I Hate Hospitals
It was one of the worst pains he had ever felt. He woke up at about 3 am feeling like his stomach was being pulled apart at the seams. He couldn't move and he could barely breathe, it just hurt. After about three hours of lying completely still, he fell into a rough sleep. Whilst falling in and out of consciousness, constantly in pain.
Weirdly enough, when he woke up at half six to get ready for his morning lectures he felt fine. That was until he looked at the clock and saw it was actually seven and so he was running late. He quickly showered and went into the kitchen to see his flatmates Niall and Liam drinking coffee.
“Hey Harry,” Called Liam, “I made breakfast.”
“I’m sorry. I’m running late.” He replied, “No time.”
He grabbed his flask of coffee before rushing out of the flat. Not even uttering so much as a goodbye. Luckily he made it to campus on time and as he sat down in his first lecture it was like there was nothing wrong at all.
The next few days were like any other, until one day he was on his way back to the flat. Halfway there he felt a spike of pain but he ignored it and brushed it off as hunger pains. When he got back he went to eat something in hope of relieving the pain but as he ate it only got worse and so he decided to take some painkillers and relax on the sofa for a while.
He hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until he woke up once again feeling like his stomach was being pulled apart. He realized he was on the sofa and found that there was now a blanket wrapped around him. He could see a clock in the corner and saw that it was only 7 pm. He could hear movement in the kitchen and so he moved to see what it was. His whole body erupted in pain as he stood up. He let out a yelp before falling back against the cushions.
Liam and Niall quickly ran in to find Harry sat clutching his stomach. His eyes were closed and his face was scrunched up in pain. Liam was quick to react, checking Harry's temperature before grabbing his phone and calling 911 in case it was appendicitis.
Niall took to comforting Harry, trying to get him to relax his face. He hated seeing his friend in so much pain.
Fifteen minutes later an ambulance had arrived and there were paramedics assessing Harry before they tried to move him to the ambulance. When they made their way down Harry was being held up by Liam and the paramedic, meanwhile, since Liam was the only one who could drive, he gathered stuff Harry may need and said he'd meet them at the hospital.
Getting Harry down to the ambulance was hard since the lifts currently weren't working but they did it and soon enough Harry was lying in a hospital bed pumped up on pain medication.
"How's he doing?" Asked Liam as he walked into the hospital room with a black duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
Niall refused to look up from his spot by Harry's bed.
"He's sleeping now. They gave him some painkillers and got some scans done." Niall replied.
"I've brought some pyjamas and a toothbrush," Liam replied, placing the bag down on a dresser across the room.
"They want him a gown in case they need to operate," Niall said plainly, still not looking away from Harry.
"Hey, he'll be fine," Liam said resting a hand on Niall’s shoulder. "It's Harry, Harry's always fine."
"I know," Niall said looking up at Liam briefly.
Harry was awake the next morning feeling better than he had the day before. The doctor had ruled out appendicitis and just wanted to run a few more tests to be sure that he was okay. It wasn't long before they were sure everything was fine.
Liam and Niall were sat on chairs by the bed chatting with Harry when a nurse entered to do one final check before removing Harry's IV and signing him out. She started by checking his temperature. Slowly her face changed from a smile to a tight line.
"Is everything okay?" Asked Liam concerned.
"Your temperature is a little high, that’s all." She said before continuing with the tests.
She carefully lifted Harry's hand and pricked his finger to check his blood sugar.
Once again her face dropped.
"I'll be right back." She said before walking away quickly.
Harry was staring off into space when she returned, this time followed by a man.
"What's wrong?" Asked Liam, knowing something wasn't right.
Before the doctor could answer Harry's head lolled to the side and his body began convulsing slightly.
"Quickly, get him flat." The doctor said jumping into life. The nurse quickly made the bed flat and put the sides up to stop him from falling off. The nurse then left the room, coming back a few seconds later with a tray.
The doctor picked up a large needle filled with a purple liquid from the tray. He quickly inserted it into Harry's neck.
Liam and Niall just watched worried as Harry's convulsing died down and he became still. After ten minutes of the doctor and nurses checking vitals and fiddling with medication in the IV someone finally spoke to Liam and Niall.
"Harry is sleeping now and he'll probably be out for a while and visiting hours are over in about half an hour." The doctor explained before leaving the room.
Liam and Niall sat in silence watching Harry sleep. Niall heard a quiet sniffle from beside him. He looked over to see Liam had tears falling freely.
"He's going to be okay," Liam said trying to comfort Niall.
They sat together just watching Harry sleep when a nurse entered the room. She started hooking Harry up to an IV bag full of a purple liquid. She then found the right spot on his collar bone and inserted a small tube before speaking to Liam and Niall. She explained that Harry will be signed in as an inpatient for the next two months for monitoring and tests before leaving the room.
Half an hour later the nurse returned.
"I’m sorry but visiting hours are over." She said gently.
"Thank you," Liam said before he and Niall left.
Later that night Harry woke up alone. He sat up in bed scared and aone. He couldn’t help it when the tears came tumbling from his eyes and his body shook with heavy sobs.
