The Accident

Chapter four

"Someone's looking great. That shower worked miracles." Harry said with a grin and Louis blushed. He knew that it was just empty words but getting a compliment from someone looking like that had an effect on him even if it was just bullshit.

"How are you feeling today?" Harry asked and Louis just shrugged his shoulders. He didn't have that many ways to express himself nowadays. He didn't know how to feel about that. If he never got his speech back half of his personality would die with it. He had always been loud. He talked a lot, joked a lot. Not that he had anything to joke about now anyway.

"It's a beautiful day. What do you say about getting you in that wheelchair and going out for a walk after I'm done with your training?" Harry asked.

Louis just shrugged his shoulders again. Like sunshine would magically heal him? Harry ignored his grumpiness.
"Any muscle ache from yesterday?"

Louis shook his head.
"Good. Let's start. I want you to try and push back your legs when I bend them against your stomach. Concentrate." Harry instructed.

He watched as Harry removed the blanket and started to stretch his legs. Soon they were in the same position he found amusing yesterday.
"Try and push back."

Louis sighed and tried to concentrate. He silently told his legs to move but they didn't listen. Of course, they didn't. This was pointless.
"Come on Louis, push!"

Didn't he think that he wasn't even trying? What the hell! Anger shot through his body and he only had one thing in mind, kicking Harry out of the room, literally. To his surprise he could feel a tingle in his leg and Harry shouted out.
"Yes! Just like that! You pushed back. Faintly, but it was there. Good job!"

Louis stared at him in disbelief. That actually worked? Harry put his leg back down and petted it.
"See? Now we're getting somewhere. Come on, let's get out of here!"

Louis just shrugged his shoulders again.
"Don't be like that. Show me some of that fire you had a minute ago. I'm not gonna lie, this is gonna be rough. You have to work hard and you have to be determined but what's the option, Louis? Do you wanna be stuck in this bed for the rest of your life, having someone changing your diaper all the time?" Harry said.

Louis glared at him with blushed cheeks. No, he didn't want that. He didn't want to be in this bed in the first place. It wasn't fair. Why the hell should he have to work hard when his life was over? Why didn't he just die? Harry was a fucking moron. He didn't understand anything. He was a fucking asshole. He gritted his teeth and wished that he could speak his mind.
"A...asshole."

Wait? He actually said that out loud? Harry looked as surprised as he did.
"Asshole? Wow, Thanks! What a lovely first word." Harry said sarcastically with a surprised laugh but he seemed happy for him.

"I'm just gonna run and get Niall! You spoke, Louis!" Harry smiled and ran off.

Louis sighed and closed his eyes. He tried to speak again but nothing came out. Harry returned with Niall.
"Hi mate, I heard that you spoke. Harry really gets on your nerves, huh?" He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

Well yes. He said some hard truths. Louis shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm gonna describe you an hour extra of Harry each day. Anything that works." Niall said.

What? No! Louis shook his head.
"He will charm you in no time. I'll see you again after dinner." Niall grinned and left.

"So, let's get you in that wheelchair. Put your arms around my neck." Harry said.

He didn't seem to have a choice but he did want to see something else them this room so he held on to Harry as he sat up. The transition to the wheelchair went smoothly. Harry put a blanket over his legs and one around his shoulders so he wouldn't get cold before he pushed the wheelchair outside.

The air hit his face and messed up his hair but that made him smile. He turned his face towards the sun and closed his eyes, thinking about how you took things like this for granted.

Harry pushed him to a bench and took a seat next to him. He didn't talk a lot this time. Instead, they just sat there in silence, enjoying the sun. Louis felt content for the first time in a long time. Of course, Harry had to come and destroy it.
"Why won't you let your family come to visit you?"

Louis shook his head. No, he didn't want to talk about that. But Harry was persistent. He handed him a notebook and a pen.
"Explain it to me."

Louis sighed but decided to be honest to make Harry back off. He took his time writing everything down and gave the notebook back. Harry read it out loud.

"Listen asshole" he started and chuckled before he continued. "You know nothing about me and my life. I'm trying to protect them. They don't need to see me like this. It would destroy them and they have been through enough already. Our mum died from cancer and they had to see her fade away. Our sister died a year after that from an overdose. My family has so many sorrows that it would last a couple of lifetimes. It's bad enough that they had to go through everything my accident meant. They had to see me like that, not knowing if I would survive or not. The thought of that breaks me. I'm supposed to be the rock, the one they can rely on. I'm not that person anymore. I have nothing to give them. I can't take care of them. I can't be their big brother. They can't see me this broken. I won't put them through that. They are better off without me. I don't want to be a burden."

Hearing Harry reading out his thoughts and feelings out loud made him burst into tears and he was sobbing uncontrollably. He felt two strong arms around him, hugging him tightly and he grabbed on to Harry, crying his heart out. Harry caressed his hair and whispered soothing words in his ear. When he finally managed to pull it together Harry hugged him a while longer before he let go and wiped his tears away.
"I'm so sorry about your mum and sister Louis but you're wrong. Your siblings need you more than ever. They need to see that you're alive and they need to be able to be there for you just like you have been for them, and you need their support and their love." Harry said softly with teary eyes.

Louis thought about it. Maybe Harry was right?