To Heal is to Fight

((I told Cec to skip me!))

Teddy knew the importance of allowing Alex as much agency as possible, especially after an attack like this. As a student of human emotion, he knew it was part of the psychology of people who had experienced trauma.  Like most women, Lily understood it instinctively.

Lily followed right behind him, keeping her eyes on the back of his head to stay focused and calm. Teddy followed a bit behind, trying to strike a balance between space and support.

They reached the room and filed in. Lily went in automatically, and took up a post in one of the guest chairs. Teddy paused but no objection was made, so he followed. He closed the door most of the way but left it open a crack, not wanting anyone to feel trapped.

Lily glanced at Alex as he recounted his story, and gave an encouraging nod.

Robert knew firsthand how dangerous it was to go to certain places at night, regardless of what stage the moon was in, and the Forbidden Forest was probably close to the top of the list. There was a reason that, first, it was called forbidden, and, second, that the school had a permanent rule that students were not to go there. He also, though, understood the natural lure it held especially for students to be able to honestly declare that not only had one ventured there in the dark but one had returned and had survived. Hell, he had done it himself at that age.

Robert examined the bite mark. This suggested to Robert that the werewolf had been hunting, aggressive, and had fully intended to harm, meaning that this werewolf was most likely not taking wolfsbane or at least hadn't taken it this month. Robert knew that it wasn't unusual for werewolves to choose the forest to hide. Alex was very fortunate to be alive to be able to tell the tale.

Alex had probably also already been told, ad infinitum, about his mistake that had put him in this position, and he was going to hear it a lot longer than just today. Robert had no intention of making such judgments.

The wound itself was nasty. He could clearly see where the wolf had initially planted its teeth and how it had shredded skin as it bit down and closed it's jaws with Alex's arm in it's jaws. It was going to need careful tending, and it was going to scar. Werewolf bites always scarred. There was no avoiding that, unfortunately, unless one removed that entire area of skin with a pretty dramatic skin graft, but even so, Robert believed there was some definite tissue loss. A bit of the muscle in the arm was just gone.

"Well, I can definitely attest to how easy it is to not take the moon phase into consideration," he said. He got up and got a bottle of his own formula of antiseptic. He preferred this formula because, first of all, it didn't have much scent except for a slight herbal essence, and second, it had a touch of a numbing agent in it so that it cleaned without burning. He put the antiseptic on a gauze dressing and used it to carefully dab at the wound. The healer at the school had clearly been at it with silver and dittany.

"This wound is rather deep," Robert glanced up at Alex. "Bite marks like these can be resistant to closing, but in this case, I do want to accomplish two things. I want the wound itself to close from the inside out. I want the lower layers of skin to close first, and I want the outer areas to close last. I realize that isn't normally the way it goes, but it will minimize the chance of infection if we do it that way. Secondly, there is some damage beneath the skin. It's the norm with this sort of wound. I want to regenerate some of that so that you don't lose any functioning in your arm or in your hand or your fingers. It does take just a wee bit longer for it to heal that way, but I'm more concerned that we do it right, not fast. So, with your permission, I'm going to start with treating the damage beneath the skin, and then I'll work on the skin itself. This is going to take just a little, so settle in. This is going to take a minute.

There was a soft knock on the door, followed by a nurse poking her head in.

"Ah, there you are, Robert. Someone thought they saw you arrive down here. Do you need anything?"

"I think we're fine," Robert told her. "I'm going to be a few minutes. What's the tea in the break room today?"

"Its some of your almond tea," the nurse said. She looked at Teddy, Lily, and Alex. "Would any of you like some? It's a favorite here, and it's fresh. I'll be happy to bring some if you like."

Alexander fell back into an uneasy silence, his mind reeling from the shock of the recent events. The pain from the werewolf bite throbbed incessantly, intensifying his discomfort. He glanced at Lily, searching for reassurance, and then turned his gaze to Teddy, hoping to find some solace in their familiar faces.

Robert's examination of the wound on his arm only heightened his unease. As the healer asked for permission to proceed with the treatment, Alexander's response was hesitant and tinged with vulnerability. "Umm, yeah okay," he managed to utter, his voice barely above a whisper. "If you think that is best."

Just then, a sudden knock on the door broke the heavy silence, causing Alexander to jump and his heart to race. He shifted uncomfortably, a sense of unease washing over him. It was just a nurse, a familiar presence in a medical setting, but something about her appearance seemed unfamiliar and unsettling. It was as if he was being put on display, exposed in his vulnerability.

Seeking comfort and reassurance, Alexander instinctively looked to Lily and Teddy, hoping to find solace in their presence amidst the whirlwind of emotions and uncertainties.

