Louis is out for three hours before he even stirs.   Harry unfortunately needed to use the bathroom so had to move Louis off him. The boys are making lunch in the kitchen when they hear Louis whimper from the couch

Louis sees the lounge room empty when he wakes, he's so sore to the point he wants to cry. When his dad beats him he is usually alone and can cry and come undone when he's by himself, he has to try to hold it together now though and he doesn't know if he can. Louis tries to get up, he needs to use the bathroom his kidney is so sore though and he feels like he has a temperature. 

He stands up and gets a huge dizzy spell

When Scott hears Louis wake he walks around the kitchen and into the lounge room. He just makes it as Louis collapses and Scott catches him instantly

"Woah there Lou" he says as he catches Louis in his arms and picks him up bridal style.

"Harry, Drew? I need my kit and a Luke warm washer" Scott says his tone slightly urgent

Harry and Drew hurry to get Scott what he needs as Scott lays Louis on the couch

"Louis, bud, can you open your eyes for me" Scott says as he cups Louis face trying to rouse him.

He gets a groan from Louis.

"Good boy Lou" Scott says

Harry makes it to the lounge with Scott's kit and Drew with the washer, Drew places the washer on Louis head and Scott grabs some medicine from his kit to give to Louis in a needle

"His temp is 39" Harry says as he takes Louis temperature

Scott administers the needle and Louis doesn't even wake

"That should help bring it down" Scott says

"We might need to change his antibiotics" Drew says

"Yeah, maybe we should set up a drip here" Scott says

"Yeah, good idea, I'll run to work and grab some supplies" Drew says

Scott and Harry nod.

"If his temperature doesn't go down within an hour though, we should bring him back in for more tests" Harry says

"Yeah, keep me posted okay" Drew says as he grabs his keys and heads to the door

The boys agree and they settle in to monitor Louis and his temperature. He's lethargic and that's a little bit of a concern

"Should we put him into bed? Might be more comfortable in there" Harry says

"Good idea" Scott says

Harry then bends down to pick Louis up bridal style, Louis whines a little as he's moved

"It's okay Lou, I'm just getting you more comfortable" Harry says gently

Louis snuggles into Harry, Harry and Scott share a fond look at each other as Harry carries Louis to the room they have set up for him.

Scott pulls the bed back and Harry places Louis down gently

Louis wakes as Scott pulls the covers back up over Louis.

"It's okay darling" Scott tells him as he runs his hands through Louis hair gently

"I don't feel good" Louis says upset.

Harry and Scott completely turn soft and concerned

"Ohh sweetheart, tell us what's wrong" Harry says as he and Scott sit either side of Louis on the bed

"Feel tired, my back hurts" Louis says with tears in his eyes

"That's your kidney infection, we're going to change your antibiotics and you should start to feel better soon" Scott says

"K" Louis says

He's upset, he never gets sick like this and when he did his mum usually looked after him, he misses her so much. He's just so overwhelmed with everything right now and having the boys, Harry and Scott be so nice to him, just makes it so much harder in a way.

Louis let's a tear slip and Scott is quick to wipe it away.

"Don't cry little one, we won't let anything bad happen to you, just relax and rest, that's all you need to do right now okay" Scott reassures

"I'm sorry" Louis says

"Don't apologise Lou, we know how scary this can be, but like Scott said, we won't let anything happen to you" Harry smiles

Louis can't help but wish they could protect him from everything, including his dad. He just wants to feel loved again. Louis gets quite clingy and upset when he's sick and his mum was always the best, most patient person. His dad on the other hand would often tell Louis to harden up and be a man, Louis thinks Harry and Scott would probably think the same too.

He feels embarrassed about crying in front of them.

"Here's some pain relief, just take that and when Drew gets back we will start you on your new antibiotics" Harry says kindly as he hands Louis some tablets

Louis nods, takes the pain relief and lies back down.

"We will be in and out to check on you okay, kind of like the hospital, so we do apologise if we keep waking you up" Scott says in jest

"I'm sorry I'm so much trouble" Louis says sadly

"You're not darling, just get some sleep okay" Harry says

"The more you sleep, the sooner you'll feel better" Scott says

Louis relaxes back on the bed and is out like a light.

