✓ lights /styles au/

10 Tension

let me go before i say something i don't mean.

Harry woke up in an awkward position. He had one foot under his bottom and the other out on the floor, both numb. He shifted in the hard chair and frowned to himself, reaching out for the girl who was suppose to be awake by now on the hospital bed.

His hand clasped around her cold arm and he drew back slowly at the feeling. He stood up shakily and ignored the lack of feeling in his legs as he walked around the bed and slowly toward the door. His foot collided with something and it took him a moment to realize that Niall was asleep on the floor, legs up and mouth wide open as he snored.

Harry opened the door and walked out into the hallway, guiltily making his way toward one of the exit halls before opening it and stepping out. He kept his head down for a moment, expecting there to be a light going off against his sensitive pupils, only there wasn't and he bit down on his lip before turning his head to a sudden sound.

He kept his hands on the doorknob of the door before tilting his head and listening out for whoever was walking down the opposite side of the staircase.

"Hello?" He asked quietly, pushing his hair from his face with a frown etched onto his lips.

"Shit," came a soft voice. It sounded like a kid, a boy no older than nineteen.

He raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"

"I'll go back to my room, I swear. I just- my goddamn roommate has night terrors every night and I need sleep too, you know? I need to clear my mind sometimes and take walks and not be constantly-" there was a pause and then a shift as the boy stopped in front of Harry. He smelt like medicine and Clorox. "You're not a doctor here."

"No," he shook his head, bringing the palm of his right hand to rub at his neck. "No, I'm not."

"You're blind, though. I can see it in your eyes."

Harry nodded slowly, hiding his irritation by dropping his eyes and taking a step back. His right hand found a spot in his sweater pocket, both hands clasped around his cane for a moment before it felt like it was burning his skin. That was when he removed his hands and let them fall to his sides instead. "Yeah."

"They're really light. Like-"

"Mint green. Yeah, I've heard."

"Lighter than mint green. What's your name?"

He huffed out a, "Harry."

The boy stayed silent for a minute before gently nudging at his chest. Harry reached out a hand and raised his eyebrows at the outstretched hand before offering a handshake. "Alexander. Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," he pulled his hand away and crossed both of his arms across his chest, figuring it was the only way for the kid to know he didn't want company. He didn't want people calling him out on his disability and then starting conversation. He wanted to turn and walk away to where he knew Jo and Niall were.

"Do you know where the exit is?"

He lifted a hand and captured the hard material of what Alexander was wearing. It felt rough and staticky and he was not going to tell him where the exit was. "You're wearing a hospital gown."

"I want to go home," the boy said quietly. He sounded upset. "I just want to go home. I don't want to be here anymore."

"You should tell your doctor that."

"Just help me. Get me out of here."

"I can't do that." He said, finally lifting his eyes at the blinding black around him. He knew there was no light in the hallway. Could tell because that was the one thing he always saw; light from bulbs. And standing in front of a staircase, he saw no light and- "Is there a light on?"