So maybe today wasn't the best day of my life.
But for now I was coping. Or at least, trying to.
I owed everyone that much.
I was sick and done with trying to tell myself I wasn't, but I definitely wasn't planning on telling the others. We had an award show in front of more people than I can count on the fingers of a small country tonight and I wasn't stupid enough to think that I could get out of it over a head ache and a snotty nose. I also knew that postponement was out of the question, nobody was going to stop an annual award show simply because I was feeling under the weather.
And that's not really what I wanted either.
What I did want however was to get it over and done with so I could pass out in bed for 24 hours.
We had to be at the venue in just over three hours so we had a bit of time up our sleeves to grab some late lunch and relax for a little before getting ready.
We were presently locked in a hotel room, because management thought we might try go explore the city or something and get lost. In the beginning Louis had been absolutely steaming about it, we were all far too old to get lost, but peering down at the city from my window I could kind of see management's point.
It was like a maze of busy streets, buildings, traffic. Everything looked the same. I would definitely get lost.
Knowing us lot of six year old's we'd probably jump on a bus and find ourselves on the other side of the city and no idea on how to get back. I wasn't even sure what this hotel was called.
I paused just beside the door and leaned my heavy head against the wall.
I'd only gotten up half an hour ago because we'd had nothing to do this morning. The hope was that the extra sleep would help me feel better but it hadn't done all that much.
My head had just gotten heavier and heavier over the last couple of days as I grew more blocked up, and I got more and more tired.
Medication was out of the question. I had none on me, and I couldn't ask any of the boys for obvious reasons. I was locked in a hotel room so I couldn't go out and buy any, and if I called someone to bring some up the lads would ask questions that I wouldn't be able to truthfully answer without letting them in on my little issue.
So I figured I'd just deal until after the award show. I could do it, easy.
I wearily wiped my left hand across my upper lip, careful not to rub too hard and make it all inflamed. I sniffed, but no air made it to my lungs.
My legs hurt just holding me upright.
With an irritated scowl I took a deep breath through my mouth and headed out to the main room where the boys were all stretched across the couches staring at their phones.
At least it was quiet.
Louis raised a brow as he caught a glimpse of me over the top of his screen, "are you sure you don't wanna head back to bed H, I'm sure you didn't get enough sleep."
I simply smiled in response, a little scared my voice would give me away. My throat was hurting a decent amount and I hadn't even spoken for almost fifteen hours so I wasn't too keen on finding out what kind of sounds would come out of my mouth if I tried to talk.
"Do you want anything to eat now, or do you just want to wait til we have lunch? I can ring if you like?" Liam asked, looking up at me expectantly.
I shook my head once and plopped down on the couch next to Niall. He immediately leaned over and dropped onto my lap, his shoulders resting on my thighs. He stared up at me with a grin, "excited for tonight?"
I nodded, wincing as it throbbed in protest. I wanted to warn him that getting so close to me right now probably wasn't the best idea but he didn't know, and I sure as hell wasn't going to tell him.
All I could do was hope that I made it through the night.
***
"Alright, I'm starved. Can we call for some food now?"
Louis rolled off the couch and spread-eagled on the carpet, as if that's just what people did when they were hungry.
"Yeah, I'm getting to that point too," Niall agreed, although he didn't go as far as to physically throw himself of the couch to express his hunger as Louis had. He peeked over at Liam who rolled his eyes.
"And you want me to do it? You two are big enough and ugly enough to do it yourselves you know." He chuckled, "you want anything Harry?"
I honestly had zero appetite at all. The thought of food seemed foreign.
But if I didn't have something it would rise suspicion, especially since I hadn't eaten any breakfast.
I was going to have to trust my voice for one sentence.
"Some fruit would be nice."
I grinned, pretending as if I hadn't cracked like a pubescent teen smack-bang in the middle and finished one tone lower than the beginning.
Niall smiled hopefully at Liam, "you'll call it?"
Liam sighed and got up for the phone on the table, "only because you'll screw it up."
