Niall woke up and looked at the time on his phone. It was 2:15.
He needed a wee, so got out of his bed and walked quietly along to the bathroom.
He opened the door and his heart dropped.
Louis was laying on the floor, pills around him. He wasn't awake.
"oh no Dad! No no no! SOMEBODY HELP!" He yelled as he threw himself on the floor. He lifted Louis up into his arms, crying. "Dad please no!"
Perrie ran in and screamed at the sight.
"What's going on?" Jay asked from behind her.
"Dad! Wake up please!" Niall cried.
Jay called an ambulance.
Perrie sat on the floor and took his hand, she felt for a pulse. There was one, thank God, but it was faint. "Louis. Louis love, you need to wake up for us. Come on love."
Louis let out a barely audible groan as Gemma and Roman appeared at the door.
"Dad?" She whimpered.
"Don't panic Gem. He's alive." Perrie assures her.
Louis was groaning more, his face screwed up in pain.
The ambulance had arrived quickly, and the paramedics took over.
"It's our Dad...he took some pills. Help him please." Niall begged.
Louis was placed on a stretcher and taken to the ambulance.
Perrie went with him. Gemma, Niall and Jay followed in Jay's car. Roman stayed to look after baby Harry.
*****
"How is he?" Gemma asked the doctor.
"He's alive. We pumped his stomach. He was lucky, he didn't take too many to..."
Gemma nodded. "It wasn't an accident though...was it?" A tear rolled down her cheek.
"I would say no." They sat down. "Does he have depression?"
"He hasn't been diagnosed. But...he's been low for a long time. Our brother...he died recently."
The doctor wrote in his notes. "He needs assessing. We'll arrange that once he's awake. You can see him soon."
"Thank you."
Gemma hugged Niall, as Jay came into the room with Perrie.
They all sat quietly, waiting to go in and see Louis.
*****
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. S-sorry!" Louis sobbed as he hugged his Mum.
"Shhh...don't cry love." She replied.
"I'm an arsehole. Im sorry."
"Listen love...you're not an arsehole or anything else. Except for a grieving father. You could've spoken to us. I wish you hadn't kept things to yourself. We're all to blame for this."
"I just w-wanted to be with h-him. He must be so scared."
Jay was crying too as she held her son tighter.
"He's not scared now. He's at peace. He'll want you, all of us, to be happy and live our lives. He wouldn't want you to have done that. Promise me you won't do it again."
"I...I need help Mum! Help me please!"
"I'll make sure you get it. I promise you."
*****
Louis was diagnosed with severe depression. He was in therapy three times a week. It was helping.
The family had always been close, but it was closer now. Regular family get togethers twice a week was one way of dealing with their grief.
*****
In the future...
Baby Harry Edward was christened.
Niall fell in love with a man, Roman's best friend Will. They moved in together. A couple of years later, they got married and adopted a son and daughter, Daniel and Sophie.
Jay moved into the vacant house next door, so she was there quickly if Louis needed him while Perrie was at work.
3 months after losing Harry, Louis proposed to Perrie. Of course she said yes. They were meant to be together...forever.
Gemma and Roman had another baby, a girl who they named Darcy 18 months after Harry was born.
When she went back to work after her maternity leave, Louis looked after them. It gave him more of an incentive to keep going.
He was doing well.
He doesn't think he will ever stop taking his antidepressants though. He still has bad days.
Harry's birthday and Christmases used to be so hard, but they were getting easier.
On each anniversary of his passing, the family would get together to remember him. To celebrate his short life.
Louis and Perrie married in the summer, two years after Harry passed away.
They wished dearly that Harry could have shared their special day.
The family will never forget Harry. The amazing, strong, kind, loving boy who stole their hearts.
Precious.
💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