The charm leading me out of the dark
The water rushing in threw them several feet. He was momentarily grateful they had tied themselves together. Thanks to the mask, he could see without the water stinging his eyes. He pulled on the cord connecting them until Granger was close enough to hold his waist. Once she had him, he started swimming.
He was going as fast as he could, but he could tell she forgot to factor in that he would be carrying another human body with him. He wasn’t even half way to the lab when he felt her hands spasm and fall off him. He initially tried to swim with her just dangling behind him, but she was creating so much drag that it would take ages that way. He looped one arm around her limp form and kept going.
He reached the door to the lab pod and quickly located the external emergency release to open the door. To his surprise, the waterproofing on this door had apparently held firm, and they were sucked in when the door opened. It wasn’t enough time to get Granger any meaningful air, but it was enough to catch an unfortunate glance of her.
She was blue, except for her lips which were purple. Her eyes were closed, so he didn’t have to see her lifeless stare. He felt the tears that hadn’t stopped yet fall a little harder.
In the second the door opened he had also spotted their wands. He was able to follow them easily and snagged them both as they floated in front of him. He went to cast a bubble head charm on Granger, when he realized there was no point if she wasn’t conscious to breathe the air it provided. She needed meaningful CPR, and he couldn’t do that here.
He started back towards the apparition point. He was so cold that his limbs felt stiff, but now was not the time to seize up. When he made the turn towards the hall with the apparition point, he discovered one whole window missing. There were cracks in the surrounding glass. This all led him to believe the pressure found a weak spot and it finally gave way.
Cheap ministry fucks, he thought to himself. He briefly thought about swimming out of the window, but he was unsure of how far the wards extended, so he didn’t risk it.
15 minutes after he initially set out, he reached the apparition point. He pulled Granger a little tighter and pictured the furthest back room in the emergency ward.
They landed with sheets of water falling around them. Draco quickly ripped off his face mask and pulled a wand out of his sleeve. He sent a patronus to Theo, begging for him to wake up and come help.
He severed the cord between them and gently laid her on the table to start compressions. He couldn’t have been doing them a full minute when Theo apparated in.
“Holy fuck what happened?! Hermione?!” Theo was screaming.
“Theo shut up and help me! Start compressions while I intubate her!” Draco moved his hands away when Theo moved into place. He grabbed a breathing tube from the nearby cart and tilted her head back. The way it lolled to the side made him sob. He magically guided the tube in and charmed an ambu bag to give her breaths at regular intervals.
“The lab had a structure breach and flooded. We were trapped with no wands. There was only one scuba suit. She had me wear it and pull her along in hopes we could get her back. I sent us all the way to the back and told no one we were here so that no one would spill about her condition. The last thing she needs is the Prophet hounding her.”
Theo was still doing compressions. “We’re going to need help, though. The two of us can’t do this alone.” Draco considered his words while he disconnected the ambu bag and casted remoqua. To his great relief, massive amounts of water flowed from her lungs. He reconnected the bag and moved to potions. He pushed an epi and a neuron stimulating potion through her IV and turned to relieve Theo from compressions.
“Send for my assistant and then cast the diagnostic I taught you,” he said through gritted teeth.
Theo knew better than to argue right now, but Draco did hear him mutter, “still calling him your assistant,” under his breath before he sent the patronus. Afterwards he turned and cast the diagnostic.
Everything showed a cool blue color. Draco didn’t know whether to be more scared or relieved. On one hand, nothing was clinically beyond saving, on the other, she was so hypothermic there was no hope of her regaining a pulse right now. The charm showed she was 27 degrees celsius. A long way to go.
“Theo, start casting warming charms. Don’t let them cease. Also make sure she gets another round of potions in one minute.”
After the next round of potions, Theo moved in to do compressions. Draco checked the diagnostic, and saw she had only increased to 27.2 degrees. More alarming, her heart was fibrillating.
“Theo move, I have to shock!” He knocked his friends hands out of the way before casting the charm. Her body lurched up and slumped back down, the diagnostic showing her heart flatlining again.
“Shit,” Theo said before resuming compressions.
“Is that Hermione? What the fuck is going on here?” Draco turned around to see Harry had made it. He was wearing his pajamas, but Draco was just glad he showed up.
“Get in here and earn your apprenticeship, Potter. Your ministry failed us again and she needs constant warming charms. Move!”