"You're making great progress," Dr Bennett commented as Louis hopped down the aisle on one leg.
He'd been hospitalised for over two months now, and tomorrow, he was supposed to be discharged. Dr Bennett was making some last tests before giving his OK. Louis' left leg hurt, but he could cover short distances with the crutches. His arm muscles had grown immensely over the past weeks.
"Is your flat barrier free?" the doctor asked as Louis sat down on a bench.
"I'm staying with my mum for the time being." Louis thought of the flat he had shared with Harry. He'd have to convince Liam to help him move all of his things out of it before Harry was discharged.
Dr Bennett sat down next to him. "How about your flat?"
Louis knew what he was really asking. "I'm not gonna return to that one. I've looked up law programs at several London universities. I'll try to get into one of those to finish my degree."
"So you wanna go through with that?" Dr Bennett hummed. "You won't even try?"
Louis lifted his gaze to the doctor's. "Do you think there's even a slight possibility for him to remember when he sees me?"
Dr Bennett shrugged, but his expression said it all. "We can't predict anything---"
"Be honest with me," Louis demanded. "I can take it."
For a moment, the doctor was quiet. "I think," he started slowly, keeping his eyes on Louis' face, "he won't remember. He hasn't shown any signs of recovery yet. Also..."
Louis held his gaze, urging him on. "Also?"
"It's been two months, Louis." Dr Bennett shrugged. "If you'd have wanted to tell him, you should have done it in the first few days. It'd only cause more harm now."
Those words twisted Louis' heart. He hadn't been sure it'd been beating properly since the accident, but now he was sure that it wasn't. It was only keeping him alive - everything else was gone.
"Is he getting better?" Louis asked, voice just above a whisper.
Dr Bennett put a hand on Louis' arm. "He's making good progress. He's a little impatient with the physical part, but he's very good on the mental one. The psychological treatment has shown good effects."
Louis nodded, swallowing around the lump in his throat. "So he'll be okay?"
"He's gonna recover completely." Dr Bennett seemed to realise that his choice of words wasn't the best as he tilted his head slightly. "Except for those memories. It seems highly unlikely they'll come back."
It wasn't the first time he'd been told this. It wasn't the first time that Louis had realised what exactly that meant. It was the first time, however, it really sunk in and felt real. Harry wouldn't remember him. There was nothing he could do to change that, and it drenched out every single little rest of life that had been left in Louis' heart. It wasn't beating for love like it had before.
Not in the same way, at least.
"I'm doing the right thing," Louis said. He didn't phrase it as a question, but he really wanted someone to tell him what to do. He needed someone to confirm that the path he had chosen was the only one possible.
"I think you are," Dr Bennett said, leaning back against the wall. "And you're handling it really well, Louis."
If only he knew. Louis stared at the scar on his elbow, still fresh after the cast had been taken off only a few weeks ago. Everything was still fresh, still showing just how badly the accident had beaten him up.
