Chapter 25 ~ Darcy 

“Thank you so much, Carter. I swear, one day you’ll became a saint,” I state hugging my best friend for what it seems the tenth time that day already.

“Don’t worry. That’s what friends are for. Now go and help your boyfriend, I’ll take care of everything here,” he replies and cue to his words, Lizzie appears running down the stairs with Brit following her closely behind. She stops next to Carter and takes his hand, probably ready to take him upstairs to start playing games.

“By the way, blond really suits you,” I compliment and he flips his blond wig with elegance.

“I know, I was born to be blond. I’ll be the next Hannah Montana,” Carter teases, making Lizzie giggle next to him. She’s wearing a purple wig and Brit has some purple ribbons in her ears. I see she’s been making all the arrangements for this game.

“And who are you today, Lizzie?” I ask my little sister, kneeling to be at her same height.

“I’m Perrie! When she had purple hair,” she explains and it’s my turn to giggle. Since Lizzie met Perrie, she’d become more of a Mixer than a Directioner. “Today they let Liam go, don’t they?” She asks me, this time her eyes show concern and I smile at how much my sister cares about Liam, too.

It’s been a week since Liam fainted after the gig and got hospitalised. As the doctor had said, Liam’s kidney had stopped working, the same that miraculously had come back, now was gone again leaving Liam with only one functional organ. He still can go without dialysis, but he has to help his body and not give it more work to do. He can have a pretty normal life, he just has to be more careful with what he eats and stuff.

I know he feels really guilty for not taking care of himself before, for getting to this point and I’m sure he learnt his lesson, that’s why I’ve tried to give him all my support in this, reminding him all the time that it’s not the end, that there’s a lot to do. I’ll help him to go back to his routine from before, taking care of him, taking his pills until that becomes natural for him. I won’t leave him alone.

Mrs Payne, or Karen as she has asked me to call her, made me promise that I would take care of him. After all, Liam is only a young boy, someone who wants to live like his best mates. She says he will listen to me and she trusts me to keep him on the right path when it comes to his health.

“Yes, sweetie. Today Liam can leave the hospital. Now he will be in his place and you can go and visit him there,” I tell her and she smiles brightly.

Lizzie really hates hospitals but she loves Liam and for him, she forgot about her dislike for that place and went to see him several times. Carter has helped me out this week, taking care of her when I can’t because I’m with Liam, he even has gone to visit my boyfriend to the hospital with Lizzie. Now that Liam is leaving that place, I’m sure Lizzie will be there every chance she can get.

“Yay! Brit has missed him so much, I bet she will be happy to see him again,” my little sister says patting Brit’s head with her free hand.

Brit has been a good girl. She plays and is with Lizzie all the time, but I’ve seen the dog sad, almost depressed, looking at the window and door and I guess she does miss Liam and expects him to come through that door any minute. I’ve wondered all this time if the reason why Brit was acting so weird before is because she could sense something was wrong with Liam.

“I’ll call you when we’re back at Liam’s so Carter can take you and Brit there.” Lizzie nods obediently and I kiss her cheek before rising to my feet and smiling at Carter one more time for helping me here.

He looks at me for a couple of seconds and then his hand is on my shoulder squeezing gently, giving me some comfort. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine. He’s better now,” my friend reminds me and I sigh deeply.

I know Liam is better now but I can’t forget that fear that consumed me the day he fainted in front of me. I’m terrified that may happen again, knowing Liam and how hard he works, how demanding his job is… that doesn’t make this easier for him. Now I have this constant fear with me that he’ll push himself to the limit again. I don’t want to see him again in a hospital like I’ve seen him this week. I don’t want to see him again this weak.

“He will,” I whisper and his grip on my shoulder tightens for a second before he releases me. I sigh deeply and turn away to leave my house and drive to the hospital where Liam and his mum are waiting for me.

When I get there, he’s in the room with his doctor who’s giving the last indications to go on with his treatment. Liam is paying attention but when I give my first step into the room, his eyes are on me and a smile appears on his lips. I’ve noticed that his whole body posture when he’s talking to the doctor changes when I’m next to him. He looks stronger and the fact that I help him to be like that makes me feel like I’m in the right place and with the right person.

I walk over to his bed and take his hand immediately, smiling at Mrs Payne as a way to greet her. The doctor keeps talking.

“And until we’re sure that everything is working fine, that your body has adjusted again, you have to come back every week for a blood test to see how your kidney is taking all this. Also, to check if your liver is fine with all this new medication. You get that?” The doctor asks and Liam nods entwining our fingers together. “Then that’s all. You’re free to leave. Do you want me to call a nurse to help you?”

