For Your Eyes Only

Chapter 14

Parker POV
It's been a week since I got Harry's message about visiting. He'll be here sometime
tomorrow after after his show today. I've tried not to think about him too much. I don't know what it will be like seeing him again and I don't want to psych myself out thinking too much about it. I know we won't get back together but I do miss my friend. I have already forgiven him for cheating, so hopefully we can move past it all together.
It's a lazy day in the diner. It's between the lunch and dinner rush and there are only three tables full. Jaime and I are sitting on the couch in the living room trying to find something to watch to pass the time. He is flipping through the channels when I see a picture of Harry on the screen. All feeling leaves my body when I register what the news lady is saying.
Shots were fired from the audience today during a LGTBQ Benefit Concert in Memphis TN. Solo artist and former member of the boyband One Direction Harry Styles was on stage at the time. Several members of the audience were shot and trampled on during the chaos that followed. Harry was shot three times before his security team could get him off the stage. Mr Styles and all others injured were rushed to local area hospitals. There have been no fatalities confirmed and Mr Styles' PR team have yet to make a statement. Millions around the world are praying for the survival of the beloved singer, and hundreds have already made their way to outside the hospital where he is being treated. The shooters have been caught but it is not yet clear as to what their motives were. We will keep you updated as more details are released.
I saw the screen of the tv. I heard the shots. I saw the blood; Harry's blood all over
his shirt, all over every thing. It couldn't be real. This was not happening. People had released false news reports before. This was a sick joke and it wasn't true.
I feel Jaime's hand on my shoulder and I look at him. Surely he knows this is a joke and he's fixing to explain the punchline to me. He's not laughing. This isn't a joke. Instead he hands me my phone. I hold it up to my ear and say "Hello". Please let it be Harry saying he's ok. I hear a British accent and for a second my
hopes soar, but the voice is wrong it's not Harry. It's Louis!
When I realize it's him I'm able to understand the words he's saying. "Parker can you hear me? Have you heard what happened?"
"Yes" is all I'm able to say. I can't bring myself to ask what I want to know most in the world for fear that I may not get the answer I want.
"Parker, he alive. He's in critical condition and they have to do surgery. No one knows if he will make it through or not."
He's alive! Harry is alive! It's all my mind registers for a moment and I have to ask Louis to repeat what he is saying.
"I'm in England. Ann and I are meeting for a private flight out of London in a few hours. It will take us almost 17 hours to get to him. Parker your only four hour away please go to him. I know he hurt you and I hurt you and I don't have the right to ask but please don't let him be alone right now. Please!" I can tell that Louis is crying. There is a real possibility that Harry won't make it through surgery and if I don't go he may die alone.
That thought is too painful to imagine and I can't focus on it or I'll loose what little control I have at the moment. I tell Louis "Yes I'll go. I'm leaving right now, but there are already hundreds of people outside. They won't just let me walk in. How will I get to him?"
Somewhere in the back of my mind a voice is telling me that I am handling this very well, but after dropping my keys four times, my hands are shaking so bad I have to shut my eyes and take a breath. I realize this is a bad idea when all I can see is Harry onstage with blood all over him.
I open my eyes to Jaime taking my keys from my hand. He says "I'll drive" and leads me out to the car.
As I get in the car I remember Louis is still on the phone. "Sorry! I was getting in the car. We are leaving now. I don't know how I I'll get into the hospital I'm sure police and security are all over."
Louis sounds much calmer when he says
"When you get to the hospital ask for Paul. He is Harry's lead security operator. He will know who you are and let you through. Please be careful but hurry. Please hurry. He shouldn't be alone. I won't be able to contact anyone during the flight, but I'll call you as soon as we land."
I hang up the phone as we are pulling out the drive way. I see Harper running out the front of the diner waving her hands. I let my window down thinking she has something to say but instead she opens the back door and jumps in.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"You're going to be with Harry and I'm going with you." This simple statement opens up the wall of tears I've been holding back. Harper knows that if Harry doesn't make it that I will need her for comfort. I have never loved her so much as I do right now and I reach over the seat and grab her into a crushing hug.
"Thank you" is all I'm able to get out around the sobs coming from my chest.
The drive to Memphis is four hours with no traffic. Jaime is going so fast I'm sure we will make it in two or die trying. Once I calm down and quit crying there isn't a sound in the car. No one has the heart to turn on the radio or speak so we just ride in silence. I update my web browser every few minutes to see if there is any news being reported. I silently pray the whole way. Please let him be ok. Please let me get to him. Please let me be able talk to him and make everything right. I say this over and over to myself for the entire trip until I'm not sure what the words even mean anymore. All I know is that I have to get to Harry.
