Mr. Book Store

CHAPTER 32

MCKINLEY P.O.V

I left Luke at home while I went Christmas shopping. He hadn't been feeling well recently so I made sure to leave him some chicken soup before I headed to the store to buy gifts for my younger cousins, my parents, and grandparents. This year when we started making plans, Liz called and informed us that we were not invited to the holiday celebration this year.

Thankfully my aunt was allowing us to stay at her house so that we could celebrate with my side of the family. It's been a long time since I went home to see everyone and I regret not going home more. They were my family and as much as they were crazy and problematic and sometimes ignorant, they were family and at the end of the day that was what I had left.

An hour into my shopping I got a call from Luke who to me sounded like he was dying.

"Luke?" I said into the phone. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"Come home." He groaned into the phone.

"What's wrong? What's going on?" I asked putting the item I had in my hands back on the shelf and rushing to checkout.

"I don't know but something is wrong." He sounded terrible.

"Okay, I'm gonna check out and I'll be there as soon as possible." I rushed into the phone. "Call 911 if something happens before I get there." I was panicked. In the year that we have been dating this is the first time that he's been sick and he didn't sound like that when I left the house. I rushed through the self checkout and nearly ran to my car and speed off to get home. I parked, terribly, in the garage before rushing up the stairs. "Luke?!" I shouted running to the bedroom. He was on the floor in the bathroom. "Oh my god. Luke!" I shouted.

There was vomit everywhere or what felt like everywhere.

"Oh god." I quickly made sure his throat was clear and that he was breathing before calling 911. I shouldn't have left him home alone. I rushed in telling the 911 operator where we were. Once I knew 911 was on their way I called Michael, Ashton and Calum.

When the EMT's got here they checked his vitals before lifting him onto the stretcher. I had no idea how long he had been passed out on the bathroom floor but it scared me.

"What's going on?" I ran behind them down to the ambulance.

"We're not sure yet." They answered. I got back into my car and followed them to the hospital. It could literally be anything. On the way to the hospital I called Liz to let her know that something was wrong and that I would call if something was really wrong.

Once at the hospital they took Luke back for testing while I paced in the waiting room. Ashton came running in first.

"Is he okay?"

"They haven't told me anything."

"What happened?"

"He passed out on the bathroom floor. He wasn't feeling well and I went out to go shopping and he called that something was wrong and when I got home he was just on the floor covered in vomit."

"Has he been drinking liquids?" He asked.

"I told him to." But of course Luke being Luke he probably didn't do what I said. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have left him alone."

"Hemmings?" Someone called into the room and I rushed over. "He's stable. He's extremely dehydrated and has the flu. We'll keep him here for now. You can go see him. He's in room 305. You'll have to go upstairs." I went to the elevators with Ashton and we headed up to his room. When we got there he was sitting up with an arm behind his head.

"Hi, Baby." He smiled weakly.

"Hey, hot stuff." I smiled. "You scared the crap out of me." I was so thankfully that he actually had enough energy to call. If he didn't I would have been out for hours and he would be in a lot worse shape.

"I didn't mean to." He commented as I sat down on the bed.

"How are you feeling?" Ashton asked sitting down just as Michael and Calum came into the room.

"Like shit." He chuckled a little and making the rest of us laugh. I excused myself to call Liz and let her know that everything was fine and that he was just dehydrated and had the flu. Nothing to drive up here about. "Doc said I was lucky that I didn't hit my head on the counter."

"Yeah you are because you're big head would have dented it and I would have been pissed." I joked leaning down to kiss his head. He moved over so I could sit next to him. "Got any underpants on under this?" I asked lifting up the gown and he quickly put his hand over it so I couldn't lift it.

"No." I giggled while cuddling into him and rubbing his belly. "Belly still hurt?" I questioned as Ashton handed him water.

"A little, yeah." He drank the entire cup of water.

"Did you drink the gatorade I left on your bedside table?" I asked and he was silent. "Lucas." I sighed. "That's why you passed out."

"Listen, I stood up to go get some soup, got super dizzy, threw up, tried to get to the bathroom, somehow called you and then passed out."

"I should have been there. I'm sorry." I played with his hair as we talked and he played with my free hand.

"I would have passed out either way." He shrugged. He leaned back a little and closed his eyes. "Hand me the basin." I leaned over to grab it just in time for him to throw up into it. I got out of the bed to get him water and tissues. I rubbed his back before taking the basin from him and going to rinse it out. "Drink the water, babe."

"I don't want to."

"You have to. Would you rather have an iv?"

"Yeah."

"I'll get the doctor." I started leaving the room watching him pick up the cup and drinking. "I'm worried about you."

"Don't worry about me, baby." The doctor came in a few minutes later and explained to us that he had been extremely dehydrated to a point where things could have taken a turn for the worst. The doctors were going to keep him overnight and hopefully he would be feeling better to go home tomorrow. He scared the crap out of me.

