Work Text:
“You guys are all ready?” Louis confirmed as he walked past Harry’s medical team that had been called in two days prior when Harry’s asthma had started acting up.
They nodded, lead medic speaking up, “You bring him over when he's ready and we’ll get him comfortable again.”
Louis nodded as he moved on, wishing he could be that calm as he headed back towards side stage to watch Harry for the last few songs.
Louis reached the stage as the final notes of Kiwi played. He could barely focus on the words that Harry was saying as he finished off his final speech. Harry’s voice rasped as he spoke, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath before he had to start singing Sign of the Times.
Of course Harry didn't disappoint, his vocals for Sign of the Times ringing out powerfully across the field. Still, Louis was glad when Harry asked the audience to sing as he took heaving breaths to recover before the bridge. Louis watched as Harry walked to the edge of the stage, raising the mic stand so the mic was over the audience. In his current condition, Louis worried that if Harry were to become dizzy or collapse he would fall right off the stage, but his worries were for nothing as the chorus came to an end and Harry took a step back, continuing to sing.
Louis waited as the song finished, fireworks exploding above them. Louis couldn’t see the fireworks from where he was standing but he could smell the smoke, making him even more anxious to get Harry back to the medical team before that too impacted his lung function. Finally, Harry ran off the stage, Louis going straight to him when he wasn't at risk of being seen by the audience.
“Need it… off,” Harry was saying, struggling to coordinate his arms to shrug the vest off his shoulders. Louis helped, pulling the shimmery fabric down Harry's arms and letting it drop to the floor.
Louis placed his hand on Harry’s back, skin hot to the touch and damp with sweat, guiding the distressed boy through the backstage maze towards his trailer. Harry kept fussing, first pulling at his belt to unbuckle it, wrenching it through the belt loops once his fumbling fingers had finally succeeded. He pulled at the wires for his inears, roughly pulling them out of his ears. Louis caught the cord as Harry flipped it over his shoulder, taking the receiver out of the pocket and handing it off to a stagehand that had been trailing behind them.
Louis was relieved when they reached Harry’s trailer, opening the door and pushing Harry ahead of him in the direction of the waiting medical team. They got him seated immediately, calmly moving in a rehearsed pattern as each person completed their job and then stepped away to give Harry space.
The first medic, Sue, was a no-nonsense respiratory doctor from London. She had been on Harry’s medical team for years and knew his history well, what medications he reacted to well, what didn't work, what upset Harry and what he liked. She had flown in early this morning when they had realised that Harry’s condition was continuing to decline as whatever virus he was fighting took hold, asthma continuing to flare up, not helped by the high Californian pollen count at this time of year. The other two medics, Dan and Mike, had both travelled with Harry last year as part of his US tour medical team.
Dan had moved in swiftly, quickly rubbing the cotton ball with nail polish remover over the nail polish on Harry’s right middle finger and removing Harry’s ring, pegging the pulse oximeter onto Harry’s middle finger. Mike had started to wipe Harry’s chest with a wet wipe to remove the sweat dripping down Harry’s skin, attaching the heart rate monitor pads once the surface was reasonably dry.
“How was the show, Harry?” Sue spoke up while the other two worked, not wanting to crowd Harry.
"It was…" Harry paused to take a couple of breaths, "good… I think." Harry struggled with even saying a couple of words at a time, all his focus and energy on just breathing. "I can't… really remember."
"That's ok, do you have any new symptoms or is it just the same as before the show?
"Can't breath… chest hurts…" Harry said, chest visibly expanding and contracting rapidly as he breathed.
"Yeah, we are going to get that sorted in a minute, anything else?" Sue checked, pulling some items out of the bag next to her.
"Brain fog."
"That's probably because of your low oxygen saturation, the pulse ox says 89% at the moment but a few minutes ago it was only 85% which is pretty low."
"Uncomfortably…" Harry stopped to cough, turning his face into his shoulder, "hot," Harry finished, closing his eyes to shut out some stimuli, trying to stay calm through the dizziness.
