The Struggle •Unedited•

Chapter 27

•Louis•

"Louis?" Niall murmurs.

"Hm?" I groan, turning onto my back.

As my eyes open, my blurred vision clears and I see my best friend standing, looking over me.

The room is brightened with the light seeping through the blinds which causes my eyes to squint just a bit.

Running a hand over my face and through my hair, my eyebrows furrow. "Niall?"

"How you feeling?"

I outstretched my body and everything hurt. What the hell?

"I feel like I've been hit by a bus," I croak.

He snickers and pulls out a glass of water along with a bottle of pain killers, making me smile.

"Figures. Now come on, sit up,"

Just as I was about to fully sit up using the support of my elbows, I notice Mason isn't beside me and I begin to feel panicked.

"Mason," I wheeze, my mouth feeling completely dry, "Where's Mason?"

My elbows give out and I crash back down into the mattress, aches shooting through every inch of body from the impact. I could feel my breathing increase.

"Lou, calm down!" My best friend gasps, "I had to take him to school," his voice was fast, "It's Tuesday, remember?"

"Tuesday?" I ask, calming down slowly, "It's Tuesday?"

"Yeah, Tuesday. Now, sit up,"

I attempt to sit up against the headboard for the second time and I'm successful. Niall hands me two tablets and I down them with water which refreshes my throat.

"Good?" He questions, taking the glass from me.

I simply nod and pull the blanket further up my legs. My head is pounding and I grimace, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Now...Harry said to check this cut on your eyebrow, so," his voice trails and my head snaps up, looking up at him with round eyes.

I have a cut on my eyebrow?!

My hand reaches up to touch my face, but he slaps it away. I could feel the sticky band-aid being torn away and my eyes wonder up to look at Niall's face reaction. He has a lip between his teeth, concentration and worried etched on his face. Is it that bad?

Just when I expect to hear the words and thinking I'm going to be needing stitches, my best friend's face looks dull.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He hisses.

My anxiety grows, "What? What happened?"

"It's not even that bad!" He throws his arms up in the air, "Shit's not even that big! Fucking medics made it seem as if it need stitches! Mother fuckers,"

"So I'll be healed in 2 days?"

"Definitely. It's not even a millimeter deep,"

"Good," I sigh.

Niall pulls up a small stool that sat in the far corner up to the side of the bed.

"So what happened out there yesterday, lad? Are you sure you still want to fight?"

I knew this question was coming. Luckily, I was prepared to answer it.

I took a deep breath, "Of course and I don't know. I guess I just choked," fiddling with my thumbs, I try to not make eye contact, "I completely forgot everything Harry taught me. As if I was paralyzed. I don't even remember half of what went down afterwards. All I can recall is getting knocked out and going to sleep with Mason. Oh, and Elisabeth and I in the shower room,"