The sight of his belly getting bigger and bigger delighted and freaked him out. Rolling his shirt up, he bounced over to Harry and pointed at his round belly. "Look, our daughter made my belly button pop out." Grinning widely at his Dom, he leaned up on sock feet to brush lips against his then ran off to finish getting ready.

He'd graduated to maternity scrubs, the fabric still tight around his middle. "I hope she's really fat and there isn't another one hiding in there." Tying the drawstring on his cotton candy pink pants, he grabbed the hairbrush to smooth his hair down. Then, sneakily peeking at Harry, swiped his bottle of cologne and spritzed it on himself. He loved how his future husband smelt.

Harry was a little slower this morning, feet dragging as he forced himself to climb in the shower. He didn't want to do this, didn't want to return to work, but at the same time he couldn't wait. He needed this, needed to keep himself and his brain occupied with a work he has long since forgotten. His hands still trembled, though. The instruments have been laid to rest for far too long, and they couldn't wait to be put to use again... Even if his heart was still terrified he would mess up again and kill another innocent person.

But when you have a job as a doctor, or more specifically a surgeon, you have to be able to balance the loss of lives with the gain. So, Harry, being a man who has witnessed and caused (not intentionally) many deaths, has learned how to create a switch. Once inside the walls of the hospital, he flips it off and becomes emotionless, a robot who relies on instincts and memory. He recites bullshit pounded into his brain and goes onto autopilot during surgeries. It's a survival mechanism. He does it to protect himself and his heart so many forgets he has.

He was just stepping out of the shower, a fluffy blue towel wrapped around his waist, when Louis stepped up to him, all rainbows and sunshine, and disappeared just as fast. "Let's hope," he mumbled, wiping away the tiny droplets of water that began to roll down his chest and trace the now defined lines of his abs. He's put on a few pounds in the past few weeks. Not enough to return to his original weight, but enough to add meat to his bones and make him look more human and not so... Jack the Skeleton like.

He dried his hair in record time and got dressed in a pair of bright purple scrubs and his simple black leather shoes with the one inch heels. His hair was an entirely new problem he was faced with. He went to a barber a few days ago and got it fixed and trimmed his beard so it wasn't as rugged and scraggly, but he still didn't know how to style it. So, going against every muscle in his body, he opened a bottle of gel (hell for curls) and grabbed the hair drier and managed to create a quiff that looked so ridiculous on him, but his hair was tamed.

"Ready?" He hollered over his shoulder after he rinsed his mouth of the bubbly toothpaste. Spraying some of his cologne on him when he walked into the bedroom, Harry arched a brow and followed the same scent circling him, down to the kitchen where he found Louis eating a peanut butter sandwich with two chocolate bars stuffed in between the two slices of bread. "Really?"

It wasn't like Louis to eat breakfast, he hated eating right away when one woke up, usually chugging down a cup of coffee or two then grabbing something from work. But the makeshift Reese's peanut butter cup was amazing. With his mouth full of chocolate, Louis mumbled something then took another bite. He eyed the place where a drink would be then looked up at his Harry.

He did a double take at Harry's hairstyle, an eyebrow raising up. Did Harry realise he looked like a rooster? Giggling, he pulled out his phone to text Zayn that then slowly got up to reach into the cupboard to grab a glass, shirt riding up slightly.

"I wish we had more time this morning." Louis wiggled eyebrows as he poured some chocolate milk into the glass then sat down to finish his sandwich.

Harry noticed the look from Louis and testingly patted his hair, grimacing when he felt how stiff and hard his hair had gone from the gel. "We have ten minutes. Finish your nasty breakfast." Waving a dismissive hand at him, Harry turned around and booked it up the stairs, already feeling the headache the enormous amount of gel was bringing on as his hair bobbed slightly and pulled at the roots.

Bending over the sink, he turned the warm water on and began to rinse out his hair, grimacing as his fingers became coated in slime. He shampooed it again, vanilla floating around the room, before he pulled back and dried his hair as fast as he could with a towel. It didn't take as long to dry now that it was short, so by the time he returned downstairs it was only damp and the small, dark blotches on his shirt from the droplets of water were hardly noticeable as they dried.

"Ready?" He asked again, slightly out of breath. He brushed the now loose hair out of his face and scratched at his chin, still a little unused to the prickly hair he felt there.

Already finished as his eyes were bigger than his stomach, he tossed most of the sandwich away then gulped down the milk. He eyed Harry when he went to the bathroom and water started to run. "Damn." Good thing he'd been sneaky and took a picture of Harry's rooster look. It was going on his Facebook later.

Yawning slightly, he looked at the time on his phone then blanched. "Oh yeah, we have that scan this morning." He didn't want to see Arick, but the man had made sure Louis would would be scheduled with him. "Get to see our pretty little girl."

Nodding at Harry, he pulled on a jacket then zipped it up. He despised hats and mittens so those were ignored as he went to open their front door, pushing an eager kitten out if the way. "Nope Cleo, you stay with your siblings and mama."

Harry swooped down and picked up the squirming kitten. "I'll see you when I get home, little miss." kissing her forehead, he set her in the hallway then made a run for the door, quickly ushering Louis out before he closed it behind him and locked it. The snow was at that point that it wasn't snow anymore, but rather ice upon ice with the black slush disguising it. Helping Louis down the slippery driveway, Harry cursed himself for not parking the car in the garage and made a mental reminder as he buckled Louis up before climbing in the driver seat.

"I have a meeting with John as soon as we get there, but I should be able to have lunch with you. Meet me in the cafeteria? I'll take you to get a sub." Harry said as he pulled out of the driveway, careful on the death traps they call roads. Their relationship had improved tremendously over the past few weeks. They still had room for a lot of improvement, especially in certain areas, but they've reached a point, an understanding, that makes living together so much more easier. The fact of him cheating still loomed over them, wanting to be brought up in every small argument, but they both always chose to skirt past it. It was a topic best left undiscussed. They didn't need to live in the past any longer..

Narrowing eyes slightly when Harry kissed the cat's forehead, a slight itch of jealousy ran through him. It was an animal. He didn't need to freak out. "I'm still his bunny.." Louis mumbled to himself. He greatly appreciated the help down the driveway, gripping hard on Harry's wrist when his foot slid even a little bit, though he didn't need to be buckled in.

Ooh a sub. Louis started to drool as he leaned over to cutely kiss the underside of Harry's chin. "Can we.. go to an oncall room too?" Biting his lip, he batted eyes at Harry before his phone beeped and went black. Damnit. He forgot to charge it last night.

Harry rolled his eyes at Louis' inappropriate suggestion and snorted. "Horny bastard," he said in a teasing tone, hand moving from the steering wheel and sneaking to lace his fingers with Louis', the cool metal from his rings digging into the sensitive parts on the inside of his fingers. "Maybe." Sex between them has never been so.. Satisfying, so ridiculously good. They've both found a rhythm with the others body, easily matching it as soon as their bodies were pressed together. And the fact that they were both horny bastards didn't help.

They stopped at Starbucks and got their coffees, Harry straying from the norm and getting an iced coffee. He was overheated, even with the chilly February air nipping at his skin through the crack in his window. Ignoring everything Louis was saying, Harry glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "Did you know it was my birthday two weeks ago?" He suddenly asked, curious if the event was even one Louis had been aware of. If he was, he hadn't said anything or even tried to celebrate it, not that Harry would have wanted him to. He didn't say anything until now, because birthdays was just another day and he didn't want anyone making a big fuss, which is why he made sure Michael and Luke stayed quiet.

