His Secret (l.h)

Chapter Five

"You see this here. It's worsened over time, we need you to take it easy. Have you been doing what we told you to do? The breathing exercises?" Maeve stared at the screen and her leg bounced rapidly before looking to her Doctor and nodded with a smile.

"Of course, Doctor Matthews." Maeve fiddled with her fingers and held her knee to keep it still.

"Okay then. Breathe in for me." Maeve nodded and inhaled and felt the tickle in the back of her throat but ignored it. Her Doctor watched and listened carefully, and as she exhaled she coughs slightly. "That doesn't sound like you've been practicing. Your condition has got worse too, you will need to take it easy but still work and, Maeve, practise your breathing. You are very close to the server stage of this disease. You do know it can be hard to come back from." Dr.Matthews stood and removed his gloves as he spoke.

Maeve nodded and bowed her head and she heard her Doctor sigh and walk towards her. "I'm just trying to help you, Maeve. I hope you see that soon." Maeve looked up and gave him a small smile.

"I know. Thank you." Maeve stood up and shook Dr.Matthews hand before exiting the room and the hospital itself.

"I know it well, Caramel, I feel the comedown
We've been to hell, I can tell,
We're slowing down now
Oh, you bring up the past,
didn't ask
Give me the know how
So we make it last 'nother glass
Until we come 'round"

Luke sang and Maeve watched with her chin in her hand. Her foot moving to the beat and Luke looked back at the glass and gave a thumbs up to his bandmates. As the room went quiet, they waited for Luke to come back so they could listen back.

"I think it sounds fantastic." Ashton told them and Calum nodded with agreement as he spun around in the chair.

"I feel it's missing something." Luke announced and Michael looked up with a raised brow. "I don't know what yet, but I know there needs to be something there." Luke leaned forward and resting his hands against the table.

"I have something in mind." Maeve spoke up quietly, clearing her throat when four heads turned her way. "During the give me the know how, how about having faint vocals in the background saying I'm sorry. Maybe four of them?" Maeve asked and Michael nodded with a small smile.

"Let's try it." Michael turned back to Luke and Maeve smiled as she watched Luke walk back inside the booth. The song replayed and Luke sang softly over his own voice, and the three smiled and Michael stopped recording once Luke finished.

When Luke came back and they listened, Michael turned his head to Maeve and gave her a raised brow. Maeve smiled and her cheeks burned red slightly, and Michael raised his hands in the air and leaned back in his chair.

"Maeve. You've done it. You've made this fantastic piece into a masterpiece." Michael told her and Maeve giggled and shook her head.

"It was only a few words." Maeve told him and stood to her feet and grabbed her empty cup and grabbed the others and walked towards the door.

"Maybe a few words, but I think they told a lot about what was just said." Luke pointed out and she froze and the corner of her lip turned upwards.

"I suppose they do." Maeve nodded and left the room, once the door closed behind her she released a sigh of relief. Walking over to the sink, she placed the cups and ran warm water into the cups.

Maeve looked around the kitchen as the stained cups soaked in the warm soapy water, Michael had invited Maeve over to watch them and hang around for a bit. She was grateful, she has to admit. Eliza was back at work, and that would have left Maeve alone in the apartment with her miserable thoughts from this mornings news. Of course she had noticed her chest had worsened, it felt like she was constantly reminding her own lungs to open their airways. And how the normality was to ignore the burning ache in her chest that grew each passing day.