"He's got a temperature, 38.6°C," Dan confirmed, having just stuck the thermometer in Harry's ear.
"Ok, Harry I'm going to put the peak flow meter in your left hand, when you're ready can you blow into it so we can get a reading?" Harry felt Sue place the familiar object in his hand and he nodded.
"I'm just going to have a listen to your chest with the stethoscope so you go whenever you are ready."
Harry felt the cold bell of the stethoscope move around the front of his chest as he tried to take some deep breaths. When he felt as ready as he could be he lifted the peak flow meter to his mouth, blowing into the device as hard and fast as he could. It caused a coughing fit, Harry bending forward in his chair as he struggled to inhale.
"Sitting up will make it easier to breathe, Harry," Mike guided, pulling Harry back to an upright position.
"Is it a personal worst?" Harry asked as he started to recover, looking at the numbers, arrow distinctly in the red zone.
Sue took the peak flow meter from Harry, taking a look at it, "not quite your worst but I think it would make the bottom ten." Sue reset the device, handing it back to Harry as she moved around to his side. "Try once more while I listen to the back of your chest."
Harry followed Sue's instructions, taking some deeper breaths before exhaling into the device.
"About the same, let's get your inhaler into you and see if that improves things," Sue said as she grabbed the inhaler and spacer off the table. She shook the inhaler before inserting it into the spacer, moving it towards Harry's face.
"Nnnnggghhh," Harry shrieked as he turned his head away from the mask so that it couldn't cover his face.
"It's ok, just your normal inhaler, same one you had before the show," Sue consoled, moving it back towards Harry's face as he looked forward again. Harry quickly turned again so it couldn't cover his mouth so Sue stepped back to reassess the situation.
"Can I?" Louis asked, taking the inhaler from Sue as she stepped back. He knelt down in front of Harry, resting his hands on Harry's knees. He could feel the heat radiating through Harry's pants.
"You need to take your inhaler," Louis said gently. Harry shook his head, tears starting to well in his eyes. "Why not?" Louis asked as he rubbed Harry's thigh slowly.
"Heart feels… too fast… don't want it to go faster," Harry said through heaving breaths.
"Baby please, you can't breathe."
"Your heart is trying to compensate for your lungs, it should start to settle down once you are breathing better but you've got to take your inhaler to help your lungs out," Sue reasoned, glancing at the heart rate monitor to make sure she couldn't see anything unusual.
Louis tried again, moving the mask towards Harry's face. This time Harry stayed still, letting the spacer mask be pressed over his nose and mouth. Louis depressed the canister administering the medication for Harry to inhale. Harry inhaled it as best he could through his heaving breaths. Once Harry had inhaled four times Louis removed the inhaler and shook it before repeating the process until Harry had taken four puffs of the medication.
"Good job," Louis said as he removed the mask from Harry's face, handing the spacer back to Sue. He reached for Harry's hands, holding them in Harry's lap as they waited for the medication to work.
Harry had been looking down at their hands when he gasped, desperately looking around for something.
"Harry, what's wrong? What do you need?" Louis asked, panicked at Harry's sudden actions.
"Where's my ring?" Harry said, still looking around, feeling his pant pockets desperately.
"It's here mate," Dan said, holding the ring with the tiny mosaic bird on it that he had removed earlier, offering it back to Harry.
"No," Harry stood up quickly, looking around his feet, swaying as his oxygen deprivation caught up to him.
Louis stood up in front of Harry, holding onto his shoulders in case he did fall. "Harry it's ok, Dan has your ring," Louis repeated to make sure Harry had heard.
It did nothing to settle Harry, he was still frantically looking around, checking his pockets, looking over to the table where he had put his rings on that afternoon.
"No, it's gone," Harry repeated, starting to hyperventilate again, wheezing breaths escaping from his chest.
"What's gone, Love?" Louis said, not even sure if Harry was hallucinating at this point or if there was really something wrong.