"Thanks Li!" Louis called after him.
Ten minutes later there was a click and the door swung open. A woman wheeled a trolley in and quickly scampered away, locking the door behind her as if she'd been told we would try to escape.
"She seemed nice," Liam said as we all watched the closed door, a little surprised by what had just happened.
Niall shrugged as he pushed himself up off of me and quickly ran over to the food cart, "she brought food, she could've slapped me on the back of the head and shot me in the kneecap but she still would've seemed like an angel."
I muffled a couple of sneezes into my sleeves while they were all distracted. I'd been holding them in for the past couple of minutes.
Liam held it out a fruit salad in a tall plastic cup in one hand as he dug through the cart with the other, "here's yours Haz."
I stood up and instantly stumbled as all the blood rushed to my head. I managed to catch myself on the couch before I could hit the ground, and nobody else saw, but I couldn't help but feel a little worried as I blinked the remains of the light-headed feeling away.
I took the cup from Liam as if nothing had happened but I could feel my hands trembling and I was quick to sit back down as my vision continued to swim in front of me.
I shivered despite being clothed in a long sleeve and jumper, with a pair of jeans. A fluffy pair of grey bed socks were on my feet and I even had a beanie on. It wasn't too warm so I didn't look to strange, even Niall was wearing a jersey today and he usually didn't feel the cold too much.
I shifted slightly as I sucked a grape into my mouth. I was sweating, that I knew, and I also knew that sweat paired with shivering usually meant one thing.
I added a fever to my mental list of things wrong with me and hoped it wasn't too high.
***
Louis' POV:
I heard the lock click from my room and hurriedly ran my fingers through my hair one last time before making my way out to the front. The others were already out there, cleanly shaven, dressed and with their hair all sorted out.
"You guys look ready to go?" A man with a greying beard asked.
Niall smiled, "yeah, we're all set."
"Let's move then, follow me."
As we were told, we all followed him out into the corridor. He lead us down to the lobby and then out into the car park where a sleek black van was waiting for us.
"Alright, this is you, in you hop."
He slid the door open and we all herded inside on after the other.
And then we were on the road, heading towards the venue. Music was blasting from the speakers and the driver chatted away merrily to us all from the front seat. He was easily excitable by the looks of it and his eyes lit up with every sentence he spoke.
Everything was going as it usually did and it took me a while to notice the one thing that didn't seem quite right. At first it was just a feeling and then I realised that the boy with the curly hair sitting next to me, who was normally so talkative and hyper, hadn't said a single word for the whole ride.
I glanced over to see him slightly slouched over in his seat, eyes glazed over as he stared at the head rest in front of his as if it was the most exciting thing in the world.
"H, what's so interesting about the head-rest?" I questioned with a chuckle. His gaze didn't waver.
I nudged his shoulder, "oi, Harry."
He jumped with a croaky squeak and I laughed, "sorry, didn't mean to startle ya, you looked like you were in your own world."
"It's okay." He smiled, his cheeks and nose a little red from embarrassment, "day-dreaming."
He didn't sound quite the same as he usually did, there was more of a rasp to his voice but I didn't say anything. It was barely noticeable anyways.
Fifteen minutes later we pulled up and were quickly moved through the massive crowds of people to get inside. No matter how many of these shows we went to, I couldn't help but find them daunting. Everyone and everything just looked impressive, much more than I did.
Things got started pretty quickly. Some time into it, maybe forty minutes or so, there was a light tap on my side. I turned to see a red-faced Harry.
It was quite warm in here, but he looked to be sweating too.
"Do you know where the closest bathroom is?" He whispered thickly.
I shrugged, feeling useless, "sorry mate, no clue. I can come with you to find one if you want?"
"It's okay, I'll be back soon."
he got up and gently pushed past me into the isle. Soon he disappeared from my sight.
***
Harry's POV:
I staggered and almost fell over the second I got out of the room, away from all the noise. People were still everywhere but no one said anything as I clung onto the wall, breathing as if I'd just run a marathon.
