Trendsetter (book 2) - H.S

Chapter 9: Love Her.

EL'S POV:

I wake up and I can't fucking move, not even an inch. I feel the burning hot pain in my stomach, and I can't even fucking think of why this is so bad. I haven't had a flare up this bad since I was diagnosed. I roll on my back , and keep my eyes closed, but hold my stomach. The pain comes in a shockwave once more, and I roll on my side again, curling into a ball, and groaning out.
"Harry?" I ask, trying to stay quiet, and I hear some shuffling, and then I feel his hands on me from the side of the bed.
"I'm here." I hear him tell me, and I crack open an eye, seeing him crouching by the side of my bed.
"I don't feel so good." I admit, and he puts his hand on my cheek, feeling the side of my face, and then my forehead.
"Well you don't have a fever... El, tell me what you want to do about it, and we can do it." He tells me, and I feel myself getting worse, and worse by the second.
"It doesn't... start with a fever... Fuck." I grit my teeth, and ball my hands into fists. I hate needing other people, but that's what this is, it's a relationship, and it's okay for me to need him. "I need you to take me to the hospital... please." I groan, out, and I feel his hands on me, they're soft. He sits me up, and I know I need to push past the pain, just to walk to the car for a millisecond of time.
"Let me put some shoes on you, and then we'll go." He tells me, and he walks into my closet. I hear some rustling, and then I see his head peak from the closet as he sits on the floor. "Do you own anything that's not heels?" He asks, and I throw myself back on the bed.
"Try the-" i start, and he interrupts.
"Other side, under the shelves... The only tennis shoes you own are Gucci tennis shoes, and I think you need a wider selection." He mumbles, bringing the white shoes to me. He starts untying them, and I push past the pain so I can move this process along quicker. I lean down and slip the shoes over my feet, squeezing my eyes shut as the burning, and turning in my stomach worsens. Harry moves my hands, and ties the laces, and then his hands are under my thighs and on my back as he lifts me up.
"This is pathetic." I mumble, feeling him carry all my weight.
"You're in pain, and you need to get there. Don't let your feminine pride get in the way of me helping you." He laughs, trying to make jokes to lighten the situation as he always does, and I shake my head.
"I do not... have feminine.. Pride." I mumble through my teeth, and I hear his keys rustle.
"Whatever you say love." He has a smile in his voice, I can tell. "That's what boyfriends do, they take care of their girlf-" He starts, and I open my eyes to slits, glaring at him.
"I love you, and we are together, but please refrain from using those words. God they're so childish...fuck." I crumple into him, feeling the pain spread to a burning in my chest as I wait to be at the hospital.
"Come on, we have more important things to worry about." He tells me, and I stay quiet, feeling the LA sun on my skin, and hearing the door of his car opening. He puts me inside, and closes the door, going to his side. I curl my feet up, and turn towards him, keeping my eyes open as I feel this pain, and once the car moves I can't anymore. I close my eyes, and I refrain from crying out, but I ball my hands up, my nails digging into the skin of my hands, but I don't care in this moment. My body shakes, and my head throbs. This isn't just a fucking flare up.
"El, this isn't normal... There's something going on, what did you do?" He asks, and I shake my head, unable to think of the words right now. My mind is a mess, my body is a mess, and the only thing I've got going for me right now is the fact that he's here, and we're together in this.

HARRY'S POV:

I'm an awful driver as it is, but with her sitting passenger, feeling the way she does, and reacting the way she is, it made it so much worse on my part. I finally pulled up to the hospital, hating every second of LA traffic in these moments, and I go to her side again, opening the door, but she gets out, and moves past me, leaning over the sidewalk and into the grass. She throws up, and holds the post for support, standing up fully after she's done, and I take her hand, pulling her along. She sits right when we enter, and she's broken into cold sweats. For her to actually come here, admit herself to needing help... I know how bad she's feeling, and I go to the emergency room desk.
