Nine Lives (Zarry Fan Fiction)

Chapter 3

When Zayn climbs back into the car, Louis asks if he’s okay, but he doesn’t look at him, just puts his seat belt on and roots through his pocket for his chewing gum. Louis takes the hint, starting the car and raising his hand at the police officer before he pulls away.

The silence is excruciating so when it starts raining, Zayn’s grateful for the sound of it on the roof again as he leans into the door and lets his head fall against the window, trying to put as much distance between him and Louis as possible. His whole face is burning, either from being sick or from what Louis just said, so the cool glass is a relief against his temple as they cross Lambeth Bridge and he looks down the Thames towards the London Eye, which is lit up like a gold bangle against the grey sky.

He’s never been to St Thomas’ Hospital, but when he sees the Sky News truck he knows they’re there and his stomach lurches again.

‘For fucks sake,’ Louis mutters under his breath, taking his phone out of the front pocket of his denim shirt and tapping at the screen. ‘Li, we’re here,’ he says, putting it on handsfree so he can adjust the windscreen wipers as the rain gathers momentum.

‘Thank God.’ Liam lets go of a breath. ‘Zayn?’

‘I’m here,’ he says, crossing his arms.

‘It’s good to hear your voice, mate,’ he says, and Zayn can hear him smiling, even over the phone. ‘Lou, come ‘round the back. There are paps everywhere.’

‘What way do I go? I can’t see a fucking thing in this rain.’

‘Hold on, I’m gonna hand you over to one of the nurses. He’ll direct you, okay?’

The nurse directs them past the main entrance and when they pass the paps waiting on the curb, Zayn’s shoulders fall, grateful that he won’t have to fight his way through them. It’s raining so hard he’s sure they won’t see them, but one of them recognises Louis’ car and starts running after them. As soon as he does, they all start running, and Louis puts his foot down, the back wheels slipping on the wet road as the nurse tells them to turn right. Zayn reaches for the handle on the door as they skid around the corner, his shoulders jumping up again. They almost hit a parked car and it must scare Louis as well because he goes a little slower as they drive along the side of the hospital.

When they get to the top of the road, they turn right again. Zayn checks over his shoulder to see how close the photographers are, but when they get to the back entrance of the hospital there’s another huddle waiting. They run towards the car when they see them approaching and Zayn doesn’t know how Louis doesn’t veer off the road as their cameras go off, all at once, filling the car with light. He can’t see a thing and puts a hand up as they get closer, telling Louis to be careful as a guy in a padded jacket breaks from the pack and runs out into middle of the road. Zayn tells him to stop, but Louis doesn’t flinch. He keeps going and just when Zayn’s sure he’s going to hit him, he pulls sharply onto the ramp down to the staff car park and Zayn almost throws up again.

When Zayn sees the mouth of the car park, he thinks that’s it, but then he sees the barrier and his heart drops. Louis reads his mind and mutters, 'Shit' as the nurse tells them that they need to enter a code to get in. He and Louis exchange a glance as they hear the paps running down the ramp after them, but there’s nothing they can do, they have to stop. As soon as they do, the paps surround the car, their cameras knocking so loudly against the windows, Zayn’s sure they’re going to break. Louis tells him to tug up his hoodie and he does, his heart quivering when he hears one of them ask after Harry.

‘Keep your head down,’ Louis warns him as he opens the window to reach out to the keypad, but as soon as he does, one of them shoves his camera in. Louis growls, pushing him back, but the pap just laughs and thanks him for the shot.