Love Can Conquer All

chapter 68

Chapter 68

As I stepped into the room my confidence left me as I saw Louis lying in the hospital bed. His face was pale against the white sheets and pillows on the bed and one of his muscular arms had a drip in the hand and a hospital band on his wrist. His eyes were closed and his head was back on the pillow, his hair was still perfect, the only thing that made him look like normal.

Harry and Niall sat down in a chair each. There were three empty ones left which I assumed the rest of the boys had been sitting in before they left. Copying their actions I sat in the seat nearest Louis. His eyes opened as I took his cold hand in mine.

'Aria' He croaked. He must have woken up recently.

'Hey Lou.' I smiled, trying not to sound shocked at how rough he looked. 'Not the best reunion is it?' I joked.

He laughed croakily and coughed, clearing his throat before speaking. 'Yeah, sorry about this.' He smiled sadly, his voice sounded a lot more normal now, just really tired.

'It's okay. I just hope you're alright.' I brought his hands up to my mouth and kissed them. 'I missed you so much.' I whispered.

'I missed you too.' He smiled. 'And I'll be fine, I can go back tomorrow.'

'So what happened?' I asked, wanting to know how he'd ended up here.

'I was on the plane when I started to feel a pain in my side. I thought nothing of it, thinking I was just hungry and I'd be fine after having Nandos once we landed...' He grinned at this. '... but we got off the plane and it was even worse, the boys started to worry. I still didn't think there was a problem until I collapsed on the way to the mini bus.' He squeezed my hand when I grimaced as I imagined it happening. 'The next thing I know I'm awake in the hospital being told my appendix had ruptured and I was going into surgery. I told the boys to leave and then I woke up to Harry kicking off because Martha -the nurse -wouldn't let him in.' He smiled at Harry. 'Then you stormed in with them both, completely breaking the rules, causing me to love you even more.' This time he kissed my hand.

'I'm going to have a wicked cool scar to remember this tour by.' He grinned wickedly as he looked down at his side.

'But you're okay?' Niall said. Louis nodded in response, smiling. 'See, Aria, I told you.' Niall said and then cracked a huge smile 'Lou, you'd have thought it was hilarious, I was in the kitchen making a sandwich when BAM Aria's in the door way holding a can of hairspray like a baseball bat! She saw me dropped it. She even screamed!' He was slapping his thigh as he laughed.

'I did not scream. It was a very loud squeal.' I mumbled 'He's exaggerating.'

'What use would a can of hairspray be?' Harry laughed.

'It was a big can.' I said protectively. 'and if it didn't give him a good case of concussion after knocking him out it could temporarily blind him. He'd have been in a sticky situation.' I grinned.

The boys laughed. 'I'm so glad I wasn't a burglar. I mean, you looked terrifying with your hair all over the place and the wild glint in your eye.' Niall winked at me.

'I'll have you know that I did a lot of wrestling with my brothers when I was little. If it hadn't been 4:30 in the morning and if I wasn't half asleep, I could have taken you down.'

Harry and Niall were both laughing together about my attempt at self-defence. I noticed Louis was pretty quiet on my bed, only laughing softly. I realised he must be in pain.

'Do you need anything?' I asked quietly, leaving the boys chatting.

'No, I'm okay thanks. I'm just gutted I couldn't surprise you the way I wanted to. This wasn't the grand come back I'd planned.' He smiled sadly.

'It's alright. You're back now and that's all that matters.'

'Lou, we're going to head home if that's okay.' Niall said, suddenly serious. 'I'm shattered. At least you had a nap while you were out. We haven't slept since last night.'

'Oh god, I totally forgot that. You guys didn't have to stay, I'm sorry. Thank you for being here.'

'It's okay.' Harry grinned. 'Of course we'd be here. You're like our brother. We'll come back tomorrow.'

Niall and Harry carefully hugged Louis goodbye before waving at me and leaving us alone. The room was suddenly very quiet, the only sound was the beeping of the many machines filling the room.

'I'm so so glad that you're okay.' I whispered. 'As soon as Niall said you were in hospital I immediately thought the worst, I don't know what I'd do without you.'

Louis' hand wiped the tears that had spilled over away from my cheeks with his thumb. 'I'm fine Aria. You worry too much.'

We sat in silence for a while, our hands locked together, until a nurse entered the room. She was short and round with wiry, greying hair. Lines surrounded her dark eyes and her red lips were set in a tight line.

'What are you doing in here?' She barked. 'He's just had surgery, he needs to rest. Visiting times aren't until later. You need to leave.'

'I...' I started. Louis interrupted me.

'Martha, this is my girlfriend Aria. I haven't seen her for the last two months and the first time I get to see her she gets to see me I'm lying in a hospital bed after having surgery. Surely you can let her stay.' He pleaded.

'I'm sorry Mr Tomlinson, she needs to go.' She obviously wasn't going to give in so I looked at her and sighed.

'Fine. I'm going.' I turned back to Louis before speaking. 'I'm going to go home, shower, ring into work and tell them I can't come in before coming back. I'll see you then'

'Work! Oh my god. Yes! You have to tell me all about it!'

I couldn't help but smile at how excited he sounded. 'Will do, I'll see you later.' I kissed him on the forehead, picked up my bag and left the room, brushing past the pit bull nurse that glared at me as I went.

I left the hospital and climbed into my car. I sat with my hands on the wheel, watching the sun as it came up, thanking whoever it was up there, for keeping Louis alive and not letting anything seriously bad happen to him. I wiped a stray tear from my eyes, started the engine and left the car park.