For Your Eyes Only [h.s.]

Ch. 83 - The Present

Harry Styles
October 13, 2022
The English Countryside
6:43 pm

"...I'm sorry sir, could you repeat that?"

"....Styles, my name. I need an ambulance. Please, there's been an accident."

"We're on our way Mr. Styles...is... hurt?"

"What?"

"Is there anyone...ok...now move to the wrist... can you... a pulse?"

"No."

"... no pulse?"

"I can't... no, please come... I can't find... she's pregnant."

"...on our way, just hold tight."

Eventually, I hear the sirens. I try to look around, to find Adelaide or Griffin or Des... but my eyes, I can't see anything.

_____
St. Thomas' Hospital
7:27 pm

"There were three male... one female, pregnant."

"Adelaide?" I try to call out, my conciseness still coming and going.

"No, just the one was dead on arrival, we're calling the rest of the family now."

"Ad-"

"Shh, Mr. Styles don't try to speak. Let us do our job. You're all in good hands."

"But my-"

"Shh. You're going to be fine, truly. We're going to stitch this up, and you'll be fine. Just stay calm for us."

And what little I see disappears, the darkness surrounding me just like the headlights of the car I watched lose control had, not an hour ago.

_

8:35 pm

"Sweetheart? Can you wake up for me?" I hear my mother's voice soft. 

"Mum?" I can't open my eyes so easily, and there's pain...

"Shhh, just sit. You're ok. You're so very lucky though darling, not wearing your seatbelt properly. You hit your head against the driver's seat corner, just above your eyebrow. Don't try to open your eyes if it hurts. There's stitches where the skin split. But you're alright, you'll be alright."

"Where's Adelaide?"

"Shh, right now I want you to just stay still for me. I'll get a doctor." 

But I can hear it in her voice, there's something she's not telling me.

"Mum, please. Where's my wife?"

"Oh Harry." I hear her take a deep breath, and begin to explain everything I've missed. She takes my hand. "They did everything they could..."

_

10:46 pm

"I need to call her parents, they'll want to fly here immediately." I say, trying to remain focused on everything I've learned since the drugs started to wear off just a bit ago. I have a full meal in front of me that the doctors insist I eat, but how am I supposed to think about food now? My vision has cleared enough, things are a bit blurry but they said there shouldn't be any permanent damage. They did suggest there's a possibility I'll be wearing my glasses just a bit more often is all. The main damage was done above the eyebrow, thank goodness. Foggy vision or not, this meal does not look appealing at all.

Otherwise, I'm ok. I'm lucky, I didn't have my seatbelt on. The doctors made it very clear, how much worse this could have been. I'm trying to stay distracted. It all just feels like recent history repeating itself, only this time, we've truly lost one of our own. Dead.