Niall winced as the doctor cut the cast open. He'd been wearing the wretched thing for three weeks, and his skin hadn't gotten a chance to breathe ever since. Now that it was taken off, his foot felt blissfully liberated.
"We're gonna send you for an X-Ray, just to make sure your broken bones have healed," the doctor said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Avery! Bring the patient to the X-Ray lab!"
The nurse appeared from behind a huge computer. Niall had been seeing her quite often, and it wasn't like she was ugly or anything. Quite the opposite, actually. She was tall and slim, with butterscotch skin and messy hair.
Avery helped Niall into a wheelchair, pushed him all the way to the X-Ray lab. There was already a queue of people, so they had to wait their turn. She sat down in a chair. "How does your foot feel?"
"Numb," Niall shrugged.
"That's good," she nodded, then offered him a kind smile. "Must've been traumatizing. The whole experience of the crash and everything."
"You don't know the half of it," Niall shook his head, smiling resignedly.
"I can imagine," she said sympathetically. "If its any consolation, I think you're really brave."
Warmth spread up from Niall's collar against his consent. "You do?"
"Of course! I've dealt with a lot of patients, you're always the quietest, and you don't complain, even though it probably hurts like hell."
Niall grinned. "I do have a high threshold for pain."
Avery laughed. "And you're the cutest too. No other patient ever tries to make me smile."
"See, I don't even try," Niall said, truthfully.
"Silly boy," she giggled, pushing him away. "Tell me about your friend."
"Which one?"
"That one with the black hair, always trying to get to you," Avery said. "You two must be close."
"Who, Zayn?" Niall murmured. "Yeah, we're alright, I think. Why?"
"No reason," Avery shook her head. "He's just really attractive."
"What?"
"Come on, don't tell me you don't know how fit he is," Avery said. "He's like - exotic, sexy. I like it."
Niall felt a sense of jealousy seize him, except this time he wasn't really sure if it was because Avery liked the boy he loved, or because Zayn had gotten more of her attention that Niall did himself. "Well, you don't want to get with Zayn," he said protectively. "He's a flirt."
"Yeah, he does look the type," Avery sighed with longing. "I've had my eye on him since the first day he came here, asking for you. I don't think he even knows."
"Don't waste your time, he's not available," Niall said, defensive. "He's dating someone already."
Avery's face fell. "Oh. Must be a lucky girl."
Niall didn't bother correcting her as it reached their turn. She pushed his wheelchair into the lab, helped him lie on the hard table as the X-Ray camera scanned his foot. It was over quickly, and they didn't speak as she dropped him off at his ward again, saying that the doctor would take a look at the X-Ray and get back to him in an hour.
Harry was inside, intently scrolling through his phone. He glanced up as Niall climbed back onto his bed, then gave him a faint smile. "Hi. How'd it go?"
"Alright," Niall said, pulling the blanket to his neck. "How are you?"
Harry shrugged. "Better, I think. I don't know."
"Are you still fighting with Louis?" Niall asked.
"Who knows what the fuck is going on between me and Lou right now," Harry said warily. "He won't even text me back, mate."
"Is he still upset over the abortion thing?" Niall raised his eyebrows.
"I don't know," Harry sighed. "He's - I feel like there's something he won't tell me. But if he's going to start acting like a right prick every time I ask, then I don't think I really want to bother, you know? I did my part. I apologized and everything, all he's got to do now is just grow up and talk to me."
"Didn't you mention before that you and Louis always have apologetic cuddles after you fight?" Niall said. "Something about you nibbling his neck, and how that makes him helpless?"
Harry smiled, but his cheeks were a flustered pink. "Shut up, you knob. Also, before I forget. Eleanor's bound to walk in any time, just letting you know. Apparently she's been worried about you."
"Did Louis tell you that?"
"Yeah," Harry rolled his eyes. "Funny, because that's the only thing he's said to me in twenty-four hours. Sent me a text saying tell Niall I'm bringing El to visit, she's been worried. Shit, mate. He didn't even sign it with an xx or a smiley."
"How tragic," Niall sighed.
