Shaken(Geoff)

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine had been keeping a silent vigil at her window. The news that Geoffrey was in the hospital was startling, and that was putting it mildly. In fact it was just the sort of news to really shake her up. Christine had been home when the call came in, no surprise since she hadn’t left the house since they brought her back from her brief runaway. At first she wouldn’t let her mind believe it, she blocked all thought from her brain and simply shut down. She didn’t even hear what was wrong with him, but ran up the stairs to her room locking the truth and everyone else outside.

She heard the house bustling after the news and knew her parents were probably already gone to see Geoff. Edward wouldn’t be far behind after that, then of course the rest of them. Finally the house was silent except for the servants. They too were keeping a silent vigil this night praying for their young master to be alright.

She watched the time slip by and soon heard her cousin returning, along with her Uncle. She imagined most of them came back except for her parents. Her mother wouldn’t leave Geoff even if they made her wait in the waiting room all of the night, that was if the Montgomery money or influence couldn’t get them some sort of pull.

She imagined what Geoff’s room might look like. How he looked, what kind of injuries he sustained. She imagined it all from her own room staring outside. She had done such a good job building herself a cage she didn’t know when she had become afraid to leave it, but there it was, the truth of the matter.

Inside her prison she learned to talk to herself, but only in her mind. Keeping all else quiet, she learned to listen to silence, appreciate it, understand it. There was too much going on in her mind anyway she didn’t want noise to intrude. But at the moment the noise inside was much worse than anything outside of it might have to offer. It was a silent battle of wills, whether to stay or to leave. On one hand, if she stayed in her room, she didn’t have to know the truth. She didn’t have to see for herself the pain her brother was in. She didn’t have to know whether or not he would be soon added to those she had loved and lost. And on the other hand…it was her brother…she loved him, and she owed him at the very least, a visit.

In the end it was the absolutely frightening thought that Geoff could be at death’s door, and Christine would be hiding in her room, that made her step into gear. She showered, changed and got herself to the hospital as quickly as possible.

She knew that visiting hours were long over, but she was Christine Montgomery, even if she hadn’t been acting like it lately. She lived for danger, and sure sneaking into a hospital room in the middle of the night wasn’t exactly dangerous, but it did seem to ooze the kind of forbidden mischief that Christine so loved not too long ago.

The hardest part wouldn’t be getting past the nurses, or getting into the room. No, the hardest part would be finding out where he was first. She didn’t have a clue where to begin, but luckily for her she brought reinforcements. Nalo one of their house elves would be able to locate Geoff much more quickly than herself and would also be able to avoid detection. Nalo was also her way into his room without getting caught.

Outside of the hospital she knelt down to face her house elf, and long time friend, “Thank you for helping me Nalo. Please find him as quick as you can. I’ll be waiting out here.”

With a few assurances Nalo left Christine, it wasn’t more than a minute later the elf returned.

“Master Geoff is found My Lady. I will bring you to him now if that is your wish.”

“Yes Nalo. Thank you.” she took the elf’s hand and effortlessly was brought to her brother’s side. Tentatively she reached out a hand, “Geoff…it’s me…can you…can you open your eyes?”

She swallowed hard, he was asleep and so still she was terrified in that moment thinking she might be looking at death itself. Her voice quivered, “Please?”

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

The only reason he was asleep was because Dr. Chase had given him a potion that would make him sleep. But it wasn't a peaceful sleep, despite the potion. He still had dreams; horrible, twisted, violent dreams that made him wake in tears, coated in sweat. Sometimes he felt so sick upon waking that he had to run to the adjoining toilet to vomit.

He was in the midst of one of these dreams right now. He was frozen in place, unable to move while the man he knew only as Richard Donnovan tortured Riley brutally. It didn't matter that the Daily Prophet had reported that the man's name was really Lyle Inophen, or that he was now dead. In Geoffrey's nightmares, the man still lived, and still tormented him endlessly.

He let out a soft whimper, silently fighting the invisible bonds that held him motionless in his dreams. He broke free and ran to her, trying to pull the man away from her. But even though he tried, he couldn't save Riley. By the time he got to her, it was too late. Her eyes were vacant and filled with fear, but she was so still. She was dead. And it was his fault.

He let out a loud scream that caused him to shoot straight up in bed, his eyes wide and unseeing.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine jumped when he screamed. Luckily she had cast a silencing barrier around them after she was brought to him, not wanting anyone to hear her with him otherwise it would have only been seconds before someone came to see what was wrong.