"And? When do you ever turn down sex?" Louis squeezed Harry's when he linked their fingers together. "I should get you a thumb ring with our birthstones and the baby's," He grinned up at Harry, shifting so the seat belt stopped digging into the side of his neck. "So, how many kids did you want? Because I know you weren't happy about this." Louis motioned to his swelling belly.

Choking on his coffee, he turned to glare at his Dom. "Seriously? You freak out on mine then make sure I don't know yours? We're planning a weekend of nothing but birthday shit for both of us. Double layered fudge cake, Chinese or pizza, lots of sex in every room, kitten cuddles and we should go play in the snow." he pointed when some flakes started coming down. Looking over at Harry again, he undid his seat belt to lean over and kiss the side of his mouth then sat back down.

Harry squirmed away from the affection and wrinkled his nose, trying his damndest to act as if the weekend didn't sound entirely too appealing, and that Louis' lips didn't feel good when pressed against that certain spot. "And when do you propose we do this?" he wasn't going to feed into the idea that this could be an actual weekend, and that they would actually do it, he was just toying with Louis.

Still not answering the question about how many kids he wanted, because even he wasn't sure of that answer, Harry pulled into the hospital parking lot but didn't yet shut off the car. The windows became glassed over with tiny snowflakes, the crystals merging into one thin blanket of white. Turning on the windshield wipers, Harry felt as his heart stuttered in his chest as the sight of the hospital doors became visible through the steady fall of the snowflakes. He wasn't ready for this, couldn't be even though it's been nearly two months. It was too soon.

Rolling eyes at Harry squirming, he reached to hold him in place as he kissed the spot again then to his throat to suck on his Adam's apple. "Next weekend. I'm going to ask John." Louis smirked and went to undo his seatbelt and grabbed his coffee. "Maybe I'll get some flavored lube to play around with and some pretty panties."

Frowning when he saw Harry was still sitting there, he signed and undid his Dom's belt then pushed the button to push the steering wheel up and climbed into Harry's lap. It was a tight fit, but he managed. Not saying a word, he wrapped arms around Harry and just held him.

Harry wasn't sure how to react at first, wasn't sure if he even wanted this, but then his body seemed to thaw beneath Louis' warmth and his cold nose was nuzzling into the soft place between his neck and shoulder that always smells like vanilla. Wrapping his arms around his waist, Harry paid attention to the tiny kicks against his stomach and just enjoyed the moment, draining it for all it was worth before he had to let go and face the real world. But for now he just let himself get lost in the feeling of being wrapped around Louis.

"I think a weekend away would do us good," Harry said, words muffled. Even being technically jobless for the past two months, his bank account hadn't really suffered. They ate out almost every night and bought things they really didn't need to, yet he still had more than enough money to tide him over for a few life times. So a weekend away, with them surrounded by nothing familiar as they stuffed themselves full and fucked like rabbits, sounded nice and his wallet didn't protest. "Not at the house, though. Somewhere far away."

Nuzzling Harry's neck, he loved the warmth radiating off the surgeon's body. Harry was naturally warmer, so Louis always plastered himself to the man's back in bed only to wake up sweaty in the morning. It was worth it. Feeling the baby kick, he gave a soft chuckle. "Our kid agrees we need a weekend to ourselves." God knows they won't have one when she arrives.

Unbeknownst, Louis' phone was getting spammed with texts and missed calls from Arick asking where he was. The doctor refused to believe Louis was off limits, and he couldn't get the man off his back at all. "So, we can go to Birmingham. Get a room and wander around. I've always wanted to have sex in public."

"What about Amsterdam?" Harry suggested, the location suddenly coming to mind. It was pretty much the only place he has never been to that wouldn't take more than a few hours to travel to, and the idea that he would be able to experience a first with Louis was tempting. Sliding his hands up the boys back, Harry pulled back and pecked the corner of his mouth before he sighed and reluctantly opened the door. He had to get it over with.

"Let's go?" The hospital looked haunting, like an image from his worst nightmares as a child. It was the places his mother always told him to stay away from, but the call was too lurring. He needed to go in, needed to help save lives. Aspen wouldn't have wanted him to be like this, she has always told him he needed to be strong. Just because she wasn't here anymore didn't mean she wasn't still watching him, and despite his disbeliefs of god, he strongly believed Aspen could see her strong doctor was wavering. He couldn't have that. He needed... He needed to be strong.

"Ooh Amsterdam. That'd be fun, I've never travelled outside England before." Purring at the hands on his back, he arched it then gave a shudder. "And sure, pot is legal there." Narrowing eyes, he blinked when Harry opened the door and reluctantly stepped a foot out. Apparently nobody had been out to salt the sidewalk, as his foot skated one way and he grabbed onto the door handle.

Straightening up, he took a cautious step forward then another. "Shit. I wanna call in sick." And not see Arick's face. He chewed in his lip, gazing up at the second floor of the building. Backing up again, he reached a hand out for Harry. "Come on my cute Froggie Prince."

Harry followed closely behind Louis, not wanting the boy to fall and slip and break his tailbone and crack his head open. "Legal, not legal, doesn't stop me." Shrugging, he took the offered hand and rolled his eyes at the nickname. "Whatever, my fluffy bunny." Taking small steps to the door, Harry felt as the air in his lungs glued to his throat and refused to be exhaled. With each step he took, the closer he came to the dreaded place he has been trying to avoid.

The moment they walked into the hospital, the sick air tainting Harry's body, two security guards stepped out of the shadows with their arms folded in front of their bodies. "Mr. Styles, we have instructions to take you straight to Mr. Hackles office." The broader one said, voice deep with his dark, beady eyes set far back in his skull locked on Harry. He had a taser strapped to his belt, an obvious addition to their person since the last time Harry seen them. Yeah, fuckface, wonder why they got those.

He adored how closer they'd gotten. Harry's welcoming presence behind him as he made sure he was on solid ground before wiggling his bum at his Dom. "Yeah well, I can't smoke it. Don't rub it in." Louis gave his hand a squeeze as he smiled at the nickname. "Aw Fluffy Bunny. I'm never forgetting you calling me happy bunny in the elevator."

A low growl escaped Louis when the two men stepped in front of them. He purposely turned and kissed Harry on the lips then looked back at the men. "Excuse me!" Louis pushed past both of them, managing to jostle one as he walked off. He looked over his shoulder at Harry and mouthed, "See you at lunch. I love you!" Then flashing the I love you sign with his hands, took off for the nurse's station.

Licking over his lips flavored heavily with coffee and chocolate, Harry smirked at the men and gestured for them to walk. "Touch me, and I'll break both your arms." He threatened, eyebrows raising as he easily slipped into his arrogant, asshole persona. Grinning at those he passed that were gaping at him, Harry stepped into the elevator and didn't move aside for the men to get in. He stayed standing right in the middle, arms crossed over his chest as he scowled at his own reflection.

He had expected to be escorted like a child to the principal's office when he arrived, he just hadn't expected Hansel and Gretel to be the ones sent. "So, you adorable turtles, how have you been? What have you been up to while I've been gone?"

Quickly plugging his phone in when Louis took his seat, it vibrated crazily when he turned it on. He texted Arick back to stop harassing him with texts and phone calls, they were not friends and the number was for professional use only. Setting it back down, he gulped the rest of his coffee before pushing back the chair to run for a pee break. He'd been expecting that. Seeing Zayn on the way in, he wiggled fingers then chose a stall, door lock clicking loudly.

The unspoken conversation started the moment both went to wash their hands, it was too creepy to speak while peeing. "Got a scan today. I wish you'd gone with your first choice of being an obgyn. So lame to want to hang around the elderly." Louis poked at the fact that Zayn's patients were geriatric, but the older man was a charmer with the ladies, despite his sexual preference, which hasn't deterred the flirting.

