Let Me Love You

“We have contacted Alisha’s previous guardian.” The doctor says with his deep firm voice.

“What do you mean by ‘previous guardian’?” Zayn asks.

Two days have passed and One Direction, having had enough of sleeping on hospital beds, decided to rent two rooms at the nearest hotel which happens to be half an hour away.

The doctor called the boys into his office to discuss the incident and what One Direction has to do now.

“When Alisha was eight her biological mother had abandoned her and her new born brother at the New York Orphanage.” The doctor says.

Nialls eyebrows shoot up at the news.

“Was she adopted?” He asks in his Irish accent.

“Not quite.” The doctor replies, his pinkish face hovering over his white jacket.“Wanting to stay together, they agreed to be taken in by many foster families. Though when she turned seventeen, her guardians at the time wanted only her brother. Her brother was six then.”

“Wait, slow down a minute.” Louis exclaims, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion, different thoughts and ideas dancing in his mind. “So then where did she go if they didn't want her any more?”

“They were forced to keep her until she turned eighteen, then she became her brother’s legal guardian and came here with her brother in search for a fresh start.” The doctor replies.

Harry lets out a sigh in frustration, earning a warning look from Liam.

“So she lives here with her brother, is he coming to see her?” Liam interjects, many questions swirling in his mind.

“Her brothers too young, he's only seven years old now.” The doctor replies.

“Hold up. How did she even get to England in the first place?” Niall asks, feeling confused as ever.

Harry frowns and crosses his arms, this was getting no where fast.

“Her previous guardian told us that Alisha was working and saved her money up for eight years, she had told them it was for university.” The doctor informs them.

“So she lied?” Louis asks, feeling even guiltier than he did before when he had hit her with his car.

“Maybe she wants to go to a university over here.” Harry guesses bemusedly, directing the answer more to the boys than to the doctor so they would drop the subject and decide to leave already.

The doctor shakes his head. “No," he turns to Zayn, leaning his body forward, "we searched up information on her as you asked, Mr. Malik, and didn't find her name enrolled into any university within England. But it’s not surprising since she does work to provide for her family.”

The boys turn to look at Zayn questioningly, who just shrugs in reply.

"What? I just wanted to know a little background information." He says defensively as he leans back in his seat and looks down at his crossed arms.

“Damn, out of all the people-” Louis trails off as he brushes a hand through his hair.

He just had to hit the girl who has a little brother depending on her, didn't he? Now who would provide money for her family?

“So... now what?” Harry asks impatiently, wanting this meeting to be adjourned already.

“Now, you boys have to pay for her operation. Just for the concussion and injuries caused to her legs, ribs and back.” The doctor replies. “I doubt she would file any charges, considering from her background, well... as long as she goes back to her normal self.”

“So we wait till she wakes up and see if everything’s normal?” Naill asks, scratching the back of her head.

“Not really. Everything is already normal; you can leave whenever you want.” The doctor replies.

Harry straightens his slouched back at the news, turning his head to face Liam excitedly, his smile instantly fading when his eyes rest upon Liam's scowl. Now that Harry had a closer look at Liams face, Harry saw that Liam had deep, dark shadows under his eyes and his hair was much messier than it usually was.

“How can we just leave? We hit her with our car!” Liam exclaims irritatedly at the doctor, directing the question toward both Harry and the doctor.

Louis sighs, “Wonder if she’s a fan of One Direction. Maybe then I can make it up to her…” he mutters to no one in particular.

Harry turns to Louis, his features going rigid with worry for his friend. “I'm sure she doesn't hate you Louis.” Harry says, emphasizing on the word 'hate'.

Louis frowns as he turns to see his friend, a saddened expression on his face.

“Harry, I ran her over with my car. I gave her a severe head injury and concussion and other injuries way worse around her body. And to top it all off she can’t go back to work for a year, maybe even longer, which, by the way, she uses to provide money for her family." Louis pauses to take a deep breath, "If she doesn't hate me, I will hate me.” He concludes, rubbing his tired, bloodshot eyes.

Harry clenches his hands. Anger and fury building up in the pit of his stomach, all directed toward one person.
Louis doesn't have to go through this. He wouldn't have to, if it weren't for that girl. Harry thinks to himself bitterly, shaking his head.

“Well when you put it that way...” Niall says while smiling, trying to lighten up the room with a bit of humour.

Everyone turns to look at Niall in confusion, who returns their stares with the most widest, humorous smile ever, as if he had just said the worlds most funniest joke or something.

Only Niall could understand his own jokes. Zayn thinks whilst shaking his head, a small smile forming on his lips.

Liam rolls his eyes, his own lips tugging upward at the edges, as he turns back to the doctor.

“Let’s just say you've got luck by your side. If she had been struck with amnesia, or any type of paralysis, you boys would've been in court this very minute.” The doctor says, amusement in his tone.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, letting all the information sink in. They couldn't believe that it has already been two days since 'the accident'. They were all worried and stressed out about what the press and media were spreading about them, worse yet whether Paul had found out already or not. Most of all, they felt guilty. Guilty about ruining Paul's honeymoon, destroying their reputation and especially about hitting the poor girl with their car, who by the way has a seven year old brother, which they had to find and make sure was safe. They wondered if Paul had found out about the accident already, they didn't want to ruin Paul's honeymoon by calling him and informing him about what had happened before he originally finds out, whether by switching on the T.V or when he comes back to England.

Paul was supposed to return in six weeks, and already three days had passed from them.

