A/N: sorry for the wait, and that its such a short chapter.. This was a little tricky to write, and I am pretty sure of where i am going to go with it from here with the next couple of chapters so, those should probably come a little bit more quickly, if not.. bare with me loves. xx
"I can't do this." Harry said through gasps of air. He had only stopped crying once since Niall's heart had failed, and that was when the doctor told them he had survived that terrifying encounter.
Louis put his hands on Harry's shoulders, "Yes you can Harry. You have to." he said looking into Harry's eyes, with his own being red and puffy from all of his crying. "No I don't." Harry said trying to shake lose of Louis' grip.
"Well, don't you want to?" Louis asked, waiting for a response that didn't come. "Lad, this is our last chance to-" Louis fought himself to finish his sentence, "To say goodbye to Niall." he forced out with new tears racing down his cheeks. Harry squeezed his eyes shut wishing all of this would go away. That Niall would wake up, everything would be okay again.
"C'mon." Zayn said putting his arm around the younger lad's shoulder and pulling him towards the elevator.
"I'm so sorry." Harry said as tears streamed down his face. He reached for Niall's hand with his own shaky one. "I didn't listen to Louis, and now because of that.. Because of me, you.." Harry forced out, "Your in a coma and your being put to death!" He nearly shouted all in one breath of air.
"I'm so sorry." he whimpered laying his head down on Naill's chest sobbing. Louis came over putting his hand on the crying boys shoulder. With tears rolling down his own face he said, "Come on lad. I think its time to go." he sniffled.
Harry slowly stood up, turning around and cautiously walked toward to the door. "We will miss you buddy." Zayn said breaking into a sob, letting go of Niall's other hand he had just been holding. Louis let Harry walk ahead of him as he turned around opening his arms giving zany a clear entrance into them. Without hesitating Zayn ran into them, and began sobbing onto Louis' chest.
Harry stood in the doorway, letting his tears fall rapidly, as he rested his face in his palms.
"Why will you miss me?" they heard a weak voice coming from inside the room. And suddenly it seemed as they had all stopped breathing. "What's going on?" the voice said a little stronger. Zayn lifted his head to see Louis staring, wide eyed at the boy in the bed behind him.
"Louis, am I hearing things?" Zayn whispered, and the older boy slowly shook his head. Zayn quickly turned his body around, to find the lifeless boy, sitting up, not so lifeless anymore.
Harry moved further into the room, looking at where his friend laid. He expected to find a blonde boy, eyes closed, back against the bed, with no sign of life around him. But instead he saw Niall. He saw Naill sitting up, looking at him, those bright blue eyes piercing through him. With life filling the air.
"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" he asked. Suddenly they realized it was all real, Niall was awake. And all at once, they flew at him, strangling him with hugs. "Niall!" Harry shouted, "Oh Niall, thank god your awake!" he sighed.
"We missed you so much!" Louis exclaimed. "I can't believe your awake!" Zayn said, smiling as brightly as possible. Niall chuckled, confused as to what was going on. "Please!" he laughed, "Will one of you please tell me what's going on!"
But none of the three boys let go of him, "You got hurt." was all Harry said. And Niall decided that for now, that would be enough of an explanation, at least he knew why he was in the hospital. But he still wanted to know why the boys were acting as if they hadn't seen him in years, and how Louis was already back home.
The three boys, let the tears roll down their cheeks, and they all sighed in relief, that for the first time in days, these tears were happy ones.
"I'm sorry." the doctor said to the three speechless boys. They all stood in silence for a moment, soaking in what the man in the scrubs had just told them.
"So, your telling me- I mean us, that… Niall, is going to forget everything… Everyday. Except for everything before the diving accident?" Louis questioned him. "And that's why, every time he wakes up" Zayn paused, "he thinks it's the day of the cliff diving." he said more as a statement than a question. "Yes." the doctor to replied.
They didn't know how to react. Being told that their best friend would have to be told everyday what had happened to him, reliving it, everyday.
"So, how long will this last?" Harry asked, holding back tears. "Well uh… as far as we know, right now it looks as if… It will last… Well… Forever." the doctor said cautiously, watching as Harry released the tears, letting them roll down his cheeks. The stood there in silence for a few moments, Zayn put his arm around Harry, as silent tears began soaking their cheeks.
"How can we help him?" Louis asked quietly. "Good question." the doctor said smiling weakly. "Well, when things like this happen, many people make videos, or make journals for them. Something to remind them everyday, so you don't have to tell them." he said and Louis nodded. "You know, you could record like big events, or maybe when he meets new people." he finished and again Louis nodded. "Well thank yo-" "Oh! I almost forgot!" the doctor nearly exclaimed, "We have already created a DVD explaining what happened to him and everything, so that you don't have to. I will go get it." he said, walking away, not giving anyone a chance to talk before he did.
"Oh.." Louis whispered, with a small smirk on his face. Within seconds the doctor was back, with a thin plastic case for a DVD in his hand. "Here you go,"-he handed Louis the DVD-"I figured this would make it at least a little easier on you boys." he said with a smile.
"Thank you." Louis said, smiling genuinely at the man in the scrubs, before he nodded his head and walked away.
"What's going on?" Niall asked looking around at the boys sitting around his room. They hadn't noticed that Niall had woken up, and were all startled by his sudden voice.
"Oh!" Louis said with a smile. "Good morning lad." he said smiling, looking at the other boys, who nervously smiled back at him. They all turned to look at Niall who stared at them confusedly. "What- Where am I?" Niall asked.
"Watch this," Louis said, holding up the DVD the doctor had given him, "It will explain everything."
He entered the disc into the player and, after a moment of working with the T.V. the movie was playing.
"Hello Niall. You might not be prepared for what you are about to hear, but there really is no easy way to tell you, so just sit back and listen." the doctor finished.
Niall's questioning look on his face disappeared and he sat back, his tensed muscles relaxing. He watched and listened, to the story of how he fell from a cliff, as it was told to him with clips of, him in the hospital, waking up, news stories about the accident, flashed before his eyes.
The boys looked at each other confused, not remembering anyone with a camera ever being in the room during these events, until something on the ceiling caught Zayn's eye and he nodded up toward it. Harry and Louis looked up to find a security camera hanging from the ceiling.
The doctor's face reappeared on the screen, "So Niall, I am sorry to tell you, but you will no longer be able to remember anyone you meet from now on, or anything that happens from now on. Don't panic, everything is going to be fine. Your friends and family, will help you get through this. Oh, and just so that you don't get confused, your friend Louis, he came home from his vacation, the day of the accident."-silence-"Take care lad." The doctor smiled, and the movie ended.
The boys all took a deep breathe before turning around to find Niall, sitting on his bed in the same position as before. His muscles were no longer relaxed, and he had one tear sliding down his cheek, racing to the bottom of his neck.
They stood still for a moment, unsure of what to say to their friend. Suddenly Niall took in a deep breath, wiping away the single tear and sitting up straight.
"Well uh… Thanks guys." he said with a weak smile. "We are sorry Niall." Zayn said. Niall chuckled, "It's not your fault lads."
"But-" "It's not your fault either Harry." Louis said cutting the younger boy off. "Yes-" "No." Niall cut in and Harry looked to him with a surprised look.
"It's mine." Niall continued, "I have pasted the cliff diving spot in the car before. I have seen that sign many times. It was stupid of me to forget that it was there."
"So you remember jumping?" Zayn asked after a moment of silence. "It was in the video." Niall replied. "The last thing I remember is going to bed, the night before and thinking, 'Tomorrow is gonna be fun.' " he said putting his head down. And the boys sighed.