The door clicked open, and they looked up to see Louis standing there with Eleanor Calder. She looked beautiful as usual, with the middle-parted dark waves flowing down either side of her face, and a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses perched on top of her head.
"Hi, Niall!" she burst into a wide smile, running over and hugging him tightly. "How are you, oh my goodness. I'm so sorry I couldn't visit earlier, but I've been feeling terrible about this!"
"Hi, Eleanor, and it's alright," Niall said, struggling to talk to the long tendrils of hair suffocating him. "I'm fine. How about you? I heard you're pregant."
Eleanor put a hand to her stomach affectionately. "Yeah, I'm excited."
"Another human creature is going to carry on my dominant genes into the world," Louis said proudly, smiling. "Can you imagine? I should create an army of tiny Tomlinsons. We would take over the world, wouldn't we, Ellie?"
Eleanor rolled her eyes, turning to Harry instead. "How are you?"
Niall saw Louis flash him a quick, intense look.
"I'm wonderful," Harry drawled. "I'm happy for you and Lou. Really, I am."
"Aw, come here, you little sweetheart," Eleanor leaned over to swiftly kiss Harry's cheek.
Niall grinned as he sat up again. Eleanor seemed so happy. It was almost unusual. She was always a bubbly girl but today she seemed to be overflowing with fizzing euphoria. Maybe she was just really excited about the baby.
He shrugged it off.
"Where's Zayn and Liam?" Louis asked, looking around.
"Liam went to get lunch, and I'm not sure about Zayn," Niall shrugged. "We had a bit of a disagreement yesterday, and he left."
"Aren't you worried about him?" Harry murmured. "He's not one who usually runs off like that. Maybe we should call and check on him."
Eleanor lifted a hand and ran it through her hair, silver bangles sliding down her thin wrist and clashing together with a tinkle. "He probably needs some time alone."
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Niall said dismissively, even though something in the back of his mind told him that maybe he should worry a little more. "Nah, it's just one night. Zayn can handle it. I'll talk to him tomorrow."
'I'm sure he'll be alright," Eleanor said, subconsciously patting her stomach. "I read in those pregnancy pamphlets that people run off and spend time alone when they're stressed. That's probably what your friend did."
"So have you told your parents?" Niall asked. "About the baby?"
"Not yet."
"Why not?" Harry questioned.
"She'll do it when she's ready, Harry," Louis snapped. "Don't press her."
Harry glared back, raising his eyebrows. "Wow, sorry?"
Louis looked away immediately.
"You're being a child about this, you know," Harry said loudly.
"Well, you can fuck off, Harry."
"Hey, what's up with the two of you?" Eleanor asked. "Harry didn't say anything wrong. Why did you snap at him?"
"Nothing's wrong," Louis said testily. "I'm just in a bad mood."
"But -"
"Nothing's wrong, Eleanor," Louis repeated, and she fell silent.
Niall uneasily tugged at his collar. A short silence passed as Eleanor twisted her ring around her finger quietly. Finally, Harry got up, muttering under his breath, and strode out of the ward.
Louis exhaled as the door slammed shut. "I'm sorry I shouted. I was just - I don't know. Things have been weird with Harry for a few days, but we'll work it out eventually. Sorry, Eleanor."
"Its alright," she squeezed his hand, then turned to Niall and quickly changed topics. "So what has the doctor told you?"
"Lots of things," he shrugged. "The gist of it is that I'll be fine in a while, I suppose. He beats around the bush a lot."
Eleanor laughed. "Well, I'm glad you'll be okay. Not a lot of people recover so quickly from this sort of thing, you know."
"Yeah, I'm glad too," Niall said.
"Hey, Niall," Louis interjected after a moment. "Told Eleanor about you and Zayn yet?"
Niall felt the heat burst up his collar instantly. "What?"
"Oh dear," Eleanor giggled, sitting up. "What is this?"
"Niall has developed certain unusual attractions toward Zayn -"
"You're such a dick!" Niall chucked the pillow at him, cheeks flaming uncontrollably. "Fuck's sake, Lou!"
"Oh my God, okay," Eleanor held both palms out like she was directing traffic. "I'll figure this out. Give me a second."
"Sure," Louis said, smirking slightly.