I am so restless in the car that I feel the need to get out and run the rest of the way. I know it's a ridiculous notion but I feel like if my body were moving I would feel like I was
accomplishing. Sitting here letting the car do all the work is driving me out of my mind. To calm myself I resume my mantra of Please let him be ok. Please let me get to him. Please let me be able to talk to him and make everything right.
We make it to the Memphis city limits in just under three hours but the roads to the hospital are so congested with traffic that we are at a stand still. I feel like I'm going to jump out of my skin if we don't start moving forward soon.
"It's all the fans. Everyone wants to get to the hospital. I don't know how we'll get through" Jaime says while looking at his phone. "We are only three miles away but this could take hours."
"I'll run" I say. "You find somewhere to park the car and I'll see you when you get to the hospital later" I kiss him quickly on the cheek jump out the door.
Running feels good. I feel like I finally have a chance to get to Harry. I look to myself side and see Harper running with me. Harper doesn't run. Harper barely walk briskly but here she is running by my side; being the friend she knows I need.
We get to within seeing distance of the hospital and there are so many people gathered I don't know how we will ever get through all of them. I stop long enough to catch my breath, and try to make a plan as to how to get through the hundreds of people in front of me. Harper apparently has been planning this since we left the house. She quickly grabs my hand and starts shoving people out of the way. I try to mumble apologies but truthfully I don't care if we bump into people all I care about is getting to Harry.
We reach the police barrier around the hospital in about ten minutes, but it seems like it took hours. I'm sure I have more than a few bruises after that. I yell at a security officer but he can't hear me. I wave my hands but I'm just one a of hundreds doing so. I finally just jump the barrier and start walking towards the front door of the Hospital.
A cop grabs my arm, I stop walking immediately and turn around to explain myself and ask for Paul; when I see that he is about to our hand cuffs on me.
"No please wait. You don't understand." I try to say.
The officer cuts me off with a "I understand you just passed a police enforced barrier ma'am. That is illegal."
"No I'm supposed to be here." I try to say again. "I need to speak to Paul. He can clear this up."
"Don't know a Paul ma'am. Maybe you can call him from the station." He has the cuffs on my wrist and even though I know it's a bad idea I start to struggle against him. I didn't come this far to be stopped now. Harry needs me and I have to get to him.
I start yelling "I need to speak to Paul", as the officer starts to lead me away. I am on the verge of hysterical when I hear a familiar voice.
"Hey hey hey she's ok." I look up and see the face of Dan the guard. I have never been so happy to see anyone in my life. He has a sad smile on his face and he tells the police officer "She's cleared to be with us please release her."
I can tell the officer doesn't like the idea but he listens anyways. He takes off the cuffs and stalks away. I look and around for Harper and I see her still behind the barrier.
"She's with me" I say as I point to her. The thought of walking into the hospital alone more terrifying than anything right now.
Dan the guard goes over and helps Harper over the barrier and we start our way inside.
"How is he?" I ask. I can feel the knots growing in my stomach. I can't breath while I wait for his reply.
"We know that he is alive but critical." he says in a low voice as we walk through the hallways. "They won't tell us much because we aren't family. So no one really knows and details."
We're not family. Harry isn't my family.
What if the doctors don't let me see him?
What if they won't tell me anything? Louis and Ann still have another 14 hours before they get here. That is entirely too long to wait. I can't wait that long. I come up with a plan in the last few steps I take until I'm standing in front of Harry's doctor.
His name is Dr. Fredricks. He looks to be in his late thirties and he has a kind smile. When I shake his hand he says "How are you ma'am? I'm sorry to say that I cannot tell you any details of Mr Styles condition due to you not...".
I cut him off before his can finish. "I'm his fiancé" his mom is on her way but it will be almost another day before she gets here. Please tell me." I don't know if it was the fiancé lie or if he just saw the desperation on my face but he shook his head in consent.
"Mr Styles".
"Harry" I interrupt before I can stop myself. "He likes to be a called Harry."
Dr Fredricks begins again "Harry suffered three gunshot rounds. One to the left shoulder that went all the way through. He may loose some range of motion but it should heal properly. The second and third are the most dangerous they both hit his chest one scraping the top of his left lung, and the other going through the bottom lobe of the same lung. Those bullets did not pass through. We retrieved them as soon as he was brought into the ER and stopped the bleeding. He is stable right now; however, the damage to the lung is severe and needs to be repaired as quickly as possible.
When I asked "How long till you repair his lung?" Dr Fredricks looked down and said in a quite voice "Harry lost a significant amount of blood before we got it stopped, and the loss of anymore is too great a risk. He needs a transfusion but our blood bank is running low due to all the other injuries sustained today. We are waiting on blood to be shipped from other local banks but it could take time that we don't have." The look in his eyes said that he didn't give us much hope, but couldn't say the words out loud.
