Dinner: Interrupted

It was half past midnight.  Michael and Robert had intended to be home before this, but it had all gone to hell in a handbasket.  It should have been simple, shouldn't have been messy or complicated.  Well, shit.  That just hadn't happened.


Silent and concerned, Michael looked at Robert, who was now starting to look like he might live, but he wasn't looking like that had been by much.  Near as Michael could figure, they were in the back room of Slugs and Jiggers, in Lorcan D'Eath's potions lab. The Death Eater potionsmaster had brought Robert there, with Michael snatching tight to Robert to not be left behind. 

It had all happened much too fast.  Michael had joined Robert, who had been working late, for a pint and some fish and chips.  Audriana Swan, a fellow Order member, had bought Robert a pint, making a bit of friendly chatter as she delivered the pint herself.  Robert had thanked her, but after only a drink from the pint glass, Robert seemed to become immediately ill. Lorcan D'Eath had swiftly snatched the pint, sniffed it, snatched up Robert by the arm, and, with Michael latching on at the last moment, had apparated them all to the potions lab.


Once at the lab, Lorcan had deposited a very limp Robert into the nearest chair and then the Death Eater had swiftly fetched a bottle of potion from a shelf and had fed a dose of it to Robert, who had no strength and not enough consciousness to fight him.

"What the hell..." Michael had begun.

"Poison," D'Eath said quietly, snatching up a mortar and pestle and starting to grind ingredients together. "We may have caught it in time.  Give him a moment."

Ever suspicious, Michael asked. "The pint or you?" D'Eath paused and looked up and then rolled his eyes sarcastically.  He picked up the pint and thrust it under Michael's nose. 

"Smell it--carefully. Then decide if you want to try it," D'Eath had said, going back to his work.  Michael didn't smell anything at first, but then, he caught a slight odor of something off. It was an afternote, but it was foul.  He glanced at Robert, who appeared to only be semi conscious.  Already, Robert's skin looked frighteningly gray and deathlike, and he was in a cold sweat.  

"He doesn't look good," Michael had said.

"He's not," Lorcan replied automatically.  "The antidote needs a little time. If he survives the next few moments, you'll be able to take him home...."

"If he survives?" Michael scowled.

"I am not a healer. I am, though, quite a good potionsmaster." Lorcan bottled up what he'd been working on in the mortar. It looked like swill to Michael. Lorcan labeled it quickly, bottled a well labeled sample of the tainted ale, selected five other potions and packaged them all up in a brown paper package.  Michael had been watching him when he heard Robert start to gasp for air and start to cough.  It actually sounded promising.  It got Lorcan's attention too.

"Better?" D'Eath asked Robert.  Robert nodded, still coughing.  He was clearly confused as to where they were or how they got there. He looked at Michael and was obviously relieved to see him.

"I'm here, Mate," Michael said, resting a hand on Robert's arm. 

"You're lucky to be alive," Lorcan told him. "A lesser man your age would be dead by now. You were poisoned.  I presumed you want a sample of it for yourself, so I'm sending it with you...."

"Who..." Robert tried to ask.

"Swan. I saw her put it in your ale before she gave it to you, but I couldn't rpress through the crowd in time. My apologies," Lorcan said. "It seems you shouldn't trust your fellow Order members.  You need better protection, Minister."  Robert shook his head. He wasn't about to start using a bodyguard.  Lorcan looked at Michael, handing him the package. "Take him home. The bottles are self explanatory. He needs to rest.  I will handle Swan--with great pleasure."

"Why are you doing all this?" Michael frowned, putting his arm under Robert's shoulder.

"He is the Minister, is he not? Do I need another reason? Our leader needs to remain safe, and I will do whatever I can to help." Lorcan helped him get Robert to his feet, but Robert was more laying on Michael than standing.  "Now--Good evening."  

Holding the package in one hand and Robert in the other, Michael ported himself and Robert back to Khaat's house.  He expected to find just whoever was on the night shift awake. 

"Oi!" he called as he ported in. "Where are you?"

Jess had not felt the need for sleep and had left Jack sleeping heavily in their bed. She now sat knitting, a pastime she had picked up from Kate and she found she had a talent for it. Her needles clicked as she listened to the silence that surrounded her and ran through the house , but a shiver told her things were about to change, and it didn't take too long.