Lily knew the Hogwarts Hospital Wing Matron was a skilled Healer in her own right. She couldn't be too specialized but she also had to have a breadth of knowledge, as the students were always coming up with new and innovative ways to find themselves in harm. Lily had spent enough time in the Hospital Wing because of her 'blood condition' to see the woman go from setting bones and reversing curses to treating lice and diagnosing panic disorders.

But there was something about watching a master at work that Lily could appreciate. The Lupins all had this healer streak she admired, Teddy had been the unofficial nurse of the home growing up. Ginny didn't flinch at blood but didn't have the softness required to know that it wasn't just about applying the bandage, it was the lollipop afterwards that really chased the pain away. It was the kindness that the Lupins seemed to have mastered.

Lily listened with interest to Robert's description of the wound and his treatment, feeling a phantom twinge in her hip where her own scar was hidden away. Merlin, she'd been lucky she hadn't had an infection and lost mobility.

She felt Alex's eyes glance towards her and her own eyes darted back to him quickly.  He seemed uncertain, so she nodded, before looking at Robert. "Sounds like the best way to make sure there's no lasting issues," she summarized, hoping to give Alex more proof that this was the right course of action.

The nurse entered and Teddy smiled at her. "Tea sounds lovely," he said, looking Alex's way.

"I'll just bring a tray, then. I won't be half a tick," the nurse smiled, leaving. Robert was grateful that the nurses had improved their skills. They had become, in many ways, work wives down here when he was here. They knew his style of working, and they now often knew what he was going to need before he articulated it. Still, in this matter, he did not actually need them except for any additional comfort they could provide to ease Alex, who obviously seemed to have, perhaps, a significant case of White Coat Syndrome.

Continuing working, Robert left the gauze pad over the bite mark and laid his hand very gentle on top of it. He had decided to abandon any thought of giving Alex pain potion before starting simply because there were easier ways for Robert, giving him much more effective control. He did not want to start a regeneration spell of any kind unless he had controlled the pain first because he knew how painful regeneration could be. Robert did not believe in letting someone suffer, and it was the core of his own beliefs that muggle medicine was 100% primitive and barbaric.

"It is possible that your head might spin just a very wee bit, but if it does, it is no cause for alarm. It will pass in a moment. That would be my doing, but it should start to feel significantly better for a bit. Let me know when the pain is gone," Robert told Alex. Robert used a nonverbal spell to draw the pain out of the wound. It always rather reminded him of a gentle suction sensation, but it's purpose was to allow Robert to use his own healing energies and his own body as a conduit of sorts. The spell would draw the pain out of the patient, transfer those negative energies to Robert only for the briefest moment, and then, because Robert had no such injuries, the negative energies would dissipate from him in a moment, leaving no effect upon Robert. Robert had found it to be significantly helpful either out in a skirmish when a fighter was wounded or when working with a patient who was already traumatized.

The nurse returned with three styrofoam cups with the fragrant almond tea, a creamer filled with milk, some packets of sugar, and some stir sticks. She set them on the unused overbed table.

"I think you may like this tea," she told them. "It always reminds us of warm almond cookies. It's becoming quite popular with the A&E staff. Help yourselves." She looked at Alex. "Tea? Do you use milk or sugar in yours?"

Alexander's gaze remained fixed on the doorway, where the Nurse had vanished momentarily, promising to return with tea. Lily expressed agreement with Robert, prompting a nod from Alexander as he reaffirmed his consent. Robert proceeded to attend to the bite, his efforts to be gentle not fully mitigating the sharp pain that shot through Alexander's arm. Yet, the discomfort was short-lived as the promised lightheadedness began to set in, followed by a peculiar sensation as if the pain was being drawn away, akin to being sucked through a straw. It was an entirely unfamiliar feeling; unlike anything Alexander had ever experienced. Just as the older man had predicted, the pain gradually dissipated from his arm. "I-it's gone," he stammered, precisely as the nurse reappeared at that moment.

Given his limited familiarity with tea, Alexander found himself unsure how to respond to the nurse's question. "I'm not sure," he replied, gradually growing more at ease with answering their inquiries.

Lily watched carefully, anxious about the pain. She’d luckily been provided pain potions from the Hospital Wing that morning, part of her treatment for the ‘dizzy spell’ that had left her body exhausted. Her usual cravings for the dullness the potions gave were not only satiated but easily explained as routine treatment.

Still, she’d found that even witnessing pain in others could be a trigger point for her. She recognized there was pain but there was also craving that created the illusion of pain. She could be under the influence of a large dose and still be set off, the aching sensations and sharp cutting feelings swirling through her body.

But she owed it to Alex to bear witness to his pain. It’s what she had promised.

She gave him a reassuring smile as he said the pain was gone, and then glanced towards the nurse. Alex was uncertain, and so she turned to look at Teddy, who effortlessly took charge.

“Splash of milk and sugar I think would do nicely. Lily and I will take with just a bit of milk.”

