Road to Recovery

Chapter 8

"P.T.S.D ?" asked Petunia confusedly as she had never heard of this word.

But Vernon looked distraught as he knew what P.T.S.D stood for. He worked at GRUNNINGS, a Drill Making Company and he had been promoted to Director of that Company. He had seen many a workers from Military or other Security personnel coming to work for a standard meager salary because they could not work in a Innovative or Energetic environment because of their previous works and thus had to settle for assembly line company doing mundane work to fill their stomach and feed their family.

He had overheard a couple of ex-soldiers speaking about P.T.S.D and how hard it is to live a normal life again as the war had shattered them.

"But I thought it was only people from Military who had them.!" Vernon was bewildered.

Dr. Emma Granger shook her head and said,

"Just because you had seen people from Military have PTSD does not means others will not have them. PTSD comes in many forms to different type of people. Normally it is triggered by witnessing or experiencing a Traumatic event."

Dr. Emma then continued to ask "Did he experience any Traumatic event?, Did he get any support for it?, Explain anything you know so that we can identify the cause and reduce the triggers for PTSD."

Vernon Dursley looked at Petunia, who then said "He...He witnessed the death of his parents, and then his Guardians and then his friend." said Petunia carefully looking at Dr.Emma and then looked at Harry who was looking at the ceiling laying on the hospital bed, his face expressionless.

Shocked was an understatement for Dr. Emma Granger. So many death witnessed by a single person who were his family can indeed make a person go crazy, just his expression and then his trigger which she could guess, from recalling the past had triggered a massive reaction result in the dangerous wheezing and breathlessness.

Dr. Emma then turned to the Dursley's and asked

"so, then, you are his...?"

"Oh, we are from his Mother's family, I am his mother's sister" replied Petunia looking sad.

Dr. Emma looked at them and wrote down something in her note for a couple of minutes and then stood up from her desk and said.

[A/N : The information i am providing about PTSD is after an extensive research, which may or may not be the truth. So if any reader is suffering from PTSD( which I sincerely hope not), it does not mean they can follow these instructions. Please refer a Good Psychiatrist. mental health is also important compared to physical health.]

"There is no definite Treatment to cure PTSD," Dr.Emma said looking at the Dursley's who looked pale, "But there is many a ways to suppress the triggers thus alleviate the symptoms."

"There are 5 Stages of PTSD, which are

1. Impact or Emergency Stage

2. Denial or Numbing Stage"

3. Intrusive or Repetitive stage

4. Short-term Recovery stage

5. Long-term Recovery stage. "

"based on your given information about the boy, Harry Potter, we can safely assume that he is in Impact stage, which means he had just witnessed the shocking traumatic event and thus struggling to deal with what he had seen or experienced."

"To Overcome this he need to come to terms with what had happened rather than denying it had happened and then move forward with the help of his loved ones," Dr. Emma looked at the Dursley's and said "assuming you are there for him emotionally and be there for him, be compassionate, understanding,after which he comes to terms with the past events."

"Now Listen carefully," she looked sternly at the Dursley and who sat upright and listened attentively "The Third Stage, which is the INTRUSIVE or REPETITIVE stage is the most dangerous of them all."

the air in the room suddenly cooled. the Dursley's shivered listening to Dr. Emma who then said, "Even after coming t terms with what had happened, he may experience flashback or nightmares or may even feel flighty or jumpy and anxious, where he has to be firm in his conviction and look forward to a future without them, without their death impacting his life, after he had done this everything will fall in place and will go on a normal life with some small recovery period. "

The Dursley's looked solemn and then Petunia said,"Don't worry Doctor, we will take good care of him at home, But please help him to overcome this trauma so this doesn't affect his daily life and let him live a peaceful life."

Dr. Emma nodded and then went near the boy, and asked slowly "Did you hear what we talked about child?".

"Yes" came a monotonous reply.

"Well, did you understood what we talked about?" she pressed again.

"Yes"

"Do you want to live a peaceful life, make some good friends, go on some adventures with your good friends, and take a look at the wide Vast world.?" Dr. Emma Granger said slowly ad if wanting Harry to hear each word.

Harry did not say anything.

"so, lets leave that for later." she tried a different approach "Tell me how about your Guardian who left this world." she approached slowly.

Harry thought back to Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, and suddenly thought back after they died, he became emotionally worse and only Ginny had told him whether he had wanted to wallow in self pity or come to her to have a family life, which he had chosen, thus he had never had any closure about their deaths. Ginny never allowed him to talk about them. Only he would go off to find Teddy (Lupin's son) privately and play with him and he would feel whole.

Harry could not control his emotions and tears started to flow from his eyes. Both Vernon and Petunia looked sad.

Petunia looked at Dr. Emma and then asked "Do we have to do this now, can't you just give him some pills to take ?"

