Natalie was sitting in the waiting room patiently. Well, as patient as she could be. She had been hit with the Cruciatus twice in less than six months, so she needed a healer's release note before they'd allow her to come back to work. It was irritating. She was fine. Natalie was bouncing her leg quite hard.

Walking out into the lobby, chart in hand, Ginny grinned slightly at the back of Natalie's head. She had thought about checking on the girl, but she was almost afraid to. The only reason she'd gotten hurt in the first place was because Crabbe had been trying to kill her and Draco. Dean and Natalie being involved had just been bad luck on their part.

"Natalie?"

"Hullo, Gin. I need a check-up. If you have time. Apparently if you take the Cruciatus twice within six months, you have to see a healer before getting released to the job. I'd like to be back in my cubicle on Monday."

Ginny nodded. She understood the need. Neville knew a lot more about the Cruciatus than she did, but she knew enough about it. The Ministry were being smart. Making sure those that got hurt in the line of duty didn't go back to the job too soon, before the aftereffects of the Unforgivable wore off. "Sure, let's head on back."

Natalie hoped up with nervous energy. She followed Ginny into the exam room. Natalie hoped up on the table.

"Do I need to get naked?"

Ginny shut the door while turning to look at Natalie with an eyebrow raised. "Would you like to get naked?"

Natalie shrugged, grinning. She was glad there was a joking mood. Her father had been so somber this week, and Dean was overprotective.

"I haven't been naked with anyone except Dean in a long time," Natalie blushed. "And you didn't need to know that."

"Actually, telling me you haven't been naked with anyone but Dean is definitely something I need to know. If you had been naked with someone save Dean, this would be a lot less healing and a lot more hurting." Ginny crossed to the counter and grabbed a clipboard, putting Natalie's chart and pulling a pen from her pocket.

Natalie grinned. "He's fine. A bit touchy and definitely miffed that Da's been drugging his tea because he's worried Dean isn't sleeping enough, but he's all right. No nightmares, no pain."

"Good." Ginny was glad Dean wasn't have nightmares. He was stronger than her when it came to sleeping anyhow. "And you? How have you been sleeping?"

Natalie looked down at her hands. "At first that was all I did. Now I try not to. It feels like I'm living one of those choose your own ending books. I see the whole thing again, but it ends differently. Always with various dead bodies."

"Have you been taking any dreamless draught?"

"No," Natalie shifted uncomfortably. "Do you think I should?"

"Do the dreams upset you? Do they cause you to wake up in fear? Do you have trouble distinguishing them from real life? Do they interfere with your daily functions?"

"That was a lot of questions," Natalie said, with wide eyes. "I wake up screaming sometimes. Sometimes it takes me a minute to know that it was a dream and recall what really happened. I've been emotional lately too. I cried all over Harry the other day. Likely to his horror."

Ginny scratched on the chart with her pen. "You don't get confused during the day and have the scene flash in front of your eyes like you're seeing it again?"

"No," Natalie said with growing horror. "Is that likely to happen? Because I'd like to do a preemptive strike on it. I can't have that. Can't."

"No. If you don't have them, I wouldn't worry of you getting any." Ginny snapped the file closed, thanking the Gods that she was the only one having that particular problem. She'd already learned to deal with it, though, over the course of her therapy following her first year at Hogwarts. She set the chart on the counter and crossed to where Natalie was sitting on the table. She pressed her fingers into Natalie's neck, feeling her lymphnodes. "Have you had any problems eating?"

"Are you kidding? My problem is every time I turn around either my father or Dean is shoving a sandwich or soup at me. No, I can eat."

"Any phantom pains? Any pain at all?"

"No." Natalie grinned. "Unless you count Jimmy Peakes. He's a pain."

Ginny nodded, pressing on both of Natalie's upper cheeks with her thumbs. "Does this hurt?"

"No."

She pulled her hands away from Natalie's face. "You're healthy," Ginny said, leaning back against the counter in the room as she crossed her arms over her chest. "There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to go back to work if that's what you wish."

Natalie nodded. "Good. I have some forms for you then. Triplicate. Sorry."

Natalie reached into her bag.

"So... um... are you doing okay?"

"Well, I've been having a lot of patients, so it's been pretty hectic, but the clinic is doing really well. It's nice having someone up front who actually knows how to help. I'm pretty sure if Neville doesn't come on soon we're going to have too many patients and not enough healers." Ginny's hand made quick work of the forms, making sure to initial and sign all these pieces of parchment before holding them out to Natalie.

"That's nice, Gin, but I was asking about you."

Ginny hesitated. She was supposed to be a healer, which meant she couldn't have her patients know how messed up this had made her. "Better. It took a few days, but I'm doing fine." On the outside.

Natalie raised a brow. She was pretty sure she was being placated, but she'd leave it to Draco to know if Ginny needed help. Perhaps she would speak to Dean about this. If they were needed, Draco would call on them. Maybe she'd just let him know she was around to help.

"Okay," Natalie said. "Thanks, Gin."

She took the forms Ginny had filled out and stuffed them back into her bag. She was taking them to the Ministry right now.

"You know if you need anything, you can owl or floo me, yeah? Dean and I are here."

Nodding, Ginny smiled. She knew that they'd be there for her. She did know this... but it didn't make it any easier. "If the Ministry gives you any trouble, you send them to me, alright? I have a very good friend who's a high up there, or something, and I'm sure I can talk him into giving you clearance."

Natalie nodded at her and headed out.


{SUMMARY} Natalie goes to Ginny for a checkup so that she may be released back into the workforce.