Forbidden {L.S.}

Eighteen(L)

Students were being released home. The staff barely knew anything, just there was a student with a weapon, and there was a chance he had one hostage, maybe more. I kept texting Harry, trying to find out where he was. He always responded, and he usually answered pretty much as soon as he saw it. He should be doing that, especially now.

"Come on Harry," I mumbled as the crowd was thinning out, checking my phone every five seconds. "Why aren't you texting me back?"

I looked around again and saw Zayn, so I walked over to him. "Have you seen-" Zayn held up a finger and kept texting someone. A few seconds later, he grabbed my arm and started pulling me with him. "I can't leave without-"

"He's on his way to the hospital," Zayn said calmly. I froze but Zayn kept his grip and continued to pull me along. "Liam's watching him in the ambulance now."

I couldn't process what he was saying properly. "What do you-"

"He got shot twice, and one of them was to the chest, Louis. Stop asking fucking questions and get in the car," Zayn snapped.

I followed him, but it didn't seem like I was. I felt disconnected as I sat in the waiting room of the ICU. I don't remember how I got from the car to the chair, but my leg wouldn't stop shaking and tears were constantly leaking from my eyes. Zayn stayed next to me until Liam got off of his shift. I felt completely numb.

All I did was send him to get some copies. How did that lead to him getting shot? I should have went, if he dies, I... He can't die. He can't die on me.

Liam squeezed my shoulder, bringing me back to reality. "It didn't hit his lungs or heart by some miracle of God. But it did tear him up." I nodded. No one had been telling me anything. I was going crazy. "After surgery, there's a very high chance they'll put him in an induced coma for a few days."

"He can't die," I whispered. "I shouldn't have sent him to the supply room. I-"

Liam moved in front of me. "This isn't your fault. This is all on Josh Sanders. Everything isn't clear, Harry can help with that, but they were alone in a room when they found them. Harry was shot in the leg first, and they literally had just gotten to the door when he had to have shot him in the chest. Actually, Harry probably saved a lot of lives, if he did even half of what I think he did."

"I-" I took a deep breath. Harry didn't want to be a hero out of this. He did what he had to do. I know that's what he did, but fuck, why was it him out of all people? He didn't deserve any of this. "I don't know how to function without him."

"That's why Zayn's at your house getting you clothes, and you're staying with us. I love you, you know that, but you shouldn't be alone right now."

I shook my head while he was still talking. "I'm not leaving him. Not happening." I stared at the doors that I couldn't go through and had to wait behind. The doors that separated me from Harry. "I can't leave."

Liam forced a smile. "I know. This is a just in case. But I am at least dragging you to the cafeteria to eat."

"Don't wanna eat," I mumbled, running my hands through my hair. "I can't even think about-"

I cut myself off as images of Harry passed through my mind, covered in blood, two giant holes through him. Tears stained on his face. Alone. My fault.

"Okay, I know you want to be here, but you can't. You need to relax-"

"Harry Styles?" A doctor said, entering the waiting room. I shot up and walked towards him, almost knocking Liam over in the process. He was only a few steps behind me, though. The doctor smiled. "He's out of surgery and doing good. The bullet luckily didn't result in any life threatening, but just to be on the safe side, we did put him in a medically induced coma to give his body time to recover. And he might have a limp in his right leg now, but if he does physical therapy, it should be fine."

"How long should he be in the coma?" Liam asked calmly while I stood there. I was trying not to react, but my mind was a swirl of questions and possible scenarios. I couldn't form words, though, so I was glad I had Liam to ask all the questions I should have been. I let out a breath of relief. He survived. He's alive. He's fucking alive.

"The latest he should wake up is a week. But you can come see him now, if you want." The doctor led the way to his room and I had to take a deep breath.

I never imagined that this would happen. I wasn't supposed to sit in another hospital with someone I love, watching them with no way to help. Harry looked scary with all the machines around him and tubes coming from every direction. I walked to the chair right next to him and grabbed his hand before sitting down, gently rubbing my thumb back and forth.

I wanted to break down crying, but I forced myself not to. Harry needed me. He needed me and I wasn't going to give up on him. I couldn't ever give up on Harry. I wanted him in my life forever. I had to have him in my life. He was going to be in my life.