I really didn't feel well at all.
Something was going on with my temperature, it was all over the place and one minute I wanted to strip and run into the sea naked and the next all I wanted was a fireplace and a hot chocolate. I was dizzy even sitting down and my head was completely stuffed up. My face actually felt swollen thanks to the congestion in my nose, though my sinuses and down my throat.
I just needed a break, just a few minutes in complete silence and I'd be fine.
I stumbled along the wall until I came across a bathroom and then slipped through the doorway and into a cubicle. I closed the lid with shaking hands and sat down. The cheap plastic creaked underneath me but I barely noticed.
I dropped my head into my hands and inhaled a shuddery breath through my mouth.
Three more minutes and then I had to get back in there, and act like I was completely okay.
I blew nose into the surprisingly soft tissue paper and dropped the scrunched up ball onto the ground, not bothering to stand up and put it in the toilet I was sitting on.
My ears popped and my head thumped. My muscles were all aching and I shivered as a flood of heat closed in on me. It felt like each part of my body was continuously playing a single different sound at rapid speed. Every part of me was screaming.
Two minutes.
A bead of sweat dropped down my cheek and I hurriedly wiped it away with a wet sniffle. I couldn't go in there sweating like a pig. Not in a million years. There'd be videos and photos of me looking like I was on drugs all over the internet, and that was not okay.
My eyes watered as I held back a cough. There was absolutely no need to add that to the list. I felt shit enough already.
One minute.
Maybe I should start moving now. It might take me a while to get back considering how I was feeling. I really didn't want to move.
My thoughts were a jumbled mess and I hurriedly wiped a tear from my face as I tried to think straight.
It really isn't that hard to get up, and walk out. Right? So why did it feel impossible?
I gathered any energy I had left and shakily rose to my feet, squeezing my eyes shut as the walls spun sickeningly around me.
I sneezed pathetically but it was enough to force me back down onto the toilet and even though I was sitting down I found that I was fighting unconsciousness.
And by the feel of it I was losing.
***
Louis' POV:
"One direction everybody, get up here boys!"
I stood up, peering around at the doors expecting Harry to burst through with an apologetic cry.
He didn't though and Liam and Niall both shot me looks as we awkwardly strode up to the stage. I lead going up the stairs and approached the microphone.
"Hey everyone, it's so nice to see you all!"
Behind my wide smile, I was worrying. Harry had left almost quarter of an hour ago and he knew we were due up on stage, he wouldn't purposefully skip out on us.
"Unfortunately we've lost our curly-haired friend at the moment, but I'm sure he's very thankful for receiving this award. . ."
I looked up at the audience awkwardly, shuffling my feet.
"He definitely is, and so are the rest of us. We just want to thank you all so much for. . ."
And then Liam did his thing and droned on for ten minutes, using big words that I barely understood. It made people smile and laugh though, so he must've done an alright job.
Harry still didn't appear and I was beginning to get even more worried. It wasn't like him to just disappear like this.
Once off the stage I marched right towards the exit where Harry had left through.
Liam grabbed my arm. "Where are you going?" He muttered.
"To find Harry, something doesn't feel right. He's been gone for ages.".
"I'm coming," Niall volunteered and Liam looked around to see how many people were watching.
"Fine, I'll come too in case something really is wrong, lead the way Lou."
I copied his firm nod before walking briskly through the doors with the both of them barely a step behind.
I gently caught someone's arm as they walked past, "can you tell me where the nearest bathroom is please?"
"Just down the hall, on the right," the woman replied quickly and then rushed away. I mustn't have done enough on my hair.
I barged into the bathroom and quickly scanned over the stalls. Two were locked but one had a sign on it saying that it was broken so I figured Harry must be in the other.
"Harry, are you in there mate?"
I rapped on the door with my knuckles. No response.
Niall got closer to the door, "he's in there?"
"He's gotta be," I replied, "are you ignoring us, H? Did we do something?"
