Seconds, Minutes, Hours

38y2pr

The needles were all arranged carefully in the table, each syringe filled with a different liquid. It was time for Liam to get out a game Zayn hadn't played with him since they were very young. Looking back on it, they had a pretty depressing childhood.

"You turned off the machine." Zayn stated as he walked in the room. No one ever turned the machine off when he was sleeping. They figured he needed all the medicine he could get. Now that he was in the room, his gaze fell on the syringes on the table and his eyes filled with a silent confusion.

Liam nodded. "Yes, I did. I figured we'd play some rollete."

Zayn eyed the syringes, remembering the game the had played when they were little. They hadn't played since he had been diagnosed.

"Do I even want to know how you got your hands on all this medicine?" Zayn took a seat and Liam s eyes brightened. He might actually be considering playing the game.

"Probably not." He admitted. More than half of it was self concocted.

Zayn grinned. "Remind me of the rules."

The rules were simple. Each syringe was numbered. Liam rolled the dice, wherever the ball landed, you picked up the syringe. You put the syringe in a spinner, closed the wheel and spun. Pulled the trigger. The other ones were saline.

Liam rolled a 5 first. Zayn picked up the syringe. "Panadol." He read the label before putting it in the syringe. "Pain killer, right?" He lulled the trigger, a clear liquid squirting into his vein. Just saline.

Liam rolled a 9 next, picking up a syringe labeled melatonin. "If I take this. I'll fall asleep." He muttered before loading and shooting. Saline. Good. If he had gotten the sleeping drug, he would have put Zayn back on the machine.

Liam rolled again and Zayn picked up the morphine syringe. He grinned, spinning the roll a couple extra times before making the injection. Morphine streamed into his veins and a blissful look crossed his face.

Liam rolled again. "Laxitive." He wrinkled his nose, but once again only got saline.

Another roll. "Ibuprofen." Zayn grinned. All he was getting were pain killers. But it jus t spit out saline. Zayn didn't bother telling Liam he was leaving panadol and ibuprofen in the wheel.

"Immune supplement." Luam read after rolling again. This time he actually ended up taking the drug.

Liam rolled again. "Vikaden." Zayn laughed. He spun the wheel and hot saline, leaving vikaden in the infection gun.

"Low power chemo." Liam read from his next syringe. Zayn carefully plucked it from his fingers and injected it into his own arm. Matching Liam s stare, he explained.

"The radiation would give you cancer. Mt won't hurt me." He rolled the dice for Liam this time, gettjng paracetamol. Another pain killer. He spun and injected, getting the vikaden from before. He was blissfully overdrugged now on two of the most powerful pain killers out there. Staring at the drugs on the table, He began injecting them one by one, not caring what they were. Liam tried to stop him, but it was no use. The boy had way overdosed. And now, He was passing out.

"Mom!" Liam rushed downstairs, only to find a note on the kitchen table.

Liam-
Went shopping. Zayn shouldn't wake up unless you unplug the machine. I may be back late.
Love, Mom

Liam bit his lip, wondering what he was expected to do in situations sucj as these. No one was home, There was no car here, the hospital was miles away. Then Liam had an epiphany. He ran upstairs and looked out the window. The light across the street n the house next to Nialls was still on. And there was a car parked in the drjveway. Liam didn't actually know who lived there, but it wasn't like he had any better options. So, leaving Zayn passed out in the floor, he rushed over to the house and violently rand the doorbell.

The girl that came to the door was fully dressed, and although it was in pajamas, Luam was grateful.

"Can I please borrow your car? My parents aren't home and my brother overdosed And he needs to go to the hospital." Liam begged. The girl immediately nodded, tossing Liam a key ring from a hook by the wall.

"Is he conscious?" She asked as Liam struggled to catch the keys. He shook his head and the girl was calling upstairs in minutes. "Niall, come help This guy get his brother in the car. I'll drive she offered before taking the keys from Liam. Within seconds The blonde boy was doen stairs, and both Liam and him were rushing inside. Niall didn't comment on any if the syringes or breathing machines in the house. Instead, he helped Liam drag Zayn into the car, not even commenting on hi ow little They loomed alike.

As soon as they were all in the car, the girl (Liam still didn't know her name) drove like amaniac. They were at the hospital in minutes, and the girl took charge at check in while Niall and Liam dragged Zayn inside. He was taken into a room writhing minutes. Neither of the people Liam had begged so suddenly for help Even asked for any explanation. They sat there, waiting in as much suspense as Zayn. It was nearly two hours before the doctor came out with news.

"That was quite the cocktail of drugs that kid had in his system. Pain killers, sleeping meds, immune supplements and of course his chemo. Not the best reaction. But from what I can tell he should be fine. We have him hooked up to a breathing device to keep his lungs from failing while his body is out, just in case. He should wake up in a day or two."

Liam nodded. But Niall and Mia had caught into only two things. One was that Zayn was going to be alright. The other was "of course his chemo". Liam had some explaining to do.