Louis remains clingy and anxious over the next few days, he's developed a temperature and it's complicating his recovery. Scott and Harry take it all in their stride, they understand Louis angst and just want to make it all easier on him. They haven't discussed Rhys, Cody or Troy and the fact that Noah has done a runner. They don't want to bring it up while Louis is trying to recover, it all comes to a head though when James and Drew turn up to visit Louis in the ICU.

Louis is just finishing his shower with the help of Scott and Harry, his first shower since he arrived at the hospital and Louis is thankful for some clean sweats and a sweater, and for the fact he could brush his teeth and wash his hair. He's feeling really tired and out of sorts.

"Back to bed for you baby" Scott says as he places Louis down in the bed, having carried him back from the shower, Louis isn't strong enough to walk back to the bed after exhausting himself having a shower.

"Scott?" Louis asks quietly.

"Yes darling?" Scott asks as he tucks Louis up.

"When can I come home" Louis asks

"Soon darling, you just focus on getting better okay, that's all we want you to focus on" Scott says.

Harry comes out of the bathroom with Louis laundry and tidies up the room and Louis belongings, Louis sits up in bed and watches.

"Sammy will be in to hook you back up to everything" Scott says as he sits next to Louis.

Louis sighs

"I hate being here" Louis says, his breathing heavy.

"We know Rookie, we will get you out as soon as we can" Harry says sympathetically.

There is then a knock on the door and Harry goes to open it, Drew and James are there, bearing food coffee and balloons.

Harry smiles wide and lets them in

"We snuck passed the nurses station, I would guess we have 10 minutes before we get kicked out" James smiles cheekily.

Louis smiles, at James and Drew.

"How are you kid?" Drew asks as he hands Scott and Harry coffee and food bags.

"I'm fine, can't wait to get out of here" Louis says

"We bet, we come baring decent food" James laughs.

"Thanks boys, I've been  hanging for a burger" Scott says as he unwraps the food.

Scott hands Louis a burger and fries but Louis isn't feeling like food

"Haz can we have a word" James says then,

Harry looks over to Louis,

Louis tenses up.

"It's okay I'm right here" Scott says as he reaches out to hold Louis hand.

Harry walks over and cups Louis face with his hands.

"I'm just going outside the door, you can see me through the window okay, I promise" Harry says as he comforts Louis,

Louis nods anxiously.

"Good boy" Harry smiles and kisses Louis on the head. He then turns so leave with James and Drew.

As he shuts the door he turns to them.

"How is he?" Drew asks.

"The doctor came in this morning and said he's at least got another week in the ICU he's got a bad chest infection, we didn't want to tell Louis how bad though, he's been extremely anxious and upset. He won't let Scott or I out of his sight unless he's asleep" Harry says.

"The poor kid" James says

"I take it you snuck up for a reason though and not just to see Louis?" Harry says smiling.

"Well apart from the fact Drew has been pestering me for days to come see Louis" James smiles

Harry smiles at at a Drew.

"yeah there was another reason" James says.

"And it's going to upset Louis?" Harry asks.

"Potentially...he needs to give evidence and be on the witness stand" James says and Harry is instantly angered.

"No" he says with finality.

"Haz" James starts.

"He's stuck here for one, how do they expect him to leave the hospital and Scott and I don't want him near Troy, Rhys or Cody.

"We know and we agree, please trust me to do everything I can to get him out of it" James says sincerely

"What are you planning to do? If he doesn't testify he will go to jail" Harry says.

"If we can get a detailed statement and we apply for medical exempt, they may let him off" James says.

Harry sighs.

"Who's going to do the statement" Harry asks,

"You and Scott can't, you were witnesses, so Jake and Joey will be by for yours....Drew and I can take Louis if you're okay with that". James says.

"Yeah you and Drew can take it, when do you need it, we haven't even discussed anything with him, he has no idea Noah has done a runner" Harry says.

"We need them as soon as possible" James says.

"Okay, let me clear it with his nurse Sammy and you can come by tomorrow" Harry agrees.

"I thought I saw you two sneak past my station" Sammy comes over to say cheekily to Drew and James.

They hold their hands up smiling.

"Guilty, we just wanted to check in on Louis" Drew says.

"I figured you might need to arrange to speak to him, I'm not supposed to allow more than 15 minutes but I can see what I can do" Sammy says, knowing the police would probably be needing to talk to Louis at some point.