"My ring," Harry cried, holding up his right hand to show only one remaining ring on his finger. The lion ring was unaccounted for.
"Ok, why don't you sit down and let's think about it logically. The lion ring will be around here somewhere." Louis reasoned, applying pressure to Harry's shoulders to guide him back into a seated position.
"I know it's gone," Harry spluttered, breaths becoming uneven and choppy.
"You can't know, one of the band might have seen it and picked it up."
"No… it's g-gone…fuck, I thought I saw s-some t-thing shiny bounce… off the st-age into the cr-crowd… when I threw the b-bottle.. in Ki-Kiwi… but it must have been my… r-ing." Harry cried, drawing his knees to his chest, curling his arms around his legs and resting his head on his knees as he tried to comfort himself, breaths coming so sharp and hard that they wracked his whole body, almost to the point where they were making Harry gag. "I can't… I can't… breathe," Harry repeated in between sobs as he tried to catch his breath, switching between pressing his eyes into his knees and resting his chin on his knees to look at Louis.
Louis watched helplessly as Harry descended into panic, only able to offer comfort, not even sure if Harry was aware enough to recognise Louis' hand rubbing up and down his back and speaking to him in a reassuring tone.
Sue stepped in after a minute, aware that Harry was spiralling out of control. "Harry, this isn't an asthma attack, this is a panic attack," Sue explained slowly, Harry looking up at her through teary eyes, "I want you to follow Louis, try and breathe with him to slow your breaths."
"We've done this before, right, just look at me, follow my voice, feel my hands on your skin." Louis started to count for Harry. Inhale for 5, hold for 5, exhale for 5.
Harry struggled at first, sobbing and hiccupping through the first 5 rounds before he truly started to settle into any recognisable pattern of breathing. His eyes stayed glued to Louis' the whole time looking for the reassurance they offered.
Harry was the first to interrupt Louis counting, whispering into the quiet space in between cycles. "I think I'm dropping."
Mike looked at the heart rate monitor next to him checking to make sure Harry's heart rate and O2 stats were stable. "Stats are stable, should I check BP?" Mike confirmed, looking from Harry to Sue to assess the situation.
"No," Harry whined, becoming frustrated, starting to cry again. He dropped Louis' eye contact, tucking his head into his knees once again.
"Baby, do you mean you're dropping into little space?" Louis checked, running his fingers back through Harry's sweaty hair to try and get him to look up again.
"I-I don't know… I just f-feel so fu-zzy and confused and s-small," Harry mumbled into his lap, hiccupping and wheezing through his breaths as he cried.
"That's ok Harry, you do whatever you need to do to feel safe," Sue spoke clearly to Harry before directing her directions at the other people in the room. "Louis, can you work on getting another round of Harry's inhaler into him," Sue said as she handed the spacer and inhaler over to Louis, "I'm still not happy with how he sounds and his oxygen levels haven't come up to where I'm comfortable." Louis nodded, accepting the medication before turning back to Harry. "Mike, get me a BP, just to make sure." Mike nodded, turning to find the equipment in the bag next to him. "Dan, can you get him on oxygen once he's had his next dose of inhaler? I want his O2 saturation back up to 95%." Dan nodded, turning to grab the oxygen mask he had prepared earlier.
Louis was busy trying to coax Harry out of the ball he had wrapped himself into so he could give Harry his inhaler, but Harry was having none of it, refusing to move his head.
"I don't want my inhaler," Harry sobbed into his knees, looking up so he could see Louis, but not enough to uncover his mouth so that Louis could slip the spacer in. Louis could see how miserable Harry was, eyes red and watery from crying and face flushed from his temperature.
Louis gave in, never wanting to be the cause of such a miserable look. He lowered the spacer out of Harry's eyesight and sighed. "What do you want, baby?"
Harry paused as Louis changed tactics, getting his attention. "Want you," Harry said as he lifted his head fully, reaching out a hand towards Louis.
"Could we move to the couch so I can cuddle him?" Louis looked up to Sue for confirmation, handing the spacer off at the same time so he had two hands free.
