Half a heart

Chapter 104

Trigger Warnings: Anxiety, Mental Health, Emotional Distress

Zayn's pov

I blinked, the cold hospital light bringing me back as I stirred from sleep, my neck aching from the way I'd been resting against Niall. It was almost a comfort though, feeling him here beside me, his warmth against my shoulder grounding me as I took in the scene in front of us: Liam, still connected to a mess of tubes and machines, a ventilator helping him breathe. My heart clenched, the ache in my chest growing as I tried to steady myself, tried to be strong. But right now, all I wanted was for Liam to open his eyes, to give me that little smile, to say something that would make all of this feel less overwhelming.

I looked over at Niall, who was still asleep, his face relaxed but tear-streaked from the night before. I reached out, brushing a thumb gently across his cheek. "Hey, Ni... wake up, darling," I murmured softly.

His eyes slowly fluttered open, and it took him a moment before he saw what I was looking at. And then the realization hit, his eyes widening as he looked at Liam, the concern and fear taking over his face again.

"Zayn... he... why does he look like this?" Niall's voice was small, laced with worry. His hand tightened around mine, a quiet plea for reassurance.

"I don't know, my love. But let's go find someone who can explain, yeah?" I squeezed his hand, giving him a soft nod as we both stood up, steadying each other as we walked out into the hallway. It wasn't long before we found a doctor who looked familiar, and I quickly approached him.

"Excuse me, doc, could you... explain what's going on with Liam Payne in room 214? He's... he looks..." I faltered, feeling the words choke in my throat.

The doctor gave a sympathetic nod, his voice gentle. "Liam is in a medically induced coma right now. This is to help his body rest and recover, preventing any further seizures. It's a controlled measure, but he's stable. We'll monitor him closely and make adjustments as necessary."

I barely had time to absorb the words before I felt Niall's grip on my hand tighten even more. I looked over, his eyes wide and wet as he stared at the doctor, his lip trembling. "A coma... why did it have to come to this, Zayn?" he whispered, his voice cracking.

I wrapped my arm around him, pulling him close. "Shh, it's okay, sweetheart. He's here with us. The doctors are doing everything they can. He's safe, and he'll pull through this, yeah?" I could feel my own heart breaking as he clung to me, burying his face in my chest.

The doctor gave us a quiet nod, his eyes filled with empathy. "If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out. He's in the best hands here."

"Thank you," I managed to say, offering him a faint nod before we turned to walk back to the room. As we entered, Paul and one of the other security guards were standing nearby, concern etched across their faces.

Paul stepped forward, holding out a blanket. "Here, thought you might need this," he said softly.

"Thanks, Paul," I muttered, taking the blanket and guiding Niall over to the chair beside Liam's bed. "Here you go, darling, sit down and rest a little, yeah?" I said gently, draping the blanket over him as he settled in.

Niall looked up at me, his tearful gaze softened, and he managed a tiny, grateful nod. I leaned down, brushing a gentle hand through his hair, letting my touch soothe him as his eyes began to close, exhaustion finally winning out.

Once he was fast asleep, I quietly stepped outside to catch my breath, but I barely made it a few steps before Paul approached me. "Zayn, listen, we're getting word that fans are figuring out you and Niall are here. It'd be best if you kept a low profile."

The frustration bubbled up inside me, and I felt my composure slip. "Low-key? Paul, how am I supposed to keep this low-key when my soon-to-be fiancés are falling apart?" My voice cracked, my words laced with pain. "One of them is in a medically induced coma, and the other... he's breaking, Paul. He's crumbling right in front of me, and I can barely hold him together. And then you want me to act like it's all fine? Like I'm not falling apart too?"

"Zayn, I know you're hurting, and-"

I cut him off, the anger, the fear, all of it spilling out. "You don't know! You don't know what it's like to be the glue holding this together, feeling like I'm losing my own strength, my own spark, because I have to be the strong one for them. I don't get to fall apart. I have to keep us together, but I'm scared, Paul. I'm terrified. And all you can say is 'keep it low-key'?"

I felt my fists clench, the tension too much to bear, and before I knew it, my fist met the wall, a jolt of pain shooting up my hand. Paul took a step forward, but I glared, shaking my head. "Don't touch me. Just... don't." My voice wavered, my shoulders dropping as the anger drained, replaced by exhaustion and a deep, aching sadness.

"Zayn... I'm sorry," Paul said softly, his tone sincere. "I didn't mean to-"

I swallowed, turning away. "It doesn't matter. I need to get back to them." Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked back into the room, letting the door close softly behind me.

Inside, I saw Niall still curled up, his head resting against the armrest, his hand reaching out toward the empty space where I should have been. I moved quietly to sit beside him, gently lifting his hand and entwining our fingers. Carefully, I draped the blanket over both of us, pulling him close as I let out a shaky breath, my gaze shifting back to Liam.

"If I could take your place, love... I would," I whispered, my voice breaking as I looked at him, hoping he could somehow feel it, know that I was there. I pressed a soft kiss to Niall's temple, watching his breathing even out as he settled against me.

In the silence of the room, surrounded by the steady rhythm of the machines, I sat there holding Niall close, willing myself to be strong for them, even as the weight of it all pressed down on me.