Last One Standing

*Emma’s POV*

I’d woken up in my bed yesterday morning; the duvet that covered me now was the same one I’d used in the recliner.Did he carry me?I gave myself a good once over and decided that I was fine.I sat on my bed and let the thought really sink in: Maybe this is really over.

“Hey Em!”I poked my head out of the door and looked down the steps to Dam… I mean Dad.“Do you wanna maybe catch a movie tonight?Catching Fire comes out tonight right?”

“Sure.I’d love to, Dad.”He sent a smile up the steps before turning to head towards the kitchen.Going back to sit on my bed, I stared down at my phone that was ringing again.I didn’t bother to look at who was calling; I knew it was Niall.I’d spoken to him once since he left Dam… Dad and me.Previously, I hadn’t understood how angry he actually was.I had absent mindedly read the first few texts right away.

From: Niall
Hey Babe

From: Niall
Babe?

From: Niall
U ok?

To: Niall
I’m fine J

From: Niall
Fine?

From: Niall
So ur just forgiving him now?

From: Niall
This isn’t real

From: Niall
He’s a liar Em!

Then the calls started.He called two or three times every hour.How could he say that?!The father that I deserved was finally back and Ni was trying to tell me that it wasn’t real!No. No way in hell I was letting a guy pull me away from Damon… my dad.

~

The calls from Niall hadn’t stopped all day ever since yesterday.It was really getting aggravating.I felt like he had been calling more for the last few hours than he had been in the past two days.Then some other texts started coming through:

From: Niall
This is important!

From: Niall
Meet me @ the hospital

Wait… what?!I instantly picked up my phone.No matter how angry we were, I had to make sure the man that’s always been there – watching for what’s best for me – was alright.The phone rang once and his voice was on the other end of the line.“Sure!Now you pick up the phone!”

“Don’t yell at me!Babe, are you alright?!”

“It’s not me…” his voice became uncomfortably quiet, “it’s Hannah.”My exhale of breath seemed harsh.

“Oh thank God.”

“What the fuck Emma?She’s in the ICU.I just thought you should know that we’re all meeting there.”His breath was uneven as he waited for my response.

“Ni, I didn’t mean thank God that she is… I meant thank God that you’re not… I was…”

“Worried?” he interrupted.“I’m not the one that’s pregnant.”He calmed his breathing before speaking again.“Will you meet me at the hospital?”I looked at the clock: 9:00 pm.There’s no way that I could get to the hospital and be back in time to meet up with Damon for the movie.

“Niall I…I…”

“You’re not doing this right now.”My eyebrows furrowed.

“Doing what?”

“You know!” his voice boomed.“You’re blowing us off for that scum bag!”

“Watch your mouth!”I was surprised at how loud my voice got.

“Do you forget who we’re talking about?”

“No, but he’s changed!”

“No he has…” click.I threw my phone against the wall, successfully cracking the screen as I let a high pitch scream wail through the room.I collapsed onto my bed, letting the tears stain my cheeks.Of course I wanted to go see Hannah, but I was starting a new chapter with Damon and I couldn’t afford to screw that up right now.Stuffing my face into my pillow, I attempted to muffle the sobs escaping my body.

~

When I woke up, I felt someone gently shaking my shoulder.I looked up to a very surprised Damon.“What’s wrong?”I knew he must’ve been shocked at the sight of my makeup smeared face and red puffy eyes.Looking down, I saw my pillow smeared with neutral shades and back up to my father.“I came up to get you for the movie and thought you were just asleep,” he sat at the side of my bed, “but there’s obviously something else.”He seemed a bit awkward; I wasn’t surprised.Sniffling slightly, I looked for the words to answer him.

“Hannah’s in the hospital for starters.”I sniffled again.He looked at me intently, trying desperately to see if there was more to the story.I looked down to my hands, turning them over in my lap.“Niall thinks that this isn’t real.He thinks I’m delusional.”I looked up to see Damon furrow his eyebrows and look away from me.

“I told you that I was wrong.I don’t expect you to trust me yet, but…” his head dropped, attempting to hide his face.I heard him sigh as he shook his head.I sat cross legged on my bed and rested my hand on his shoulder.His head snapped up to look at it before he relaxed once more.

“But it’s getting there,” I stated simply.He looked up with a certain hope in his eyes.We sat there in silence for a bit before he finally spoke again:

“Go ahead to the hospital.”He gave me a seemingly warm smile.I raised my eyebrows as if to ask him if he was sure.He did the same as he nodded his head towards the door, as if he was telling me to get out of here.I did something that surprised even me; I threw my arms around Damon’s neck, thanking him for letting me rain check on the movie.What he did surprised me even more.I felt strong hands wrap around my back and pull me in tight.I sniffled a little, remembering that this is the way that we used to be.He was my protection back then.Now, that protection was back.

