"Liam Payne" was all I could blubber out to the nurse at the front desk when I got to the hospital.
Receiving the voicemail from the hospital telling me my brother was hurt was the absolute worst feeling I've ever had. Worse than heartbreak, worse than eternal sadness because what was in danger was my everything. And when your everything i s hurt, you're hurt too.
The nurse gave me to room Liam was staying in after I had confirmed I was his sister, stumbling towards the door.
I didn't care to wipe the tears away from my face because the tear stains on my cheeks showed me that I still had feelings. That I could still hurt for someone other than myself.
I opened the room door I was given, seeing Liam lying on the bed expecting him to look to me and wonder where I've been.
"Li?" I muttered having someone behind me startle me.
"Ms. Payne" he said, entering the room before me and offering a seat for me to sit on.
Keeping my eye on Liam, I sat at the chair having the doctor pull out his form on the end of the bed.
"Is he-is he sleeping?" I asked with a sniffle.
"Technically speaking, yes" he replied making me look at him in panic.
Seeing my watery eyes, his features warmed up, "I'm Dr. Roland" he held his hand out for me to shake, "I tended to your brother during his time here"
"Can you just tell me what happened" I tried not to sound vulnerable having that fail for me.
"Um okay" he said, opening his folder, "Mr. Payne, Liam, came in December 10th with a gunshot to the abdomen and several fractures to his ribs and shoulders" Dr. Roland began to say, "And according to his friend Mr. Brad Percy, he got in a fight after a rival football match. The other teams fans were rather angry that their team lost and took their anger out on a couple players, your brother being a main victim"
"Oh my God" I choked looking to Liam again, "C-can I wake him up? So he can know I'm here"
The doctor pursed his lips, "Ms. Payne during his surgery to remove the bullet, your brother lost large amounts of blood. We were looking for you seeing you had the same blood type but we were informed about your trip so it took a while to find another donor because of your rare blood type" he said making me begin to tear again, "During the wait, your brother went into a coma"
I choked, letting out a quiet sob and looking to Liam once again seeing him lay still on the bed.
He looked so peaceful, but a part of me knew he was dying inside because Liam was never one to want to be disconnected from the world.
I sat still on the white plastic seat, not even noticing Dr. Roland had left.
I sloppily stood up from the chair and swept my feet across the tiled floor to sit on the bed with him.
I watched to see if he was breathing, very faintly. He wasn't snoring like he usually does which led me to believe he wasn't asleep but just dead with his heart still beating.
I lay down on the bed beside him, looking at his chapped lips and bruised cheek.
And I cried, because whilst I was gone and having fun my brother was here in misery.
I should have known, he didn't answer my messages or calls and I was so oblivious to the fact that something could've been wrong with him because I was so wrapped up into what was going on in my world.
I looked to Liam, his eyes shut and I wondered what he saw behind the darkness of his eyelids.
And in this moment, I found out who the sun to my world is. Because right now, my sun is dimmed, and my world is falling apart in utter darkness.
~ Harry's _ POV +
"That's such a stupid thing to do" Zayn rolled his eyes as he ate his popcorn, "Why on Earth would you not bring condoms to a party?"
"I think they had condoms just didn't use them" Beth explained.
"Why on Earth would you not use condoms at a part?" Zayn corrected himself as he threw popcorn to the screen.
"This movie sucks" I said, "It's nearly rare to get pregnant at a party"
"Really Harry?" Gen raised an eyebrow to me making me stick my tongue out to her and kick my feet to hers.
"I agree with Haz, this movie kind of does suck" Mel said sitting up from where she lay next to Zayn.
"Fine, then we're watching what I want" Zayn said making us all groan, "Hey, it is my birthday"
"Cocky much?" Beth teased, getting up to get us another bowl of popcorn.
Whilst we waited for her to prepare that, we all engaged in our own conversation having Gen and I fall into one of our own since we were already entangled within one another on the couch.
"What the fuck is on your ear?" I asked, noticing the ring in her ear.
She elbowed me in the chest, making it easy since she was lying right in behind her.
"It's a cartilage piercing, Vanessa and I got them on our way back here"
"How is the friendship with Vanessa?" I asked ripping apart a strip of licorice with my arms wrapped to the front of Gen since it being the only space I had.
"She pierced my ear so I'm hoping it's great" she said making me choke and the piece of licorice I had in my mouth.
