T w e n t y F o u r

T h e L a s t T i m e

- Lewis' View -

The first week of January past, and I've been dreading over when the time comes past that I had to come over and visit the hospital.

My fingers didn't stop moving, even my leg seemed to twitch in the car whilst Turps drove us over in the morning.

"Lewis," Turps started. "I know it isn't just me, but you look like shit."

I rolled my eyes, "Jeeze...thanks for pointing that out."

Leaning over to the side, I let my elbows hit the arm rest of the door and rubbed my eyes with my other arm, trying not to scrape myself from the velcro of my coat. Another yawn again, I wanted to really go to sleep - but my body clock hasn't been good since...well... I haven't really remembered when I had actually slept well of slept at all.

"Never have I ever seen you so...I don't know-" Turps ended in a high pitched confusion. "...like you're going to meet the devil's anoos or something." He shook his head and saw him clicked the indicator on, and we turned around the block.

I said nothing for the moment, trying to understand the words he's been trying to say.

"But nevertheless..." Turps trailed, and I was listening a bit more when he said. "I'm just confused...about what happened, really."

His admittance made me sit straightly at my seat. I said, "I don't think getting shot is a confusing occurrence. [Y/N] didn't throw herself at them!"

When I realised I had shouted at the end, I apologised. But only Turps replied with was a hum.

"I don't know, Lewis..." Turps seemed unsure, which I couldn't understand why he could have been. "[Y/N] left to talk to some government officials. And the Prime Minister was there: surely they would have the best bodyguards there are in the country?"

Shaking my head, I took out my phone at an instinct and searched through the news app.

SHOOTING AT BATH

CHARITY BALL AT SIEGE

TERROR ATTACK AT CHRISTMAS

What was I doing? These were almost a month old and I still feel like a wimp when I opened the articles. Maybe it was because it was the realisation that I had been there, and I was that close into getting hurt.

'Or it's because you know that [Y/N] got hurt,' The thought passed through my head and I wanted to gulp it down and forget about it.

I then groaned.

"Lewis," Turps joked. "If you're getting off, now, I mean...don't do it in my car."

Once he had found a parking space, he fiddled with the keys, whilst I grabbed the box from the backseat. Turps sighed, gesturing me to calm myself down - but to honest: I had nothing to really feel apart from what I've had deep in my heart.

Guilt.

Turps exited out and I followed suit, mentally preparing myself by the time we got to the front door of the hospital wing.

I forgot so much about my life. But out of every single thing, this never seemed to go away.

We got to front desk, and I was a bit occupied on the gift wrapped box In my hands, that Turps had sighed and asked for the room number instead. They said that she was at the east wing, and apparently someone else was here to see her. As we headed to the lift, I felt a hand place itself over my shoulder.

I looked back, finding my friend giving my a concern face and I passively shrugged it off. I didn't need any support. I can do this. Maybe I can tell her. Tell her that I've been swimming in a pool of lies the past year. And it's almost to full that I couldn't breathe.

But could I?

"Lewis...you can't just walk in there..."

"Mum, we're basically family to her. Why wouldn't she not allow us?"

"They said...they said there was some temporary injury. Lewis."

"So...she's awake...that's something, right?"

"No...[Y/N]...look: you just can't walk in there."

"I am...she's my friend."

The heart in my chess seemed to beat faster and faster, and as soon as the doors of the lift opened, I couldn't stop walking. Quicker and quicker, closer and closer: there was an urge for me to run. To see her face. To hope that this time: nothing was going to stop me from seeing her.

I was going to see her.

But that chance was cut short.

And as the woman in heels turned around to find the doors slamming wide open: it felt like that chance was taken and ripped into pieces. Because there was no chance that...that I can confront [Y/N]'s mother.

She was the one who took me away from her.

"Oh my god!" Turps heaved, placing his hands on his knees in support. He puffed, "Jesus...this isn't some dramatic life and death sequence! Calm down!"