“It’s okay. We can manage it,” he answers politely and the doctor nods signing the papers that allow Liam to leave the hospital after an exhausting week. “Thank you, Doctor. I guess I’ll see you next week.”

“Take care, Kid. Good day.” The doctor leaves and I hear Liam sighing and relaxing against the pillow.

“I’ll go for the wheel chair. You can get up and dress. Your clothes are there, sweetie.” Mrs Payne points to the sofa where a black bag is resting and Liam nods. “Thanks for being here, Darcy.” I smile at her and she leaves the room.

“How are you feeling today?” I ask him taking my other hand to caress softly the skin of the back of his hand.

“I’ll be better as soon as my girlfriend kisses me.” I giggle at his words and lean in to kiss his lips softly. “Now I’m so much better, and I’m dying to leave this place.” Cue to his words, he gets up carefully to keep the rob close behind him and walks over the sofa where his bag is waiting. “Now I’ll change. See you in five.” I smile as he steps into the bathroom and I sigh.

Finally he’s leaving this place and I really hope everything will be fine with him. I know he hates the idea of coming back every week, but he has to do it unless he wants to come back in the same condition he did one week ago.

He’s back from the bathroom and he looks renewed, yet I still see the dark bags under his eyes and his pale skin. Yes, he looks a lot healthier than last week, but he does not look as the boy I met. With his eyes on me, he closes the distance between us and soon his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me close and he puts our foreheads together.

“I’ve missed to do this. It was so annoying having them forbidding me to leave the bed. I swear, I want to run for an hour, grateful for my legs. I’ve felt so useless these last couple of days,” Liam confesses raising his left hand to brush off some strands of my hair behind my ear and softly sliding his fingers until his hands is at the back of my neck. “I’ve missed to have you in my arms like this.”

“Me too,” I tell him tightening my arms around him, just because I need to feel him solid against my body. Just to make sure everything is fine, he is fine. “I’m so glad you’re leaving this place.”

“And I hopefully will never come back.” I hope so too. “You know what else I’ve missed?”

“Real food?” I suggest and he laughs. He has me so closely pressed against this body that I feel the vibrations of his chest when he laughs.

“Yes, but I didn’t mean that. I’ve missed to do this,” he explains and before I have the chance to ask him what he means, he pulls me for a kiss.

It’s not a sweet and tender kiss as it normally is; this time it’s rough, hungry like he can’t get enough. His lips are desperate and I feel how he hugs me tighter. I kiss him back with the same passion and intensity because I’ve also missed him like this, to have him close. He’s been surrounded by people all the time, we’ve barely had time to be alone and him in his bed in the hospital wasn’t the place to kiss him like this. Now, I know Mrs Payne has given us this time and we’re making it count.

I swear I could never get tired of the way Liam kisses me, or how I feel in his arms, or the way my heart flutters every time he touches me. It’s familiar to me now, yet at the same time it’s always new.

When we pull apart not only my breathing is heavy but his is also like this and when I look him in the eyes, they are darker and so intense on me. “You know what’s the good part about all this?” He asks me with his breathing still heavy.

“What?”

“I get a few weeks break and we can spend that time together,” he answers and I smile.

It is indeed a good thing he will have a longer break than expected. He really needs to recover all his energy and get used to all the changes he will have to make in his lifestyle again, but it’s terrible that he had to end up in the hospital for this to happen. Plus, it worries me that once they come back, he will have to face all the questions the media is holding back.

Of course this couldn’t remain secret forever, the media found out and they’ve tried to get to the hospital, but security has been strong and impenetrable. The lads have done his part keeping the tabloids busy with other stuff. But now Liam will leave the protection of the hospital and face all those hungry vultures that will try to sell this tragedy at every cost.

He kisses me one more time, slower in this occasion and it’s a good thing because his mother interrupts us and it would have been awkward if she had come in the middle of a kiss like the one before.

“Ready to go?” She asks and I look away, feeling my cheeks burning anyways.

“More than ready,” Liam replies walking towards the wheel chair, his bag in one hand and my hand in the other.

Finally, we’re leaving this place.

-:-:-:-

Yay! They are living the hospital. Aren't you happy? I am, though I do like hospitals but that's my thing. Also, if you read my story Backfire, today I started posting a bonus book and it's about Liam and Phoebe. Go check it out, it's called Letters to Liam.

Dedication to @1Dlover2359 becuase tomorrow Friday is her birhtday! Have a great day.

Bel, xx