Broken Promises

Chapter Fifteen

Emerson's POV

"Liam!? LIAM!? I screamed. He wasn't responding. I quickly turned him over and checked his pulse, it was faint, and he was sweating profusely. "Oh my god." The boys must have heard my scream because just then they came bursting into the room. "What happened?" Niall shouted, seeing Liam in my arms, not responding to anything.

"I-I- we were talking and he just bent over, said something about his kidney, and then he blacked out!" I sputtered.

Somebody picked up on the line. "What's your emergency?" A lady asked.

"My friend said something about his kidney and then he blacked out. He only has one working kidney, please help!! He's sweating, and sweating," I panic.

The boys by then had rushed over and was checking his pulse, then Niall and Zayn had helped lift him up and was carrying him out the door.

"Where are you going?!" I yelped, scrambling after them.

"It'll be faster if we take him to the hospital. Hang up the phone, we don't need anyone else." Louis says, somewhat calm, as he takes Eleanor by the hand and leads us out the door.

Niall was crying as him and Zayn carried Liam to the elevator.

Harry was too quiet. His face was in his hands, and I could tell he was struggling not to cry.

Zayn was passive, but if you looked into his eyes, they were filled with worry.

Louis was now visibly worried, clutching Eleanor's hand tightly.

Eleanor was crying, obviously scared for her close friend.

And I was filled with worry and panic. Given what we were doing before this, I feel an immense amount of guilt for not recognizing his pain. 

I was shocked that something like that happened. 

I was worried that we wouldn't make it to the hospital in time.

I was scared that Liam could die in the car.

I was scared that he might die tonight, not seeing tomorrow. Not seeing the next sunrise, the next sunset. Not ever seeing his family or his fans again.

We had gotten to the lobby and we all dashed out the door, me going with Zayn, Niall and Liam. They were busy supporting Liam, so I took the car and drove, remembering driving past a hospital when me and Layla first arrived here.

"Does this usually happen?" I ask quietly.

"No. This has never happened before." Niall croaked.

I can't lose him.

I can't lose the person I've had in my life since I was baby until I was fourteen.

I can't lose the person that took my heart.

I can't lose the person that knows everything about me. Liam knows how to make me mad, sad and irritated. But mostly, he knows how to make me laugh when I'm sad, he knows how to make me smile, he knows everything about me.

And even though he hasn't done all those things in five years, at this point, I don't care.

"How is he?" I ask yet another question, eyes steady on the road.

"His heartbeat is really faint, and he is really hot, and sweating a whole lot. And if you put your hands on his stomach, it seems bloated." Comes the Bradford accent.

Shit. I step on the gas. Every second counted right now.

Almost there, I think as I see the hospital lights coming up. I pressed on the gas pedal a little harder.

About thirty seconds later, we were in the parking lot. Niall and Zayn got out still holding Liam carefully and jogged as fast as they could to the ER doors.

Once we entered, one of the nurses had seen Liam in the two boys' arms and hurried quickly over to us, motioning for another nurse to get a bed.

"What's wrong?" The woman asked.

The boys looked a little frantic so I stepped in for them. "Well we were talking and then suddenly he sat up, clutching his stomach and said something about his kidney and how he's had this type of feeling before. He only has one kidney. And then he blacked out. He is really hot and sweaty, and when you press on his stomach, it seems bloated. And his heartbeat is really faint. Please help him!!" The tears were threatening to pour down my face.

"We'll do the best we can. I have to ask you three to wait out here, I'm pretty sure if it has something to do with the kidney, they'll put him through surgery." She briskly walked off as another nurse ran up with a bed.

Niall and Zayn gently set him down.

Louis, Eleanor and Harry entered as the nurse was rolling him away.

"They have to put him through surgery to see what's wrong. Lou, what if he doesn't make it?" Niall cries out, running to Louis, bawling.

Louis put his arms around Niall limply, not saying anything.

I mean, what can you say? Everything's going to be alright? No, it's not. Nothing is going to be okay until we find out what's happening.

Since it was quite late, there wasn't a whole lot of people in the waiting room, so we all took seats, not saying anything.

The fact that nobody was saying anything, Liam was going into surgery, and Liam could possibly die.. I don't even know.. if Liam died.. I wouldn't even really be considered his friend because I said I wasn't... and if he died, leaving things the way they are now.. I honestly don't even know what I'd do with myself.

I can't picture him not in my life.

He wasn't in my life for five years, but in a way he was. I heard Layla talk about them all the time, I heard interviews on the radio, and I heard some of their songs.

But Liam being gone.. forever, with no connection at all..

And that's when I broke down.