How to Exchange a Life
every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end
Louis had hated hospitals ever since he was a boy. He hated the white-washed walls and the antiseptic smell which lingered around the place, like it had been deliberately splashed all over the tiles. He hated the flimsy blinds that hung at the windows and the paper thin blankets with coarse cotton bedsheets covering the beds. He hated the overall whiteness of the doctors and nurses uniform and altogether drove him crazy to be in a place that was so gloomy and yet so… bright.
Louis was having trouble navigating his way to his family. A shootout had occurred at Doncaster's popular shopping mall, Frenchgate Centre, a few hours earlier and there were several casualties, hence causing the hospital to be packed, not only with doctors and nurses, but with the police and media as well. His mother was working at one of the public hospitals where most of the shootout victims were sent to. Louis knew better than to lose control of his emotion, especially in front of the press, so he took special care in refraining from snapping at anybody who got in his way.
As he weaved his way along the congested hallways of the hospital, he caught sight of a lanky woman, standing with a girl. The older woman was in her nurse's uniform and Louis instantly recognised his mother talking to his girlfriend Eleanor. He rushed towards the girls and engulfed them in a huge hug.
"God Louis, you scared me," his mother, Johanna, remarked. Louis looked up at her and the sight made his heart break. His mother looked like she had aged overnight, with bags underneath her eyes while her usual clear, sea-green eyes now had red-rimmed irises. Her regular crisp, white uniform was creased everywhere and her hair, which was normally worn in a tight bun when working, was now simply tied in a loose ponytail.
"How is she?" he croaked. When his mum didn't answer him, he turned to Eleanor.
The pretty brunette was in a better shape than his mother, but she had been crying too, as her eyes were swollen and bloodshot.
"She's still under observation, Lou. The doctors have stabilised her, but we can't go in yet," Eleanor answered softly.
Louis ran a hand through his unkempt hair, feeling distressed and useless. He stood near the glass window, trying to take a peek in between the closed blinds, but to no avail. He rested his forehead against the cool glass and closed his eyes, a tear trickling down his cheek.
-----
The phone vibrated against Louis' thigh and he struggled to pull it out from his trousers. His mother's contact photo flashed across the screen and he smiled widely. He excused himself from his bandmates, who were all lounging around the recording studio, chatting and taking a short break from their vocal training.
"Hi mum!" Louis answered cheerily, smile still plastered on his youthful face.
Instead of hearing his mother's tinkle of a voice, all he heard was harsh breathing and muffled sobs on the other line.
The smile on Louis' face immediately disappeared and was replaced by a frown. "Mum? Are you alright?"
He heard the shuffling of hands and he assumed that the phone was being passed onto someone else. There were muffled voices heard in the background and Louis was on the verge of panicking.
"Mum! Are you there? What's going on?"
"Lou? Love, is that you?" A girl's voice was heard on the other side.
"El? What's happening? Where's my mum?"
"Louis, please calm down. Your mother can't come over to the phone right now," Eleanor replied. "Something terrible happened and we need you to come home."
"What happened? Tell me!"
There was a pause. "Your sister, Charlotte, is in a coma."
-----
Louis walked into Charlotte's hospital bedroom, carrying a fresh bouquet of baby's breath. Her room was filled with get-well cards, helium balloons and all sorts of fresh flower hampers, courtesy of his fans and well-wishers. The colourful 'accessories' made the room less gloomier; nonetheless, it was still a hospital room and nothing could change the fact that his sister was lying on a bed with tubes attached all over her body, aiding to help her fight for her life.
Louis trudged to her bedside table and emptied the vase of dried gypsophilas. He knew Charlotte loved baby's breath and he made an effort to get her fresh ones every other day. Once he had replaced the old flowers with new ones, he grabbed a chair and brought it beside her bed. He unwound the scarf around his neck and threw his coat and scarf over the back of the chair.
"Hey Lottie, how are you doing today?" he asked, softly stroking her limp hair. He gazed at his younger sister lovingly and let out a deep sigh. Louis believed that comatose people could listen and understand whatever was being said to them; just that they couldn't respond.
