Back to Reality: Niall's Cancer Battle sequel

Chapter Four: Fine

Chapter Four: Fine

*Niall's POV*

Two days after my birthday we have an interview scheduled with one of the local broadcast news stations. The boys are all getting ready as I sit and finish pressing my pen against my notebook's paper.

The past two days have gone smoothly. I haven't had any weird mental meltdowns or found myself in another flashback. I haven't been able to figure out what triggers it, but I'm thankful they haven't occurred lately. It sucks to always confuse the past from the present.

Imagine waking up and everything you know has suddenly aged a month. The lads have changed their physical appearances. My own body has become weaker, more fragile. I've lost weight. I don't remember anything that happened and it sucks.

"Almost ready to go?" Zayn walks in the room with a comb in his hand. He stands in front of a mirror and fixes his black hair. Before the coma, Zayn had a stripe of blonde in the front. I wonder why he took it out.

I close my notebook and toss it onto my bed. "Yeah, I'm ready." I grab a cardigan and throw it on. I frown at the baggy sleeves. "I should work out and build up some more arm muscle," I joke.

Zayn looks at me through the mirror and smiles. I hold up my arms and flap the large sleeves. "More eye candy for the fans," he winks.

Zayn finished up his hair and the other lads join us in the room. We're ready to go and head out. The lads joke around with each other and I do my best to laugh along even though I don't understand some of the things they're talking about. I don't like being out of the loop.

Our security team joins us before we head out of the hotel. I had almost forgotten how crazy things get.

I'm blasted with screams that make my ears ring as soon as the doors open to let us through. The noise makes me feel like I'm drowning and I keep my head down. I know Zayn is in front of me and I grab his wrist, desperate to not be separated. A hand is on my back and I glance behind me to see Harry giving me a reassuring look. I know with them and our security I'm safe.

"NIALL! NIALL! NIALL!" I try to block out the girls screaming my name. I'm not used to the noise.

"MOVE BACK. PLEASE GIRLS, MOVE BACK." I can see Paul and a couple guards sectioning off the girls so we can jump into the waiting car.

Hands claw at me. Girls scream. Everything's too much.

I make a mistake of looking up and am bombarded with camera flashes. The light causes spots to blacken my vision and I tighten my grip on Zayn's wrist.

Microphones and recorders are thrusted at my mouth. Paparazzi desperate for the lead story.

Harry moves closer to me and wraps an arm around my shoulders, pushing me forward so that I'm looking down again. "Please move," he says to the crowd.

Zayn's wrist suddenly slips out of my grasp and I panic. Without him leading me I'm lost in a sea of people. The mics are too close. The flashes too bright.

I feel myself going under.

They all want too much from me.

"Please," I whimper and Harry holds me tighter with one hand and moves people with the other.

A hand suddenly grabs my wrist and I try to pull out of the hold. "Niall, it's me." I look up and realize I've finally made it to the car. Zayn has his hand on me and nods for me to get in the car.

"NIALL A COUPLE QUESTIONS!"

I ignore the requests and the screams. Hands pull at me as I try to get in the car. Harry pushes me in from behind and finally I'm inside. The door is shut behind Harry and the screams become a duller sound.