Star Crossed

Chapter Sixty- The Hospital Wing

Whispered voices echoed around me reverberating off of the walls of my head yet I couldn't quite hear what they were saying. I felt as if I was floating, floating in a mass of darkness a part of me wanted to stay like this forever but my soul kept fighting for consciousness for control.  Suddenly my body began still and the whispered voices became louder, more present... it was then that my memories returned to me and I was no longer blissfully ignorant. I surge like electricity shot through my chest as I threw open my heavy eyes taking in a large intake of breath which burned my lungs I continued to gasp in the air as if I was learning to breathe again. 
"Riddle!?" I croaked, my throat dry and painful I called out to him. Where we still fighting? Was he ok? Was he still here? 
"Calm down my dear." I felt a pair of gentle hands upon my shoulders holding me down, I shook my head and pushed them away sitting myself up in a state of panic, my eyes gradually adjusting to my surroundings. I paused as I realised where I was... I was in the hospital wing, the stark white furnishings and clinical cleanliness. The gentle hands that had tried to calm me where those of the kindly Matron. 
"Where is he...?" I suddenly breathed looking around at the blanketed mounds in the surrounding beds. 
"Who dear Mr.Riddle? He is fine, quiet fine." She smiled down at me reassuringly, her words seemed to settle a raging beast within my stomach as I dropped back into the soft warm pillows. 
"Now rest yourself why I fetch you some water and medicine." she soothed stroking her soft fingertips across my clammy forehead. I watched her walk away I should have had so many questions but instead my brain was blank... 
"Grisha!" I looked around at the sound of my name to see Lazarus running towards me, Wiglaf following closely behind I smiled to see their familiar faces. 
Lazarus instantly threw his arms around me pulling me up into a tight hug.
"How are you feeling?" Wiglaf asked standing over him his hands in his pockets a concerned look upon his face. 
"I..." I paused for a moment as I realised that I had not really thought about how I felt, I focused in on my body as I twitched my limbs... I groaned they ached and burned under the strain. 
"Like that," Wiglaf smirked. "I'm sure Matron will have you feeling better soon, you were incredibly lucky."
"What... what spell was it that... that hit me?" I asked reaching my hand up to my chest where I had first felt the impact. 
"I crudely performed Expulso curse." Wiglaf replied. 
I nodded my head, my neck feeling heavy and painful I winced. 
"I will go and see where Matron is and tell her about your pain." Wiglaf stated firmly walking off towards the back offices with purpose in his step, I watched him unable to muster the energy to tell him that she was already onto it. 
Lazarus took a seat beside me, we sat in silence for a few moments before Lazarus spoke but he did not look at him instead he looked down towards his hands which where doing intriact twirling upon his lap.
"What happened?" He whispered, I stared at him without replying for a moment causing him to force himself to look at me... something was swirling in his dark eyes that I just could not place. 
"How did you get cursed?" He asked, rewording his question. "Tom won't tell us anything, he is avoiding us completely."
"Tom..." I breathed momentarily entering my own thoughts. 
"Grisha." Lazarus hissed through gritted teeth causing me to return to the present conversation. 
"I... He... " I stopped unable to string my sentence together at that moment Wiglaf and Matron emerged from the offices together and made their way back towards my bedside but not before I caught sight of Lazarus's exasperated expression. 
"Now Wiglaf here tells me that you are experiences some pain." The Matron smiled warmly at me uncorking a rather large old looking glass bottle which began to emit a very fine blue mist. 
"I'm just aching really." I replied eyeing the less than delicious looking thick liquid with hesitation.
"Well that is to be expected, this will help with that dear along with plenty of rest." She gave Wiglaf and Lazarus a firm look. 
"Come on Lazarus lets leave Grisha to get some rest." Wiglaf stated taking the Matron's hint. "We will be back soon Grisha." he smiled. "We were worried about you, you gave us quite the scare there. I'm glad you are okay." 
"You know me, tough as an old cauldron." I grinned in return, he smiled at me before turning to leave with Lazarus, Lazarus however looked at me suspiciously as he walked away. 
"Drink this, come on now all of it." I grimaced as I gulped down the small glass of thick dark blue liquid which both smelt and tasted like rotting vegetables but it had no sooner than reached the bottom of my throat before my body began to feel numb once more and my eyelids become heavy as I drifted off into a dreamless, painless sleep. 

"I have advised no visitors Professor Dumbledore, she is not strong enough she needs to rest." 
"Headmaster Dippet has agreed to make an exception." 
"And you feel that Mr.Riddle is deserving of this exception do you? He has not attempted to visit her once since she was brought her." 
Riddle? 
"Riddle," I groaned still half unconscious from the medicine that I had been given, my whole body was tingling as I began to regain some feeling within it. 
"Look, she's awake now." I heard Matron's exasperated tones. 
"Perfect timing." Dumbledore's comforting voice replied, I could almost see the glisten in his eyes. 
Slowly I opened my eyes pushing away the last effects of the potion with all the strength that I could muster, my eyesight blurry I could just make out a tall slender dark figure walking slowly towards me. I didn't need to see him, I could feel him. 
"Riddle..." I breathed, blinking my eyes in an attempt to clear them.
"I believe we may take our leave now Madam," Dumbledore smiled throwing his arm around Matron's shoulders and guiding her off towards her office, her small frame reluctantly being pulled along. 
My eyes began to focus as I stared at the young man stood beside my bed, his chiseled features now defined within their porcelain casing, his electric blue eyes piercing as always as they stared down at me. A strange silence fell between us as we looked at each other since that moment back at the festival... Tom's jar clenched. 
"Why?" He suddenly asked, his voice a low whisper. 
"Sorry?" I replied confused by his sudden questioning, was 'why?' really going to be the first thing he said to me. 
"Why did you do what you did? Why did you jump in front of me?" He leaned forwards now his hair falling a little over his eyes. I was taken aback for a moment... 
"Isn't that obvious?" 
"You could have died." he breathed. 
I looked down at my bed sheets... "Yes." I replied simply unable to think of anything better to say. 
"Yes! What do you mean yes!? Do you not understand? Are you still heavily medicated? You could have died. Gone." 
My blood began to boil inside of my aching veins. 
"Of course I understand! Why do you think I did it? I did it to protect you!"
"Instead of yourself!?" Tom threw his hands up into air in exasperation. 
"Yes! It's... it's called..." I stopped...
"What? What is it called? Stupidity?" Tom breathed shaking his head at me. 
"It's called..." I took a breath... 
"Don't." Tom breathed looking away from me. "I can't...what you did... You shouldn't have done that." 
"I do what I want." I replied firmly. "And you're welcome for it." turning my head away from him. 
"I..." I did not turn around at the sound of his voice. 
"I think it's time for you to leave Mr.Riddle, Miss McLaggen is due her medication." 
I glanced back around to in time to see Riddle incline his head a distant expression upon his face as he backed away from my bed and turned to leave with Dumbledore who observed the space between us intently... an unreadable expression upon his aged face.