PETAL | HARRY STYLES

FIFTY-FOUR.

*Strap in, this is going to be a looong one.*

Harry is dragged to a small office sort of place to fill out the birth certificate. But, all he can think of is Fleur. He's worried and terrified. The look on the doctors' faces were concerning.

He sits at the desk anyway, now free of his blood stained scrubs. Distantly, he speaks to the girl who types into the computer. Hopefully he got the name right.

He remembers Fleur had mentioned it a few times. But she never mentioned a middle name. He knows she'd want one, though. So, he panicked and said the first thing that came to mind.

While the paper is printing, Fleur's doctor enters the room quietly. Harry instantly stands up.

"Hi, Harry." She greets him.

"What happened in there?" He softly demands.

The girl behind the desk takes the hint and scurries out as Harry waits for the doctor to speak. She sighs and sits down.

"In Fleur's condition, it's very easy for her to become overwhelmed and easily slip into cardiac arrest. Giving birth was a very intense situation she was put in. We have her under control as of right now, but there's more to it. As you know, Fleur's condition is an enlarged heart. It enlarges because it needs more assistance pumping blood. Over time, this weakens the heart and can lead to eventual heart failure. Which is what Fleur is currently experiencing."

Harry feels his entire body grow entirely cold. He attempts to relax himself, swallowing thickly.

"What does this mean?" Is all he can muster out.

"Well, there are a few options. Surgery, that is. We can implant an defibrillator or a LVAD device which will assist the left ventricular. A heart transplant is a bit too drastic at the moment, but it can be an option later on if the surgery is done."

"So why aren't you doing the surgery?" He sits forward quickly.

"It's up to Fleur. She never signed any forms handing her life decisions to anyone. This is all up to her. It's a really big decision to make. With the LVAD device, her life won't exactly be the same as it once was. She'd also have to get it replaced every few years which can ultimately put her life in danger."

"So what happens if she chooses not to?"

"Well, right now, her heart is fighting to pump enough blood to keep her going. But as it gets weaker, so will she. Fluid is filling her lungs as we speak. It's a slow process, but when filled to the point where she can't breathe, her heart will give up and she will lose all oxygen. Resulting in..."

Death.

Harry had never been around a lot of death. Only his stepfather and maybe a few distant relatives. Or friends with dead relatives. Other than that, he's never experienced a huge impactful death. Something super close to him.

Yet, he was petrified of it. Dying and death was just terrifying to him. The question of what happens next or what it feels like wasn't something he wanted to know.

But in this moment of time, nothing is scarier than losing the love of his life and mother of his child.

"I'll give you a moment. You're free to see her whenever." The doctor quietly says. "I'll inform her family as well."

And so she leaves. Leaving Harry in this cold and empty room. When in reality, it's his own body that's cold and empty.

Walking down the hall to the hospital room where Fleur lies, his heart is pounding. He has no idea how she's going to be or what she's going to look like.