Impulse

Chapter Sixteen

"Mr. Tomlinson is in a coma." Dr. Stewart taps his clipboard and offers Louis a sympatheticsmile. "We'll have to keep him here in Middleston until he's stable enough to wake up." 

*NARRATOR'S POV* 

"Petal, calm down."Edward held Louis the only way he seemed to know how. 

He knew how to handle many things, buthe knew how to do very few things properly, and this was one of those things.Louis was breaking apart in his arms, weeping the way he shouldn't in the hospital waiting area thatwas slowly filling up. 

Edward was uncomfortable here but when he tried to move Louis wouldn't lethim. He sighed irritably and ran his hand through Louis' hair, straightening out the knots and curls.After his heaving fit of throttling and troubling sobs ebb away into soft sniffles, Louis takes solacein the warm pulse of Edward's neck. He doesn't have the energy or the willingness to pick on who itis exactly who's holding him.

 "Better now, darlin'?" Edward gets up off the chair and carries Louis with him away from thedeveloping crowd. 

The hospital is building up a swarm of attention for themselves, local media for news coverage dueto the accident. One of the world's biggest CEO's was involved in a car accident and nobody outsidethis town will ever find out because no one and nothing gets out of Middleston.Louis has a splitting headache and shakes his head when he's offered the chance to visit his father.He's not ready for that yet, because he wants to be able to walk in there and walk out on his own. 

"Edward?" Louis didn't want to go into his own room yet, didn't want to face the whirlwind ofquestions that would undoubtedly accompany Harry. 

"Yes?" The man shoves open the heavy door blocking him from Louis' wing of the hospital.

 "Can you reassure me?"Edward stops walking and almost causes a nurse to knock over her cart of supper meals for therecovering patients. 

She moves around him but not without a glare thrown his way, then easilyswallowed after she sees his face. 

"What type of reassurance would you like, petal?" Edward took a step forward, tentative as he'sforgotten where he was going.

 "Can we sit over there please?" Louis points to a vacant row of cushioned chairs drilled to theground and wall. 

Edward doesn't seem to have capacity to conjure up a reason not to, so he grunts his consent andmakes his way over there. Louis gets his own seat and Edward sits beside him, eyes on everythingelse. Their awkwardness seems to become palpable because there's never been a scenario wherethey simply sat together. 

 "Tell me my dad's going to be okay." Louis has fingers laced together over his thighs, his wateryeyes watching his thumbs go back and forth.

 Edward's head snaps in his direction. He's thoroughly at a loss for words with this boy. Howunarmed and uneducated he feels whenever Louis said something so.....simple to him. 

"Please." Louis peers through the corner of his eye at his present companion without turning hishead.The nurses and doctors, surgeons and specialists were racing around trying to save lives and givehope. What did Edward have to lose? 

"He's going to be....just fine, petal." Edward adds dramatis to his words by reaching overand grasping Louis' hand.

 "Yeah?" Louis finally spares him a glance and Edward can hardly breathe with thosemagnificent blue eyes staring at him like he's worth a damn good thing in this world.

 "Of course." Edward manages to shove out, almost wishing that he sounded half as much corrupt ashe was inside. "Of course, petal."

 Louis smiled at him and Edward gave the boy a forehead kiss, breathing in deeply when he wasclose enough. Louis was so precious to him, with or without reciprocation.