Twisted Friendship

Chapter 17

I was dragged out of Louis's room kicking and screaming. Hands and arms folded arounded me, warm and comforting and trying very hard to be strong when life was trying its very best to knock them down.

He was trapped. Louis was trapped inside his own body. Deep inside, he was somewhere, trying to find a way out of the perpetual sleep that held him. In a coma. It sounded so strange to hear outloud.

Behind my eyes I watched Louis's sleeping face in the early morning, with the half smirk and ringing laugh that echoed in my ears.

I felt empty.

I felt drained.

And it was totally and utterly all my fault.

Suddenly I realized I was back in my hospital room, and Harry was holding onto me and crying silently. Tears slipped quietly down his cheeks, wetting the top of my head. His body shook with sobs that he fought to control. Grinding his teeth together, he held onto me as though that might wake Louis back up again.

Zayn paced the room, running a hand through his hair repeatedly. Bags were under his eyes, heavy with remorse and dark with despair. Liam just sat there and traced designs into the armrest of the plastic chair. He seemed confused, unsure of what the world had just thrown at him.

There was too much emotion in one room. It was making me choke. I needed to get out, get away from it all. Somebody, a nurse I think, was trying to say what happened.

"A shot to the abdomen." she murmured, "Blood loss. It took too long for Paremedics to reach him. He's in a coma for now."

I glanced out the grimy hospital window. A bird fluttered by and landed on a tree branch outside. Maybe I could fly away from it all and then they wouldn't have to worry about me anymore.

"We aren't sure how long it will last." the nurse was a distant buzz in the background. I was vaguely aware of her footsteps that meant she was leaving.

"This is my fault." I whispered into Harry's shoulder. My voice filled the silence of the room.

Liam walked over and gripped my shoulder, "No, don't say that. Don't you ever even think that."

I opened my mouth, but shut it immediatly. Words got caught in my throat, and I let out a small choking sound. Air wasn't reaching my lungs, no matter how hard I breathed in.

"He would've died protecting you." Zayn murmured, running a hand over my bruised knuckles. They had all sustained injuries, small bruises and cuts to the face. Nothing like Louis though.

"But-" I stammered, unable to make a coherent sentence. All I could see was Louis being shot before my eyes. His body crumpling and hitting the ground, the smell of gunfire and smoke. The body of the boy I know sitting in a hospital bed in room 264.

I pulled myself out of Harry's arms, bending over and placing my hands on my knees. My stomach flipped over, making me gag slightly.

Zayn was suddenly next to me, bending over and whispering in my ear.

"Cry."

And I did. I cried and let out a bit of everything bottled up inside of me. A bit of Louis and a bit of my frustration and a bit of the fact I may never get to see my best friend again.

I cried until I was all out of tears and just sat on the floor hiccuping. I cried until there was nothing left on the inside but a cold bitter shell where my heart used to sit.

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands, drawing in a deep breathe and folding my knees up to my chest. It would be so much easier to just lay here all day. Staring at cracks in the ceiling.

"What are you doing here?" Liam spat suddenly.

Looking up, I was surprised by the boy standing in the doorway of the room. It was Niall. His hair looked mussed and cheeks flushed slightly. He held tightly onto the doorframe, nails digging into the wood.

Nialls eyes found mine immediatly, "Katie?"

Before he could even step through, Zayn had grabbed the front of his tshirt and slammed into the wall. A crack broke through the plaster, raining paint chips down onto the floor.

"Stop it Zayn!" I shouted, getting to my feet. He ignored me, pushing Niall farther up against the wall.

Zayn lifted Niall off and slammed him down again, "What do you think you're doing here?"

Niall struggled to push his captor off of him, "Well I heard about what happened to Louis and-"

A fist came down and connected with Nialls stomach. "Zayn stop it!" I exclaimed, running over and tugging on his sleeve.

Zayn ignored me, looking not only angry but very, very tired. Life had gotten the best of him. It had beaten him up and spit him out, and now he looked just throughly fed up with it all.

"YOU AREN'T OUR FRIEND!" Zayn screamed, right in Nialls face. The veins in his neck stood out. "LOUIS NEVER LIKED YOU! SO HOW DARE YOU COME IN HERE ACTING LIKE YOU CARE!"

"But I-"

Zayns hand slammed into the wall next to Nialls head, making everyone jump. "I never want to see you again! Don't you see that Louis....he's....Louis is..." and suddenly Zayn let go of Niall, letting him drop to the floor.

Zayn turned away, tears streaming down his face. He wiped them away hurriedly, trying to act tough. His long eyelashes blinked rapidly.

"Zayn?" I asked quietly, reaching for his hand.

His fist suddenly shot out and punched the wall, making it crumble on intact and leave a gaping hole.

"Whoa mate." Harry exclaimed, finally approaching Zayn. Niall pulled himself to his feet using the hospital bed.

I was suddenly aware that I had been backing away, trying to escape to the door. Zayn grabbed my wrist and yanked me back over and against him, pressing himself against me.

"You aren't leaving." he growled, "I'm not letting you out of my sight after what happened."

I pulled against him, "Zayn I just need to go for a wa-"

He ignored me and simply scooped me up and depositing me on the bed. I tried to rise and protest, but he pressed my shoulder firmly down.

"You have a concussion." he said through gritted teeth, "Stay here."

And I did. Feeling very cold, no matter how tight I wrapped the blanket around me. So I lay down and fell into a fitful sleep about guns and Louis and how everyone time I tried to save him, he would always let go of my hand and slip into a coma.