Round Robin: The Basement **COMPLETE **
One way or another, Petunia was opening that door. She gripped the crowbar in both fists, wedging the tip beneath the edge of the plate. Shoving on it with all the strength she had, she adjusted her stance, grunting and heaving to no avail.
"Any luck?" Snape called.
"Just… give me… a minute…"
Again, she braced herself, pushing and shoving until finally, she felt something give. It was working. It was actually working! She jerked on the loosened doorknob, rattling it frantically… the knob on the other side came free, hitting the floor with a metallic thud.
"What's… happening?" Snape said, his voice thick with drowsiness. This time, she ignored him, crouching down to peer through the gap she'd created.
The first thing she saw was the kitchen window, surprised to see that the sky was beginning to darken. How was that possible? It had only been a little after 4 PM when she'd looked at…
The clock.
Suddenly, Petunia remembered the power outage, which had knocked out the electricity for at least half an hour. She also recalled that the clock had a way of acting up even at the best of times, running faster or slower until her dad tinkered with it and set it right again. That was why he kept it in the basement instead of the living room or kitchen. Her mum had insisted it was too unreliable, not suited for frequent use.
So what time was it? She adjusted her position, scanning the walls until she spotted the kitchen clock. She barely had a chance to register that it was 6:30 PM before she spotted something else. Right there, sprawled facedown on the kitchen floor…
"Lily!" she shrieked. "Lily!"
"Lily?" Snape echoed, sounding slightly more alert.
"She's…" Petunia couldn't finish, staring at her pale, unmoving sister. She shot back to her feet, jerking on the knob… no matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn't come free. Desperate now, she hurled her entire body against the door, gasping as it suddenly gave way. She fell forward into the kitchen, unable to stop her momentum as her forehead smacked into the kitchen table.
"Petunia?" Snape called.
But Petunia couldn't hear him. She'd knocked herself out cold, her unconscious body lying just a few feet away from her sister's.
Severus's heart raced as he climbed up the staircase, balancing himself on his good foot while he braced himself with one of his arms. He stopped once he was near the top, and he could see both Lily and Petunia lying unconscious in the kitchen.
"LILY!" Severus ignored the pain in his foot and leg as he scrambled up, staggering out of the basement and falling right beside the two girls. "Lily!" He pressed his fingers to her throat. She was breathing but unresponsive. As he looked down her leg, he saw it was bent at an unnatural angle, as though she had broken it. Perhaps she had fallen, but there was no sign that she'd hit her head. Was there a gas leak? Obviously not, or he and Petunia would've been affected by it, too.
Severus checked Petunia as well, realizing she must have hit her head on the table. He knew that hitting one's head was deceptively dangerous, and if he didn't do something to counteract the swelling and internal bleeding, she could die.
Severus forced himself onto his feet, limping to the staircase, and steadied himself on the railing before ascending. Up was easy enough; down would be significantly more tenuous. As he finally reached the top of the stairs, he leaned against the wall and he made his way into Lily's room. Her bag was open, and he saw an empty vial lying beside it. He tried to gently lower himself down, but his hand slipped, and he ended up falling on his side. He pushed himself back up and took the vial, sniffing it to determine what it might be. A rather strong pain relief potion; Lily must have taken the whole thing for the leg....
Severus froze. Petunia had hit her head on the edge of a table, and Lily had overdosed on a potion with narcotic effects. If he didn't hurry downstairs and help them.... He opened the bag, trying to find anything that could invigorate Lily and reduce the swelling in Petunia's head. If nothing else was viable, he would have to use Lily's wand.
Severus grabbed the wand, tucking it in the waistband of his underpants. He would've preferred to put it somewhere else or just hold onto it, but he was practically naked and would need both his hands to get back downstairs. Besides, this was no time to worry about minor details. He had much bigger concerns, knowing it was up to him to make sure Lily and Petunia were okay.
Honestly, he wasn't sure how much he could do. He might be good at magic, but he hadn't even started his third year at Hogwarts. There was so much he still didn't know, and to make matters worse, he didn't even have his own wand. Would Lily's work for him? He wasn't sure, though he had to try it. What other option did he have?
Severus turned to leave Lily's room, cursing aloud as he saw the trail of blood on the floor. He didn't know when he had started bleeding again, but it was coming from all three wounds. Briefly, he considered finding something to replace his bloodsoaked bandages, but there wasn't time for that. He had to get back to Lily and Petunia, ignoring how woozy he felt as he limped back down the hall.
"I can do this," he muttered, grabbing onto the banister as he lowered himself onto the first step. He looked down at the staircase, realizing it was splotched with blood, hoping Lily's parents wouldn't be too angry. One step, another and another… he was halfway down when he heard Lily moan, a painful, pitiful sound that tugged at his heart.
"I'm coming!" he shouted, forgetting about his injuries, all the blood he'd lost, and everything else. He had to get back to her as quickly as possible…
"AHHH!"
Severus tumbled the rest of the way down the stairs, landing facedown in the foyer just as the front door swung open.
"Lily, we're-- SEVERUS!"