*Harry’s POV*

I pulled back up to the hospital, tears filling my eyes once again as I thought of the first time I drove here tonight:

I couldn’t tell if Hannah’s hands were cold from her lack of consciousness or because they just always were.

“Hannah… Baby, please wake up.”I squeezed her hand and rubbed the thumb against the back.I pressed the gas a little harder, just making the last yellow light.I slowed down just enough as to not flip car.We went so fast I feared that we may begin to hydroplane from the rain beating down.Pulling her from the car, I cradled Hannah in my arms and carried her through the emergency room doors.“Help!Help!Please, I need help!”My voice croaked as a woman in blue scrubs rushed to my side.

“Sir, I have to ask you to calm down…”

“Don’t fucking tell me to calm down!”Her eyes got wide at the sound of my voice and then even more at something behind me.“My girlfriend was mugged!”I paid no attention to the woman; my eyes were now on a vacant gurney that was being rolled my way.A white coated man took Hannah from my arms and laid her flat.The room flashed bright and became dim once again.I spun around, assuming the sky had filled with lightening in its udder rampage, but I was wrong by every circumstance.Along the front windows of the hospital were about a thousand cameras if I had ever seen one.I pulled my hood up and turned my back towards them.You lead them here.I’d taken my car.I’d carried her through the front doors.I hadn’t worried about paps or media or anything.I had to do whatever I had to in order to keep her safe.I looked back to the paps for a split second before turning my attention to the gurney that was now rolling away.Running to catch up, I latched on to the lifeless hand of my love… my lover.

“Baby… hold on Baby.Everything will be fine.”I let my cheeks become wet with a never ending stream of tears.

~

Those same tears stained my face now; there was no use in wiping them away when I knew more would replace them as soon as my eyes landed on my last, suppressed ray of sunshine.

I rummaged through the back seat.Momentarily, I wondered why I had changed in the first place; probably to trick the fans.They were looking for a brown hood and mine was now a cream color as I tucked my belongings tight into my chest.I walked in and solemnly asked the secretary for directions.

“Weren’t you just here earlier?” she quizzed as her fingers flew across the keyboard.I looked at her with disbelief.Her eyes widened as mine narrowed.

“I apologize if I was a bit preoccupied the first time around!”I put my emphasis on ‘preoccupied’ and the girl jumped in her seat.I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose.“I’m sorry… my mind’s just somewhere else right now.”When my eyes opened, her expression was sympathetic at this point.She gave me what I needed, but I couldn’t keep my focus.Once she had finished, I felt bad for not paying attention and walked away after thanking her dryly.I was fairly certain that I would never get back to Hannah’s room when every white wall started to look exactly like every other white wall.After walking back passed the same office desk about ten thousand times, a guy in blue scrubs walked up to me.

“Can I help you sir?”I took a deep breath, partially in relief and partially in anger.

“Sure.Where’s room 808?”He started giving instructions, but I zoned out again.“You know…” he looked at me, questioning why I had interrupted, “can you just lead the way?”

“Um… oh… sure.”He walked past me.Great.The complete opposite direction.“This way.”

“Obviously,” I mumbled.He turned his head, seeming to ask about what I had said, but I just shook my head.Once we were outside the door, he grabbed the clip board from the top of the door and shuffled through the papers.

“Well, it looks like you’ll have to wait a while.”My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.He drew me over to the window that had a view into Hannah’s room.I was solemn until I caught glimpse of the inside.The, I was plain terrified.Hannah’s gurney had been disregarded to the side of the room and about five different doctors stood around her bed, all serving a different purpose.

“What are they doing to her?!”I looked between the intern and the machines stabilizing Hannah.“When I left they said that they would stabilize her!Why are they still…”

“You’re Mr. Styles, correct?”I looked to the man and found his nose buried in Hannah’s files.

“Yes, but…”

“And your girlfriend was… mugged?” he never looked up.

“Yes, but…” my voice was beginning to rise.

“Mr. Styles, please…”

“No!Please tell me what they are doing to her!”My voice broke at the end as I looked back towards my love, lying there helpless.I put my hand flat against the window, wanting to only be closer to her side.

“Mr. Styles?”I looked to him, letting my hand slide down.“They’re trying to save the baby.”

