"It's Not Love If It Hurts" //5sos

/183/

  Luke's parents came to the hospital after Ashton called them. Together, the three boys and two parents tried to piece everything together while the paramedics went to work.

  Andrew didn't seem to understand what was wrong. He explained everything he had told to Luke, and Calum made Michael leave the room because he was getting too angry and he was stupid when he was angry. They all were, actually, but Calum and Ashton were too worried to feel anything else.

  Luke had left his parents house, and apparently drove to the bridge. Mali texted Calum and told him she saw Liz's car there when she was waiting for him. Then, it seemed like Luke had gone to the bridge and texted all the boys his location and the word 'help'.

  He had no time for taking anything. There were no pills in the car, nothing he could've taken.

  A doctor came out of the emergency room to tell them what was going on. His vitals were extremely low, and they were taking care of him. No sign of any drugs or alcohol, no sign of any dangerous toxins. She explained that his behavior was likely caused by a wave of depression, which had similar effects. She suggested they try and find out what the possible cause was.

  At that point, Andrew started crying.
  Ashton and Calum watched dryly as he left.

  They stood in that hallway for a long time. They didn't know how long, just that it was a long time. Michael came back, his eyes red, and stood there with them. No one talked. No one dared.

  A sweet sounding nurse lead them to a private waiting room, telling them someone would get them when there was news. She reassured them that their loved one would be fine, the doctors were making sure of it.

  So they sat in the empty waiting room. There were magazines, but they didn't read them. They all had their phones, but no one dared touching them. They just... waited.

  Who knew how long they sat in silence. Maybe minutes, maybe hours, maybe a month. They didn't know. Time had lost all meaning.

  Someone called them in, and one by one they shuffled into Luke's room. They sat in chairs, and watched as he inhaled, and exhaled, and inhaled again. A machine beeped with every heart beat, making sure his heart continued beating. An iv was hooked to his arm, various machines around him connected to him, giving him life again. Making sure he stayed alive. A machine breathed for him, a machine made his heart beat for him, a machine fed him and hydrated him, a machine made sure he had enough vitamins and made sure he was alive. Machines had to do it, because Luke couldn't. Luke couldn't keep himself alive anymore, not without help.

  Mikey was the one to text Johanna. He told her it was bad, Luke was in the hospital, he was on a bridge and the doctors said he'd be fine. He didn't tell her than he didn't believe them.

  Luke's parents came in, and Calum broke. He screamed for them to get out. He swung, barely missing Andrew, and nurses grabbed him and pulled him out, still screaming and throwing punches, his face tearstreaked.

  Andrew sat where Calum had been sitting. Michael told him to fuck off, to go to hell, to leave them alone. He didn't mean to scream, but he couldn't control it. The nurses dragged him out of the room too, discarding him back in the silent waiting room with Calum.

  Ashton waited before telling Andrew that he was pathetic and that he didn't deserve Luke. He then let himself out, going to the waiting room to wait, because that's what you did in times like this. You waited.

  They laid on the floor of the empty waiting room. They didn't touch. They just layer on the hard carpet floor and stared at the ceiling and wondered how everything could go so so wrong.

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  For whatever reason, the hospital was packed that day, so as soon as Luke woke up and his vitals were back to normal he was dismissed. Mali picked them up, and they went to Ashton's house. She brought Ashton and Michael back to the bridge to get their cars, and Ashton went and got some of Luke's stuff for him.

  Andrew and Liz were already back home. They told him no. Ashton told them to fuck off, and that Luke wasn't coming back.

  Ben asked if he could come. Ashton told him that right now, Luke really just needed his family.

***********************************

  Luke's breathing was soft. His chest rose and fell with every breath. His head was rested on Calum's lap, and Calum played with his hair gently. Was there anything else to do?

  Mikey came back first. He got a water bottle for Luke, and made him drink. Calum then gave Luke some gum, for him to chew, so his muscles would start working again and his brain would turn back on. He was quiet, too quiet.

  In one interview, Luke had said that Calum was always reliable to go on an adventure with and to have chewing gum. Here he was, on a twisted adventure he didn't sign up for. But at least he had gum.

  Then Ashton came over, with some of Luke's stuff. He got on his bed, where they were all laying, and played all of Luke's favorite music through his crappy phone speaker.

  It took time, but soon Luke's eyes became less cloudy. He chewed on the gum with more purpose.

  Mama Irwin came up and knocked on the door. It was Ashton's room, so he went and answered it. He didn't want to have to explain everything that had happened, but luckily, she didn't make him. She just offered him a plate of sandwiches for them to share.

  Luke sat up on his own. They listened to the music in silence, eating their sandwiches.