Zayn chuckles humourlessly to no one in particular. Paul was gone for three days and they managed to do something like this already. Were they really that incapable without him?

Just then, Liam turns and looks toward Zayn, who returned his stare in confusion. Using his eyes, Liam gestures toward the door of the doctors office. Zayn nods in recognition, getting the message and turns back to the doctor, cutting off eye contact with Liam.

“Well then, is that all?” Zayn asks feeling stiff by having to sit down for what seems like a very, very, long time.

The doctor clears his throat. “Yes, though seeing that all of you are eighteen and above, we would like you to fill in some forms.” The doctor replies.

Harry lets out a sigh in boredom. “If only I was born a month later…” He mutters to himself.

He only turned eighteen a few days ago. In fact they were celebrating Harry's eighteenth the day of the accident, though Harry doesn't quite remember much of the night of the celebration. When he asked the other boys what happened that night before the crash, none of them seemed to remember. He shrugged it off though, they were probably too drunk, partying or something.

Guilt tugged on the pit of his stomach as a dangerous thought flew around his mind. But Louis wasn't drunk, he was supposed to be the responsible driver for the night. How did this accident happen? And how did Louis not remember the party if he wasn't drunk?

They hid the fact that they were celebrating Harry's eighteenth from everyone but themselves and the people who were at the party, just in case the media created another story way worse than the ones they were already telling the world.

“Then your mother would've been involved.” Liam states meaningfully, a mocking smile hidden in his tone.

Harry's features stiffens, “Oh shit." He says, shaking his head in disbelief, "Thank God I'm eighteen.” He says more enthusiastically.

The doctor brings out a blue folder onto his wooden desk and shuffles into them looking for some papers.

Niall tries to stretch his numb legs while sitting on the uncomfortable chairs when someone knocks on the office doors making him jump back in glee. “Come in!” He calls out happily, earning a glare from the doctor.

Woops, didn't mean to yell that out. Niall thinks while smiling apologetically at the doctor.

The door opens to reveal a short lady in her mid-forties wearing the nurse uniform.

“What is it?” The doctor spits, which Zayn finds very rude, in annoyance at the Nurse.

The nurse smiles nervously as she hugs her clip board against her chest more tightly. “Sorry to interrupt you doctor," She says in worry, Liam observes that she was clearly afraid of the doctor, which meant that he wasn't the most friendliest of doctors working here. "but patient number 83 has just gained consciousness.”

“What!?” Louis instantly exclaims, jumping onto his feet with such force it was as if he was struck by lightning. “She’s awake?!” He shouts in terror as he turns to Harry, anxiety in his facial expression.

Harry, caught off guard and in shock, gets on his feet as well.

"Wha-?" He begins to ask in confusion, but he stumbles slightly on his feet.

The boys were so worried about the press and the media covering 'the incident' that they hadn't prepared themselves for when the girl actually woke up.

“That’s great!” Niall yells in glee and happiness, already standing up.

Niall turns to look at his band mates, his lips forming the widest grin he has ever formed until his eyes settle on the wide eyed, pale face of his friend. The smile disappearing as quick as it was formed, a look of worry taking its place.

Louis feels his surroundings slow down as if going in slow motion. His heart freezes into a temperature way below the coldest depths of Antarctica. As if icicles were filing his veins and flowing into his lungs.

She’s finally awake.

She's finally awake and he has no choice but to face her.

Could he really bring himself to face her, and the conditions he put her into? He thinks to himself, his mind swirling with possibilities and sceneries at a maddening speed.

Visions of that night filled his mind.

The poor girl, laying on the ground in an unhealthy position, drowning in a pool of her own blood which was flowing down hill, mixing with the cold, freezing rain pouring down harshly on their bodies. Her face was blank of any expression, as if asleep. Her brown hair flying in every direction as the wind blew at them with no mercy.

Louis just stood there helplessly in shock and fear, screaming and yelling "I didn't see her! I-I."

"No one's blaming you Louis." Liam barks at his friend, annoyance and anxiety filling his tone

But how could they not blame him?

He was behind the wheel.

He wasn't the drunk one.

He was supposed to be the responsible driver for the night.

Of course..

It was all his fault.

How could he stand to face her? Just the thought of being in the same building as her made his surroundings swirl together into a giant tornado moving in such a slow, agonizing pace, as if all was trapped in a slow blur surrounding him, with him in the centre, standing in the eye of the slow moving tornado. Him watching in agony, in pain, suffocating and choking in his own tears.

He sucked in a deep breath, not catching as much oxygen as he needed. He felt as if layers of ice were building up in his lungs, preventing air from entering his body.

A hand was put onto his shoulder, squeezing it in reassurance. He recognized it as Harry's, instantly sending a friendly warmth to flow across his chest. His frozen heart resuming to beat once again.

“Don’t worry Louis," Zayn says, his voice flowing out of the tornado and into Louis' ears, "You can do this.” He says, trying to comfort his friend as much as possible.

But Zayn knows that in reality; if he was in Louis’ place right now, he would have felt a heck of a lot worse than what Louis was showing on his face right now.

It was like a horror movie, a worry that was lurking in the dark shadows, terrorizing them, striking at them when ever they turned their backs to it. None of the boys could escape, and it was just merely the beginning. What had happened that night, right before the accident? It frustrated Zayn more than anything that he didn't know. That none of them knew.

Zayn sucks in a huge breath of suffocatingly warm air, a drop of sweat sliding down his cheekbone despite the cold temperatures outside the building, "Let us see her." He says at last.