Fragile

My eyes slowly opened to a dark room. I felt someone moving beside me. It took me a few moments to realize that it was Louis. I opened the lamp on the bedside table. It emitted a glow that cast a shadow on his face.

He looked pale. His hair was sticking to his forehead with sweat and he kept twisting and turning.

A whimper escaped his lips as a look of pain contorted his features. I pressed my hand against his forehead and he was burning up.

I shook his shoulders to wake him up, but he wasn’t responding.

“Louis. Louis, wake up. Louis! I need you to wake up.”

His eyes flew open and he sat up straight, holding his head.

“Louis, are you okay? You didn’t look so great,” I said, staring into his eyes which looked lost and forlorn.

He shook his head slowly, unwilling to trust his voice. His stomach churned and he ran out of the bed into the nearest bathroom. I heard him retching into the sanitary porcelain bowl.

I cautiously walked toward the bathroom and entered the white room. He was laying by the toilet with his eyes closed tight and his head rested against the cool tile.

“Louis?”

“I guess it was more than just a headache,” he said with a half-grin.

“I guess so. Would you like me to call someone?” I looked at his pale face, wondering what I should do.

“N-no. I’ll be fine. I just need some rest,” he said before turning back to the bowl and heaving, having already thrown up the contents of his stomach.

I knelt down beside him and patted his back, unsure of what to do.

I tried to comfort him, but he seemed to be in his own world. Once he was done, I walked him back to the bed and we sat on it together, his head resting on my shoulder.

He drifted in and out of sleep and after a few hours, I called in a doctor to check on him. The doctor looked as if he were in a hurry and had two different colored socks on.

“What can I do for you?”

“He seems to be sick, and I’m not sure what happened. I figured you would know.”

The doctor walked up to Louis and began to look him over.

“From what I can tell, he seems to be sleep deprived and maybe a bit dehydrated. However, he is running a fever and there seems to be something else going on. I’m sure it’s not serious, so relax for now. Just let him sleep it off. When he wakes up, make sure to give him plenty of water. At that point, if he still seems to be sick, come back, and I will see if he needs further examination. Well, that’s all for now. If you’ll excuse me, I must tend to another patient down the hall.” He hurried out of the room and I crawled back into the bed next to Louis.

I started to feel my eyelids droop and fell into a restless sleep.

Flashes of light filled my mind and there was screaming. Everything was chaotic and disorganized. It was like a hurricane of thoughts intermingling to create a bigger picture. However, I wasn’t getting the bigger picture. I was paralyzed with fear as a sharp object went through my body. The fear of death, of nothingness, took over.

I woke up to someone shaking my shoulder. My eyes focused on a pair of green eyes and I couldn’t move. My body was rooted to the bed.

“Hey, nobody is here to hurt you. Just calm down. My name is Harry. The person next to you on the bed is my roommate and best friend, Louis. He was gone for a few days and I was worried. I got a call from the hospital letting me know that he was here,” said Harry cautiously as if he were treading on eggshells.

My mouth wouldn’t work. The sounds were nothing but silent dissonance around me. The lights turned into shining orbs as my vision started to blur. A thumping noise filled my ears. Each beat was rapid as if it were being played on fast forward.

I took in a breath. Then another. I filled my lungs with air until the spinning world was still. The green eyes continued to stare at me. As the time passed, I noticed his eyes were darting back and forth between the pale figure on the bed and my face.

His eyes were full of worry and concern. They were honest. My body finally relaxed as the truth was written all over that dimpled face. I knew that every emotion he felt flashed across his face and betrayed him. He knew how to deal with people because they could trust the sweet face with the deep green eyes.

I nodded my head and whispered, “Diana”.

He grinned at me, a little dent in one cheek. “Nice to meet you, Diana.”

Louis was tossing and turning on the bed, muttering under his breath about something getting him. A crease appeared on Harry’s forehead. He seemed to know more about what was happening with Louis than we did.

“Not again,” the curly-haired bot whispered under his breath.

“D-do you know something,” I asked with a quiver in my voice.

He looked at me, startled that I heard him.

“It’s nothing.” His face told a different story.

“You’re lying to me.”

I got out from under the covers and let my feet hit the cold floors, which were covered in a beige tile. It gave a splash of color to the blindingly white room whose walls seemed to crush you and claim you as their own.

“What makes you think that?”

“Your mouth is speaking while your face is saying something else.”

“I’m that easy to tell, yeah? I guess I know to never play poker with you,” he said with a grim smirk.

I took a few steps toward him. His eyes widened, but he remained still.

“Tell me. Please. Tell me, now.”

Harry opened his mouth as if to protest.

“Tell who what about what?” Louis looked at me, his face still pale, and saw who was in front of me. He rubbed at his face as if to see better.

“Louis,” Harry breathed, “are you okay?”

“Does it look like I’m okay?” Louis chuckled as he propped himself up higher on his elbows.

“To be honest, you look like shit.”

“Thanks. I’ll save that in my book of compliments,” he said, giving Harry a sassy look.

“You’re welcome. What’s going on, mate? Is this like last time?” A look of fear took over Harry’s features.

I looked at both of them, confusion present on my face. Louis looked at me with an apologetic glance. He looked passed me as if I were nothing but a projection, a ghost, forever screaming, yet never heard.

“I…I’m not sure. To tell you the truth, the last time was a walk in the park,” he paused, “what are we going to do? Harry, what’s wrong?”

I looked over at Harry who was as still as a statue, the tears threatening to pool over. He was fighting them, trying to keep them in, but like a full rain cloud, each tear slowly trickled its way down his face. They were the beginnings of a storm.

“I don’t know. Honestly, Lou, I don’t know. We don’t even know what’s wrong. I’m really worried about you and I hate seeing you this way,” said Harry as he ran out of the room, looking for air to breath.

