Getting You Back

Chapter Thirty-Four: Thomas (Harry's POV)

"Harry please answer the phone we just want you to come back."
"Mate, pick up, we will figure something out."
"Oi, Harry! Don't listen to what at arsehole said he is no one."
I feel the tensions in my shoulders build as I listen to each voicemail left by the lads. They have called my mobile endlessly, rang me, and sent me text. But just like the other times I delete each message and push my mobile to the side. For two weeks we have been inside this hospital hoping that Halle will wake up from her coma induced sleep. For two weeks I have distant from the boys and the outside world so that I can be right by her side at all times. My focus has solely been Halle and her well being. Before I can continue with that life, the life of being a part of One Direction, touring, albums, and meetings, I need to get the most important part of my life together. I need to piece back together the part of my life I single-handedly destroyed.
On the little table to my right my mobile vibrates once again. Liam's name appears across my screen with his incoming call. I hit the red end button and let his call go to voicemail. The door to the room opens, revealing an already agitated looking Gatlin. His eyes don't meet mine, he simply walks into the room and bends down towards Halle. He begins to whisper words in her ear as if I am not here, as if I am not in some sort of long term of relationship with her. I lean back in my chair and close my eyes. I am tired of being tired, tired of wanting to to kill him with my bare hands, and I am tired of having my Halle here in this hospital.
"I am going to get you out of here..." I hear the last of Gatlin's whispers.
That's it!
I push back in my seat and stand up. My hands shakes in a desperate need to connect with Gatlin's face. I want to ram my fist into him until he gets that he is never getting her back, that he has no chance. Without his eyes on me, I put on my coat and beanie.
"Harry?" Luca calls out to me. Out of her three brothers, Luca is the one who has taken pity on me. He is the only one who has actually talked to me since the accident. Every time Elliot looks at me I feel myself coming closer to my death. Alex hasn't said anything, he keeps his distance. Whether he is mad or has nothing to say is a mystery to me but I am not going to push him to like me once again. I look at him and I know he can see my sleepless nights on my face.
"Harry?" He says once again, trying to get my attention.
"I just need some air." He nods his head, understanding my need from some liberation from the walls of this hospital. Before I leave the room, I go back to my sleeping beauty. With the strength that I have left, I push Gatlin to the side so that I can have my rightful spot near my girl. I bend down so that my lips can touch her skin. I press a kiss to her cheeks and the corner of her mouth.
"I'll be back my darling." I whisper in her ear then turn on my foot. I give a nod towards Luca, silently giving him my thanks then I exit the room. Once I am free from the confines of the room the over whelming feeling of glaring eyes leave me. With a heavy sigh, I run past the hospital lift and go directly for the stairs. Instead of running down and take two stairs at a time, I take my time going down each step. Part of me wants the time to myself before I step out into the world and the other half is allowing a few more extra minutes before my exit just in case something happens and I have to run back up. How could I let things get so out of hand? Things in our lives were okay at one point. We had our plans, the places we were going to go, and the things we were going to do. Now here we are in a hospital in New York city with Halle in a coma. Here we are in New York and I cannot experience what it has to offer with my love. At the door to the city sidewalk I pull my beanie down and lower my head so I won't be easily recognized. The icy cold air blows into my face when I step out causing me to shiver in my coat. The feeling of the icy chill almost feels like a shock to my body system. My face and nose go red as I continue my way down the city sidewalk. Walking among me is couples of all ages. Couples my age, middle aged, and elderly. They all walk with a smile on their face, their arms wove in the other, and whispering words into each other ear. But unlike the times Halle and I have done the same thing, simply strolling and enjoying the presence of each other, men with cameras aren't following them or yelling out questions about their personal life. They are able to enjoy the time they have with each other without the demands of the world following them. Gatlin would be that normal boyfriend who can take her out shopping without getting stopped a billion times for a photo or go out on a walk without being harassed by cameramen. Though he is an intruder, he is the lucky one. Suddenly, the tiny rose gold band on my necklace feels heavy around my neck.
"I should give you up baby." I whisper to myself as I twirl the delicate gold around my pinkie finger. "But I can't, I can't let you go." I drop the ring back down to my chest then hide it behind my t-shirt. I keep walking down the city sidewalk with my head down, my hands in my pockets, and the collar of my coat up. A beanie is on my head, hiding my recognizable curls from the view of the people that pass me by. I know that if they were to be seen I would be spotted right away. I don't have a specific destination to go to but I keep walking because if I stop now I'll drown myself in my own thoughts. Mid-step, my body gets shoved to the right causing me to trip over my own foot.
