•Beautifully Stained•

Chapter 22

Eleanor could hear sirens and screams, the rush of people, the blinding lights and the fire behind them still burning. She fell to the floor without balance, hands cold and shivering, she started holding him by his shoulders. 

"Lou," she whispered. She knew what happened but she acted in denial. "Don't worry, nothing happened. I'm here," she said, calmly.

"El," he held her face to look at him, into his eyes. "I-I don't th-thi-think I'll... make it..."

"Shut up!" she reacted for the first time in the last few seconds. "They got Niall. No one can hurt you anymore. The ambulance is coming right now. You'll be fine!"

"Eleanor?"

"Yes? I'm right here. Your El," she assured him.

"After I-I'm g-gone-"

"No. You're going nowhere!"

"Shh. Af-after I-I'm g-gone, d-don't m-miss me. B-Be happy. Li-Live and d-don't s-st-stop lo-loving every-everything like you-you do," he groaned in pain. 

"Don't leave me, Lou," she kissed his palm that cupped her cheek. "It was supposed to be us till the end right? I can't loose everyone tonight!"

"Hey hey hey," he got her attention, "I'll always be there for you. Everywhere you go," he arched his back and groaned again, "yo-you'll f-find m-me."

"C'mon Lou, you missed me when we would be away for a few hours, you cant leave me forever!" she held him tighter. "Just a few more minutes, please!"

Louis looked into her eyes and gave a small smile. "Guess you are my forever."

"Yes, I am, and that is not ending now!" she announced. Eleanor opened her mouth to speak more but she felt Louis being pulled out of her grip. 

The ambulance was there and they were taking Louis away. Eleanor looked over at the spot where Liam and Harry were, they had been taken away already. Eleanor's eyes went over to Louis, he had the gun in his hand. He had already taken the blame, there were no traces of her on that thing, she could never prove herself guilty. The gun was taken from his hand and put into some bag.

Eleanor hurriedly got up and followed Louis into the ambulance. The sight of him on that bed, oxygen mask on his face and all the wires attached to him broke her heart. She sat next to him, holding his hand and saying encouraging words, "almost there. You'll make it."

Louis struggled to take the mask off him but Eleanor tried to stop him, "are you crazy? put this on!"

"Shh," he hushed her and opened it nonetheless. "El-"

"Don't be so stubborn!"

"Babe, listen," he spoke. "I love you. I was yours all my life."

"Lou no." Her face went pale. So did his. His eyes closed off and all the lines went straight. She shook him slightly, no response. "Louis?" she exhaled. "LOUIS?!" she cried out. 

The nurse there got alarmed and started checking him. "Please check him! I'm sure he's still here!" Eleanor kept saying but the nurse shook her head.

"Please check! He's probably faking it, he's always joking around!" she shouted. "Please tell me my Louis is still here! Tell me!" 

The nurse went quiet and looked down, with a look of disappointment. "Louis! No!!" Eleanor screamed. She shook his body even though the nurse tried to hold her back. "You can't leave me! It was you and me forever! This isn't a joke!" she kept shouting and the nurse had to force her to settle down physically. "Lou!" she whined, a little quieter than before, still being held in place though. "I- I," she squeaked, eyes fixated on him, "I'll miss you."