Harry told Louis that he had to go out and get some things from the store. He said he was going to be back in 15 minutes. It had been over an hour and Louis hadn’t heard from Harry. He kept calling his phone, but nothing. He started to freak out because he was thinking the worst thing possible.

He started pacing and pacing before his phone finally rang. “Hello?”

“Yes, is this a Louis Tomlinson?”

“Speaking, what’s happened?”

“You need to get down to the London Emergency right now.” The person on the other end hung up and Louis quickly grabbed his keys and bolted out to his car. He was very certain that he broke many speeding laws as he made his way to the hospital, but he didn’t care. He needed to know what happened to Harry. He didn’t start crying; no he couldn’t yet. He was only in the stage that was causing frequent panic and he wanted to know if Harry was okay.

He pulled into the parking lot and was lucky that there was a valley. He got out of the car and tossed the keys to the fellow at the podium. He ran inside right to the nurses’ station. “Excuse me, I just recieved a phone call telling me to get here.”

“Are you a Mr. Louis Tomlinson?” The nurse spoke as she looked at him with concern.

“Yes, yes I am him.”

“Okay, I want you to calm down. Go up to floor four and take the left off the elevator; there will be another nurses’ station for you to go to. Talk to Cassie, she will tell you everything. But please just calm down, you’re getting pale.”

Louis started to breathe in and out slowly, trying to calm himself down. “Okay, good. Now when you get there, don’t freak out.” He nodded and removed himself from how he was leaning on the counter. He then walked to the elevator to take it up three floors, and as soon as it dinged signaling that it reached his destination, he braced himself before the doors opened. He turned left and made his way to the nurses station and there was only one person there. She looked up and he asked, everything coming out in a stutter, “Are you Cassie?”

She nodded. “And are you Louis?” And he nodded as well.

“Okay, would you follow me please?” She took off and led him into a room set off from the rest of the area.

“What-what happened to Harry?”

“I’m sorry, but on his way home he was jumped. The men that jumped him beat him and brutally raped him; he’s lucky he’s alive and breathing. When the paramedics were called, the guy had to put all his weight onto the wound that was in Harry’s side. If it wasn’t for the guy doing that, Harry would have bled out.”

Tears were pouring down his face. “What?”

“I’m sorry that this happened. Would you like me to tell you anything else?”

“What else did they do?”

“That’s really all; now it’s just a waiting time until he wakes up.”

Louis’ head snapped up. “Until he wakes up?”

“I’m afraid that the doctors had to put him into a medically induced coma because he was in a so much pain. But they only gave him enough for his body to heal, and then it will be up to him until he wakes up.”

“Okay, can-can I see him?”

“Sure you can; follow me.” She led him into a room in the corner. She must have read his history because he always loved the corners, even when he was with Louis. “Before you go in, do you know how to contact his parents?”

He stiffened up and turned to her. “Please don’t contact them, they’ll only trigger his panic attacks.”

“Do you know if there is any family that I can contact?”

“No, I’m the only thing he has. The only thing that he is holding on for.”

Cassie’s heart shattered from what he said. The boy lying in bed was broken before any of this happened. She watched as Louis made his way over to the boy lying down, machines and plugs all around him. She watched as Louis brought a hand to his mouth and let out a loud sob. Her heart broke when it resulted in him crying his heart out onto his chest, soaking the hospital gown with his own tears. She put a hand to her heart and a few tears trickled down her face, but she was quick to wipe them away.

She knew that she needed to do anything in her power to make sure that Harry was going to make it. Seeing that display, she knew that these boys held on to each other because to them both, they were all that they had.

She shut the door, leaving themselves their own privacy for the time being.

**

“Harry, baby, I love you. Please won’t you open up your pretty eyes for me,” Louis spoke softly. It had been a week since the incident and the doctors told him that the medicine had worn off; now it was just the wait for Harry himself to wake up.

Louis grasped Harry’s hand that wasn’t hooked up to any wires and he set his head down onto the bed. He hadn’t left Harry’s side, only leaving when he needed to shower and eat, but once he was finished, he was right back next to Harry. The nurses felt sorry for him because they never once saw the smile that Cassie was able to get out of him at one point, but now he looked drained.

The color in his face was gone, and the glimmer in his eyes was no longer there. Cassie really tried to get him to laugh, but every time it was a failure, but he did thank her for trying. Everytime she would come in, she would have a cookie or a hot tea for Louis and he would accept it after mumbling a quiet thanks.