She was shaking in her boots that much was certain, and it was a new experience for her. She never thought her heart had pounded so fast in the past, but soon she had control of herself and she reached out to touch his arm ,"Geoff, It's okay...it was just a bad dream." she said in a rather childlike voice.

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

It was several minutes before he was aware of her presence. He was shaking violently, gasping for breath, while he cast his eyes around wildly, as if looking for something or someone. Finally, his eyes fell on Christine, and he stared at her for a long moment, trying to process just who she was and how he knew her. The dreams were so powerful and so vivid, that it often took him a long time to fully shake them.

As his breathing began to even out, the fog seemed to lift from his eyes, and he recognized her. "Chr.... Christine?" he whispered, his voice raspy and weak.

[Christine Montgomery]

She held her breath waiting for the wild look to leave his eyes. Did he not recognize her? Did he have amnesia? Was that why he was in the hospital? Dear God she didn't know! Her eyes began to fill with tears just thinking that he could forget who she was...who they all were. Then he said her name and a droplet fell from her lash as she nodded, " It's me..." she answered then let silence fall in.

She glanced around her, hearing his voice and her eyes fell on the pitcher of water, she poured him a glass, "Here..."

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

His hand was trembling badly as he accepted the glass of water from her. "Thank you," he whispered. Raising the glass to his lips, a little bit of water sloshed out of the cup and left scattered droplets on the blanket. But the water tasted like heaven. It wasn't even cold, but his throat was so raw and dry that it was still a relief.

He drained the glass, then finally looked at Christine, tears filling his eyes. "I'm glad to see you, Chrissy."

[Christine Montgomery]

She took the glass then refilled it and handed it back to him before sitting on the bed. "What happened...?" her voice was strangely calm and assured, but perhaps that was the relief she felt in knowing that he knew who she was.

"Are you ...you're going to be okay right?" her calmness ended there. The mere thought that she could possibly lose her brother after everything else was too much, her heart was breaking just thinking something like that could happen.

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Was he going to be all right? He almost wanted to laugh at the question. He was about as far from OK as he could ever be. And yet, physically he was fine. Tired, weak, and drained, but unhurt. The injury went far deeper than the physical and would be harder to heal.

He leaned back against the pillow, which was magically charmed to prop itself up when needed. "I'll live," he said, his voice tired and faint. "I just... It's complicated."

[Christine Montgomery]

She nodded, more relieved than she could say when he said that he'd live. He had to live. She didn't want anyone else she loved dying, for one, and she didn't know what she'd do without her big brother otherwise.

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me...just...I needed to know that you're..." she paused...she could see that he wasn't okay, but mostly she just needed to know that he wasn't dying. "I guess I had to make sure you weren't going to follow Roland..." she sighed when the words were out, it was the most she had ever talked about the subject.

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

"Roland....?"

For a moment, Geoffrey was confused. The dreams were so real, and he was having trouble remembering what was real and what was just a dream. He felt like he'd seen Roland recently, talked to him... But it was just a dream. Riley was alive, Roland was dead... not the other way around. It was all so confusing, and it made his head hurt.

"I promise, I'm not dying," he said softly. "But I kind of wish I were."

[Christine Montgomery]

"Don't say that!" she nearly yelled at him, angry he could even think such a thing. She didn't know what had happened, she didn't know why he was there when he looked physically fine, but no matter what injury he had she didn't think death would be preferable. At least not from her perspective.

"I couldn't bear it if I lost you too..."

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Geoffrey sighed. After all Christine had been going through, he really shouldn't have said that to her. But it was true. What had happened to him, what he had almost done... it was unthinkable. Unbearable. The man might as well have put a spell on him to make him kill Christine. Geoffrey felt just as devastated as if he had. And even though it hadn't succeeded, it could have. He could have killed Riley.

"I'm sorry, Chris," he murmured. "I didn't mean it. I just... They didn't tell you what happened, did they?"

[Christine Montgomery]

She shook her head no, and her pulse calmed slightly. She was a little uncomfortable with her outburst. Usually she said the first thing that came to mind of course but lately she had been guarding the things she said and had she guarded her words this time she wouldn't have gotten angry with him, and she was sorry she had. Life was too short for anger.

