The Story of Regulus Black - Years 1-4

XLIV. You've Been Warned

CW: emetophobia

Regulus Black awoke the next day feeling incredibly ill.

At first, he thought himself sick with the flu, but he realized soon enough that it was something worse. He had a sore throat, which felt quite swollen and closed; he could barely swallow. He was shivering uncontrollably, however, when Gillian felt his forehead, she discovered that he was running a very high fever. Not only this, but he also felt quite nauseous, and he was sick two times before his three friends managed to convince him to go to the hospital wing.

Barty had to help Regulus to the hospital wing, due to the fact that Regulus was quite dizzy from the sickness that was overcoming him. When they reached the hospital wing, however, they walked into chaos.

Madam Pomfrey was rushing from bed to bed, tending to what appeared to be at least ten different people. Regulus and Barty gave each other a look, and then glanced at the people occupying the beds. They only recognized a few of them. Gideon Prewett was asleep in a bed, Fabian Prewett sitting at his bedside with a worried look on his face. Amiyah Cole was sitting up in a bed at the end of the ward, pressing the left side of her ribs tenderly. The other occupants were all people completely unknown to the boys. Though, as Regulus was glancing towards a bed, he noticed that there were two people who looked rather familiar.

The man was laying in the bed with his torso completely wrapped in bandages, and there was a woman at his side. She was clutching his hand, looking down at him in concern. Regulus furrowed his brow - they just looked so familiar to him...

"Mr. Black!" Madam Pomfrey suddenly called, and every single pair of eyes in the ward turned to him in shock, fear, and worry. Regulus felt a flush creeping up his neck and, if he weren't so dizzy and sick-feeling, he would have turned around and left. "What are you doing here? Is your back feeling ok? Oh, the skin hasn't melted again, has it?"

"Melted?!" The familiar looking woman exclaimed, and she looked at the boy in worry.

"No, no it hasn't. Reg isn't feeling well," Barty explained, supporting Regulus's body weight as the taller boy leaned into him from a sudden wave of nausea and dizziness.

"Whatever is the matter, Mr. Black?" Madam Pomfrey asked, pouring a potion that Regulus recognized as a pain-reliever for an unknown man.

"We dunno," Barty said, and he looked to Regulus. He could tell by the green tint to Regulus's pale skin that he probably wouldn't be able to open his mouth without throwing up all over the ward floor.

"Mr. Crouch, please set him down there," she pointed to a bed, and then rushed towards the familiar looking couple with yet another potion.

Barty helped Regulus over to the bed, and he sat him down. Regulus was relieved by the firmness of the bed, and he laid back with a thankful sigh. His throat was so sore that it felt like someone was scraping sandpaper against it every time he tried to swallow, and he had to sniffle every few seconds to keep snot from dripping down his face. Barty stood rather awkwardly at the side of Regulus's bed.

"Mr. Crouch, I apologize, but you're going to have to leave. We have too many people in here already, and Mr. Black will need rest." Madam Pomfrey called from the other side of the ward where she was tending to a rather shell-shocked looking man.

Barty sighed and looked at Regulus sympathetically. "Feel better, Reg. I'll see you later."

"See you," Regulus murmured, trying not to open his mouth too far for the fear that it would make him sick.

Barty hesitantly backed away from the bed, and he left the ward. Regulus lay in his bed for several moments, closing his eyes and enjoying the peacefulness that surrounded him. Though, it was quickly interrupted.