"Shut up." I mumbled, then rushed with Turps towards the set of seats by the windows of the room - hoping the said woman hadn't noticed me...or even remembered my face. He gave me an odd look, and trying not to sound exasperated, dragged his arse to the seats with my face down.

Turps raised an eyebrow. I let myself to mutter a curse before I could explain this situation. What was such a horrible coincidence: was why did she had to invite herself right now? I mean, I knew from [Y/N] that her mother never bothers to email, or text or calls her. Heck, [Y/N] disliked her so much: she never bothered to have her mum's contacts on her phone.

The way I got myself less noticeable was shoving my phone at my face and pretended to appear busied with my texts, when in fact I was just scrolling at photos - not bothering to focus more as I was trying more to look at Mrs. [Y/L/N] from across the space.

Not in a creepy way, but she had seemed less lively and more tired. The difference from fifteen years advance was just her hair and her outfits. She looked quite uptight; her clothes definitely reflected her character well.

In fact, she looked nothing alike from [Y/N] - apart from probably the face shape and the height. Even then, it looked like [Y/N] was taller than her.

"So..." Turps beside me drawled, now more suspicious of my quietness and lifted his chin from his phone. He shoved his phone away, making me sigh and throw my fingers through my hair in frustration. "Are you going to tell me, why you seemed to be eyeing that lady?"

In a low undertone, I simply spoke: "It's her mother."

"Oh. Oh." He mouthed the last word and I frantically looked back to make sure Mrs. [Y/L/N] didn't have super hearing or anything. "My god, it's not as if you're going to propose to her or anything, Lewis."

"What?" I said in disbelief then I began to heat up in my cheeks. "N-no! How the hell did this go to proposing to [Y/N]?"

Turps whispered back, "Because...I mean." He shrugged his shoulders and tilted my face over to the door, where [Y/N] was in. "You obviously have this thing going on, even though you deny it and the other doesn't even acknowledges it."

"God. We are not going through this," I shook my head in my hands. "I just got her back, Turps." My throat began to dry up as I then said, "...I don't want to go for it when...you know-"

However, my voice trailed as I heard the clicking of heels hit the floor. When the two of us glanced at the direction - a doctor had walked through and Mrs [Y/L/N] had decided to follow the woman towards [Y/N]'s room.

The doctor began greeting herself, asking [Y/N]'s mum what her relation was to her.

It could have been swift, and clean...If I hadn't been a complete and utter fuck-up.

"Lewis...what are you doing?" Turps said my name, sending the two women to look at both us.

I gulped as the pair of eyes met mine, and flash in furious anger. Her face began to morph, looking stern and affected at my demise as I began to get closer.

"You!"

____

I mentally winced.

[Y/N]'s mother composed herself, calmly speaking back, "So you stalk her now, do you?"

"No! I..."

But she interrupted me and continued, "I have you know. You...y-you ruined us!" She hissed between her teeth and I began to hear my heart pump faster. I could feel it about to burst.

"You ruined my daughter! How DARE you think that you were a part of her life!"

"Madam," The doctor tried to intervene, but I never saw as I was frozen - stood a few feet away at the raging woman.

Mrs. [Y/L/N] trembled in resentment, "Do you stalk her online? Text her anonymously to try and consider to be back into her life?"

There was a moment when I wanted to retort. To shout back and cry the truth.

But at this moment, it was if I was coming back to when it first ended. When I had been eighteen and [Y/N] was just thirteen. Now it's been fifteen years...

"She's twenty eight," I gritted my teeth to stop myself from angrily replying back.

"And still my daughter." Mrs. [Y/L/N] choked back a sob, angrily glaring up at my eyes until I could feel myself know who had the upper hand. "She would never remember you. And if she did...she would never want to see you again after!"

This was her mother, blackmailing me.

"You don't know her anymore," I simply spoke, hardening my eyes down at her.

'She doesn't love you anymore,' 

I thought in my head. 'She loved you once, but you her chance of love when you married.'