"Arick still bugging you?" Louis had immediately run to Zayn after his issue with Arick. Both were walking down the hallway when Liam ran up and bowed head to Zayn, totally submissive form making Louis cackle. If Harry could see this, he'd probably want him the same way. Nodding, he walked into the lounge to grab a drink, needing more coffee. It was two hours until the scan.

)Apparently the twins weren't chatty, or they just didn't enjoy Harry's company, because aside from their heavy breathing, they didn't say or do much. Not fazed by their rudeness, he stepped out of the elevator when the doors opened and turned to bow at the men. "I do hope you enjoyed the show. Meet me here tonight and I'll put on a better one for you guys," licking his bottom lip slowly before he bit the corner, Harry winked and grinned. God, it was good to be back.

Ditching his babysitters before they could follow, he ducked underneath a man passing with a tray and took off to John's office, where he opened the door without knocking. "John, my love, how have yo--" Harry abruptly cut off when he seen a woman sitting at the corner table in a red pencil skirt with a white silk blouse to match. Her hair was tied up in a brain squeezing bun and a pair of black glasses hugged the bridge of her nose as she peered judgmentally at him over them.

"I'm not seeing a damn shrink, John." Harry growled, instantly recognizing the woman as the hospitals clinical psychiatrist. He wasn't insane, didn't need some woman to try and nurse his wounded soul with sparkly Band-Aids and glitter. He was fine, more than fine. Glaring at the man sitting behind his desk, Harry stayed standing close to the door, prepared to make a run for it if he needed to.

Today, he decided, was going to be a slack day. Sitting on a chair, he stared off into the distance, not fazed by the squeaking of wet sneakers walking by or the fact that Doctor Horan kept walking by every fifteen minutes looking nervously at Louis while loudly jingling the change and keys in his pocket. Slowly, Louis worked in the charts, not bothering to look up when he heard Niall walk by again, but apparently Tessa, the nurse who was currently grabbing her own charts for the day had had enough and told Dr. Horan to quiet down some. This was a hospital, not band practice. Biting down on his lip, Louis ducked head down to hide his grin.

When Horan left again, hopefully for good, Tessa held her charts in one hand then swiped the pen Louis was using with the other before zooming off. Surprised, Louis sat there staring at his hand then at the nurse's retreating back. Rude much? Selecting a purple pen from his own stash, he continued to fill out the charts. He was trying to go slow, keep himself amused until the time of his scan, but Louis finished before he wanted to. Great. Now what?

Sliding phone to himself, he put it in camera mode and snapped a few selfies. Looking around, he ran into the bathroom to take pics of his ass and send them to Harry then a few of his bump to post on Facebook.

John sighed and stood up from his chair, hands raised to show he wasn't a threat. "Harry, you know as well as I do that you need to see her," eyeing his star surgeon, he held up a finger when Harry opened his mouth to protest. "And even if you didn't, I am obligated to see you do. You went through something traumatic. Jennifer has to sign off before you return to your practice, and say that you are mentally stable." The past few months have been hell on more than just Harry. John has lost patient after patient when they found out the main attraction for the hospital, Harry, was no longer at the hospital. They have all suffered, and John wished more than anything that he could erase the last two months and just start over.

Harry snorted and ran a hand through his missing hair, growling when he only got a second of pain from the rings tugging at the strands before he was left running his fingers down the soft fuzz on the back of his head. "I am not insane, John. I lost a patient and didn't handle it properly. I take responsibility for that, but I will not see a shrink." He never has and never will. People claim they help, but he viewed them as annoying children asking questions nobody wanted an answer to before they scribbled something down on their little notepad with their colorful crayons. Not to mention the woman must be insane herself. She has no taste in clothes, and her makeup was horrendous. She had the bright red lipstick smeared across her teeth and upper lip, and he wasn't about to have his brain picked by fucking Miranda Sings.

"Well, it's either that or you're fired. You attacked my security guards, Harry. Ruined thousands of dollars of medical equipment and had a mental breakdown in the middle of my hallway. You disappeared for two months, and from what I understand you were wallowing away in self pity and nursing yourself with alcohol. I can not allow you to return until you have the clearing from Jennifer." John was shouting now, hands slamming down on his desk. He was done playing games, done babying harry. The man needed to buck up and face his problems, rather than run.

When another nurse came to the desk, Louis excused himself to head up to the floor John's office was on. The look on his fiancee's face when told he had a meeting with John had made him nervous, he was only going up to eavesdrop. When the elevator chimed announcing it was on the floor, Louis crept out and walked to the door. The coast was clear as he pushed ear up to the wood to listen in. He could hear raised voices, one of them the syrupy slow voice he'd come to love. John banging his hands on the desk made Louis yelp in surprise, quickly shoving a hand over his mouth to make sure he hadn't been heard.

Biting down on his knuckles, he fought the urge to throw open the door and pull Harry from the argument when he heard footsteps approaching. Sheepishly, he stepped away from the door, but it was too late as Doctor Horan cleared his throat and crossed arms in front of himself. "And what are we doing up here, Nurse Tomlinson?"

Opening mouth then closing it, Louis weighed his options. One, lie and say he was looking for his boyfriend or two, get snarky with Niall and get ushered into John's office for insubordination. "Why? You're not my supervisor," Damnit brain, I told you option #1! Louis scolded it as he watched the man in front of him get mad. It was only nine a.m. and he was already in trouble. Welcome back to work, Harry!

"Let's go find Dr. Styles and see what he thinks of this." Shit. Shit. The blonde man didn't know Harry was right behind the door, which was flung open to reveal an angry looking John. "Can I help you two? We're in the middle of something."

Niall gave an apologetic look then realising Harry was sitting there, pushed Louis none too gently at him. "Teach your sub to respect Doms. He was extremely rude to me!" With a whoosh of his coat, Niall turned and walked off. Good riddance. Though, Louis looked uncomfortable standing there.

Harry stumbled back a step, nearly hitting into the wall behind him, acting as if John's words had been a physical blow to his chest and stomach. He... He had only needed time to process it, to accept the fact that she was gone, but now he could lose his job. Refusing to allow himself to flinch when John came stalking towards him, Harry waited for the blow, rather it be verbal or physical, and was surprised when John instead threw the door open and yelled at whoever was out there.

Glancing at the quack doctor, Harry peaked his head out the door and glared when Niall not only touched his sub, but shoved him as well. "Become a Dom, then we'll talk!" He yelled at the man's retreating figure before he turned to Louis. "What are you doing up here? Go downstairs and find something to do. I'm busy." The Dom growled, once he silently made sure Louis was alright, followed by the door slamming shut. He could coddle Louis right now. He had his own problems to deal with.

"I have to meet with her once, then I'm done if I get the clearance?" He wasn't ready to let go of this place. He hates it most days and sometimes wishes he had choose a different profession, but he could never see himself not being a surgeon. He lived and breathed this place, had sacrificed so much to get where he's at, and he's not about to let some scene take everything away from him.

Glancing in Harry's direction, he only stared at the two visitors outside then slammed the door. "Niall needs someone, pain in the ass." John muttered. He was going to ignore Harry's snipe to Niall as it was what everyone was thinking. The man had never had a woman or man as long as he worked here, or at least nobody's seen him with one.

Louis huffed at his Dom, doing a double take when he saw the hospital psychiatrist in the office. Oh shit. Scurrying off, he didn't stop running until he was back in his seat st the nurse's station with phone in hand as he texted Zayn about what he'd just seen.