She heard Michael call out and she placed down her needles half running to where he was at the urgency she had felt come from him.

"Ow dear lord, what happened." She asked taking Robert from him ."JACK COME QUICK!!" she called and a half dressed Jack ran down the stairs wand in hand as he searched for an intruder.

"Put that away and help" she said cupping Roberts face as she looked into his eyes. " Poison, but wait..hes had the antidote?" she looked up at Michael " Lorcan?" she breathed out slowly.

"I recognized his work, hes an excellent potions master, his reputation proceeds him."She said with a smile " did he give instructions?" she asked knowing he probably did

"Yes. He said its in the package," Michael said, handing to to her. "I don't know what all is in there. Six or seven different bottles. That's all I know."


Michael struggled a moment with Robert's dead weight against his shoulder and then lowered his friend into the nearest chair. He crouched in front of the chair, tapping Robert's damp face slightly. Robert's skin felt cold and clammy to Michael.

"Oz," he called. "Oz. You in there?"  It took a moment to get a response from Robert, but finally, Robert opened his eyes and looked around, trying to figure out where the hell he was now.


"Where the hell are we?" Robert finally managed, his voice barely capable of making actual sound. He shivered, feeling cold. Robert knew the signs. Shock, from the poison and the damage it had done and might still be doing for awhile.


Brian raced down the stairs, and Kate followed.  


"Robert!" Kate was rarely upset when Robert got into a scrape but tonight it looked worth the worry.


"What the hell happened?" Brian demanded.

Jess took the package and looked in "Thats good its all here." she said and placed it down as Brian and Kate came down the stairs. "But it seems he was poisoned, but Lorcan gave him the antidote and several bottles of after care" she said softly.

She had seen Michael speak to Him and his reaction and question "Disorientation, thats normal Michael, he'll need rest for several days, would you agree Kate?" she said and showed Kate the box and the bottles inside it. " I'll stay with him, Jack and Brian can help get him to your room."

She saw the others walk down the stairs, Cassidy with a sleeping small child in her arms looking just as worried as the others.

"I do indeed," Kate said.  It had been a long time since she'd seen anyone use poison, but now that Jess mentioned it, it made sense.

Brian went over to Robert and laid his hand on Robert, assessing. He glanced up at Jess, not saying a word, but this wasn't good.  Not at all.  He wanted Jess to know. D'Eath had saved his life, but not by much.  Whatever Swan had used was vicious. This was going to take time and skill to turn around.

"Let's get you upstairs," Brian told Robert quietly. "You've had a long day." He stood Robert up, but Robert just couldn't stand anymore or even try.  His knees failed him.


"Jack!" Brian called, needing Jack's strength.  Michael found himself behind Brian and not able to reach Robert as quickly as he wanted to. He was hoping that Jack could be quicker.

Jess watched Brian walk over and saw the look on his face she nodded to him that she knew it had been close. She watched Jack move to stand next to Robert as he stood she wanted to move to help him when his knees gave out but thankfully Jack picked him up as if he was a new born child.

She breathed out in relief then turned to pick up the box with the bottles "Hes in good hands Kate, hes home at least." she said softly and glanced to her knitting " looks like that blanket for Abby will have to wait a bit longer for tonight." She said and smiled following Jack as he moved to the stairs.

" Ow Michael before I forget, theres fresh made apple Pie and Ice Cream in the fridge help yourself." she said with a relived yet theres a long way to go yet smile.

"Let me know if you need anything, Jess," Brian said. "Michael, let's go to the kitchen.  I want to know exactly how this happened. I need briefed straight away."


Michael had wanted to stick to Robert, but as much as he wanted to, he knew Jess needed time with Robert, and Brian did need to know if Robert was still at risk.  The fact was, he just didn't know. 


"Thanks, Jess," Michael said.  He followed Brian to the kitchen.  Brian poured a couple large firewhiskeys and put one in front of Michael. Then he broke out the pie and ice cream.  

"We might as well listen in," Marcus told Cassidy. "We'll be repeating the facts a million times anyway. We might as well get them straight."


"Take good notes," Kate told them, hurrying upstairs to be with Robert.


"I don't need notes," Marcus frowned. He headed to the kitchen after Brian and Michael.

