prince in jeans

f i f t e e n

Only the coffee kept me going. 

I literally downed dozens of mugs during Harry's stay at the hospital. I didn't eat anything, didn't sleep, barely even spoke to anyone. 

I wasn't allowed in to his hospital room in the first week because he was still in critical condition and since I was just an intern, I was forbidden. 

It sucked. 

Elena, Lex and Ash would stop by every day to sit with me and talk to me but I didn't even register anything they were saying. 

"Celeste..." Lex was beside me, gripping my hand, eyes brimming with tears. "Celeste, stop this."

"Stop what?" I mumbled, staring at the squeaky clean white floor. 

She said something but it was lost in the storm of my mind and I let it drift away into waves of pain and fear. 

She grasped my shoulder, shook me, but it's like it never reached my brain. 

Then it was my mother. "Celeste." 

I didn't even look up just stared at the floor. 

"Celeste, look at me."

She said something more but I pushed it away and it sank into the depths of my mind and I stared at the floor. 

But one thing that was so crystal-clear in my mind was a deep purple bruise, tentacles spreading outwards like electricity and green eyes that turned amber in the sunlight and almost blue in the moonlight and strong, tattooed arms and memories that ate me away from the inside. 

Fuck memories. 

•

I never got to see Harry actually. 

Elena got so frustrated with me being depressed and out of it that she whisked me back home -with one huge tantrum from me and about a dozen swear words- and placed me under house arrest. 

She took time off work just to make sure I stayed in my room, ate my meals, slept well and talked at least twice a day. 

She acted like a real mother. 

"Oh...Hello, Ash." My mother paused and lowered her voice to a whisper in the hall. "Is there any...any news?" 

I could almost picture Ash with head bowed, melancholy dark eyes. "None at all." 

There was something like a sigh from Elena and she whispered, "Don't mention it to her."

My head didn't even lift from where it was resting on the armrest of the sofa, not even when Elena led Ash in. 

"Hey, Celeste," Ash greeted, smiling as he took a seat on the armchair. 

I kept silent until my mother glared at me, steel-eyed and I spoke up. "Hi, Ash." Even those two words took an enormous effort. 

"How are you doing?" 

I shrugged, closing my eyes, ignoring my mother. 

Elena and Ash made small talk, including me in it every once in a while but I made no effort, mainly because my brain was mushy and there was a constant pounding in my skull. 

Then Elena got up to make some coffee and Ash and I were left alone and I knew this was my chance. 

"Harry," I said, simply and Ash looked up, wearily surprised. 

"There's no news, Celeste." 

"How is he?" 

"He...He swims in and out of consciousness...Not much development."