"She pierced your ear?" I asked in shock, "Wow that's a friendship to wish for, I mean it's not like you and I have known each since we were ten or anything" I laughed having her roll her eyes, "We could've gotten matching heart tattoos on our backs or our ankles" I said with a sarcastic tone.
She elbowed me again, making me whine in pain.
"And you were ten, I was eleven" she remarked making me snicker.
"What a major difference"
"It is because since you were younger you were less mature which is why you threw that damn lunch box at me"
"Hey it was year 5 that's how boys told their crushes they liked them" I explained having her turn her head to look at me.
"So you had a crush on me when we met?" she asked making me look at her stupidly.
"Yeah, I thought everyone knew"
"Everyone did know I'm just screwing with you" she laughed taking the one piece of licorice from my hand.
Zayn began the new movie when Beth came back, having all of us bring our focus back to the television screen.
Gen's phone began to vibrate on the coffee table, making me see the contact name before she reached for it and left for the other room.
I watched her walk to Zayn's hallway whilst I sat up on the couch, trying to decide whether I should follow her or not.
Deciding on no, I tried to focus on the film but only to have myself keep wondering what Gen was saying on the phone.
Gen rushed back out, quickly looking to me and sneaking past our friends.
"I need you to drive me somewhere" she whispered to me making me knit my eyebrows to her in concern.
~ | _ | +
"What exactly did she tell you?" I asked Gen as I sped down the streets in the middle of the night.
The second Gen told me Vanessa was at the hospital, I've never grabbed my keys and left a place faster than tonight.
"She said her brother was put into the hospital and that she just needs someone to be with her right now" she explained, holding on for dear life.
"How did Liam end up in the hospital?"
"I don't know Harry, we didn't have a kumbaya and tell each other everything that's going on" she snapped making me look at her to calm down.
We pulled up to the hospital parking lot, bringing back bad memories of being here months ago from that car accident.
"I'm coming too" I told her beginning to unbuckle my seat belt.
"Actually" she began to say, "I think it's best if you stay here"
"What? Why?" I asked.
"It's just with all that happened between you and her, I think it's best if it's just Vanessa and I" she said, giving me a look of sympathy.
I just nodded, leaning back in the seat and waited for Gen to exit the car.
I looked to the rather large hospital building, wondering which room Vanessa and Liam were in.
I kept trying to scratch away the guilt of not being there with her, supporting her through whatever it was going on. Of course I respected the friendship Gen has with Vanessa, but no matter what situation or place we are everyone deserves and supportive shoulder.
I checked the time on the car's digital clock, having it feel like it was taking Gen hours which it probably would take since she was there to be with Vanessa.
My stress, clearly making time go slower to me, made me snatch my phone from the cup holder and dial Gen's number. It rang and it rang, leading to her voicemail and I sighed ready to speak to her inbox.
"I'm going home Gen, call me if you need a ride back" I said into the microphone, hanging up the phone and drive back to Zayn's.
~ | _ | +
"Was everything all right?" Mel asked when I walked into the flat to find everyone still here.
"Um, yeah" I said with a rasp to my voice, "I'm going to bed" I announced, dragging my feet across the floor and to my room down the hallway.
Kicking off my shoes, I head toward the bed not looking to get ready for bed but just sleep.
"What did you and Gen run off for?" Zayn asked as he entered the room and sat next to me on the mattress.
I looked to him whilst taking off my socks, "There was an emergency, she's got it handled"
"Was it something with the Aussie boys?"
"Yeah, I guess" I lied, "I'm really tired Zee, I'll see you in the morning?"
Zayn nodded, closing the door on his way out whilst I pulled away the sheets and brought myself in the warmness of the bed.
But sleep never came to me, what came to me was worry and nervousness as to what was going on at that hospital.
~ Vanessa's _ POV +
"I'm so sorry Vanessa" Gen said after I had told her about Liam.
Those words. Oh how many times I've heard those words, when my mother died I'd hear them almost everyday at school.
I looked to Liam, despising him for making me go through this again. But whenever I felt the anger I'd break into a sob, because I love my brother.
"I should've been here" I said, "I should've been here for his game, and he wouldn't have needed a ride from one of his teammates and this wouldn't have happened"
"Vanessa that fight would've happened whether you were there or not" she told me.
"But I would've been here with him at first" I cried, reaching to hold his hand.
