Falling

Chapter Fourteen

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
(HARRY POV)

“Louis?! Louis, god, please say something, please!” I shouted into the receiver, hoping that he would give some sort of a response and tell me that he was fine, that what I thought just happened didn’t actually happen.

But he never responded; all I heard was the screeching of tyres, and faint moans. And the line went dead.

I was left sitting there at the table, suddenly feeling all alone in his huge house. Unknowingly, my grip on my phone loosened and it fell to the parquet floor with a loud “clack”. I didn’t know what to do, and I had no idea where Louis was. Wait, he had just left the ice cream shop right?

Almost instantly I was on my feet, rushing to the door, dressed just in my sweatshirt and track pants.

I literally ran over to that little ice cream shop until my legs felt like they were going to give way, and on my way there, I saw a large crowd of people who seemed to be looking down at something. My eyes followed the direction of their shocked stares, and there was a huge pool of blood on the floor.

I stopped in my tracks.

Oh god no, it couldn’t be him… But yet again, who else could it have been? I stood there, rooted to the ground for a good minute or so, before summoning all my energy to walk over to that crowd. My legs refused to cooperate at first, but I willed them to move. I had to. I had to see if it was Louis. I knew it was him though; I just didn’t want to believe it.

As I neared the crowd of people, I felt a lump rising in my throat as my heart beat faster and faster. And finally I was just behind the crowd. I pushed past them, and I came face to face with Louis’ limp body.

I stood there, and just stared at him. I don’t know why I couldn’t bring myself to do anything. I couldn’t move at all. I just stared at him. He was wearing a jacket; now dirty with the grime and mud on the ground. As usual he was wearing his grey beanie. He had a scarf around his neck; it was the only one he had actually. It was grey as well, but now it was stained a darker grey, from the blood dripping down his face.

His beautiful face was full of dirt, mixed with the blood seeping out of his cuts. I winced upon seeing that, and tears began to prick at the corners of my eyes. Part of his jeans was torn and there was blood literally flowing out of those torn parts. His palms were stained totally red with blood.

He didn’t even look like Louis anymore. I couldn’t believe this was happening, because I couldn’t lose him; I just got him. And suddenly I heard myself yelling and screaming. “Somebody call the ambulance! SOMEBODY CALL THE AMBULANCE! PLEASE!” But yet, no one moved or took out their phones. Some of them even just walked away, shrugging.

I couldn’t control myself anymore; tears started streaming down my face. A nice elderly lady pat my back and told me that the ambulance had already been called. And true enough, I heard the sirens of the ambulance wailing just across the street.

The paramedics rushed over with the stretcher and before I knew entirely sure of what they were going to do, they whisked Louis onto the stretcher and off. “Wait!” I called out. “C-can I go to th-the hos-hospital with y-you? He’s my b-b…boyfriend… Please…” I stammered between sobs. One of the paramedics flashed a sympathetic smile at me and nodded.

And so I climbed into the ambulance and went the hospital. I had to be there with him. I had to be there and be the first person he saw when he opened his eyes. I loved him, and I couldn’t lose him. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to do much, but I wanted to give him some sort of moral support, and tell him not to give up, because I fucking loved him.

Hours later I was sitting in the hospital, exhausted and cold. I tried sleeping, and the nurses advised me to. They said that they’d tell me when Louis was out of the operating theatre. But I couldn’t sleep. How was I supposed to sleep at a time like this when my boyfriend was so badly hurt?

Then suddenly the green light shut off and the doctor walked out. I rushed to my feet and he turned towards me. “Are you his family?” He asked. I paused for a while, before responding. “I’m his boyfriend, his family lives in another city. How is he?! Oh god, please tell me you saved him, please!” I begged, every word coming out like a strangled cry.

“He’s in a coma… The chance of him waking up is fifty percent. And even if he wakes up, he might suffer a memory loss because the impact on his head was really strong… You can go visit him in the ICU in about ten minutes…” The doctor looked genuinely upset, but I knew he tried his best.

The nurses wheeled Louis out of the operating theatre, and he looked so much better now, all cleaned up, with bandages around his wounds. I couldn’t take it anymore, I just burst out crying. I couldn’t bear to see him so broken. I followed the nurses into the ICU and stood there silently, staring while they hooked him up onto those machines that were supposed to save him. But they looked like machines that would kill you instead.