"Hi, I'm here with her, she um- she has Crohn's disease, and she's having a flare up, I think that's what they call it." I speak quickly to the lady, and she looks up from her computer for a split second.
"Name of patient?" She asks, her voice monotone.
"Eileen Montgomery. She's in a lot of pain so if you would please... I don't know, take her or something." I tell her, and she looks over to El, and then back at her computer.
"How old is she?" The lady asks me, and I resist the urge to groan in frustration at this woman, knowing she's just doing her job.
"Twenty Five." I tell her, and she types on her little computer.
"Someone will be back shortly to get her, does she need a gourney?" She asks, and I look back to El, knowing she would say no, but also knowing that she'd say that so she didn't have to look so helpless.
"Yes." I tell her, and she waves me off. I go back to her, and she doesn't say much, but I do try to comfort her the best way I can, without being overbearing because I know that would piss her off. I see her shaking, and I lean over. "Hey... Hey." I pull her back, and see her hands, I see the blood. She dug her nails into the skin due to the pain she's feeling, and I feel panic set it. Where the fuck is the doctor? I crouch down, and see some tears have fallen, I see her pain, and I have no idea what I can do to fix this, or help it. I stay crouched in front of her, and continue to tell her it's gonna be fine, knowing that's all I can do until the nurses finally come up. I help her stand, and she sees the rolling bed, and looks to me.
"Really?" She speaks through her teeth, but doesn't argue, getting on the bed, and letting them take her.
"Are you immediate family?" The nurse asks, and I look to her, and back to El.
"No, she doesn't have any immediate family in this state, I'm her boyfriend." I tell them, knowing she's going to cringe at the word, or she would if she wasn't in so much pain.
"He's fine." She barks, and I follow along with them. They get her into a room, and transfer her into an actual hospital bed, and I stay back, letting everyone do their work.
"You have chrons?" The nurse asks.
"Yes." El breaths out, and I watch all of this take place.
"When was you last infusion?" The nurse asks, and she's preparing an IV drip as she asks.
"I.. I skipped it, I forgot to reschedule." She tells them, and my heart drops.
"Well that's what's going on here, your body is reacting. We'll figure this out honey, just give me your arm." She tells El, and El pushes her arm straight out. The nurse sticks her, and sets up the IV in her arm. "Just try to relax, you're dehydrated, and you're in pain, this is going to help." She speaks calmly, and El is still doubled over in pain.
"What's in there?" I ask, walking to the opposite side of the hospital bed.
"Fluids, and morphine drip for the pain, give it a few minutes, and she'll start feeling it, and a few more and she's going to be out like a light for a while." The nurse tells me, and backs away from El. "I'll be back in a few to run some tests, and hook her up with her infusion." She tells me, and I nod. Everything is peaceful now, minus the steady beep of her heart, and I look to her.
"El why the hell did you miss your doctor's appointment?" I ask, and she is starting to relax some but I can tell she's still in pain.
"I overslept, and I needed to reschedule, but I got wrapped up." She tells me, and I already know how she's going to answer to my next question but I ask anyways.
"What had you so wrapped up that you forgot?" I ask.
"You, this.. That stupid jumpsuit, moving in... life." She tells me, and I shake my head.
"Never, and I mean never put your health at risk for me, nor us... Never." I tell her, but she's hardly paying attention at this point, the medicine obviously kicking into her system.
"It's cold." She tells me, and I pull up the extra blankets at the end of the hospital bed. "I want my grey blanket, the one from my apartment." She tells me, and I sigh.
"That's sweet that you'd think I would leave this room... It's not going to happen, sorry love." I tell her, and continue to try my best to warm her up. She doesn't argue, she lays silently, and soon after I see the steady rise and fall of her chest, and I see her face completely relaxed again. I don't know what to do in this situation, I don't know if this has happened before, or if this is the first time it's been this bad. I don't even know how long she's had this disease... She didn't even tell me about it till halfway through the tour, and even then I had to pry it out of her. I call Anthony first, knowing he's the one who would know the most.
