RECAP: the island is sick, there's pirates attacking the Lost Boys/Girls too, Harry and Louis are all made up and happy, except right at the end there Harry got sick and passed out so the gang have gone to find the cure asap :) read on.
20. Here Beside Me (From "Mulan II")
How could I let you go? How could I bear my life without you here with me?
.
Louis let out a deep breath, rubbing his hands together before he held them in front of the warm fire. They'd been walking all day and had finally stopped to rest for the night, but it did little to calm Louis' nerves.
Harry was back at the main camp, hanging onto life by a mere thread as he and their baby waited for them to return.
Liam, Niall, Zayn and himself had been given a drawing from Pan of the vine they were looking for, but they had little else to go on aside from that. Liam was good with plants, so the group had decided to leave that up to him. Louis wasn't quite sure what he was good for on the trek, so he decided to focus on just getting the group to the caves and back safely.
Alone by the fire, he'd been given a fair amount of time to think about things, which led him to overthinking, of course. All he could think about was Harry, which made him worry.
Then, he heard some leaves rustling, snapping him out of his daze. He looked to his left to see Niall sitting on the log beside him and offered him a brief smile.
"Hey, bud." Niall said softly, settling into his wooden seat. "You alright?"
"Fine." Louis mumbled rubbing his hands over his face. "Can't sleep."
"The sun'll be up soon," Niall continued in a small voice. "You should at least try-"
"I'm fine, Niall." Louis looked at him with a hard expression. All he wanted, was to get the leaves and return to his Harry.
Niall watched him for a moment longer, before letting out a long sigh and putting an arm around his shoulder.
"He's going to be alright." The blonde whispered. Louis gulped and looked down, nodding.
"I know." Louis answered. "I know." He repeated softly, mostly to convince himself. All he could think about was Harry and how at any given moment, the boy, his boy, the love of his life, could take his last breath, and Louis wouldn't be there.
Not to mention their baby. It was still surreal to him that they were having a baby. He'd always dreamed of marrying Harry, and having a family with him, and now it was happening. He couldn't let it all be taken away from him.
Eventually, Niall left to get a few more hours of sleep, leaving Louis alone by the dwindling fire. Soon enough, he also fell asleep, his last thoughts of him and Harry and their life back in London. He couldn't wait to get it all back.
.
The following morning, the boys were up at the crack of dawn and were on the move again. With their rucksacks on their backs, and Zayn leading the way with the map, they were making good headway.
Louis was walking in the back, keeping a lookout for anything or anyone who could pose a threat. There had been multiple sightings of strange things in the forest ever since the sickness had started taking victims, so the forest had become quite dangerous. Louis wasn't sure what help he was on the trip, but the one thing he knew he could do was protect the others, so they made it home alive.
With his head hung, Louis eyes had hardly left the leafy floor of the forest, except to ensure they weren't being followed. He watched the four of them crunch twigs and fallen leaves between their feet. He'd managed to work up a rhythm between their movements and the sounds they were making. Everything was fine, and they were almost to their destination, until something sounded different.
Louis frowned and lifted his head, checking their surroundings, but the boys were still walking the same, and there didn't seem to be anything lurking in the trees.
There it was again, the snap of a branch in the distance, a hushed whisper, the crunch of some leaves that definitely wasn't made by their company.
Louis' heart stopped. Something was wrong. He knew it. He checked the surrounding trees, but he couldn't see much.
For the next few minutes, his eyes were on the green bushes they were walking through.
Every now and then, he saw a blurry movement out of the corner of his eye, which only made him even more anxious.
Somewhere, a twig snapped and so did Louis' calm demeanour. He took a shaky breath and ran a hand through his hair.
He stopped walking, and whipped his head around, his eyes becoming frantic as he tried to find the source of the sound. He wanted to convince himself that it was nothing, but he kept hearing it, and it was getting closer. Someone was coming.
He dropped his rucksack, and the boys all turned to look at him, wondering what was wrong.
"You right, Lou?" Liam asked, and he shook his head.
"We're being followed." Louis said in a low voice.
"What-" Zayn tried to ask but he was cut off.
"We're being followed!" Louis hissed. He paused, then stepped forward. "Okay, you need to keep going, get the antidote at all costs-"
Before he could finish, Liam was yelling and Niall was pulling him to the ground just in time as an arrow hit the tree where Louis had been standing.
"Fuck." Zayn huffed, just as they heard yelling from the trees.
"GET THEM!"
All 4 of them jumped up and started ran through the forest, ignoring the branches whipping their faces as they tried to get away.
The yelling was getting louder, as were the running footsteps. Louis could see the men now, large, burly pirates, they looked like, with weapons and very dangerous glints in their eyes. They weren't good.