"So you said 'unusual attractions'?" Eleanor clarified, and Louis nodded. Her eyes searched the floor, thinking hard before she looked up. "I get it! Oh my God."
Niall covered his face in his hands, groaning inwardly. It was so strange to think about this news somehow traveling outside of the band.
"Tell him, El," Louis grinned wickedly.
"Niall James Horan... I cannot believe..." Eleanor said slowly, dramatically. "That..."
"Are you some kind of sadist? Louis' really rubbing off on you, isn't he," Niall groaned.
"That you..."
"Go on, Eleanor," Louis encouraged, ignoring Niall's protests.
"Are in love..."
"With?" Louis prompted. "With who?"
"With..."
Niall screamed silently into the pillow, wondering if it were possible to die of humiliation right there and then.
"With Zayn Malik's sister!" Eleanor gasped.
There was a dramatic silence.
"What?" Louis stared at her after a second, unsure if he'd heard it right.
"You like her, don't you?" Eleanor said. "He's your best friend, that's, like, against every rule in the book, Niall!"
"No, no," Louis shook his head. "You're wrong. Guess again."
"I am?" Eleanor looked disappointed. "So who is it?"
"Let's play hot, warm, and cold."
"Okay," Eleanor smiled. "Where's Zayn sister?"
Louis tapped his chin. "Warm."
"Zayn's mom?"
"Cold."
"Zayn's dad?"
"FREEZING."
Eleanor laughed. "I give up. Who is it?"
"You're almost there, keep guessing."
"But I've done everyone," Eleanor whined.
"Not everyone," Louis reminded her.
She thought hard. "The only one I haven't done is Zayn, but that's just crazy -" she stopped when she saw Niall hiding behind his pillows. "Oh my God. No way."
Louis shrugged, smiling lazily as he leaned back on the chair, letting her sit on his lap and wrapping his arms around her thin waist. "Now you know."
"What does she know?" Liam asked, appearing at the door. "Hi, Eleanor."
"Hi, Liam," she smiled. "I just found out about Niall and Zayn. It's quite a revelation, I'd say. But I think it's pretty nice."
"I see," Liam nodded at Niall, who was a ball under the sheets, too ashamed to face the public. Then he turned to Louis and Eleanor again. His eyes widened suddenly. "Wait. Wow, wait."
Louis looked up.
"Oh my God, I don't believe it!" Liam gasped, grabbing Louis' and Eleanor's hands. "You - you -"
Louis laughed quietly, the noise barely audible.
"What?" Niall's head popped up from under the sheets. "What's going on?"
"Look!" Liam shouted, thrusting their hands in Niall's face.
"I don't get it."
"These idiots got engaged!" Liam yelled excitedly, waving their hands around. "They got engaged without telling us!"
Niall looked closer, bursting into a smile when he saw the matching diamond rings on their fingers. That explained why Eleanor was in such a good mood all day.
"Louis William Tomlinson," Liam laughed delightedly, hugging his friend tight. "You just went ahead and engaged Eleanor without even telling me? Congratulations, you fucking git! You too, Eleanor! This is huge!"
"Do the others know?" Niall asked.
"It was a quiet thing, so no," Louis said.
"I'm calling Harry and Zayn right now," Liam rushed out of the ward for ten minutes, talking excitedly on the phone. When he came back in, his face was flushed.
"Are they on their way?" Niall asked.
"Yeah, well, Harry is," Liam said.
"And Zayn?"
"He didn't pick up," Liam shrugged. "But I'm sure he's around somewhere."
Niall's heart sunk. Was Zayn still mad at him?
Liam's iPhone suddenly buzzed. He looked at the number. "Zayn," he smiled. Everyone gathered at the phone, excited to tell him the news. Liam picked up the call and activated speakerphone. Niall's heart was pounding. There was silence while everyone waited for Zayn's unmistakable sleepy voice.
But when the voice spoke, it wasn't Zayn's.
"Hi, I'm calling from your friend's phone. We just found him. We're at the street across St Joseph's hospital. Something bad happened. He's just collapsed on the road. He's bleeding very heavily, there's so much blood everywhere. His pulse is really low. I - I think he's going to die."
--