Chapter forty-one :)

Louis

The door shut with a loud bang. Louis flinched slightly. A few minutes ago they were yelling at each other and now it was silent like nothing had happened. He just stayed there a few seconds, maybe minutes, time was passing like nothing. Kept staring at the door Harry had left. And like it sounded not just for a couple of hours.

He felt miserable, he let himself fall backwards into the couch head in hands trying to figure out what to do. stay here and wait until he comes back? Run after him? He should probably leave him alone for a couple of hours. Harry needed his space after they have fought Louis knew that. They had little fights once in a while about little things like who gets to choose lunch or who does the washing, but never like this.

Louis looked at his phone every ten seconds, nothing. He started worrying like every time, but Harry usually texted him something sarcastic to make him feel bad or at least where he was going. But this time he didn't. Louis tapped nervously at the back of the phone case, biting his nails. He Waited a few more minutes before he finally clicked on Harry's number.

Denied. He tried a few more times just to hear the answerphone. Harry must have turned his phone off, Louis thought. Well, he persuaded himself that he had. Hopefully. Louis turned on the television trying to distract his thoughts from replaying the fight over and over again.

'Screw you Louis' Harry's voice kept repeating in his head, not even the exhaustion that washed over him couldn't stop it. He couldn't even focus on the movie, all he did was staring onto the screen thinking back to the better half of the day, eyes half-lidded breathing slowly, just about to fall asleep when his phone rang.

Louis jumped up. God, finally. Now he was fully awake again, grabbing his phone and looking onto the screen disappointed. It wasn't Harry, it was some random number. Louis wasn't in the mood to pick up especially when it was.... it was already past midnight?! If that isn't important Louis swore he would throw his phone against the wall.

"Hello?" He answered, voice tired.

It was a lady that identified herself as Dr Martin. She didn't tell him much just that Harry had an accident and found Louis' number listed first under the emergency list. Within about ten minutes he was walking up and down in the waiting room of the hospital. the woman behind the counter couldn't tell him anything further.

She just led him to the room and begged him to wait until Dr Martin is free. After a few hours, Louis still sitting in one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs, a woman opened the door. Louis lifted his head hopefully. She just came to ask if he needed something, Louis just shook his head- no. He couldn't think of eating something now all he wanted was to know what happened and how Harry was doing. He was in surgery what equals bad. And Louis was already waiting for three hours, worse.

'Fuck, fuck, fuck, Goddammit fuck. This is all my fault, isn't it? I should have followed him. Louis was about to punch the wall but instead, he tangled his finger into his hair roughly.' He wouldn't be here if I had stopped him, god knows what happened. And how bad it is. Dammit .' It started to lighten up outside, the room was filled with purple light, when finally Dr Martins opened the door. Louis' heart stopped. Finally.

"Mr Tominson?" She asked carefully, her expression revealing nothing, it was natural. Louis jumped up "How is he? Is he okay? Please tell me he is fine" Louis had even prayed a few times the last hours. He never did that before but he was so scared. "Please follow me." She said avoiding looking into Louis' eyes.

"So" She started walking past a few doors along the hall. Tears of fear prickling in Louis' eyes. Why was she talking so fucking slow?! "The surgery went good." Louis exhaled in relief. He was alive, thank god. "He had an open fracture, which we were able to fix-" She stopped in front of a door and looked at him with concern swimming in her eyes.

"He also has a concussion," She paused looking to the ground. Louis would lie if he'd said she scared the shit out of him by saying 'but'. She took a deep breath before she told him that they weren't sure how bad it was or whether it can be felt at all, they have to test him if he wakes up. Harry was lying in the bed, connected to thousands of machines around him.

The picture reminded Louis of the time when his mom had to stay weeks at hospitals, and he stayed the nights with her. He swallowed nodding slightly. It was a horrible view, but at least Harry didn't look like he was suffering he was sleeping peacefully. Dr Martins was about to leave the room when Louis remembered reading about concussions and that some of the patients forgot what had happened before.

"Wait." She stopped "About the concussion," Louis' voice was weak "Is it- could he, uhm- forgotten what had happened?"

"We don't know yet, it depends on how bad it is. but don't worry." She said stroking his shoulder.

"How bad is bad?" Louis' voice was almost just a breath. He always wanted to know the worst that could happen it was better than to not know at all. Dr Martins gave him a checking look if he was sure that he wants to know that. Louis just nodded. "Some just forget the day before, some the whole week. But others multiple years or even can't recognize people they had a close relationship with."

