Clean Criminal // l.s.

What Could Have Been...

Hello! It's been a while since you've heard from me. I'd like to first of all thank you for the success of this story. I had such a fun time writing it and I enjoyed reading all of your comments over the years. I'm so grateful for you and the time you put in to reading Clean Criminal even though it isn't perfect.

As you may know, authors usually toy around with endings and ideas to see what best fits the little world they created. I took a look today at one idea I had to end this novel and I'm quite shocked. I thought it would be fun for you to see what I was toying with. I do have to say that I love the way the story ended. Anyways, as a little laugh and hello from me, I give you "What Could Have Been" the ending.

-Maddie

There is a knock on the door and one of the nurses walks in. He is fairly tall with brown hair and green-blue eyes. He smiles at Harry even though Harry doesn't smile back. He then lets out a sigh, knowing he'll have to have the same conversation he has everyday with Harry.

"How are we today, Mr. Styles?" he asks.

Harry does not reply, simply stares at the wall across the room as he waits for his daily shots. The nurse sets everything up but before he can even insert the needle into Harry's skin, the green eyed man looks up and questions him, "how are you Cris?"

The nurse should have seen it coming, he cannot go a day without being called this name. But he plays along because what else is he to do?

"I'm quite alright, Mr. Styles. How are you?"

Harry smiles at the reply, "swell. Have we caught the person who killed Zayn Malik?"

The nurse inserts the needle before he replies, "why we solved that case weeks ago, don't  you remember?"

Harry gets excited, "of course I remember. It was almost as good as a car chase."

"Indeed, Mr. Styles," the nurse says, handing Harry a few pills to take along with a glass of water. Harry makes a face, but takes them anyways, swallowing the three of them at once.

Harry chugs the glass of water and then hands it to the nurse, "how is Louis Tomlinson? Do you visit him often? He's dead, you know. Got shot near the lungs and died in the hospital after three days. He's a real fighter though. I'd say he's made of steel."

The nurse nodded, "oh, he was very strong, I'd have to say the same thing. I have to say I haven't seen him in the while though. I haven't been to the cemetery since last week."

"You should pay him a visit from me. Don't forget to take some flowers though, he really likes flowers. Make sure you take out the old ones because he doesn't really like messes. He's a little strange that way-wanting everything neat that is. He's a real good guy though, very loving and sweet, like honey. I miss him very much, Cris. He was the only one I really loved."

The nurse sighed, wishing his patient would take an escape to reality just for a moment to realize where he is. "Do you think you'll get a visitor today?" the nurse questioned, cleaning up all of the supplies he had used.

Harry shrugged, and laid down side-ways on his bed so he could watch the nurse clean up, "it'd be nice to see Ed today. He hasn't been around in a long time. I'd really like it if he stopped by sometime. Have you seen him around? He's got really bright red hair, like a firetruck. Oh and he's really funny, he tells the best jokes I've ever heard."

The nurse had not replied before Harry was speaking once more, "he told me this joke about a man that walked into a bar. The funny thing is it wasn't one for drinking, but one like a pole. Isn't that hilarious?" Harry questioned, laughing as he spoke.

"The best joke of the century," the nurse lied.

Harry rolled on to his back, staring up at the ceiling, "I think you better leave, Cris. I'm feeling quite sleepy. Come back later and we can talk then."

"Of course, Mr. Styles," the nurse spoke, fleeing the room as quickly as he could.

Harry soon fell asleep, dreaming of nothing more than the Louis he had lost, the Louis that had caused him so much pain and grief.

The Louis that was completely imaginary, but felt so, so real.