joli | larry

chapter fourteen

WARNING: character death.
I'm sorry

> > > >

SPRING, 2019
When I'll see you soons turn into goodbyes.

It was cold in the waiting room.

The abrasive white lighting only succeeded in making his headache worse- pushing against his temples, spreading through his skull. He squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a shaky breath.

He felt like he was dying.

And he wished that he was.

The older man beside him huffed as he fingered the rip in the cushion of the chair he was seated on. His phone was resting on his thigh, screen facing upward. He tapped at the glass, glancing at the device as it lit up.

10:58 A.M.

He sighed, returning his gaze to the rip in the chair. He twirled his finger around the frayed edge, tugging on the long blue string. His headphone wire swayed in between his legs, the faint sound of the music reaching the ears of the man next to him.

It sounded like Wonderwall. Harry took a glance toward him, no words spoken between them. It was almost always silent when he was alone with Zayn.

Zayn looked up from the chair at Harry, as if he could feel the lingering gaze, raising his eyebrows. He shook his head in defeat, tapping his phone screen once more, watching as the blackness disappeared.

11:00 A.M.

They saw her dirty high top Converse first. "Visiting hours have begun," the woman said. The pair looked forward toward the new voice, coming face to face with Louis' half sister, who appeared as if she had not slept in weeks. Her oversized sweater, that Harry was sure belonged to her father, went down to her knees, pooling at his wrists. She had not had the time to re-bleach her hair over the past few months, so her roots were coming in strong. Two haphazardly done braids hung over her shoulders as sad, tired eyes stared back at the two men. She nodded toward the area she had come from, holding a styrofoam cup to her chest as the men stood up from the old waiting room chairs.

It was a quiet morning. The trio walked down the long, artificially lit hallway, the only sounds being the scuff of their shoes against the linoleum, distant beeping, and the rustle of papers as the nurses passed by.

"You know... you don't have to get here at 11:00 A.M. on the dot every day, right?" Lottie spoke up, glancing behind her as the three of them got into the elevator at the end of the hall. She pressed the number "4", watching as the steel doors closed slowly.

"I don't... I get here at 10," Zayn replied, not making eye contact as he removed his headphones, placing the wired accessory into the pocket of his ripped blue jeans.

Lottie sighed, taking a slow slip of her coffee as she hugged her free arm across her chest. She looked over to Harry who was standing in the corner of the elevator in hopes of a response, but he did not give one.

"Alright," she whispered when the elevator doors parted on the fourth floor. She quickly exited the enclosure, shuffling down the hallway with her head bowed. The two men followed close behind in silence, keeping distance between them.

This was a walk they have done almost every day since the end of December, like clockwork.

9:00 A.M.- Wake up
9:10 A.M.- Shower
9:45 A.M.- Leave for the hospital
10:15 A.M.- Arrive at the hospital
10:25 A.M.- Check in
10:30 A.M.- Grab a coffee at Costa Coffee and sit in the waiting area
11:00 A.M.- Visiting hours begin, and Lottie comes to bring them up to Louis' room