"Yes, just once, " John rubbed a hand over his face when the phone rang once again."You can have Louis come sit in too if you want." But he wasn't going to mention that if Jennifer even made a comment about Harry not being stable or any worries she had, he'd be made to have more sessions.

Harry growled and ran a hand through his hair, but nodded. "Fine, leave. I'll only agree to have the meeting here." He was giving in too easily, but who cares? It was better to get this over with. John got the hint and quickly left the room, locking the door behind him so they wouldn't have any interruptions.

Glancing at the woman who has remained silent the entire time, Harry took a few cautious steps forward before he folded his body into the small wooden chair at the table across from her. "So, what do I have to do?" he didn't want Louis here, didn't want him to see his Dom picked apart piece by piece.

Jennifer observed Harry throughout the entire encounter with not only John, but Louis too. She was aware of their situation, of the fetus being born into a pairing neither partners seemed to have wanted at first, but something has changed with them. She fully intended to see what. "I'll just ask a few questions, then you'll answer. Okay?" When Harry nodded, she smiled and shifted in her seat, tugging down the ends of her skirt. "How are you, Harry?"

Not able to keep still, Louis was making another lap around the floor when he saw Dr. Grimshaw and Arick coming his way. Wide eyed, he flew into the supply closet and held his breath listening to the sound of the footsteps melting away as the two men continued walking. When he figured the coast was clear, he slid back out and to the locker room.

What made the idea pop in his head, he didn't know as he opened Grimshaw's locker and smirked upon seeing a fresh set of clothes laying there. Picking up the boxers, he took the tube of BenGay from his pocket and smeared it generously on the inside of the underwear then did the same with Arick's. He felt slightly better as he ditched the tube in a wad of paper towels then washed his hands.

Question after question was shot out, none having to do with the intended topic, but all skirting around it. Harry answered them easily, truthfully, telling her he was fine and sleeping well and didn't, in fact, have trouble focusing or paying attention. What finally peaked the psychologists interest was when Aspen was mentioned. The corner of his lip jerked and his eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly. The girl was still a problem, one far more deep rooted than a doctors care for his patient.

"I will repeat myself only once, Harry. If you do not answer after that, I will mark it down as you are unable to fully co-operate and you will be forced to meet with me again." folding her arms over her lap, Jennifer leaned back in the chair and eyed the doctor. "You didn't go to the patient in question, Aspen's, funeral. Why is that?"

Harry forced himself to remain calm, even when his heart began to tear away at his rib cage and shred itself into tiny ribbons swimming around in his chest full of blood. "I didn't feel the need to." He said, words monotone and forced. "I felt as if I would only be a reminder. I couldn't save their daughter, even though I reassured them for over a year I could. I understand Rose doesn't wish to press any further, and will not sue to hospital for what has happened, but that doesn't change the fact that I set the hospital up and made myself a liability. I didn't need to cause them any more pain."

Listening deftly, Jennifer jotted notes on the clipboard. Not once did the glasses slide down her nose making Jennifer's brown eyes appear wider than they were. After finishing a sentence on paper, she glanced up st Harry. "Yet you maintained a relationship with the family the entire time of Aspen's hospitalization?" A quirk of the eyebrow as she wrote something else down then held the clipboard against her barely there chest. She was one of those, pretty if she smiled and wore makeup and let her hair down kind of person, but Jennifer chose to look older than she actually was, which was forty-one.

"How did you feel coming back to work today? I understand after so many months it may be intimidating," Jennifer began. She had all the time in the world, so she was going exactly by the book, not allowing herself to stray from the topic at hand. "John wasn't pleased. You are an asset to the hospital and death is rather common, so what made you do what you did? Did your fiance influence you in a way? Friends?"

Bouncing between the two questions before Harry even had a chance to respond to the first one, had the man blinking a few times with his head cocked to the side before he shook it, loose hair flying free, and crossed his arms over his chest. "While she was alive, yes. Aspen was one of my most critical patients. We grew close, and I know that is frowned upon, but I didn't realize how much damage the relationship I forged with her, could actually do." blowing out a deep breath, which whistled slightly through his teeth, Harry crossed his ankles and glanced out the window as he tried to will himself to stay calm.

"I wasn't intimidated with returning. As you said, death is a common thing, especially in a hospital. My actions were on me, and me alone. My fiance, my friends, my coworkers, could have done nothing to prevent or influence what I did. I handled the news of her death wrong, and acted before even thinking, and I admit I missed work. But I needed a break. After a while of having death surrounding you, a person needs time to detach and allow themselves to heal. That is all that happened. I took time off to wash away all the blood on my hands." glancing back at Jennifer, Harry picked at a loose string on his scrub ties and flicked it on the ground, both watching as it slowly fluttered in the air. "If I am insane for allowing a death to affect me the way that it did, then so be it. The day that I act unfazed and neutral about a death, is the same day I retire."

Everything Harry said was written down in Jennifer's neat handwriting, with a few notes added. Nothing was alarming her, so she figured their session would be quick. "How is your relationship with your friends? And fiance?" She wasn't up to date with any gossip in the hospital, Jennifer was too invested in her job, so she was in the dark about Harry and Louis and anybody associated with them.

When his phone beeped letting him know there was 15 minutes until his appointment, Louis headed up to John's office to steal his fiance. "Harry and I have an important engagement right now. Are you done with him?" Even if they weren't, Louis was taking him anyway.

Harry leaned forward in his seat and rest his elbows on the table as his eyes moved over the woman. She was uncomfortable being in the same room as him. Harry was good at reading people, too. He had to be able to tell when a patient was lying, and when they were just getting another druggy, or a patient who was trying to cover up the extent of their injuries. She kept on shifting in her seat and pulling down her skirt, clipboard moving to cover the pale flesh between her breasts that was exposed through the slit in her shirt when she wasn't writing on it. She knew of him, of his.. Ways.

"Both are fine. My friends have been supportive and helpful, but I wouldn't have made it without the support from my fiance." He was being sincere, or as sincere as he could get. Frowning, he glanced up at the creaking door and noticeably relaxed when he seen Louis. "I believe she just has to tell me if I am insane or not." No yelling? Wow. Harry Styles was getting weak.

A tight smile as Jennifer and Harry were interrupted again by the doctor's fiance. Adding more to her notes, Jennifer dotted an I extra hard then capped the pen. "I believe Doctor Styles needs no further uh.. meetings with me." Who was she talking to? John wasn't here and by the look on the fiance's face, he hadn't a clue what was going on, but knew who Jennifer was by sight and probably her occupation at the hospital as she was sure she'd met with the nurse last year regarding a case. "I will go tell John my decision. Good day."

Once the woman was gone, Louis rolled his eyes. He hated psychiatrists. They made his skin crawl and he had yet to work with one who could easily suck the fun out of the room and actually crack a smile without looking constipated. "Alrighty..." He held hands out for the Dom to take and help him up. Once both were on their feet, Louis got on tiptoes to brush lips against Harry's.

Nose twitching slightly at the kiss, Harry returned it lightly then kept hold of one of Louis' hands as he led them to the door. "You do realize news of my meeting will spread fast." He said, opening the door. Glancing down at Louis as they walked down the hallway, he chanced a look around the hallway and seen almost everyone was staring at the couple. "You'll forever be known as the nurse married to a mentally unhinged surgeon who had a mental breakdown over a patient. Ready for that yet?"