"Excellent," Robert smiled. "This could remain pain free for you for several hours. Unfortunately, it won't last for good, but some people have good relief for quite some time. Now, let's get on with tending the damage underneath." He began doing a slow, meticulously thorough check of the muscles, cartilage and bone.

The nurse added milk and sugar to a cup of tea for Alex and added a splash of milk to Teddy's and Lily's tea. She handed the cups to Teddy and Lily first and then she slid the overbed table closer to Alex.

"Here," she smiled, handing the cup to him. "Tea fixes everything, and this tea is one of my personal favorites. Far better than any calming potion I've ever tried."

"Thank you," Robert told her, and she stepped out again. "You might well feel things shifting under your skin but it shouldn't be painful. Just strange, and, again, that's just me. I want everything to be in perfect alignment again before I regenerate anything. There are some little bits that need to be sent back where they belong."

He focused first on aligning bone fragments. He didn't detect a fracture of the ulna but his ability to diagnose by touch told him there was some chipping, caused by the teeth when the beast had bitten down hard on Alex's arm. Robert presumed Alex had used the side of his arm to block the beast, as would have been completely natural to do. Robert cast a spell to draw the fragments back up through the tissue and to reattach them to the bone. He wasn't rushing it. If Robert had a particular frustration amongst his colleagues, it was that they weren't careful enough when aligning bone. Robert could sometimes take longer, but he wasn't going to just settle for things looking "about right." He wanted things to be right back where they had come from. As far as he was concerned, getting it "somewhere in the ball park" was just wrong.

"There," he said, feeling that the bone chips, shreds of muscle fibers and pieces of cartilage were back where they had belonged. "Much better." Then he cast a regeneration spell to start the inner damages to mend. "Still doing alright, Alex? I've put a lot back where it came from, so that should reduce some of the discomfort you had earlier. I've also set a regeneration spell in place to replace the bits that need replacing. That's going to take a bit of time, maybe a few days because of how intricately it needs to knit itself, but I think, if it responds well, you will have some scars on that arm, unless you return later for some skin grafts. Now, let me set your mind at ease a little. If you have heard anything about how harrowing it is for muggles to go through that process, you can safely chase that out of your mind. It isn't at all the same process for us, so you can't compare the two. If, at some point, you want to discuss it, I'll be happy to talk about that with you. For now, let's just do the healing that it needs today. That's probably going to feel like enough of an adventure for one day.

"I'm going to cast some healing spells to start the skin mending, and then I'll dress it and wrap it for you. For the next few days, you may very well want a sling for it because if you simply let your arm hang down, the sensation of blood flow to it could cause some pounding pain, and that's truly both unpleasant and unnecessary. We'll talk about how to stop that, and then I'll get you a bottle of pain potion and a couple other things that will help you feel like you have some control back in your life. If you have any questions as we're going along, please just ask."

The sound of Teddy's familiar voice answering on his behalf brought an unexpected sense of relief to Alexander. He turned his gaze towards Teddy, a mix of astonishment and confusion evident in his eyes. How could Teddy be capable of doing the things he did? His attention shifted once more as the nurse brought the table closer and handed him a cup of tea, for which he mustered a small and reserved "Thank you," his voice barely above a whisper.

As Robert worked his magic, Alexander could feel the subtle movements in his arm, as if the pieces were being skillfully reassembled, finding their rightful places. When Robert spoke again, Alexander's eyes shifted back to him, ready to listen. "Yeah," he managed to reply, though the mention of regeneration spells and skin grafts. The mention of meeting his daily adventure limit  elicited a faint scoff from the weary boy. The past 24 hours had been filled with enough adventure to last him a month, if not longer.

Processing the words proved to be a challenge. Between the unfamiliar sensations caused by Robert's spells, the disorientation of being in an unfamiliar place with strangers, and the uncertainty of what lay ahead, Alexander struggled to grasp the information fully. He knew he needed to convey his understanding to the healer, but all he could manage was a meager "Okay." It was clearly not enough. Healing spells, mending, casting, pain, blood flow—they were fragments of information he tried to hold onto, hoping he could remember what he had been told.

Teddy handed Alex the tea, and remained on hand to take it from him and deliver it back as needed, so he didn’t need to move anymore than necessary while Robert examined and addressed the wound.

The Slytherin boy was more withdrawn than usual, and Teddy was shocked that this was the same boy with multiple complaints from other students. None of that audacity remained. He wasn’t sure what was responsible for this, whether it was his recent redemption tour, or the bite, or being in a new place.

He watched as Alex’s eyes darted towards Lily and she smiled encouragingly at him.

Ah.

Well. That was… something to think about later.

There were bigger things at stake though.

Teddy looked to Robert. “So there’s the healing part… and then there’s all the regulations and legality of it all. As a student, does Alexander need to go to the Ministry to register? Can they send a representative? We want it to be as un-intrusive and painless as possible.”