Louder Than Lions [zarry stalik au]

Chapter 23 - I Won't Give Up On Us

Harry and Charlie didn't forgive Zayn. Maybe they would eventually, but not right now. Richard could still die because of the Pakistani man, he could fucking die.

"Richard," Charlie breathed, late one night as the boys sat alone in the hospital room together. Richard was still having trouble moving, so he simply looked up to Charlie and tried to smile. "Why can't you be better now?" The autistic boy asked.

"That's not how this works superman," Richard said darkly, "The doctors have to do surgery to fix me,"

"Then why can't they do surgery now?" Charlie pouted, tears coming to his eyes. Richard wanted more than anything to wrap his baby in his arms and kiss him, but he couldn't do that. He was immobilized by pain and nausea, and the most skull splitting head ache he though he may throw up any moment.

"They have to run tests first," Richard explained, "They only have a few more to do before I can be all better,"

"No! I want you better now!" Charlie yelled. It was late, and the yelling attracted the nurses attention. They ran in and tried to calm the young boy, but Charlie didn't want comforted by anyone right now other than Richard.

"Hey, Charlie, babe, calm down," Richard cooed from the bed.

Charlie reached out, trying to touch his boyfriend but the nurses pulled him away. Charlie began to cry.

"Perhaps we should take him outside of the room?" A nurse suggested.

"NO!" Charlie screamed, "NO! My Richard! Mine!"

But he was already being dragged away, and Richard's heart broke as the only person he ever really loved in that way was dragged away from him.

Richard was angry. Hell, who wouldn't be? But he didn't throw his anger around, nor did he want pity, or pity himself. It was as it was, and no amount of complaining or anger could fix it. The only reason this situation really hurt was because of Charlie. There was still a possibility that Richard would die. And then what? Charlie would be hysterical, with absolutely no one to comfort him other than Niall-because Zayn has been on his bad side lately. Richard, if anything, felt guilty. Because yes, this was probably partially his fault. Maybe he could have been less blunt with Zayn, or maybe he could have waited longer to introduce Charlie to sex. But he wouldn't do anything differently if he got a second chance. Everything happens for a reason, right?

The next day they ran another test on Richard, and got just that much closer to helping him. Zayn still hadn't made a reappearance, and that was the way everyone wanted it...for now. Of course they still loved him. Zayn was family, and you can never replace that. But he had still done wrong, plenty of wrong. But the poor man had just snapped. You can only take so much before you break like a brittle twig.

Charlie and Harry had been staying with Louis and Niall. The two men weren't used to taking full time care of the two autistics boys, but they were adjusting. They slowly learned how Charlie like certain foods, sometimes the crust had to be cut off, but other times it had to be left on, and they also learned new things about Harry that they had never known before, like the fact that he couldn't sleep unless he was holding something of Zayn's---a shirt, a blanket, anything. This is how Louis knew that Harry and Zayn weren't over. They never would be, never could be. But right now, it was pretty damn close.

~

"Shit! Charging to 200 volts!"

"Clear!"

ZAP.

"We're losing him!"

"Charge to 300 volts!"

"Clear!"

' ZAP.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

"Try again,"

"No, we can't. He gone. Calling time of death at..."

"NO! TRY AGAIN!"

A pause.

"Fine. Charging to 400 volts,"

ZAP.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Holy shit,"

~

"What the hell happened to my son? Why won't you let me see him?" Louis yelled, pushing into the chest of a hospital security guard. The doctor hid behind the man in uniform and bit his lip.

"Sir, calm down, there was a problem earlier this morning,"

"Okay, well are you going to fucking tell me? Or am I going to have to sit around all day?" Louis yelled. Niall tried to hold his husband back, but to no avail. Louis was beyond enraged. Not to mention, he was scared as hell and vulnerable. Very vulnerable.

"He had a stroke,"

"Excuse me," Louis froze.

"Yes, uh, the aneurysm in his brain caused a stroke, and he..."

"He what?!?!" Louis yelled.

"He flat lined,"

Louis stopped yelling. His heart was pounding in his chest as he suddenly wanted to cry. He also dreaded to ask the follow up question, but his licked his suddenly dry lips and opened his mouth.

"Is he alive?" Louis said, feeling the tears come on as he held to Niall's hand tightly, "Is my son still alive?"

The doctor's face twisted and he took a deep breath, "Yes, but...it was miracle. He should be dead. It...it doesn't seem scientifically possible that this happened,"

Louis then choked on air, because Richard was alive. Maybe he wasn't good, but he was alive, and right now that's all that mattered.

"What now?" Niall piped up.

"He is currently unconscious, and he has entered a coma like sate. He is on life support. And while the surgery can still be done to remove the aneurysm, it will be much harder to do. We may have to wait for him to wake up,"

"So...he will wake up?" Louis asked.

"Hopefully,"

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