Limitless

Chapter 38

When I opened my eyes the first time, all I saw was the blurry outline of a man hovering over me.  When I opened my eyes the second time, the blurry figure was holding something to my face... covering my mouth with his hand... or an oxygen mask?  When I opened my eyes the third time, I was being carted through the halls of the hospital.  I could finally hear voices around me, so urgent, so excited.  I tried to lift my arm to move some hair from my face, but as soon as I felt the IV in my arm scratch against the vein that it was taped into, I shuddered and laid still.  God, I hated hospitals.

When I opened my eyes for the fourth time, I was propped up in my hospital bed by a stiff pillow.  The oxygen mask was still over my face and the IV was still in my arm.  I looked down at my hands and forearms, all bandaged up.  When I tried to move my fingers, they were sore.  I just didn't remember the burns being that bad.  Maybe I hadn't noticed because I was too worried about Harry. I looked up slowly to see Liam, Niall, and Louis sitting at the end of my bed.  When I looked at Louis, I could see a few small bandages on his arms, but nothing as big or bad as mine were.  I wondered how he escaped as much as he did when according to my bandages, I was burned pretty badly. 

"Guys..." I breathed as I took the mask off of my mouth and nose. 

"Take your time, Lou... Breath deeply..." Liam instructed.  I closed my eyes and inhaled some of the fresh air of the room.  As my lungs expanded, they began to sting just the slightest. 

"You didn't get enough oxygen to your brain, which is why you passed out.  They said your lungs are a little weak right now too because of all of the smoke you breathed in," Louis explained.

"Are you okay?" I whispered, mainly because that was all I could manage. 

Louis nodded as Niall patted him on the shoulder. 

"Is anyone else hurt badly?" I asked.

"No one else from the school.  A few people have a little cough from the smoke, some people have a scratch or two on their arms.  That's all," Niall replied. 

"What about the kid who started the fire?" I asked.  So many questions were running through my mind and I felt like I had to know all of the answers right then. 

"His friends ratted him out," Liam began.  "He's gone to jail." 

I raised my eyebrows. "Are you speculating or did it actually happen?"

Liam chuckled. "It happened." 

I nodded slowly and took a few more deep breaths, closing my eyes and wincing slightly at the internal discomfort. "What about Harry?" I finally asked.

The three boys exchanged concerned glances. Louis reached out and picked something off of the sheet that was laying across my legs. "He's pretty burned up, Lou." 

I looked down at my bandages. "Are his lungs okay?" 

Liam nodded slowly. "Lou, he got hit pretty hard by the wall... twice... in the head..." 

I gulped. "Is he okay?" I whispered more quietly.  I tried to read their expressions but couldn't.  None of them knew. "Is he even conscious yet?" I could barely hear myself at this point.  Finally, Niall shook his head.

"The doctors don't know what to expect," Niall said. "He could be fine with just a concussion, or he could possibly... forget.  Again." 

I gulped again, gagging when some of the smoke still in my system entered my mouth with the outgoing breath.  Not again.  He couldn't forget.  Not after all of this.  Please, God.  I slunk further into my bed as the thought of Harry not remembering me took over my mind.  I needed comforting, but before I could get a hug from any of the boys, Doctor Callahan appeared in the doorway.  He smiled kindly at me.