oneshots • sidemen

|| 05 || wroetofreezy • at his lowest

|| ship; wroetofreezy (cal x harry)

|| warnings; attempted suicide, self harm

|| words; 2.4k

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Cal was out at a bar when he got the call.

From JJ. JJ never calls him, so he knows something is wrong before he even picks up the phone. Quickly he moves to a quiet corner, and swipes to answer.

"What's up JJ?"

"Hey man, are you home?" JJ asks, and Cal can tell from his tone that he's worried.

"No, I'm out at the moment. What's up?" He asks, feeling his heart in his throat.

"It's Harry."

As soon as JJ says this, Cal knows what's happened. He's been expecting a call like this for weeks. Harry hasn't been himself lately, that's been apparent to him. He's been quiet, withdrawn, barely speaking to anyone. He spends most of his time in his room now, sleeping or drawing.

It wasn't something he used to do, but whenever Cal went into Harry's room, there was paper, pencils and oil paint everywhere. Paintings he'd done, hanging from a washing line he'd put up in his room. Messy graphite sketches pinned to his walls. He never used much colour though. Monochrome; blacks, greys and whites. The only colour Cal ever saw on the drawings was red.

Cal had also seen the cuts on Harry's wrists, when the sleeve of his jumper rode up a little. Never for long though, before Harry noticed, and tugged it back down. Cal didn't bring it up, because he didn't know how to. He was losing his flatmate, his best friend, and had no idea how to help.

So he just left Harry to his own devices.

Which of course, had landed them in this situation.

"What's happened," Cal asks, resolve set in his tone.

"He called me up, and he was crying," JJ says. "I couldn't make out much of what he said, but there was something about pills." This makes Cal's stomach drop through the floor.

"Alright, JJ, when did he call you?" Cal asks, keeping his voice calm despite the panic he can feel rising in him. He feels his hands starting to shake, and his knees are weak, but he tries to ignore it.

"Just before I called you," JJ clarifies. There's hope. Maybe Cal can get there in time. He grabs his coat from the bar stool he left it on, leaves some money, and then walks out onto the street.

"Okay, I'm gonna hang up now, but I need you to call him again, and ask him how much he's taken, and of what. Keep him on the phone, don't let him go. Text me," Call tells him firmly, walking quickly towards his car. He almost drops his keys in his haste, and because of how badly his hands are shaking.

"I don't understand man, why's he taken pills?" JJ asks. A surge of anger hits Cal at the others blatant idiocy.

"He's trying to overdose, JJ," Cal hisses, more angrily than he probably should have. The phone line goes quiet, and he can tell that JJ is in shock.

"But, he was fine the last time I saw him," JJ stammers, seeming confused. Cal sighs gently, and rests his head against the wheel of the car. He's not really angry with JJ, more scared than anything. Scared for Harry's life.

"He's not been well for weeks JJ," Cal says patiently. But admitting it out loud fills him with guilt. He's known about Harry being ill, but couldn't do anything to prevent this. Well, that's not even the worst part. Maybe he could have. But he didn't. And that tears him up more than anything else about the situation. He could have helped . He could have made an effort.