"What did you do now?" He asks, and I find myself pacing.
"I didn't do anything. We're at the hospital, the one right near the showroom. El is sick, and I didn't know who to call, and I need you here, right now." I tell him, and hear silence.
"Harry... is she dead?" He asks, and I furrow my brows.
"No? She's in a hospital bed, and she's asleep now but-" I start.
"Then chill out. I'll be there soon." He hangs up the phone before I can speak another word and I look at my blank screen, and force myself to sit down as I wait. I try not to fidget, and when he gets here, I breathe again.
"Oh thank god." I stand up, and he looks to her.
"She looks like shit." He mumbles, and I roll my eyes.
"Don't be a dick..." I mumble, and he pulls up a chair.
"What happened?" He asks, and I explain everything starting from last night when I got to her apartment.
"Well I'm glad you two solved your problems... Everything is going to be fine, she's going to wake up and be alright, and you two can go on your merry little way." He tells me.
"Has this happened before?" I ask, and Anthony nods.
"Yes back in New York. She was freaking out over some design, and missed an appointment so she had an attack like this. They did the infusion, and she was on her way... It's going to be fine, but you should call her parents. Last time this happened she didn't call them, and they were pretty pissed when they found out." He tells me. "I'm going to go get some snacks, something she's actually going to want to eat when she wakes up, you do what you have to." He tells me, and leaves the room again. I pull her phone out of my pocket, and see the passcode lock. Dammit El, what the hell is it... I type in her birthday, nope. What the hell could it- Haley's birthday. April fourth. I type it in, and it unlocks, and then I go to the contacts. I find her mom, and call her, knowing I'd rather talk to her than her dad, he still scares the shit out of me.
"Eileen Mae why the hell haven't you called me in so long? How's Italy, are you finding fun things to do, cute boys?" She rambles on, and I stutter.
"Hi Mrs. Montgomery it's um... It's Harry." I tell her, and she's quiet for a second.
"Well what the hell, call me crazy, I had no idea the two of you were together..." She tells me, and I mentally scream at El for her not telling her parents anything.
"She's um, she's in California right now, living here." I tell her, informing her of something I shouldn't have to.
"And she's living with you? You two are...." She questions, and I smile.
"We're together, but no we're not living together." I tell her.
"Well thank god she screwed her damn head on straight and jumped on you. Dammit I told her a long time ago that she was dumb if she didn't." Her mom laughs, and I smile, and look at El as she sits in the hospital bed.
"Thank you, but that's actually not why I called... Um El is actually in the hospital. She got really sick last night, and I took her to the hospital this morning, it's her-" I start.
"Stomach? She's always having problems with that stupid disease. God's really testing our patience with that, dammit. I'll tell Garrison she won't be home for the holidays." She mumbles, and I think... Thanksgiving, I almost forgot about that considering we don't celebrate it in England, but I'm guessing she was going to go home. I'm not positive, but I'll figure something out.
"She might be able to make it still, as soon as she's awake, and okay I'll have her call you again." I tell her.
"Alright... One more thing... You're taking care of my little girl right?" She asks me, and I laugh, knowing she'd be rolling her eyes at her mom.
"Yes ma'am." I mumble.
"And do not call me ma'am." She hangs up the call, and I put her phone on the side table next to her for when she wakes up. I kick my feet up, and sit down next to her. I can't help but be upset with her for losing track of her appointments, for not scheduling a new one, for letting it get this bad. I had no idea she was that worked up over all of this between us, but she let that get in the way of her own health, and that's why I'm upset... Anthony came back, and the nurse did too, she started her infusion while she was asleep, and then soon after had to stop the infusion because a fever spiked, and a rash started from it. They didn't tell us why, but they stopped the infusion, and it's been hours now, and she should be waking up soon.
"So you two are actually together now? You're not going to fuck it up?" Anthony asks me, his hand stuck in a bag of hot cheetos.
"For the hundredth time, I was not the only one at fault in our fall, and second of all yes... from what happened last night we fixed all of it.... We're together." I tell him, and he smiles.
