i sleep naked ➸ larry stylinson

sixty four

"we need to check on you before we release you, love," hannah smiled, before motioning for harry to sit up. "i'm going to listen to your lungs, and i know it's odd, but i need to see if you're breathing clearly." she pressed the cold stethoscope up to his chest, causing him to shiver a bit. 

"take a deep breath for me," she said softly, and harry took a quick glance at the door, his eyebrows furrowed, before he breathed deeply. ever since louis left he had been on edge, and on the verge of tears for no apparent reason. after they had gotten out of the shower, louis had kissed him deeply and hugged him to his chest, and then he started crying. harry didn't know what to do when he ran out.

"hannah?" harry asked, brushing his curls out of his face and letting her gently fold the covers off of his hospital bed, before placing them on the little cart she wheeled around with her. the room was incredibly warm, but harry shivered a bit when his legs came into contact with air for the second time that day. he was still in a hospital gown, despite his protests. hannah claimed it was easier to check up on him when he didn't have to take off his clothes or anything. he blushed when she said that.

"yes?" hannah questioned, gently taking harry's wrist in her small hands.  

"why did louis leave me?" 

she furrowed her brows, and harry bit his shaky lip as he tried to recall anything mean he could've done to the older boy. "what do you mean, why did he leave you? didn't he just, you know, take a shower with you a few hours ago?"

harry nodded. he let hannah work on unwrapping his bandage while he stared at the door, stared at the ground where louis had been walking earlier. why had he been crying? was it because he remembered something? harry was dying to know, but he was stuck in this hospital until hannah had finished his check up and the doctor gave him a release.

hannah sighed when she realised harry wasn't going to answer her question, and instead said, "your cuts are healing up nicely. the stitches should be ready to come out in a week or two. see this?" she held up a tube of what looked like polysporin. "put this on those cuts every time you change the bandage, and if there's any puss or yellowing or anything gross like that, call the doctor and we'll have you come in." they both turned when they heard the door creak.

it was the doctor. "hi harry," he said politely, taking his hand out of the pocket of his scrubs and revealing a shiny watch before shaking harry's hand. "how are you feeling?"

"okay," harry said quietly, staring at the little striped pattern on his hospital gown. hannah continued to gently dress his cuts, rubbing some ointment on them and then placing a bandage on it carefully, rubbing all the sticky ends to make sure it wouldn't fall off.

"how are you breathing?"

"okay," harry said again. "i can't take too deep of breaths, though, because it makes me cough," he said honestly.

"that'll be gone in a couple of days. i don't want you doing any exercise or physically exhausting activities for probably two, maybe three weeks, just to be safe. make sure you drink a lot of water, okay?"

harry nodded.

"well, it's been nice to meet you, harry. i want to see you next week, so we can get those stitches out and make sure your ribs and lungs are doing okay. don't wear tight clothes or wrap something around your waist, it's not good for it. they're still healing, so i don't want you to be walking much, and definitely not be bending over. do you have a job?"

harry frowned. he didn't have one. why did he not have a job? "no," he said, biting his lip.

"well, don't get one." dr. lucas laughed, signing his name on the paper he had been filling out and handing it to harry. "see you next week, mr. styles. hannah, can you help him carry his things out? hopefully, you have someone to drive you?"