Impulse

Chapter 15

"Lou?" Mark tries to get a promise from his son. None of his family is going to remain in a town as awful as Middleston. "You'll come home with me?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll come home."

*NARRATOR'S POV*

Louis had said it softly enough and to the underside of his palm so that no one else got to hear the plot. The hospital room was outstandingly silent as everyone did try to eavesdrop on his conversation, but luckily to no avail. He couldn't have anyone know his plans, maybe Niall but not at this time.

"I'll be there as soon as I can, okay?" His father told him, a promise hidden by his careful wording.

"Okay. Bye, Dad." Louis studies the fabric of his sheets and cotton-covered mattress with his fingers.

"Bye Lou." His father hangs up and Louis wishes he hadn't, wanting a bit more time to be distracted from what still needed to be taken care of.

The twins were standing unaffected and expressionless at the door, Harry keeping himself a small quantity of two steps away from Louis' bed. Edward was staring at Louis when the boy glanced his way, failing to pass him by entirely.

Something was entirely off with Edward today and Louis couldn't put his finger on it. His greatest outcry of today was that he had to have Edward walk into this room and ignore him, before agreeing to go home. The irony was puzzling.

Niall sighed and scratched lightly at the damp skin of his forehead, pushing his hair back and getting up on his feet. He was worked up to a serious state and didn't see himself recovering the ounce of respect he had for this town.

"Oh for fuck's sake." He mutters, rigid as a plank and full of total rejection towards the twins.

Edward looks to be completely unaffected, while his brother was blatantly miffed by Niall's disrespect. The tension turns to the thickest state of tangibility, hanging in the air while Louis looked up, first at Niall and handed back the phone.

Louis spoke purposefully to Niall. "I'm um....ready to give them my statement."

* * * * *

After Liam took his clipboard with him out to discuss matters with his two companions, Louis closes his eyes. Maybe if they stay closed for long enough, he'll discover that this life is just a nightmare. Harry and Edward did not leave the room, despite being told to, during Louis' statement. They stayed back at the closed doorway and heard every morsel of information he gave up.
Niall stood on the other side of Louis' legs, glaring at everything that breathed. He's got the right to be as mad as he is. "What did your father say?"

Louis nervously glances at the twins, finds them also awaiting his response, and sighs. "He's coming as soon as he can."

"Yeah?" Niall crosses his arms, although it doesn't make it to be as intimidating as two particular people Louis knows. "That's good."

Nodding, Louis avoids eye contact with absolutely anyone. There's an uneasy stillness lining the walls and exits of this space, compressing the individuals present until they simply fall off their rocker themselves. The temptation of succumbing to the predator and pray system of functioning, where the demons in one's head ruled everything, was a strong case.

"Yeah." Is all Louis manages to push out, and he hates it.

"Liam needs me." Niall says, patting his pockets before walking out of the room.

No harm comes to Louis' best friend while he passes by the twins, both sets of eyes following him out just to make sure he's gone. Harry notices the door-stopper and shows it to Edward. His brother nods and says nothing, following in Niall's path to leave the room too. Louis grinds his teeth at the man's new attitude towards him. It was definitely the best decision he ever made to leave.