Soon, Louis spotted a fallen branch with a cover large enough to hide them.
"Over here!" He hissed, pulling Niall towards it so the others would follow. He shoved the blonde in first as he waited for the other two to clamber over the large tree roots and follow.
Once they were all inside, they huddled together, keeping as silent as possible as they heard the pirates coming for them.
"Where are they!" Someone shouted.
"This way!" Called a second voice, and soon, the sounds were fading. The strangers were leaving.
"We can't keep going." Liam whispered as they heard leaves crunch away. "We need to go back. Tell Pan-"
"We're not going back." Louis shook his head. "We need the antidote."
"It's too dangerous." Niall tried to pleading with him, but Louis wasn't going to listen.
"Then you can all turn back, but I'll keep going." Louis whispered.
They all fell silent as they heard shouts in the distance and more leaves rustling. They stayed quiet for a moment, but as soon as they were sure it was safe, they decided it was okay to climb out of their hiding place.
"I don't think we should go," Liam began climbing out first, followed by Zayn as he stretched his arms up to the sky. "We need more protection. Its far too dangerous."
"Yeah, we-" Zayn began to agree as Louis watched his legs disappear out of the entrance. Then, it fell silent as a twig snapped from behind them.
Niall was about to follow, completely oblivious, but Louis grabbed him and pulled him back inside.
Louis' heart began to race. He was so sure the strangers were gone.
Niall and Louis shared a confused look as Louis held him close, covering his mouth with a hand as he tried to slow his breathing.
Fuck. He thought to himself as he felt Niall shake in his arms. They'd been caught. He closed his eyes stuttered out a nervous breath, before blinking up at the log covering them, willing himself not to cry. He was terrified, but he didn't want to show it in front of Niall, he needed to be strong for him.
"Where are the other two?" Louis heard a gruff voice ask. He froze, scared any noise would be heard.
"T-They ran." Liam answered, his voice trembling in fear. Louis clenched his eyes close as he willed himself not to cry. They were done for, completely. They weren't going to get the antidote, and Harry was going to die.
"We d-don't know w-where." Zayn added. Louis heard shuffling, but didn't know what was going on.
Then, there was a moment of silence where Louis wasn't sure if Liam and Zayn were even still there. He held his breath, waiting for something. Anything.
"Tie them up." The gruff voice ordered. "You, go find the other two. They can't have gotten far."
Louis opened his eyes and felt Niall's grip on his arm get tighter. They stayed completely still until all noise had subsided.
"D-Do you think they're gone?" Niall asked. Louis didn't answer. Instead, he leant forward, peeking inconspicuously through the branches covering them.
He could see a group of men, with Liam and Zayn tied up in the middle of them, walking away through the jungle.
"Yeah," Louis breathed. "They're gone."
"Liam and Zayn-" Niall began, turning in Louis' grasp to look at him through teary eyes.
"They're gone too Ni." Louis replied, keeping his gaze on the outside. "If they get away, they'll be looking for us."
Niall leant forward too, the both of them watching as their friends were taken away.
"We have to go back," Niall's eyes went wide. "Liam and Zayn need help!"
"You have to go back." Louis corrected him, and continued quickly when he saw Niall's worry grow. "We need the antidote or we'll all die in the end. You go back and get help, I'll keep going."
"You're not seriously suggesting that we spilt up when we're being attacked and we're more than a day away from camp!" Niall asked.
"Niall, we have to!" Louis snapped back. "We don't have a choice. I'll see you in a couple of days. Be safe."
"Louis-" Niall tried to call after him but he was already halfway out of their hiding place.
Niall sat there for a moment, dumbfounded, before climbing out himself, alone and ready to find home.
Only when he came to a stand on the forest floor, he was engulfed in a hug.
"It'll be okay." Louis whispered in his ear, holding him close.
"Be careful, Louis." Niall warned him, hugging his friend back. "Stay alive."
"Look after Harry." Louis replied as they pulled away. They smiled, and they nodded, pulling their rucksacks on.
And with a final goodbye, they went their separate ways.
.
"Please hold on, Harry." The fairy whispered, her golden pixie dust falling all around her and her patient.
She fluttered to the bedside table and picked up a dropped full of medicine she'd concocted herself, before flying back over to the sleeping boy, and dropping its contents into his partly opened mouth.
Harry hadn't moved since he'd passed out in Louis' arms, but Tink had promised Louis she'd care for him. So there she was, trying her hardest to help him when his only hope was somewhere in the jungle, waiting for the boys to find it and cure the island.
She flew back to the table and dropped the dropper into a cup, before she sat down and watched him with sad eyes. Harry and the baby were losing health rapidly, and she really didn't know how to help either of them without the cure.
