What Are The Odds?

three

"Zayn, your tutor's here," Niall said as he walked into Zayn's room where the boy is still laying on his bed with little to no emotion present on his face. When Zayn didn't react to Niall's comment, the blonde man walked further into the room and approached the boy's bed before moving to feel his forehead.

"C'mon, buddy, we'll take it easy today, but I'm gonna need you to get up cause we're going to another room," Niall pried as he slowly began to remove the blankets from the pale boy. "Odds you'll take the wheelchair?"

"Ten," Niall hears Zayn mumble. They do a small count off before simultaneously saying the number six to which then Niall left the room only to come back minutes later clad with a wheel chair.

He carries the light boy from his bed over to the wheelchair, draped a blanket over him, and wheeled him out to a room which consisted of a few computers and a white board. It was intended for business meetings or for visitors needing to work while a loved one is in surgery, however, with Zayn becoming a full time patient it was quickly turned into his own personal classroom. Well, used to be personal. As the boy enters the room he notices a wide awake Louis eating a bowl of cereal while talking to the woman who has acted as Zayn's teacher/tutor since he was four years old.

Niall wheels Zayn up to a desk area and ruffles his hair up a bit before going to approach the teacher. Zayn sees them talking for a few moments, however, he doesn't even attempt to try and listen in because he's too intent on not focusing on how much pain he's in. Eventually the two stop talking, and Zayn hears Niall wish him and Louis a good day of classes before once again leaving the room.

"Good morning, boys. Zayn, have you met Louis yet?" The woman, Ms. Teasdale, ask Zayn in a quiet voice, obviously knowing how much pain he must be in at the moment. When Zayn doesn't answer after a few seconds, Louis decides to step in for him.

"Yeah we met yesterday," Louis says with a smile, and Lou smiles back.

"Excellent, well seeing as though I don't really know much about you, Louis, or your education, would you mind if I gave you this standard knowledge test as well as personal survey?"

"Not at all, ma'm," Louis says with a smile as he sits himself down in a seat only to realize he doesn't have a pencil. "Hey, Zee, can I borrow a pencil? Or a pen, whichever you have."

In response, Zayn simply nods his head while pulling out the pencil case from his bag. He grabs a pen for both Louis and himself, and hands it over to the older boy who nods in appreciation

Lou gives Louis the paper and explains to him a few of the sections before turning back to Zayn who was patiently waiting from his desk.

"Just some simple maths today, love. Take your time with the problems, and if your head starts to hurt just let me know and we can take a little break," Lou tells the boy who nods in return before getting to work.

For an hour or so Louis and Zayn work in silence, but eventually Lou's phone rings and the woman excuses herself from the room. As if on instinct, the minute the door closes Louis puts his pen down and turns around to Zayn only to see him still working.

"She's not here, you can take a break if you want," Louis says light heartedly.

"You're allowed to take a break whenever you want just say you're feeling dizzy. I like to get everything done, though, so I can go back to my room faster," Zayn says before turning back down to his paper.

"After that you're done?! All you have to do are those problems?" Louis asks in almost disbelief which only doubles when Zayn nods his head. "Shit you're living the life aren't you? Come to tutoring like three times a week and only be required to do one assignment a day, I should have signed up for this a while ago."