REHAB [5SOS]

TROUBLE

TROUBLE

Ashton

Ashton couldn't sleep.

He lay in bed, his fingers still clutched around the note, panicking.

Where the hell was Harry?

He was contemplating getting out of bed and finding Hazelle when a warm hand clamped down over his mouth, muffling the yell that followed.

"Shut up," a rough voice growled.

Ashton's eyes widened.

Harry.

Ashton glanced up. Harry was standing above him, his eyes wild, face gaunt. His shirt was torn and frayed, and he looked deadly and terrified at the same time.

"Don't make a sound. If you do, I'll kill you."

It was then Ashton registered the knife Harry clutched in his other hand.

Trembling, Ashton nodded, and Harry peeled his hand off his face. "Come on," he said, roughly grabbing Ashton's arm and yanking him out of bed.

Ashton shivered when he left the bed. He was dying to ask Harry what was going on, but he couldn't speak, because Harry had come behind him and held the knife to his throat.

"Walk," he ordered.

So Ashton walked.

Twenty minutes later, Harry had snuck them out of the rehab center.

This place sucks, Ashton thought to himself. What kind of security is this?

Harry abruptly stopped, pulling the knife away and staring at Ashton with wide eyes. "Ash?" he choked out.

Ashton hastily took a few steps back, putting a few feet between them. "Harry?"

Harry shook his head, blinking hard. "No, no, no, no, this is bad," he muttered, still shaking his head vigorously. "No! Fuck off, okay? I love you but you can't keep doing this to me. Stop it!" Harry shrieked.

Ashton knew what was happening.

Louis.

An idea popped into Ashton's mind, and he cautiously said, "Louis?"

Harry, who had been thrashing and muttering to himself, froze.

"Louis? It's me, Ashton. I'm sure you know me," he said, his words coming out quickly because of his nerves. "But we haven't been properly introduced, yeah? But Harry talks about you all the time."

Harry cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "I do?" His eyes still fixed on Ashton, he said, "Yeah. Yeah, Lou, I do talk about you all the time," he murmured, as if he were trying to comfort someone.

Ashton knew schizophrenic figures were often angry and violent. He had to be careful.

"I don't love Harry like that, don't worry," he said, speaking directly to he part of Harry that mattered, the Louis part.

Harry shuddered, and his eyes glassed over. "He really doesn't," he repeated. "You can go, now."

The knife clattered to the ground, and Harry collapsed.

Ashton rushed back into the rehab center and woke the sleeping guard. "Harry Styles is outside in the parking lot," he gasped, panting. "He's on the ground."

The guard jerked awake and nodded, hurrying outside and radioing for back up. Ashton returned to his room, suddenly endlessly tired, the adrenaline that had been pumping through his veins gone.

He went to the bathroom to wash his hands and almost screamed again when he saw a bloody hand print over his mouth.

-

"Where's Ashton? I haven't seem him in a few days," Michael said, stabbing his food.

"Eat your food, don't kill it," Luke said.

Michael shot him a loo. "Itms already dead, you idiot. Besides, it's just pasta."

Across the table, Calum just rolled his eyes.

Hazelle sat down at the table. "They found him," she said.

"Who?" Michael asked, shoving macaroni into his mouth.

"Harry."

"What?" Clover yelped, staring at Hazelle. "Where? When? How?"

"He tried-" she broke off, and then said weakly, "he tried to kill Ashton."

"No," Luke breathed.

Hazelle nodded, her lips pressed together in a tight line.

Michael looked down at his food, sobered. "So where's Ashton?" he asked.

"In intensive care. They're keeping constant watch on him, because this... this might trigger his schizophrenia again."

Everyone around the table was silent.

Finally, Calum said, "Rose is coming back next week."

"Oh, that's great," Clover said, smiling.

Hazelle nodded. "I know. I can't wait. It's been ages without her."

The table was silent again, the only noise Michael chewing his food.

"What are we going to do about all of this?" Luke asked.

Hazelle looked down at her food and shrugged.

"I don't know."

-

"Ashton."

Ashton's eyes opened, and he rolled over in bed.

His eyes widened, and his heart started beating faster. He began to shake, and his breath hitched in his throat.

"Niall?"