Larry Dr. Fics

Heart Problem- Louis

Definitely not one of my best.  I know nothing about heart stuff.  I wrote this pretty quickly.  Requested by Once_upon_a_larrie .  

Words: 1,164

Louis finished another meal all alone in his single apartment. It was a few days after Valentine's Day, a day he'd like to forget. He didn't know when the last time it was he had a Valentine. It didn't matter now. That day was over.

He scraped the leftover food from his plate into the trash and put his dirty dishes on the counter. It was then that he felt a pain so indescribable, so unbearable that he doubled over. His face shifted from one of thoughtfulness to one of pain, his eyes squinting, his mouth in a scowl, and his brow wrinkled.

He put a hand to his aching chest and tried to breathe. What is going on? What is happening to me? His breaths were nothing more than quick puffs of air and his heart was racing. He didn't know what was wrong, but it was really worrying. The pain in his chest had him crying out. He fell to the floor, screaming, "Help me!" over and over again, but he knew it was no use. No one would hear his weak voice through the walls. His voice wasn't strong enough to carry. It hurt too much to breath or even move.

Lying on his side, clutching his chest, he dug for the phone in his pocket. He dialed 9-1-1, and before he even heard anyone on the other end, he passed out.

When Louis came to, he was lying on a bed, somewhere that wasn't his house. That much was sure. He could smell what he thought was hand sanitizer and he wrinkled his nose. He felt something strange in his nostrils and felt around with his fingers. They had put something in his nose for oxygen, he realized. He looked around and saw that he was in some kind of room and there was a man in the corner.

He felt the pain in his chest again, and then it all came back to him. He must be in the hospital, he thought. The man turned around and looked at him in surprise.

"Oh, you're awake," he said. The man had wavy hair that ran hallway to his shoulders. It was brown in color and he had the most gorgeous of green eyes. He was wearing a white doctor's uniform and was looking at Louis in a sincere kind of way, the same way a friend looks at another when they're concerned about them.

Louis nodded and winced. "My chest hurts," he complained and put a hand to it. He looked down and realized he wasn't wearing his red t-shirt anymore. Instead, he was wearing a polka-dotted hospital gown.

"I'm Dr. Styles," the man said. "You arrived here unconscious. Can you tell me all of your symptoms?"

"Well, after eating, my chest started hurting really badly and then I fell to the ground. I could barely breathe and I felt nauseous and then I woke up here."

"Well," Dr. Styles said. "I don't believe it was a heart attack, but we'll need to run some tests to be sure." He stepped up closer to Louis and took off the stethoscope that was around his shoulders. "Let's have a listen to your heart. Breathe in for me now." The doctor listened to the sounds of Louis's heart for several moments, frowning.

"So what's wrong?" Louis asked and then winced. "And why does my chest hurt?"

"I'm hearing some swooshing sounds, meaning uneven blood flow, that really concerns me. I'll need to run a CT scan to make a proper diagnosis. Let's get some fluids pumped into you for the pain and we'll get you ready for the scan."

Louis was first given an IV and then was wheeled into the room by a nurse and they did the CT scan and then a blood test. When it was all over, Dr. Styles returned to him in the exam room. "Mm, hmm, it's just what I suspected."

"What?" Louis asked, puzzled.

"Louis, you have what's called atherosclerosis. It's a heart condition where the arteries around the heart become narrow and hard due to a plaque buildup around the artery wall."

"What could've caused it?" Louis asked.

"Do you smoke?" the doctor asked, folding his arms.

"Yeah," Louis said, slightly embarrassed.

"Well, smoking is actually a major contributor to this disease. How's your lifestyle when it comes to food? Do you eat healthy?"

"Not really. I cook sometimes, but most days I eat takeout."

"Well, Louis, I'm going to prescribe you medication that helps unclog your arteries and to prevent it from getting worse, but you'll need to eat healthier and you must, above all, quit smoking."

This was hard for Louis to hear. Quit smoking? Are you kidding? "I don't know, doc. I've been smoking since I was a teen."

Dr. Styles pulled up a chair and sat. "Louis, if you don't want to die a premature death from a heart attack or stroke, you'll need to find a way to quit."

Louis sighed, looking down. "I know."

After a moment of silence, the doctor said, "You know, I've got some really great healthy recipes that you could start with."

Louis looked up to find a smiling, handsome face. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, I love to cook. It's one of my hobbies."

Louis could tell the man was passionate about it by the way that his whole face lit up when he talked. "What's your specialty?"

"Well, it's kind of my secret recipe, but you know, since you're kind of one of my favorite patients, I'll tell you."

Louis's face heated up. He was a favorite? Suddenly, his whole body felt warm and tingly.

Dr. Styles continued. "It's called Chicken Stuffed with Mozzarella, Wrapped in Parma Ham, with a side of homemade mash. It has to be homemade, though. Not the box kind," he said with a chuckle. "It's delicious."

"It sounds delicious," Louis said, smiling as he lifted his head to meet the doctor's eyes, which where twinkling with happiness.

"Well, anyway," the doctor said, clearing his throat. "I'd like to keep you overnight for observation and then you can be discharged tomorrow morning if all is okay."

"Okay, thanks, doctor."

"Call me Harry," he said. "And actually, I was wondering, would you like to maybe go out with me this weekend? I could make the chicken meal for you."

Louis's heart started to race and he felt his cheeks heat up. "Oh, yeah, um, sure. I'd like that."

The next day, Louis was free to leave the hospital and he couldn't wait to see Dr. Styles again. He thought again about what he had told him, about eating better and quitting smoking. Before, he wouldn't have thought much of it. Why quit smoking when he had no reason to live? Well, for Harry, he thought. He'd quit for Harry.  

Hope it was okay.  Not gonna have a part two.