Just A Job (Lauren/You)

Chapter 42

Lauren's POV

I thought Y/N forgetting me was the worst thing that could ever happen. But I didn't know him, remembering the wrong thing, would hurt me more.

I didn't know who flipped the switch, if it was me or Liz or Hugh. I just faintly remember a red light going off and the two doctors taking Y/N back to his room. I wanted to cry, I wanted to hate him but what could I do? It wasn't his fault he forgot about me. And it sure wasn't Ariana's fault... at least not this time.

"Okay, so based on what you're saying, we could safely say he forgot at least two years." We were back at Dr. Conrad's office with Dr. Davids finally diagnosing the length of Y/N's memory loss. "His memory stops, most likely, before they broke up."

"So what do we do now? Do we correct him?" asked Liz.

Dr. Davids glanced at me before answering. "Well, the ideal would be to tell him the truth but seeing the strain it put on him just to remember his ex-girlfriend, I would advise you to let him remember on his own. His brain hasn't fully recovered yet and we can't risk breaking something with visible cracks already."

"So you're sure he'll remember?" It was Hugh asking now. Dr. Davids gave him a reassuring smile that calmed me down too.

"Of course. We just don't know when. I do hope you won't give up on him though," she said, looking at me. "He needs all the support he could get right now."

After a few more words from Dr. Davids and her assurance that she wasn't going to leave Miami yet so she could look after Y/N, we leave the office and make our way to his room. There were no words exchanged between the three of us until someone called me from the nurse's station. Liz offered me a casual smile as the two of them entered Y/N's room.

"Ms. Lauren Jauregui?" asked the nurse. I nodded and she pulled out a laptop bag from under the counter. "Your father dropped this off earlier today." I offered her a silent thanks and made my way towards the cafeteria. After getting some coffee from the vending machine, I made my way to the table on the far corner and opened the laptop.

It's weird how at another time, I would've made sure I looked remotely okay. But I didn't have the strength to do that right now. I was using all my will power just to keep myself together. So when the Skype call came, I immediately answered with no regards to how horrible I probably looked right now.

And based on their expressions once they saw me, I must've looked really bad.

"Oh my god, Lo! Are you okay?" Ally's voice seemed to pierce through my earphones and straight to my brain.

"Lauren?" It was Camila now and I tried to smile so she wouldn't worry but the younger girl always saw through me. "You look horrible. What happened?"

Smiling through the pain, I talked to the four worried girls in front of me. "I'm fine, guys. I'm just tired."

"Girl, you do not look fine," said Normani with a stern look on her face.

"Mani's right. What's really up? How's Y/N?" Dinah looked visibly frustrated, the first time I've ever seen her like that.

"Are you guys okay without me? Or do you need me to come back?" They looked at each other at my sudden change of topic but Ally answered nonetheless.

"Well, we had to change up the harmonies a bit but other than that, aside from the obvious questions of where you are, we can handle it. But we're not going on tour without you, Lauren. It won't be the same."

Nodding, my lips formed my first genuine smile in a while. "I love you guys. Thanks."

"Can you tell us what happened to Y/N now? We're getting worried," said Normani. She's right. I should tell them the truth but where do I start?