Memorıes Lıke These

Chapter Twenty

Three days later

"Niall, will you at least get out of bed today?" I heard mum yell from my doorway.

"No." I replied.

She sighed and walked over to my bed before sitting down on it. “I know it hurts, but it’s what is right.”

"Doesn’t make the pain I feel any weaker." I snapped. "And just because something’s right, doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt."

"Tell you what, we’ll visit her today." Mum said.

I sat up. “What? We can’t.”

"We may not be allowed in her room, but we can stand outside. You just want to see her, right? Make sure she’s okay?"

"Mum, why didn’t you suggest we do this before?"

She laughed. “Get up. We’ll go in ten minutes.”

—-

As it turned out, nobody else was seeing Lorna when mum and I arrived at her room. Noah or her parents weren’t anywhere to be seen and nobody else was in the room. Rosie had been moved permanently.

I peered through the door, watching as Lorna slept. I could hear her heart monitor beep from out here. I soon became fixated on the loud, irritating sound.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"She’s not looking to well is she?" Mum sighed.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"It scares me." I said, still looking at her. "Seeing her like this."

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"I just wish I could hold her." I said again.

"No one’s looking."

I turned to mum and she raised her eyebrow at me. “Go in. No one’s here.”

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Mum, are you serious?"

"I need to go do some shopping. I’ll pick you up in an hour. We’re meeting Greg and your father for tea." Mum said, quickly giving me a hug. "But be quiet. Don’t wake her up, Niall. Because you will get caught."

I just nodded and opened the door and slipped into her room. I stood by the door for a second, taking everything in. Apart from the monotone beeping, which was quite loud now, the only sound in the room was Lorna’s heavy breathing. I slowly walked over to her bed and sat down.

I didn’t grab her hand.

I just sat there, too scared to talk to her in case she woke up. I didn’t need to talk to her, I just needed to look at her. But I desperately wanted to hug her. But that would wake her up and I’d be caught for sure.

So I continued to sit and watch her.

Beep. Beep. Beep. 

I began thinking of how far Lorna and I have come. From the day I first met her to right now. And how much she had changed my life. Then I started thinking how different I would be without her. And how she can’t ever leave me, because then who would I be? Then something happened. The heart monitor’s beeps sped up.

They were getting faster and I noticed Lorna’s breathing was slowing down. I stood up and shook her, not caring about not waking her up.

Her eyes opened slightly and she took a deep, shallow breath. “Niall?” She croaked.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Lorna, don’t leave me. Okay? Promise you’ll stay with me. I know what you’re doing, but please don’t close your eyes again. Because if you do, you won’t be able to open them again and I need you to be able to open them again because I need you to look into my eyes and remind me that you love me. And-"