Don't Change Me

Chapter 15 - Life goes on

A/N

TW
Mentions of pre-term labour.
Minor character death.
Medical emergency causing emotional trauma.
This chapter could trigger people.
Read at your own peril.

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'Behind every sweet smile, there is a bitter sadness that others can not see or feel. Every life has a measure of sorrow, and sometimes, this is what awakens us.'

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For three torturous days, Zayn had sat vigil by Louis' side, praying that the omega would awaken from this nightmare. Louis had recently plunged into a deep omega drop, one from which Zayn thought he would never emerge, powerless against the crippling worry that had been tormenting him ever since. He had been praying for the omega to wake up after checking on Louis every hour, sometimes multiple times an hour just hoping that Louis could pull his way out of it himself.

An omega coming out of a drop on their own was almost unheard of, usually requiring their alpha close by to be their guiding light, but Louis was strong and if anyone could do it, he could. To make Louis feel more at ease, Zayn had built him a crude nest out of anything he could find that would have Harry's scent on it, clothing that the alpha had worn, bedding he'd slept in, he'd even gone as far as dousing Harry's garments with his cologne, but the alpha's scent was quickly dissipating.

He had been unconscious for days, and the elders were running out of strategies to rouse him. Zayn approached Louis' bed and took his hand and held it in his own. Louis' pulse was weaker than before, yet he was still able to sense its sluggish cadence. Zayn knelt down and gently spoke into Louis' ear, begging Louis to return to them.

"You are so important to us. We all need you, Harry needs you, your mother depends on you, and your sisters still need you. You're the most powerful omega I know. Lou, demonstrate that courage and strength for us. Fight your way back to us, please."

In the world of omegas, Louis was a rare breed. He had a fierce determination and an unbreakable spirit that had inspired everyone around him. If anyone was to pull themselves out of an impossible situation, it was going to be Louis.

Zayn held Louis' hand tightly, desperation seeping through every fibre of his being. The world was incomplete without Louis' sassy nature, his friend was a beacon of hope in the bleakness of reality for him and Liam. Zayn's heart ached with longing as he willed Louis to break free of the darkness that the drop was encasing him in, to return to the land of the living where he belonged.

As Zayn sat at Louis' bedside which had become a regular ritual, his thoughts were consumed with endless what ifs, desperate pleas, and fervent prayers. His heart was heavy with grief and longing as he cast his prayers out into the universe, hoping against the odds that his friend would return to them. Each day, he watched over Louis with unwavering devotion, never giving up on the possibility of a miracle. That, and the sheer fear that Harry would kill him if he ever found out that he didn't try his hardest.

As he was about to rise from his seat for a break, feeling resignation of the cruel inevitability of loss, he saw Louis' eyes flutter slightly. Zayn froze in place, his body tensed with anticipation and disbelief. Could it be true? Had his prayers finally been answered?

With a trembling hand, Zayn reached out and grasped Louis' hand tightly, waiting with bated breath for any sign that his friend was waking up. And then, as if in response to his pleas, Louis' fingers twitched in his grip, as his eyelids opened.

Zayn's heart leaped with hope, his voice echoing through the halls as he called out for the elders. The time had come for Louis to return to the world he had temporarily left behind, for his story was meant to continue, his destiny yet to be fulfilled.