Some things change. | l.s.

21

Harry was close to lose it now when he dialed the number of the fifth hospital- the St Thomas'- already. He felt stupid and it was morally definitely not right lying just to get information, but he didn't know another way on how to find out how Louis was.

The first thing he had checked was if he was online in Whatsapp or even on his work account in Teams, but he wasn't and he didn't pick up the phone when he tried to call him. Now he was asking in every hospital if Louis was admitted there in hopes he could get any information or even possibly visiting him to see himself if he was fine and ask what was going on and finding out if this was all his fault or not.

By the time a lady picked up the phone and asked how she could help Harry's hands were sweating and he was nervous all over again.

"H-hi, I'm calling to ask if a certain Mr. Louis Tomlinson got admitted here?" He stammered out, shutting his eyes tightly in hopes the answer would be yes.

"Who am I talking to, dear? I'm afraid I can't give out information to anyone." The lady on the other line said.

That was new. Harry's eyes snapped open and he stared at the shadow on the wall opposite of him his figure threw from the night lamp behind him. Until now everyone just said they didn't have a patient with this name- so that should mean something, right?

"U-uh, I'm uh, his cousin. Paul." He stuttered and as soon as he finished his sentence he was about to hang up knowing he messed up now because no way in hell would anyone believe that.

"Mhm. Okay." The lady said suspiciously and Harry bit his lip in relief when she sighed deeply on the other line. "Yes, he got admitted here this morning."

"Oh, o-okay." He said perplexed. "How, uh, how is he? Can he be visited? W-what happened?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't give away that information. He can be visited, but only tomorrow, the visiting hours are over already."

"Okay, thank you!" He barely finished before he hung up and exhaled a relieved breath, switching to his internet browser to see when the visiting hours were and he planned on getting there as soon as he was able to.

He couldn't get a single second of sleep that night, too anxious of tomorrow and still with today's happenings in his mind and when he got up the next day he was exhausted and felt like shit- even more than yesterday.

He dreaded going to work, but the visiting hours started only from 2pm and he would go insane if he skipped work and stayed home for the time being, so he got himself together and did his best not to let anything of his troubled state show when he entered the office where almost everyone was sitting on their tasks already.

Time passed slowly and he had no idea how often he looked at his phone to check it, but he wasted no time jumping up from his chair and gathering his stuff when it was half past one. He just ripped the door open to dash outside seeing his chance to get away unnoticed because Niall was somewhere else and didn't show up in the office for the last hour, but much to his misfortune he ran into him.

"Where are you going?" He asked plainly, his eyes squinted just the tiniest bit and Harry gulped.

"Uh...I have a doctor's appointment." He found a quick excuse.

"And why didn't you inform me beforehand?" Niall asked suspiciously.

"Because uh...I only made it half an hour ago and it's urgent and you weren't there." Harry reasoned quickly.

Niall eyed him for a moment without saying anything before he sighed and stepped aside.

"I really hope that's true." He muttered before entering the office and throwing the door shut behind him.