~

I heard a door open and my head snapped up to locate the source.It was just another room; another room in a hallway of rooms; another hall in a floor of halls; another floor in a building of floors.It was just another family leaving from a visit with their loved one.The hospital was full of those, but not Hannah.Hannah was mine.She was plus one as well.She was different.I ran my hands through my hair and rested my elbows on my knees.I heard another door open.Just another door.I ignored it.Seconds passed and I heard a few whispers.Oh well.Footsteps crossed the floor shortly before two black shoes came into my line of vision.“Mr. Styles?”I looked up instantly.The doctor’s face was sullen and my face dropped with his.“We did…”

“I swear if you say ‘all we could’ I’ll freak out on you.”He took a deep breath before resting his hand on my shoulder.My eyes filled with tears as I thought of my beautiful little piece of life being ripped from my group.I ran my fingers down the front of my face, simultaneously wiping away the tears.

“Hannah’s stable.”I nodded my head and stood up out of my seat, grabbing my belongings to take with me.

“Can I see her?”The doctor extended his arm, urging me to lead the way.With uncertainty, I stepped through the doorway to see a flat bundle of blankets; a small bump in the middle of everything.“It’s still inside of her?”I looked to the doctor.

“We have to have her consent to remove it… and we can’t get her consent until she’s awake.”I nodded my head in understanding.Silently, I sat down in the chair beside her bed.I held onto her hand, but I could tell that the doctor hadn’t left yet.“She had some pretty excessive bruising on her ribs,” I flinched at his words, knowing that it was from me.“We think a few of them are broken, but…”

“Not until she wakes up,” I interrupted, “I know.”I sat in silence.I could hear the doctor turning to leave, but I couldn’t let him until I knew.“Doctor?”I turned to catch his eye.“Is that what caused the miscarriage?”He took a deep breath and scratched his brow before shaking his head.

“No, actually.”I gave him a look, urging him to continue.“You said she was mugged?”I nodded my head ‘yes.’“Well, he must’ve known she was pregnant,” No shit, “because he seemed to take focus on her lower torso.That’s where the bruising is the worst.”Tears came to my eyes.Marcus knew that she was pregnant.He targeted her.The tears rolled down my cheeks as I let the information sink in.

“When will she wake up?”

“I’m not exactly sure; whenever she’s ready really.”I hung my head low, realizing that I could be here for awhile.

After the doctor had gone, I got up and stood by her bedside.I put the picture that I had brought back from her apartment on the bedside table.I thought about when I walked in past the yellow caution tape.The monster had pointed at me and yelled that I was the one who had done this, but once the officers saw all of the pictures of Hannah and me, they bought my self defense story.I walked over to the couch and picked up the frame that Hannah had thrown at me.

Now I lifted up her blanket and watched as goose bumps rose on her arms.“Sorry Baby, it’ll just take a second.”I unfolded the large tie blanket and draped it over her before replacing the insulated hospital blanket.She didn’t move… not even a little bit.I sat back down and stared at the picture.It was us at my mum’s wedding.She wore one of the bride’s maids’ dresses even though we were young.I held her close to me, kissing her cheek.Even at that age, I knew that I wanted her for the rest of my life.God Hannah, please wake up.Before I knew what I was doing, there were words coming out of my mouth:

Now you were standing there right in front of me.
I hold on; it’s getting harder to breathe.
All of a sudden these lights are blinding me.
I never noticed how bright they would be.

I saw in the corner there is a photograph.
No doubt in my mind it’s a picture of you.
It lies there alone in its bed of broken glass.
This bed was never made for two.

I’ll keep my eyes wide open.
I’ll keep my arms wide open.

Don’t let me,
Don’t let me,
Don’t let me go,
‘Cause I’m tired of feeling alone.

Don’t let me,
Don’t let me go,
‘Cause I’m tired of feeling alone.

I promised one day that I’d bring you back a star.
I caught one and it burned a hole in my hand oh.
Seems like these days I watch you from afar.
Just trying to make you understand.

I’ll keep my eyes wide open.
Don’t let me,
Don’t let me,
Don’t let me go,
‘Cause I’m tired of feeling alone.

Don’t let me,
Don’t let me go,
Don’t let me,
Don’t let me,
Don’t let me go,
‘Cause I’m tired of feeling alone.

Don’t let me,
Don’t let me,
Don’t let me go,
‘Cause I’m tired of feeling alone.

Don’t let me,
Don’t let me go,
‘Cause I’m tired of sleeping alone.

Notes

Hey guys :) I know it's been forever... comment if you're still here? Love you all!
The winner of the contest is Carrotlover and they wrote: We've Learned to Live Past the Mistakes
Here's the next one!
Picture, you're the queen of everything
As far as the eye can see
Under your command
I will be your guardian
When all is crumbling
I steady your hand
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xoxo Hannah <3