Niall, answer the door please

Nobody can Drag Me Down

Niall's POV:

I feel like I am under water. I keep trying to swim to the surface but there's a sense of something that is dragging me down. I fight against being sucked down into the depths again. I can see light shimmering on the water's surface so I struggle to break free. I push myself upwards towards the light. I'm nearly there. It seems like it's so close I can almost touch it. One final push................

"Niall, you're awake. Oh my precious boy". The voice is vaguely familiar and I turn my head towards the sound of the voice. My precious boy? Who is that person talking about? Me? It doesn't make sense. I'm floating on the top of the water and why would someone be floating with me? I frown in concentration and try to focus on the voice and what they are saying to me.

"Niall, sweetheart? Can you hear me?" . I blink to clear my vision but it doesn't really help. Everything is too bright and I shut my eyes in protest. I frown harder , screwing up my face .

"I'll dim the lights, Mrs Gallagher. The light is obviously bothering him and making everything less bright should help. Now please remember what Dr Collins has told you and please stay calm even if Niall reacts in an unexpected way. It will be far better for him if we let him do this at his own pace and don't try and force it."

That voice, that accent. It's been with me in the dark pool. I don't know who it belongs to but it is comforting to me. It told me things, things I can't now remember. The words escaped my mind but the familiar voice anchors me somehow. I try to open my eyes again . This time the lights don't blind me and I feel safer. I again turn my head towards to voices.

"Niall, hello. It's nice to see you awake." The words make sense this time. I think they are talking to me. I'm not sure why. I look at them. One reaches out to me and touches me gently on hand. I scream and pull away. She jumps back, shocked and starts to cry. Why is she crying? It doesn't make sense. I close my eyes to think about this and sink back down under the water again, watching the light above me get dimmer and dimmer until it finally has faded away.

I'm not sure how long I've been down in the dark water but I am gradually aware again of the shimmering light above me and I push towards it once more. It's darker now, and quieter. No voices, just beeps and clicks. Another sound I can't quite identify, someone moving? My eyes adjust to the gloomy room and I look around me. My head feels foggy and I can't work out where I am. Am I meant to be here? I really try to concentrate, to make sense of my surroundings. A bed. I'm in a bed with machines around me. Everything looks white . Clean and white. Hospital. I'm in hospital? Why? How did I get here? I don't remember. I just don't remember. My panic rises and I scream.............

"Hey, bro. It's alright. You're alright. You're safe. Shhhhhssh." Gentle arms wrap around me and sooth me and I smell a familiar cologne. I am suddenly safe. My breathing slows down. The arms slowly release me to lay me back down on the bed and I look at him. I try to say his name

'L...."

"I'll call your nurse" He leans over me and presses something and moments later a middle aged lady in the uniform of a nurse comes into the room.

"Hello Niall. I'm Claire". She gets some water and moistens my lips then holds a sippy type cup to my lips. "Just a sip" she cautions. Too soon she takes it away. "You may have more soon". I nod to show I heard her and then look back at the man looking at me. He's crying. Why does everyone cry? It makes no sense to me.

"Lou" I manage to say and he smiles. Not just smiles. It's a big grin. His face looks like it is shining. "Lou" I say again. I want to stay awake but tiredness is pulling at me. My eyes are so heavy. I don't want them to close but they seem to have lead weights on them. I blink, I blink again but then the lids fall down and I drift away. It's weird. I'm not floating any more. It's quiet and calm and I feel safe but somehow it's no longer the dark pool of water. there's a subtle change but I don't know why that is so. .I sleep.

Louis reached up and wiped his eyes, smiling in embarrassment for getting caught crying."He's back with us, he's really back with us". He felt like the weight of the world had suddenly rolled off his shoulders.

"I believe he is" Claire confirmed. "I'll contact Dr Collins. There will need to be various tests done to see what treatment Niall will need but that's a concern for tomorrow. You go and share the news with everyone and also get some rest yourself. I think Niall will probably stay asleep until the morning now.