"Sure, but he's got to stay sitting up, I don't want his airways obstructed in any way."
"Ok, I can work with that," Louis said as he stood up in front of Harry. He checked with Mike to make sure he was ready with Harry's monitor before getting Harry to stand up, making sure nothing was pulling. Harry wrapped his arms around Louis, leaning fully into him. Louis was about to hoist Harry into his arms, wrapping his hands under Harry's bum when he felt the roughness of the sequined letters against his skin. "Hey, do you want to take your pants and shoes off? Get a bit more comfy?" Louis could feel Harry nod against his shoulder but he didn't move so Louis blindly felt against the waistband of the front of the pants until he came into contact with the clasp, deftly undoing it, followed by unzipping the zip. He shimmied the fabric gently over Harry's hips, letting it pool at his ankles. Louis could feel someone at their feet moving around, Harry lifting his legs up as he was prompted to do so. Once Harry was free from the clothing, Louis hoisted him up into his arms so that Harry was koala hugging him, arms and legs wrapped around Louis.
Louis shuffled over to the couch slowly, taking the time to just enjoy the quiet contact with Harry now that his sobs were slowing down to hitched breaths and hiccups. "Lift your legs love," Louis reminded Harry as he went to sit down, making sure he wasn't going to sit on Harry's feet. Once they were settled it didn't stay quiet for long, Sue reapproaching with the spacer. Louis watched as she approached, cradling the back of Harry's head so he couldn't move it backwards. He twisted slightly to the side so that Harry's face was more accessible.
"Harry, can you look over Louis' shoulder for me," Sue asked as she sat down behind Louis on the couch. Harry looked up at Sue, noticing she was holding the spacer in her hand and scrunching his face up, burrowing it back down into the space between Louis' neck and shoulder.
"Can you be a good boy and take your inhaler, Harry?" Louis coaxed, rubbing his back.
"Don't want to," Harry replied, making sure his face was fully hidden so they couldn't get the mask on.
"Yeah but sometimes you need to do things you don't want to do stay healthy," Louis reasoned, "like warming up your voice before you sing. It's boring but you have to do it right?"
"I s'pose so," Harry admitted, looking up at Sue who was patiently waiting.
"Ready?" Sue checked before she brought the mask to Harry's face, making sure the medication was shaken before she pressed it into the spacer, depressing the canister to administer the aerosol.
Harry behaved himself, holding his head still as he took deep breaths of the medication. "It always tastes funny," Harry said, sticking his tongue out as the mask was removed after the last round.
"Do you want a drink of water to wash it out?" Sue said as she held up the TPWK drink bottle with 'Harry' printed in big letters down the side. Harry nodded, grasping the bottle when he was handed it and drinking over Louis' shoulder, careful not to spill.
Once he was finished Dan was in front of him almost immediately, slipping the oxygen mask over his nose and mouth before Harry had a chance to move away and tightening the elastic around his head so the mask was snug to his face.
Harry spluttered, trying to reach so he could pull it off his face, but Louis had trapped his arms before he could reach it, holding Harry in a tight hug. "Off please, don't want it" Harry tried, giving his best wide eyed expression to Dan as he adjusted the oxygen flow.
"Sorry kiddo, just for 15 minutes while your inhaler starts to work and then we can reassess."
Harry pouted, giving up for now and resting his chin on Louis' shoulder. Louis was grateful for the momentary peace, taking the chance to check in with Harry.
"Where's your headspace at?" Louis said, combing his fingers through Harry's hair, careful not to dislodge the elastic of the face mask.
"I'm still in a weird in-between fuzzy state." Harry tried to verbalise how felt but found it impossible. It was almost like all his senses were heightened but his mind was somewhere else. His body felt hot and tingly, his sense of touch heightened, but he also felt like he didn't know where his limbs started and ended. The world around Harry was so noisy, yet the sounds reaching his ears were distorted and muffled. Everyone was moving so fast around Harry that it looked like a blur but Harry felt like he was swimming through honey, moving through the world at half the speed of everyone else.
