Save You Tonight

Louis' ward was quiet in the afternoon the day after he'd been admitted into hospital. Harry had refused to leave until he found out Louis' was awake and well. He leant on his mother's shoulder while she spoke to Jay, trying to keep her mind off Louis. A young, Irish nurse came a few moments later and asked them all to follow her. They were led to the recovery ward.

Harry peered into every bed to his left as they passed, old, young, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, all recovering from some kind of surgery. His legs started to feel like stone, trying to stop him from going any further. He was scared of Louis looking as weak and ill as these other people, his Louis never looked sick.

The nurse gestured towards a bed with a very pale young man lying awkwardly under a thin blue cover, he was staring at his IV as he fiddled with it out of boredom. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair stuck to his forehead. Harry bounded over and threw himself into Louis' good arm. Louis groaned and asked him to be careful.

"Are you okay??" Harry asked, tears forming in his eyes.

"Yeah...I'm a bit sore..." Louis shifted in his bed to make room for Harry to sit with him, letting Jay and Anne shut the diamond pattern curtains and sit to his side on the blue plastic chairs, "what happened?"

As Louis spoke the curtain was pulled open and a doctor came in. He opened his clipboard and had a quick skim read before he answered the question that was originally directed at Jay.

"You're stomach ulcer burst causing gastrointestinal bleeding, we've cauterized the wound and you should be fine."

"Should be?"

"There is always a risk after surgery. We think it would be a very good idea for you to go home tomorrow, sleep in your own bed, but you have to be careful. We would also recommend therapy for your bulimia."

Louis grabbed Harry's hand, tears threatening to spill from his tired looking eyes. The doctors words grew muffled and ignored as Louis zoned out completely. Harry grabbed onto the back of Louis' head and pulled him in close. The doctor left once he was finished speaking. For a few moments the two teenage boys just sat there snuggled in close before Louis spoke weakly.

"Therapy...I'm not mental"

"Louis it'll help you get over this," Harry frowned, running his fingers through Louis hair. He smelt weird, like a hospital, not at all sweet or comforting. Louis sighed and shut his eyes. He was too tired to think anymore. He was sick and Harry was upset, so he'd just have to get better and go to therapy. For Harry.

***

Waves crashed against jagged rocks as the ocean breeze rustled through Louis fluffy brown hair. He opened his eyes and looked around confused. Where was he? How had he gotten there? He stood up and took a step forward, his foot wobbled in the sand and he fell onto his face. For a moment he just lay there in pain before he pulled himself back to his feet. Again he tried to walk and again he fell, a cycle that continued on until he heard Harry's voice calling out his name.

Louis' eyes snapped open for real this time and he found himself in his hospital bed. The curtains were shut and Harry was holding some of Louis' clothes. Harry gave Louis a comforting smile and Louis dragged the sheet off his slim legs before pulling said legs off the bed. Harry tried to help Louis' into his boxers without looking, his face was red and his eyes to the ceiling, Louis was too tired to be ashamed. Next came cropped jogging trousers, a loose white top and a hoody.

"All ready!" Harry smiled, "your mum has already taken everything out to the car, just need you."

Louis nodded and grabbed onto Harry's arm as he struggled to his feet due to the pain in his stomach. Harry held onto him tightly to make sure he was okay as they got out to the car, then helped him carefully into his seat.

The days that followed were a struggle for both boys. Louis' stomach was still in pain so he was having trouble eating and his medication was making him short tempered and cranky. Jay had to go back to work so Harry volunteered himself to keep a good eye on his boyfriend. Louis mostly slept the first day. By the second he was more awake yet remained in bed. On the third day Harry walked into Louis' room to find him pulling himself to his feet.

"Louis careful!"

"Harry I'm fine! Stop treating me like a toddler!" Louis snapped as he walked out of his bedroom and into the bathroom down the hall.

Harry sighed and made Louis' bed before sitting down and hugging his knees. Louis was being such hard work; distant, moody. Harry wanted his happy go lucky Louis back, and he felt like a terrible person for it, he knew this wasn't Louis' fault. It was the meds. He could hear the shower water hitting off the bath tub as Louis finally washed. Harry hoped Louis would come out of the shower in a better mood, however, this was not the case. Louis barked at Harry for trying to help him dress then for suggesting he help dry Louis' dripping hair.

"Will you stop it!" Louis barked, shoving Harry away.

Harry sighed sadly "I'm trying to help...I promised your mum."

"Yeah well I don't need you! I'm not a kid! Why don't you just go home."

Harry threw Louis' hairdryer onto the bed with pursed lips and stormed out of the room without another word. Louis burst into angry tears the moment the front door slammed shut. He was furious at everybody for trying to treat him like some kind of kid or nut case. Yet at the same time he knew his medication was making him hard to deal with and they were only trying to help. He hoped his first therapy session the next day would help.

***

The next day Louis went to his first meeting wiith his new therapist. Once it was all over he jumped the bus home and went into the kitchen to make himself a small lunch.

Later that day Louis shut over his journal and tossed it onto his desk before dragging himself out of his bedroom and down the stairs to his kitchen. There was a knock on the door as Louis poured himself some orange juice and less than a minute later Harry appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"...hey."

Louis looked up and gave Harry a weak smile. He sipped his orange juice and grabbed a small handful of nuts from a bowl his mum had left out that morning. Harry moved over to Louis.

"Your mums working late, she asked if I could come over...is that okay?" He put a hand awkwardly on Louis' shoulder, scared he would go off on one again.

Louis nodded and left the room, making his way to the living room in silence.