1D • Stories

Ziall ~ Eating Disorder | (Niall ~ Faints At Photoshoot)

Zayn's POV
Niall collapsed mid-photoshoot, and I was the first one to kneel beside him.
"Niall? Are you ok?" I asked, but he was clearly unconscious. His eyes were closed, his body was limp, and there was no spark to him.
"Has he passed out?" Harry asked as he knelt beside me.
"He has. Niall?" I asked as I put my hand against his face. "Can you hear me?"
"Bloody hell, Niall never passes out," Louis commented
"Can we get the medic?"
"Is he sick?" Liam asked, and all the boys crowded around us. I wanted nothing else but to push them back and give Niall space. He was unconscious, not a freak show.
"Give him some air guys."
"We are Zayn. Calm down."
"Niall's unconscious."
"He'll be ok," Harry told me.
"We don't know that..." I said, before I calmed myself down. "Ok. He will be ok."
"What has he had to drink and to eat today?" The medic asked as he arrived.
"Um..." I said as I tried to think, but nothing came to mind. Niall tended to skip breakfast, but then I never really saw him eat...

I looked at the others boys, and we were all thinking the same thing.
"We don't know," Louis said.
"Ok," The medic said, and he took Niall's pulse. "His pulse and breathing are good. Does Niall have any medical problems?"
"Not that we're aware of."
"No," I said, but the fear was growing in my mind. "I've never seen Niall eat."
"What?" Liam asked, and I could feel that all the boys were looking at me. I had to hold my ground, for Niall's sake.
"I haven't seen Niall eat. Not for days," I said, thinking to 3 days ago when I watched Niall eat a banana.
"Are you suggesting that Niall is starving himself?" Louis asked me aggressively.
"I'm not saying that. But we should be honest in order to help him."
"You should always be honest with medical professionals. Thank you Zayn," The medic told me.

~

"Zayn, can we have a word?" Louis said, and I soon found myself with the other boys in a different room, away from Niall. "What the fuck Zayn?"
"Niall's not starving himself."
"You shouldn't say things like that unless you're sure," They all told me, but anger was growing within me. If Niall needed help, we should help him.
"I haven't seen him eat for days, and neither have you. Niall could be dying, and you would rather deny the reality than help him?" I told them angrily. "Niall's undernourished. That's why he's fainted."
"Whatever Zayn."
"Niall's not hurting himself."
"Get these things out of your head ok," Liam said as he put his hand of my shoulder, but I pushed him away. I was very worried about Niall, even if the others boy's weren't.

~

Niall
I went back into the main room and Niall was awake. He was sitting up and the medic was trying to get him to eat an energy bar.
"I can't... I'm sorry James," Niall said as he put it down, and the medic took it.
"Ok. That's alright Niall. Do you usually have an issue with food?" James asked as I got closer to Niall. I was out of Niall's sight and I quickly realised that he didn't know I was there.
"Yeah," Niall said, and I heard him as he started to cry.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of," James said as he was quick to reassure him. "I can get you some help, and as a medic I recommend that you get some."
"I..." Niall said, and I knelt beside him.
"Niall," I said, and Niall flinched as I put my hand on his shoulder. Niall went quiet, and James looked at me.
"Niall? Can I get you some help?" James asked, but Niall became defensive.
"No. It's ok James. I just fainted. I'm ok," Niall said before he started to stand up, and James looked at me.
"I know that you haven't been eating Niall," I said as I supported Niall, and he stopped as he stood up. Then he looked at me.
"What?" Niall asked me as tears filled in his eyes.
"You can't think that none of us have noticed. You need help," I said, and a tear fell down Niall's face. "Let me help. I don't want to see you like this."
"I'll be... fat."
"Being fat is better than being dead."
"You need nutrients Niall," James told him, and our happy - go lucky - Irishman broke down in front of me.
"Help me. I'm always tired. I'm in pain, and it hurts. It hurts so much," Niall said as tears rolled down his face and I embraced him.