It just so happened that at this time a boy was walking past and overheard Harry’s sobs. He contemplated continuing to pass but the boy sounded so heartbroken, he needed to see what was wrong.
He gently knocked but there was no answer so instead, he just entered.
"Hello?" He said gently approaching the bed.
The boy in the bed sniffled lightly.
"Hey, Hey... It's okay..." He said walking around the bed and sitting in the chair next to it.
When he got a close look at the boy, he was pale and had red-rimmed tired eyes. He looked like he was about twenty.
He gently reached forward and put a hand on the crying boy's arm rubbing it comfortingly.
"I'm s...sorry." The boy stuttered.
"Hey, no. It's okay." He replied, continuing to gently rub his arm.
The crying boy looked so lost and broken.
"Care to tell me what’s wrong?" He asked gently.
"I... I just hate hospitals..." He replied looking away.
"Are you sure that’s all it is?"
"I.... no. I'm sorry... I just... I feel really alone. And I'm so tired but since I woke up I can't sleep... I just... I hate being alone. I live with two people so I'm never usually alone but here... I just... I can't... I'm sorry."
"You really don't need to be sorry. It's okay really."
"I hate being sick. I mean... I don't even feel sick, I feel fine and I just want to be at home."
"That tube in your neck and IV in your arm say otherwise..." He went to say the crying boy's name but he realized that he didn't know it.
"Harry." Replied the boy sadly.
"All I'm saying is that you're here for a reason Harry. I mean, that IV bag isn't just for hydration and you've got a feeding tube in your neck."
"How do you know they're for that?" Harry asked.
"Well, I've got a feeding tube as well." The man replied by pulling down the neck of his grey V-neck top to show Harry the tube inserted just below his collar bone in the same place as Harry's. "Also a hydration IV is clear but yours is purple. I had one of those a few days ago. It’s got morphine in it for pain and it helps with seizures and epilepsy." The man explained.
"But I don't have epilepsy?" Said Harry confused,
"Neither do I. Well I haven't been diagnosed with it yet so I don't know."
The two of them kept talking for at least another hour until a nurse came in. When she entered Harry was curled up on his side facing the boy and the two were laughing.
"I'm sorry. Visiting hours don't start for another..." When the nurse looked up she saw who the man with Harry was. "Louis. What are you doing here? You should be resting."
"I went to get a drink but when I passed I heard him crying so I came to see what was wrong and to try and cheer him up," Louis explained.
"Okay. Now I need to hook Harry up to a feeding bag and then he needs to get some sleep and you need to sleep too so you need to go back to your room."
Harry looked slightly panicked when Louis got ready to leave.
"Please stay..." Whispered Harry quietly so only Louis could hear it.
"Sally?" Louis said to the nurse.
"Yes, Louis?" Asked the nurse,
"Is there any chance Harry could be moved into the empty bed in my room?" Asked Louis,
"Louis, I don't think that's a good idea." She replied gently.
"I don't see why not. Harry and I are on the same medication, it's not like either of us is going to infect the other." Louis argued.
The nurse looked deep in thought.
"Please, I've been talking to Harry. He hates being alone and it gets lonely in the hospital. I really think it will help him be more comfortable, and that way he'll get more rest." Pleased Louis. "Who knows how long either of us will be in here? And it’s clear Harry can't sleep in a room alone without being upset and if he's here for a while he needs to be able to rest without being upset."
The nurse thought about it.
Next thing Harry knew, Louis was helping him down the corridor to his room. Louis insisted on carrying Harry's duffel even though Harry had said he could carry it himself.
Once Harry was set up in the bed across from Louis’s the nurse hooked up the feeding bag to the tube.
"Now this may feel a little uncomfortable but hopefully it will get better." She said before adjusting his IV.
"Now you two need to get some rest. I'll come around in the morning to change the bags." She said before closing the door leaving the two alone.
Harry slowly curled up on his side.
"So what are you in for?" He asked Louis cautiously.
"I don't know..." Louis said looking around, "I've been here for over two weeks and they're still testing, but I can't go home because I'm too sick."
"Oh..." Harry said quietly.
"What about you?" Asked Louis,
"I don't know either. I'm not even sure how long I've been here." Harry said quietly.
As he spoke he felt tears start to build up in his eyes. He let out a quiet sniffle.
"Hey... what's wrong?" Louis asked.
"I'm sorry. I just... I..." Stuttered Harry, wiping away tears with the back of his hand.
"You really don't like it here..." Louis finished carefully.
Harry nodded slightly and let out another quiet sob. Louis slowly got up out of his bed and walked over to Harry. He gently sat down on the edge of the bed. When he did Harry shuffled over to give room and Louis lay down on the bed facing him.
“It’s okay…” Louis soothed. “Don’t think about it. Let’s talk about something else.”
“Like what?” Harry asked with tears still falling.
“Where do you plan to be in 15 years?” Louis asked,
The two spent the rest of the night talking and laughing together. Harry still had tears falling but at least now they were a lot happier.
It wasn’t long before the two had fallen asleep in the bed together; holding each other’s hands tightly.