Everyone in the world comes at some point to suffering.

Odette hadn’t seen the light of day outside of St Mungo’s walls since the attack. She’d been recruited along with the other healing students to assist in taking care of the high demands of healthcare required. Exhaustion had kicked in, her eyes stinging and her body ached with every movement she made. She could see the other students that were helping were also feeling the wrath of insomnia and round the clock care. Like herself, she knew the only thing that was keeping them going was the determination to help others and assure their peers were safe and well. Odette had finished a routine op when her break had came around, and for the first time in days she headed outside. Her hands gripping the cold stone wall were the only thing that held up her balance when she had to stop to lean against it, the tears slowly slipping from her eyes at the experience of everything sinking in.

They’d finally allowed Evgeni to leave the building, on the grounds he didn’t leave the property just yet. Neither Jareth nor his mother had signed any sort of release forms, and given his condition the staff didn’t think it wise to allow him to leave on his own. Not to mention, the latter hadn’t so much as sent a letter inquiring on his health. Still, this was as good as he was going to get for now, and he was going to take as much advantage of it as he could manage. He’d even humor them and pretend he didn’t see the nurse that was always just within sight, watching him for any signs of his condition deteriorating. He was, however, quick to notice someone else, who looked...well, not good. He couldn’t see why, though. She didn’t appear hurt. But then again these days he didn’t look particularly bad himself. “Um...are you...alright?” He stumbled over the words, not quite used to them, or any open display of concern for a person he did not know.

Ardan only nodded and pursed his lips in DISSATISFACTION as to what Evgeni was going through. “Well, I’m sure they will and I HOPE they’d get to figuring it out—QUICKLY.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he pegged that into something he’d overthink about later. “Angel? Well, I CAN try. I just hope she’s in school premises or is already hanging around with Jekyll,” he mumbled, thoughts drifting towards his own cat who he hasn’t seen in days. 

“OH?” he asked, a brow raised before giving a curt nod. “You don’t remember the attack? They might know where Angel is,” he asked quietly. “No―nevermind. Don’t answer that. Did ANYONE tell you who brought you in instead?” It seemed silly almost, that he was just asking this now. But he had to steer the previous direction of where their conversation was headed―AWAY from their unfortunate live, from things that are ONLY considered to be parts of an UNWANTED nightmare. 

“You… can’t see my face?” James squinted in confusion before frowning and looking somewhat sad. “Did the obscurus… uh—fuck you up a bit?” He hated talking about it because that night seemed to have fucked everyone up a little bit – physically and mentally. Despite James not being hurt physically, he was still mentally hurt by it after seeing all his friends injured when he was fine. Survivor’s guilt, he supposed it was. “I’m sure Ardan will come by soon. He’s just a bit shaken up and upset by everything.”

“I’m James,” he offered up, getting the impression that the boy didn’t recognise him. It was rare that people didn’t know who he was being the kid of famous Harry Potter, so not being recognised was a nice change. “I don’t think we’ve really spoken before, I’ve just seen you around the university.” He smiled softly at the confusion, which he didn’t blame him because he was sure that not many strangers just came in people’s rooms for a chat. “I’m sure Teddy can handle a bit longer without me. He probably has visitors anyway, unlike you, which is making me sad. So I’m your new visitor.”

Ardan openly WINCED at the younger male’s tone and reasoning. At least Ardan wasn’t the only one who had the same train of thoughts―BUT STILL. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked everywhere but at the male on the bed. “She’d get along real fine with my dad then,” he mumbled―not that the elder Carrow would have TIME mingling with someone who got kicked out of the family. But just like Evgeni’s mom―Ardan hasn’t heard much from his dad. The elder Cromwell probably had other MORE IMPORTANT things to fuss about other than the son he NEVER wanted. Ardan looked at Evgeni, trying to think of something to NOT get him worked up too much when he needed lots of rest. “Besides, I would’ve done the same for Jekyll,” he added with a shrug. “―and how is Angel? Is she around here somewhere?” 

“Shit. I don’t―I just.” Ardan blinked at him, chewing on the insides of his cheeks as he thought of what to say. But everything that came to mind didn’t seem to be the RIGHT words. Up to this point in both their lives―he’d ALWAYS known what to say because they ALMOST went through the same thing in life. Looking at both of them now―Ardan had a wrecked shoulder while the other had a wrecked brain and one of the WORST kinds at that. “Geni look―I, uhm.” He wanted to apologize instead because he should’ve been there, he should’ve been LOOKING for Evgeni like Jareth was on the time of the attack and yet―he didn’t. Ardan was ALWAYS there when the pressure from the family was weighing down on Evgeni but now―he wasn’t there. He just wasn’t. 

