As his father moved to take over, Theo leaned against the door they'd just walked through, shutting it in the process. Lou was no longer in the chair he'd left him in but lying on the floor, bloodier than before and disturbingly still. It wasn't far off the scenario he'd imagined seconds earlier, the main difference was the insistent belief that Lou had to be alive still.

Now what was he supposed to do? He was no healer, he was just an idiot who couldn't sidelong apparate without mangling someone. He knew enough from his auror training to know that the neck wound was the most worrying and that if either wound was going to kill him quickly it was that one. He'd just gotten his brother back, and not even properly, not publicly. They still couldn't get drinks together at the Leaky Cauldron or even go anywhere together without having to be furtive and careful if they wanted to.

He ran his hands through his hair and blinked hard several times to keep the threat of tears at bay. There was no dignity in weeping like a child in front of his father and Lou, assuming he ever regained consciousness.

"How bad is it? What should I do?" Or had he done enough already? He almost wanted his father to give him some mostly useless mundane task to keep his mind away from his hemorrhaging brother on the floor which was entirely his fault.

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