Pressing the elevator buttons, they both stepped into the cart and Harry forced his eyes to close when they began moving, the steady sway of the elevator as it rose giving him motion sickness. He had a lot to get used to, including Niall Horan, who was trying to take over Harry's job, though he just didn't have the same skills the head surgeon did. Michael has kept him informed, letting him know that Horan had temporarily taken over the title of head of the surgical department, and Harry would be damned if he gave up that position without a fight. He's worked too hard to hand it over to a child-eyed doctor with clumsy hands.

"Don't care." Louis murmured. Shooting a look at people staring, he brought their conjoined hands up to kiss, pretty sure he was heart eyeing Harry. Harry wasn't the only one to have a mental breakdown, he'd seen other staff members lose it then rage quit. The medical field took no prisoners and consumed your soul if you'd let it. "Your reaction was perfectly reasonable to what happened. God forbid we show grief!"

Yawning, Louis leaned against the railing, eyes travelling up to the camera in the corner as he gave a wicked grin. If they weren't on their way to something important, Louis would push the emergency stop button and show Harry what he meant to him.

Brushing his thumb across the back of Louis' knuckles, Harry leaned against the wall with his right hip and forced himself to focus on the steady breathes leaving the boys mouth. He easily matched them, and when the two were finally breathing in sync the elevator dinged and the two doors slid open. It seemed odd when he stepped out onto the OB/GYN floor, with pregnant patients and doctors and nurses running around like chickens who had their heads cut off. He felt out of place.

Nobody really looked their way, either. They were too busy too. "Who are we seeing again today?" Harry asked, tugging them to a stop by the front desk. Turning his back on the gabbing nurse, he looked around the busy floor before he looked down at Louis. It was still strange, wanting to be this close to the boy when only a few months ago he would have cut off and offered his left foot if it meant they didn't have to be in the same room.

"The prick.." Louis dead panned as he saw the doctor standing at his door. Upon seeing Arick, the two eyes met and Arick winked. Rolling his own, he brought free hand up to stick middle finger up at him. It only made Arick smirk harder as Louis walked over. Reaching out, Arick laid an uninvited hand on Louis' arm and pulled him in close.

Squirming he turned head and bit down on the doctor's hand then moved to the other side of his Dom, arm sliding around the surgeon's waist and snuggling into him. "Arick, you've never met my fiance. Doctor Harry Styles, the love of my life." Louis stressed the name and love then got up on tiptoes to kiss him.

Immediately stepping forward when Arick put a hand on Louis' arm, Harry was fully prepared to step in when he seen Louis sink his teeth into his hand followed by him twisting out of his hold and automatically going into Harry's side. The dom eyed the doctor with distaste, the overheard conversation of his and Louis' still fresh in his mind. "You were the one trying to pressure my sub into having sex with you, yeah?" Smirking, he pulled the boy closer into his side and looked down at him.

"Well, the bastards back and he's very unhappy. Touch my sub again, or even look at him the wrong way and I'll rip out your lungs and make myself a new set of bagpipes." Raising an eyebrow, Harry smirked and drug his tongue across his scarred bottom lip. He was challenging the man, threatening his dominance and wrongful claim to a sub he obviously knew was taken.

Of course now that Arick was pretty much cornered, his immediate decision was to deny it. "Come on, we're both doms. You're going to take his word over mine? He's a lowly sub." Scoffing, Arick was eyeing Louis. He wouldn't deny that Louis was attractive, so was the Dom, but he wouldn't let a sub drag his name through the mud. "Just worried because last time you were missing in action. Not a good idea to leave a sub to their own devices."

Louis snuggled into Harry, welcoming the warmth of his body heat. Today had to be the day the hospital was freezing cold, apparently something was wrong with the heater. Harry being aggressive and dom-ish made Louis shudder, getting turned on slightly.

Harry sucked in his bottom lip, teeth clasping around it and air whistling through the tiny cracks when he inhaled. "Yeah, see, a relationship is nothing without trust. And I completely trust my sub. You seem to be the only problem here," taking a step forward, Harry glanced around before pinning Arick again with his gaze. "The only reason we are here today is because I am respecting Louis' wishes to follow through with this appointment. But I promise this will be the last time he sees you as his doctor." Harry had ended up leaning in as he spoke, so by the last word his nose was nearly touching Aricks.

Pulling back, Harry shook off the anger he had suddenly felt and flexed his fingers around Louis'. "Let's get on with this. I have stuff to do."

"Respect him, yet all you've called him is your sub.. Never his name or an affectionate name." Arick pulled Louis chart and motioned for him to lay on the bed with his shirt pulled up. He fired up the ultrasound, then plopped into his roller chair beside Louis to grab the gel and spread it on the man's belly. He didn't even seem fazed about the two switching doctors, Arick had ways of getting to Louis.

In the middle of the scan, a knock was heard and a familiar head popped in. Kyle's face went from smiling to a shocked look. "Didn't know you'd have a patient right now. Hi Louis." His smile was in place again, all teeth and bright, knowing he was making the two mad.

Jerking up, he glared at the man he'd hated for a long time. "Get the fuck out of here. This is a private moment for our family and you definitely not part of it."

Harry didn't say anything, not wanting to feed into the man's personal enjoyment on arguing and potentially getting his ass kicked. Watching the screen, he waited to see the little blob appear when the door opened, followed a familiar, yet unfamiliar face popping in. It took him a few seconds, and Louis' little rant, before he realized who it was. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

The glances the stalker doctor and the other man were sharing didn't go unnoticed, and Harry had to fight off the urge to just punch someone already. He was already on an unspoken probation. "You have two seconds to close the door and leave before I call security and have you escorted out." Hansel and Gretel would be pleased to find someone in Harry's presence not beaten to a pulp.

Kyle and Arick had an unspoken conversation before the latter mumbled that he'd see him in a minute and to go sit in the waiting room for him to be done. Louis rolled his eyes as Arick finished the scan and gave them both an ultrasound picture to give Louis a towel. "Got another appointment, you know the way out." He didn't go for polite anymore as he wanted both of them out of here. Arick gave them a forced smile and exited the room.

Wiping off his belly, Louis jumped on Harry to kiss him hard. Hand sliding down the front of his scrubs. He couldn't wait a minute longer and wouldn't care if they defiled the room.

Not in the mood for sex, and not at all understanding how Louis could be when his childhood abuser was literally just ten feet from him, Harry retrieved the boys hand from down his pants and pinned it to his side, eyes glossed over with an unreadable emotion. "Not right now." He whispered, the electric jolt he felt through his heart at the sight of Louis' frown honestly shocking him.

He couldn't have sex here, on this floor, in Arick's room, when he knew Kyle was out freely roaming the hallways when his ass should be rotting behind bars. He knew his limits now, his boundaries, and he wouldn't push or cross them. But he didn't have to touch Kyle to get his point across. Harry was a scary person alone, he didn't need his fists he had found himself relying so heavily on lately. Sticks and stones may break his bones, but words will always haunt him.

A surprised squeak came out. Harry did look frightening, Louis' eyes dilated as he gave a nod in obedience, not wanting to defy the Dom. Wait.. Louis didn't want to go against Harry? Shaking head, he patted himself down for his phone. Nope, still on the charger. Louis did, however lean forward to kiss Harry's lips.

Reaching to pull open the door, he narrowly missed getting hit by it when someone on the other side had the same idea. "Your appointment is over," Arick said then gave Louis the one-over. "But, we'd like to speak to Louis about what his birth plans are."

Amazed that he had made an obedient side of Louis come out, Harry glared at Arick when the man appeared in the small crack of the open door. "We are discussing nothing with you." grabbing Louis' hand, he elbowed past Arick and stalked down the hallway, head down but eyes searching for the unfamiliar face he wanted to bash in, but knew he couldn't.