It had been six days since the shootout where Charlotte and a few others were unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire. She was one of the lucky few to escape alive, but had fallen into a coma on her way to the hospital. Louis could not believe that such things could happen in his hometown in which he deemed to be 'uneventful and boring'. The shooter was concluded of being mentally ill and had killed himself after randomly spraying the mall with a hail of bullets.
He had taken the first flight out back to Doncaster. The media had gotten to know about Louis' current situation and, not long after, he was bombarded with the press who were hanging around the hospital. He had to ask the authorities for a transfer of hospital for his sister.
His mother had resented his decision about the change in hospitals as she wouldn't be able to look after Charlotte if she was to transfer to a private one. Louis had promised his mum that he would be responsible in looking after Charlotte and everyone else, since he was the man of the house after his mother's divorce with his step-father.
Mum, don't worry. I'm no longer a child and I'm also the eldest. I'll look after Lottie, I'll look after you; I'll look after all my sisters. Please mum, I hate to see you like this. I love you all so much.
Louis ran a hand over his face and he grinned to himself, when he felt his hand brush against his growing stubble. Charlotte would scrunch her face and shake her head in disapproval if she saw her brother being so unkempt. His mother and he had been taking turns to sleep over at the hospital. Eleanor and his bandmates did drop by to visit Charlotte, but they couldn't do anything and could only offer words of encouragement to him and his mother.
"I got you some fresh baby's breath today. The little things are pretty hard to get nowadays as it's not in season, ya know?" Louis whispered. He laid his head on Charlotte's bed, tilting it so he was facing his sister.
"The lads said hi. They brought you a hamper, but Nialler nicked the butterscotch biscuits." Louis gave a tiny chortle. "He's one growing leprechaun, that lad is!"
Louis chatted with Charlotte about how fans reacted to the accident and get-well wishes were sent via mail, as the private hospital did not allow any media or fans to come into the vicinity.
"You should have seen it, Lottie! I was on the verge of hitting that media person. He was absolutely rude!" Louis was now talking animatedly, face reddening when he recalled the incident. He had gotten up from his seat and started pacing around the room. After calming himself down, he gave out a loud sigh and plopped back into the chair.
He stared at Charlotte and reached out to touch her hand. Louis intertwined both of his hands with her right and brought his forehead on them, not noticing Charlotte's left forefinger gave the slightest of a twitch.
-----
Autumn was nearing its end and winter was about to start. Finding Charlotte's baby's breath was becoming harder as the flowers were only in season during summer and autumn. Louis had to go around Doncaster when trying to get his hands on some leftover gyps at any florist. Johanna was concerned about her son's well-being as he was so keen in getting those flowers for Charlotte when she couldn't even move, let alone open her eyes.
It was already coming to the second week and there was still no new improvement with his sister. He told his mother that he wanted a vase of fresh flowers when Charlotte wakes up, hence that was why he was stubborn enough to head over to the florist in the heavy rain.
Mum, imagine the look on Lottie's face to see her favourite flowers beside her when she wakes up. It's like me waking up with a present placed on my bed.
Johanna had simply shaken her head and smiled at him. She could never fathom Louis' way of thinking sometimes, but she knew her son had a reason behind his actions. He was her first-born child afterall and being the only male in the family, she did have an inclination to giving in to his whims.
However, she did felt a pang of distress in her heart when Louis left the hospital in the heavy rain. She couldn't figure out what was making her heart ache.
She went over to Charlotte and bend down to kiss her forehead. When she looked up, she realised there was a streak of tears running down the sides of her daughter's eyes.
-----
Louis was overjoyed to finally get his hands on a bouquet of baby's breath. He couldn't explain it, but he had a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach that Charlotte was going to wake up soon and everything would be back to normal.
He stepped out of the florist's and opened his brolly. The only thing dampening his mood was the gloomy weather and the rain chilling him to the bone, regardless of how many layers he was wearing.
As he was about to step off the curb and cross the street to his car, a loud car honk was heard. Louis turned towards the sound and the next thing he knew, he was engulfed in bright lights, followed by darkness.
