[H.Wing] Don't Forget to Breath

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

It was rather fortunate for Dan that they were only a few floors above the Hospital Wing and for what seemed the first time this month the stairs were not being a pain in the backside and actually complying with him. Dan was sure that had he been an extra floor up he would never have made it. By the time he reached the doors of the infirmary each step was a struggle and he was starting to walk a bit like the suit of armor that had took so much out of them.

The infirmary was strangely quiet, which in a way Dan was thankful of as he hated the thought of anyone seeing him like this. He was as pale as the ghosts that floated around the halls, his shirt and trousers were ripped and covered in a thin layer of dust from there the corridor had exploded. His hair did not have its normal bounce and was sticking to his head with a mixture of sweat and blood.

As he approached the closest bed Dan carefully placed Ellie on it making sure she looked comfortable before flopping into the chair next to it. He let out a rather loud sigh as a surge of relief spread through him, his legs were screaming in pain and with a few raspy breathes Dan closed his eyes and drifted off in to a light sleep.

(hahaha that was just as lame as my last post haha. I’am very sorry. I shall go and get some ice cream and see if it helps give me a kick start hehe)

[Ellie Rook]

Ellie wasn't sure if she was awake or not. Her eyes were closed, though she suspected that was because she lacked the energy needed to keep them open for more then three seconds. She felt herself being lifted off the round by Professor Hubbles, and she found she could finally relax, placing her head gently on his shoulder. "I can walk." Her mind said, but no words came out of her mouth, and neither did any motion which signaled her intentions. Therefore, she just gave up and consented to being carried.

Ellie must have fallen asleep in the slow shuffle to the hospital wing. For the next thing she remembered was her head hitting a soft pillow. She sighed, though she was not sure if it came out audibly. She heard Professor Hubbles sit down next to her and the soft quiet sound signaling he had drifted off to sleep. Ellie smiled to herself, and moved her arm to wipe her hair out of her face. It stung as she did so. She peeked open an eye to view her red hand. The burns were ugly, and sighed again and closed her eyes. She could feel the dirt and soot and stone all over her body. Her hair was matted with blood around her forehead. Now that the adrenaline wore off, her body ached, especially her elbow. She could feel her robes were wet by her elbow with blood. It felt almost broken, after all she had fallen on it with all her weight after her small...explosion.

Ellie sighed and tried not to concentrate on her slight pain. She was just as tired and soon, her breathing became slow and shallow. Sleep was glorious.

[Archibald Nish]

Archi had only just sent the last of the people who had been in the infirmary to their rooms and sent Shayla to her own bed. They had both been awake for more hours then Archi cared to count and she had done well, she deserved the break. So Archi was left by himself in the Infirmary and he wasted no time. He set about making beds, putting bottles and slave tubes back where they belong. Everything had its place.

And then Archi found something that was so far from its place he was stumped. The four foot five man scratched his head and ducked quickly into his office off the main hall to put it away where it belonged. He slid the draw open slowly, looking at the photo, when heard dragging feet from the main ward room. Quickly pushing the draw closed, Archi moved as fast as he could out of his office and saw two people had come in.

The headmaster he recognised and knew, obviously, and with him was a young girl, a prefect he knew to be Ellie Rook. They looked battered and bruised, as though they had had a scuffle with a troll. Marching over to them, Archi stepped up the small step ladder that lived under the bed Ellie was in and took hold of her arm. It was peculiarly placed and Archi didn't like the look of it. She seemed to be sleeping, Archibald noted as he bent her arm then straightened it to see her reaction, to assess the damage essentially.

"Headmaster," Archi said as gently as he could, "besides Ms Rook's possibly broken elbow here ..." he ran his hand down her arm and looked at her hand "... are you in need of refreshments? Some tea perhaps, or something a little stronger?"

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Dan could not remember a time when he feel asleep so quickly, it was almost as if his eyes closed and poof he was away into a dream world, exhaustion taking over him fully. The hospital chair he was sitting in most likely would have been his bed for the night had it not been for the distant sound of someone moving and talking. Slowly turning his head so it was facing forwards, Dan fought the heaviness of his eyelids and forced them to open.
At first the room was a blur of bright lights and strange shapes but as the sleep was blinked away and his blue eyes gained focus Dan sae Mr Nish on his step ladders looking over Ellie and then the healer soon turned his attention to the headmaster.

“I er…”Dan’s voice was barley a whisper and with a small cough to try and get his voice box working again a not so quite but still hoarse voice sounded out. “Anything would be great thanks Archie.” Dan offered the man a weak smile. “But just make sure Miss Rook is alright first, I can wait. I am not going to die on you this time.”

With another cough Dan ran his hand through his hair feeing it unstuck from the side of his face as it did. To be honest all he wanted to do was have a nice warm shower, change into a fresh set of clothes and just have a relaxing evening sipping on some fine Red Wine. That however he knew would be the furthest possible thing possible, he would put his years wages on the fact that by tomorrow morning he would still be in the dust covered suit with the accompanying ripped shirt, he might have had a bit of time to clean his face up but there was a lot of explaining to do, and he would not leave Ellie’s bed side till he knew all would be well!

