Chapter Text
Warm. Blessedly warm and comfortable. Soft clicks of shoes and pushcarts in the ward hall. Quiet, indistinguishable voices outside of his room. Opening his eyes, faint light of false dawn through the tiny window and brighter light from under the door assued him he was still in hospital. A soft buzzing started and startled him. Ahhhh the alarm set by Pye. Someone will be here soon. Still so thirsty. Trying to lift himself got him half up and then stuck shaking, unpleasantly falling back with his left hand twisted under him.
An unknown young woman in healers greens entered and quietly walked to the end of the bed. Severus warily watched her review his chart. She readed quietly keeping one eye on him. Speaking softly, “are you awake enough to see Master Smethwyck, Headmaster Snape?”
“Please,” Severus painfully croaked. Damn my throat, fuck my arm hurts!
Bobbing a small curtsy, she turned with a swirl of robes and quietly fled the room.
Hufflepuff, class of 96. Competent at potions. I can't remember her name.
Master Smethwyck walked into the room a few minutes later. He carried a tray with teapot, cup, covered bowl, spoon, and the usual rack of potions. Setting it down on the stool beside the bed he cheerfully asked, "How are you this morning?”
Severus hissed out, “set me upright! I've caught my damn arm under me!"
Smethwyck quietly tutted at him. "I told you to let us do for you, you're as weak as water right now. I dont want to warn you again!" Spelling the bed to gently and slowly lift up he fished under Severus and brought his arm out from under him.
Glaring hard at his left arm, Severus gound out, "I don't remember the last meal I ate, I'm not sure if I can keep anything other than liquids down. I have been surviving off of Wide Eye, Stamina, and Vitamix potions for months now. Forcing myself to stay awake for days at a time. I would like that cup of tea, if I can keep it down, I'll want soup.”
Hippocrates hit the cup with a Featherlight charm passing it over. "Try this."
Severus' right hand still shook slightly, but the cup did not spill. He breathed in the fragrant steam, and sighed deeply. This must be from Hippocrates secret stash, no hospital bagged and boiled travesty. A nicely mellowed Pu-erh. As he finished off the cup, his stomach loudly grumbled.
Healer Smethwyck chuckled as he listened to the grumbles. “I knew that tea would help! I think you should try some of this excellent Scotch broth. I'd like to have real food in you before more potions. You're emaciated, Severus. I don't know all of what you've done to yourself these last couple of years, but none of it was good. I'll need to see at least a stone increase in weight before the next fortnight. Otherwise I predict a more extended stay. With the muscle mass you've lost, just standing up is going to tumble you. Not a bit of fat on you. You've no reserves left, man! Next week I will let you out of that bed. For now just eat, sleep, and for the first time since I met you, try to relax. My standing orders are to keep everyone but healers out of your rooms for the next 48 hours, I expect you to sleep through most of it. Then we'll see if you are up to a very limited number of visitors. The Aurors guarding the ward have done well keeping idiots out so far."
Severus handed Healer Pye the empty cup. “I will try the broth. Featherlight spell the bowl and spoon too, I'm tired of being fed. I want my wand! My gods I'm petulant. I sound like a sick firstie. Severus hunched up, lifted his hand out to Smethwyck “I apologize Master Healer Smethwyck, it is not my intention to treat you as an orderly." I couldn't defend myself against a bowtruckle currently.
“Headmaster Snape, I clearly remember having wiped my snotty face all over your robes and wailing for my mother the first Saturday night of my first term. I think I am quite capable of enduring a bit of petulant behavior from a very ill friend.” With a wry smile, “Madam Pomfrey currently has your wand, you will need to see her to request it. If you are up to it, I'll send her a visit request.”
“Right! Let's see if you're up to feeding yourself then, shall we!” Hippocrates tranfigured a small metal stool into a comfortable wingback chair and sat by his side, then handed over the spelled bowl and spoon. “I'll just work on updating your chart, it's nice to sit for a bit.”
The scritch of the self inking quill on parchment was soothing. Severus slowly and shakily spooned up the first half of the bowl. The warm, rich broth seemed to put some steam in his sails and the last of the broth went down quickly. That really was delicious, I have missed food. “I believe I'm ready for this morning's potions.”
Hippocrates retrieved the bowl and spoon and set them on the tray. “Before you sleep, I would like to inspect your wound, I'll call back Healer Branstone to redress it.”
Leaning over Severus, Hippocrates gently pulled the dressing off of his throat. The cooler air touching him made Severus flinch and shiver. “hmmmm, you're almost to the full scarring stage, it's still granulating around the initial fang puncture points. If Poppy hadn't used Draught of Living Death on you, we would never have been able to brew enough antivenin in time to heal this. There will be some scarring, but it should only be around the initial fang punctures. The gnawing and tearing should heal very well. A week or so more of daily dressings with murtlap essence will do wonders! I think about the same time for the blood replenisher. This is healing quicker than Mr. Weasley, but then, I knew what we needed to brew this time!”
Hippocrates stood up, vanished the used dressing and walked out to the ward hall. “Healer Brandstone! Please bring dressing supplies and murtlap essence to the Headmaster's room.” He walked back to the end of the bed and replaced the chart. “you should sleep until this evening, I'll have more of that Scotch broth sent for your tea. Then evening potions, and I will see you in the morning. After that we'll try weaning you off the sleeping potions. I would like to see you back on a more natural sleep schedule, leaving you more time to eat. Maybe start short walks in the ward. Luckily most of our open ward has emptied out since the battle. You were brought into the Aurors Reserved Ward room for safety, we really didn't know what was happening initially.”
Healer Branstone bustled in with her tray of supplies and goggled a bit at Severus’ uncovered wound. She set the tray aside, sat beside the bed, and began to gently apply the murtlap, quickly applying new bandaging. Looking up to Master Smethwyck, she waited for his approval.
Smethwyck nodded in approval, "Well done, leave this on until after his tea this evening, I noted in his chart to have his dressings changed every 12 hours, but only if he is awake to consent. Let him sleep himself out though." Picking up the tray, she popped up, gave a quick swirled bob and fled the room.
Ahhhhhh, I remember now, a very shy girl. Quite talented in potions. Only straight O’s from me. Quite the Hufflepuff work ethic. Smethwyck approached, extending the potions rack to him. Severus cautiously accepted the potions and one by one downed them, handing the empty vials shakily back to him. Only 11 more days of this with any bloody luck! Severus let his head fall back, his eyelids already dropping. The head of the bed lowered gently back down. He listened to Smethwyck retrieve his chart and sit back down, the soft scritching of a quill lulled him back to sleep.