Breana Tomlinson-Styles-Horan-Malik-Payne

The Sound Of My Own Heart

In the distance I heard yelling, but one-sided yelling; the yelling that woke me up.

My eyes opened, welcomed by the dim lighting of the room which smelled like hand sanitizer and rubber.

Things seemed strange to me. There was a clear oxygen mask over my nose and mouth, I heard the faint sound of beeping in the background, my hands were draped over my chest in a weird position. My body laid in a weird bed.

I sighed, a squirmed around until I noticed a blurred figure through the white window, walking into the room.

"Hey, Zayn." my voice came out muffled and awkward through the mask.

I pulled it down to my neck, yanking my hair out of the elastic band.

He sat on the chair next to my bed.

"Zayn, where am I?" I asked quietly, scared of his answer.

He sighed and cradled his head in his hands.

"You're in the ICU . . . Last night you had a heart attack." he avoided my gaze, settling it on the wall behind me.

"Why did I have a heart attack? Am I sick?" I sat up, leaning back on my hands as the yelling outside continued.

"No . . . No, you're not sick." he sighed and looked me in the eye, "The doctor said it was the worst panic attack he's ever seen . . . Do you remember what happened last night after we got home?"

Like a switch, it all came back, "Greg." I whispered.

My heart sped up and my breathing quickened.

Zayn rushed to my side, setting one hand over my heart and the other on my back, "Sweetheart, calm down."

I layed down, starting to cry again.

"I'm so sorry Zayn. I never meant to cause problems-"

He hushed me and sat on the bed, "Now don't go blaming yourself. This is between Niall and Greg right now."

I closed my eyes, causing another tear to leak; Zayn quickly wiped it away.

"We found out that your last father was, in fact, Niall's older brother. None of his family knew he ever adopted a child. Once you found Katie, you were taken away from Ireland, and no one found Greg." he whispered whilst squeezing my hand.

"He never let me out of the house, he said if I ever tried to escape . . . he would shoot me . . . Whenever someone came over, he ductaped my mouth shut and hid me in a closet . . . He never fed me . . . Took my clothes . . . beat me until I was numb in pain."

Zayn hushed me again, "You don't need to talk about it . . . Do you want Marie-Elise to come in? She spent the night after we called her."

I nodded and sat up as he left the room.

With the opening and closing of the door, Niall's yelling into the phone became briefly louder, then back to muffled screaming.

I sighed, closing my eyes until my perky red haired friend slowly walked in with a sympathetic smile on her face.

"Hé, Breana. Comment faites-vous?" she whispered sweetly as she sat next to me on the bed

I nodded and leaned over to hug her despite the wires connected to parts of my body.

"I'm fine . . . Scared is all . . . I never thought this would happen." I exhaled sharply.

She rubbed my back and smiled.

"Fear is nothing new to us, huh?" she chuckled.

I smiled, "I know right?"

Marie-Elise was burnt so badly one of her legs had to be amputated. She walks like anyone else with her prosthetic, but I know she gets embarrassed of it.

"So how's it like living with the lads?" she giggled and bounced on the bed.

"It's pretty cool, I love them a lot . . . But never tell them that or I'll just deny it." I smirked and twiddled with her hands.

"L'ours ne quitte jamais son fort grotte, does she?" she smiled.

I smiled, "Not for once in her entire life does she ever let her guard down . . . " I sighed, "Movie?"

She shook her head and smiled, "Well, duh!"

I laughed and took the remote from my tray and turned on the small, square tele.

_____

I groaned, "Why do I have to stay the night?" I crossed my arms at Harry.

"Because the doctors are worried about you, Bree, that's why." he replied sternly.

I could see the facade he was holding up, he was scared.

"Fine . . . Can I talk to Niall?" I asked.

He shuffled his feet and stared at the floor, "Will you be okay?" he asked through gritted teeth.

I sighed, "Yeah, I hope so."

He nodded, "I'll send him in."

He walked out to where Niall had been standing all day.

The whole time Marie-Elise was there.

The whole time the girls were there.

The entire time Katie and my basketball team was there.

I could see Harry gesturing into my room and getting in Niall's face. Niall stood there with his arms crossed in a firm position.

Harry got into his face one last time before Niall gave and pushed Harry aside to open my door.

I bit my lip and stared at my hands.

"I'm so sorry, Princess . . . I made a promise-" he whispered before I cut him off.

"He did this . . . Not you, Niall . . . I love you . . . Please don't blame yourself." I looked up into his blood-shot, swollen eyes.

"I wish I knew sooner." he whispered, looking down at his hands in deep thought.

"I like pancakes." I smiled.

He looked up at me with a funny half grin, "Excuse me?"

"Whenever I was depressed, Katie would-" I hiccuped, "Tell me something-" Hiccup, "Very-" hiccup, "Very-" hiccup, "Random." I smiled, cut short by another hiccup, "Did it work?" I asked.

He laughed, "Like a charm! So did your hiccuping!"

I laughed as he started tickling me, "Niall, stop I can't breath!"

He laughed, continuing for a few minutes then stopping from loss of breath himself.

"Well, now your hiccups are gone!" he pointed out.

I dropped my jaw slightly, "Yeah, I guess you're right!" I nodded.

"Told yeh!"

I yawned as my eyes started to droop.

"You tired, Bree?" he asked whilst rubbing my arm.

My eyes closed and I leaned back, "Yeah, but could you and the guys stay with me? I don't want to be alone."

He chuckled, "I'll go get them."

The weight of the bed shifted as he left.

I heard footsteps down the hall, then steps into my room, voices saying goodnight, then fatigue took over.