Beside You | Calum Hood

19

Ashton's POV

We had barely pulled into the hospital's parking lot, when Skyler threw open the door of the car and jumped out, running towards the building.

"Skyler!" I call after her, but there was no use. She was already through the automatic doors. I curse under my breath, parking quickly and running into the hospital to look for Skyler. I look all around until I spot her at the front desk. Jogging up to her, I rest a hand on her shoulder

"Calum Hood," She tells the lady who looks like she's in her fifties, "He should've just came in," Skyler stutters, her body shaking underneath my touch as the lady gives a slight nod. I watch as her fingers fly over the keyboard typing and clicking multiple things all at once until she tops and scans the screen in front of her,

"Room 96, fourth floor." Sky mutters a quick thank you before running toward the elevators.

"Skyler, wait!" I begin to catch up to her but turn around and face the front desk, "Thank you, by the way!" The women just nods and goes back to typing madly on the computer. I reach the elevator just before it closes on me, and put my hands over my head trying to catch my breath.

"Skyler, you need to slow down," I pant, "I know you're worried but you gotta remember that the boys and I are too, okay?" I turn to look at her, but find her on the floor instead, with her legs pulled to her chest and tears slowly streaming down her face.

"It's all my fault, Ash," Skyler chokes.

"Don't say that, Skyler," I warn, sliding down next to her I wrap an arm across her shoulder and say, "You didn't do anything to say that." The elevator beeps as we pass the second floor.

"Ashton, you don't understand!" She cries with her hands in her face, "I shouldn't have come on this tour. Calum wouldn't be in the hospital, Luke wouldn't be fighting over me, and I wouldn't have screwed everything up with Calum and you guys."

"You have no idea what you're saying right now, Sky," I pull her close as her head rests on my shoulder, "Do you know how much happier Calum has been since you came on tour? He couldn't stop talking about you since we all left. If anything you didn't screw him up, you made him better." 

Skyler lifts her head off my shoulder and looks at me.

"You don't even know the half of it. The day he left, he shut everyone out, and was locked up in his room for a majority of those first couple months. Then one day, he finally came out looking like shit, but with a notebook filled with songs he had written during the time he was in that cave," I explain to her, smiling slightly at the memory, "We honestly thought he had died, but were so relieved to see him walk out living and breathing."

"I had no idea." She murmurs and I nod.

"Like I said, Skyler, you didn't screw up anything in his life, you just made it better. If you leave now, Calum won't forgive himself after the first time he left," The elevator stops and the doors open before I could say anything else.

~

"When can we see him?"

"In a few minutes, they're running the lasts few tests on him," I mumble and plop down in the seat next to Skyler, her head falling on my shoulder once more. We sit there for what seems like more than minutes before the doctor finally comes out and says,

"Family of Calum Hood?" I shake Skyler awake, and we all stand up.

"That's us."

"You guys can go see him now, he's still unconscious but should be waking up soon." We nod and follow the doctor down the hall towards Calum's room. 

"Here he is, be patient though. Like I said he should be waking up soon, but we might as well be quiet for him so his head doesn't hurt more than it already does." I sigh and we nod agreeing that it's for the best. I reach for the handle, but stop to turn around and face Michael and drunken Luke.

"Um, I don't think he should go in there," I say pointing at Luke, "Mike, you go in there with Skyler, I'll stay in the waiting room with Luke." I motion Michael to head in, but he doesn't move. He just stares at me with wide eyes.

"Wh-why would you do that, mate? It's alright, I don't care if--" I stop him before he could go on.

"No, you should be with Calum when he wakes up." I don't say anything else before sighing and turning to Luke whose fallen asleep on the ground.

"Let's go, Lucas," I groan lifting him up onto his feet.

"I was sleeping!" He whines. I shake my head, and throw his lanky body over my shoulder. "Put me down, Ash!" He yells pounding on my back with his fists.

"Shut the hell up, Luke!" I hiss, "Do you wanna get us kicked out?"

He doesn't argue, but he does fall back to sleep as I carry him out of the hallway and back into the waiting room.

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Chapter 20! The book is half way to the end!