Though soon, the doctor opened the door, and I saw the glimpse of [Y/N] on the bed. She stared at all of us. But her eyes were dead set on her mother's.

It was so quiet, that I didn't even get to react as [Y/N] spoke in a raspy quiet tone;

"Bring her in. She wants to talk to me."

I watched the woman saunter through, taking a quick glance back at me and Turps before shutting the door. The doctor awkwardly stood by, too tempted by the clipboard in her hand.

Then the feeling of adrenaline slowed down, and soon the sense of regret soared through my body. And I couldn't help it any longer.

"Mum! Someone's in here!" A child's voice echoed. She sounded afraid, shocked but a strong confident voice followed.

"GET OUT!" The other voice called. "HOW DARE YOU COME IN HERE!"

"You don't understand. [Y/N]? It's me."

"Who are you? I don't know you."

"[Y/N]..."

"My god!"

I blinked rapidly, taking a deep breath as I ran for my life towards the wall, toppling over my head. My legs began to buckle below, and soon everything began to spin and blur so much - that I couldn't hear anything.

I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry...

A hand patted my arm, and alarmingly - I flicked my head next to me to find Turps gesturing me at the open door. Her mum had left, not even taking a glance and looked quite steamy after she stormed out - tears in her eyes.

However, there was no hint of remorse even I could say I felt bad that [Y/N] was giving her the cold shoulder. But now, I reluctantly thanked the doctor and Turps and I took our turn into visiting [Y/N].

She looked quite battered, almost looking slightly purple at her arms. But she looked to be calmed and a bit ticked off. I could understand what she had just gone through, so I weakly smiled back.

"You look like someone but you through a compressor," I joked - then realized what I had just said.

She sighed and threw the book on the foot of her bed, telling us to sit down. Turps took it gladly, sitting at the foot whilst I had moved over next to her, letting my hands drop the box on her bed. "I've finished the series Katie gave me," [Y/N] told us. "And it took me only two days to do it."

Turps raised an eyebrow, "Didn't George give you anything to do? A Sudoku or anything?"

"Somehow, he doesn't think it'll keep me occupied," She said in a matter-of-a-fact tone that send me rolling my eyes but forming a grin.

Her hair was quite a mess, tangled from bed hair. The redness on her cheeks began to fade, but it had made the cut on her cheek too prominent. Though, it hadn't stopped me from noticing her eyes. Her lively [Y/E/C] eyes that seemed to be always looking, always thinking. It felt like looking through a peep hole of her mind - watching the little cogs in her head spin in hundreds of minutes.

Something inside my warmed up, and I gulped back my longing gaze. "How have you been?" I asked sincerely.

"Just fine," [Y/N] simple answered, seeming to look down until I noticed what I had done.

Her fingers began to curl at mine, and it seemed as if it was an age since there was a tingling sensation that caused me to rasp at my dry throat once more.

She then said, "Don't mind my mother." I looked back up, guilt spread across her face. "She...she hasn't been the same since she re-married. It's Mrs. Abbott now, even though she hates it when I call her that."

"I can tell," I pursed my lips. "But, I don't want to pry at it. It's your personal life, [Y/N]."

Humming, she eyed my hand once more and carefully turned them around, tracing her fingers over my palms. "What did she say? When I saw her, it seemed that she already knew your whole backstory."

"No offense," I forgot Turps was in the room, who now looked quite bored but flashed a grin as he added, "But your mum is a..."

"Turps-" I mumbled back, earning a raised eyebrow from the man. "Don't finish that sentence."

Only [Y/N] chuckled, slowly returning back to her fun and loving self as the whole atmosphere changed, and we began talking about various things. I know we could have talked about the shooting, or what had happened to her. But whenever, I looked back to her: there was a plummeting drop of temperature in my body - hoping to climb back up.

I could tell her the truth, tell her why Mrs Abbott ([Y/N]'s name for her mum) gave me the full of mum mode at me. But as my mouth opened, I couldn't say it. There was something pulling me back. I wanted to say it, finally.

