London Bridges

Chapter 25: Hold Me Until the Morning

Liam only makes it another two hours at work.  He's had a pit in his stomach all day, and the phone call with Louis only made it worse.  He's regretting ever coming back to Wolverhampton.  He's torn between wanting to get Louis home and back on steady ground as quickly as possible, and his own desperate need for closure.

When Liam gets home, Louis is sleeping like he'd said he would be.  Something isn't right though, and the pit in Liam's stomach deepens, his heart falling into it. 

The sheets are stripped off the bed, thrown in a pile across the room.  Louis is laying in fetal position in the middle of the bed.  He's shivering in nothing but his underwear, his hair damp with sweat.  Louis' breath is coming too slow and too shallow, and there is an open bottle of whiskey on the bedside table.

"Fucking hell, Lou," Liam says, his voice breaking.

He's an idiot.  He shouldn't have brought Louis here, he shouldn't have gone to work today, he should've came home right after Louis called, he should've made sure there wasn't any fucking alcohol in the house.  He'd forgotten about his dad's old liquor cabinet, he never went to that part of the house.

"Wake up," Liam says, checking Louis's pulse.  It's too faint for Liam's liking but its steady enough.  "Come on, Louis, wake up!"

Liam is trying to keep the panic at bay, but every second that passes he gets more desperate.  He's shoving Louis now, trying to shake him back into consciousness.  He's still unresponsive.  He's not supposed to mix his meds with alcohol, and Liam doesn't know how much he's had of either. 

Liam's running out of ideas, it'll take too long for an ambulance to get to them, and if he forces Louis to puke he could aspirate.  Finally he decides to put Louis in the shower, praying the water will wake him up.  He picks Louis up, and the limp body of the man he loves makes him want to cry.

Liam climbs into the shower with Louis in his arms.  He turns the water on full blast, not caring that he's still fully clothed and the cold water is clinging to him.  He keeps  calling Louis' name, gentle slaps to his face getting steadily harder.  Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Louis begins to stir.

Louis squirms at the discomfort gnawing at the fringes of his consciousness.  Something is pestering him, its pulling him out of the blissful nothing he desperately wants to stay in.  He starts to feel cold, then wet, then theres a stinging on his face that he doesn't like.  He thinks he can hear someone calling his name, the voice is vaguely familiar.  It sounds scared.  Maybe Louis should wake up now, he doesn't want to scare anyone.  The voice is making him feel sad.  Louis tries to open his eyes, but they're too heavy.  It's taking too much effort, and Louis is still very exhausted.  His stomach hurts too, and the more he struggles to wake up, the worse the pain gets. 

Liam slaps him again, harder and more desperate than any other previous attempt to revive him.  Louis jolts up unexpectedly, Liam almost dropping him in the process.  His eyes are glassy and unfocused.  He looks confused, then pained, and then he's vomiting all over Liam. 

Liam's knees almost buckle in relief, he slides down the shower wall, letting the water wash away Louis' sick as he takes in what feels like his first full breath since he found Louis.  He grabs Louis by the jaw, forcing him to look at him.  Louis's eyes are still glassy and unfocused, but his breath is coming back to its normal pace and his pulse is stronger.

"We have to go to the hospital," Liam says, more to himself than anything.

Louis moans in what Liam suspects is protest. 

"How many pills did you take?"

The only answer he gets is Louis retching again.  At least this time he has the sense to turn away from Liam.