Impulse

Chapter Twenty-Three

He had a mouse in his hands he couldn't protect and his sisters hardlyknew he existed.No one would miss him. He hoped so. The last thing he wants is more misery caused by his actionsand his words. He's surrounded by monsters but considers himself the worst.So now, with the flickering of a brief light interval that was awarded to him, Louis' vision began todim. His internal organs were shutting down and his mind was becoming too slow to function. 

"I want you to scream." Gemma sits down cross-legged, snapping her fingers by his ear. "Screamand let my brother find you."Louis couldn't. 

He was too charred inside, too spent and broken. He hasn't eaten or drank all dayand his sleep was little. The mouse in his hands didn't let him give up, sniffing his fingers whenthey loosened just the slightest.The writing on the wall was flickering now, but not the light. Like an illusion or mirage it began tofade. Louis watched the blood drain away and the wallpaper come back clean. The hole in the wallwas still there but the mutilated rats were gone.Suddenly a scream was heard. It was his voice but it wasn't him. The disembodiedvoice wasn't shouting a name or any word other than a long, unrelenting cry. Gemma was gone asquickly as she came and Louis fell onto the floor. His side got stuck on the sticky wood, handfalling open and the mouse tumbling out. It crawled back into any crevice it could find.

 "Louis!" There was a voice that answered and warm air tugged on Louis' ear.

 A person breathed over him but Harry only arrived after ten heartbeats, and Edward wasn't thereuntil Harry shouted for him. The hot air was gone as soon as Harry fell to his knees, speaking withjust moving lips but no sound as he urgently removed his shirt to drape over Louis.Edward did the same when he arrived. They both looked so worried that even in Louis' dehydratedand uncomprehending state, he wondered why. He felt a heavy coat being thrown over him and closed his eyes. The mouse never released him, feeling indebted to the boy who couldn't savehimself but protected it. 

"Shit! He's so cold." Harry got to his feet and picked Louis up into his arms carefully."Get him out. Now."

 Edward chased his brother down the narrow hallway, getting them both outbefore the darkness seemed never-ending.Harry didn't stop running until he saw their bedroom down the correct hallway, then never pausingonce before he got Louis to the bathroom. Edward was running too, rushing to keep up with hisbrother with bloodstained clothing and hands.And if he heard someone behind him, felt something breathe down his neck he made sure to notturn around.

* * * * *

"He's warming up." Harry ran his fingers over Louis' cheek that was finally its healthy pinkcomplexion. 

He had Louis in the large tub with him, on his lap and knocked out on his shoulder. They filled theporcelain construction with hotter than warm water and each worked on rejuvenating the body heatthat Louis needed. Edward sat opposite them with the boy's feet in his lap, massaging them veryhaphazardly due to inexperience. 

"Thank fuck." Edward kissed whichever part of their petal he could reach and his lips landedsquarely on his knee.

 Harry was burning up in the water with sweat on his brow and every part of him that wasn't underwater. He couldn't bring himself to care though, so he pressed his mouth to Louis' neck and rubbedthe boy's tummy some more.

 "What was he doing in there, Harry?" Edward kept on working his hands over Louis' legs, slippingcloser so he could lather up the thighs of his fantasies. 

"He just-" Harry pinched the bone of his nose. "He fucking ran and I couldn't catch him intime." 

"Why did he run?" Edward permanently placed his mouth on the point closest to Louis' knee. Hetasted the water and the lavender skin.