Take These Broken Wings [And Learn to Fly]

10. A Midnight Scare

Niall wakes up on the kitchen floor, a soft ache in his tail bone where he's landed after bumping into something.

It takes a few seconds for his surroundings to make sense to him, leaning up on his elbows and blinking blearily around the dark room. It must still be night time, and for a moment, he's confused as to why he's in the kitchen before he realises he must have been sleepwalking again.

Once his eyes adjust, he finds himself looking up at Liam. The seventeen year old looks unusually disheveled, and he's leaning heavily against the kitchen counter, hands shaking as they fumble with the Dexcom machine that is usually hidden beneath the waistband on his trousers.

Niall stares up at the older boy for a moment before he slowly begins to climb to his feet, rubbing a fist against his eyes tiredly. "Liam?" He asks softly, because the teen hasn't said anything, just stared at him blankly.

He steps closer and rests a hand on Liam's arm, heart beginning to thud.

"Are you okay?" He whispers. "Do you want me to get Da - Harry and Louis?"

Liam begins to shake his head, but then his knees buckle and he collapses against the cupboards. Niall stares in shock for a moment before he quickly kneels down next to Liam, putting his small hands on both of the boys shoulders.

Liam's eyes are still open and he's conscious, but he's blinking sluggishly and weakly, head lolling back against the doors behind them.

Despite his fear, Niall looks down at the Dexcom still loosely held in Liam's hand and reads the numbers there. He remembers Liam explaining his highs and lows to him, and what the numbers mean. He knows that the numbers on the display are too low.

He pats Liam's cheek. "It's gonna be okay, Liam. I'll get you a juice box," he says quickly, climbing back to his feet and running across to the fridge.

He grabs an orange juice carton and rushes back to his brother, somehow managing to poke the straw into the hole on the first attempt even though his own hands are a little shaky out of fear.

He holds the straw up to Liam's lips and stares at him with wide eyes. "You gotta drink, Liam. It'll make you feel better," he urges softly, sucking in his bottom lip and letting out a sigh of relief when Liam wraps his lip around the straw and begins to drink.

After a few mouthfuls, Liam manages to lift a hand to hold the carton for himself. He stays pale and lethargic though, so Niall climbs back to his feet.

"I'm gonna go wake Harry and Louis up," he whispers, not waiting for a response before he hurries out of the room.

He runs up the stairs and bursts into the adults rooms without knocking, waking both of them up immediately.

Both men sit upright, Harry being closer and quickly scrambling out of the bed and over to Niall.

"What's the matter? What's wrong?" He asks quickly, beginning to pat Niall all over as if checking him for injuries.

Niall shakes his head quickly, pulling back and pointing downstairs. "Li - Liam's sick! He's on the floor, and - and his levels are low. I gave 'im a juice but he's still poorly," he says quickly, taking Harry by the hand and urgently tugging him towards the door.

Louis overtakes them, running down the stairs ahead as Harry keeps ahold of Niall's hand and follows along behind his husband.

Niall stays in the hallway, peering into the kitchen as Louis flicks on the lights and then the two men kneel down next to their son, checking his levels again a couple of times, speaking softly but worriedly to him.