Still nothing.
"Shit, we're gonna have to break the door open," Liam said and I whirled around. His voice sounded weirdly close to the ground and I was confused before seeing him laying flat on his stomach on the tiles.
"What?" Niall asked.
"I think he's fainted in there or something."
Liam got back up onto his feet and then in one swift movement kicked the door as hard as he could with his right foot. And then again.
"Hit the lock,," I directed loudly, my heart racing.
Fainted? Why? I couldn't figure it out. Maybe he got nervous?
All I knew was that the door had to come down.
Now.
Liam delivered a swift kick the the lock and the door cracked and swung open, revealing a sight I did not want to see.
Harry was slumped on the toilet seat, leaning against the back wall with his head lolling and his mouth hanging open. His face was disastrously pale after sweating all the colour out and I could hear him wheezing from where I stood. He was sick.
"Jesus Christ," Niall uttered.
Liam rushed forward and softly tugged a limp Harry upright, "I think we should call an ambulance."
Niall yanked his phone out of his pocket hurriedly and began pacing across the bathroom, "I got it."
I moved forward next to Liam and brushed Harry's sweaty hair off of his forehead.
"He must've been feeling ill before this happened, I don't think a fever could develop and climb this high within forty minutes," Liam said.
"Explains why he was so quiet."
Harry's eyelids twitched.
"Harry? You hear me? It's Liam, Lou and Ni are with me too. Are you okay?" Liam asked as Harry stirred with a croaky groan.
"Where?" Harry stuttered the single word out as he opened a pair of extremely glossy eyes.
"We're in the bathroom, at the awards. You fainted," I answered.
"Ambulance is on its way- oh Harry you look bloody awful," Niall said, his own face paling.
Harry didn't look like he even realised he was being spoken to and then he doubled over and coughed forcefully towards the ground. I thought he might be sick to be honest. He kept coughing and then suddenly an arm flew out and he grabbed my jacket as tightly as he could and tried to pull himself closer to me.
"Dizzy Lou, help-" he gasped between coughs.
I pulled him into me and we fell onto our butts on the ground, "come here, it's alright."
I let him tuck his head down into my chest and we sat there for a few moments before he made a quiet sound and then went completely limp again.
"Did he go again?" Liam asked worriedly.
I kept holding Harry close to me anyway, "looks like it."
Five minutes later, paramedics flooded the room and crowded around the unconscious body on the floor of the bathroom.
A middle-aged lady with a blonde bun sat down next to me, seeing as I was the one holding Harry, "I've gotta say, I've never been to one of these things before."
I grinned at her, "they're not that great."
"Not for your friend here," she said as she softly pulled Harry away from me.
"Alright, he's way too hot guys, we're gonna have to take him in," she called out and almost instantly a stretch was brought over.
"Is he okay, are you going to fix him?" Niall questioned anxiously, his words fast.
She touched his arm as she walked past holding on corner of the stretcher, "I think he'll be just fine after we cool him down and get him some medication.
"Usually we only allow one person to ride, but just this once you can all load into the back, if you move fast"
We all hurriedly darted into the back of the ambulance before we missed our chance.
The woman stayed in the back with us to watch over Harry.
"What do you think is wrong with him?" Liam asked as we rolled out onto the road.
"Well, he's dehydrated so that's a start."
"He was coughing and wheezing, before he passed out again," I said, hoping to give her more information.
"Possibly just a rough flu then, or bronchitis, pneumonia, a cough could mean many things," she said, humming thoughtfully.
"Just a flu," Harry croaked, startling us all. I hadn't even known he was awake.
"Been sick for days."
I rubbed his shoulder, "well next time, how about telling the rest of us so that you don't end up in the back of an ambulance."
"Trust me, I will. I'm not doing this shit ever again."
I could've gone further, but it's getting late and I'm tired so this is where it ends, and it's almost three thousand five hundred words long anyway so that should be plenty for now. Vote and comment if you liked it, I absolutely love hearing from you!