"No...Mum and Dad left as soon as they heard the word hospital and I..." she was too much of a coward to leave her room until she finished analyzing the situation, " I guess I should have come sooner but I wasn't..." she shrugged not able to find the right words.

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

He sighed and reached for her hand. He didn't care that she wasn't supposed to be here, or that he was supposed to be sleeping. He couldn't sleep, anyway. Even with the help of potions, he hadn't been able to sleep more than a couple of hours at a time. And sleep was still too frightening and confusing.

"I'm glad you're here now," he said. "I don't like being alone. I... I was attacked today, Chrissy. Someone used the Imperius Curse on me. They made me try to kill Riley."

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine's eyes rounded even wider as she heard what had happened to her brother. She had traveled all over the world, and there were many unsavory places that her father would have pulled his hair out had he known she'd been there. She had seen the imperius used before on a woman in Asia. Over there, at least where she had been, it wasn't even criminal, but it was so very wrong.

The thought that someone put her brother under such a spell,a nd then proceeded to have him try and kill Riley, that was simply horrific. Not to mention cowardly.

"Oh ...Merlin Geoff. I'm so sorry."

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

His eyes welled up with tears, and he looked away from her, not quite able to meet her eyes. "Luckily, I was stopped. Hayden and Ted Tonks were there... Ted protected Riley, and Hayden... I don't even know what he did. I guess he Stunned me. It was scary, Chris. It was like I was standing outside myself watching my body do and say things I'd never do or say. And I couldn't stop it. I was helpless. Now... I have to pray that they don't bring me up on charges or anything... and Riley's never going to trust me again. I don't even know if I trust myself."

[Christine Montgomery]

A large part of Christine hadn't settled yet. The fear was still sending chills down her spine even as she saw that Geoffrey was whole and safe...well for the most part. But when he started talking about the charges and Riley never trusting him again, that fear found a quick outlet in anger.

"Bosh." she said stubbornly. "Riley knows better. She's an auror, and..." Christine swallowed hard, " after what happened to Roland, it's no surprise that she's being targeted. We just have to focus on keeping her safe...that's why she's staying at the castle...and to help her... with..." Christine didn't finish that thought, knowing that she too was having a very difficult time with Roland's death.

"Anyone who knows you will testify that you would never do a thing to hurt Riley of your own free will. And if anyone's stupid enough to put you through a trial our lawyers will eat them for breakfast." She smiled then trying to bring some humor into his eyes, " Besides, You know Uncle Edward'd have you out of the country before you'd see the inside of a prison..."

Her expression softened, " Don't worry Geoff...everything's going to be okay...you'll see."

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Maybe she didn't realize it yet, but Geoffrey could see glimmers of the old Christine peeking through her worried eyes. She may have been worried for her brother, but she wasn't sad or lost anymore. Or at least, she seemed to finally be finding her footing again. Maybe, in a strange way, the attack on Geoffrey had been just what she needed to get angry and shake her out of her spell.

All Geoffrey knew was that seeing her angry and preparing for a fight did him a lot of good. Sad, deafeated Christine might have been the last blow to whatever was left of his optimism. But somehow, seeing her angry made him want to fight, too.

"I hope it's going to be OK. Maybe it will. But Roland is going to kill me for failing to protect Riley."

For the moment, dreams and reality had blurred again, and he forgot that Roland was dead.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine's brows furrowed, " I'm afraid I don't understand your meaning there." she said. Roland wasn't killing anyone. Was Geoff being metaphorical in some way? Or perhaps he simply meant that Roland, were he still alive, would be quite angry with Geoff.

Even then she sighed, " You musn't blame yourself." she said sternly, " Roland would know the truth. You have nothing to be guilty over Geoff...evil...it simply is. It happens...if it didn't then Roland would still be with us...you never would have tried to hurt Riley...that attack at the school...none of it would have ever happened. But it's not your fault...you're a good guy... I know that, Riley knows that...and Roland, may he rest in peace, he knows that too."

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Geoffrey frowned, rubbing his head. "Right... yeah... That's what I meant. Chris, I've been having these horrible, confusing dreams." He sighed, and for a moment, he looked very pale and helpless. "Ever since I got to the hospital... I was unconscious from the stunning spell, and I started having these dreams. Dreams that I killed Riley, that Roland was alive, and everything was just backwards and wrong. I keep having them, and it's getting so I can't remember what's real anymore. I feel like I'm going crazy..."