Chemistry (L.T.)

Chapter 41

Louis POV

As the world slowly comes back into focus all I can think is about how we are going to lose the game. We were doing so well and I had to go and screw it up. My head is pounding faster than my own heartbeat and my ankle is throbbing. I have a feeling that when I go to stand, needles will shoot up my leg. 

"Hold on for a second Louis," Bruce, our trainer, says as he rushes to my side. "What hurts?"

"My head," I mumble, not realizing just how much pain I was in until I tried to speak. "And my ankle is throbbing." I see the flicker of worry in Bruce's eyes, the flicker that tells me there is no way I will be returning to this game. Bruce was at times one of our biggest fans, and like me, I knew he wanted nothing more than for us to win this championship game. 

"Okay Louis, we are going to sit you up slowly." Bruce and another trainer slowly help me sit up. The world spins a little as a slowly gain my bearings again at this elevated level. Bruce has me follow his finger with my eyes, something that was far more difficult for me to do than I could have imagined. 

"Okay, now we are going to stand, focus your weight on your good foot for me." I am pulled to my feet. I try and test the waters, setting me foot down on the turf. Pain shoots up my leg. I hobble to the sidelines to the applause of the crowd, the soft polite kind of applause not the applause that you want to receive as an athlete. 

Bruce examines my ankle, and I try to keep a straight face even when I feel as if my leg is on fire. "So Louis, you aren't going to like me very much, but we need to take you to a doctor to get looked at. You have multiple symptoms of a concussion and that's just something I can't let wait until after the game." I sigh. This had turned into a proper mess. I nod my head in agreement, and allow Bruce's help in being escorted to the school van. 

I shoot Harry a text to let him know where I'm headed, but also mostly so that I knew he would keep me updated on the game. 

Five doctors, an X-ray, a splint, and a few pain meds later, I am sitting in the hospital bed of the local ER hoping for a green light to go home when Harry walks through the door. 

"Hey mate" I say slowly, realizing I was far more affected from the pain meds than I originally thought. 

"Hey Lou" Harry responds and comes to the edge of my bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Worse than a night of being totally pissed if I'm being honest," I respond and Harry laughs. 

"A concussion will do that to you unfortunately." Harry looks around the room, and I can tell his medical brain is searching for some signs of diagnoses and discharge plans. I guess being raised by two doctors has that effect on you. 

"So what's the verdict?" He asks, looking back at me.

"I have a concussion, so I'll have to be laid up for a few days. Broke my ankle so I get to run around with crutches for the next four weeks and then a boot for a few. Football season is over for me I guess." I cringe at the thought that I won't be playing football for weeks. I would fall so far beyond without my daily workouts. 

"You'll be fine Tommo" Harry says as if reading my mind.

"I didn't say I wouldn't" I banter back. 

"Maybe you didn't say it, but you were most definitely thinking it." Harry smirks. "Four weeks in the offseason isn't going to make you lose your role as team captain."

I shrug. He was probably right. But the thought of an arse like Niall spending four weeks leading the team in post-season workouts made my blood boil. I just hoped they hadn't been fools enough to lose the game in my absence.

"Is the game over then?" I ask, hoping that Harry will bring good news. 

"I don't know, left after you texted me to come here. Let me check to see if Alexia texted me." My eyebrows raise at the mention of her name and Harry catches on.

"I asked her to keep me updated," he explains.  He looks down at his phone and a smile forms on his face.

"Well looks like they didn't screw it up after all. We won 3-1." I feel a sense of excitement elevated by my drug induced state and a smile comes across my face. 

"Thank god." I say with a sigh and Harry laughs. "See Lou nothing to worry about."

Harry's phone dings again and he looks down on it with a smirk. "What are you over there smirking about?" I ask him.

"Oh its nothing really," Harry says in that teasing tone of his. "Just a text from someone asking how you are."

"Someone like who?" I ask, already very well knowing the answer. There was only one person that could have texted Harry asking about me that would have given rise to a response like that. 

"Alexia. When are you going to make that happen mate?" Harry shakes his head.

"She hates my guts Harry, that's never going to happen." I respond. Alexia and I were not going to be on good terms anytime soon, and her sending a text asking about how I was doing was no doubt just a formality. A case of her simply trying to be nice-because that's the kind of person she was-nice.

"If you really believe that, you aren't as smart as I thought you were Lou. Its clear as day." I don't respond. Harry didn't understand the complexity of what was going on between us, and now was not the time to have a heart to heart on the matter.

"Let's see if we can get you out of here." Harry says and the subject is dropped.

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Thank you again for your continued reads! As Chemistry enters its final chapters, I wanted to let you all know that I already have plans for my next fic, which will be a Niall AU. I'm really excited for this one, which will take a bit of a different turn and hope you will give it a look when I publish! Maybe I'll post a sneak peek in a few chapters! :)