"I love you too," Hartley told him, his heart beating so loud. The door closed, Fandral must have left. He hadn't even noticed, he was too absorbed in Harry. "I won't let them take you from me."

Whoever they were. Whatever he was fighting, he would keep on fighting. Hartley powered up the gloves after he finished putting them on, reaching for his ears. It didn't take long to adjust them. The noise was loud, almost overwhelming, but it made it easier to find the frequency he was going for.

He looked over at Stephen and gave a nod and then they started. He watched Harry, but he followed Stephen's instructions. He had to trust his readings of the vitals. This would be harrowing on Harry, of course it would be. But Stephen wasn't stopping. This had to be working. Stephen wouldn't continue if it wasn't.

Hartley kept going, no feel for how much time had passed. Could be minutes, could be hours. His ears hurt, he felt exhausted, but he also thought he saw some colour in Harry's cheeks. He definitely saw him breathing still. His eyes blinking.

Finally, Stephen told him to stop and he took off the gloves, cringing at the marks they left. Burns for sure. He reverted his hearing aids to the normal settings, but for the moment he couldn't hear a thing other than a high pitched sound. Even so, he moved to Harry's side, fingers going through his hair, blinking his eyes that were tearing up. Had it worked? Was there any sign of success?