Gen said nothing, but stood behind me and I could feel her eyes looking at us in sympathy.
"Do you want me to go get you something to eat from the vending machine?" she asked having me nod.
I rubbed circles on Liam's knuckles, bringing the nails on my other hand between my teeth.
I watched as Liam slowly breathed, saw how his eyelashes lay gently on the tops of his cheeks.
The doctor came back to explain to me that being in a coma meant you're in such a deep sleep, there's small chance that you know what's going on in your surroundings, and that the sleep is so deep that you don't dream.
The last one made me ache because Liam had always said he loved to sleep because he loved to dream, his dreams were his getaway as my showers are mine. And for him to not dream during his longest sleep makes me ache.
The sound of a ringing phone echoed through the room, in efforts to ignore it I brought my head to the bed Liam slept on.
I breathed in the scent of him, having it become masked by the medical medicine he's been given.
The door to the hospital room opened, having a hand come to my shoulder and hand me a granola bar.
"Your phone rang" I told Gen, taking the snack she brought.
"That's not that important" she said, "I'm here for you"
Gen stayed until midnight when she didn't want anyone to worry about where she was.
I attempted on staying all night, but the doctor insisted I go home every night to sleep and that I can come back every morning.
With a sigh, I gathered my stuff before looking to Liam one last time and leaving the room.
The next day I came back the second there was a sign of the sun, having no sleep at all the night before.
I missed work yesterday, and I'm missing it again today being almost certain I was lost of a job by now. Of course I could talk to Candace, but no one should miss this many days of work. And well enough, the same day Candace called to ask what was going on. Without answer I simply told her I was unable to work anymore.
The day after, I picked up a couple biscuits and a cup of coffee to get myself through the day since all I've been living off of were granola bars and cheap tea.
On the third day I didn't have breakfast, I went straight to Liam and watched his chest rise and fall as he slowly breathed. Every so often his finger would twitch, having me jolt in hopes he'd wake up but then he'd go back to keeping still.
The nurse came in minutes later, telling me he needed his checkup to make sure his heart was intact.
"How long have you been tending to him?" I asked the nurse, who I noticed had her hair up in a proper bun and shoes neatly laced.
"Since he got here, so about a month" she explained with a warm smile as she adjusted Liam's blankets.
"How long do you think he'll be like this?"
The nurse sat herself next to me and gave me a couple of warm eyes, "No one can tell" she said softly, "Sometimes we're lucky to have them wake"
"Do you think he'll never wake up?" my eyes teared up.
"There's no way to know" she said again, "But that's why there's hope" she smiled staying up from the chair and making her way to the door.
"I do hope he wakes up" she said before exiting, "He seems like a lovely person"
I managed a smile to her, I looked back to Liam reaching my hand to his.
"I love you Li" I whispered, not knowing if he couldn't hear me or not.
I felt his finger twitch again in my palm.
My eyes watered, having a small sob escape my lips I brought my forehead to our hands and felt his cold skin.
I sniffled, trying not to get my tears onto his hand.
"How are you holding up?" I heard a familiar voice ask, making me panic and pull away from Liam.
I didn't answer, but kept looking to Liam hearing footsteps approach where I sat in the white plastic chair.
"How is he?" he asked after having no answer from his first question.
"Dead" I said, squeezing Liam's hand.
"You can't think like that Ness" he told me, making me choke at the nickname.
"What are you doing here?" I asked as I examined Liam's knuckles.
"Because no matter what situation you and I are in, it doesn't involve you and your brother. I thought you needed a hand of moral support, even if it is my hand" Harry told me, "That's if you're willing to take it"
Wiping a year from my cheek, I looked up to Harry seeing him stood right behind the chair with solemn eyes.
I nodded, standing up from the chair and bringing my arms around his neck, catching him off guard and take a while to hug me back.
This moment was a moment of not forgiveness but forget. We forgot what happened to us. Forgot the actions that caused the hurt between us. Forgot that we were ever separated.
"Thank you" I muttered, having his grip tighten around my shoulders.
"Of course" he muttered back.
I pulled away, going back to Liam and getting into his bed.
I laid myself next to him, having Harry sit in the chair I was in.
I brought my arm around Liam, and I felt Harry's gentle fingers begin to comfortably play with my hair.
_____________________
Song on le side >>
Be Still by The Fray