The whiteness of the baby's breath turned red.
Louis was having trouble navigating his way to his family. A shootout had occurred at Doncaster's popular shopping mall, Frenchgate Centre, a few hours earlier and there were several casualties, hence causing the hospital to be packed, not only with doctors and nurses, but with the police and media as well. His mother was working at one of the public hospitals where most of the shootout victims were sent to. Louis knew better than to lose control of his emotion, especially in front of the press, so he took special care in refraining from snapping at anybody who got in his way.
As he weaved his way along the congested hallways of the hospital, he caught sight of a lanky woman, standing with a girl. The older woman was in her nurse's uniform and Louis instantly recognised his mother talking to his girlfriend Eleanor. He rushed towards the girls and engulfed them in a huge hug.
"God Louis, you scared me," his mother, Johanna, remarked. Louis looked up at her and the sight made his heart break. His mother looked like she had aged overnight, with bags underneath her eyes while her usual clear, sea-green eyes now had red-rimmed irises. Her regular crisp, white uniform was creased everywhere and her hair, which was normally worn in a tight bun when working, was now simply tied in a loose ponytail.
"How is she?" he croaked. When his mum didn't answer him, he turned to Eleanor.
The pretty brunette was in a better shape than his mother, but she had been crying too, as her eyes were swollen and bloodshot.
"She's still under observation, Lou. The doctors have stabilised her, but we can't go in yet," Eleanor answered softly.
Louis ran a hand through his unkempt hair, feeling distressed and useless. He stood near the glass window, trying to take a peek in between the closed blinds, but to no avail. He rested his forehead against the cool glass and closed his eyes, a tear trickling down his cheek.
-----
The phone vibrated against Louis' thigh and he struggled to pull it out from his trousers. His mother's contact photo flashed across the screen and he smiled widely. He excused himself from his bandmates, who were all lounging around the recording studio, chatting and taking a short break from their vocal training.
"Hi mum!" Louis answered cheerily, smile still plastered on his youthful face.
Instead of hearing his mother's tinkle of a voice, all he heard was harsh breathing and muffled sobs on the other line.
The smile on Louis' face immediately disappeared and was replaced by a frown. "Mum? Are you alright?"
He heard the shuffling of hands and he assumed that the phone was being passed onto someone else. There were muffled voices heard in the background and Louis was on the verge of panicking.
"Mum! Are you there? What's going on?"
"Lou? Love, is that you?" A girl's voice was heard on the other side.
"El? What's happening? Where's my mum?"
"Louis, please calm down. Your mother can't come over to the phone right now," Eleanor replied. "Something terrible happened and we need you to come home."
"What happened? Tell me!"
There was a pause. "Your sister, Charlotte, is in a coma."
-----
Louis walked into Charlotte's hospital bedroom, carrying a fresh bouquet of baby's breath. Her room was filled with get-well cards, helium balloons and all sorts of fresh flower hampers, courtesy of his fans and well-wishers. The colourful 'accessories' made the room less gloomier; nonetheless, it was still a hospital room and nothing could change the fact that his sister was lying on a bed with tubes attached all over her body, aiding to help her fight for her life.
Louis trudged to her bedside table and emptied the vase of dried gypsophilas. He knew Charlotte loved baby's breath and he made an effort to get her fresh ones every other day. Once he had replaced the old flowers with new ones, he grabbed a chair and brought it beside her bed. He unwound the scarf around his neck and threw his coat and scarf over the back of the chair.
"Hey Lottie, how are you doing today?" he asked, softly stroking her limp hair. He gazed at his younger sister lovingly and let out a deep sigh. Louis believed that comatose people could listen and understand whatever was being said to them; just that they couldn't respond.
It had been six days since the shootout where Charlotte and a few others were unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire. She was one of the lucky few to escape alive, but had fallen into a coma on her way to the hospital. Louis could not believe that such things could happen in his hometown in which he deemed to be 'uneventful and boring'. The shooter was concluded of being mentally ill and had killed himself after randomly spraying the mall with a hail of bullets.
