Susan wasn't sure if she should be back at work, or at the Shack. Someone had to come to work, and it was only by sheer coincidence that she actually went to the office before heading out to spend the day manning the apparition checkpoint.
With so many sick people, there was a lot of time to kill at the apparition checkpoints. She came to pick up some reports to complete. At least then she could have something to tell Cass, and possibly Weasley if he insisted on asking about every damn little thing going on in the office.
As she headed towards her desk, she heard a rather intense coughing fit, and tutted. Who else had come in to work as sick as blazes and barely able to stand?
It didn't surprise her when she saw Chang. The woman had been working just as hard as everyone else, but had been soldiering on through a cough for a while.
Susan saw her stand, and a second look at her fellow auror told her the woman was ill. She was grey, and her hair fell in lanky strands around her face. Normally she was immaculately groomed, but right now she looked as if death was upon her.
"Cho?" she asked, worried when she stood and looked blank, stating she couldn't see. But a moment later, another coughing fit overtook her, and Susan stood back enough to stay out of the way of the cough.
When it didn't stop, and only got worse, she saw that Cho couldn't breathe. "Cho? Are you okay?" She put her hand on the Chinese woman's shoulder and realised all too quickly that she wasn't. Damn.
Her pale lips were quickly stained with blood after the next bout of coughing and Susan swore. She yelled out to Tyler (the only other Auror left standing in their part of the office), and he rushed over to help. "Cho, nod if you can hear me."
But the coughing fit stopped, and Susan quickly realised so had Cho's breathing. Merlin's balls. Tyler pushed her aside and started talking about CPR, and was already trying to get her to breathe. Susan raced to her desk and grabbed the portkey she held there.
"We have to get her to the shack!" Tyler tried to protest, but Susan grabbed Cho's hand and after much practice at this, set the portkey to take them to the shack.
She landed in the foyer again, noticing the place seemed even more busy. "She's been coughing blood and she's stopped breathing!" she cried out to the nearest medi-witch.
It was by sheer luck she recognised Anthony Goldstein walking past, looking harried. "Anthony!" she called out. "Cho's stopped breathing! Help!"