Twisted Friendship

Chapter 16

I was drifting in and out of consciousness, caught between reality and my own twisted dreams. It was hard to make anything out. There were shouts, a siren blaring loudly. The sound of feet on tile.

"What happened?" somebody kept asking repeatedly.

And I kept seeing it over and over, the bullet hitting Louis's body. Watching him crumple to the ground, hand clenching to his side as blood oozed between his fingers.

"Louis!" I kept saying in my dreams, trying to run to him but being held back by invisible hands. His eyes would catch mine, wide and full of horror. Trying to say something, his lips were moving but no sound was coming out.

"Louis say something!" I pleaded. He was sinking, the pavement swallowing him up and taking him away from me. I stuck my hand out, feeling the warmth of his palm beneath mine before he slipped out of my grasp.

"Louis!" I screamed, feeling a tangle of blankets around my legs as I jerked awake. There was a blinding light in my eyes, making it impossible to see.

Hands grabbed at my shoulders, pinning me back "Calm down! Just calm down Katie!'

That voice, it was unfamiliar. Rubbing a hand across my eyes, I blinked several times until my vision came into view.

A lady was standing over me, brown eyes alit with worry. Her blonde hair was piled up ontop of her head, mouth outlined with red. Who was she? Panic kicked in again. Where the heck was I? How did she know my name? Questions spun around my head while I tried to get a grasp on the situation.

The room I was in suddenly came into focus. White washed out walls, a small window in the far corner. I was sitting in a bed, surrounded by blinking medical equipment and a couple plastic chairs. A needle and I.V. were hooked up to my arm.

A hospital. I was in a hospital.

"How are you feeling?" the lady asked politely, gently forcing me to lay back down.

I wasn't okay, there was a dull ache of pain in my head, and every muscle felt sore. But that wasn't it. It was the sudden realization that my friend Louis had been shot.

"What's going on?" I shouted at her accusingly, pushing the blankets off of my legs. A hospital gown, they had me in a papery gown.

The nurse looked flustered, "Well you and your friends got into a fight, so you got accepted into the hospital after someone called 911-"

That was all I needed to know. Yanking the needle out of my arm, I jumped out of bed and pushed the lady aside, running out of the room. I heard her shriek behind me, but I ignored it. All I could think of was Louis. He was here, I know it. I had to find him, he had to be okay, he promised me.

He promised he'd always be there for me.

Bursting out into the hallway, I looked around before taking a sharp turn right. It was dimly lit, everything seeming to be a stark white and smelled like antibiotics. People were shouting behind me, feet chasing after me. I didn't care. Rooms flew by as I ran, not knowing where I was going but knowing that I wouldn't sop until I found him.

Fear was filling my lungs, making it hard to breathe. I was drowning in my own fear that something had happened to Louis. No, he was okay. He had too be okay. I shot through some double doors, listening to the loud bang it made as it hit the wall.

He. Was. Okay. Tears were leaking in my eyes as I ran, unsure where I was or what was going on and BAM!

I crashed right into someone standing in the middle of the hall. Hands wrapped around my instantly, pulling me into a breathtaking hug. My feet were lifted off the floor as I was drawn against their chest.

"Let me go!" I spat, trying to push myself away. I had a one track mind at the moment.

But I knew the person, I recgonized the leather jacket. Zayn pulled me so close, hugging me so hard it knocked all the sense right out of me.

"Katie, it's me. I got you." he whispered, eyes dark and heavy and brimming with tears. The look on his face, could only be described as pure brokenness. He looked broken, unfixable. Ready to shatter apart and let the peices be carried in the wind.

"Oh my god." I murmured, having my knees suddenly give out. If he hadn't been holding me I would've crumpled to the ground.

Zayn bent his head down, burying it into my hair. We stood there for a moment, not moving or saying anything. Just relishing in each others warmth, the feel of his chest rising and falling. Some many things were said without even saying a word.

"Where is he?" I muttered into his shoulder, listening to the distant shout of a nurse.

Zayn swallowed hard, brown eyes blinking rapidly "Room 264."

I pressed my cheek against his chest, hearing the steady rhythm of his heart "Hold the nurses off for me."

Zayn nodded, reluctantly drawing his hands away. As I took off into a run, his long fingers found my wrist and yanked me back.

"Im just glad your okay." he said with a sigh, brushing some hair back from my face. And I was off. Zayn was saying something to a nurse, but by then I was examining the chart by the elevator. Room 264. To the right of the cafeteria.

And I left my feet carry me, checking signs on the wall until I was standing right outside room 264. I placed my palm flat against the door. He was behind here, Louis was back there. But I was almost too scared to go inside.

Pulling courage deep from the endless pool of fear inside of me, I threw the door open and bolted inside. My feet halted as I came face to face to Louis.

Or what once was Louis. He lay flat in a hospital bed, eyes closed and breathing shallow. Dozens of machines were hooked up to him, a large bloody gauze wrapped around his middle. He looked small, so small and so pale in the bed.

No.

This wasn't right. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"Louis!" I cried, running up to him and grabbing his hand. It felt warm, but his prescense wasnt there. The slender fingers felt small and rough in mine. I grabbed his shoulder and shook him gently. "Louis wake up!"

He didn't move. My thumb lifted up his eyelid, revealing his stormy gray eyes. But they were empty, nothing behind them. Just blank blank blank blank.

My heart fell and shattered at my feet, shards pricking at my skin. "Louis wake up!" I screamed, shaking him rougher. No response.

"WAKE UP NOW!" I shrieked, and suddenly my senses were drained and tears were streaking down my face. I felt heavy, sinking down into this pit of despair. My fists flew out and hit the limp body of my friend, trying to wake him up. Bring him back to me.

"STOP DOING THIS LOUIS!" I screamed, shaking him and hitting him. My mind was a whirling mess, I couldn't think straight. Hands came and grabbed my shoulders, tugging me back.

"Katie, he's in a coma." somebody was saying over and over. But I fought against them, trying to wake Louis up and have him wink and smirk at me.

I was being dragged, away from Louis and out the door. Tears blocked my vision as I sobbed and yelled my lungs out, struggling against the person holding me.

"LOUIS WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO BRAVE?!" I yelled at him, letting myself give up and be carried away .