Beside You | Calum Hood

11

Calum's POV

    We are playing our intro waiting for Luke to come out. I look at the guys and Michael shrugs his shoulders while Ashton motions his hands towards me just to keep playing. But I still manage to hear   something over the music. Something I recognize to well. I run off stage, not looking back at the guys for an explanation when I hear Michael talk into the mic,

    "Umm, sorry about that everybody. Just a few minutes, please." I keep running, looking to find the source of the scream.

    "Calum! Calum, help!" Skyler screams. I see her backed up against the wall by Luke, and soon realize that her nightmare is becoming a reality. I charge towards him pushing him to the ground and take Skyler in my arms.

    "Skyler, Oh my god, Sky. What did he do to you?" I ask worried but before she say a word, she collapses in my arms, passing out.

    "Skyler!" I panic, "Someone call for help!"

~

One thing I hate about hospitals is the smell. Once you're there, it sticks to you and when you leave it follows you like a constant reminder of everything bad that can happen in those quiet halls.

I'm sitting in the far side of the waiting room closest to the door, while the boys sit across from me a couple seats down. We're all fidgeting. Our knees bouncing, occasional pacing around the room, and leaning forward with our face in our hands. I'm flipping the necklace Skyler gave me before I left, in my hands. My thumb instinctively running over the indented words, I wish I was... along with her initials on the other side.

Michael looks at me sympathetically, and I just shrug, knowing that she is fine. Ashton on the other hand looks like he's going to pass out himself, as he continuously gets up asking the nurse if we could see her yet or running his hand through his hair.

    I look back down at the dog tag once more, put it in my pocket, and get up from my seat to stretch. Luke begins to step towards me, but I can't even look at him right now. Not after what he did to Skyler. The doctor comes out just in time saving me from doing anything to him again, and I sigh in relief as he steps towards the four of us.

    "How is she? Is she okay?" Ashton rambles, beating me to my questions.

    "She's doing just fine," the doctor says softly, "She was just so overwhelmed by whatever happened, which led to her passing out in the first place. Right now she's resting, but you're welcome to go visit her," I nod and walk down the hall with the doctor, the boys in tow behind, to Skyler's room.

"Here she is," The doctor motions before writing something on his clipboard, "Looks like she's still asleep so just be quiet when you're all in there." We all nod once in response before slowly pushing the door open, and surround the hospital bed in the center of the room.

Skyler looked so peaceful sleeping under the white sheets of the hospital bed. I pull the chair next to the bed closer, and grab her hand, rubbing it softly with my thumb. I shake my head and stare at the ground.

"What have I done?" Luke whimpers in the corner of the room, keeping his distance from me and Skyler.

    "I should've been there sooner, Sky, I'm so sorry," I swallow, my head hanging.

    "Funny how we always end up here, right Cal?" I hear someone say. I look up and see Skyler staring at me, with her signature smirk on her face.

    "Sky," I breath relieved, "Oh my god, Skyler." I get up out of my chair and wrap my arms around her almost immediately. "Are you okay?" I ask, she nods. I kiss her softly to be interrupted by a cough. I pull away to see the boys standing uncomfortably behind me and I sigh,