"I fucking knew it would work." He smirks, shaking his head, and I sit up.
"She threw things at me. She was pissed because of your advice on avoiding her for a few days.... So thanks but screw you." I mumble, my mind going back to last night when I saw that pillow move right past my head. She really was angry, I don't think I've seen her like that in a while.
"She might have thrown things at you, but it all worked out... Because of me. I should have been a relationship counselor." He chimes.
"That never would have worked, then you wouldn't have time for all of our problems." Her voice is soft and sweet, and we both turn to her quickly as the words leave her lips. I stand up, and walk over to her.
"Hey love." I mumble, not knowing what to say to her.
"Oh sit down, don't act like I'm some fragile little girl, I'll be fine, they'll just give me my infusion and I'll go home." She mumbles, and I look to Anthony, and back to her.
"El, they tried that... Your body started rejecting it, they're going to have to come up with something else for you, but they wanted to wait for you to wake up to decide." I tell her, keeping my voice soft. She stays quiet as she looks to me, her jaw is clenched, and she knows this is going to be a hurdle. The door opens, and the nurse walks in, and we all look to her.
"Oh good you're awake! How are you feeling honey?" She asks, and El shrugs.
"Like shit... Better than when I got here though." She tells her, and I sit down, listening in.
"When were you supposed to get your infusion? The one that you missed?" She asks, and El sighs.
"Around three weeks ago..." She mumbles, and the nurse presses her lips together.
"Eileen, you realize what could have happened to you if you hadn't come in? This could have been a lot worse than some stomach pain... Your body is rejecting the medication because you've built up antibodies against it meaning you can't take the Remicade anymore." She tells El, and I understand what she's saying but I don't know what's going on at the same time.
"Well what does that mean?" El asks, and I'm glad she did.
"It means that you're going to have to take the Humira, it's a self injected shot, and based off of your condition we're going to say every two weeks you'll have to take your dose, or have someone else do it for you if you're unable. I will warn you that it's going to make you feel some symptoms most likely... Mainly cold and flu symptoms." She tells El, and she goes to her IV, hooking up another IV.
"Oh joy..." She mumbles. "And what is this?" El asks, looking to the nurse.
"Some less intrusive pain medication, won't make you sleep as much, and some anti inflammatory meds, nothing your body should react badly to but if there's a problem then you need to ring me alright?" She asks, El, and then looks to me. I nod, and El agrees. "Alright, I'll be back." She tells us, and leaves once more.
"Well... I fucked up. Hi Anthony How are you?" El asks him casually.
"I'm tired as hell, and I missed work for your ass today... I just wanted to be here when you woke up, but you said you're alright?" He asks, and he walks to the opposite side of the bed.
"Yea I'm alright.. Nothing I can't deal with." She tells him, and he nods his head, walking to her, leaning forward, and kissing her forehead.
"I love you sis, I'll see you soon, but I need to go catch up on work." He tells us. He waves goodbye to me, and then leaves the room. I see right through the front she put up to Anthony, she loves to play tough, she loves to pretend like she's not scared at all when she really is.
"Stop looking at me like that." She mumbles, and crosses her arms over her chest.
"Looking at me like what?" I ask, and she rolls her eyes.
"Like you're disappointed in me, or you're annoyed or mad... It's not like I wanted this." She throws her hands up, and I sigh.
"I'm not mad, or annoyed, and I'm not disappointed either... I'm not going to give you the supportive talk about you needing to be more careful because you know your own body... You just, you can't put anything above the fact that you are sick El... you're not invincible, and no matter what is in your way, whether it's me, or your job, or your family or whatever... Your health comes first."I tell her, and I clasp my hands together, my elbows touching to my knees.
"I know... I know that, I just... You know how crazy everything has been. I won't fuck up again." She tells me, and I smirk.
