Civil

|34| Ready To Run (Final Chapter)

(A/N): Well you guys this is the final chapter of Civil. Can't believe we've come this far. It's taken me over a year to write this story lmao. When I started this story Zayn was still in the band and so much was different, not just with the boys but in my own life as well. Amazing how much can happen in a year and how precious time truly is.

There will be a short epilogue chapter after this one and at the end of that chapter I'll write a longer author's note.

Thank you sooooooo much for everything you guys. Xx

Katie's POV:

"Dr. Harris to the ER."

The relaxed, monotone voice spoke over the intercom. My eyes glanced upward at the woman sat behind the receptionist desk and the source of the voice. Each time she called for a doctor, my whole body reacted in tremors. Any of those could be for Louis and it made me nervous. Jay and I had been sitting in this room for what felt like hours but each time I looked at the lying clock on the wall it insisted I was crazy and we had only been waiting 10 minutes...20...now over an hour.

"I don't know why I'm so worried. I'm sure everything will be fine." I said out loud, trying to manipulate my own thoughts. Maybe if I focused more on Jay I wouldn't feel as stressed. She was Louis' mother after all, despite her calm attitude she was probably just as worried as I was but given how many children she's raised and had to be a calm, collected figure for, she taught herself not to show as much concern in such situations.

"Trust me, I'm just as worried as you." She confirmed exactly what I was thinking.

"You look so relaxed. I wish I could be that way. Or is that just your 'resting mom' face?" I joked and she laughed.

"You could say that." She smiled at me and reached for the hand resting on my lap, giving it a reassuring squeeze to signal that she was here with me, experiencing the same fears.

I sank back into my chair, holding my knees against my chest and propping my feet up on the edge of the seat. "It's times like these that I realize I don't know what I would do without him." I confessed, letting my mind fall into a more vulnerable state than I hoped for.

She squeezed my hand tenderly, sharing some of her motherly comfort with me. "He would be just as lost without you. You've really changed him for the better. He's more mature now and more confident. I implore you."

I scoffed at her comment. "Confident, maybe. Mature? Not a chance."

Liam rushed in the front door, gasping at the sight of me. He had gone home to change out of his soaked clothes before joining me at the hospital.

"Hey." I stood up and greeted him with a smile, feeling slightly at ease that he was here with us.

"Oh, Katie, you're still wearing your bathing suit." Liam squinted and pulled me into a hug, not caring that I was still partly soaked from swimming.

"I told her to go home and change but she refused to leave." Jay explained and Liam looked from her back to me.

"Love, you're freezing." He took off his trench coat and draped it over my shoulders. "I know you're worried but he wouldn't want you standing in a cold room freezing to death on his account."

"I'm not... leaving this spot, Liam." I said between shivers.

"Well, I am." Jay stood up all of a sudden and I turned my head, surprised at her bizarre announcement. "To get coffee that is. Sitting here like this only makes me feel ill. If I keep busy I'll stay sane. I'll just be downstairs, ring me if you hear anything." She turned to us before leaving and asked, "Oh, can I get you both some coffee too?"