For Now and Always (Liam Payne)

Chapter 23

"Her parents are on their way. You should go home a change. You look awful." Dylan told Liam. The last time they had seen Eva, she was in the ER with ice packs on her head, chest and arms.

Liam was sitting down, head in his hands. "I can't leave. She needs me." he told he her.

"She's going to be out of it for a while, Liam. Just go change."

Just then a doctor called for the family of Evangeline Stuart. They both stood up and walked over. "Where are her parents? I can't give out information to nonfamily members." The doctor stated.

"They are on a plane here. Can't you just tell her 'sister' here?" Liam asked.

"You are her sister?" The doctor turned to Dylan.

Dylan coughed and in her best American accent said "Yes. Sister."

"Well, then, I suppose I can tell you." He eyed her suspiciously. He didn't believe them, that was clear. "Her fever is coming down. We have her hooked up to an IV to rehydrate her and have given her medicine to help the fever come down even more. It seems has if she just has the Flu. Untreated, it can progress to this level. How long has she been ill?"

Dylan looked at Liam. "Uh, just since Monday." he said.

"Well, they are moving her to a room soon. A nurse will come for you."

"Thank you, doctor." Liam said, shaking his hand. Liam pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Shit. Fuck. My phone. It's ruined. It's all wet."

"Go home. Change. Put your phone in rice. There is nothing else you can do right this second." Dylan pushed him to the door.

Reluctantly, he went home to do just those things.

........................................

He returned an hour later and discovered that Eva had been moved to a room. He took the elevator up to her floor and found it quickly. Pushing the door open, he saw Niall and Dylan, sitting in chairs and talking. "Where'd you come from?"

"Dylan is called. She has Eva's phone." Niall answered.

Nodding, he looked over to where Eva was laying. She looked tiny and pale in the hospital bed, with wires and tubing going into her arm. "Has she said anything?" he asked. They both shook their heads. Liam grabbed a chair and sat next to her, holding her hand.

"They gave her something to make her sleep. Said that's the best thing for her right now. She needs to rest and to fight off the Flu bug. It's apparently making its way around campus. My afternoon class was cancelled because my professor is sick." Dylan told him. "She might not wake up for hours."

"Well, I'm not leaving her. I told her I would protect her and that I would be there for her when she needed me. Hell of a job I'm doing. Damn it. I should have known something was wrong when she didn't answer anyone." He laid his head on the bed, trying to be manly and not succeeding. "What a great way to meet her parents. What am I even going to say? I let their daughter almost die on the floor of a bathroom?"

"Okay, one," Niall said. "It's not your fault she got sick. Two, all of us share equal blame in this. Someone should have checked...."

"No, it's my fault. I'm supposed to be her friend. I was 10 feet away from her and I was so selfish that I didn't even worry." Dylan interjected. "Okay, Liam, blame me. You found her. I left her on the floor."

"Okay, well enough of this pity party," Niall said. "It doesn't matter now, does it? We just need to sit here and wait." They sat in silence, listening to the beeps from the monitor.

Hours passed. Niall was the first to head home. Dylan caved in after they bought in Eva's dinner tray. "They brought food to a sleeping girl? That's it. I need to leave for a bit. Here's her phone. Call me if anything changes. Her parent's flight is due in at 1am. They are listed as "Rents" in her contacts." Dylan handed over the phone and left.

"Hey, Evie? You should wake up just to see the nasty food they brought you. It smells so bad! Remember when we went to that restaurant down the street from my place? And that guy ordered liver? That's what it smells like. I don't even think it is food." He sighed and grabbed the jello off her tray. "Well, they can't ruin jello, right?"

Around 9pm, he fell asleep with his head on her bed. He awoke to screaming in the hallway. "I want to see my daughter! I don't care about visiting hours! Do you KNOW who I am? Get out of my WAY!" That had to be her mother.

Gwendolyn Stuart burst into the room. Liam took a deep breath and tried to not think about evil queens. Behind her was a man, a bit taller than Gwen, who was looking at the floor. Liam thought he looked embarrassed. "And WHO are YOU?" she asked Liam. "Where is this Dylan who called me? Why isn't Evangeline awake? I need answers! Who runs this place?"

Liam coughed and said "I'm Liam, ma'am. Evie's boyfriend?"

"Her name is Evangeline." Liam almost died trying to hold in a laugh. At least he knew where she got her spirit from! She spoke again. "She hasn't mentioned a boyfriend."

"Yes, she has dear. Remember, she told us he took her to France, but she didn't see the Louvre? And you were upset that she missed the chance to see the Mona Lisa in person?" Eva's father said.

Gwen looked at her husband. "Hmm, Well, I remember her not going to the Louvre, Davidson, but I don't remember any 'boyfriend.'  Anyway, you can leave now. I am here. Goodbye." She dismissed Liam with a flick of her hand.

"With all due respect, ma'am, I'm not leaving." Liam told her.

Eva's father spoke again. "Gwendolyn, dear, we need to go to the hotel. Let him stay while we rest. She's in safe hands."

"I want to speak to the CEO of this hospital. I want him to know that MY daughter is here."

"Gwen, honey, be reasonable. It's nearly 3am in the morning. You know there will no one to talk to until at least 8. Let's go."

Her mother gave Liam one last dirty look before swooping out of the room. That was the only way to describe it. She swooped. Like a damn witch. Holy Crap, no wonder Eva hadn't spent much time at home, he thought.

"Is she gone?"

"Evie?" Liam cried. "Are you awake?"

"Who could sleep though that? Who the hell called her?"

She sounded tired, but Liam was just glad she was awake. "Dylan. She thought they should know you were sick."

Eva closed her eyes again. "I'm so tired. What happened?" Liam told her the entire story from breaking down her door ("I'll fix it, I swear") to her mother arriving ("She is scary!"). He sat next to her, holding her hand, trying to keep her awake.

"I need to sleep, Liam. Will you please get in bed with me? I'm cold." She asked.

Liam gladly climbed into the side of the bed without IV poles and pulled her close, making a protective spoon around her body. The nurses didn't have the heart to make him move and pretended not to see a thing.