Trauma At Its Finest (Lip Gallagher X Male Reader)

Ch 40. Welcome To Chatsworth

With panic racing through his chest, Lip burst into the hospital, his only thought: Y/N. He barely noticed the people around him as he rushed to the front desk, demanding answers.

Once directed to the right floor, he sprinted through sterile white halls until he spotted a doctor standing outside a room.

"I'm here for Y/N Ball!" Lip called out, breathless. "How is he?"

The doctor looked up, calmly but cautiously. "Are you family or—?"

"I'm his partner." Lip answered immediately, his voice cracking.

The doctor gave a small nod, then spoke. "Your partner sustained a gunshot wound to the chest. The bullet punctured his lung, causing a severe pneumothorax—a collapsed lung. He also lost a significant amount of blood, which left him in critical condition."

Lip's face fell. "Wh... what does that mean?" His voice faltered, barely above a whisper. "Is he going to be okay?"

The doctor's expression darkened. "We performed emergency surgery to repair the lung and stop the bleeding, but the damage was extensive. He's stable now, but his body went into shock. He's currently in a medically induced coma."

"A coma...?" Lip's heart dropped. "How long until he wakes up?"

"It's difficult to say." the doctor said gently. "Right now, the coma is giving his body time to heal, but his condition is very fragile. The bullet was dangerously close to the heart and lungs. There's a risk of infection, organ failure..."

Lip felt like the walls were closing in. "What are his chances?"

The doctor hesitated, then answered truthfully. "I won't lie. His chances of survival are low, but not zero. The next 24 to 48 hours are crucial. If there are no complications, he may begin to stabilize."

Lip's eyes stung, but he forced himself to stay strong. He didn't care about school, about responsibilities, about anything right now. If Y/N was going to die, the Gallagher needed to be with him.

"Can I see him?" He asked softly.

"Yes." The doctor replied. "But I should prepare you. He's on a ventilator and several monitors. It can be overwhelming, but being there might help—even if he can't respond."

The doctor led him inside. Lip froze in the doorway.

There was Y/N, pale and still, hooked up to wires and machines. Despite everything, he looked peaceful—bathed in the soft glow of the hospital lights, lying quietly under crisp white sheets.

Lip walked in slowly and sat beside him, sinking into the chair with a quiet exhale. He reached for Y/N's hand—warm but limp—and gently wrapped his fingers around it.

He glanced back at the doctor. "Can you give us some space?"

The doctor nodded and silently stepped out, leaving the two of them alone.

Lip looked back at Y/N, his thumb brushing over the back of his hand. His voice cracked as he spoke.

"H-Hey... it's me..." He swallowed hard. "I shouldn't have said we should break up. That was a stupid fucking thing to say."

His throat tightened, but he pushed through.

"I don't want those to be my last words to you. I don't care what we were fighting about... just please, please rest. Come back. We can fix this. We always do."

His grip on Y/N's hand tightened slightly.

"I still love you. So don't you fucking leave me, okay?"