Kiss Me Before the Sky Falls

-Chapter 7- Stuck Between a Rock and a Surgical Scalpel -

His sleeping state revealed nothing. His expression was flat, emotionless. Soft. He looked years younger. I was comfortable, even though my shoulder was killing me. He had a once-strong arm around me, which loosened as he dozed off until it was just laid over me. I probably would've fallen back asleep if a girl didn't come running in screaming.

Not only did I fall off, but the IV was ripped out of my arm.

I rubbed were the IV had been, cringing from the fall. She better have not woken up Louis.

He was in a tired daze, looked around, said a sleepy hello and went back to sleeping. He didn't notice the blood welling from between my fingertips, I must've ripped some stitches in my side or something. I left him be, but glared at the chick.

I recognized her immediately, the first blunt realization in a long time. It felt good to just know her name. I smiled, and in awe, I proudly said my greetings.

"Hello Wily Cat." I sounded so vain. I didn't care. I knew who she was. Louis woke up when she waved, and despite my efforts, he stayed up this time. And caught my little...accident.

"What happened Shalice?" He demanded, fierce.

"Dunno." She said simply, smiling. "I think she rolled off." The next person who walked in felt less familiar, a man with an interesting haircut, jet black hair, and a well-defined face. I felt like he'd been the clerk at my grocery store a few times. But Wily Cat kissed him happily and he cast a mocking glance at Louis, who was keeping pressure on my stomach. I cringed, but he regarded it with a wistful glance.

"Who's he?" I said quietly.

"It's Zayn, button." I scrutinized him for even the slightest feeling of familiarity. He must've caught me, because he looked weirder out.

"What is she doing?" His accent, as Louis called it, varied from Louis'. It sounded like he wasn't pronouncing some things and over-enunciating others.

"She's got amnesia." Louis said softly. "She's just trying to recognize you."

"She knew me." Wily Cat was in Zayn's arms, looking upset and confused.

"She's known you the longest." Louis spoke matter-of-factly. "She didn't even know my name." His voice was barely audible. I felt pain well up in my chest and I bit my lip so I wouldn't burst into tears in front of everyone.

"I'm sorry." My voice cracked and I spoke quietly.

"Don't be." He rubbed the back of my neck, but I didn't feel much better. Everyone was pitying me, but I felt like I didn't deserve it. Why couldn't I have just guessed?

"Does she know then...?" Zayn gave Wily Cat a confused look.

"No I'll tell her later." Louis said it quick and clipped. Whatever they were talking about, it bothered him.

"What am I missing?" Zayn asked in Wily Cat's direction. She and Louis exchanged a glance as if agreeing on something and he looked back to the bed, still massaging the back of my neck. I wasn't catching on to something, and it was something I needed to know, apparently.

"She looks scared." I avoided everyone's upset gazes. I slightly cowered in Louis' direction, just to try an escape their ever-watching eyes. Louis said something unintelligible, a word of reassurance, I believe, but it felt like nothing was audible.

I understand that they were concerned, but sometimes I liked just to sit and think. I couldn't if everyone was staring, boring into my skin, or it felt like it. Louis would be quiet if I didn't want to speak, sit there respectfully and warmly watch, letting me do whatever. He wouldn't care if I scrutinized his face for hours, looking for something, just something, to yank on a memory. On occasion he would do something that felt familiar, but I couldn't tell why.