"Please hurry, Louis." She whispered, darting to Harry's head to move some hair from his clammy forehead. She sighed, watching the poor boy, before she decided she should move onto the other patients.
Without another look, she left the room, scared she would break down at the sight of the once happy boy looking so close to the edge. Instead, she tried to direct all her attention towards helping everyone.
She could only hope the boys would be home soon.
.
Louis was struggling.
He found the caves easily, but the vine he needed was much further up the rock face. So he had dropped his things at the cave, and began to climb up the side of the mountain.
With one last climb, he'd be able to reach the ledge, only he couldn't quite get his footing. The wind was whipping his clothing all over and making it hard for him to see. He had dirt all over himself and grit in his eyes, but he was determined to get to the top.
"C'mon," He muttered, moving his hand a little higher. In his new position, he tried again to lift his foot, but he slipped. A split second later, his other foot slipped and he found himself hanging on with only his two hands.
He scrambled on the side of the rock face, trying to catch his footing but he was flailing. With one last haul, he tried to lift himself, but he missed.
He clenched his eyes closed, convinced he was going to fall to his death, but as his fingers slipped off the rock, he felt something clasp around his wrist.
His body jerked in the air as he was caught, and then hauled upwards towards the ledge. Through the wind, he couldn't see what was going on, he simply let himself be lifted.
Once he was at safety, he pulled himself further onto the ledge and wiped at his face. Gasping for breath and wiping his tears away, he looked up.
"Right there?"
Louis looked up, and at first though it was a vision, before he blinked a few times, and registered Liam's voice in his head.
"Liam?" He asked, before breaking out into laughter and pulling his friend into a hug. "What are you doing here?!"
"Saving your ass, looks like." The younger boy chuckled as they pulled back and looked at each other.
Liam had a torn shirt, and blood on his arm as well as a slight black eye. Louis gasped as he took in his appearance.
"What happened to you?" He asked, so Liam explained.
"Some pirates took Zayn and I, but once we got back to their hiding place, we put up a fight." He recounted. "We both got away, but I sent Zayn back to camp to get help. We weren't sure what had happened to you or Niall, so I continued to get the antidote just in case you two got turned around."
He paused and looked Louis up and down, taking in his dirt-covered clothes and grit-filled hair.
"What happened with you and Niall, anyway?" He asked and Louis took a deep breath before explaining everything that had happened since the group had split up.
"Niall's fine. He went back to the camp. But you and Zayn are okay?" Louis replied.
"Yeah, we're fine." Liam nodded. "Now, let's get this antidote."
.
"Where's Harry? WHERE'S HARRY!"
Louis pushed his way through the masses of people back at the camp site, ignoring their cheers and applaud for him and his friends.
He had Liam had successfully found what they were looking for up on the mountain side. They had the antidote and ran with it through the night to the infinites. They threw it in, infused the water and the island's core and a ripple of light emanated from it, letting them know they'd succeeded in their mission.
The island was beginning to heal, which meant the sickness should have been fading too, but they needed to feed the victims the water-infused vine leaves to fully cure them.
So Louis and Liam had made their way back to the camp as quickly as possible with the rest of the leaves in the rucksacks, ready to help their Lost friends.
Apparently, when they'd arrived back, Zayn and Niall had already spread the news that the two of them were getting the cure, so they were greeted with a fanfare upon their arrival.
However, Louis wouldn't stand for the celebrations, he needed to get this cure to his Harry and his baby, before it was too late.
"Move!" He yelled at a group of girls blocking his way. He pushed past them and sprinted up some stairs and across a rope bridge to the infirmary.
He checked the numbered doors until he came to Harry's, and burst inside.
Laying on the bed, exactly as he'd left him, was Harry. His face was pale, his skin clammy and his breaths short. He looked like he was in so much pain, and it killed Louis to see him like that.
He sat in the chair by his side and poured a cup of water out, before quickly soaking some leaves in it. When he saw the water begin to shimmer with the cure, he leant forward, and tried to pour some into Harry's partially open mouth.
"Here, love." Louis whispered, cupping his cheek with one hand as he frowned, concentrating on getting him to drink.
The liquid ran down his throat without a reaction from Harry, and once it was all gone, all Louis could do was wait.
He tried to stay awake and watch him, not wanting to miss the moment he woke, but soon sleep overcame him.
He let his head rest on top of Harry's hand as he gripped it, and dreamt of the moment they would be reunited.
.
.
.
guess who's back, back again, vic is back, tell a friend :))))
so... it's been like 2 months? idk but hey look at that i updated!
i've been in america so like that's exciting, and i'll probably get to update again soon so yay no more waiting a million years
ily if you're still reading this :) x