How to Save a Life

Chapter 13

"between the lines of fear and blame"

Harry's POV

According to Stephanie, Louis hadn't said a single word yet.

Stephanie had called Harry right after dinner, and Harry finally answered. He could hear her let out a sigh of relief when he said "hello" in a very shaky voice.

She had told him that Louis was doing fine, his eyes were healed completely with full vision returning. His concussion was fully healed but he was suffering from bad head pain. His leg was out of its splint as he had worn it in his sleep for six weeks but he still had to wear his wrist brace for one more. His bruising was almost gone, just some soft purple around his cheekbones and under his jaw. The open wound that was the source of so much bleeding, was stitched up and most likely leave a scar.

Harry knew that Steph was trying to prepare him for what he was going to see so he had his suspicions that it was worse than she was letting on. Her voice was soft and reassuring but the knot in his stomach didn't leave.

Anne accompanied him to the hospital late the next afternoon. They let Louis have his time to relax after waking up and when Steph called him shortly after noon that he seemed ready, they left.

Walking into the hospital was extremely difficult. Just the smell alone made Harry want to run to the nearest toilet and hurl. It smelled so familiar, yet the familiarity was tainted with the memory of watching Ashton walk out these doors, hands covered in Louis' blood, and the fear when Harry realized what was happening.

Stephanie looked just as tired as Harry felt. She was the one who had to stay behind and watch her friend fight death every day, and wonder if he was going to live to the next day.

When she saw him walk in through the front doors, she walked forward and took him in a tight embrace. Harry let himself be held, slowly letting his head fall onto her shoulder. Stephanie pulled away first and gave him a small smile.

"I missed you." She said and another pang of guilt was added to the messy pile in Harry's heart. He hadn't realized before how much it probably hurt Stephanie to deal with all of this on her own and have Harry absent and refuse to talk to her. He knew he hurt a lot of people with his distancing and he was going to have to do some reaching out when he went home later.

For now, all of his thoughts were on Louis.

His mom spoke his name from behind him and he turned to her. She smiled at him softly and held her arms out. Harry embraced her tightly and they whispered their "i love you's" in each others ears. "You're going to be just fine Harry." She said softly, and he nodded, gave her a kiss on the cheek and headed to the elevator with Stephanie as Anne sunk into a chair, purse on lap. The elevator ride was silent just slow breathing and the pangs of the elevator going from floor to floor.

The door opened with a woosh and the sounds of doctors yelling and running around. Stephanie led him to Louis' new room which was on floor four and in the back most corner, room 422.

Stephanie turned to look at him outside Louis' door.

"I think what's best is I go in first and talk to him, see what his mood is and then ask if he would like to see you. Then depending on what he says we can leave or you can come in."

Harry nodded and stepped aside out of sight as she opened the door and stepped into Louis' room. Harry heard the sound of some movie playing and the beeping of a monitor as the door swung closed. He sunk down to sit on the cold, clean white tile and drew his knees to his chest. He let the cold sleep through his jeans into his skin.