Ardan’s eyes widened. “You―you mean Prosopagnosia?“ he asked, tone laced with DISBELIEF. “Face blindness? Geni―I,” he halted, instantly at the younger male’s bedside. “It’s―shit. Are you alright? I mean, OF COURSE you aren’t. Like, fuck. I know it must be really terrifying not recognizing my face right now,” he mumbled. 

Ardan halted to a stop, TRYING to discern if he heard right. Shrugging it off, he proceeded to enter the room. “Geni―it’s just me,” he mumbled, coming to STOP at the foot of the younger male’s bed. “―or did you prefer it if I called you Uncle Geni?” he teased. Ardan gave him a once-over―he sighed, looking over at the bandages and visible bruises that coated his skin. He’s been around TOO MUCH injured people in one day―and he wasn’t especially FOND of seeing a family member splayed out on a hospital bed. 

‘you’re forgetting stuff? well.. crap. you don’t mind if i stay here, do you? i’m pretty empathetic right now but mostly i could just use company that isn’t overbearingly annoying.’

‘shitty. is angel okay? jareth hasn’t come by? i didn’t know… otherwise i would’ve come by earlier.’

‘is it rude to ask what happened? can i ask anyway? what happened?’

‘i know. my cousin’s in the room beside yours and i just caught a glimpse.. didn’t realize you were here too. are you - okay? on the route to being okay?’

A little smile appeared on James’ face and he put his chin in his hands and rested his elbows on his knees, leaning forwards. “Nah, I’m good. I’m going to stay here for a bit. Unless you don’t want me to be here, of course,” he added quickly as he didn’t want to stress the boy out when he was clearly injured from the attack. “It’s Evgeni, right?”

Kaira had never gotten used to taking care of the aftermath of an attack; not where the people were involved, anyway. More often than not, she was rushing to get to their next issue. Making sure the victims were okay wasn’t her job; and it certainly wasn’t something she enjoyed. Most of them just wanted sympathy. That, or they’d rant and rage; which, if anything, only made her impatient. But Kaira found the students to be entirely different, overall. They were strong, more optimistic, and desired far less pity than the victims Kai had experience with. 

“Unless there is another Evgeni in St.Mungo’s, I don’t think I do. I’m Kaira Kapoor, a new professor at Diagon. I’m teaching healing magic alongside Professor Kun. Would you mind if I came in and spoke with you for a moment?”

So she might as well be one of the healers, then. Evgeni really didn’t know what there was to talk about. The healers had explained quite a bit, rattled off diagnoses that Evgeni could barely follow along with, words like prosopagnosia and fasciculations and words he understood but definitely didn’t like, like permanent. If there was anyone to talk to, it would be the healers. Evgeni had no idea what any of this meant. So maybe it wasn’t so much that he wanted to talk about...whatever she wanted to talk about. Maybe it was that he just didn’t want to be alone again just yet.

“Shit, sorry. I thought this was Teddy’s room.” James was about to go out but then he paused, realising he recognised the boy as one of his fellow students. The room was completely empty other than for him and James actually felt slightly heartbroken looking at him. “You look pretty lonely in here, babe. Want some company?” Not giving the boy a chance to reply, he went to sit down in the empty chair beside him and conjured up some flowers with his wand to put on the side table, trying to spruce up the drab room.

He’d been in this room for...days. He couldn’t recall how many. Most likely only a few, but they all blurred together. No visitors, no calls, no concern. It wasn’t like Evgeni had expected much more, but apparently the staff had. He could see the way the nurses looked at him, at how empty his room was, and he knew they pitied him. Some of them had made it a point to come in and check on him, just to give him someone to talk to. It was...nice, but it didn’t stop him from perking up every time footsteps approached his room, like maybe this time he’d see a familiar face.

He never did. Most of the time they just kept walking, and a few times they’d gotten the room confused with someone else’s. So this time, even though he sat up a bit straighter, he kept his head down, looking over at the doorway as best he could without turning his head. From what he could see of them, they definitely weren’t one of the nurses.