"Quads"

Prologue: Miracles

            Phillip and Mary Johnson were gasping for air just waiting for death to overcome their frail bodies. They were recently diagnosed with a rare illness and minutes before, they had become parents to four healthy children. In spite of the pregnancy, Mary’s energy levels had greatly decreased causing the state she was in to worsen. On the other hand, her husband who had been a world known Healer himself, had preformed the best spells that had also weakened his being. Any second, their lives would be absorbed from their frail bodies, but they were extremely grateful to have had the chance to bestow such miracles; although they would never see their children live out their lives to the fullest.

            The Healers at St. Mungo’s took precaution at once after returning Phillip to his own bed ever so forcefully, but there was still no hope, Phillip and Mary were going to die and there was nothing anybody could do to stop it. Their hands wove through the legs of the healers’, rushing back and forth, and met. They were crisp to the touch and the blue glow from the veins, were popping out of their skin behind their knuckles, extending up their bony arms. They turned their heads slowly to their sides, facing each other to stare into the others gaunt features.

            “I will always love you, sweetheart,” Phillip mumbled croakily. He blinked out tears from his bright hazel eyes and rubbed his free hand through the strands of his short brown hair, hoping that one day, his two sons would take on his appearance and his two daughters would resemble the beauty from their mother. “I am so lucky to have fallen in love with you and to be given the opportunity to know the true you. I am honestly thankful.”

            Tears also leaked from Mary’s matching hazel eyes. Her long brown hair was placed behind her ear, revealing a tiny smile. “I love you too, honey,” she said her voice was shaky from crying. “Since the moment I set my eyes on you, I knew then, that our lives would be forever intertwined together.”

            As if death, himself was waiting for all this to end, Phillip and Mary both glanced into the foggy eyes of the other for the last time. They blew each other a final kiss and then took a deep breath of air. The beating of their hearts was no more.

            “They just passed away,” one of the female Healers announced. She was checking their pulse to confirm it, “and right after saving their own children from dying, how sad.”

            “I don’t think I could have done what they did,” a male Healer admitted. He waved his wand of hazel wood covering the corpse’s bodies with sheets then levitating them to lie on magical stretchers that he would take to another room for the time being.

            “Where are the Quadruplets going to be sent?”

            “That is being determined by the Head Healers. I’m sure if you provided them with the latest news of their parents’ passing, you could catch the answer from their meeting.” He swiftly turned to leave, bringing the stretchers with him.

            “I hate seeing the Head Healers, they’re so unkind,” the other Healer complained under her breath and following after her colleague, but running the opposite direction to the secretary at the front desk.

            “What do you need, Healer Chelsea?” The Secretary asked.

            “I need to notify the Head Healers of the Quadruplet’s Parents’ condition. Can you tell me where their meeting is?”

            “No, that meeting is private.”

            “But, it’s urgent. Their Parents just passed away.”

            “Oh alright. It’s in the main board room on the top floor.”

            “Thank you so much.” Healer Chelsea advanced to the lift that would ascend her to the uppermost floor of the hospital. Once there, she dashed down the hall to the board room, passing beside windows that reflected her image like a mirror caused by the darkening skies beyond them. Before knocking on the closed door, she noticed that she could hear the voices from the Head Healers and decided to remain outside for a couple extra minutes. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, especially on the Head Healers themselves and if they were to discover her in the act, she would most definitely be dismissed from her job, but what other choice did she have? Something inside of her told her that she cared about the Quadruplets’ fate.

            “We still have yet to determine where the Quadruplets should go,” someone from within grunted.

            “We obviously have to move them to an orphanage until they come of age,” another stated.

            “What about for tonight, though? We can’t find a place now, it’s already nightfall. Who would take them?” a third asked.

            “A mallet-wand had hit some solid surface because the noise rang through the ears of Healer Chelsea and in the hall behind her. “Please, please, settle down. I have come to a decision; the Quadruplets will indeed be put in an orphanage until they reach wizarding age. As for the whereabouts, that is unknown and can be learned upon later. For the present time, they will be cared for here, by one of the Healers. No further Questions.”

            Healer Chelsea seized her chance and knocked on the board room door. When nobody turned her away, she stepped inside. “Head Healers, I have come to inform you of the current conditions of the Quadruplets’ parents. They have recently passed away. That’ll be all,” she spun around on the spot to leave.

            “Wait,” the Head Healer with the mallet-wand still clenched in his firm right hand demanded. “Head Healers, I would like you to meet the caretaker of the Quadruplets.” He said it in a menacing way as if it was such an awful task. “You understand your orders, Healer Chelsea?”

            “Yes sir, Head Healer,” she said rolling her eyes in the back of her mind. That little stunt of disobedience would also have cost her the job, but only if he had caught her really doing it.

            “Off you go, then. You have four babies to attend to,” he laughed. The other Head Healers showed amusement right along with him.

            “My pleasure,” she muttered under her breath in a disrespectful tone shutting the door after her. She continued to think about what the big deal was. She had no children of her own, but she couldn’t help feeling that these babies needed her affection. After all, their parents did die, forcing them to defeat life’s struggles on their own, poor guys.