Payback. Sequel To TMHJ

Chapter eight

I'm uploading again, since today I finished my second of three assignments due in the next fortnight. :) I am so sorry! Like I said in the previous chapter, the characters took control! I am going to add some trigger warnings in the summary for this story, I think. The trigger warning for this chapter is suicide. Please don't read if this makes you uncomfortable or brings up bad memories for you.

When Liam and Harry heard Louis' scream, they both looked at each other and bolted towards the bathroom. There they saw Louis in the doorway, steam everywhere from the hot shower, and inside the bathtub/shower combination they saw their worst nightmare. A seemingly dead, naked, Niall. Blood was running down both of his wrists, which were sitting under the water, making them drain quicker. If Liam looked close enough, he did see Niall's chest rising and falling. 'He's still alive!' he exclaimed as Harry turned the water off to slow down the blood a bit. Louis was still frozen. 'Lou, we need to get him to the hospital!'

'I'm on it, I'm on it!' Louis said, breaking out of his shock. Tears were falling down his cheeks as he grabbed a towel to cover Niall and scooped him in his arms.

As he was lifting the boy, Liam stopped him suddenly. 'What's that on his backside?'

They looked at Niall's ass. 'That motherfucker beat him! He better hope he is thrown in jail, because if not I will kill him!' Louis grabbed Niall and stormed out of the house and straight into Liam's car. 'Drive Liam. Speed to the fucking hospital!'Louis looked down at the seemingly sleeping Niall. It couldn't have happened long ago, if Niall was still alive. Using the towel, he held Niall's wrists, trying to keep as much blood in his body as he could. 'I love you, Niall. Please stay alive.'

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Zayn and Perrie were cuddling on the couch. 'I can't imagine what Louis and Niall are going through,' Perrie said. 'If we were forced to break up, I don't know what I would do.'

'They're just coping the best they can. It's a shitty situation, though.' Just then the phone rang. Zayn had it on the table in front of them, so he was able to reach it from the couch. 'Hello?' he asked.

'Hello, Louis?'

'No. He went to collect Niall. They should be there by now. They left an hour ago.'

'We haven't had them come in,' the officer said down the line.

'Wait, really?' Zayn asked, sitting up straight. Perrie was worried now, knowing something went wrong. 'I'll call them now and see what is going on. Yes, I will. Thank you, officer.' He hung up the phone. He looked at Perrie. 'They haven't made it to the police station yet. I'm going to call Harry.'

'Okay,' Perrie said, grabbing his hand for comfort.

Zayn grabbed his mobile and brought up Harry's number. 'Harry?!' Zayn said when Harry picked up the phone.

'Hey, Z. Listen, we've had to take Niall to the hospital. It looks like he... Just come down here?'

'Of course. We'll be there soon.' Zayn hung up, standing up straight away. 'Niall's in hospital. We have to go, now!'

'Okay, but I'll drive. You're in no state to be driving right now.'

'What would I ever do without you?'

Perrie shrugged. 'Let's go!' The pair left the house, locking up and went down to the car.

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Officer Jackson was in charge of the Horan/Cowell case. It was his time to shine, solving the case, and if what he has been told about Simon is true, he hopes the man goes away for a long time. Simon claimed to have no knowledge of the alleged kidnapping, and right now all they can officially go by is his word, since Niall still hadn't shown up.

'Jackson,' sergeant Robins called out. Jackson stood up from his desk, where he'd just hung up with one of Niall's friends. He walked to his bosses office. 'What is going on with the Horan/Cowell case? Update me.'

'Well, sir, we have taken down Cowell's statement, but unfortunately Horan hasn't been able to get in here yet to make his. I just spoke to one of his friends and he said he should have been here by now.'

'We have to let Mr. Cowell go then. We can't keep holding him here.'

'But sir, just a few more—'

'I'm sorry, Josh. I know what it's like to be new at being in charge of a job. It's hard not to pick sides, but we need to be fair on both sides. Innocent until proven guilty, remember?'

Josh nodded his head. 'I know, sir. Okay, I'll release him now.'

'Okay, thank you. Oh, and Josh, it does get easier to not pick a side. When that happens your job will feel a lot easier.'

'Yes, sir.' He walked out and over to the interviewing room Simon was being held in.

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Louis was pacing around the waiting room. Liam had just gotten off the phone with Niall's parents. They were thankful Liam called them and they were booking flights now. Harry was sitting in one of the chairs, just staring at the ground. Zayn and Perrie rushed into the waiting room. They saw the sad sight and joined them.

'What happened?' Zayn asked as he and Perrie sat down between Liam and Harry.

'Simon's going to die. That's what!' Louis was still pacing, now faster. 'How long does it take them?'

Harry stood up, walking to Louis, just in time to catch him when he broke down. While Harry was comforting Louis, Liam was able to update Zayn and Perrie.

'So, we got to Niall's and he wouldn't answer to our knocks. Luckily I'd left a spare key in my car, since I didn't trust Niall to be living by himself without me having one. We got inside and Louis went up the hallway while Harry and I were looking in the living areas. Next thing we know, we heard Louis scream. We rush up the hallway and see Niall lying there... He was...' Liam is unable to finish it as the image comes very clearly to his mind and he begins sobbing. Zayn strokes Liam's back as he just sits there crying. Zayn and Perrie didn't need Liam to finish. They were able to make a pretty good guess.

'So you brought him straight here?'

Liam nodded. 'They're seeing him now.'

Just then a doctor with a clipboard walks out. 'Niall Horan?' he calls out and the five of them jump up at once. They rush over to the doctor.

'Please tell me it's good news, doc!' Louis begged.

'It's good and bad, I'm afraid. The good news is, Niall is alive. The bad news is we're not sure when he'll wake up, if he'll ever wake up. He's in a coma. His body is trying to handle all the blood loss. Can I ask how he got the bruises?'

They all shrugged. 'We don't know for sure, doc, but we think it might have something to do with someone the police have in custody,' Liam said.

'Can we go see him?' Louis asked, impatiently.

'Only family right now, I'm afraid.'

'Please, I'm the closest to family he has here. I'm his boyfriend.'

The doctor sighed. 'Only for a little while.' Louis nodded and followed him back, the rest of the gang sitting down in the waiting room again.