The Wakeup Call [h.s]

Chapter 17;

Harry's POV

On the fourth day James arrived. He was in a jacket, T-shirt and jeans hugging Holly's mother apologising for not getting here sooner.

The other day, when Holly's heart monitor went out of control was the scariest day of my life. They were able to stabilise her again, thankfully. They said something about her blood pressure, it was back on track now, she was stable.

I hadn't moved from beside her, apart from to change and eat; that wasn't very often. Louis and Eleanor came up usually around 6 until about 9, Gemma came when she could get someone to watch Isobel. Holly's mother mainly sat outside, Sophia wasn't around much.

When James walked in he was a little stunned to see me. He placed down the flowers and teddy he'd bought her and kissed her cheek.

He sat opposite me, holding Holly's hand. His eyes on her and only her, I could see why she loved him, he wasn't ugly, he brought a teddy bear and flowers and he seemed genuine.

"How long have you been here?" He asks softly. Any other guy who walked into a hospital room to find his girlfriends ex sat beside his girlfriend would probably kick off, cause a scene. But James, he was different.

"Four or so days ..don't really know."

He nods still watching her. "Has she gotten better?"

I lower my eyes. "She's just been stable, that's better than anything."

He sits in silence, stroking his thumb over her hand. "Thank you,"

I look up at him. "What? For what..?"

"For being here for her, for staying by her side. She'd appreciate it."

I shift awkwardly. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

"I know you're still in love with her."

I cough awkwardly.

"I get it, I.. I understand, I'm in love with her, and if I lost her, I don't think I'd ever fall out of love with her either."

"Yeah, well.."

"When I first met her, it took us so long to be together. She would always talk about you, cry about you. I can't imagine her to never not be in love with you either."

I didn't know what to say to him, sorry? Do I apologise? What for?

"She.." I shake my head. "She's an incredibly special person. You need to realise that you are the luckiest man alive, you have everything, she is everything. She may act irrational, cry over an advert, eat too many pancakes, but she is everything. And from one man to another; don't mess it up."

James nods,"Thanks."

- -

By the seventh day work were telling me I had to go back to the US, much to their dismay I told them to reschedule dates and let me know; I wasn't leaving Holly yet.

James was staying in a local hotel, he'd come at around 11 and stay until 4, I was the only one who stayed until visiting times were over.

"Any progression?" I ask the nurse who was filling in the clipboard at the end of Holly's bed. It was Sunday, I was the only one here. Gemma had come by this morning, Eleanor and Holly's mother this afternoon; they left around 3.

"No, she's doing well. She's comfortable and stable, that's what's important as of now."

"When.. when she wakes.."

The short nurse stands waiting for me to finish, she had blonde hair pushed back, her face bare of makeup. Holly would probably make a comment about her bushy eyebrows.

"When she wakes, will she be the same..?"

The nurse gives me a gentle smile. "That's a matter of waiting and seeing."

I frown. "She'll.. she'll be normal, right?"

The nurse sighs. "From the brain scans yes, everything is good. But there is a small chance that she may suffer memory loss,"

My throat runs dry. "Memory loss?"

She nods. "She's had a traumatic experience, then being in a coma..it can stress the brain. She will have flashbacks and possibly talk in her sleep, traumatic stress disorder can stem into lots of fields, until she is awake we'll have to see exactly what she may suffer from."

I sigh kissing Holly's slowly healing hand.

"..She's lucky to have a boyfriend like you, you've been here the whole time."

I double take. "Oh.. I'm.."

"Hey," James knocks before entering.

The nurse smiles before leaving us both.

"How she doing?" He asks taking her other hand.

I swallow thinking about what the nurse said. Will she really have memory loss? If so, what and who will she remember? Will she remember me? Eleanor? ..James?

"Fine," I croak kissing her hand. "She's absolutely fine."