"That would be great Sammy, can we look at tomorrow?" Harry asks her.

"Sure, lets go organise a time" she says and they head to the nurses desk to sort it out.

Inside the room Louis is getting restless.

"Darling, Harry is just outside the door, everything is fine" Scott says as he gets in behind Louis and Louis rests back on his chest.

"He's been gone ages" Louis says upset

"He's been gone 5 minutes baby" Scott chuckles.

Louis sighs.

"Why don't we look at eating something, these burgers are so good" Scott says.

Louis shakes his head.

"I'm not hungry" Louis says.

"Would you like to talk about some things darling?" Scott asks as he tries to distract Louis.

"You mean like what happened?" Louis asks anxiously

"I mean like anything" Scott says.

Louis is silent for a few minutes.

"I don't want Harry or you to die" Louis says

"We aren't going to sweetheart" Scott says holding Louis close.

"You nearly died because of me and I didn't know if I could do anything and I was so scared" Louis says.

"Baby, you saved Harry and my life, you were absolutely amazing" Scott says fondly

"But what if I couldn't, what if I can't next time" Louis asks upset.

"Lou, there isn't going to be a next time, you can't think like that" Scott says.

"I saw my mum when I.....when I drowned.....when I....when I went under" Louis says as his breathing picks up.

"Just relax, relax, it's okay, I've got you, just breathe" Scott says as he comforts Louis.

"I saw her and she said it wasn't my time just yet and I had to go back to you and Harry" Louis says.

"We are glad you came back baby, we wouldn't know what to do without you" Scott says,

"You wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for me, how can you say that" Louis says

"Lou" Scott tries just as Sammy and Harry walk back in the room.

"Hiya, I've come to hook you back up kiddo, I'm sorry" Sammy says as she disinfects her hands and comes over to hook Louis up.

"Can't I have a bit more time?" Louis asks as he coughs wetly

"Sorry kiddo, we need to get this infection under control as quick as we can and you're going to be off the machines for an hour tomorrow as it is" Sammy says.

"Um why? Can I go home?" Louis asks a little brighter.

Sammy looks to Harry who has a sheepish look on his face, Scott Cottons on pretty quickly and knows they are going to have to go into damage control.

"Let me get you hooked back up and then you can talk to Harry and Scott" Sammy smiles.

She makes quick work of hooking Louis drips, heart rate monitors and oxygen back up, Louis hates having the oxygen tubes in his nose, Sammy then lays him down. Louis is exhausted, but makes himself stay awake.

"Why don't you rest Lou" Scott says as he strokes Louis hair.

"No, I want to know what's going on" Louis says

"I'll leave you boys to it" Sammy says as she smiles and exits the room.

"Listen Rookie, James and Drew need to come by tomorrow and get a detailed statement from you, otherwise you have to take the witness stand at the trial" Harry says as he pulls up a chair next to Louis bed and holds his hand.

Louis just looks at him, sadness in his eyes.

"We don't want to have to put you through a trial baby" Scott then says as he sits next to Harry on the chair next to Louis bed.

Tears develop in Louis blue eyes, he doesn't want to re live everything that happened to him but he knows he has too, he thought he would have some time to get his thoughts around everything and at least be at home.

"Yeah, right...okay" Louis says

"We will be right there with you, the entire time" Harry assures

"It's fine" Louis says.

He needs to get a grip, needs to handle this, no more clingy shit, he needs to man up and get on with everything.

"Rookie" Harry starts.

"Look I'm so tired I just want to go to sleep" Louis says

"Okay darling, just rest" Scott says.

"You don't have to stay here, you can go home, I'll be fine" Louis says.

Scott and Harry look at each other, Louis is clearly upset and he's trying to push them away, ten minutes ago they couldn't leave his side.

"You don't need to be brave for us Lou, we love you, we want you to lean on us" Scott says.

"Yeah, I'm all good, thanks, I love you too, I'm just going to go to sleep" Louis says and he rolls over.

Harry and Scott don't miss the tears that leak out of Louis eyes as he silently cries himself to sleep.

When Louis is off Scott turns to Harry looking upset.

"You know he's pushing us away because he thinks he has too" Harry says

"I'm just really upset for him" Scott says.

"I just want to take him home" Harry says.

"Me too, he doesn't deserve any of this" Scott says.

"We will get him through it" Harry tells Scott and Scott nods, they share a kiss and settle in to try and get some sleep while Louis is asleep.