The day had already been monumentally shitty. The worst of the worst days. An absolute steaming-pile-of-crap day. So, really, it was only natural to finish it with a perfect cherry on top - his call from Death-Cast.
He was alone when the unmistakabl...
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𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚞𝚖 𝙳𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟸𝟷𝚜𝚝, 𝟹:𝟸𝟹𝚙𝚖
The coroners arrived remarkably quick. It seemed like only a few minutes passed after Harry and Louis left that Calum was being dragged away from Ashton's body by Niall, two young adults in scrubs lifting him into a bag on a stretcher. Calum cried as much as his body would allow him to and, even when the tears physically wouldn't come anymore, his body still convulsed and the only reason he was still on his own two feet was Niall holding him up by his arms.
Niall was calm. Calum didn't know how, but he was. He didn't say much, though. He was probably in shock or maybe just numb. He was good support nonetheless. He rubbed Calum's back and assured Zayn that it wasn't his fault, even as the man hyperventilated with his head in his hands that Ashton was dead because of him. He probably was, if Calum was being honest, but he didn't say that.
The three of them sat, huddled together on the couch, as Ashton was wheeled out. They couldn't see him, but they didn't need to. The black body bag was almost more sickening than the body was because, at least when it was just the body, they could pretend he was asleep. He wasn't dead. His eyes were closed, yes, but they would open again. In the bag with no oxygen, though, there was no room left for hope. All that was left was despair and grief, because Ashton was gone and soon Michael and Harry would be too.
"Where do you think they are?" Calum whispered without any context because, really, it wasn't needed. His eyes trailed after the stretcher nearly gone from the home.
He heard Niall sigh and felt the calming massage against his back halt for a brief moment.
"I don't know, Cal."
Calum turned back, vision blurry with tears, and looked at the Irishman. "Do you think they're still alive?"
Niall frowned. "I don't know."
"This is really happening, isn't it?" Calum asked breathlessly. "Like, this isn't some nightmare or fever dream?"
"I don't think so, mate," Niall uttered sympathetically, resuming the circular motions he was making on Calum's back. He probably thought Calum was going to have a panic attack or something. Hell, maybe he was. He wanted to hyperventilate but he was just too fucking tired to actually begin the process. He was stuck in an in-between stage, where he took a short inhale once every few seconds.
"He was fine the last time I saw him. I don't understand how something like this could just-"
A blood-curdling scream sent a jolt of terror through Calum's body. He snapped to attention, body stiff as a board. Niall reacted similarly, but immediately jumped to his feet while Calum just froze. He didn't have much of a choice on moving, though, because Niall grabbed his arm and yanked him up, dragging him to the front of the house where the noise had come from with Zayn chasing after them.
