25/04/2001
Emergency Room, Newton Abbot Community Hospital, Devon
¬

[ v u l n e r a s a n e n t u r ]

"WE'LL GIVE YOU TWO SOME TIME. DR. KAREV SAID HE'LL COME BACK WHEN THE O.R. IS READY."

George felt a sense of déjà vu washed over him as the Rousseaus closed the curtain to give him some privacy.

The last time he was here, Elinor was sitting on the bed with an annoyed look on her pretty face. Now...

Now it was too late. He had failed.

Instead of convincing her to believe in magic and go to St. Mungo's for help, he literally barked at her face and triggered the seizure. She wasn't dying of SAH. Heck, she wasn't even dying of stupidity. If anything, it was because of him.

He killed her.

If the super complicated and risky surgery ultimately took her life, it was his fault.

The fact finally hit him like a suckerpunch in the stomach: he wasn't prepared to let her go.

Nothing in this world mattered to him anymore. Not his emotion, his ego, his opinion, nor their stupid fight. He would trade anything to get her back. Anything.

"Ellie..." he called out, gripping her hand tightly in his, but she didn't even twitch. She only laid there, unmoving, serenaded by the constant beep that let him knew she was still alive. But just barely.

Her skin was so pale until the written scar seemed invisible against it.

His voice cracked, "Elle..."

She was so, so much more than just his best friend.

Lately, she had been everything.

She was everywhere, anytime, in every thought.

He never gave their time together a lot of thoughts, but now he just realized how precious those moments were. How much he loved her personality. How easy it was for him to spill his deepest, darkest feelings to her. How excited and emotional he became every time she told him the story of her mysterious life. She made it easier for him to sleep at night, to wake up with a purpose every morning. She even helped him mend his relationship with his family.

And he had to see her in her deathbed to realize his true feeling.

"Ellie..." he called out again and kissed her paper white knuckles.

He had been thinking about what she said last night, and this was it, wasn't it?

When she told him to imagine watching the war between life and death raging before him, but all he could do was helplessly watch from the sideline?

He didn't need to imagine. He was currently watching the girl he really liked battling a bleeding brain and there was nothing he could do to help.

It really was painful.

He thought getting his ear cut off was a bad enough suffering. Now he could see that his mother had it worse —she couldn't do anything but wait for nearly her entire family to return. Dead or alive.

Wait—

There was something he could do.

George looked around and saw that the drapes were closed. Nobody was watching.

He pulled out his wand and pointed it randomly to her head.

He remembered one healing incantation... and if he wasn't mistaken—

George muttered under his breath, "Vulnera sanentur... Vulnera sanentur... Vulnera sanentur..."

He opened his eyes wide, searching for any kind of movement. His hand hovered over her body expectantly. It was correct, wasn't it? It was a spell to heal serious wounds, wasn't it?

Oh, Godric, did he just make things worse?

But then, like a miracle, she moved. She freaking moved her hand and opened her freaking eyes.

"Ellie? Ellie, Merlin's beard—" George scrambled up to his legs in joyful triumph, "I like you! I like you so much, so please don't die! Uh, doctor! Doctor!"

☆★☆

25/04/2001
Emergency Room, Newton Abbot Community Hospital, Devon
¬

"I HAVE TO STOP SAYING THIS, BUT I CAN'T: A MIRACLE."

Dr. Karev wiped his face with his hand, "I hope you don't make any rash decision. Operation is still not off the table."

Elinor, still dazed, tilted her head to see the frustrated doctor.

She remembered being in pain... then being sucked into black abyss... then something cold enveloping her head, bringing her back to life once again.

"Mr. Weasley, I have to ask again. Are you sure you did nothing and she just... magically woke up?"

"Er, Y— Yeah..."

"Did you kiss her?" Ezme asked excitedly, "It's true love kiss, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid that's not the case, Miss, considering there was a ventilator tube inserted through her mouth," Dr. Karev said solemnly, "Ms. Rousseau's lucidity is likely to be temporary. The second CT shows that the haemorrhage has shrunk —if that's even possible— but it's still actively bleeding. Her oxygen level is low and BP's high. We should proceed with the operation."

Elinor weakly reached for the doctor's hand and shook her head lightly.

After the doctors were convinced that she could breathe on her own, they took her ventilator off and replaced it with oxygen face mask. However, her throat still felt incredibly sore, like scratched.

"You— Don't tell me you don't want to have surgery?"

Elinor raised three trembling fingers.

"What arr' you saying, Ellie?"

"Should I ask for a paper or— or whiteboard for her to write on?"

"She— she asked for three months," George interpreted. He was the only one who understood her simple gesture. "It hasn't been three months."

"Ellie, that is not the case anymore!" Cameron scolded.

"Three months? You two knew about this?!" Ezme exclaimed, "What's happening? Cam?"

"She didn't want anyone to know. That day she fainted— I'll tell you everything," Cameron added before Ezme or her parents could fret, "Later, in private. It's too crowded here."

Dr. Karev sighed, "Look, I can't operate without the patient's consent."

"Why not?" Bielle challenged frantically, "I'm her mother. Her brain's damaged, her life's on the line —I consent the operation! Go! Make sure she won't die!"

Elinor looked at her mother with a painful frown and shook her head as hard as she could. Black spots danced in her vision as her heart rate spiked, her blood oxygen number dropped, and the machine beeped louder.

"Calm down! Hey, hey!" Dr. Karev said, shaking her shoulder, "How about we admit you to the ICU first, monitor you for a few days, and I'll let you discuss the next step properly with your family? Okay?"

Elinor took a deep breath to calm herself down and nodded. She felt drained, exhausted, and despite having slept for hours on end, she was craving for another peaceful slumber.

"Dr. June will help you settle in. I'll talk to your family."

A third-year resident with plump cheeks, smoky eyes, and high ponytail came over.

"Hey, beautiful, we'll move your bed, okay?"

Elinor let the doctor and nurses fumbled with the machineries around her. At the last minute, when the bed jerked as the nurse disengaged its wheels' lock, she caught Bielle's hand. The two ladies exchanged tearful looks until she was rolled away.

☆★☆

Lana Condor as Dr. June