Fireproof (Louis Tomlinson AU)

~4~

"Good luck, Lou," Nicole whispered as she hugged me tightly. "I love you." Then she kissed my cheek and sauntered off towards the kitchen to make herself breakfast. I exited the house and made my way to my car.

After I started it up and got on the road, it was completely silent. I was extremely anxious and nervous about this doctor's appointment, too nervous to even turn on the radio. I kept it off, and the only sounds I heard were the soft purr of the engine and my thoughts.

My thoughts.

I couldn't help but expect the worse. If I went into this appointment thinking I was totally fine and dandy, getting any kind of news worse than that would affect me majorly.

Even if it was just a small cold that would pass in two days.

Between Nicole, the kids, and I, I've learned that when you go to the doctors, you expect the worse. Then the news you get doesn't seem so bad.

Sometimes, I honestly didn't know if my philosophy about doctor's appointments was the best thing in the world. Negativity was something you wouldn't see in me often. It was barely a word in my vocabulary. But when it came to the doctor, negative was all I could be.

I couldn't help but think about all the terrible things I could be told in the short period of time I was at the doctor's office.

What if I have kidney stones?

What if I have stomach ulcers?

What if I have cancer?

What if I'm going to die within the next 48 hours?

I knew most of these thoughts were completely irrational due to my symptoms, but it was just my nature to list all the bad things in my head that could be announced to me while I was there.

In all honesty, I was terrified.

***

"Louis?" The nurse called from the doorway. I set the magazine I was previously reading down on the coffee table in front of me and slowly rose from my seat. I made my way over to her, and she smiled politely before leading me through the door.

The smell of cleaning supplies and medication instantly tickled my nose as I walked through the immaculate corridors. Nurses and doctors bustled about, going in and out of patients' rooms and grabbing different supplies for the next patient. I followed the nurse through a set of corridors before she led me up several sets up stairs and down another hall.

This floor was obviously for patients who had just come in for a "check up" or physical. There was no urgency present on any faces I saw, and it was much calmer and quieter on this level.

"In this room, Mr. Tomlinson," the nurse informed me. I stepped into the room and sat on the exam table that was covered in white, wax-like paper.

The nurse did the usual checking of blood pressure, eye sight, ears, ect. Once she had finished, she removed her gloves and smiled at me.

"The doctor will be right with you."

I nodded and smiled politely before she exited the room. I was again left to my thoughts and, again, thought of all the possible answers I would get to what was happening to me.

After several minutes, an older man stepped into the room, holding a clipboard.

"Mr. Tomlinson, how wonderful to see you again," he stated, smiling and pulling up a chair.

"You too, Sir," I replied nervously.

"So what brings you here?" The doctor asked.

"Well, lately I just haven't been myself. A few days ago, I was very fatigued and passed out at the top of the stairs, causing me to tumble down. I was also experiencing shortness of breath and wheezing," I explained as he scribbled on his clipboard. "And yesterday, I began coughing up blood. My wife made me come here today."

The doctor scribbled a few more notes onto his paper and then looked up at me, concern etched across his face.

"Why don't we run a few tests, Mr. Tomlinson, and then see what we have, alright?"

Yo so if I'm using any terms incorrectly or things are said different in Great Britain, just let me know or ignore them bc I'm a naive American so I kinda know how they talk but like not really so yeah bear with me on that