✔️STRONG [L.S]

[35]

{NIALL'S POV}

   *December 25th, 2015*

   The strong smell of antiseptic filled my nose as I laid confused, and disoriented under the soft white sheet's of the hospital bed. What was I even in the hospital in the first place? My head pounded painfully, and panic began to flow through me as I racked my brain as to why I was here. A beeping from beside me increased in speed dramatically as my heart sped up, thumping against my chest. A few moment's later, a nurse busted into the room, quickly glancing at what I assumed was the source of the beeping, before glancing at me.

   "Sir, you need to calm down." She said, the word's flowing from her mouth like honey. At this rate, my heart was going to burst from my chest; seeing as how beautiful the woman before me was. My tongue ran over my chapped lip's as she leaned over me, tending to cord's running from my body. As she adjusted my IV, my eye's caught sight of a name tag clipped onto her blue scrub's.

   "Lili..." I murmured, the name rolling easily from my tongue. She glanced up at me, a small smile gracing her lip's.

   "Lili James." She confirmed, nodding her head at me.

   "Niall..." I breathed, my eye's searching her own green one's. She laughed quietly to herself, tucking a strand of her long and wavy blonde hair behind her ear.

   "I know." She smiled, tapping her clipboard. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, I was interrupted by a gruff voice from the doorway.

   "Mr. Horan, glad to see you're awake." An older man with a white lab coat strode into the room, hand's clasped behind his back.

   "I'm Dr. Geller." He said roughly, placing a firm but gentle hand on my shoulder. He nodded towards Lili.

   "And this is nurse James."

   "Can I ask why I'm here?" I asked, my voice quiet and scratchy. The doctor glanced up at Lili with a concerned look, seemingly asking a silent question with his eye's. Panic began to fill me again, and I repeated my question. Louder this time.

   "Why am I here?" The doctor took a deep breath, turning back to me with sad eye's.

   "Mr. Horan...we found a bone tumor in your knee. I don't understand how your previous doctor's hadn't seen it before, seeing as it was quite large...It had already extended to your nerves and blood vessels...We...we had to amputate immediately."

  

{HARRY'S POV}

   *December 25, 2015*

   "I saw in the corner, there was a photograph...no doubt in my mind it's a picture of you...It lies there alone in its bed of broken glass...this bed was never made for two..." I sang quietly to myself, knee's pulled to my chest as I sat in the middle of my bed. I didn't understand how everything had been a dream...He was...He was right in my arm's. I had FELT him for god's sake! Hot tear's trailed down my face and I wiped at them furiously. Not only was I alone...I was alone on Christmas of all holiday's. A holiday that was meant to be shared with the people you loved most in your life, yet here I was alone in a dark room.

   Tear's trailed down my face at the thought that by now, Louis and I would be wrapped up by the fire, drinking hot cocoa that he demanded I make. Even though we both knew he wouldn't finish it. He just enjoyed scooping out the melted marshmallow's from the top with his spoon. I smiled fondly at the memory, trembling finger's wiping gently at my cheek's. I imagined Louis wrapped up in one my jumper's, with nothing but a pair of boxer's underneath. He could practically swim in them, seeing as one side usually dipped from his shoulder's, and the fabric at the bottom reached mid thigh; the sleeve's hanging past his hand's. I had always loved seeing him wear my cloth's; how soft and cuddly he looked in them.

   'But you ruined that, didn't you?'   I ignored the voice in my head, and instead remembered the fond memories of all the Christmas's Louis and I had shared together. I laughed quietly as I reme-

   'There's no point in remembering. He doesn't love you anyway.' I sucked in a deep breath as I squeezed my eye's shut, willing the voice to go away.

   "Please..." I whispered brokenly, hand's pressed tightly to my ear's. I glanced up with blurry eye's at the sound of the door creaking open.

   "Harry?" A nurse peaked her head in, smiling softly at me. I nodded in acknowledgement, sighing in relief as the voice dulled to a whisper in the back of my mind.

   "We've got someone here to see you." And with that she pushed the door open wider. A choked sob ripped it's way from my throat and I held my arms up expectantly, my vision blurred. He rushed over to me, gathering me into his arm's as he buried his nose in my hair, finger's brushing my curl's back gently.

   "I thought I'd never see you again..." I rasped, sobbing into his shirt.

   "Shh...I'm here now...I'm here..."

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BECAUSE ANY WORLD WHERE I DON'T LOVE YOU IS A WORLD THAT DOESN'T EXIST.