When he wakes next he's hooked up to a drip and feels a little better, like his temperature has broken.

He sits up in bed, wondering how he's supposed to get up while he's attached to the drip. He doesn't have to wonder long, before Harry walks into the room.

"You're awake, you had a long sleep" Harry says smiling

"Sorry" Louis says, its instinct

"For sleeping while you're sick? You don't need to apologise for that Lou" Harry says reassuringly

Louis just smiles slightly, his dad would never allow him to be in bed all day, even if he's hurt or sick.

"How are you feeling?" Harry asks as he checks Louis drip

"Better" Louis says

Harry smiles brightly towards Louis.

"That's what I like to hear" Harry says

Louis can't help the slight blush

"I need to go to the bathroom, how...um" Louis says shyly

"Well, there's still a bit of fluid that needs to go through, and we would like to keep you on the antibiotics through the IV for the next few days, so I'm afraid, Max here will have to accompany you to the bathroom" Harry says smiling

"Max?" Louis asks curiously

Harry chuckles

"We named this device Max, mostly for the kids who come in and are a little scared" Harry says smiling as he grabs and taps the carriage device the drip goes through.

Louis let's out a small, slight  chuckle

Harry beams, he's so proud he produced that sound from Louis, albeit small.

"I'll help you" Harry says and he reaches out for Louis.

Louis let's Harry help him up and he shows Louis how to push the pole with him. Once Louis is finished in the bathroom he heads out of the room to find the boys. They are all on the couch, watching TV and eating snacks, having a drink together. Louis wishes he could live here and be a part of their lives everyday. He misses his brothers so much

Seeing them on the couch together, laughing, roasting each other and being happy, makes him wish he was a little bit older, wish he didn't have to live with his dad still. The boys are so safe and Louis feels so loved when he's around them, even Scott and Harry who he's only known for a few days.

"Hey there kiddo, how are you feeling?" Andy asks, smiling as he sees Louis making his way into the lounge.

"I....I'm good, feel better" Louis says shyly.

The boys smile in response.

"We were going to put on a movie, Back to the future 2, you're favourite" Edward says as he grabs a handful of peanuts and starts eating them.

"You...remembered that was my favourite?" Louis asks

He can't believe the boys remember so many little things about him.

"Louis, there is a picture in the hallway upstairs of all of us dressed up as Marty, with skateboards as hoverboards for halloween. Do you not remember that? You made us all go as Marty Mcfly" Drew laughs

Louis completely forgot about that, he was obsessed with the movies as a kid and the boys used to make him hoverboards out of their skateboards all the time"

Louis chuckles

"I forgot about that" Louis says shyly

"Do you remember the time you tried to skate off the back deck, thinking we'd made you a real hoverboard?" Edward laughs

Louis blushes 

"Oh my gosh" he says quietly, embarrassed

The boys laugh.

"We haven't heard that story" Scott laughs smiling, he looks back and forth from Louis to the boys.

"It was Drew's fault, he made the coolest looking hoverboard, it looked exactly the same as the movie and he told me it was real" Louis says

"He was seven, I didn't really think he would try to fly off the back deck" Drew laughs

"What happened?" Harry asks

"Well in the end, it turns out Drew was a liar and I needed 5 stitches in my chin" Louis smiles and the boys laugh

"Ouch" Harry chuckles

"Mum was a nurse and she saw the humour in it, when she new Louis was okay of course" Edward remembers

"I did have yard work for a week though, thanks to dad" Drew says

The boys laugh but Louis smile fades. He just doesn't understand why his dad doesn't love him like he loves the boys. The worst punishment they ever got was yard work or kitchen duty, while Louis gets this shit beat out of him.

The boys notice Louis withdraw a little

"Come get comfy Lou, I'm just about to order pizza, Is cheese still your favourite?" Edward asks

Louis nods smiling slightly and goes to sit down. Harry and Scott move indiscreetly and pat the spot between them. The boys don't miss the action and smirk to each other

Louis sits between Harry and Scott comfortably as they put 'max' behind the couch and set Louis up with a blanket.  They settle down and watch Back to the future and Louis doesn't even last through the whole movie, before he's asleep across Scott's chest.