1D • Stories

Niall ~ Car Crash (2)

On The Road

Niall's POV
I was with my family. We were doing press for our 5th music album, and we were on the road. I was sleeping a lot, but they had seemed to factor that in. I knew that I had sustained a brain injury from a car crash we'd been in a few weeks ago, or months. I couldn't remember the crash, only waking up in hospital.

Being back on tour, or what felt like tour, was overwhelming. I tried to hide how I was feeling from my family as they were already doing a lot to look after me. My whole head and body felt different. Things I had once loved and had been able to cope with: I couldn't any longer. It was scary.

~

I was sitting, waiting for an interview to start, and I was fiddling with my hands.
"Niall, are you ok?" Louis asked me gently as he put his hand onto my shoulder.
"Yeah," I said before I looked down.
"You don't seem to be ok," Harry told me gently, and my fidgeting became worse.
"I..." I said as I stood up and I put my hands into my hair. I still held onto it when I was nervous, good. It was one thing about me that hadn't changed.
"You're on in 5 boys."
"Give us a few minutes."
"Ok."
"Niall."
"Don't 'Niall' me!" I told Louis as I shrugged him off. I paced a little before I looked back at the boys with tears in my eyes. "I can't... it's..."
"Talk to me Niall," Liam said as he slowly came over to me.
"I can't..." I said as I started to cry. "I can't do this..."
"Ok. Can you tell me why?" Liam asked me gently as he put his hands onto my arms.
"It's too... it's overwhelming. My head... MY HEAD!" I screamed.
"Niall. Niall," Liam said sternly and I turned back to face him, tears flowing down my cheeks. "Are you in pain?"
"No," I whispered, as Liam was making me feel safe. "No... it's too much. Liam, my head. My head..." I whispered before I leant into Liam, and he embraced me.
"We're going to go on Liam. Make sure Niall's ok," Louis said quietly before both he and Harry left, and I breathed out.

It felt good: to be alone with Liam and everything was quiet.
"I want to go home," I whispered into him.
"I know Nialler. You're hurt, and we love you. But do you remember why we're doing this?"
"For our... music?" I asked after a moment.
"To promote our music and for our fans."
"Oh. Fans," I said. My brain had forgotten about those legions of Eccles cakes. No... directions. Directioneers...
"Niall? Are you still with me?" Liam asked me through the fog of my mind.
"Directions," I told him.
"Directioners. Our fans."
"Please Liam. My head..."
"You're overwhelmed. It's ok Niall. Always tell us how you're feeling, and I promise that we won't ever be upset with you."
"But... you're already doing so much."
"We know that this is a lot for you. We want to end our band on a high, but not at the risk of your health. If you get overwhelmed again, tell us. Please. We love you."
"I love you too."

"Niall, let's get you back to the hotel," Paul said gently as he put his hand onto my back.
"I need to join Harry and Louis onstage. Paul will look after you until we get back," Liam said as he finally let go of me, and he kissed me on the forehead.
"Ok," I conceded. I wasn't ok, and this really was overwhelming me. The boys were here to help me, and I had to accept that I wasn't who I'd been before the car crash, and I needed some help.
"Ok. Are you ok?"
"I'm ok," I told Liam before I smiled.
"Good. I love you Nialler."
"Love you too Payno!" I called as he went onstage, and a moment later I went back to our hotel with Paul.

I fell asleep in the car on the way back to the hotel. I had been thinking about how much I had changed as a person 💔.
"Niall. Time to go inside," Paul said as he gently shook me awake.
"Oh," I said before I coughed.
"Come on," Paul said, and he took me back to my room.
"I'm sorry, about getting overwhelmed Paul."
"It's ok Niall. Two more weeks then you can put the band behind you."
"Yeah. I'm going to sleep, thank the boys for me."
"I will. Get some rest," Paul said as he tucked me into my bed, and I fell asleep before Paul had even left my room.