April 15th 2018
Things had changed over the month since Louis had the flu. It had weakened his immune system, and all the downtime had quickened his forgetting how to walk. As much as Harry knew Louis would hate it, he reluctantly had gotten him a walker to help him, but he tried not to make him use it when possible. Things were getting harder, and Harry hated it so much.
It was around 6 in the evening, and Harry was sitting at the table with Louis, trying to get him to eat some chicken soup he'd made. Louis couldn't hold the spoon, even with help anymore, and he was forgetting how to eat, so it was a bit of a task.
"Open up sweetheart," Harry said holding the spoon up to Louis' mouth, but Louis just sat there with his mouth closed. "Please Lou." He pleaded, but still, Louis' mouth remained shut. His mind couldn't grasp the idea of opening his mouth at the moment.
Harry sighed, and gently held Louis' chin, opening his mouth for him and putting the soup in it. Louis sat with the soup in his mouth for a few seconds before managing to swallow it. "Good, now again." Harry said gently and lovingly, doing the same thing again. About halfway through the soup, Louis started opening his own mouth, and Harry was so happy, The small victories were a big deal to him. After Louis finished, Harry wiped up his chin and took the dishes to the sink continuously looking back over his shoulder to make sure Louis was alright.
Harry was about finished with the dishes when he heard his phone start to ring, quickly he went back to the table where he'd left it, seeing it was Lottie, and picking it up. "Hey Lotts, everything alright?" Harry asked, as it sounded like she was crying into the phone.
"No Harry, it's not..." she sobbed, "Can I come over? Is Louis up for visitors? I need to talk..."
"Yeah, he should be fine. Of course you can come over." Harry said kindly.
"O-okay, I'll be over soon. Thanks Haz." She replied, before hanging up.
"Well Louis, looks like we're going to have a visitor, Lottie's coming." Harry told him with a smile, helping him stand up. Instead of using the walker, when possible, Harry just let Louis use him as a stabilizer. With his arms around Louis' middle, Harry very slowly started helping him walk toward the living area. It took a while, but eventually they made it. He pressed a kiss to Louis' temple as they sat on the couch, "I love you." Harry told his lover, "So much." Louis in return, just looked up at him with his empty eyes. He loved Harry too, but he didn't have the capacity to remember or even understand that he did.
Lottie arrived after about twenty minutes, and she was a bit of a wreck. Hair disheveled, makeup melting down her cheeks, and eyes red. "Whoa Lottie... you're not looking so good." Harry said, hugging her, before leading her to the couch to sit down on the other side of Louis.
She tried to smile though, not wanting to explain anything until she got to speak to Louis. "Hi Lou" She smiled at her sweet brother, and held his small hand. Louis smiled a little, liking the sound of her voice, and distantly recognized her.
"So, what's going on?" Harry asked, frowning at the state of her.
"I.....I'm pregnant" she sobbed, putting her head in her hands.
Harry was shocked, Lottie had been single as far as he knew. "Oh wow... Lottie this is huge news."
She nodded, looking up at Harry again and wiping her tears. "I don't think I'm ready for this"
"How far along are you?"
"I'm four weeks... I don't know what to do.. I'm scared." She admitted, she'd only been out on her own a couple of years and didn't feel ready at all.
"Well you've got time to prepare, and I'll help in any way I can" Harry said sympathetically, knowing the almost 20 year old would be needing help, especially since Jay had passed nearly 2 years prior.
"Thanks Harry, it.. it means a lot" She smiled a watery smile.
"Of course," Harry nodded, "So, do you know who the father is?"
Her smile immediately became a frown again, "It's Niall."
"Niall? You mean... like, Niall as in Niall Horan?" Harry was shocked.
"Yeah..." she sighed, "and he's dating Shawn."
Harry nodded, "Well shit. Does he know yet?"
She quickly shook her head, "I don't know how to tell him. Like, 'hey just so you know I'm having your baby'. I mean it's a huge problem, and he's already got a boyfriend."
Harry frowned, "I know... but he does deserve to know.... how did this happen anyway?" He asked, not wanting to be nosy, but Niall had always been fiercely loyal to the boyfriends and girlfriends he'd had in the past.
"I dunno... we were both completely trashed, and it just happened I guess" She cried.
Louis could sense how sad she was, though he'd understood none of it, he knew what crying was of course, and he slowly tried to hug her, his muscle memory a bit off, so it was more like he put his arms on her shoulders.
"I think he's trying to comfort you" Harry whispered, and immediately more tears streamed down Lottie's cheeks as she loved her sweet brother so much. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, crying into her brother's shoulder. "Thanks Lou.." She whispered as she held tightly to him for a while and just cried.
When she eventually pulled away she looked at Harry again, "Is there any way I can tell him I'm pregnant so that he understands?"
Harry sighed sadly, "If you use five or less simple words, there's about a 25% chance he'll understand."
She nodded, knowing he was getting so much worse. She took Louis' hand and put it on her stomach, looking into his eyes before speaking slowly. "Baby in my tummy" She said as simply as possible.
Louis' eyes lit up a little, appearing to understand. After about thirty seconds he made a small sound, his mouth barely open as he was trying to say baby. "b..ee"
"Yeah Lou, a baby." She nodded, wiping her eyes.
A while later, after saying goodbye to her brother, Harry led her to the door. "That was the only thing I think he's understood all day" he said sadly.
She nodded, looking down. "He's getting pretty bad isn't he?"
"Yeah, he can barely walk, and he couldn't remember how to open his mouth at first while eating his dinner today." Harry said tearfully.
"Do you think he'll be around when the baby comes?" Lottie asked hardly above a whisper.
"I honestly don't know Lottie, he's in stage six, and stage seven is complete shutdown." Harry said, completely heartbroken hearing himself say it aloud. "We can only take it a day at a time."
She nodded solemnly. "Well hang in there, and if you need anything let me know." She said, hugging him once more.
"I will, and same to you. I'm happy to help with anything. With the pregnancy, the baby... any of it" He assured.
"Thanks Harry, but you've already got Louis to take care of. I should be fine, but emotionally I may need some support." She admitted.
"Well, call me anytime. I'll always be here to listen" Harry replied.
"Thank you. I will. And I'll let you know what happens with Niall." She said.
"Okay, sounds good. Good luck Lotts." Harry told her as she opened the door.
She thanked him one more time, before heading out to her car.
As Harry got Louis bathed and ready for bed her question kept playing through his mind. Would Louis be around when the baby was born? As much as he wanted him to be, he feared he really wouldn't.
Hey guys! Sorry for being gone so long, hopefully you enjoyed this chapter! I always feel so bad as the story is so sad.. but anyway if you liked it please comment and vote. It means so much! I should be back to updating at least weekly! Loads of love xxx
-Sunnie
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Don't Let Go
Fanfiction"It's like my brain is playing hide and seek.. only one day I won't find it." Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles have been best friends since kindergarten. The pair was inseparable. At age fifteen, they became more than just bestfriends. At age sixtee...