Louis quietly sipped at his tea and continued to watch as Harry was still sleeping. He sighed and thought of everything that he and Harry had done in the past year. After he thought about it, he realized that he’d known Harry for about a year, and they’d been dating for six months. He really couldn’t believe how much time had gone by.

He finished his tea and noticed that Harry had moved his body a bit towards the other side of the bed. He was startled because there was just enough room for him to lie right next to him. In a hurry, Louis ran out to find Cassie and in hysterics, he told her that he moved from his spot on the bed. She ran after him and smiled softly, “It’s a sign that his body is starting to let him wake up; he should be up mid next week, maybe even sooner.”

Louis smiled, he actually smiled, and it made Cassie really happy that she was able to witness such a sight. She’d never seen a smile so bright. “Go on, lie down next to him. I think he’s also telling you that he wants you to lie next to him.”

Cassie left the room and shut the door behind her. Louis walked over to the empty side of the bed. He slipped out of his shoes and curled his body around Harry’s. He carefully set his head onto his chest and fell asleep to the steady beat of his heart.

“Harry, do you think that we could be together forever?” Louis spoke as they were sitting on their back porch looking at the stars.

“I don’t see why we can’t.”

“Really?” Louis turned to look at Harry and he could see the tears form in the corner of his eye.

“Yes, really because you, Louis, are the one that I want to spend my life with.” Harry leaned down and kissed Louis with everything that he could.

Louis peeked open his eyes and thought hopefully that forever doesn’t go away too soon, because he wanted to spend forever like how it was supposed to go.

**

Louis had woken up and he just really wished that Harry would finally wake up, but still no sign. He climbed out of the bed and sat on the chair next to the bed. He turned on the tv and put on old reruns of “Friends.” He really didn’t care, but he knew that this show always calmed Harry down when he was feeling down.

He was scrolling through his phone when a knock interrupted his thoughts. “Lou, the police dropped off his personal items. I figured I could let you go through them.”

“Thanks,” Louis mumbled as Cassie placed Harry’s belongings in his outstretched arms. She quietly left the room, wanting to give him some privacy once he saw what was in Harry’s possession at the time of the attack.

He opened up the bag and he noticed his wallet, keys, inhaler, but there was something that he hadn’t seen before. He went inside the plastic bag that the stuff was sealed in and his eyes widened and he felt his heart stop.

In his hand was a little black box. With his shaking hands he opened it up. His hand went up to his mouth as he let out a violent sob. He dropped the stuff to the floor as he ran out of the hospital. He couldn’t deal with it; he just couldn’t deal with what he saw.

As Louis ran, Cassie yelled his name but he didn’t stop and she couldn’t go after him; she wished she could have though. She went back into Harry’s room, and she went over to where the stuff was spilled to the floor. She gasped at the opened black box. It was an engagement ring, but why did--a light went off in her head; Harry went out to get the ring and the men who attacked him were after this, and yet, he didn’t give it up.

She ran back to the desk and called the police; she explained it and they thanked her for her information. She just needed to find Louis, but first she closed the box and it snapped closed. There was a faint beep coming from Harry’s room that she could just make out. She carefully walked back to the room and a voice startled her. “Excuse me, but why am I here?” She looked up and paged the doctor. Harry was finally awake. But Louis’ wasn’t here to see.

“Hello Harry, I’m Cassie and you were attacked about three weeks ago.”

“What? What about Louis? Is he alright?"

“I can assure you that Louis is fine, but he sort of ran off.”

Harry’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean he ran off?”

“Well, he sort of found this,” she hands him the box and opens it. “I think he ran off because he thinks it’s all his fault that you were attacked.”

“But it wasn’t his fault though.”

“He still thinks it is because you were out getting this, possibly to purpose to him, and now he feels awful.”

“He shouldn’t feel awful, I love him so much I wanted to make it official.”

“I know, but let’s just get through one thing at a time; the doctor should be in with you to go over everything with you.”

“What about-”

“Don’t worry, I’ll go find him. Do you happen to have any ideas?”

“The park, he always went there to clear his head.”

“Okay, now don’t panic, the next time you see me I’ll be with Louis. Alright?”

“Yes, thank you for everything.”

“It’s the least I could do. Besides, he hasn’t left your side since you’ve been here, so I cannot tell you enough that he feels the same way.”

“Yeah, I am fully aware.”

“Good, I will see you soon.”

“Thank you again.” She nodded before she decided to take her break by looking for the running boy. She kept her beeper on, just in case, as she got into her car and drove off to the park to find Louis.

**