****

Louis took his phone out 37 missed calls from Liam and Zayn and 6 from Niall. Harry was still asleep his hand in Louis'. He decided to call Liam first who had told him that Harry was on his way over to his house when it happened which was why he called that many times. He was just as worried as Louis.

Zayn and he would visit Harry as soon as he is awake they said. Whenever that will be, the day had already started. Louis stood awake the whole night, he didn't want to miss when Harry wakes up. the bags under his dark and eyelids heavy, and before he could type in Niall's number, they closed.

It was just like a few years ago, sitting on a chair his head on his arms on the bed and his hand intertwined with now Harry's. The shrill sound of his phone woke Louis up it felt like only a few seconds from when he closed his eyes when it had actually been four hours. "Hello?" He answered eyes just slightly opened.

"Louis? You're picking up, wow. What happened?" It was Niall. Louis needed a couple of minutes to be completely awake and told Niall everything he knew by now. "And he is still sleeping?"

"Yes," Louis yawned rubbing the sleep out of his eye with his sleeve. His belly was growling bad and he was thirst, god he hadn't drunk anything since the rooftop. His throat felt try. He decided to go and search for the slot machine he had spend almost his whole pocket money on when he was younger.

It was still at the same place as always. "Anyways I will come over together with the boys."

Louis tugged the phone between his shoulder and ear as he bent down to take the water bottles and snacks out. He had chosen two in case Harry would wake up soon. A pack of reeses because Harry loved them so much and sour patch kids for himself.

"Okay, I will tell you when he wakes up." Then he hung up walking back to Harry's room. The machines made those horrible sounds, they were buzzing and beeping. Louis let himself down next to Harry on the bed. "I brought you water and reeses for when you wake up." He knew Harry probably didn't hear him but it felt less sad when he talked to him.

Louis placed the snacks onto the blanket eying Harry in his peaceful sleep. And noted every single detail of him, the long eyelashes, the heart-shaped lip line and his sharp jawline, including the slight freckles on his nose that only showed up in summer. He was breathing shallowly and slow.

"Please wake up soon." He whispered pressing a soft kiss on Harry's forehead. Seeing him like that with all the bruises spread across his whole body and the cuts in his face caused a sharp pain stabbing through Louis' heart. His poor baby looked totally messed up. And Louis gave himself the fault, he knew he shouldn't but he did. Suddenly the door swung open and Anne walked in.

Completely off. Hair greasy and messy, bags under her eyes and a look like she had spent the last hours bawling her eyes out. "Anne?" Louis whispered unbelievingly. How did she know they were here? "Louis, what happened?" Her eyes tucked on Harry they were filled with tears. "He had an accident." Voice fragile, Louis had no right to keep it secret from her even though he knew Harry probably wouldn't want her to even be here.

"What did the doctor say? Is he going to be okay?" her voice broke in the middle of the sentence. It broke Louis heart to see her like this no matter what she did it was past and she clearly regretted it with all of her heart and Louis knew how much she loved Harry. Something they had in common. "They don't know yet."

"They don't know?! It's their fucking job." She said outraged which made Harry flinch slightly. "Shhh!" Louis dragged Anne to the left corner of the room. "He got hit by a car, they called the ambulance and they, me. All I know is that he had an open fracture on his left leg and-" He cleared his throat "and a concussion, but they don't know how bad. We'll see when he wakes up."

Without another word, Anne pulled Louis into a hug. At first, he was a bit confused, it was that awkward situation that happens when your aunt hugs you and never wants to let go of you. But after a while, Louis gives in. "Thank you for taking care of my son. Especially when I wasn't there for him." Louis held her tight.

Her hug felt like the ones his mom had given him, those who felt like a safe place. The typical way parents hug their children. That was the final shot that broke him, he had tried to stay strong the whole time but he was just too afraid Harry wouldn't recognise him. "I'm scared." He murmured into Anne's shoulder. So fucking scared.

Anne stroked Louis' back until the sobbing subsided. "Everything will be fine." She whispered. "But what if it doesn't? What if he doesn't recognize us?!" Louis backed away. Trying to catch his breath from sobbing.

"What is going on?" Harry coughed groaning and crumbling because every quick movement hurt, especially coughing. Louis and Anne rushed over to the bed. "Harry, you are at the hospital," Louis whispered looking into Harry's confused face. His eyes pinned at him. But something was missing. "What happened?"

"What is the last thing you remember?"

Harry turned to Anne. "There was a-a car." He choked out. His face scrunched up in pain. God, Louis exhaled relieved Harry could remember. "Don't talk." He ordered and reached him a glass of water. You shouldn't overwhelm Harry, Louis recalled as the doctor said. "You scared us Haz." Harry frowned asking. Who even are those people?