Don't Let Me Go ~ N.H.

“Louis Tomlinson?” the doctor addressed Louis when he showed up in the waiting area.

Louis got up and shook the doctor’s hand. “How’s my mate?”

“Your friend was shot in the back, and he just came out of surgery.”

“How bad was it?”

“Well, his spinal cord was damaged, so he’ll need to stay here until his back heals, and then use a wheelchair for at least three weeks.”

I burst into tears again, and Niall comforted me. “Can we go see him?” he asked.

“Yes, he’s in room 257.”

We followed the doctor to room 257, and I knocked on the door.

“Come in!” Harry called.

I let us all in and ran up to Harry. “Harry! I thought you were dead!”

Harry laughed. “No, I’m not dead.”

“How are you feeling, mate?” Louis asked.

“Like shit. How long do I have to stay here?”

“Until your back heals.”

~~~~~

TWO WEEKS LATER

Carlie’s POV

I woke up in a hospital room. I inspected myself to see why. There was a cast on my left leg and bandages around my head and around my pelvic area. How did I end up like this? I thought.

There were five guys, a girl, and two little girls in the room with me. I recognized one of the guys as Niall and the little girls as Ariel and Rebekah, but I didn’t recognize anyone else.

“N-Niall?” I said softly. It was all I could do because my throat was dry.

“Carlie?!” Niall exclaimed, coming up to me and hugging me. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re awake!”

“What happened to me?” That’s when I noticed the ring on my left ring finger. “And why is there a ring on my finger?”

“You were struck by a drunk driver two weeks ago, love.”

“Two weeks ago?”

“Yeah, and the ring on your finger is an engagement ring. We’ve been engaged for two weeks now.” Niall grinned and got down on one knee. “Carlie Jennings, will you marry me?”

“Of course!” I said. “Now, who are the other people?”

“You don’t remember me? I’m your sister and band mate Aubrey,” the girl said.

“I’m in a band?”

“Well, you’re in a duo. We’re The Southern Belles, and we just opened for One Direction, Niall’s band. I just heard ‘Innocence’ on the radio yesterday, and I thought of you.”

“Aw, you did?”

“Of course! Do you remember your daughters?”

“Sure! Ariel and Rebekah, right?”

“Yep!”

“Why is the curly-haired one in a wheelchair? I don’t remember him being in a wheelchair.”

Aubrey giggled. “That’s Harry, my boyfriend. And my ex-stepdad shot him in the back.”

“Oh, okay. And who are the others?”

“The one with the buzz cut is Liam, the one with the brown quiff is Louis, and the one with the black hair is Zayn.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Aubrey let the doctor in. “Hello, Miss Jennings,” he said. “How long have you been awake?”

“Just a few minutes,” I said. “When can I get out of here?”

“You can leave today, and once you get home, you’ll need to be on bed rest for six weeks.”

“Six weeks?”

“Yes, and then you’ll need to come back so we can take all the bolts and stuff out of your leg.”

I looked over at Niall to see that he was grinning from ear to ear. “I can’t wait to be your slave for six weeks!” he said.

We all laughed.

Notes