Jess nodded then followed Jack up the stairs to Roberts room, she moved around him and opened the doors waving her hand she sent the covers rolling back to the foot of the bed so Jack could sit Robert down. "We should get him out of these clothes and into some pajamas" she glanced at Kate as Jack staid holding Robert up so he didn't flop backwards onto the bed.

" Kate do you want to do the honers?" Jess asked " of Jack can do it." She placed each bottle on the bedside table so she could check the list against what was there. "Everything is here." she looked back and smiled.

Once Robert was changed she placed her hand on his and sighed as she let some of her energy enter him to help the healing process. " Jack I'll be fine go back to bed, you have patrol in a few hours." she told him. She felt his hand on her shoulder and she smiled letting her other hand rest on top of his.

Kate hadn't responded right away. Her thoughts were temporarily a million miles away and years ago. She had chosen Robert instead of Remus because Robert had seemed to stable and steady. Remus was too adventurous.  Where had she misjudged it all? This was to be their retirement. Their golden years. There was nothing golden about it. He had more close calls since he'd taken this job, and Kate, tonight, had had her fill.  She hated the job and what it did to him.

She focused back in and saw they had him changed and into bed.  "Sorry," she said. "I really hate his job sometimes.  I expect this nonsense from Khaat, but I always figured she got it from Remus. Seems I was wrong. If you don't need me, I really want to know if we know who tried to kill my husband so I can go kill them myself."


In the kitchen, Michael slugged down the glass of firewhiskey in one gulp.  Suki took over serving the pie and ice cream so that Brian could pour him another.

"Pie?" she asked the newcomers as she set plates of pie and ice cream in front of Michael and Brian.

"Sure," Marcus said, more to be sociable than out of hunger. Still, he liked Jess's pies.  

"So what happened?" Brian asked Michael quietly.  "I thought he was working late."

"He was," Michael said. "I went to meet him at the Leaky. His owl said he'd missed dinner. He was hungry.  He wanted fish and chips and a pint. It was crowded, but thats never stopped us. While we were there, Audriana Swan bought him a pint on behalf of the Order and delivered it from the bar to him herself. He thanked her and after the first decent drink out of it, Robert started to get really sick.  Lorcan D'Eath showed up and snatched away the glass."

"Lorcan D'Eath? As in, leader of the Death Eaters? That Lorcan D'Eath?" Brian frowned deeply.

"None other. D'Eath didn't say anything. He just hauled Robert to his feet and prepared to apparate out with him. I grabbed onto Robert because I didn't know what the hell was going on.  The next thing I knew we were in the back room of Slugs and Jiggers, and Robert looked like he was already gone. D'Eath poured a potion into him and told me the ale had been poisoned, and said he'd seen Swan taint it herself before she delivered it to him. D'Eath honestly was too far away to have stopped Swan from doing it or Robert from drinking it."

"Audriana Swan is an Order member. Why would she do this?"

"I don't know. But as an Unspeakable, I don't need anyone's permission to pursue her.  Or to kill her....."

"This isn't good," Marcus said. "The Death Eaters don't need any more reason to hate the Order."

"No. They don't," Michael said. "D'Eath clearly thinks the Order is out of control, and he doesn't believe Robert is adequately protected."

"He isn't, but that's of his own doing. He refuses a bodyguard," Brian said.

"Well, he may get one now whether he chooses it or not. D'Eath has promised to protect him."

"Why would he do that?"

"He chalked it up to sheer patriotic duty, if you can believe that," Michael said.

"Not for a moment," Brian said.

"Me neither," Michael agreed.

Jess watched Kate and moved to her side as Jack left the room. " its okay and as for which side Khaat gets it , its a little of both in my opinion." she said and smiled " it will take time, I won't lie, it was close, too close but now he needs regular care and these potions that were sent, they will help but they need time to work" She said and paced her hand lightly on Kate. "You can sit with him, but he will sleep, I gave him some of my energy to see him through the first few hours." Jess saw the look of worry on her face and sighed " he will be alright, he has me and Brian looking after him, ow and Khaat, but I'd rather it be me she needs her own energy."

Cassidy nodded to Kate as she left the room then followed them into the kitchen where she sat at the table with the others. The sleeping boy still asleep in her arms. She sat quiet as Michael told them what had happened. " I don't blame you Michael, I feel we all should do something, Jack will be hardest hit, he wanted to go with him but Robert being Robert said he was to stay and look after things here." she told them and looked at Marcus