How long will it take?

Chapter 25

Lola's POV

I was trying to calm Harry down but underneath it all I was shaking like a leaf. My heart rate was quickening and my hands had become clammy at the thought of my health deteriorating even more. We waited in the car in silence, worry engulfing us both, until we saw Dani pull up beside us. She rushed out of her car and yanked the door open on my side before holding me in her arms whilst she cried silently.

"I leave you for one bloody night and you're in hospital the next day. What am I going to do with you?!" She shouted at me and cursed until the air went blue, all whilst Harry sat in complete silence. Not one word leaving his mouth. Dani took a quick look at him before addressing him too.

"I hate to pull you out from your silent coma, Harry but I think you're girlfriend is in serious need of a health check."

She slammed the door behind us and pulled me into the entrance of the hospital, keeping my hand wrapped in hers.

"Is he deaf or just stupid, Lo?"

"He's nervous, Dani. We told each other that we were in love last night and now look where we are. Give him a break, just for today." I told her, sadly, tears filling my eyes. She looked shocked for a second but quickly recovered, sadness taking over her features again.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Lola. I, I didn't mean to you know, offend. Shit." I held her hand tightly as a sign of understanding and we waited silently until Harry had built up the courage to walk inside.

"Um, I, uh, I had to ring the lads and let them know. Is it ok if they visit you tonight, Lola?"

"That would be lovely, Harry." I kissed his cheek to calm him down and grabbed his hand in my other as we walked down the corridor, all three of us. We reached the Oncology unit and wandered inside, finding Dr Lake's room. I held my breath as I knocked and waited until he answered for me to enter.

"Miss Jones, do sit down." He motioned for me to take a seat and looked up to the other two with me, pulling two chairs for them too.

He looked at me, up and down and reached into his drawer for a stethoscope.

"I'm a tad concerned by the amount of fluid you've been excreting, Lola. Especially because of the bloody contents so I'm going to send you down for a scan to see if the chemo has worked or not."

I just nodded and took it all in slowly, giving him all of my eye contact and not saying a word. I wasn't going to ask how long I supposedly had left but Dani burnt that bridge with no hesitation.

"Well how long do you think she has?" Harry's breathing deepened as the words left her mouth and the grasp on my hand got tighter.

I sucked in sharply as he said the most painful words anyone could hear.

"Less than a month."

---

It felt like the world had stopped for me, those words felt like knives digging into my heart. I knew my life would be over sooner rather than later but not as soon as the doctor suggested. I had to achieve things before I left, I had to make sure Harry would be ok. That he would live a long and happy life, that he would be happy because life is short. I wanted Dani to be happy and possibly fall in love again, she had to forget about the Naomi curse and I needed to see her smile one last time. All I wanted was one last chance to make everything right.

Harry's POV

The words in my head were tearing me apart. They were telling me to run away from the problem and never look back but my heart was dragging me closer to Lola and I just couldn't leave the girl I had fallen for. I had taken her down to the scan in a wheelchair and I couldn't help but feel I was old before my time. I was nearly 20 and I was pushing my dying girlfriend down the hall, in a wheelchair, closer to her death.

Dani and I waited patiently, no words spoken between us, by the X-Ray centre for Lola to get her results and to find out her plans. The doctors around us moved quickly and all I could think of is how they could make Lola live longer, I wanted to achieve things with Lola before she died but the chemo and therapy made it difficult to do so. I just wanted to show her i could make her happy and that she was going to be ok.

The door to the scan room opened and a young nurse walked out to greet us. As she came closer her eyes lit up at the sight of me and then dulled again as she realised why I was here.

"Mr Styles, it's uh nice to see you. I have the results for your friend." Her hand lingered in mine as she held out the paper and I coughed uncomfortably before replying.

"How is my girlfriend doing? Do I need it go in?" I emphasised the word Girlfriend to prevent the nurses batting eyelashes and she swallowed uncomfortably before continuing.

"She's fine, just getting changed from her chemo scan." She told me with a short reply before whipping around and knocking on the door to hurry Lola up. As soon as the door was knocked upon Lola stormed out, glaring at the nurse. Her hair swished as she walked closer to us and her light blue eyes filled with rage.

"As a nurse on the oncology unit, I should think you have better things to do than try and flirt with a Stage 4 cancer patients bloody boyfriend."

She fumed before dropping her hospital gown in the girls arms and grabbing my hand as she stormed passed her. Dani stepped back towards the nurse before mumbling at her,

"Next time, make sure the walls are soundproof. You don't want to mess with those patients." She pointed at Lola and winked at me before walking past and following after Lola, both of us trying to catch up with her.

Dani eventually stopped her before we went back to see Dr Lake and she calmed down.

"What a bitch. She had the morals of a bloody sewer rat, did she not realise I was dying?!"

Lola pulled at her hair in frustration and a look of fear crossed her features as she realised what she'd done. I stepped quickly to catch her before she fell in shock as she looked down to her hand and saw what she had done.

"Holy shit. No, no, no, no." And that's all I could hear until she reached up again and dragged a hand through her hair, a mound of it falling into a small pile by her feet. She looked down and through her misty eyes slowly bent down and picked it up, her beautiful brown hair, bit by bit. I crouched beside her and pulled her into my chest, gently kissing her head.

She sniffled and cried quietly whilst Dani stood in shock. Lola grabbed onto my shirt and she bawled into it, not caring who was around us. My heart sank even further when I saw the bald spots covering her head and I gently picked her up, bridal style and took her into the family waiting room to calm her down and tell her everything would be ok. It took a few minutes before she spoke again. Her voice croaked as she spoke.

"Harry, this is the start of the end."