Maybe

15: Trust and Goodbyes

[ [ A/N: this is becoming more and more cringey im sorry bbs ]]

Tori POV

"Here," Paul says, gesturing towards the door. We're ushered in. "They built this room a couple of weeks ago for celebrities who want some privacy before a flight. Since you're about an hour early for the processing for your flight, you're going in here."

"Thanks, Paul," Louis says. Paul nods and goes back outside. Eleanor and Danielle pull me aside by my arm.

"You must be Tori," Eleanor says, grinning. "We've heard so much about you."

"Your beauty has not been exaggerated, either," Danielle says. I blush and look back at Niall, who still looks very nervous.

"Says you two," I say. They giggle.

"And you're cute," Eleanor says.

"I like you."

"We approve," they call to Niall together.

"You're much better than Cassie," Danielle confides.

"We were excited to meet her, but then when we did we just wanted to run away," Eleanor agrees.

"Even Perrie didn't like her," Danielle says. "And Perrie likes almost everyone."

I smile. "I met her." I was friends with her.

"You poor darling. She's a bitter one, isn't she?" Danielle says, patting my hand.

"She went back to America yesterday," Eleanor says, "so you don't have to worry about her."

"America?" I ask. Maybe that's why Niall was like that. Cassie. "Can I just talk to Niall for a second?"

"Go ahead," they say, giggling. I make my way back to the distraught boy, who gives me a small smile.

"How are you finding the girls?"

"They're beautiful," I say. Then I cut to the chase. "Cassie's back in America?"

"Unfortunately," he mutters.

"Don't worry. The chances of you seeing her are very low."

He turns to me with a sad smile. "No, they're quite high actually."

"What?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?" I ask, feeling my frustration build up.

"I've promised," he says quietly. Then he looks back up into my eyes. His eyes are fierce and focused. "Tori, promise me you'll trust me."

"I already do," I say.

"No matter what you see on the TV, the internet, the newspapers - I love you and I'll come back for you," he says.

"You're scaring me," I say.

"I'm sorry," he says, taking on a gentler tone. "Just promise you'll remember."

"Of course," I say. "I'll remember."

"And remember that I love you."

I look him in the eyes and realise he's dead serious. "I love you, too."

He smiles. "Good." Then he starts to massage his temples. "You can go back to Eleanor and Danielle now, if you want. I'm fine." I watch him for a moment, but there's nothing to suggest that he's agitated anymore. It seems that he had just wanted to get that off his chest, to I cross back over to Eleanor and Danielle as the boys move to Niall, Zayn dragging behind the rest.

"Poor Zayn," Eleanor sighs, sneaking a look at him. "He hasn't completely caught up on his sleep yet."

"About Perrie," I start, "I was wondering if we could maybe visit her in hospital? After the boys leave?"

"Sure, honey," Danielle says. "It seems only fair. Seeing as you were the one who brought her back here and all, with your revelation."

I smile. "I feel sorry for her. Have they put her in a coma?"

"No," Eleanor replies. She and Danielle seemed to have a tag-team thing going on. "She's almost at the end of the illness, if you're correct. She has two months, maybe less, left. They're using a trial drug to make her stop vomiting."

I sigh. I couldn't help feeling that it was my fault Perrie was sick - after all, I was the only one to have the illness in fifteen years, they'd told me. We sit in silence apart from the comments here and there made by Danielle and Eleanor about clothes for the remainder of the hour.

"Come on now, boys," Paul says, "you have to go through now. Say your goodbyes."

Simultaneously, Danielle, Eleanor and I walk over to Liam, Louis and Niall respectively.

"I'll miss you," I murmur into Niall's ear. "I'll be thinking about you every single day."

"Promise you'll answer all of my calls?" he asks, seeming panicked. I stroke his cheek with my thumb.

"Always," I reply. He presses his lips to mine in a brief kiss, and then he's gone and I'm aware of the presence of the other two girls again.

"Let's go and see Perrie, shall we?"

--

We look at Perrie through the glass. Her hair is now only half purple because her roots have grown out, but she still looks gorgeous. I feel a wave of envy coming over me. I was sure I didn't look this glamorous right now, with my makeup done, let alone when I was sick. The tubes sticking out of her skin and machinery look unfamiliar and uncomfortable to me, and I feel glad that I was asleep while they were around me.

"Victoria Winchester." I spin to the source of my name, as do Eleanor and Danielle, who have been whimpering quietly as they watched Perrie sleep. "A friend of yours?"

"A friend of a friend," I say. "Long time no see, Dr Daniels."

The grey-haired man smiles; he was my doctor here while I was ill. "I suppose you want to know about how Miss Edwards is doing?" I nod while Eleanor and Danielle latch onto my arms. "She's been vomiting less. We developed a new drug. If it weren't for your information that led her back here from America, she would probably be gone right now." Danielle's grip tightens on my left arm. "We don't know for certain when she'll be well, but our estimate is two months."

"Thank you," Eleanor whispers into my ear. I echo her words to Dr Daniels, and he gives a small wave before walking away. Danielle turns back to the glass and then tugs at me excitedly.

"She's waking up."

Eleanor lets go of me and joins Danielle at the glass, but I hang back a little. I had hated waking up during my stay in the hospital. It came with vomiting, which they could only stop by using a sedative on me, and I was always lightheaded and dizzy when I came to. The worst part was seeing my parents behind the glass, looking worried. 

When I finally get up the courage to look through the glass, though, Perrie's not vomiting. Although she's not exactly looking her healthiest, she smiles at Eleanor, Danielle, and even me. "She's definitely going to be better soon," I remark, remembering the first time I even had the energy to lift one side of my lips: two days after I was declared well enough to be moved out of the ICU.

"You think?" Eleanor asks excitedly. I nod and watch Perrie, who runs out of energy two minutes later.

Danielle smiles. "Maybe she'll get better before they think."