Swapping Spit (Nouis) [under editing]

Chp 35-Reunited with 3/4 of the Lads

Louis' POV (Still)

When I wake up for the second time, the first thing I look for is my mum. I find her sitting next to my bed, just as she promised.

I weakly attempt to sit up in the hospital bed. My mum notices that I'm awake and sets down the magazine she was reading.

"Hello, Louis," she greets me with a smile.

"Hey, Mum. Where are the lads?" I ask.

"They're outside, in the café probably. They were letting us have some time to ourselves." She says.

"Can I talk to them?"

"Sure, honey." She pecks a kiss to my forehead and leaves the room. Soon, the door opens, revealing Zayn, Harry, and Niall. My best friends who I thought I might never see again.

Happiness, or something close to it, surges through my body. I finally feel energized, renewed.

"Lads!" I exclaim. A bright smile plasters itself to my face, casting sunlight throughout the whole room.

"Hey, Louis. How are you, mate?" Harry asks.

I shrug. "I'm alright. Been better."

"We heard you broke your rib? How is it?" Zayn asks, taking a seat in a rigid hospital chair.

"It'll heal," I dismiss. I gently feel my side, touching the spot that currently hurts, assuming that's where my rib is broken.

"And your back?" Harry questions.

"Not too painful." I strongly dislike talking about myself, especially of injuries that make me seem less capable than others, so I tend to steer those conversations to something a bit more jovial.

Harry and Niall sit in the seats next to Zayn, and they all pull them closer to my bed and get situated. Niall has with him some type of sandwich, half eaten.

"I knew you lads would find me," I sigh. I can't believe this is real, I'm alive and my friends are right here, in front of me. But I know this is real. There's no doubt in my mind.

"We looked everywhere. Literally everywhere. We probably searched all of California state!" Harry exclaims.

"How did you actually find me?" I dare to ask.

Niall speaks up. "It's sort of weird...I had a dream. More of a nightmare really, that we drove past an old, rundown shack, and Liam and I ran to it and you were there. And then when I woke up, I looked out the window and saw the same shack! So we searched it and sure enough, you were in there!"

"That's so bizarre!" I say. It's unnerving how Niall had a dream of where I was. It's sort of like we are connected...like the universe is supporting our relationship.

Another thought crosses my mind. "Did you find my message on the bathroom door?"

"Yes!" Zayn says, a smile growing on his face.

"Funny story actually," Harry laughs. Zayn joins in and Niall turns beat red.

"What's so funny?" he asks.

"Yeah," I say. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Harry struggles to hush his laughter. He waves a hand in the air, "Tell him the story, Ni."

Niall obliges. "Well, I came down with the flu or God knows what, too. And I was going to throw up, so we pulled over at a rest stop, I threw up in the bathroom, and then I saw your note!"

"No way!"

Harry and Zayn start to chuckle again and Niall shoots them a questioning look. "What?" he asks.