What Are The Odds?

nineteen

As expected, the talk Harry wanted to have was indeed in fact about Zayn starting radiation treatments. Obviously, Harry tried to make it seem as though everything was fine, and this was just a method in order to try and speed up the process. But Zayn wasn't stupid. He could tell the doctor hated discussing this with him, however, he decided to play dumb and pretend that he believed him.

The rest of that day Zayn was allowed to do whatever he wanted. From skateboarding in the halls to even hanging out in the doctor's quarters - which is where all the best snacks are - Niall and the other nurses let Zayn get away with everything. And at first he was confused because typically at this point he would be locked in his room with a nurse guarding him 24-7, but then everything clicked when he woke up the next morning.

"Come on, Zee, we have your first radiation treatment today," Niall says as he lightly shakes the boy awake.

Zayn groans a bit, but nonetheless wakes up a few moments after Niall stops shaking him. The young boy rolls over in his sleep before finally opening up his eyes only to meet Niall's sympathetic ones.

"C'mon, bub, go brush your teeth then we have to go," Niall says as he helps the boy up.

So quickly Zayn brushes his teeth and pulls on a pair of sweatpants so that he's not in just boxers before finally he and Niall are making their way down to a room Zayn had never entered. The younger one looked at the door uncertain eyes, however, eventually he just sighed as he walked through because, well, he was gonna have to do it eventually.

When Zayn entered he was greeted by Dr. Styles as well as two other doctors who look familiar but he's never met before. Harry is quick to introduce them, though, at the two radiation techs who will be helping throughout the eight weeks he's planned to be doing the treatments. Once the hellos are distributed, one of the techs - who Zayn learned was named Melissa - guided him into a room where a single table was connected to a rather large white machine.

"So that is the radiation machine," Melissa explains to Zayn. "When you lay down I'm gonna give you the contrast material injection before placing a mesh like mask over your head. This is just to help you remain still seeing as though that's the area where the radiation will be administered through. If you're uncomfortable with it, then tomorrow we won't use it. Do you have any questions?"

"How long does this take?" Zayn asks while fiddling with his fingers.

"About ten minutes in total. It's quick," the woman replies with a smile.

"Does- does it hurt?" Zayn asks, quieter this time though.

"You don't feel a thing during it, but afterwards there could be side effects."

And with that Zayn nods because, well, that's all he cares to know about.

Soon enough the boy finds himself laid out on the table where - like told - was given a quick injection before a white mask was pulled over his face in order to keep him in place. From there, the woman made sure Zayn was comfortable - which he said yes to - before exiting back out to where the other doctors were waiting. Eventually, he heard the dreaded sound of the machine turning on before it began to rotate over to his head area. That's when he closed his eyes.

He didn't want to see this. He didn't want to watch the machine that could either end or save his life get to work because there were just too many what ifs. He didn't want to have to see any of it even if it was only ten minutes. Luckily, though, those ten minutes pass by quickly, and soon enough Zayn finds Harry inside the room with him where the man quickly frees him from the mask and IV cord.

"Quick, yeah?" Harry says with a smile as he helps the boy get seated into his wheelchair.

"Real quick," Zayn mumbles as he sits back in the chair.