This Year's Love // Michael Clifford

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One

Brittany Dawson

My eyes flutter open earlier than they usually do. By earlier, I mean three in the morning. There was no particular reason as to why I woke (besides having to pee), but I did. The thing that struck me as odd was that Michael was not laying in the hotel bed beside me like he had been when I fell asleep.

"Mikey?" I whisper quietly, stepping towards the bathroom door.

I hear a soft response that I can't quite conjure. I recognize it as Michael's voice ringing from the other side of the door. I knock on it gently, waiting for his okay to enter. When I don't gain one, I open the door anyways. My eyes widen in shock at the scene before me.

Michael is leaned over the toilet, a foul stench that can only be vomit filling the air. I rush to his side, bending down to push the red hair from his face. His eyes are shut tight as he murmurs words I cannot understand.

"Speak up, baby. What is it?" I ask, touching his forehead with the back of my hand to check for a fever.

"Hospital," he mutters.

My heart races as I scramble out of the room to reach my phone. My hands fumble as I unlock it and dial the first number you ever learn as an American kid.

"Hello, 9-1-1. What is your emergency?"

"My boyfriend is vomiting extensively and I'm pretty sure I saw some blood mixed in," I hurriedly answer. "I need an ambulance at The Venetian Hotel immediately."

///////

My leg shook up and down in anticipation. I had been sitting in the waiting room of the hospital for an hour now with no word from a doctor of any sort. Ashton, Luke, and Calum sat beside me just as impatiently. My bandmates were back at the hotel to "hold down the fort" as Matt had put it.

"It's okay, Brittany," Luke says softly, wrapping his arm around my shoulder for comfort.

I clench my eyes shut tightly, afraid that the inevitable tears will spill over. I bury my face in Luke's shirts as I felt a few trickle past my closed eyelids.

"Don't cry. I'm sure he's fine," Ashton says from the other side of me, rubbing my back.

"Family of Michael Clifford?" someone asks.

My eyes shoot open and I stand immediately. A young doctor in his early thirties approaches me with a clipboard in his hand.

"Are you related to Mr. Clifford?" the doctor asks.

"I'm his girlfriend," I answer. "His family is in Australia."

"I'm Dr. Pratt. And you gentlemen are?"

"His bandmates," Calum replies. "How is he?"

"As you're the closest to family he has here, I might as well go ahead and tell you," Dr. Pratt spoke. "It appears that Mr. Clifford has a bleeding ulcer on the lining of his stomach."

"How severe is that?" I question.

"Not as severe as the name may sound," he said. "What we'll do is prescribe him a set of antibiotics and a PPI."

"What's a PPI?" Ashton speaks up.

"A PPI is a proton pump inhibitor. What it does is help reduce the stomach acid that caused the ulcer in the first place," he answers.

"Can we see him now?" I ask, eager to be by my boyfriend's side instead of exchanging words with the doctor who examined him.

"You can. I'll lead you to his room right now."

///////

"You scared the hell out of me," I cry, burying myself in Michael's chest.

He wraps his arms around me, kissing the side of my head. I look up to press my lips against his, forgetting the fact that he had vomited not long ago. I didn't care to be honest. I was just relieved that he was okay and it wasn't a form of cancer that caused the bloody vomit.

"How do you feel?" I ask, smoothing back his messy hair.

"Better now that they've given me pain killers," Michael loopily replies.

I chuckle, kissing him again. "I love you. Don't scare me like that ever again."

"I'll try not to."

"Excuse me, you Michael Clifford hog," Calum interrupts.

I laugh, stepping back so Calum could get his turn in hugging Michael. I stand back as I watch Michael be embraced by his best friends. I smile at the sight, thinking about how much I loved Michael and have grown to love the three idiots he makes music with.

"I'm just gonna step outside, guys," I say, but they don't hear me over their loud voices so I step out anyway.

I make my way to the exit of the hospital and take a seat on a peeling white bench. I pull out my phone and log onto Twitter. I almost immediately form a tweet when I see the trending topic #GetWellSoonMichael.

@BrittanyDaws0n: Michael is okay everyone. He just had a bleeding ulcer. Nothing too serious. Thank you for your prayers.

"What are you doing out here?"

I look up, finding Amanda standing before me. She takes a seat next to me on the bench.

"Just wanted some fresh air," I answer.

"Sorry I didn't come when you guys did. Ashton couldn't wake me up for nothing," she says.

"It's okay." I smile at her in assurance. "Michael's fine. It was just a bleeding ulcer."

"That's good." She nods. "How are you?"

"Fine."

"No, like, how are you?" she asks again.

I sigh, "Very exhausted. I feel... I don't know."

Amanda wraps her arm around me and we snuggle together. It was chilly out and I was feeling weird and not very like myself.

"It'll get better soon," she promises. "I was the same way in the beginning and it's still the beginning. I'm just now overcoming that feeling."

"What is the feeling?" I whisper.

"You're just overwhelmed," she answers. "Everyone here is right behind you each step of the way. Never forget that."

I nod. "I know."

"Now get in there and see your boyfriend. He's probably ready to tear off those other boys' heads."

//////

There's a bit of foreshadowing in there. If you caught it, congrats. If not, boo. Sorry for this sucky chapter. ilysm

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