[Ellie Rook]

Ellie could have been sleeping for seconds, hours, or days even. She had no idea. All she knew is that she woke up to a sharp pain in her elbow. Her eyes darted open, and she met the eyes of a small man holding her elbow. "Ah." she said, to tired to actually sit up or take her arm back. She grimaced as she realized the man checking her elbow must be Mr. Nish. He gently put her arm down. She sighed, trying to to ignore the sore pain. "Is it broken, isn't it?" She asked quietly, realizing that Professor Hubble was indeed asleep in the chair next to her bed.

Ellie closed her eyes as Mr. Nish went to see to Professor Hubbles, however, this time she didn't fall asleep. She heard Professor Hubbles decline any immediate help. She opened her eyes and tried to scoot herself up, but her elbow made it a lot harder them she realized. "Professor..." She said, struggling, but finally getting herself up enough to see him. She looked at him, and it was a sad sight indeed. She probably looked just as bad, but the poor Professor. "Your head is bleeding." Ellie said pointing out the obvious. She looked sorry. "Please let Mr. Nish help you, I'm fine really."

Ellie was sure that the two Hufflepuffs were very stubborn and compassionate. They each wanted to the other to get help before their own needs were seen too. Ellie smiled softly as the Professor as she lean back on the pillow. "We got that hunk of junk pretty good." She said with a laugh. "Did I mention I'm sorry for blowing up the corridor?" Ellie said, remembering the destruction she caused.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Students were always a Headmaster priority, and Hufflepuff’s well they went ahead of a few of the staff members. But when it came to students, such as Miss Rook Dan was compelled with such a deep sense of loyalty and compassion that he wanted to help in any way possible. At the sound of Ellie mentioning his name he looked up at her, feeling at unease as she tried to push her self up to be able to see him. Dan made a feeble attempt to make sure she stayed still but the fact he lacked the energy to even get out of the chair did not help his quest at all.

In true Hufflepuff fashion the tennis match had begun, each of them hitting the ball of concern into each others court wanting for the other one to be cared for before them. Ellie had hit the ball back at him by pointing out that his head was bleeding, but Dan was ready for this assault and quickly stuck back. “I think your have lost more blood due to your elbow then this tiny cut.” He said pointing to the trickle of blood down the side of his face. “Mr Nish is to take care of you first and that is an order.”

Dan had the authority in the school so he thought he might as well flaunt it. He doubted that this was the incident the prophecy had been on about so he very much doubted he would die to a few cuts; after all he had had worse. However he was very thankful that Ellie was moving the conversation on and he could not help but let out a weary laugh.

“Do not worry about it Miss Rook, I never liked that corridor in the first place.” He gave a small smile up at the Hufflepuff. “It was time it had a make over. What do you think the colour scheme should be? Pink, violet or maybe go with the traditional yellow?”

(LOL I have no idea what i was going on about with the whole tennis thing...I think I am going insane haha!)[/i]

[Ellie Rook]

Ellie smiled as Professor Hubbles batted her concern right back. She smiled and shook her head, trying not to move her arm. The dull pain in her elbow had extended to a dull pain in her arm. It was like the feeling you get when you hit your funny bone on something, except multiplied but about a thousand.

Ellie, decidedly unable to move very much, sighed at the Professors orders. Hufflepuffs, stubborn as anything. Ellie met the Professors eye and gave up her fight. Seeing as he was headmaster, she knew her battle was lost before she had even opened her mouth.

Ellie giggled, picturing Hubble decorating the new corridor with Hufflepuff black and white, a Large statue of a rather ugly Badger going up in the middle, a stone suit of armor under it foot. Ellie smiled. "I don't think I shall ever get used to walked across another suit of armor." Ellie said sighing. "They're going to have to put me in a mental hospital for the fuss I will cause thinking that I'm going to be attacked!" She said with a smile."Though I'm sure I will see you right next to me in that hospital if it comes to that." Ellie said with a smile, looking at the worn Professor.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Dan had spent too many days and nights in this stupid hospital, he had been in almost every bed and could tell you where every crack in the ceiling was above the third bed in on the right hand side. Even now as he sat slumped in the chair next to Ellie’s bed he recognised every smell, the sterilized white of everything around and in his head he could hear Dia and his mothers voices discussing about how accident prone he was. He just wanted those voices to go away, the sick feeling in his stomach to vanish and for him to be in his nice warm bed back in his office with Dia at his side but he had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

Thankfully the sound of Ellie’s voice brought him back into the real world and with a warm smile and tired eyes he looked at the Hufflepuff fondly. “Well then for you Ellie I will have all the suits of armour removed from the castle.” He knew he would never be able to get that bill passed in the Ministry; there would be some law about them being protected and an integral part of the castle but at least he could try. “But that mental hospital sounds very nice, if they have a mini bar at the end of the bed I am there.” With a small chuckle Dan pushed himself up off the chair and licked his dry lips.

“I could do with a drink to be honest. Help settle the old nerves.” Slowly Dan shuffled over towards Mr Nish’s office, each step causing him to wince in pain. “Can I get you anything Ellie? Seeing as we have almost been killed by a walking tin can I think I will let you have a drop of liquor.”