"It's ok, you don't have to explain," Louis said softly, "can I help you find your headspace though? Do you want to be big or little?"
Harry thought about it for a moment, "maybe little?" Harry said, muffled through the mask.
"Yeah? That sounds good to me, I get to spend time with my good little boy." Louis said, turning his head slightly so he could press a soft kiss to the edge of Harry's hair, the closest place he could reach in the position that Harry was currently in.
"Sorry to interrupt what looks like a nice cuddle, but we need some updated vitals." Sue approached Harry from behind Louis so he could see her.
"I'm already wearing the mask, can't you just leave me alone?" Harry whined, tired of being monitored.
"Harry don't be rude please," Louis admonished.
"It'll only take two ticks," Sue promised, freeing Harry's arm with the blood pressure cuff attached so it hung loose. She set it to run a cycle, Harry starting to feel it expand around his arm. Next, she took his temperature again, Harry hearing the intense beep in his ear before the thermometer was removed, noting that there was no change.
"Ok, sit up for the peak flow," Sue guided, placing the peak flow meter in Harry's free hand. Harry groaned as he sat up, a chill moving through his body as he moved away from Louis, losing all his body heat. Despite the fact that he was naked apart from his underwear, Harry still felt hot, with waves of chills washing over him periodically.
Harry followed the familiar routine of the peak flow test once he had moved the oxygen mask off his face. Before he had even completed the test Harry could tell his asthma was starting to calm down, lungs expanding fuller and air whooshing down his windpipe more freely than before.
"Back in the orange zone," Sue smiled, taking the peak flow from Harry to be cleaned. "Not as good as you want to be but heading in the right direction."
"No more oxygen?" Harry asked hopefully.
Sue laid out her conditions clearly but firmly, "if you take your inhaler once more I'll let you go without oxygen, but as soon as your O2 saturation dips below 95% again you put the oxygen mask back on without argument."
"Deal," Harry said, ripping the oxygen mask off his head and accepting the inhaler, managing to hold it to his own face this time and dispense the medication. Once he was done he handed the spacer back to Sue, collapsing back into Louis' arms.
"Hey Mike," Louis started, "could you pass the small container that's in the side pocket of the suitcase over there?" Louis said, pointing to the bag that had been tucked in the corner.
"Sure mate," Mike said, fishing through the side pocket until he felt the smooth surface of a container come into contact with his hand. He pulled it out, handing it off to Louis as he said thanks.
"Here," Louis said as he opened the container, pulling out a yellow soother for Harry. He pulled Harry back just enough to reach Harry's mouth, slipping the rubber nipple between Harry's lips.
"Mmmmh, thanks," Harry said, tucking his head into Louis' shoulder as he settled back against Louis' chest.
Louis could feel Harry dozing off, his body becoming heavier against his own, breaths becoming slightly deeper. His rattling wheeze was still present with every inhale and exhale which didn't let Louis worry any less, but he was glad that Harry could finally find some peace. Louis let it wash over him, absorbing the calm peace on their corner of the couch as the medics still moved around them.
Occasionally one would interrupt apologetically, once to place a cool, damp washcloth over the base of Harry's neck which made him sigh and shiver all at once, and later to place a blanket over Harry's back.
Louis was content, almost dozing off himself when their peace was interrupted by an exhaled breath catching in Harry's throat, causing Harry to cough and splutter, waking with a start.
Louis cooed as the coughing died down, replacing the soother in Harry's mouth that had fallen out and bringing the blanket up to cover Harry's shoulders where it had fallen down. The effort was wasted as Sue descended on them with her stethoscope, removing the blanket to listen to Harry's chest.
"It's not too bad," Sue concluded, replacing the blanket and taking a step back. She surveyed the monitors and must have been happy with what she saw as she decided to start disconnecting Harry from all the devices. Sue explained in hushed tones what she was doing as she reached under the blanket and started unwrapping the blood pressure cuff, removing the pulse oximeter clip and finally manoeuvring Harry to reach the heart monitor wires. Harry was half asleep through the whole process, allowing his body to be manipulated as needed before he was finally left alone.
