fix you // liam payne

chapter eighteen // hidden.

ellie's pov

I struggle to listen attentively as Dr. Gerard speaks in a monotonous tone in front of Liam's doctors and I. Dr. Frenette even looks asleep on the inside as he sits there with his head propped up on my hand, staring off into space. At the beginning of each week, we all get together to discuss his progress and any other matters that need to be addressed.

Dr. Gerard is the one that's been stuck dealing with Liam's management and publicist, and I can tell the stress is getting to him. I swear, his grey hair has multiplied in these past three weeks. He tells us all about how the media has been desperately searching for Liam, and there has been some suspicious activity in the hospital lately, so we have to be more careful than usual.

I can't even imagine the frenzy that would occur if people found out where he was. I could see some dedicated fangirl - like myself - breaking an arm just to get inside the hospital to find him. Liam's already told me some wild stories about their fans, I honestly wouldn't be surprised. 

"So, just be extra careful, everyone. I know you don't think your mom's god-daughter would tell anyone, but she will," He sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose with exhaustion, dismissing us all. 

Looking relieved, the doctors all get up and quickly disperse throughout the hospital, all too busy for their own good. Dr. Frenette keeps me behind to go over Liam's test results, showing me that there's nothing out of the ordinary, and to keep doing what I'm doing. I take his obscure words of encouragement - if you can even call them that - and head out myself. 

Grabbing my clipboard from the nurses station - not before of course, adding my opinion of Taylor Swift's new album, which is glorious, as always - I head to Liam's room for his nightly checkup, before I head home for the evening. 

As I pad down the hallway, I can't help but to allow my brain to wander back to where it's been stuck all day: on my conversation with Mia earlier. She had asked me about my dream man, and I haven't been able to get myself out of that daydream all afternoon. I used to spend so much time fantasizing about my Prince Charming, thinking about how I'd meet him at a coffee shop, or perhaps a book store and it would be love at first sight. 

I used to be so ridiculous.

With a light knock, I enter Liam's room, peeking my head in to make sure he hadn't gone to bed for the evening. I'm met with a bright smile as he still sits up in his wheelchair, which he hasn't left since he was able to get in it earlier. 

"I was worried you weren't going to stop by tonight," He smiles as he turns off the tv, where he had been watching some over-the-top dramatic action movie.

"Ah, sorry to disappoint, but here I am," I joke, unable to keep myself from grinning. 

Liam's warm brown eyes twinkle as he smiles and shakes his head, his grin reaching all the way across his face. My thoughts go back to that dream man I had spent all these years fantasizing about, and how his smile used to stretch all the way up to his brown eyes too, and - 

My stomach does little flips within my gut as I stare at Liam with wide eyes as he turns in his wheelchair so he's facing the chair he knows I'm about to seat myself into. The neat brown hair that perfectly frames his charming brown eyes and his exuberant grin.

It's him; my dream man.

It had been so long since I've thought about him that I hadn't even put two and two together. Liam is him. 

"I know it's been awhile since I've been able to shave my face, but you don't have to stare," Liam jokes, pulling my from my trance, where I hadn't even noticed I had been staring at him all oddly.