his line of sight before quickly dissolving into a fit of coughs. 

"Shh, don't talk, have some of this." I order, offering a spoon of crushed ice. The sidekick accepts the chips with an appreciative smile. He closes his eyes as the cool ice melts in his mouth, soothing his unused throat. 

"Thank you." He finally said. 

"You are in so much trouble." I laugh. 

"Yeah, I figured. What am I in trouble for, just to clarify?" He jokes. 

"The fact that you lied to me about being injured!" I yelled, picking up the previously discarding fifth instalment of the Harry Potter series and smacking him with it repeatedly on the arm, somewhere it would hurt but cause no damage to his injuries. 

"Ow!" Whack. "Hey! I'm just off a ventilator!" Whack. "Will you-" Whack. "Piper please give me-" Whack. "Give me a minu-" Whack. "Piper stop hitting me!" He whined. Finally, the hitting subsided. 

"That's what you get for scaring me and lying to me." I scold. 

"Yeah, well, I didn't want you to worry."

"You still should have told me, you clotpole!" 

Henry had the nerve to actually smile. "I didn't know you cared so much." 

"Oh shut up." I snap, though it had no real heat behind it, hitting him once more with book which elicited another 'Piper!'. 

That was actually really meditative to write. I'm glad I did. 
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Also, that small mention about Piper reading the Harry Potter series seven times? That's actually something I've done. Disclaimer though, I do not condone the actions of JK Rowling. 
As always, 
Cheers!