"Excuse-." I stop short when I see a small girl, a child no older than two or three, looking back up at me. Her hair is long and the same colour of my girl and her eyes are a light shade of green. If I didn't know any better I would say the child I saw in my dreams is standing right in front of me.
"I am so sowwy." I bend down on my knee so that I am at eye level with her. She smiles at me than places her tiny hand on my shoulder.
"Yew Harwey Stywuls." Her small child tone causes a laugh to escape my lips. She smiles up at me showing me delicate, white pearly teeth.  
"Lizzy, there you are." Someone says before I can speak to her. But like my reality, a blonde comes in a suddenly stops the peace I once felt with this child. He bends down and picks her up. He doesn't look at me nor acknowledge the fact that I am standing right her. The little girl wraps her arms around his neck and cuddles into his neck. With her love for him a thought forms in my head and slaps me in the face. What if my sweet angel chooses to go back with him? What if she leaves me like I left her? What if she chooses him in life rather than me? My hands begin to shake with my anger and my worry. Before I can punch the wall or scare the little girl who looks at me as she gets farther away, I bury my hands deep within my coat pockets then turn on my foot to escape this moment. At the end of the busy sidewalk the light of a coffee shops shines and captures my attention. Desperate for escape from my thoughts, the blonde, and the cold, I run to the end of block then step in . Right away, I am overwhelmed by the smell of roasted coffee beans, vanilla, and the smell of blueberry scones. Strangers fill the small space. Some have their noses in a book, some have their eyes focused on their laptop, or they sit across from someone and entranced my conversation. But those who stand out to me the most are the couples that sit snuggled up together, captured by each other's presence and words. They whisper in each other ears, lightly laugh at the inside jokes, and they simply exist in one world with one another.
I wish that was us, I wish that you were here beside me darling.
The warmth of the coffee shop begins to suffocate me, as if it is a person's hand placed over my face, smothering me with force. I pull off my coat then take a seat in a hidden booth in the corner of the shop. When the cool air hits my clammy skin it allows me to relax and to calm down. I fold my hands one on top the other then drop my forehead to my hands. I wish I could turn back time, I wish I could go back and warn Harry then how life is now. How life could be without her.
"Excuse me?" Not even a minute has passed before I have been spotted. I feel my body slump against the table for a second then I lift myself up from my crouched position. Right when I open my eyes I come in contact with a girl no younger than Halle and I. She is wearing all black with her hair pulled up and apron wrapped around her waist. In her hands is a steaming cup of coffee. Her eyes widen when she realizes who I am.
"H-hi..." Her voice comes out light with a slight stutter.
"Ello." I simply so that I won't over whelm her. Without another word she sets the cup in front of me then turns on her foot.
"Wait, I didn't order this." She looks over my shoulder for a moment then smiles over at me. "Someone specially ordered it for you." I begin to look around the coffee shop, trying to find someone who I could possibly know but no one is looking back at me or giving me the time of day. "Hey." I look back at the nameless waitress, she gives me a small, sad smile.
"I am sorry to hear about Halle, I am praying for her." She didn't call her Halleiana. People who aren't fans, friends, family, or simply don't know her call her Halleiana. Standing before me, without asking for a picture, screaming in my face, or causing a scene is a fan.
"T-thank you so much." My own voice cracks as tears fill my eyes. She reaches out and places her hand on my shoulder, lightly, she gives it a squeeze then walks away. I place my hands on the outside of the cup, allowing the coffee to warm me up and unfreeze me.
"I see you got the cup we sent you." I jump in my spot and once again and look to my right. An older man stands in front of me with his left hand in his pocket and his right hand holding his walking cane. I look at him for a moment, trying to remember when and where I met this man. He just looks at me with a smile and gentle eyes. Suddenly, an older woman comes up to his side and places her hand in his. Before she even looks at me, she smiles up at him with the biggest smile I have ever seen and her eyes that shows him she adores him. Softly, she nods her head towards me.
"Excuse me, young man?" He calls out to me. I look back towards him, still confused on who he could be. "I think I may know you." I feel the colour in my face drain as he smiles at me. He knows me? Once again I begin to go through all the people I have met in New York and his face doesn't match up with anyone. How could he possibly know me out of all the people in New York?
"Thomas, explain to the poor boy." His wife tugs at his hand, speaking with a smile across her face. "Please, come sit with us." His wife offers with her thumb pointing back towards the table they once sat at. "Please?" I couldn't say no to her, not to the nice older lady who looks at me with pleading eyes and a small smile. I pick up my coat then wordlessly follow them back to their table. The older man, Thomas, points towards a set across from where he pulls his wife's chair out.
"How do you know of me sir?" I ask him politely when he sits across from me. He pulls his hat off then top of his head then folds his hands on top of the table then looks me in the eye.

