Breaking Away

Eight

"And if he gets huffy or snappy with you, don't take it to heart, he's just —"

"Z, man, you've told me a thousand times," Cal interrupts, shaking his head and flashing him a small smile as he claps him on the back. "If he's not feeling up to it, we'll stay five minutes and then come back when he's ready. Whatever's best for Ni, right Mills?"

His five year old niece grins up at him, nodding dramatically, her fairy-themed pencil case and superhero colouring book held to her chest. "Uh-huh! Whatever's best for Ni!" She repeats, looking proud of herself.

Zayn lets out a small laugh at that, trying to calm his nerves. They're in the hallway of the paediatric ward, headed towards Niall and Jason's room; he's only been on this end of the ward for five days but Millie's apparently been hounding on at Cal about seeing her cousin and when Zayn had mentioned it to Niall the night before, he'd been up for it. It's just nerve-wracking because Zayn knows how much Niall's mood can vary from day to day, the last thing he wants to do is overwhelm him.

He smiles weakly at his brother. "Sorry, Cal, I know you get it...it's just a lot, and I keep thinking, if it's a lot for me then its gonna be huge for Ni. You know, he's not seen anyone outside of us and his care team, and now Jay and his Mum too, of course. He won't even let his friends come see him. Won't even call them," he says with a sigh.

Cal squeezes his arm. "I can't imagine how tough all this is on all of you. If ever you need a break from it all, I can always step in as long as Ni'll have me," he offers, and Zayn smiles but shakes his head, grateful to have the other man.

"I know. I know you would, Cal, but you've already done so much. I can't expect you to do anything more," he says, placing a hand on the door to Niall and Jason's room and preparing to open it as Calum smiles.

"I'll do it anyway. Whatever you need, you know where I am," he murmurs, just as Millie lets go of his hand and all but sprints into the hospital room, shoving Louis out of the way and diving on top of Niall on the bed.

Immediately, of course, Liam jumps to his feet from the armchair next to the bed and both Cal and Zayn rush into the room, even Harry jumps up from the bed with a look of panic on his face. There's a collective exhale of relief when Niall lets out a laugh, hugging his five year old cousin close.

"I haven't see'd you in forever and ever, Ni-Ni! Daddy says you're poorly, so I bringed my colourin' stuff 'cause that's what I always do when I'm sick, and I watch cartoons," she rambles, letting go of the boy and sitting back in her haunches on the mattress beside Niall's legs.

Zayn smiles a little at the scene in front of him. It's a change from even just this morning; Niall's been quiet and down still no matter how much they try to get through to him. Both Zayn and Liam has been worried that the kid would be overwhelmed with both his parents, brothers, uncle and niece being over at once, but watching him laugh as Millie chatters away in her usual carefree tone to him eases that worry by a fraction to say the least.

His gaze wanders over to the other bed then, where Jason is sitting up, tapping away at his phone and periodically glancing across to the gathering across from him a little longingly. The poor kid has been alone all day, his mother having been called into work last minute.

He smiles when he catches the other kids eye. "Wanna join us?" He calls out, and Jason looks surprised, then grins.

"Sure. I mean, as long as nobody minds," he tacks on, to which Niall cranes his head forward to peer past the group to his newfound friend, smiling.

"Yeah, Jay, come join us," he calls out, and Jason barely hesitates before leaning down to drag his chair closer to his bed, transferring himself from one to the other with ease and then wheeling himself across the room.