Niall, answer the door please

Project Niall

Zayn's POV:

I watched the phone fall from Liam's hand. It was weird, like it was happening in slow motion. I saw the shocked look on Liam's face and I just knew that the worst had happened, that Niall had died while we were away. I slowly backed away then turned  and ran. I raced to the nearest restroom , threw myself into  a cubicle and fell to my knees in front of the toilet  as my stomach violently erupted. Wave after wave of nausea hit me and I felt my stomach would turn inside out with every heave. Finally it stopped and I knelt back, sweat cooling on my body and making me shiver. I knew I couldn't stay here but had no idea where to go or what I should do. I curled up, tucking myself into as small a huddle as possible and the effects of stress and of being sick took their toll and I fell into an uneasy sleep.

Meanwhile:

"You all have a bit more color in your faces now" Bobby Horan remarked as he looked the lads over carefully. "Are you up to hearing what the Dr has to tell us?" He received confirming nods from everyone and they all settled down in various chairs as they prepared to be updated of Niall's current situation. "Where's Zayn?" Bobby suddenly asked and everyone began to look around the room. In their anxiety over Niall, nobody had registered the fact he wasn't with them.

"He was with us when Maura rang but he must have not come with us. Sh*t, he probably thinks Niall's died, like we all did. We have to find him" Liam felt panic rising as he had no idea what effect  the belief of Niall's passing would have on Zayn.  Zayn often tried to cover his emotions but  he was far more sensitive than people realised and he was always very protective over Niall. "We have to find him"

They all split up to search  and Louis retraced his steps  to the ICU waiting room to see if he could find anyone who had seen Zayn and could offer a clue as to where he had headed. Luck was with him as  one nurse had seen him enter the restroom. Louis raced there, though  he didn't  really expect Zayn to still be there . He  let out a deep breath of relief  when he saw Zayn's body  through the open door of the cubicle,  tightly curled up on the floor. He crouched down beside him and gently shook him. "Zayn, bro..can you wake up?"  Zayn slowly opened his eyes and blinked up at Louis in confusion. "Zaynie...can you get up? It's OK bro, it's not what you think. Niall's still with us. " Louis stood up and held out his hand to his friend, pulling him swiftly to his feet. Wrapping an arm around his waist, he led him back down to the lower floor and Dr Collins' office where he then  texted everyone to say Zayn had been found and they could all meet up again.

"Now we are all here, I'll do my best to explain the current situation for Niall. As I said earlier, his condition is still critical though I am confident his chances of recovery have  greatly improved. However, as I warned you, it is possible for unexpected problems to arise which could undo all the progress made. 

Niall is waking up for brief moments.These  brief wakings,   followed by long lengths of unconsciousness are a perfectly normal part of recovery. This stage may last for some time. Once he is wake for longer intervals, we will be able to  assess more accurately how his recovery will continue. I have mentioned he may have temporary amnesia, mood swings and so forth" He eyed everyone who nodded in response, each remembering the previous warnings that Dr Collins has given them. He continued "Niall is currently receiving dialysis as his kidney function has been impaired but again, this is improving and I am hopeful that this is temporary.  Once Niall is  more awake than asleep, we will move on to physical therapy  and such. Niall has a very long road ahead of him and it won't be easy for him....or you". Dr Collins sat back in his chair . " Any questions?"

"Mmh,  you spoke of unexpected problems. What do you mean and can they be avoided?" Louis posed the question  that was worrying him. 

"Being confined to bed, Niall can develop secondary issues. Bed sores, though we do our best to prevent those, muscle wastage , and the main concern...pneumonia. This is very common when a patient has limited movement . Physiotherapists will work to keep his chest as clear as possible but I must also ask that none of visit him if you have even the slightest suggestion of a cold, or any other illness for that matter. 

Now, I know that I appear to be leaning towards the negative but I feel I have to inform you of all the pitfalls. That said, it looks like Niall is a very fortunate young man in his support system. Just don't give up on him. Even though he may not appear aware of your presence, he reacts to pain and is making involuntary movement. Keep talking and touching him, treat him like he is aware of you . Every thing can help."

Dr Collins rose and shook their hands as they left, each of them mulling over what they had been told and all of them feeling fresh hope.

"I have an idea" Louis suddenly blurted out. "You know how we do short video clips for fans who have cancer and stuff? How about we ask the fans to do video clips for Niall? It would be great for him to know just how much they love him and if he hears them, well, it could help. What'ya think?" Louis looked at Liam and Zayn, his eyes bright with excitement. They nodded. "Great, let's go tell Harry the good news then we can get on Twitter. Maybe do a Twitcam?" He studied the other lads, eyebrow lifted in question."

"Let's go for it" Zayn said. He suddenly felt the  sun had come out and Liam, pulled up by Louis and Zayn's improved mood, grinned in response. 

"Yes, let's do it!"

They announced that they were doing Twitcam and everything went wild. They crowded around Liam's laptop and read all the questions coming in. Everyone was frantic to hear how Niall was.

"Guys, Niall's doing a bit better but he's still a very poorly leprechaun. And this is why we need your help. We'd love it if you guys could do short videos or voice clips for Niall to cheer him on. We'll play these to him and you never know, it could make all the difference. You have always been the best fans and we love you. You have done so much for us  and we appreciate it but we'd like you to do this bit more for us. For Niall?" The response was amazing and within a short time videos were flying in to the special account the boys had set up on youtube. The bandmates were overwhelmed by the way the fans through themselves into "Project Niall"