Zayn and Niall: Everybody Needs Somebody Sometimes

Engaged

Niall winced as the doctor cut the cast open. He'd been wearing the wretched thing for three weeks, and his skin hadn't gotten a chance to breathe ever since. Now that it was taken off, his foot felt blissfully liberated.

"We're gonna send you for an X-Ray, just to make sure your broken bones have healed," the doctor said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Avery! Bring the patient to the X-Ray lab!"

The nurse appeared from behind a huge computer. Niall had been seeing her quite often, and it wasn't like she was ugly or anything. Quite the opposite, actually. She was tall and slim, with butterscotch skin and messy hair.

Avery helped Niall into a wheelchair, pushed him all the way to the X-Ray lab. There was already a queue of people, so they had to wait their turn. She sat down in a chair. "How does your foot feel?"

"Numb," Niall shrugged.

"That's good," she nodded, then offered him a kind smile. "Must've been traumatizing. The whole experience of the crash and everything."

"You don't know the half of it," Niall shook his head, smiling resignedly. 

"I can imagine," she said sympathetically. "If its any consolation, I think you're really brave."

Warmth spread up from Niall's collar against his consent. "You do?"

"Of course! I've dealt with a lot of patients, you're always the quietest, and you don't complain, even though it probably hurts like hell."

Niall grinned. "I do have a high threshold for pain."

Avery laughed. "And you're the cutest too. No other patient ever tries to make me smile."

"See, I don't even try," Niall said, truthfully.

"Silly boy," she giggled, pushing him away. "Tell me about your friend."

"Which one?"

"That one with the black hair, always trying to get to you," Avery said. "You two must be close."

"Who, Zayn?" Niall murmured. "Yeah, we're alright, I think. Why?"

"No reason," Avery shook her head. "He's just really attractive."

"What?"

"Come on, don't tell me you don't know how fit he is," Avery said. "He's like - exotic, sexy. I like it."

Niall felt a sense of jealousy seize him, except this time he wasn't really sure if it was because Avery liked the boy he loved, or because Zayn had gotten more of her attention that Niall did himself. "Well, you don't want to get with Zayn," he said protectively. "He's a flirt."

"Yeah, he does look the type," Avery sighed with longing. "I've had my eye on him since the first day he came here, asking for you. I don't think he even knows."

"Don't waste your time, he's not available," Niall said, defensive. "He's dating someone already."

Avery's face fell. "Oh. Must be a lucky girl."

Niall didn't bother correcting her as it reached their turn. She pushed his wheelchair into the lab, helped him lie on the hard table as the X-Ray camera scanned his foot. It was over quickly, and they didn't speak as she dropped him off at his ward again, saying that the doctor would take a look at the X-Ray and get back to him in an hour.

Harry was inside, intently scrolling through his phone. He glanced up as Niall climbed back onto his bed, then gave him a faint smile. "Hi. How'd it go?"

"Alright," Niall said, pulling the blanket to his neck. "How are you?"

Harry shrugged. "Better, I think. I don't know."