Lily heard her parents rush into the house as she forced her eyes open. "... Mum...."
"What's-- oh God!" Within moments, Mum was kneeling over her. "Lily, what happened?!"
As though some invisible force allowed it, the floodgates broke down, and Lily began to sob as she tried to explain everything. "The door-- and it was raining-- and the lights--" Lily froze as she realized Petunia was lying beside her, wearing only her underwear, with a towel wrapped around her, and various bruises and scrapes on her face. "TUNEY!"
"She may have a concussion," Mum said, "but I think she'll be alright." She turned back to Lily and said, "I have to stitch Severus up."
"Stitch him up?" Lily tried to sit up, but Mum held her back down.
"Don't move," Mum said. "Just wait here. I need to get the first aid kit."
Lily watched as Mum quickly descended the stairs into the basement before letting out sound of disgust and horror.
Stunned by his most recent fall, Severus was unable to react as Lily's parents rushed into the house. He heard them go into the kitchen, followed by the sound of Lily's voice…
Lily.
Pushing himself up on his arms, he half crawled, half staggered into the kitchen. He met Lily's tearful green eyes, determined to hold himself upright as he sat down beside her.
"Your leg," he said. "What happened?"
"I…"
"What did they look like?" Mr. Evans said, snatching the phone off the wall. "Can you describe them?"
"Describe who?" Lily frowned.
"The person – or people – who broke in here and attacked you kids! The police will need as much information as possible…"
"Dad," Petunia interrupted, wincing as she slowly sat up. "No one attacked us. We just had a few… accidents."
"Accidents?" Mrs. Evans said as she emerged from the basement. "It looks like someone was murdered down there, and that's not even to mention the door! Someone obviously went at it with a crowbar, a crowbar that has blood all over it!"
"Is it really as bad as all that?" Mr. Evans asked her.
"See for yourself!"
Mr. Evans dropped the phone, poking his head into the basement. "Bloody hell! What in God's name…"
"Daddy," Petunia said, "it isn't what it looks like. I know we made a mess, but…"
"OWWWW!"
Lily had tried to sit up, crying out as she jarred her broken leg. Mrs. Evans rushed to her side, the shock in her expression immediately replaced by concern.
"I can't imagine what happened," she said, "but we'll just have to figure it out later. I'm calling an ambulance for Lily… I don't feel comfortable trying to move that leg on our own."
Mr. Evans nodded, gesturing at Severus and Petunia. "And these two?"
"You can take them in the station wagon while I ride with Lily. Of course, we'll need to notify Severus's parents…"
"UGGGGHH…" Severus groaned, twisting his face into the most exaggerated grimace he could manage. He began to lose consciousness, or at least, he pretended to, closing his eyes as he forced his body to go limp.
"SEVERUS!" Lily gasped.
"We'll have to notify them later," Mrs. Evans said hastily. "Go on and get him to hospital."
Severus kept his eyes closed, sighing in relief as Mr. Evans scooped him up and carried him out to the car.
It didn't take long for Severus and Petunia to get in the back seat of the car, and Mr. Evans brought bathrobes for them to wear. It was certainly more comfortable than being half-naked, and more convenient than wearing a towel. Severus didn't want to admit it, but it was fairly cozy.
As the car started and drove down the road, Mr. Evans asked, "What happened to you two?"
"... we locked ourselves in the basement by accident," Severus admitted. "Lily was outside and tried to help us. Everything went downhill when the power went out."
"That explains the door," Mr. Evans said. "What happened to your clothes?"
"Severus tried using a crowbar on the door and hurt himself," Petunia answered quietly, which caught Severus off-guard. She never called him Severus. "And we fell down the stairs a few times due to there being no light."
"And then there was the screwdriver in the leg," Severus said drowsily.
"Screwdriver?!"
"I was turning the screw on the door the wrong way," Petunia explained.
"But what does that have to do with your clothes?" Mr. Evans asked in confusion. He sounded like he was still processing how unscrewing a door led to a stabbing.
"I don't like blood," Petunia said. "I got sick."
"I did too," Severus added. "We used the washer."
Between the car ride, the loss of blood, and the bathrobe, Severus felt like falling asleep.
Severus had never been to a Muggle hospital. Other than the first aid kit in the basement, his experience with medical treatment was limited to the simple spells his mum used to patch him up and occasional visits to Madam Pomfrey. Both of them had taken a quick, no nonsense approach, and it certainly hadn't involved any paperwork.
"Severus, when is your birthday?"
"January 9," he told Mr. Evans. "1960."
"Thank you. Height and weight?"
"Umm..."
"I'll just take a guess at it," Mr. Evans said, flashing him a smile before he resumed his scribbling. "Should be close enough."
Severus wasn't sure what any of this information had to do with treating a stab wound, but he kept that thought to himself. He was too tired to ask, really, doing his best to ignore the strange sounds and smells as he snuggled deeper into his bathrobe. So warm, so sleepy...
He awoke with a start, surprised to see that Petunia was gone. Mr. Evans was still there, though he was standing now, speaking with what appeared to be a nurse judging by her starched white uniform.