*LUKE P.O.V*

The boys stayed for a few more hours before they headed off. Dinner was brought to me once they left and McKinley went home to eat and get us both a change of clothes. Since I was literally naked under this thing I needed her to bring me boxers.

She came back into the room a little over an hour later and helped me into the bathroom to get changed.

"I can't believe I threw up in front of you." I mumbled as I got my boxers on as she helped me stay balanced.

"It's fine. You act like I've never seen throw up before."

"You're the best for taking care of me." I smiled and got my pants on. She wrapped her arms around me and kissed my bare chest.

"I will take care of you for the rest of my life if I have to." She smiled. I got my shirt on and we both went to the bed to lay down. The doctor came in and asked how everything was going and thankfully I had kept dinner down so he was hoping that if I kept breakfast down tomorrow that I would be able to go home.

I hated being out of work so close to Christmas because usually we took that entire week off but I had a feeling I would have to work unless the boys got everything done that needs to be done which is unlikely.

I turned on the t.v while she cuddled into me. I could tell she was exhausted and I hated being the person who made her that way.

"Go to sleep baby." I rubbed her back as she played with my hair. "I love you."

"I love you more." She mumbled. We both barely got any sleep with nurses come in all night to check my vitals and the machines beeping and call lights going off all night.

The next morning I ordered breakfast as soon as possible and slowly ate while McKinley gathered our things and brought it down to her car. The doctor came in and handed me the discharge papers and told me to drink plenty of fluids all day long. This time I was going to listen.

I waited in the room for McKinley to come back before she walked with me down to her car. I was so thankful for her. If it wasn't for her I have no idea how I would have kept myself calm during all of this. I knew she was freaking out, she had to be. It's terrifying getting a call from someone you love saying that something is wrong.

"I love you." I smiled as she got in the drivers seat and start heading home. "You're amazing." She smiled as I talked.

"I was scared."

"I was too." I answered truthfully. "You can tell when you're gonna pass out and I couldn't stop myself and I couldn't get the words out to tell you."

"Thank god you called me. I shouldn't have left knowing you were sick." She held my hand. I never wanted to worry her. Ever.

"We didn't know it was gonna happen. Don't beat yourself up." I smiled gazing at her. She looked exhausted but she was beautiful. "We'll go home and take a nap and then we can do some online shopping for Christmas."

"Sounds good." She smiled and pulled into the driveway. "By the way, your mom is here." She looked over at me as she shut the car off.

"Why?" I groaned. I loved my mother, I did but she didn't need to be here.

"She offered." She shrugged grabbing the bag with our stuff and helping me up the stairs. Loki was jumping at the door waiting for us.

"Hi, girl. Relax." I got down to her level for her to lick my face. The apartment smelled amazing and I headed to the kitchen where mom was cooking. "Hey." She turned around and hugged me.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Better." I shrugged. "What are you cooking?"

"Roast beef, you're favorite." She smile. "It won't be done for a while though so go relax. I'll wake you when it's ready." McKinley came inside a few minutes later and greeted my mom before going to the laundry room to empty the bag.

"Did you clean the vomit off the floor?" I asked her as I took my shirt and pants off.

"Yeah. It smelled like someone died in here." She giggled lighting a candle. I got into the bed and pulled the covers up to my face. She came over and hovered over me kissing my head. "I love you. Shout if you need anything." She got off the bed and shut the light off.

I slept for what felt like forever until I heard the oven timer going off and sat up. It was now dark outside and was snowing lightly. I walked into the kitchen where McKinley was sitting at the island with a magazine and a glass of wine and mom was just pulling the roast out of the oven.

I kissed McKinley on the head and sat down beside her.

"Hey. How you feeling?" She asked turning in her seat to look at me.

"Much better." I smiled. "You're not suppose to be drinking."

"One glass of wine won't bother me." She rolled her eyes but smiled. I stood to grab myself a drink.

"Want me to cut it up?" I asked mom as she grabbed the electric knife thing.

"No, honey. I don't want you infecting the whole roast."

"You're already infected." I mumbled grabbing a water and sitting down. I rested my head on my hands on the counter and McKinley played with my hair.

"You're still a little warm." She commented getting off her chair and going to the cabinet. "Take this." She handed me the medicine and I popped it into my mouth and swallowed it. We sat down and enjoyed dinner.

After dinner I relaxed on the couch watching some random show while McKinley went to shower and get ready for bed.

"She's amazing, you know." My mom said sitting down at my feet. I smiled at her words. "She talks about you like you put the stars in the sky."

"She's the love of my life." I admitted. I had admitted it to myself a very long time ago. I knew that someday I was going to marry her. Or at least have children with her and grow old with her. I didn't need to marry her I just needed to be with her for the rest of my life.

"Don't screw it up, Luke."