"Go to work. I have to go discuss something with someone," ushering Louis into the elevator, Harry quickly pressed the second floor button then stepped out, the doors sliding shut just as his foot pulled out of the cart. Huffing, he fixed his lab coat and glanced around the hallway then made a quick jog back over to Arick's door. Without knocking, the dom slipped into the room and closed the door softly behind him, eyes trying to adjust to the sudden blare of bright light.

"But, Har -" Louis cussed loudly when the door closed and he was left alone in the car. Finger hovering over the button, he debated going back up, but a punishment wasn't really what he wanted. Defeated, Louis exited to go back to the nurses' station and sit down, occupying his time with his phone. The ward was quiet with the holidays being long over. Yawning slightly, he picked up the phone to text Harry, even if he'd just seen him.

When nothing happened within the fifteen minutes Louis was at the desk, he slipped phone into the front pocket of his scrubs and went to the elevator. Sneakily, he rode it back up to the maternity ward and slowly walked the hallway. Sticking close to the walls to avoid being seen, Louis heard voices and jumped behind a cart, thankful he was still tiny enough to fit.

Arick apparently didn't like the idea of Harry entering his room unannounced, because before the surgeon could let his eyes fully adjust to the light, he was being shoved back into the door with the metal knob digging into his back. Growling, the dom didn't allow himself to give into instinct. Instead, he let his arms fall like limp noodles at his sides and his body go lax, making the other two men hold him up. "Damn, you've got me. Now what do you plan on doing?" Arching a brow at the silence that stretched, Harry nodded and pushed Arick off him easily. "If you are going to attack a man, at least do something worthwhile." Fixing his wrinkled scrub top, Harry began to hum to himself as he aimlessly walked around the room, trying to keep his cool exterior inplace when he really just wanted to stab someone's neck.

Poking at a bobblehead with a hideous blue hat, he did a complete turn around in the room before he turned and found both men were just staring at him. "Ah, right, down to business." Taking a few steps forward, hands clasped behind his back and resting above the curve of his ass, he grinned widely. Arick took a few steps back, still not saying anything. Throwing a disgusted glance in Kyle's direction, Harry sneered. "First of all, you both are to leave Louis alone. Either one of you so much glance in his direction, or look at him cross-eyed, and I promise you me making an unexpected appearance will be the last of your worries."

"Yeah, and what are you going to do about it? He's my step brother. Sooner or later he's going to realize how fucked up in the head you really are, and he's going to come running back to me and my dad." Arick hadn't realized he let his relationship with Kyle slip until it was too late. Blanching when he felt the wall meet his back and Harry's shoes brushing the tip of his own, he turned his head towards his dad and waited for the punch, shoulder raised and tense to try and block some of his face.

"Oh, don't worry my dear princess. I'm not punching anyone... yet. I'm simply having a... Friendly discussion with two old acquaintances." Fixing Aricks lab coat, Harry patted his chest and suddenly became serious again. "You will quit your job here, and return to butt fuck nowhere before midnight tomorrow. If I see you after that, you'll fucking regret it. As for you, pedo stick. I have enough evidence to throw you under the bus right now. Leave with your son, and never contact Louis or Jay again, and I'll consider keeping what I have found to myself. But do not take what I'm saying seriously, and all those children's stories will be heard, and you will be clutching onto a bar of soap for dear life with two biker dudes riding your ass. Do I make myself clear?"

With where Louis was, he could hear in the room. Hr knew Harry could handle himself, but with noise, he crept out of his hiding spot, but remained crouched as he talked himself out of bursting in. What could he do? Nothing. And he was pregnant.

When the conversation in the room continued, Louis quietly got up to creep closer and press ear against the door. He wasn't aware who Arick was until the word stepbrother came out. That's where he'd seen the man before! Shuddering, he leaned in closer, cheek pressed against the door, the coolness seeping in.

Grinning at Harry defending him, Louis forgot he was supposed to be silent and sneaky and yelled out "YEAH BABY!" Slapping a hand over his mouth, Louis took off for the elevator, at the last minute bypassing it and running down an empty corridor. He hoped nobody had heard that. It was going to be hard to keep a straight face or act surprised when tomorrow rolled around and Arick was gone.

Fishing out phone, he ducked into an empty room and texted Zayn what he'd just heard. He'd just chill in the room until the coast was clear.

Arick didn't know what to say, eyes darting to his dad for some assistance, but Kyle looked as flabbergasted as him. "Who would take your word over ours? My dad is an esteemed member of the council. He has higher power on his side." Looking smug, Arick crossed arms in front of his chest.

"I am the son of Desmond and Anne Styles. I have the power of not only London's council, but the entire UK behind me. You do not want to push me." Feeling the need to take a step closer, Harry did and paused when his chest bumped into Aricks. "You have heard my name before, haven't you? Harry Styles? The lunatic child protected by the government. I am not to be fucked with."

None of them had heard Louis, which was probably a good thing. The dom would have dropped the two douchebags to deal with his sub, even if it was a stupid decision. "I gave you your options. It is up to you to pick what you want to do. But just know, I am a man of my word."

It was Kyle's turn to speak up when the Styles' parents were named. "Desmond Styles, the drunken fool?" He gave a laugh and leaned in to get the surgeon's attention. "Your father isn't worth much, Harry. Your mom, yes." Kyle flicked eyes to his own son then to the doctor again. "And I do know about Louis' real father, his whore mother blabbed all to me one night. The things you can get a woman to say when you get enough booze in her."

"And I'm betting Louis knows none of it. Shall I go find him and break his heart by telling him that his real father works in the same field as him, they've passed by one another quite a few times, but he wouldn't recognise Louis? How would that make him feel?"

Louis, figuring he was in the clear, was walking by again. The door was still closed making him worried that Harry had killed the two men. Curiously, he pressed ear against the door catching the tail end with his name and nothing more. Grunting, Louis knelt down, if they were talking about him, he wanted to hear.

Laughing, Harry nodded and suddenly, Arick was falling to the side after he was pushed and Harry was pinning Kyle to the wall, arm moving across his chest and pressing against the bottom of his throat. "You think you know me based on my father? He is no better of a man than you. But I don't need my father's name, or even Sarah or someone as powerful as Elder Gerald. I, meaning by myself, can make you disappear, leaving no trace of the filth you've left behind." Applying a tad bit of pressure to cut off his passageway just a little, Harry pressed the bottom of his shoe against Arick's chest to keep him on the floor.

"You think you can threaten me, but Louis knows all about his father." He was bluffing, but his face remained stone, eyes cold and void of any emotion. "Try again, tiny prick. You have an hour to decide before I make the decision for you. Get started."

The thud following Arick's fall, made Louis furrow his eyebrows. Reaching to grab the handle, he let fingers smack against it before pulling back. No, if he came traipsing in, Harry would obviously know he didn't listen. For once, Louis was glad he was on Harry's side, the man could be scary. Louis still freaked out when he disobeyed a rule.

Blinking, he jerked head up when be heard his name and father. What?! Deciding learning the truth was worth getting punished, Louis pushed open the door, wincing when it smacked into Arick's head then looked up at Harry, "....what is that dick saying about my dad? He knows nothing!"

"Son of a bitch!" Arick grabbed his head, the throbbing from the impact was causing a headache to form behind his eyes. He placed a hand over them, choosing to lay still while his father had other plans.

Kyle had a wicked smile on his face and he quickly spoke in hopes of drowning out Harry. "But he just said you knew everything. So it shouldn't surprise you that Troy wanted Jay to abort you, he gave no fucks about you, nor your whore sister."