"... stitches, and he will of course need a tetanus shot."
"Yes, I suspected that," Mr. Evans said. "Poor boy."
Why did he sound like that? For the first time, Severus felt nervous, wondering if he'd be better off with his mother's admittedly less than stellar treatments. Unfortunately, it was too late to go home, and he wasn't going to humiliate himself or Lily by making a scene. Whatever a tetanus shot was, he'd just have to endure it. Anyway, it couldn't possibly be worse than getting stabbed with a sharp metal object.
"Mr. Snape?" the nurse said, turning to him with a smile that was anything but reassuring. "The doctor will see you now."
Severus tried and failed to stand as Mr. Evans had hurried to lift him off the ground and carry him. They followed the nurse into a room, where Mr. Evans set Severus down on the bed.
"I'll go find the doctor," the nurse said, leaving the room almost as soon as they had entered.
"How are you feeling?" Mr. Evans asked Severus.
"... m'fine," Severus said.
"You're not drowsy?"
"... evening," Severus explained. God, this bathrobe was comfortable!
"You have to stay awake," Mr. Evans said. "Stay awake, Severus."
"... m'kay." Severus's eyelids flickered a bit, and he raised one of his hands to force one eye open. He couldn't fall asleep if his eye was open.
After a few minutes had passed, the door opened, and the doctor walked in, followed closely by the nurse. "Hello, Severus. My name is Dr.... son, you don't have to hold your eye open."
Severus dropped his arm and immediately regretted it. It would seem that fall down the stairs multiple times in one day wasn't good for one's body.
"I'm Dr. Smith, and from what I have down here, you require some stitches and a tetanus shot.... Good Lord, boy, what have you been through?"
"... slipped," Severus slurred out.
"And you have some older injuries, based on those scars," Smith said, pointing to Severus exposed chest.
Severus covered himself up and hugged the bathrobe tightly. "... slipped," he said.
"... right," Dr. Smith said, sharing a look with the nurse and Mr. Evans. "How about you remove that robe so we can see what we have to work with?"
"No," Severus said, suddenly more alert. He clung to the bathroom even tighter, shifting so that it covered as much of his body as possible.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," Mr. Evans said gently. "The doctor just needs to see your injuries so he can treat them."
Severus looked at both of them warily, still not understanding why this was necessary. His face and foot weren't even covered by the robe, and he could always move it a little so the doctor could see to his arm and leg. The rest of his body was no one's business, especially since his older injuries had already been healed.
"I'm not afraid," he said. "I'd just rather keep it on."
"How about a compromise?" the doctor suggested.
Severus didn't like the compromise either, though it was better than taking the robe off entirely. He lifted it so the doctor could inspect his lower half, then pulled it down so that his arms and torso could be inspected. It was still uncomfortable, but at least the doctor was quick. He shook his head, making "tsk tsk" sounds as he scribbled on his chart.
"We'll start with the shot," he said. "Edna?"
Severus had thought he was done getting poked by sharp metal objects. Clearly, he'd been wrong. He didn't even have a chance to argue, not realizing what was happening until the nurse jabbed the needle into his arm. A bloody needle? Why? He tried to ask, but all anyone would tell him was that it was to keep him from getting sick.
"Relax," the doctor said, patting Severus on the shoulder. "I just need to stitch up that arm right quick and we can send you on your way."
"Quick"? It seemed to go on forever, tears stinging Severus's eyes as he bit back howls of protest. What was it with Muggles and needles? Neither his mother or Madam Pomfrey had ever…
"There we are," the doctor said, nodding in satisfaction as he inspected his work. He turned to Mr. Evans, informing him that Severus's prescriptions could be picked up downstairs. Pain relief, antiseptic, antibiotics… Severus didn't bother to ask what the latter two were, desperate to escape as Mr. Evans ushered him out of the room.
"Mr. Evans?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think Lily's doing okay?"
"She should be arriving in the ambulance soon," Mr. Evans answered as he helped Severus walk. "Her mother's no stranger to this sort of thing.... I met her when she was working as a nurse where I was stationed. I ended up falling down and knocking myself unconscious, and I woke up to find her hovering over me like a mother hen. She was juggling between me and few other chaps who'd actually been properly injured, but she made it look effortless. If she's that way with strangers, you can bet she'll get our daughter sorted out." Mr. Evans helped Severus sit down in the waiting room. "I have to go check on Petunia, and then I'll pick up your prescriptions. Just wait here for a moment, yes?"
"I will." Severus watched as Mr. Evans walked off. He felt more relaxed, knowing that Lily would be in capable hands.
After some time had passed, Mr. Evans returned with a bag, which he handed to Severus. "This is your prescription," he said. "Lily arrived while you were getting your check-up, but they still have to take a look at her leg."
Severus nodded. "Will she have to spend the night?"
"It's possible," Mr. Evans said.
"... sorry about the door," Petunia mumbled.
"It's alright, love," Mr. Evans said. "Severus, we should go. Petunia has to rest... well, both of you have to rest."
"Can I wait until Mrs. Evans comes out?" Severus asked.