"Well you can't because you're doing your shots from home, meaning I can make sure you're actually doing them, even if it means I have to do them myself... You're a pain in my ass, you know that?" I ask her, and lean back in the squeaky hospital chair.
"I never asked you to be my baby sitter, you just signed up." She fights back, and she leans back too. "You can go home... Especially if you want to complain." She crosses her arms, and raises her chin, she's pushing my buttons on purpose.
"Not a chance... I'll be with you till you leave this hospital, and even after... do you want to know why?" I ask, and she raises her eyebrows.
"Why?" She challenges, and I stand up, leaning over the bed.
"Because I love you darling." I kiss her forehead, and start to move away but she grabs me by the collar of my shirt to stop me. She pulls me in, our lips meeting, and I feel myself smiling as she melts into me like she always does. I peel myself away, and sit back down, keeping my hand in hers.
"Not to be this girl, but can I say how weird it is to know that I'm.. I'm actually dating someone... We're actually doing this." She mumbles, and she watches as I drag my thumb over the soft skin on her knuckles. "Someone who is so different than who I am." She tells me, and I shrug.
"Opposites attract." I state, and she doesn't look away from our hands.
"I need to tell my mom, she's going to be so happy." She tells me, and I tilt my head.
"I might have told her already..." I spill, and she looks to me now.
"What! Harry why did you tell her?" She asks, and I hold my hands up.
"In my defense, Anthony told me to tell your parents you went to the hospital, so I did, and she somehow didn't know you had moved to California. I told her that, and then she asked about us, and I wasn't going to lie, that wouldn't get your mother like me." I defend, and she rolls her eyes.
"She's already practically in love with you... Dammit, I don't think I should leave for home... for Thanksgiving, but I should see them." She mumbles, and I shrug.
"Just go for Christmas, it's only a few weeks away." I tell her, knowing my mum and sister will be here soon for that exact reason.
"We don't really celebrate anymore... After Haley passed away, after I moved we stopped celebrating because I couldn't go home due to flight cost, and I was older too... I haven't celebrated Christmas in god knows how long." She shrugs her shoulders.
"El, you have to see your family on the holidays, especially now that things are somewhat mended between all of you guys..." I plead with her, knowing how much it would mean to her parents. I know she's still dealing with feelings of her sister, and getting used to talking to her parents more often, and an idea sparks. "How about you give you mum a call, and you invite your family here... I'll pay for a hotel, flights whatever, just.. You can't be alone on christmas, and I can promise you that they'd love to celebrate it with you.. My mum as well, we can all celebrate together." I tell her, and she shakes her head.
"My parents would never come to California... a blue state." She tells me, and I tilt my head. "Nevermind... California is just not there type of place, I doubt they'd want to." She argues, and I shake my head.
"I think you're wrong. I think your parents wouldn't care where they were as long as they were with you... I'd love to spend the holidays with you El..." I tilt my head to her, and she drops her face, still not buying it. "Cooooooome on Eileen, oh I swear what he means..." I start to sing, and she rolls her eyes now.
"Fine... I'll call them tomorrow as long as you promise to stop singing that stupid song to me. It's haunted me my entire life." She smiles as she speaks, and I do too.
"Never going to happen." I poke at her, and the door opens again, the same nurse walking in.
"Should I get ready for a shot?" El asks, and the nurse shakes her head, looking a bit red in the face.
"This is a bit embarrassing but.. My cousin, she's a huge fan, and I was just wondering if you'd sign something for her, or say hello.. God she'd kill me if I didn't do this for her." She speaks to me, and I smile.
"I don't mind at all, what was her name?" I ask, and the nurse speaks to me, but I pay attention to El, that same smirk on her face. I know she'll poke fun at me later for this, how we can't go anywhere without someone saying something. It drives me mad when she does that, but I'll deal with it because I love her... I really do.

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Song: Love Her by The Jonas Brothers.

I cannot wait to write the Christmas chapter(s) THEY'RE GONNA BE BETTER THAN THE GEORGIA CHAPTER IN STYLIST I PROMISE!!!!!