Fireproof (Louis Tomlinson AU)

~10~

"Louis?" Dr. Reynolds called as he entered the waiting room. I stood from my seat, my legs nearly giving out from under me. I looked back at my wife and kids, who had just been sitting next to me. Nicole just gave me a weak, yet encouraging, smile as her eyes swam with tears. She reached out and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly on her grasp before letting it go.

"I love you," she whispered. Those three words gave me the strength I needed to go through with this. To put on a brave face and do what I had to do.

"I love you, too," I responded, then kissed her forehead as well as my kids'. They all smiled up at me, a smile that didn't meet their eyes. I just weakly returned the favor and then walked over to Dr. Reynolds, who was waiting patiently by the door. As I met him and we walked down the long, sterile hallway, he turned to me.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I responded half-heartedly. We walked down several more hallways, passing nurses and other doctors who looked at me, their eyes full of pity. I didn't know them, but apparently they knew me or my current situation.

I felt sick to my stomach.

We finally took one last right turn into a long, white hallway, identical to the rest of them. The white tiles lined the floor, white painted drywall surrounding me. My footsteps echoed off the tile, filling the near-silent hallway with noise.

Dr. Reynolds then took a sharp left into a large room. There was a lab table in the middle, and three other doctors stood in the room, talking amongst themselves. They all fell silent, however, as soon as I stepped foot into the room.

"Hello, Mr. Tomlinson," the doctor on the right greeted. He was a rather talk man with salt and pepper hair. Glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, and his smile was kind. "I'm Dr. Jensen."

"I'm Dr. Fitzgerald," the woman in the middle stated. Her red hair was cut in a short bob, and she stood as tall as Dr. Jensen's shoulder.

"And I'm Dr. Arenberg," the young man on the left smiled. He was taller than Dr. Jensen, and his blonde hair shone brightly in the large room. Dr. Reynolds then handed me a hospital gown and smiled encouragingly.

"Go change into this. You can leave your undergarments on. There is a bathroom down the hall to the right. It's the third door on the left," he instructed.

"Alright, thanks," I responded quietly. I exited the room and quickly found the bathroom, changing into the hospital gown and then returning to the room.

The room where the rest of my life would be determined.

"Are you ready for this surgery?" Dr. Reynolds asked once more.

"Yes."

My voice was unwavering.

This was the only choice.

This surgery would seal my fate.

I would never actually be ready, but I had to be.

So I was.

I was ready to overcome this obstacle in my life.

Hopefully, everything went well.

"Im ready."

This ones a bit shorter but the next one will be up soon I promise.

Story is ending in four chapters. Then a sequel :)