Before they walked out, one of the nurses stopped and spoke to me. “He’s got a couple of fractured bones and ribs but hey he’ll be alright. Don’t worry okay love? Just, stay by his side and talk to him, miracles do exist.” She smiled, and I forced a smile back. I appreciated it really; her trying to comfort me.

Come on Harry, miracles do exist. Don’t worry too much. He’ll be okay.

I slowly walked to his bedside and sat down on the chair. I couldn’t believe this was happening to Louis. Just 5 hours ago we were on the phone, and just 12 hours ago he had asked me to move in with him. Everything seemed so magical, so lovely, but this had to happen. And again the tears filled my eyes.

If I spoke to him, would he wake up? Well, in those dramas on TV they do wake up, or have some sort of a response when someone talks to them. Maybe if I spoke to Louis something like that would happen. Like a miracle. Miracles do exist.

“Hey Louis… God I don’t know what to say now… It’s only been 12 hours since I saw you and what happened to you? You know, it was my fault… I shouldn’t have called you at that time… If I didn’t, then… You wouldn’t have… I’m so sorry Louis, I’m so fucking sorry. I brought this upon you…” I stopped, trying to regain my composure, but I couldn’t help but sob.

I took a deep breath, before continuing.

“Hey, you know I’ll probably never dare to tell you this ever again… But I want to tell you now. I know you might not hear me, but I want to at least have told you this. Here it goes… When I first saw you on the street, tripping on air, I already liked you. It was like love at first sight. You were just so cute, in your beanie and red jeans and everything.

I loved how you blushed so hard when I held you, and I loved how you were so scared of me. Maybe this makes me sound like a pervert,” I paused, trying to laugh, “but it was true. You were so cute and you didn’t even know it. When I saw you days later and I got pissed at you, it was because… I don’t know, I can’t say it. But I regretted it so bad. I still remember that expression on your face, till now. You looked so hurt and broken. And I’m still sorry about it.”

I remember that day so clearly, because I blamed myself so badly when I shouted at him.

“And when I finally got your number, I was trying so hard not to smile like a total fool in front of you. But inside, I was jumping around and dancing like I was high on sugar or something, because it meant that we’d actually be friends. I liked knowing that.” I smiled at that memory, because it was so adorable when he asked me for my number in a long sentence without stopping at all.

“And then we started texting each other. You have no idea how much I smiled whenever I saw a new text from you. It was like you brightened my day just by sending me a message. Sometimes I wonder if you smiled as much as I did.” All the messages suddenly flashed through my mind, and I smiled. Yeah I remembered them all, because I read them so often.

“Louis, when you told me Niall liked you, I was shattered. I couldn’t take it, because I didn’t want you to be with him. It was kind of obvious, now that I think about it. I mean, I was so obviously pissed off when you told me you were going out.” I chuckled at my foolishness and at how jealous I acted when Louis and I weren’t even together in the first place.

“Then the day I saw you and Niall, the day I got that huge slash across my arm. I guess it was rude of me to be so hostile towards Niall, but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stand seeing the both of you acting so lovey dovey in front of me. At that time I hated Niall so bad, because he had you, and I wanted you so bad. I guess I shouldn’t have been so… Possessive when you weren’t mine in the first place huh?

Then do you remember that night, at the hospital? When I told you that the nurse said that my boyfriend was waiting for me outside… I was lying. She didn’t say that. I made it up just to see what your reaction would be,” I chuckled again, because I thought it was such a brilliant idea. In fact, the smartest thing I probably ever thought of.

“God, you were so cute. Your reaction; it was so fucking adorable, and you were blushing so hard. I wanted to kiss you there and then, but I couldn’t. Because I wasn’t entirely sure that I was really in love with you yet, and I didn’t know if you liked me back. And even if you did, Niall was in the way. I feel bad for thinking this of Niall at that time. But now I know how much he really means to you.” I really felt sorry, and that’s why I refused to help Clark.

“And days later when I saw you in that ice cream suit. At first sight, I knew it was you. I don’t know how I recognized you in that unflattering costume, but I just did. I guess that’s love huh? Or maybe it’s just my obsession over you. I know you tried not to talk, but that only confirmed my suspicion that it was you. You were so cute. God, I’m rambling on and on about how I observe you. That’s kinda freaky isn’t it…?” I let out a strangled laugh. But it was true, I really loved Louis and I probably observed every single detail about him unknowingly… I was like a stalker. Then again, I was…