Slamming the door shut in Louis' face, Harry locked the deadbolt and drug Kyle forward only to slam him back into the wall. "What the fuck did I just tell you?" Applying pressure on his neck, the taller man grinned when Kyle's face began to grow red. He needed this, needed the satisfaction of hurting someone so he didn't end up taking it all out on Louis, even though the boy would deserve it for disobeying and breaking at least three rules.

"One hour. I will not repeat myself." Shoving him back, Harry fisted his hands into his own lab coat and jerked the door open, smacking Arick in the head, and stormed out. Louis wasn't in the hallway anymore, but Harry had a fairly good idea on where he was hiding.

The slamming of the door in his face made Louis huff, but he hoofed it when realisation set in that he was defying Harry, Harry was in a pissy mood ( probably ) and he was poking the bear by showing up. This time, he took the elevator down to his floor, debating whether to hide under the desk of the nurse's station or an empty exam room.

He chose the latter and picked one at random then squeezed himself into a cupboard. Carefully closing the door, he held his breath, each pair of footsteps walking by made him nervous. Chewing on his fingernail, Louis shifted to get comfortable, forgetting the phone in his pocket as he hit a button and music blasted out. Jumping, he wiggled to get it out before anyone would hear it.

On his way to find his hiding sub, Harry was stopped by Alice, a hand on her popped out hip as she eyed him from beneath her overly mascaraed eyelashes. Her light pink lips were puckered off to the side and her black and white striped heel continued to tap impatiently on the tiled floor, the rhythm that she set both fast but paced. "You disappear for two months, don't call, don't text, and you don't even inform me that you are returning today? What the hell, Harold." Shoving his shoulder in a soft but forceful way, Alice tried to mask the pain in her voice by taking on a deeper tone. "I thought that we had each other, always? I can't be there for you if I don't know where the hell you are." she ruffled a hand through his short curls, liking the haircut but not commenting on it or the added facial hair.

Grumbling, he fixed his hair. Rolling his eyes, Harry popped out his own hip and he shoved his hands in his pockets and let his eyes quickly scour the hallway; empty. "You didn't look too hard. I've been holed up in my house, drinking alcohol like I'm a goddamn Irish man," nodding at Niall as he passed, Harry sighed and pulled Alice into a quick side hug. "I needed time. You know that better than anyone else. I just.. I needed time."

Cramping from being in the position too long, Louis could feel his bum starting to fall asleep along with a Charlie horse. Quietly getting out of his hiding spot, Louis took the time to stretch then find a new place to hide in the room. It was tiny, so options were limited, but Harry didn't know where he was so he thought he had all the time in the world.

Fishing phone out again, he looked to see if Harry had left a message, figuring the Dom would rather Louis come out than waste time looking for him. When he saw nothing , he frowned. Did Harry already give up? Reaching for the knob to go find his Dom, Louis jumped upon hearing Harry and Alice conversing then a single pair of footsteps coming his way. Oh shit, he was coming for him!

Diving behind the bed again, Louis pressed against it, curling into a small ball in hopes he'd be out of sight.

Hugging the woman goodbye, Harry promised they'd have a night soon, nothing sexual, then left to go find Louis. He was breathing low, footsteps light as he listened for anything out of the ordinary. Beeping machines, scuffing shoes, murmured conversations and wheels turning on the floor were all he could hear. For some reason, he picked out one wheel that squeaks every three seconds. It just played over and over again, until he heard the soft rattle of a doorknob followed by a muffled thud.

Whipping his head in the direction of the noise, Harry peeked through the blinds in the room and tried to pick out anything in the darkness, but he seen nothing. "So, Styles, come back to babysit others or are you actually going to do your job?" A low voice said behind him. Turning to find Michael, Harry gritted his teeth at his oldest friend and glared. "Calm down and listen. I'm only asking because I have a patient who was mugged. She's seventeen with three stab wounds, two of which are clean through, but the third is embedded in her upper back and it's pressing against her spinal cord. Up for the challenge?"

As soon as Harry was at the door, Louis pager went off. Sighing, he straightened up, back cracking as he peered at the screen. Confused, he opened the door, eyes going wide when he saw Harry standing there along with Michael. "Scuse me! I've been paged!" He pushed past the two and took off down the hallway to the stairs. The Labor and Delivery floor was empty, but that's where his pager had indicated him to be. He tensed passing by the door he'd had his scan in and involuntarily rushed by it.

"Pssst.. Lou!" Spooked, Louis jumped and turned toward whoever had said his name only to see Zayn peeking out a window. Walking over, he shook his head. "My fatass can't get up there." Louis complained making Zayn roll his eyes as he reached to grab the nurse's hands and yank him onto the rooftop with him.

Instantly shivering, Louis wrapped arms around himself, teeth chattering as he took the offered hot cocoa and Zayn smoked his cigarette. "How did you find this and why is this the first time I've been out here?"

Harry's scrub top was pulled up to reveal his tan hip as he scratched at his hip bone, fingernails digging a little harder than necessary. When he felt the burning begin and his nails nearly make the skin weak enough for his nails to pop through, he stopped and nodded at Michael. "I'm in." Eyes floated to where Louis had disappeared to, and he was drawn to go find him but his body betrayed him and began to follow after Michael. He needed to do something, to remind Louis he needed to behave and listen and not just run off whenever he pleased.

Being greeted by half the staff as he made his way to the OR, Harry offered tight lipped smiles and just nodded in acknowledgement, not in the mood to stop and chit-chat. His hands were shaking slightly at his sides, tremors from the fear of the unknown racing through his body. Was he ready for this? Was he ready to operate on another child when the last one had a horrible outcome? But his decision was made before he even put on the surgical gown after scrubbing in. He wasn't a monster, wasn't some helpless idiot. He knew what to do, knew exactly what to cut and how to save the girls ability to walk. He was probably the only one in this hospital that could actually do it. So he had to push aside his crybaby feelings and just dive back into this before he allows himself to forget.

Glad to be back in the warmth, Louis swallowed the last of the drink then tossed the cup into the bin. Rubbing hands together to get circulation back in it then gave a nod. "I need more warmth to drink, preferably in the form of coffee." Zayn frowned and opened mouth when his pager went off. Checking it, he gave Louis a sheepish look, Louis rolling his eyes then shooing his friend away with a promise to see them later.

Quickly getting coffee, he went to the board to check if he'd been added for anything, taking note that his boyfriend was in the OR, he headed in that direction to run up to the viewing area to sit down and watch Harry perform his first procedure since getting back.

The sutures on her abdomen were easy enough to do, even if she was sideways, and he was done with those within ten minutes. Stepping back with his hands raised up slightly, Harry waited for his team to carefully move her on her stomach with minimal movement of her torso or chest. With her body straight now, and the entry sight for the would clean, Harry pushed aside the blue surgical sheet and inwardly cringed at the rusty knife sticking out of her back. It was a simple pocket knife with a sharp steel edge that was two inches wide and four inches long, but the way it was angeled, they couldn't remove it without the chance of cutting her spinal cord.

Taking a deep, steady breath, Harry began. He focused on the steady beat of his heart, and got lost in the task, the clock on the wall ticking, signaling the seconds, minutes, and hours he spent in the or. By the time he was finished, blood covering the table, his gown and gloves, the blade was in a metal tin on the table and her spinal cord appeared to be fine. With the minor swelling, they would have to wait and see if she had any chance of paralysis or other potential risks from the stab wound. "Flush the wound, then close her up. I want a nurse watching her all night, sending updates to me or Dr. Clifford. If anything changes, page me immediately," Harry said, a wave of warmth rushing over him at the command. He was back, he was where he belonged.