"Ready to go back to your place for the night?" Sue asked Louis as she finished up.
"Yeah, are we good to go?" Louis checked, sitting up a bit straighter to stretch his body out without jostling Harry too much.
"He's not great, but he's been stable for the past 20 minutes. Hopefully the worst of it is over for the night."
Louis nodded in understanding, knowing it went unspoken that there was every chance Harry's condition could deteriorate again sometime in the night.
"Haz, baby, time to get up," Louis coaxed, helping Harry to sit up. Harry groaned, lifting his head and looking around the room, eyes adjusting to the light. He rubbed his eyes as he looked back to Louis for guidance.
Louis shuffled them forwards on the couch so that Harry had one leg dangling to the floor, foot brushing the lino. "Can you stand?" Louis prompted, helping Harry to twist sideways so he was sitting by himself. Louis stood up, holding his hands out for Harry to take, pulling him onto his feet.
Louis guided Harry to the little bathroom, helping him pull down his underpants and sit on the toilet. He waited while Harry took his time to go, helping him stand and pull his undies up once he was done.
When they were back out in the main room Louis got Harry to sit back on the couch while he got him dressed. "I've only got jeans and a t-shirt," Louis explained apologetically as he slipped the t-shirt up Harry's arms and over his head. He followed with the jeans, getting one foot in each pant leg before getting Harry to stand up so he could pull them up and secure the button at Harry's waist.
"Let's go." Louis guided Harry out to the car which had conveniently pulled up right outside Harry's trailer.
The car ride was uneventful, Harry dozing on Louis' shoulder for most of the ride, only two coughing episodes of enough concern that Sue turned around from her place in the passenger seat to watch.
When they arrived at their house Louis ushered Harry straight inside, through to their bedroom. He had already started to undress Harry when Sue lightly knocked on the door, cracking the door so she could just fit her head inside.
"Medications for tonight and tomorrow morning," Sue said, popping the container she was holding on the top of the dresser next to the door. "Shout if you need us, we are just down the hallway." Louis said thanks as she closed the door again, turning his attention back to Harry.
"Let's get you in a nice warm bath to get all this sticky sweat off and then you can go to bed," Louis said as he finished removing Harry's pants so he was naked.
Harry shuffled in the direction of the bathroom, followed closely by Louis. He waited patiently as Louis opened the taps, letting the water fill the tub.
"Bubbles?" Harry looked confused as Louis switched off the taps.
"No bubbles today Haz."
"Bomb?" Harry pouted.
"Sorry, I didn't bring any," Louis said, reaching for Harry's left hand and starting to slide Harry's rings off one by one, placing them on the bathroom counter.
"It's not coming back," Harry said, tearing up as Louis removed the singular ring from Harry's right hand, reminding Harry that the lion ring was gone.
"Hey, none of that now," Louis said, wiping the tears from Harry's cheeks with the pads of his thumbs, "you never know, it might turn up, a fan might return it."
Harry shrugged. He doubted he would ever see it again.
"Come on, you're dead on your feet, in the bath so we can get you to bed," Louis encouraged, placing his hand on Harry's lower back and propelling him towards the edge of the tub. He took Harry's hand as he stepped in, steadying the boy so he wouldn't fall.
"It's cold," Harry whined as he sat down, water creeping up his body.
"No, you're hot," Louis clarified, picking up a washcloth and lathering it with soap so he could start washing Harry down, "the water is normal temperature."
"Do you have my fishy?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer.
"Sorry sweetheart, I didn't bring any of your bath stuff," Louis apologised, gently washing down Harry's shoulders, "we're just having a quick wash down anyway and then you can hop straight out." Louis turned around, reaching for the vanity to grab a second washcloth, "why don't you wash your tummy and privates and I'll finish up on your hair quickly," Louis said as he handed the dry washcloth to Harry. Harry complied, wetting the cloth and dragging it over his skin intermittently as Louis got him to lean his head back so he could get the hair wet, lathering his curls with shampoo and conditioner and rinsing it out.