"No" said Dr. Emma, "He had to accept that they have died and then find closure so that he can overcome this trauma."

Dr. Emma asked again to Harry "So, tell me about your Guardian, their name, how they looked and how they took care of you. Harry, Look at me when i am talking" Dr.Emma said the last sentence sternly and the Harry slowly looked towards Dr. Emma Granger and flinched, turned his head away but Dr. Emma cupped his small head with one hand and then turned him towards her and asked again "Now tell me."

Harry looked at Dr. Emma again and after a long time said "I had two Guardians, one is Sirius Black and other is Remus Lupin."

Dr. Emma seemed satisfied with his answer, and said "Go on"

"Sirius was taller than me, had long Black hair, and sharp grey eyes, he was funny and took me everywhere i could not go and had me experience what it means to have a father." said Harry and cried silently, Petunia also started crying, Vernon could feel his eyes moist, and then Harry said "Lupin was the sensible one among then, when ever i had any doubts regarding anything he would take time to explain them to me."

"Did you know something about them ?" Harry asked where Emma shook her head and then he continued, "They were both Best Friends with my Father and mother." Both Petunia and Dr. Emma gasped at that.

"And then they both died protecting me." Harry's voice broke and started to cry. Petunia was sobbing slowly. Dr. Emma could feel her eyes becoming wet and then slowly hugged Harry and said "there, there, there is nothing you could have done about that."

"No....No, you do not understand, they died because of me." Harry pushed Emma away and then said, "If I was not there, with them, they could have lived, they died because of me." Harry said as his expression gradually became stiff and looked lost.

Dr. Emma did not know what to say, and they said "Then think of the good things you have done with them and know that they would have wanted you to life a good life and now wallow in misery and self pity. They did not give their lives away for you for nothing." said Dr. Emma firmly.

Harry stared at her and said nothing.

"Tell me about your friend then." said Dr. Emma.

Harry thought back to Hermione Granger, whom he had loved like a sister, who he became friends with her after he and Ron had saved after a Troll attack in the Hogwarts Castle, then they mutual respect and developed friendship, she had helped him many a times he had lost count of, and he had taken her for granted and had gotten angry at her many a times when she had tried to do good things for him, when she had tried to steer him in a good direction, But No, he had always hurt her, He had accepted Ron, whenever he had made mistakes, hurt their friendship, during their fourth sixth and seventh year, but had readily accepted him, but had shunned Hermione, when she had done something he did not like.

He had helped Ron become close with Hermione after he knew that Ron fancied her and then slowly reduced their interactions knowing that Ron was a Jealous person and then he did not want to come in between their relationship, thus gradually faded from Hermione's Life except for few festivals and reunions.

Now he regretted everything he done to her, how he had hurt her, how she looked hurt when he did not believed her but was more accepting towards Ron.

Harry started to cry uncontrollably and started to have difficult breathing and then went to panic mode,

"I killed your daughter, I killed your Daughter" muttered unconsciously and then fainted.

Dr. Emma Granger was somewhat shocked and thought that he was talking about her Daughter and then immediately shook her had as she just saw her daughter this morning.

Petunia panicked and came to Harry.

"There is no need to worry, he needs to get it out of his system, when he says them aloud, it means he is starting to accept whatever had happened and this is a good start" said Dr. Emma.

"I will give him some sleeping pill, which you should give him whenever he has nightmares or panic attacks but in mild doses so that he does not get addicted to them."

"where is your house?" inquired Dr. Emma towards the Dursley's.

"It's Privet Drive, in Little Whinging" said Vernon.

"Oh, that's a coincidence, Our Family had just moved in today to Privet Drive." said Dr. Emma pleasantly surprised and asked "what is your house number ?, mine is 6."

Now it was Vernon and Petunia's Turn to be shocked and looked at each other and gradually smiled and said "Ours is 4, Looks like we will be next door Neighbours, Dr. Granger" said Petunia.

"call me Emma, please" said Emma Granger.

"Now lets check him out and take him home. I have just joined here today and am not working today, so lets take him back to our place and discuss the next steps, if that's alright with you.!" said Emma Granger.

"No problem, Emma, He looks exhausted, lets take him back." said Petunia and took Harry in her arms and gestured him to get Dudley and start the car.

"How did you get here Emma? Did you come here in your car?"

"No, My husband dropped me off before going to his clinic. I was planning to get a Public transport home." said Emma.

"Nonsense, there is enough space in our car, come back with us, It is the least we could do for you after all you did." said Petunia stubbornly.

Dr. Emma hesitated and then accepted her offer.

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After a couple of Hours later

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"Hey, wake up!, wake up!, who said you can sleep in my Bed?" a small childish voice was heard and Harry Potter woke up groggily. It was a Distant yet Familiar voice.