Impossible - Lashton AU [SLOW UPDATES]

Chapter Six - Written by 5secondslastsforever

[Luke's POV]

My feet pound the ground, matching my racing heartbeat as a I fear the worst. Images of blood and broken glass and bodies flash through my mind, my head full of what could be waiting for us. I look over at Ashton, his eyes wide and full of fear for his friends.

We sprint until we turn a corner and grind to a halt, stopped by the crash in front of us. The moment drags on, both of us in stunned silence at the wreckage of a car we were sitting in not long ago.

Then we snap out of it and the seconds move as fast as we do, stepping past broken glass and hauling our friends out of the ruined car, hoping to God they're okay as we call for help. Details are already blurry as the lights of the ambulance appear in the distance.

*     *     *     *     *

My ears stop ringing as I stare into the styrofoam cup I'm clutching with both shaking hands. The bright lights of the hospital hurt my eyes, the squeaking of shoes hurt my ears, the smell of bleach hurts my nose. I'm hurt. So much. So, so much.

I swallow slowly. I push myself away from the wall. I don't remember when I got the coffee, or how long I've been here. But my coffee is cold and my back hurts.

I remember sirens wailing. Ashton wailing. Blood. So much blood. Disfigured faces. Heart monitors. Too many people. Too many faces. The wrong people. The wrong faces. Too serious. Too sad.

I search for the right face, with hazel eyes and dimples and big grins and one heck of a jawline.

He appears at the end of the hallway as if I summoned him, his tuxedo ruined, his hair matted, his grin gone. I give him a half wave and he returns it with a half smile.

"How are they?" I whisper when he's close enough, my voice hoarse.

"Michael's stiched up. He's on a ton of pain meds. He's broken a lot, and he needs to rest. He-"Ashton swallows, his Adam apple bobbing up and down, "He wants to see Calum."

I sigh, "Calum- hasn't- will he wake up?"

Ashton shrugs his shoulders, shake his head, tears welling up in his eyes. He sinks to the ground, his back against the wall, his knees curled up to his chest. I take a seat beside him for lack of anything else to do. It feels weird, sitting without doing anything, so I grab his hand to comfort him, to keep myself busy.

He laughs a little, and I turn to him, eyebrows raised. "What is it with us and crashes? We met at that damn car crash." His bottom lip trembles as he tries to smile.

"The train," I say under my breath.

He turns his face to me, and I notice how close our faces are. I can see the red around his eyes, how chapped his lips are, where the tears have left trails on his cheeks. "The what?"

"The train crash. Two years ago. You were there - no dumb suit. I was the last one off..."

My voice drops to a whisper.

"If - if it weren't for you. I would've died."

"That was you?" He's whispering now too, and I smile, nodding. His thumb brushes the back of my hand, "Then for the record - I'm glad we were both there. I'm glad we met." He rests his forehead against mine, chuckling , "even if it wasn't exactly ideal."

He closes his eyes, and I take a deep breath, watching his lips move as he breathes before I close my eyes too. It's not the time for anything else.
We sit together for a while- I don't think either of us really wants to move away. All I know isit's warm and comfy, and there's butterflies in my stomach.

"What are you guys doing?" We pull apart, startled. I look up to see Michael in a wheelchair, bruises and cuts covering his face, two legs and an arm in bandages. He's grinning, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes.

"I could ask you the same question," Ashton says, regaining himself, standing up gracefully as I stumble to my feet beside him.

"Well it may have escaped your notice, but the love of my life has been injured and is sitting on the other side of this goddamn ward alone." Michael rolls his eyes, and tries to wheel away, but Ashton stands in front of the chair, his hands on each arm rest.

"Look, Michael. It may have escaped your attention, but you have also been seriously injured. You're meant to be resting. You're hurt. I have literally no idea how they even let you get out of bed."

"I may or may not have snuck out. Whatever. It doesn't matter. I just - I really need to see Calum," Michael's voice cracks, tears brimming in his eyes.

Ashton immediately softens, crouching by the wheelchair instead of standing in front of it, eye to eye with Michael, wrapping his arm around him.

"Mikey.. Did they - have they told you?" Ashton chokes out, tears in his own eyes.

Michael sees the look on Ashton's face, the way his voice rasps and he puts it together, his eyes filling with fear, "W-w-what happened to him? What's wrong with him?!" He takes a gulp, swallowing his tears, and whispering, "Ashton tell me, please. Please."

"Calum. Calum, he isn't - he can't - he -" Ashton's breaking down, I can hear the pain in every word he chokes out.

I crouch on Michael's other side, knowing Ashton will never be able to finish his sentence through his tears. I give Michael a sympathetic smile, take his hands loosely, and look him right in the eye, watching him fall apart as I speak.

* * * * *

Michael sits at Calum's side, broken. I can't look at him. Can't meet his eyes. It's like I've dropped him and he's shattered into millions of pieces and I can't fix what I've done.

Me and Ashton stand outside, leaning against the wall and each other for the little support it brings. "Thank you. I don't think I could've told him. But you shouldn't have had to," Ashton whispers, his breath hitting my face.

"I've- I've ruined him, Ash. He won't recover until Calum does. If he does," Tears well in my eyes again, "What kind of a superhero am I supposed to be? I've destroyed his life, not saved it."

Ashton wipes the tears from my cheeks gently with his thumb, "You're braver than any superhero I know. You're here, crying for people you've just met and comforting someone you barely know. You're here after a crash with broken hearts and broken bodies and broken glass. And all you want to do is fix everything. Fix us."