Beaming that Harry was looking more confident, knocking lightly on the window to get the surgeon's attention, he blew hot air on the glass to fog it up then drew a heart and mouthed I LOVE YOU while making a heart shape with his hands. He was cheesy, yes, but when your boyfriend proves he's still got it after two months, you let him know.

Pointing to the door, he walked out of sight to head down the stairs and find a bathroom. He gave himself enough time for Harry to scrub out and such then returned at the entrance to wait for the surgeon. Yawning, he leaned against the wall, scratching at his throat then wrapping arms around himself, still feeling the chill from being outside. Louis hoped he wasn't coming down with something, especially with the fun weekend coming up.

Rolling his eyes at Louis, Harry pretended not to notice all the looks he got from the nurses and Michael as he removed his surgical gear and scrubbed out. Using his elbow to dispense some paper towels, he left the soapy sponge in the sink and dried his hands, tossing the dark brown napkins on the trashcan. Feeling better than he has this entire year, more surer of himself, Harry stepped through the double sliding doors and grinned at Louis. "I did it!" He cheered quietly, fist bumping the air before he wrapped his arms around Louis and nuzzled his face in his neck, hands reeking of disinfectant soap fisting the back of the boys scrub top.

"Don't think I haven't forgotten how many times you've disobeyed me today," he murmured, voice low as he blew gently on Louis' neck.

Putting arm up to shield his cough, he purred when Harry wrapped arms around him and snuggled in. He hated the smell of the disinfecting soap, being pregnant enhanced the smell enough to kick in his gag reflex. Breathing through his nose, he scrambled for the small bottle of lotion he carried around and smeared it on his upper lip to mask the stench that was making him want to vomit. "So proud of you, babe." And he was. He'd have to show him how much later as they were in public.

Shivering, Louis bit down on his lip. He breathed in hard, feeling the stirring in his belly. "Only once, Hazzy!"

Wrapping his arms tighter around Louis when he felt him shiver, Harry hummed and blew gently again. "You didn't listen to my strict command, made a scene, and ran off not once, but twice. Does that only sound like once to you?" Grinning despite his obvious disapproval, Harry pulled back but grabbed Louis' hand and began to lead them towards the cafeteria. "Arick won't be bothering you anymore," his tone went from soft and playful, to strong and cold.

A nurse they passed was talking to another nurse, informing her they needed to transfer all of Aricks patients to the next obgyn, and Harry knew then the man had listened to him. He should feel happier about this, more pleased, but he didn't. Arick and Kyle got off too easy, didn't get what they deserved. They hurt Louis, one far more than the other, but they both still deserved to rot in hell. And he had twenty four hours or less to right his wrong.

The second blow made Louis shiver more as he slid arms under Harry's scrub top, immediately feeling the warmth of his skin. Practically melting into the surgeon, Louis laid head against him. "One order. I ran off twice because I got paged." When the warmth disappeared and he was being lead away, he pouted slightly then remembered the promise of subs. The cafeteria subs weren't bad, it was one thing the hospital ordered in instead of making themselves. Thank God.

Almost coming to a complete stop, wanting to hear how the conversation went, Louis almost snapped at Harry, but realised he had to have something to do with it. Harry did care and was showing it by protecting him. A glimpse at the nurses before they disappeared into the crowd forming in the hallway that indicated the hospital was starting to get busy.

Biting the inside of his cheek as they got sucked into the crowd of hungry people, Harry held onto Louis' hand tightly, an instinct, and pushed his way to the front of the line. Nobody said anything when they realized who he was, which wasn't surprising, and parted like the red sea to give them space and a clear walk way. Glaring at literally nothing, Harry flexed his fingers around Louis' continuously as he ordered their food, getting nearly a tray full of cakes, pies and brownies per Louis' request.

Letting go to grab both trays, Harry balanced one in each hand and nodded towards and empty table. "Let's sit there." he didn't know how he felt as he set down with the boy and began to pick at his turkey sub, the fresh lettuce snapping between his two fingers. It was still odd being back, but it was even odder being here with Louis. Their relationship was doing... Better, he guessed. "Sure you want to sit by us Malik? Payne might get tempted." Harry said when Zayn and Liam approached their table, a red tray in each of their hands. The latter of the two had his head bowed, lip caught between his teeth. He refused to look up, amusing Harry.

Louis' eyes got wide when Harry just pushed his way to the front. "Haz, there were people before us." He said quietly, giving the others apologetic looks, but none looked too bothered. It was weird how scared some people were of his fiance. Hell, he had been scared shitless of Harry, even though his sassy behavior said otherwise. And if anyone asked, he was still slightly terrified of the man when he lost his temper.

Opening his own sandwich, Louis disassembled his, the tomato and cheese flung to the side as he ripped open a packet of mayo to squirt on. Licking at his fingers, he froze when he heard Harry. Peering up at Zayn, he gave him a friendly smile then let it fade and snarled at Liam. The two sat across from them, Zayn rolling eyes at Harry's comment. "I think Liam can refrain."

Taking a sip of water from his bottle, Harry screwed the cap back on and grinned up at Zayn. "You think? My ass looks pretty great today." Winking at Liam, Harry laughed and shook his head. He wasn't interested in Liam, never really was. He just liked fucking with Malik, and either the dark haired doctor trusted him now, or he just didn't care anymore. Either way, Harry wasn't fucking anyone at this table except for his own sub.

Glancing out the large windows that made up an entire wall in the cafeteria, he let his eyes roam over the snow covered grass and the idiots running across it. One person, who he instantly recognized as Niall, slipped on a patch of ice and nearly fell on his ass. Frowning that he hadn't, Harry grabbed a crisp off his tray and ate it, the saltiness from it lingering on his tongue even after he swallowed.

He felt restless just sitting here, like he was wasting time that could be better spent elsewhere. "I'm going to go talk to John." He said as he stood, mind suddenly set as he grabbed his water bottle and just took off without waiting for a response.

Staying quiet, Louis took a small bite of his sandwich then pushed it away to nibble on a piece of carrot cake. He didn't have much of an appetite after seeing Liam join the table. He glared at the man when he had the audacity to blush at Harry's comment. Tilting cup to his mouth to let a couple pieces of ice slide into his mouth as he crunched them loudly.

Louis grabbed his spoon, playing with the cream cheese icing of the cake and refusing to look up even once. He had been looking forward to lunch alone with his Dom. When Harry got up and left, Louis shoved his tray to the side and followed suit, but instead of following wherever the surgeon was going, he headed for the rooftop and sat down on a chilly chair.

Rather than actually going into John's room, Harry quickly ducked down the opposite hallway when he knew he wasn't being followed and all but ran to the stairwell to go up to his office. He hasn't been there for what seemed like years, but when he walked into the room that smelt of nothing but stale air, he seen it still looked the exact same. Not one thing was out of place, the thin layer of dust there to help prove that.

Skating his finger over his desk, Harry's finger came to rest on the silver cross Louis had bought him. He couldn't remember bringing it here, but then again he found he couldn't remember much anymore. Picking it up with careful fingers, he studied it in the soft glow of the afternoon light and watched as it caught the light and reflected it back in his eyes. It was cold, heavy, burning it's pattern into his shaking hand.

With a defeated sigh, he brushed it off and slipped it over his head, the cross coming to rest in the middle of his chest. It felt right there, right next to his heart. It was a stupid reminder of the past, that even when they were in trouble and fighting they were still thinking of each other. It was a reminder of Louis, of their shared life together, and for some odd reason Harry's heart lit a faint spark and chanted one word. "Mine." Louis was his, and he was Louis'. A fact neither could ignore anymore.