Liam's POV
I grab my coat and put it on. Both my hands move around in the pockets searching for a key, but it's not in there. "We have to go NOW!" I shout at Niall in annoyance. He's still upstairs.
"Well I can't just stop this poo!" I hear him shout back.
Oh for fucks sake. "Push harder then!"
Niall screams something else at me but I can't make up his words. I can't believe this boy and his ridiculous timing.
I've had three missed calls from Harry this morning. What I gathered from his voicemails was that something happened to Louis. He couldn't tell me what it was, but the way Harry was crying his words, I expect it's nothing good.
I want to be with him right now and I want to know what's going on. I hate all this speculating.
In the very last voicemail Harry left, he told me that Zayn'd arrived by and that they're handling the situation -whatever the situation is- but he still wants us to come as soon as we can.
I can't believe I've missed Harry's calls.. I'm supposed to be there for him. I'm supposed to be his friend. I'm glad he's with Zayn -at least he's not alone- but I just wish I'd been there too.
"You're being too hard on yourself," Niall states as he peers at me from the top of the stairs. The sound of the toilet flushing still echoes through the house. "I recognise that look. What are you mulling over this time?"
"Oh thank God," I sigh, completely ignoring his question. "Get your ass in the car, Niall. We'll talk later,"
——
Once on the road, I finally take a deep breath. The car smells of hospital coffee and Nando's. My car freshener is not doing the job it's supposed to. It should smell like pine tree in here. Not Nando's. But then, how could my car smell any different when you've got a Niall in it?
"I thought Harry wasn't allowed back at the hospital?"
I shrug. "He wasn't. At least not while Louis is in surgery. Guess surgery is over,"
"Or did they call him back?"
"Could be,"
"He probably snuck back in," Niall grins, nodding now. "That must be it. Like the little frog he is,"
I grin and shake my head at the thought of frog-like-Harry. "Yea, probably,"
We pass the sign saying hospital is only a couple miles ahead.
Niall's quiet. His finger is raised to the window, drawing tiny somethings on the glass.
I lick my lips and feel the airconditioning blow over them. It would've have been such a good day to go to the beach together.
"Hey Liam?" Niall asks. "So say surgery is over and that's why Harry was allowed back.."
I hum a yes.
"And he called you to say that something's wrong with Louis. Right?"
Another hum from me.
"S-shouldn't we be way more worried than we are right now?"
I squeeze my eyes shut.
"Yes," I barely whisper. "I think we should be very worried. But I can't deal with that right now. Not until we're sure,"
"Right, right," Niall sighs quietly. "Better not to work ourselves up, yea?"
I can't say another thing. A hum is still the only sound that can make it over my tongue.
"So tell me," Niall speaks up after a while of heavy silence. "What's your best memory of him?"
Niall always knows how to make me feel better.
"Of Louis?" I question. I'm already smiling at the thought of all the rediculous memories we've made. "There's too many, man"
"Dig deep," Niall encourages. "There has to be a favourite,"
"I love everything about him, man. He used to annoy the shit out of me, but I love him for it," I take a left on the road and crack the window open a bit. "I guess my best memory has to be from the x-factor days,"
Niall chuckles. "Definitely,"
"All of us just hanging out, being little shits, and dancing. I felt so happy back then," Everything was easy. And the five of us just clicked. "Do you remember his dance moves?"
Niall snorts this time. "Yes! Iconic. What was it? Stop the traffic, let 'em through?"
Laughter bubbles up inside of me. "Yes!" I lock eyes with Niall. "Which way we gonna go?"
"Oh there we go!" he finishes for me.
We laugh again while my eyes linger on Niall's just a second too long. My stomach feels weird. Nervous, light. Or is it just from laughing?
"Golden memories," Niall sighs and leans back in his seat.
"Yea,"
I take another left. Not long before we reach hospital now. I might pick up some speed. I'm driving way to slow.
Too slow... I snort at that. Then I realise.
"I know my best memory of him!"
"Hit me,"
"Our first ever music video. We're in the van. Louis being pulled over for-"
"Driving too slow," Niall finishes me again, this time he's already rolling around in laughter.
We meet eyes once more. "Amazing,"
--
Harry's POV
I pop my head up, trying to be discreet. I don't want to get caught. I really liked this ninja-vibe I had going on before. I don't want to ruin it. "Coast is clear," I tell Zayn and give him my best secret agent signalling. Somehow he understands and gets up from behind the desk. I stay put.
He inches towards the back wall. It's were the doctors hang their coats.
"Get over here," Zayn whispers.
I look around. Coast is still clear.
I crawl from my hiding spot and try to look cool by rolling over the floor towards my friend. Sadly, I don't think I looked as cool as I'd hoped because Zayn cracks up.
"Yes, Harry!" He calls, not really whispering this time. "Quick, do a roly poly,"
"Shhh!" I try and look at him scared. But Zayn's still cracking up.
I do the 'roly poly' and end up right next to him. "Alright," I say and blow the hair from my face. "Let's do this then,"
Both Zayn and I take a doctor's coat from the hangers.
"You sure this is going to work?" Zayn asks.
"Not at all," I breathe. "But we've got to try,"
Once the coats are on, we stand up and try to walk as normally as possible. 'Blend in, blend in,' I pray.
It doesn't take a while before Zayn and I have covered half the hospital. We've looked in every room of both the first and second floor.
"Right my friend," Zayn speaks as he squeezes both my shoulders. "Third floor, third chance,"
I look at Zayn. "He better be here,"
If he's not, he might be lost forever. If he's not in any of these remaining rooms, he might be in a room even doctors aren't allowed...
Zayn doesn't answer me. Instead he lets go of me and rolls up the sleeves of his coat. "Let go, Haz," and with that- we're off.
I'm surprised at how easy this little search party is going. We haven't come across any doctors yet. Strange how one minute it's crawling with them and the next it's dead quiet. I almost feel angry.
And I spoke too soon.
The minute Zayn steps out of one of the rooms, he's stopped by a doctor.
The man is right in front of him. And I stand frozen. He hasn't seen me yet. I'm on the other side of the corridor.
I look at Zayn in panic.
He gulps.
Shit.
"Hey..," Zayn starts. "I was just uh- uhh-,"
"Save me the excuses," the doctor says coldly.
Oh no, no, no. It's game over. Zayn, do something! Please save us both.
"What do you mean?" Zayn asks, trying to sound as neutral as possible. But the doctor only seems to be getting angrier.
I don't want to get kicked out of here again. I just want things to go right for once. But then just as I start to lose my mind; the doctor opens his mouth.
"I don't want to hear your excuses," he says. "I thought I'd told you to meet me in the E.R. Come with me now,"
"E.R?" Zayn stammers.
The doctor is already on his way. Zayn looks at me in shock. "E.R?!" He mouths, his eyes wide.
I shrug in response. I don't know what's going on. Has this doctor confused Zayn for someone else?
"Doctor Tahiri," the man says as he walks back to Zayn. "I need you NOW. We haven't got much time to perform the gastrectomy,"
Gastrectomy? I question just as I see that Zayn realises what it means.
"Y-yeah," Zayn stammers again and nudges the doctor to walk along. The man walks away and Zayn runs over to me. His face looks extremely pale.
"He wants me to remove a part of someone's stomach," he whisper-cries.
Woah what?
I want to save him, grab him and run away. But the doctor speeds towards him before I can.
I shoot backwards, hiding behind the wall. Zayn's eyes are big and pleading me to help, but the doctor takes his arm and pulls him along.
"NOW doctor tahini,"
———
Authors note: teeheeee xoxo <3