"Want to peel the stickers off yourself or do you want Daddy to do it?" Louis asked, pointing to one of the sticky heart rate pads that were still attached to Harry's chest.
"You Daddy," Harry said, watching as Louis carefully peeled them off, Harry only wincing a couple of times.
Louis helped Harry out of the bath when he was all done, wrapping Harry in the big fluffy towel. He used a spare towel to dry Harry's hair, making an absolute mess of his curls. Harry could hate him for that tomorrow.
He got Harry to brush his teeth while he spread a towel on the floor, getting Harry to lie down once he was finished. He got Harry to lift his hips, sliding the diaper under his bottom. Harry watched Louis intently as he was diapered. Louis finished taping the diaper closed, looking up to meet Harry's eyes, giving him a small smile.
"Come on, let's get you to bed," Louis said, helping Harry off the floor. Harry walked slowly into the bedroom, flopping his body face down on the bed as he reached the edge. Harry reluctantly rolled as Louis guided his hips, sitting up to put the t-shirt on.
"Sorry," Louis apologised for the umpteenth time that night, "I didn't bring any of your little clothes." Harry didn't react, a mixture of exhaustion and the effect of being sick overcoming him. He shuffled under the covers, Louis making sure he was adequately propped up with a few pillows.
"I'll be right back," Louis murmured, placing a quick kiss on Harry's nose before he left the room.
He returned only a few minutes later holding a bottle in one hand, picking up the container of medication with the other hand.
"Sue, you are a lifesaver," Louis murmured as he scanned the medication timetable taped to the lid of the container, detailing the exact time and dosage for each medication. Louis set the container on the bed as he sat down on the edge of the bed facing Harry, unclipping the lid to find each of the medications on the list.
"One cold and flu tablet," Louis said, picking up the box of tablets and popping one out into Harry's hand. Once Harry had washed it down with the cup of water from the bedside table Louis set up the first inhaler, the pink preventer marked with '2 PUFFS, MORNING & NIGHT' inserted into the spacer once it was shaken.
Harry watched lazily as the spacer mask was pressed to his face, too tired to protest as Louis dispensed the medication for Harry to inhale. Louis swapped the inhaler out quickly for the blue reliever marked '4 PUFFS AS NEEDED', allowing Harry to inhale the recommended dose before pulling it away and packing everything back in the box, placing it aside on the bedside table.
Louis picked up the bottle again, rounding the bed so he could get in on the other side. Once he was comfortable he pulled Harry into his side so he rested in the crook of his elbow, Harry's head resting on Louis' shoulder. Louis brought the bottle to Harry's lips, letting the teat slip into Harry's mouth and tipping the bottle up to let the liquid run down.
Harry spluttered at the first mouthful, pushing the teat out of his mouth with his tongue, some liquid dripping off his chin. Louis righted the bottle so it wouldn't drip, pulling it away.
"'s not my normal milk," Harry whined, still shocked at the unexpected flavour that had hit his tongue.
"Sorry, should have mentioned it's a meal replacement shake. You didn't eat enough at dinner."
"What flavour is it?" Harry checked, eyeing the bottle now, trying to check it out.
"You just tasted it! Couldn't you tell?" Louis said, bringing the bottle closer to Harry to see if he would latch.
"I was too shocked," Harry complained, looking up to Louis.
Louis laughed quietly, the sound never really leaving his throat, "it's strawberry, your favourite."
"That's a good flavour," Harry agreed, latching onto the bottle as it was offered again, relaxing back as he swallowed the liquid.
Harry was almost to the end of the bottle when Louis realised he was asleep. He withdrew the teat from Harry's mouth, extracting his arm from underneath Harry, making sure he was settled against his pillows.
"Sweet dreams baby," Louis said as he made sure Harry was tucked in.