Both of their eyes are closed

part 17

"Although it is looking like there is about a sixty percent chance of Luke waking up, a lot of things are going to be different."

"Like what?" you ask, your throat tightening.

"Well, I'm sure you noticed that Luke is still hooked up to a few machines."

"Mmhmm."

"Well one is full of concentrated oxygen, you see, upon inspection, we wound an infection in his lungs. This particular infection makes it harder for your lungs to take in oxygen so that it can be used.

It's likely that if he wakes up, he's going to need to undergo multiple breathing treatments, and may even need to be hooked up to an oxygen tank for the remainder of his life." you have no response, so you just sit there in stunned silence, waiting for the doctor to continue, but secretly hoping that he doesn't.

"Also," he begins, and you brace yourself for what he's going to say. "He has suffered some serious head injuries." You can imagine that you're making a horrified facial expression because instantly Dr. Wentz elaborates. "He's not going to wake up with amnesia or anything, but he may not be able to process things like he used to. Maybe even some short term memory loss issues. There is no way of knowing for sure though, until he wakes up," he assures you. "It's even possible that he could wake up with no brain problems at all, but sadly the infection is a definite thing."

You both sit in silence for a moment, then realise that Dr. Wentz has nothing else to say. Without a word you slowly stand and exit the room. Just as you're shutting the door behind you Dr. Wentz speaks.

"His treatments start tomorrow night. We're going to take good care of him." You nod and quietly shut the door behind you.

You take your time walking through the hospital. Taking slow small steps, stopping at every bathroom you pass just to walk in and stand in front of the mirror until someone else walks in.

It's almost 5:30 when you decide to head back to the room. The boys are laughing and joking around with each other. Each of them confident that Luke is going to wake up, and that he's going to wake up the same healthy Luke that he was before.

You plaster on a fake smile for them, saving the news for when you all get back to the hotel.

It's never been hard to be happy around them, even when you have to fake it. They're usually too energetic for their own good, and even when they aren't, they are absolutely hilarious.

You think back to when you first met each of them. You have know Calum for the longest out of all of them. You went to school together when you were younger. He has always been your best friend, and for a while, he was your only friend.

Then came Michael. He was different, always so colorful, it was hard for him to fit in with most kids, so naturally, you and Calum took him in and soon enough you were all as thick as thieves.

It was Calum and Michael who had introduced you to Ashton. In middle school they had a class with him that you didn't take. Ashton was an outcast, and so immediately you all got along.