High Maintenance (Liam Payne AU)

Part 33

Gen sat in the snow, Carl next to here, watching as they uncovered Liam. People swarmed around him, checking for a pulse, touching his forehead, looking to see if anything looked broken. Someone cut off his jacket. Gen knew he was going to be angry about that later. An orange board was brought over and they lifted him, stuck the board under him and rolled him back. He was strapped down and carried out of the trees.

Gen just sat there, too tired to move, Carl trying to crawl into lap. Mr. Payne walked over and tried to talk to her but Carl growled at him. Her dad had to come over and lift her off the ground. Carl refused to leave her side, walking so close that she tripped a few times. She followed the crowd back to the trail, unsure of what to do.

Someone put her back in her father's rental car. She was so tired and emotionally drained that she wasn't sure who helped her. Carl came with her and they curled up on the backseat. She praised him, over and over, telling him what a good dog he was before falling asleep.

Liam was put on a stretcher, pushed in an ambulance and raced to the hospital. The paramedics seemed to think he was going to be okay. The best thing for a head injury was ice and rest, anyhow. They'd do a CT scan at the hospital, to see if he had done any damage to his brain. Until then, they didn't know much except that he was breathing and his eyes reacted to light. Those were both good signs.

"Honey?" Her dad shook her awake. "We need to take Carl to the rest of the dogs. They have been put into the race pen for the night and then the Payne's will take them home. It's 4am, sweetie. You need to get to bed."

"Can I go see Liam? Please? Take me there?" Gen asked. She sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"The Payne's went to the hospital. Liam is in good hands. Let me take to the hotel to rest." Bob pleaded.

Gen laid back down on the seat, crying. "They don't want me there, do they? She likes Sophia. Just take me right back to the airport, Dad. And I'm taking my dog, damn it." Gen sat back, rubbing her stomach. "We will be okay, baby." she said. "We will be just fine."

"Jesus Christ, Genevieve. I've told you there is NO Sophia." Bob looked at her and shook his head. "God dammit. I'll take you. Just...keep your coat on. We don't need to upset Mrs. Payne anymore. Not sure how she will feel about the baby." He shut the door and drove back down the trail. She left Carl with the other dogs, promising to come back soon. He cried for her as she walked away, but she couldn't let that stop her. She needed to go him while she still felt brave.

Genny let Bob walk into the hospital room first. She followed, trying to stay behind him. "Hey, Bob!" Liam's dad, Geoff, said. "He's going to be okay. He has a concussion, but the swelling is minimal. That damn dog! If he'd have left Liam alone, he'd have been found sooner."

"That dog saved his life. He's just confused right now. He lost Genny, then Lucy. He must have thought he was losing Liam, too." Bob countered.

"Genny!" Mrs. Payne said. "I knew your girl was trouble, Bob. I'm sorry, but she did JUST what Sophia said she would."

"Woah!" Bob said. "Stop! Genny is right here. And you haven't heard her side. Don't judge her until you know the entire story, okay? You liked Genny until that girl started feeding you poison." Bob pulled Genny out from behind him. "She needs to talk to Liam."

Mrs. Payne walked over to a curtain and pulled it further down the room. "He needs to rest. He is sleeping. Genny can just go. He has nothing to say to her."

Gen put her head down and turned away from the curtain. She took a deep breath, holding in her tears and started to walk out of the room. Bob put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her. "I said she needs to talk to him. It's important. I suggest we all leave the room." He pulled Gen over to the curtain and pulled it back, revealing Liam, asleep in a hospital bed, IV tubes in his arm.