How We Unraveled

Chapter One

Waking up was good. Bright sunlight, and warm blankets, and the scent of tea and pancakes wafting into the bedroom from the kitchen. The kitchen, where Zayn would be standing over the stove cooking, where every morning he welcomes Liam with a smile and the newspaper comic pages.

The next time Liam wakes up it isn't good. This time he wakes up to loud beeps, accompanied by hushed voices and the stinging smell of antiseptic. Blinking through the fogginess in his brain, Liam tries to bring the faces around him into focus. He sees someone, it must be Louis standing by the window, his back to the bed. Niall and Harry are sitting in the guest chairs. It's hard to tell but it looks like Harry's crying.
"Why you crying mate? And what the hell am I doing here?" Liam asks aloud pushing himself into a somewhat seated position. All three boys turn to face him,
"Liam! You're awake, thank God!"
"Took you long enough!" Niall says and claps a hand onto Liam's shoulder causing a bolt of white hot pain to go down his arm.
"Ouch, watch it!"
"Shit sorry mate!"
"Fuck how long have I been here? And what's all this?" With gesture at the bandages covering much of his body.
Louis moves from his spot by the window, coming to sit on the edge of his bed.
"You've been out for just under three days. You've got a broken arm, and bruised ribs, a sprained ankle, and a nasty gash on your thigh. Oh, and your face... black eye, split lip, some scratches on your cheeks." Liam assesses his injuries and sighs when he realizes how much harder it is to move.
"Well I'm sure my face still looks better than yours." He jokes, trying to lighten the melancholy mood that's evident throughout the room. Louis just looks away, Harry is still crying, not even Niall laughed at the joke. Something's definitely wrong.
"What happened?" Liam asks bracing himself for the news. He can't remember much about the days before, and he has no clue how he ended up here.
"We should be asking you that." Louis snaps and stands up, suddenly going back to his position facing the window.
"Louis.."
"There was an accident. You were driving your car... you crashed. Don't you remember?" Niall answers in an unusually hushed voice.
"Christ. No, I don't remember. Fuck what happened? When?" The beeping from Liam's heart monitor increases as his eyes scan the room again. It's then that he noticed what's so off about this whole exchange.
"Where's Zayn?" He looks down at his hand clenching the cheap sheets, "Why isn't he here? Does he not want to see me?" Liam can feel the tears well up in his eyes at the thought of Zayn being mad at him, but he blinks them away.
"Liam... y-you weren't alone in the car."
"No." Liam shakes his head as he watches Harry stand up and rush out of the room, sobs making his large frame shake. Louis follows after him, shooting a devastated look Liam's way.
"Niall this isn't funny."
"Liam I'm so sorry mate, the accident, it all happened so fast. They doctors tried, they did everything they could." Niall's voice cracks, and he puts his head into his hands. "There just wasn't enough time. They couldn't save him. I'm sorry. Zayn's d-"
"Don't you dare say it.."
"Li he's dead. Zayn's dead."
Liam's eyes widen, the tears he had been trying to hold back roll onto his cheeks.
"No, no, no, no! This can't be happening, this isn't how it was supposed to be. I'm dreaming please just tell me this is a nightmare." He's just barely holding back sobs.
"I'm so sorry. But at least you're alright yeah? That's a good thing, at least you made it out." Niall grabs his hand in an attempt at comfort.
"Go away." Liam's tears begin to stop, numbness spreading through his body. "Just go."
"No I didn't mean that. It came out wrong, they didn't choose you over him, but we need you here Liam, we can't lose both of you." He scrambles trying to fix his mistake.
"Can you just go? I need some space right now."
"But Liam w-"
"I said go Niall." His voice is steady, controlled. Niall chokes back a sob of his own, then stands, running a hand through his blond hair. Liam watches as he crosses the room, watching as he pauses once he reaches the doorway.
"We'll be back in a bit yeah?"
"Close the damn door."

Liam's lungs must not be working, he can't pull air into his chest. As soon a the door closes he's grabbing at the sheets, breath coming in short pants and wheezes. Liam's ribs are throbbing under the bandage, his chest heaving as he struggles for oxygen. The beeping noise is loud and incessant, increasing in speed. He can hear screaming somewhere close by, whether it's him or someone down the hall, he can't tell. Men and women in scrubs flood through the door, but Liam can't see them with his eyes pressed closed. Hands are grabbing at him, pushing his flailing body down onto the bed. He feels a sharp pain and a cold sensation spreads throughout his left arm, as if there's ice in his veins.
Liam's eyes open a split second before he loses consciousness. A split second for him to see his new world, a world without Zayn Malik.

Yeah, waking up was good, but it's common knowledge that the good things never last.