Hope Dawns in an Unexpected Surprise
Chapter 19:
Somehow, the Potters endured, despite all the bad things that were going on. Harry's strength was taking its toll, though. Matthew had hardly spoken since their flight one month ago, Hermione had been feeling poorly, and Ron had flooed them again, asking them all to go spend time with his family. When Harry had declined, Ron had gotten angry, and Harry was afraid that all ties with his best friend had been irreversibly severed.
Hermione's sudden illness was what really scared him, though. There was a specific reason behind Matthew's illness-the cancer. But there was no reason for Hermione to be sick. And since cancer was often a hereditary disease…well, Harry made himself sick with fear that his wife might have the same illness that their son had. Seeing his only son so sick broke his heart, but he just knew that if he had to watch his wife be knocked down by cancer, he would die. Hermione was his soul mate and the love of his life, and he didn't think he could bear to see her hurting that much.
Matthew's next chemotherapy treatment was scheduled for July 31: Roughly one and a half months after Matthew's birthday. Harry and Hermione did their normal routine of getting Matthew into the car, with the exception that Hermione just opened the doors and carried a little bag with some toys instead of actually helping Harry get him buckled in. She was feeling nauseous, and Harry had made her allow him to do all the work. They finally got situated and headed towards the hospital once again.
When they got up to the cancer ward, they met a smiling and cheerful Dr. Regina. She tried to make small conversation with Matthew as she hooked him up, but he just looked at her bluntly. When she turned to leave the room, Harry followed her, leaving Hermione alone to keep Matthew company.
"Dr. Regina, can I talk to you about something?"
She turned and smiled. "Sure. What's on your mind?" He sighed and put his hands in his pockets.
"It's Hermione, Dr. She hasn't been feeling well, and I'm, well, I'm afraid something might be seriously wrong with her. Do you think you could find a doctor to check up on her?"
Dr. Regina gave him a look that seemed all knowing, a look that made Harry feel as though she knew something that he didn't.
"Of course, I'll get a doctor up here directly to take a look at her." She turned to leave, but Harry reached out and grabbed her shoulder.
"Wait! Uh, there's one more thing."
"What is it?"
"I, uh," he rubbed the back of his neck in nervousness. "Never mind. It's too personal of a question."
"I don't mind at all. What's wrong?"
He sighed and dropped his hand. "How are you staying so happy, even though your nephew who you practically raised is dead?"
She gave a warm smile as her eyes developed a far away look. "It's still really hard for me, even to come here to work everyday."
"So how do you do it?"
"I rest myself in the knowledge that his death wasn't good-bye, as we are both Christians. The Bible tells me that I will be reunited with those who have passed on in heaven, and I know that there will never really be a final good-bye. Plus, I know that he's really in a better place now, no longer suffering from cancer, no longer bald." Harry laughed. "He has a new, pain-free body, and that makes me angry at myself for being so selfish that I want him back here. So, in answer to your question, I put things into perspective, and God helps with the rest."
Harry nodded and smiled, amazed at her wonderfully true story. "Do you think you could talk to Matthew about this? He's ready to give up ever since Jeremiah's death, and he really needs to hear a message of hope."
Dr. Regina smiled. "I'd love to. I'll be sure to talk with him while Hermione's getting her check-up."
She went to the nurse's station to page a doctor, and within ten minutes, a doctor by the name of Shepherd was there, ready to examine Hermione. Harry brought her into the room, despite her protests that she was perfectly fine and didn't need a doctor, thank you very much. He finally got her to sit down on the examination table long enough for an examination. Dr. Shepherd took her blood pressure, checked her reflexes, and every other necessary check-up procedure. Then he pulled out his clipboard and began to ask her questions.
"Have you had much of an appetite in the past month?"
"Not really. But I think that's just because of my worrying over Matthew."
"Have you had any trouble sleeping?"
"Yes, but once again because of my last answer."
"Have you been weak, dizzy, and/ or tired a lot more than you normally are?"
"Yes, but…"
"When was your last menstruation?"
"June 12th." Harry looked at her in surprise.
"'Mione, you didn't tell me anything was wrong like that!"
"Well, I am anemic, and it's not that strange for me to be irregular when I'm stressed or really worn out!"
"How long have you been anemic?"
"Since I was thirteen. I take special medication for it."
"And what kind of medication do you take daily?"
The questioning went on until the doctor ordered a blood test and a urine sample. By the time Hermione was finished with both, she was in a very bomb-like mood: One little thing could annoy her and she'd explode in fervor on the thing that misshaped to annoy her. As she sat with Harry in the examination room, waiting for the test results, Hermione shot piercing glares to her husband, feeling that it was all his fault that she had to pee in a cup and give some of her blood away. If looks could kill, she would be a widow at that very moment, and she was so annoyed that she really wouldn't have cared in the least.
Harry was very thankful when Dr. Shepherd came back, to say the least. He gave a huge smile when the door open, making Hermione give him another lethal glare before turning to the door in anger.
"Well? Am I dying as my husband seems to think?" Dr. Shepherd just grinned and gave Harry a sympathetic look.
"What is wrong with her?"
"YOU THINK SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH ME?!"
Harry didn't even answer, so confused and stressed as to why his wife was acting so tetchy. Dr. Shepherd gave a hearty laugh.
"Nothing's wrong with you, Mrs. Potter." He turned to Harry. "Sir, I would really not like to be you in the coming months."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Mrs. Potter, I have found out the reason to your poor feeling."
"Am I sick?" Hermione said, suddenly calm in worry over what could be wrong with her and incredibly ashamed of her anger filled emotions.
"Oh, you're not sick, on the contrary! You're actually perfectly healthy."
"Then why," Harry said, his voice rising almost to his wife's previous sound decibel. "Is she feeling ill?"
"She's pregnant."
Harry felt his mouth drop as his mind tried to catch up with what he had just heard. "But, how…we used a…" his mouth formed an `O'. They hadn't used a contraceptive, and if he had just thought of that little fact previously, he wouldn't have been thinking that his wife had cancer.
"How far along am I?" Hermione whispered, her face aglow.
"I'm estimating one and a half months." Hermione's eyes darted towards Harry before darting back to the doctor's face. "I want to get you in to have your first ultrasound as soon as we can get you in. I think our ultrasound technician is here today, so I'll see if he can squeeze you in. You two can stay here while I find out the details." He turned away and walked out the door, leaving Harry and Hermione to stare at each other in disbelief.
"Can you believe this?" Harry asked.
"I-I'm pregnant." The thought still hadn't fully registered in Hermione's mind.
Harry left his chair and went to be by his wife. He pulled back her hair and kissed her soundly.
"Harry," she gasped as they broke away. "This time is going to be even harder than when we had Matthew."
He sighed and rested his chin on the top of her head. "I know, love, I know. But this child was conceived for a reason, and God will help us get through supporting Matthew until he is rid of this cancer and supporting this child and bringing it into the world."
"You want to know something weird?"
"What?"
"Every night, I've prayed for a sign of hope, something that will help us get through Matthew's cancer. Maybe this baby is the beginning of the hope we've been searching for."
Harry didn't know how to reply, so he just kissed his wife passionately again.
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