He had taken the first flight out back to Doncaster. The media had gotten to know about Louis' current situation and, not long after, he was bombarded with the press who were hanging around the hospital. He had to ask the authorities for a transfer of hospital for his sister.
His mother had resented his decision about the change in hospitals as she wouldn't be able to look after Charlotte if she was to transfer to a private one. Louis had promised his mum that he would be responsible in looking after Charlotte and everyone else, since he was the man of the house after his mother's divorce with his step-father.
Mum, don't worry. I'm no longer a child and I'm also the eldest. I'll look after Lottie, I'll look after you; I'll look after all my sisters. Please mum, I hate to see you like this. I love you all so much.
Louis ran a hand over his face and he grinned to himself, when he felt his hand brush against his growing stubble. Charlotte would scrunch her face and shake her head in disapproval if she saw her brother being so unkempt. His mother and he had been taking turns to sleep over at the hospital. Eleanor and his bandmates did drop by to visit Charlotte, but they couldn't do anything and could only offer words of encouragement to him and his mother.
"I got you some fresh baby's breath today. The little things are pretty hard to get nowadays as it's not in season, ya know?" Louis whispered. He laid his head on Charlotte's bed, tilting it so he was facing his sister.
"The lads said hi. They brought you a hamper, but Nialler nicked the butterscotch biscuits." Louis gave a tiny chortle. "He's one growing leprechaun, that lad is!"
Louis chatted with Charlotte about how fans reacted to the accident and get-well wishes were sent via mail, as the private hospital did not allow any media or fans to come into the vicinity.
"You should have seen it, Lottie! I was on the verge of hitting that media person. He was absolutely rude!" Louis was now talking animatedly, face reddening when he recalled the incident. He had gotten up from his seat and started pacing around the room. After calming himself down, he gave out a loud sigh and plopped back into the chair.
He stared at Charlotte and reached out to touch her hand. Louis intertwined both of his hands with her right and brought his forehead on them, not noticing Charlotte's left forefinger gave the slightest of a twitch.
-----
Autumn was nearing its end and winter was about to start. Finding Charlotte's baby's breath was becoming harder as the flowers were only in season during summer and autumn. Louis had to go around Doncaster when trying to get his hands on some leftover gyps at any florist. Johanna was concerned about her son's well-being as he was so keen in getting those flowers for Charlotte when she couldn't even move, let alone open her eyes.
It was already coming to the second week and there was still no new improvement with his sister. He told his mother that he wanted a vase of fresh flowers when Charlotte wakes up, hence that was why he was stubborn enough to head over to the florist in the heavy rain.
Mum, imagine the look on Lottie's face to see her favourite flowers beside her when she wakes up. It's like me waking up with a present placed on my bed.
Johanna had simply shaken her head and smiled at him. She could never fathom Louis' way of thinking sometimes, but she knew her son had a reason behind his actions. He was her first-born child afterall and being the only male in the family, she did have an inclination to giving in to his whims.
However, she did felt a pang of distress in her heart when Louis left the hospital in the heavy rain. She couldn't figure out what was making her heart ache.
She went over to Charlotte and bend down to kiss her forehead. When she looked up, she realised there was a streak of tears running down the sides of her daughter's eyes.
-----
Louis was overjoyed to finally get his hands on a bouquet of baby's breath. He couldn't explain it, but he had a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach that Charlotte was going to wake up soon and everything would be back to normal.
He stepped out of the florist's and opened his brolly. The only thing dampening his mood was the gloomy weather and the rain chilling him to the bone, regardless of how many layers he was wearing.
As he was about to step off the curb and cross the street to his car, a loud car honk was heard. Louis turned towards the sound and the next thing he knew, he was engulfed in bright lights, followed by darkness.
The whiteness of the baby's breath turned red.
Back in the hospital, Charlotte Tomlinson was slowly opening her eyes.
@iceskatez
Hello and thanks for taking time to read and comment on my story. Unfortunately, I'm not going to have any updates on this story as it was meant to be a one-shot. So, yeah. :/ Oh, and I won't be on this site anymore coz real life takes up most of my time now.
3/28/14