He was looking for the crisp autumn air, fresh and clear to rearrange his thoughts into something more manageable. The air outside would be free and welcoming although chilly and brisk. It would be nothing like the suffocating smells of the hospital.

“Harry!”

Louis sighed as there were no signs of the younger boy’s return.

“L-Louis. If you don’t mind me asking, what were you guys talking about?”

His eyes held a tinge of sadness as he looked at me. He seemed to cringe at the sight of the bruises on my arms, changing colors like the autumn leaves, though not as beautiful. His eyes stopped on my broken wrist.

“It’s nothing, Diana. I’ve been sick recently and it’s not really of any concern to anybody else. Nobody has to know about it. I’m just a regular college student working to pay off bills. I’m not more special than others my age and I don’t expect to be treated as such.”

“Just because someone cares does not mean you are receiving special treatment. It means you are being treated the way a human being deserves to be treated. I know life is rough, but you can’t push people away because you feel like you don’t deserve to have them in your life. If you are in their life to begin with, then you deserve them. Sadly, I have not followed my own advice as of late, but you can take it and choose to let people in. Now, tell me what’s going on. I care. I care because you cared enough for that girl in the alleyway to stop walking and help.”

The memory tried to control me, but I bit my lip and held it down.

Louis took a deep breath and petted the space next to him on the bed. I hadn’t realized it, but I was hugging my arms and shivering. I slowly walked to the bed and cautiously melded into his side, trying to steal his warmth.

“Well, it all started a few months ago. I was really sick and Harry had to take care of me. It wasn’t normal because it seemed to his immediately. I had no idea what it was. It made me weak and all I wanted was to rest. Harry was frantic trying to help me, but nothing was working. He wanted to bring me to a hospital, but I wouldn’t let him. He could have dragged me there with little protest, but he respected my wishes.

“We started to look up all of my symptoms and they weren’t good. I rested for a few more days and it seemed to be gone. I would get an occasional headache, but I just figured it was from the everyday things I had to deal with. I was doing all right up until now.”

I looked at him worriedly. “We need to find out what’s wrong with you.”

“I agree, but I really think I’m fine for now. I just want to rest. In fact, I want to go home. I’m not technically a patient, so we can leave, especially since the doctor told me you could leave too. He just needs a number from you to follow-up with. I’m sure Harry will bust us out.”

Louis swiftly pulled out his mobile from his pocket and let his fingers glide across the screen.

“I don’t have a number,” I said softly.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, that night, I was angry and I went to the pub near my flat. I was leaving my roommate and best friend because she shagged my boyfriend while I was in the house. She did it right under my nose. Granted, I didn’t have a place to go, but I knew that I couldn’t stay there. I don’t have a mobile and I shared the landline with her.” I looked at the floor, looking for some imperfection in its even tile.

He sucked in a breath.

“Talk about having a bad day. If you need to, you can stay with us for a little while. I can share a room with Harry.”

I breathed in deeply before the memories started to resurface.

“Diana?”

I looked up into his blue eyes. They searched my face, looking for something. “I’m fine. At least, I will be. Can we get out of here now?”

He chuckled. “Aren’t you going to change? I mean… that outfit and those shoes? You tried, but you can do so much better.”

I smirked at him as I walked over to a chair by the corner of the wall and picked up the clothes that were neatly placed on it.

After dressing in the bathroom, I walked out to see Louis struggling to stand. Harry was next to him trying to keep him balanced.

“Are you sure we should leave?” I asked as I looked at them.

His teeth were clenched as he tried to stand on his own. After managing to stand upright, his cheeks regained a bit of their old color.

“Yep, I’m fine. Come on, Harry, let’s get out of here. I really hate hospitals,” he said as he walked out of the door.

“I could tell by the way you looked at the nurse in her Crocs, as if she had a choice of what to wear in her profession,” mumbled Harry.

I chuckled that a sick person could still act like what seemed to be their normal self.

We exited the building with few problems and followed Harry. Louis seemed to look better the longer we stayed in the fresh breeze. I tried to keep my mind on different things, letting it be occupied with the intricate fabrications it may conjure.

Before I knew it, we were in a lift that would take us to their flat. They opened the door and I sucked in a breath. It was fairly large and neat.

They toured me around, but the orderly nature stopped when I reached the disaster zones that were the bedrooms. It looked as though a clothes’ bomb went off. At least Harry’s room didn’t seem that bad.

I immediately walked in and started cleaning up.

“What are you doing?” Louis gave me a weird look.

“Cleaning up. What the hell does it look like?”

“Well, we could do that ourselves,” Harry said.

I looked at the both of them.

“It’s true! We haven’t been home and lately things have been hectic. Speaking of which, I’m late. I need to go help Niall in the bakery before he eats the whole shop,” said Harry as he ran out of the flat.

“I’m going to go lie down on the couch for a little while. Would you like to join me?”

“Sure. Do you have any tea?”

He walked into the kitchen and started searching the cabinets.

“Found it!” Louis swayed and steadied himself on the counter.

I eyed him suspiciously.

“What? I’m just a little tired.”

“Fine. Then go to the couch and I’ll make the tea.

He seemed grateful that I suggested it. He sauntered over to the couch and plopped down, covering himself with a blanket.

The night seemed to descend upon us as the room grew dark. I placed the kettle on the stove and took a seat on the opposite side of Louis. His eyes were already closed and the silence seemed to envelope me and control my thoughts.

I gently drifted into unconsciousness, gladly accepting the escape.

The screaming from the tea kettle woke me from my dreamless state as I ran to shut off the stove. The doorknob began to turn as I was gathering a cup for my tea with my good arm. I gasped as the door swung open to reveal a dark haired boy with thick black glasses.