"Does the name Halle mean ring any bells?" My eyes widen at her name and the smile only she can cause me to have stretches across my face. "That smile says it all." The tips of my ear and my cheeks burn a deep red with his observation. At the sight of my redness, Thomas' wife smiles at me and places her hand over her heart happily.
"How do you know her?" Thomas stiffens in his seat then grabs his wife's hand. The smile that was once on his face disappears and goes into a solemn expression.
"I was the taxi driver who took her to the Empire State Building before the accident. And I'm guessing you are the fella who made her smile just like you did when I mentioned her." My heart begins to beat a bit faster against my rib cage. If it were possible, I swear it would beat out of my chest. He was the last one to see her before I messed up, before she got into that damn accident. "I asked her if she had a special fella in her life.The biggest smile I have ever seen a girl have spread across her face. She didn't have to say yes to let me know she had you in her life. She loves you." A sense of peace consumes me at his words. Ever since Gatlin showed up doubt has filled me. I don't doubt her, I doubt myself. I doubt that she won't be able to forgive for what I have done but with his words I feel peace. Peace that we can make it through this patch and that she will be okay. It is a calming, relaxing feeling I haven't felt in a long time.
"Do you think so?" A chuckle leaves both him and his wife. She scoots closer to him then rest her head on his shoulder. She looks content with merely sitting here and having a conversation with a stranger she doesn't know. 
"I know so. You were the first person to pop into her mind when I asked her about the guy in her life. Even though the both of you were fighting or in a bad place at the moment, her mind went directly to you. You were the one to cause that smile to spread across her face." There it is again, peace. For the longest time I have told myself or tried to convince myself that she still loves me. Sitting here, having this man tell me makes it real. It gives me more reassurance than I can give myself. Because I am not making this up, she loves me and others can see it. I sit back in my seat and take in a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief. This man, once a stranger less than a minute ago, is the light in the darkness in my own personal world, making things a bit better. He has made me realize that Halle and I are meant to be.
"How long have you both been married?" I ask when I look back up at them. They smile at each other and for a moment it is just them two in their own little world.
I want that with her. I want to be old and grey with her.  
"A very long sixty years." His wife looks at him just as he looks at her, both are falling more in love each other than they were a minute ago. It is a beautiful sight to see, something to remind me of what I have to do to reach that point one day in my life. Suddenly, my mobile vibrates in my pocket. Without hesitating I pull it out. Luca's name is across the screen with the message icon on the screen. 
She's awake. 
My heart drops in my chest with the message across the screen. I have prayed more in the last two weeks than I have in my whole entire life. I don't know if it was the Lord himself or just a coincidence but I am pretty sure these two are the angels I have been needing.
"Is everything alright dear?" I look up from my mobile with a smile on my face. "My Halle...she's finally awake. I am so sorry but I must go." His wife, who's name I don't even know, reaches out and places her hand on top of mine.
"Go to her, give her our love."

"Thank you for spending time with me, it has made me realize some very important things." In a rush, I get up from my spot. I pull my coat up my arms then turn on my heel.

"Young man, wait." The woman calls out to me. She smiles over at me with gentle eyes. "Remember real love stories never have an ending." With her final words she gives me a simple nod then turns back to her husband. Before I head out the door my mobile vibrates in my hand again. Luca's name is flashing across the screen. Why would he be calling? What happened in the mere second that he texted?
"What's wrong? Is she alright? What happened?"
"She's asking for you."