optional // l.s.

eleven (*)

beep...beep...beep...

"zayn-"

"sh, babe...i think he's waking up."

the two boys watched louis intensely. he was as white as a ghost, sleeping soundly for the past day. his arms were wrapped up and his stomach had been pumped. he was frail, as fragile as glass. the doctors had to do a blood transfusion because he almost bled out.

ethan was the one who found him. he frantically called 911 and then liam's dad when he shuffled through his father's junk and found the phone number with his girlfriend's phone. he was the one that held louis' almost lifeless body in his arms until the medics came to take him away. he was the one that told the police he was his brother and begged to ride in the ambulance with him. ethan prayed to god and begged for his baby brother to be alright. he pleaded, apologized and dropped to his knees to tell the empty house he was sorry for everything he did.

he was the one who caused louis to try to kill himself. he knew it.

so he took his father's motorcycle and sped to the hospital behind the ambulance. he stayed in the waiting room until liam arrived. when liam saw the blood on his arms and shirt, he broke down. he crumbled to the floor and held his head as he, himself prayed. he wasn't much of a believer but he couldn't lose his best mate.

zayn held his boyfriend while crying his own river of tears until a nurse came to tell them that louis, thankfully, was alive. they told him he overdosed and had to recieve a massive donation of blood. liam cried tears of joy, hurt and sadness. louis was alright. louis attempted suicide. louis was hurting. he was looking for an escape.

"louis?" liam asked quietly when the boy blinked. "bub?"

louis looked around and rubbed his eyes. "mm?"

zayn held his hand down on liam's knee as louis gave the hospital room another once-over. louis looked down at his arms. his hands had i.v.'s hooked into them. both wrists had bracelets with different colors on them. his bandages were still weeping blood but they weren't as bad as before.

"no.." louis shook his head. "this-this can't be-"

"louis-"

"you should have let me die!" louis wailed. "why the fuck am i still here?!"

"because-"

zayn jumped up when louis went to remove the tubes from his arms. he grabbed louis' wrists, making the boy yelp in pain and he held them up.

"look," zayn said, bumping his nose to louis'. "you're here because we care. you are here because it is not your time to leave. you are here because you need a fucking therapist and you are here because you tried to kill yourself!"

"zayn..." liam frowns.

"no, li. you're gonna sugar coat it for him," zayn looked at his boyfriend with apologetic eyes for snapping at him but turns back to louis. "please...what happened, louis? you were doing so good and-"

louis shook his head, tears begging to be let out. "n-no...i-i can't be here! i give up on ev-erything- i just wanna be with my mum!"

liam scooted his chair to the bed. zayn released louis' aching arms but still sat on him so that he wouldn't try to do anything else. louis looked away from the couple. he didn't want to be here. his intention was to leave, why was he still here?

"you're on suicide watch," zayn said. "risk of awol. they're gonna send you to the fucking looney bin."

"no, not the looney bin," liam retorted. "a halfway house."