《 Skip a Beat 》

Back to emergency

The room shifted in blurred splotches. Newt blinked several times, trying to clear his vision.

A strange wave of déjà vu washed over him as rustling noises issued from his right. Sharp voices overlapped each other in a whirl of conversation.

It felt oddly similar... it felt like his hospital room. Newt blinked away the sleep from his eyes.

The voices were clearing up slightly. One was feminine, but with an air of aggression, like an ice cold blade. The other one was his brother's, with a pang of fatigue and irritation mixed into it.

Newt scrunched up his eyes at the blinding lights outside the room and pushed his aching hands underneath him, trying to get up. He could hear the voices better now. He was right about Theseus, and the second one was Leta.

"- Never should have left it in the open, I knew this would happen!"

Newt frowned, squinting harder. Theseus snapped back a response a moment later.

"For Merlin's sake Leta! He hadn't seen them for months! Knowing that we were taking care of them when he woke up only made him feel worse!"

"I don't care how long he hasn't seen them, he's hurt!"

"There were four of us there, nothing would've happened!"

There was a pause, then some more rustling. Newt lay under the covers, listening raptly.

"How many times have you said that! You don't know what could've happened!"

Each word was spat aggressively, laced with emphasis and venom, and Newt could almost see the look of distaste on Leta's face.

"Leta, he hasn't seen his creatures in six months! Did you see the look on his face when he realised he hadn't been into his case even once since the accident?"

Leta sighed audibly. When she spoke next, her voice was lowered, as if she was telling him a grave secret or discussing funeral plans.

"I did. I know he misses them. What you did was right, but..." She sighed again. "It wasn't, Theseus. Things could've gone so wrong."

Theseus hushed his tone as well. A few more rustling sounds passed before he spoke again.

"I know. I'm sorry... okay?" No response. " Look, we'll talk about this later. I need to go."

There were some clicking noises, more shuffling, and the sound of footsteps departing. The front door closed shut, and Newt sat up.

Two deep brown eyes met his own.

At first, he thought it was Tina, but Newt quickly corrected himself as Leta stepped away from his bed.

She smiled weakly and swept a stray curl of hair behind her ear.

"Morning, Newt."

He didn't smile back. Instead he asked, "Is Theseus okay?"

Leta's smile flickered, but withheld.

"He's fine. We just had a bit of a disagreement..." She opened her mouth as if to say something more, but ultimately pressed her lips together and left her sentence half- finished.

"And he's off to work now," offered Newt. Leta nodded vaguely. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her hair was swept up into a frizzy bun, with two long strands hanging beside her face, as if she had just gotten out of bed.

She probably has, Newt reminded himself, taking in her cherry-coloured pyjamas.

"Come on." She sighed warily. "Queenie's taking you back to the hospital."