till death...

chapter seventeen

Louis POV

Did I just get asked to be Harry's official boyfriend? Yes, yes I did. It took him long enough but I don't care it's official now. I've engulfed him in a hug. My face is nuzzled into his neck and I can smell his shampoo. It's very woodsy with a hint of lavender.

Eventually after what feels like forever we finally break loose of one another then he walks out the door.

My stomach has butterflies and my heart is pounding. My insides feel all melted and I can't seem to stop smiling. I want to tell someone, anyone but no comes to mind. I resort to just updating my twitter from ' single ' to ' in a relationship ' I smile again to myself, I like the way that looks.

That night I fall asleep dreaming about the future Harry and I are going to have. I can't get this boy out of my mind but i'm not complaining.

——
The next morning I decide I'm going to wake up early and take a shower before going down town.

I throw on a basic navy tee under a black and grey pullover along with some light washed Levi jeans and some simple white trainers.

I want to get Harry a little gift for the occasion. I know it's nothing special and he doesn't know but I still feel like I should do it. I decide I want to get us matching bracelets so that we have a reminder of each other any time we need one. I end up going to a new small business that I had never seen before. I pick out two braided leather bracelets and I get both mine and his initials carved into them. It's a very simple bracelet so I think he'll definitely like it.

The lady at the store wraps it perfectly and puts it in a small box then inside a another fancy bag. It looks great and I'm dying with anticipation to give it to him.

I catch an uber back the hospital because I don't feel like walking anymore. it's a quick ride before I'm back at the large White building with 10,000 windows. It's 11:43 so when I get back inside I go straight to Harry's room.

"Harry, I got you a surpri-" His room is completely empty. No bed. No dresser. No night stand. No nothing.

"Harry?" I walk further into the lonely room "Harry!" Like expected there's no response.

"Louis?"

I turn around quickly only to be faced with a confused Lisa.

"What are you doing?" She ask with one hand in her pocket and the other on the door handle.

"What do you mean? I'm looking for Harry who obviously isn't here." I kind of toss my arms in the air sarcastically.

"He didn't tell you?" Her face fades from confused to sympathetic.

"Tell me what?"

"Louis-"

"What didn't he tell me?" I plan on screaming this at her but for some reason it come out in a whisper and my eyes start to swell up with tears.

"Harry's cancer reached stage 4 last week. His options were to start chemotherapy again or attempt a surgery to remove all of the cancer." She swallows hard. "He chose surgery and the survival rate was extremely low. We couldn't provide the proper care for him here so they transferred him to 'St. Jude's'. He survived surgery but with the many complications that come he's currently on life support."

"He didn't tell me." The tears are streaming down my face now, there's no holding back. Lisa rushes to me and cradles my body as I fall to the floor dropping the bracelets.

"I know baby, I know." She continues shushing me as I imagine Harry laying lifeless just like he was a few months ago except then he had a chance, now he doesn't.

——

Lisa called an uber for me to take all the way to 'St. Jude's' which is about 45 minutes away. All I can think about is the possibilities that he's already gone and I'm too late. I try to kick those thought out but they continue to flood in as we get closer.

I run faster than I've ever ran before to the front desk pleading for Harry.  The young woman directs me to the 8th floor which is their ICU. When I arrive i'm surprisingly allowed onto the unit and pointed straight to his room. Their ICU was different, each patient got their own private room while ours was just rooms dived with curtains. Theirs seem to be much nicer.

I reach the door, I felt like I was going to bust through the door when I got here but now I'm nervous. I take the cold metal bar in my hand and slowly twist down and push. He's sleeping. Multiple machines are attached to his limp body. Just the sight of him makes me want to cry. He was so perfect yesterday but now he's so....not.

I take a seat next to his bed.  His eyes are closed lightly and he doesn't seem to be in any pain.

I look around at the monitors and how loud they are. His heart rate seems to be slower that it should but I take that as a good sign considering the fact that he's not dead. He faintly twitch's until his eyes open. I don't think he knows I'm here at first but moments later he looks over.

He attempts to make out the words 'Hi' but only his mouth moves under the oxygen mask, no voice.

"No don't talk." I plead as a tear falls down my face.

His hand lays on top of the white sheet covering his body and he starts to move his fingers. I take it as a sign to hold his hand which seems to please him when I do.

He closes his eyes and I watch as a single tear slides down his pale face.

"It's okay." I reassure him. " Hey, look." I don't want to see him sad so I try to distract him. "I got you a gift." I smile as I pick up the bag containing the bracelet and pull it out.

"It's a bracelet. I got our initials carved into them so we will always have a reminder of eachother. See!" I point to the small letters on the thin bracelets. I slide the bracelet over onto his wrist and I do the same with mine.

He smiles faintly too but it soon fades.

"I-" His voice comes out raspy.

"No Harry-"

"I don't want to die." Another tear falls down his cheek.

"You're not, you promised remember. We promised each other we wouldn't." Seeing him cry only make me cry harder.

"But it's-" He closes his eyes.

"-it's okay." He tightens his grip on my hand.

"No- please." I shut my eyes tight hoping that this is all a dream.

"I love you." The words come out clear from his raspy voice.

"Harry-"

"say it." He pleads with his eyes closed again.

"please" He pleads again.

"I love you."

We sit there silent until i'm startled with the loud signal of his heart monitor. It's not longer a repetitive beep but a single scream coming from the thin line displayed across the screen.

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T H E.     E N D.