"Niall, what's wrong?" Louis asked as he came over, and I was holding Niall against me as he was crying.
"Get him somewhere quiet," I told James, and he took Niall from me. My broken boyfriend was led away and I turned to the hoard of Louis, Liam and Harry.
"What did you say to him Zayn?"
"You aren't going near Niall," I told them, and they stopped in their tracks.
"You fucking what mate?" Louis said as he squared up to me.
"You. Are not. Going. Near him," I told Louis clearly, and he punched me hard in the face.
"Louis stop," Liam said as he went to calm Louis's fist and I looked back up at them.
"No. He thinks that Niall is starving himself, and he fucking deserves this!"
"He...!" I cried out, before I stopped. I saw Harry's expression become worried, but I needed to protect Niall now, more than ever. "He doesn't need you."
"Why you fucking...!"
"Louis!" Liam shouted, but this time Harry stopped Louis's fist.
"Is Niall ok?" Harry asked me.
"He's really not," I said, before I walked away from them.

~

Day 14 since Niall's collapse
"One last forkful Niall," I told him during our lunch. He had eaten both his breakfast and lunch today, but he was struggling to finish his chicken salad.
"I..."
"No. One last forkful," I insisted, and Niall obeyed me. "I love you," I said, before I went round to him and gave him a big hug.
"You're looking a lot healthier Niall," Louis said, and we both looked at him. Since our altercation, all the boys had come to accept Niall's condition, and we wanted only to make sure that he was healthy.
"Do you mean that?" Niall asked Louis.
"I do. A little weight is no bad thing. Being healthy is the most important thing you can be."
"See? Sometimes weight gain is necessary Niall."
"I don't want anymore."
"That's ok," I said before I kissed him. "I'm really proud of you."
"You mean that?"
"Breakfast and lunch? We should have a feast to celebrate," I said, and all of us laughed. "Are you ok?" I asked Niall as I kissed him.
"It's hard. But I trust you, and if you think I'm getting better... then I am."
"That's my boy," I said, before I left Niall to it.

The day passed, and I noticed that during our show Niall was pale. I took my earpiece out and I went over to him.
Are you ok? I asked Niall, then I put my ear beside his mouth to hear the reply.
"I skipped dinner."
Ok, I said before I looked at him. Backstage, I said over the noise, and I led Niall backstage.
"I need some food, now," I told a crew member, and they rushed off.
"Are you angry at me?"
"No," I told Niall as I turned to him, and I saw that he had tears in his eyes. "You're recovering. It takes time Niall."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry," I said before the crew member returned and I kissed Niall.
"Takeaway wings from my midnight snack box, and some juice."
"Thank you. Order something for yourself, it's on me," I told him, seeing as he had given up food from his own supply. "Eat these Niall. All of them," I told him, unwilling to compromise. I was not going to let Niall faint on stage in-front of 20,000 people.
"Zayn..."
"Keep eating," I told Niall, and he ate. I then forced Niall to drink the juice, and he started to fall. "Niall. Are you ok?" I asked as I caught him.
"I'm going to pass out."
"Ok. Can someone look after him please?" I asked as I helped Niall to lie on the ground. The crew and boys were in my ear pieces telling me to get back on stage. "Thank you," I said as I ay Niall down. "Get some rest, I'm proud of you," I said before I kissed him. "But I have a job to do."
"Zayn..."
"I know," I said before I kissed Niall again. "I'll be back very soon. Let our crew look after you ok?"
"K..." Niall said, and he fell unconscious.
"If he's out for more than a minute, get the medic," I said, and our crew members nodded. I left Niall to go back on stage and finish today's work schedule.

~

Niall was doing very well. He was eating every meal and he was so much healthier now ❤️.

I gave him all the love that I had in my heart, and he was loving me back. We were so proud of Niall, and even Louis apologised for hitting me. As, if I hadn't voiced and stood by my concerns, Niall might have ended up needing hospital treatment for anorexia.