When no one's watching

Chapter 26

Liam's pov:

I could see Zayn sit there but as soon as I tried to touch him I just grabbed the air, nothing was there.

As I looked back to the bed, Zayn was still laying there like he had been all the time but on the covers of his bed he was sitting as well.
He seemed to be like the ghost of Zayn and I thought that I was now really going crazy.

My heart skipped a beat as Zayn started talking.
"It's not your fault, Li! You wanted to protect me and you did with being here for me even if I'm in a coma. I love you and don't blame yourself. Go home and sleep."

He smiled at me cutely and slowly started to dissolve.

"No! Stay here, wait!"
But as I finished the figure was gone and Zayn was still laying there in a deep sleep.

I could feel tears at the back of my eyes and tried to feel something in the air in front of me but it was useless, it was like Zayn hadn't ever sat there talking to me.

My racing thoughts were interrupted by Harry's concerned and confused voice.

"What are you doing there Liam?!"

I had no idea what to answer. It had seemed so real, he really sat there but how could I possibly explain that to Harry without him thinking I was a psychopath?

My brain was feeling so empty and I started to stutter something. I knew that I had to say the truth because my brain was blank and I couldn't make up a good explanation.

"He...he was sitting there. Zayn was sitting there a-and he talked to me..."

Harry's eyes widened and he came closer to me with big steps.
I flinched but he just gently grabbed my arm and pulled me with him.

"Where are we going Harry?"
Harry was pulling me through the seemingly endless hallways of the hospital and I got more conused every second.

"We are gonna get you checked by a doctor. Hallucinations aren't normal, you're scary."
Hardy sighed and I wanted to disagree but I was just too exhausted so I let him drag me to the doctor's room.

But I still couldn't understand, I was so sure that that had been real, so so sure.

Harry's pov:

As I walked back into Zayn's room, Liam didn't even notice me which was weird since I even knocked on the door.

He was sitting there staring at something in front of him except that there was absolutely nothing there.

What freaked me out even more was that he tried to touch something in front of him and seemed confused as he didn't feel anything.
Was Liam hallucinating? What was he doing there?

As I asked what he was doing did he seem completely freaked out and overwhelmed.
He stuttered that Zayn had been sitting there and talked to him.

So now the sleep deprivation really was getting to him and I knew I had to get him checked.
This was more than insane.

After the doctor had looked at Liam he asked me to talk to him.
Liam was still sitting on the stretcher looking confused like a child looking for his mom.

"This imaginations that Mr. Malik was talking to him are most likely because he is so upset with the situation and as you said blames himself. The best way to cure something like that is to just get him home to rest, he is staying so long in the hospital like no one else does."

I nodded slowly and thanked him for examining Liam.
Afterwards me and Liam walked outside. I had decided to follow the doctor's advice and bring him home now.

Liam definitely didn't agree with me.
"Leave me alone, Harry! I can decide on my own what I am doing and what I'm not. Just let me go back."

I shook my head and continued to pull Liam with me even if it was hard.

"God, don't act like a little kid, Liam!"

He quieted down and I wondered if I had maybe gone too far?
I knew he was vulnerable and I just yelled at him for no reason...

"I'm sorry, it shouldn't have sounded so harsh."
We stopped walking and I could see how tired and sad he was.

I walked over to him and hugged him tightly, he hugged me back for a few seconds but broke apart.
"H, I can't leave Zayn alone."
"You don't leave him alone, you care for yourself and that's definitely what he wants."

Liam nodded slowly but I could see that he was feeling guilty.

After a feelingly long drive we finally arrived at Liam's house.
His parents weren't at home, as always.

Liam's pov:

I felt so exhausted and useless, I had messed up and now I was leaving?
I didn't deserve Zayn, he was too good for me and I had known it. And he probably also did.

Harry was sitting next to me on the couch but we both didn't speak, probably just not knowing what about.

"Hey, don't worry about Z. He'll get through it."
Harry looked at me with an encouraging smile but I didn't feel like smiling. Not at all.

"Do you still need help with something? Should I cook something?"
I chuckled at him acting like a mom but deep down I was extremely grateful for it.

"Thank you so much H, but I'm good on my own."
Harry nodded and soon we said our goodbyes.

Finally I was on my own, all alone with my thoughts and I could do whatever I wanted.

Niall's pov:

As I was standing in front of Liam's door that evening I had a weird feeling in my stomach.
We all had been horrible the last couple of days since Zayn was in a coma and we all had no idea of what could happen.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as Liam opened the door.
He was looking tired and more dead than alive so I stepped forward and hugged him.

"Hi Niall."
As he talked to me I could smell a scent of alcohol in his breath.
But why was Liam drinking when he wasn't at a party or with friends?

I decided not to mention that right now, he had enough to deal with and I didn't want to upset him even more.

I let go of him and looked into his eyes checkingly. His eyes seemed dull and had an ultimate sadness in them.

Eventually after some time we settled down on the couch and Liam just stared at something in front of him.

"How is he, Ni? Have you visited him?"
I nodded slowly but I knew I shouldn't tell him because Harry had told us what he had heard from the doctor and Mrs. Malik's conversation.
Zayn's condition was critical and they didn't know if it would get worse.

But I couldn't break that to Liam right now, he was so down and vulnerable that I feared he might break down completely.

"He is worse, isn't he?"
Liam was whispering and his voice was shaking slightly.
As I didn't respond, Liam covered his face with his hands and started shaking slightly.
I knew that he didn't like crying in front of us, he always was the listener and comforter, always keeping everything to himself.

"Shh Liam, don't cry! He's in the hospital and the doctors know what they are doing, he's gonna be fine before you know it."

Deep down I also was scared to death about Zayn and I knew that there was a chance that this wouldn't end well but I couldn't let Liam know.

Louis' pov:

I was walking up and down in front of Zayn's room nervously as I heard someone scream.
It was Zayn's mom and my eyes widened as I looked through the window glass which was halfway covered in roller blinds.

Many doctors were standing around Zayn, one of them having shockers in his hands and pressing them onto Zayn.
I knew what that meant.

His heart had failed.