Chapter 29

                                        

                                              
Chapter 29
                              
Published 9/20/2021
                              
Joel twisted in his chair. Healer Bones had just blasted him over his ineptness during his training period in the emergency trauma ward. He hadn't done too bad, but he hadn't been confident enough to voice his opinions and had asked too many questions. She was a busy head and didn't have the time to coach him individually as Harry had. The fact that he was Harry's protégé was well-known at this point, which gave him a sort of respect from many people, but unfortunately came with some resentment from others.
                              
He had found out that Madam Bones had actually been one of Harry's friends in school, but when the Chosen One was assigned to her ward, they clashed over too many things. Harry was not a follower, and even though she had been a healer longer, he was better at healing. Jealously was a reasonable explanation for their break, but Joel suspected it was something more than that. 
                              
At the time Harry was going through her ward, he was starting into the outward-adjustment stage in his trauma. Harry, most likely, had treated her differently, almost comparably cold as before. He had cut off all his friends in some way, even Ron and Hermione. He kept what happened a secret and suffered alone, developing worse adjustment behaviors in the process. She was a kind-hearted person, a extroverted Hufflepuff, and he doubted that she asked why he had changed so much. She probably assumed Harry had become an ponce, since the war ended.
                              
But anyone who had known him before the incident should have seen the changes. Joel could even see them, and he was a ruddy, quiet first year when the war ended. But he couldn't tell her this, now, though her viewpoint would change considerably once she understood. That was the one of the hard parts of adjusting to a trauma. People who know, treat you differently and people who don't know, expect you to be completely normal. She was a social person and Harry probably had shunned her without cause. That was something akin to the ending their friendship and she was a proud witch in her own right to beg for it back.
                              
She was also friends with many of the department heads, unlike Harry. Her weight carried a lot with the twelve members of the board. Higgs several too, though not as many. He was a prick, but even pricks have friends. Pratt, the head of training, and Collins, the head of the potions, were his confidants, and all three them tore his training period with spiteful glee. Many of the heads weren't critical of his abilities until those they had their say, and now, there was a lot more scowling. There was no way he'd carry the majority to become a healer.
                              
"He's a disgrace to the hospital! There's no way that this slacker could have passed as incompetent as he is!" Higgs spat.
                              
Joel had to hold his tongue until they called on him to speak. Mouthing off to the board wasn't advisable.
                              
"Healer Higgs, I'll remind you that he passed his healer boards," Head Healer Convaba interjected. She appeared to be on his side, thankfully.
                              
"Barely."
                              
"Not even barely, he actually did better than all the trainees in decorum, professionalism and technique. I'll also remind you that he was the best at your own section."
                              
"That's my point! How'd this runt...."
                              
"That's enough name-calling," she snapped.
                              
"Trainee, then. He cheated! There's no other way!" Higgs growled.
                              
"How?" the head healer deadpanned. "It was your pick for both the evaluator and tested patient. Are you suggesting that your team members helped him cheat?"
                              
Higgs went a lovely shade of red and Joel tried not to smile. Higgs muttered, "He has had no training and failed in my department. He shouldn't be a healer!"