"I have O negative blood. I can donate right?" I say quickly.
"Yes your donation will be welcomed but it won't be enough. Having only one pint of blood still may leave him too low." He replies.
"Take two. I give double reds all the time." I don't actually, I have only given blood once and I passed out. None of that matters right now and what is one more lie mixed in the conversation.
Once again I don't know if the doctor actually believes my lie or just sees that
I won't take no for an answer, but I find myself being led to a room where they set me up to donate blood.
The nurse comes in and as she's setting everything up for me she tells me that Harry is already being prepped for surgery and that the blood I give will go straight to him. I take those words as comfort.
After about five minutes into the process I start to feel woozy. I look over towards the nurse and that's the last thing I do before I pass out.
I wake up a little bit later to a cold cloth over my forehead and a bright light in my face.
I slowly look around and get dizzy again but I close my eyes and force myself to stay alert. The nurse notices me and walks over. "How do you feel?" she ask in a gentle tone.
I don't even reply to her question. I just focus on her and ask "How is Harry?"
"He is still in surgery but they just took the blood to him. You should hear from the doctor in about an hour or so. Do you think you can sit up?" she ask while trying to help me sit up.
I feel a little better once I sit up. The room isn't spinning quite as fast as before. The nurse hands me a pack of crackers and a bottle of orange juice. "It's not the greatest combination but id will help with the queasiness" she says with a small smile.
"Can I go back to the waiting room please?" I ask. I'm afraid she will tell me no but luckily she just says "Promise you'll finish your snack and tell anyone if you don't feel well afterwards".
I nod my head as I put a cracker in my mouth and she motions for me to follow her. When I get to the waiting room the only person there is Harper. She jumps up to grab me as
I walk in. I guess I look even worse than I feel. We sit down on a couch and she helps me open my juice.
"Have you heard from Jaime?" I ask.
"Yeah he found a garage to park the car. He said he was going to get some food and head over. I gave the guard his name so they'll let him in."
I nod my head and ask "Any news on Harry?"
"No! They won't talk to anyone but you." Harper bit back a small smile when she finally ask "When did you and Harry get engaged anyways? How you gonna hold out on a girl like that?"
I shook my head and couldn't help the smile that was on my face when I replied "It just came to me when Dan told me they wouldn't talk to anyone but family."
"Nice" was all Harper said but I could hear the pride she felt as she thought I was finally taking after her.
The door to the hallway opened up and I looked for Jaime or Dan the guard to walk in. To my surprise is was Niall Horan. He walked right over to me and said "You must be the future Mrs. Styles I'm Niall Horan nice to meet you."
I wanted to laugh this statement first because Niall obviously knew the
Fiancé thing was a lie but he was letting me know that he was going along with it and second because he introduced himself like I wouldn't know who he was. The humbleness of these boys really take me by surprise sometimes but that is a thought for another day.
"My name is Parker and this is my friend Harper." Niall hugs us both and when I feel his body heat next to mine a notice that I'm freezing. I don't know if it's because of nerves, blood donation, room temperature, or a combination of all three but I'm suddenly freezing. I rub my hands on my arms trying to warm up as a sit back down. Harper walks to a cabinet in the corner and brings me back a blanket. It's just a scratchy hospital blanket but right now it feels like heaven.
Niall looks over and ask "How's he doing?"
I shrug and reply "They are repairing the damage to his lungs now. Hopefully we'll know something soon."
He shakes his head to let me know he heard me and says "I was at a show in Pensacola FL, I drove here. Liam is in LA, he has to wait till tonight for his flight. He should be here by the morning."
It's my turn to shake my head in acknowledgement as I say "Louis said it would take him and Harry's mom about 17 hours to get here."
After that we are all silent again. We just sit and wait on the doctor; it's pure agony. It's another hour before the doctor finally returns to the waiting room. I almost want him to leave again because no news means there is still hope. I don't know what I will do if there is no hope.
He walks over and smiles and I'm afraid I may pass out with relief but I'm still able to here him say "Harry came through surgery quite well. We were able to repair all the injured sections of his lung. The blood you gave was enough and we now have plenty given from the other banks in case he needs more. I look for him to recover well but he will have a good bit of scar tissue and he may experience difficulties with breathing. I'm not sure how much it will impact his singing abilities. Only time will answer that question. He is in recovery now. You may see him one at a time when he is settled in his room."
After the doctor leaves I sit back down with a new line of chants going through my mind. Harry is alive, Harry will love, Harry May never sing again. At some point Jaime had come in but I didn't even notice till now.