But then the cautious part of me knew that I needed more time. For her to not feel vulnerable in a hospital bed. For her to feel that she trusts me. And right now, there is some doubt in me that if she does trust us or not.

The conversation turned to the Jingle Jam, and it was mostly Turps talking about the games she had missed and how I just drank my sorrows away because [Y/N] wans't there.

By that moment, I suppressed myself from showing the truth - only shaking my head as I laughed.

Turps left a few minutes before we had to leave, he said he needed to go to the bathroom and in quote: 'wanted to have a wank.'

He made a disgusted noise. "God! when I look at you both... It's like you two eye-fucking each other."

[Y/N] snorted, and I raised back an eyebrow before he could leave and I protested.

As the door slammed shut, I sighed heavily and set my hand through my hair. God, Turps made this incredibly awkward now. Just leaving the two of us in the same room.

'Go and tell her the truth!' I screamed inside, but another voice told me that I needed patience. This wasn't the right time.

Her eyes never left mine for a few second...or a few minutes. She had a side-smile - her little trick - that sent butterflies in my stomach. The tingling sensation returning as I noticed one thing we have been doing ever since I entered the room.

She never let go of my hand.

"Say," She snapped me from my thoughts and I hummed to show I'd been listening. "I never thought you would have come." It was sincere, so truthful that I began to frown back.

I then nervously spoke, "Duncan and Sjin can live a minute without me being there."

"Of course."

"And just as always," I took a deep breath. "I care for you, man. Honestly."

She rubbed my hand, quickly looking away as she replied, "I just...you know..." She huffed, tilting her head high with a grin. "You just remind me so much of someone that I know of. Someone that I cannot seem to remember. I've said that so many times...I'm sorry."

"Was it me?" I joked.

She grinned back and said, "Aren't you just so self-centered, Lewis Brindley."

"So are you," I retorted, then I regretted what came out. "I mean...not like that." Giggling, [Y/N]'s eyes were glowing with glee, it was faint - but there was some remembrance of seeing it again.

The first time in fifteen years.

"I should be going," I lowered my voice and firmly said. "I'm streaming this afternoon. Text later?"

She nodded and looked to be focused on the box on the bed. Now remembering, I told her strictly that it was her secret Santa present.

Delicately, [Y/N] opened the wrapped box. And as she grabbed it open whilst I stood to leave, I saw a pair of black Oxfords appearing at her grasps. Almost in a few seconds, there was a painful expression at her face. But weirdly, she quickly hid her emotions back and smiled.

"Now whoever got me these," [Y/N] breathed. "They are either hiding something from me. Or they want to get into my pants."

You're not too far from the truth.

I smirked, "I didn't know you were into that sort of thing, [Y/N]."

"Shush!" She pouted and began to focus more on the shoes in awe. "I am in heaven..."

"Sure you are," I then placed the chair back at its place - which was by the door, and began to step myself out of the room. Turning back, I opened my mouth to say something, but no sound left my lips or entered my ears.

I then heard it;

"How did you know..."

I paused at my steps.

"That is for me to know and you to find out." I teased and gave her wink, causing her to seem not amused. I said goodbye as she replied back, only to shut the door quietly - gazing down at the floor.

When I glanced back up, Turps stood up - now incredulously eyeing me with a smirk.

"So did you say..."

I eyed him back.

"You, Lewis Brindley..." Turps snorted. "Are a..."

I sighed and let my hands rest on my head. I wasn't going to let Turps finish that sentence as well.

____

A/N: Aww, I kinda feel bad now for Lewis. He seemed pretty affected when it came to remembering her from the last ever time. And no...he doesn't really want to remember it, but he does: and I think that is what that makes them a bit similar to each other.

If that's a good or bad thing...we will see.

QUESTION: Would you like more Lewis POVs?

I kind of like it; I think it shows how the character seems to be on the outside. And for Lewis, he sees someone entirely different but yet he knows that she is still the same person.

-SierraOwls