The Wolf In sheeps clothing

Fussin' Over Nothin'

Avoiding his Ma's sharp eyes was the order of the day, Niall decided. Having woken up early, he left his mother a brief note saying he had errands to run and  she and Chris were to make themselves at home and relax. He slid into his Range Rover and drove away, heading toward's Louis home. He could hide out there for the day.

"All right, lad" Louis invited him in. "Wasn't expecting to see you ,bro. How'd the house move go?"

"Good. I've left me Ma and stepdad there but I just needed to escape for a day" Niall admitted sheepishly

"Ni? What's up mate, that's not like you to ditch family. Tell Uncle Louis what's wrong" 

"Nothin' Just Ma being Ma. She's fussin' over me and there's nothing to fuss about. "Niall grumbled.

"Ni, Maura isn't one to fuss over nothing. If she's worried about you, she's cause to" Louis responded. He had grown to know Niall well over the years the band had been together and knew that Niall downplayed everything, never admitting to being ill or stressed even when the rest of the world could see that he was." Come on, let's get a beer and talk". Louis led the way through his home and out to sunny pool area, stopping by the kitchen to pull two cans of chilled beer from the fridge.

"I'm sure he's ill, Chris" Maura told her husband. "That was a rash on his face. Sunburn, as if! Trying to fool me. Well, he doesn't. I'll be having words with my son when he returns" Maura was about to continue when the house phone rang and she hurried to answer it.

"May I speak with Mr Niall Horan? a woman's voice asked.

"My son isn't here at the moment, may I take a message for him?" Maura asked

"Well, I shouldn't leave one but it is important. Doctor Ward has to go out of town and he has asked if Mr Horan could move his appointment forward to 2pm tomorrow afternoon.." the woman  replied.

"Well, I will say yes but get my son to ring you if there is a problem."Maura frowned as she spoke. Doctor? That meant she was right, Niall was hiding something.

"Thank you. He may leave a message on the answering system if the office is closed when he calls. Have a nice day"

"You too" Maura responded then hung up "That was a doctor's office, wanting to alter Niall's appointment. Chris, I know I'm right. My baby is ill."

"He's a grown man, Maura. If he wanted you to know anything, he'd tell you" Chris said, reasonably. " It's probably nothing, he's bound to be a bit run down after all that touring. Leave the lad, be".

"H'mmmh" was Maura's reply. She knew her boy and she knew what she saw.

"Lou?"  Louis turned to look at Niall who now had his hand clamped over his mouth. He was deathly pale, though part of his face looked red, and sweat was pouring from his small body. Louis instantly sprang up and helped Niall stand. With an arm firmly around Niall's waist, he supported his friend into the house and the nearest bathroom. Niall immediately fell to his knees and vomited violently into the toilet bowl. 

Louis put a small hand towel under running water then wrung it out so it was just damp. He then carefully used it to wipe Niall's face before draping it across the back of Niall's neck to help cool him down. Niall sank back on his knees, hands still gripping the sides of the toilet bowl.

"Thanks Lou" he murmured as he willed his stomach to stop doing summersaults.

"Bro, how are you feeling now? Do you think you'll be sick again?" Louis rubbed Niall's back soothingly.

"Nah, think I'm done. I've not eaten today, just had that beer" Niall took deep breaths then groaned as another wave of sickness erupted from his mouth. "This is stupid. I've nothing in my belly so where is it coming from?" he said tearfully.

"Here, wash your mouth out and have a few sips of water. Sips, though, Nialler" Louis handed him a glass then reached over Niall and flushed the toilet.  "Com'on bro, come lay down for a bit" He helped Niall stand and led him through the house to the bedroom. Niall subsided gratefully onto the bed then curled up into a small ball. "Have a nap, you'll feel better when you've slept" Louis pulled a blanket over Niall then placed a trash can by the side of the bed just in case Niall got sick again. He looked at Niall and smiled, his bandmate was already asleep, worn out from being ill. Louis quietly left the room.

A few hours later, Niall stumbled into the kitchen where Louis was making a sandwich. "You look better, Nialler" he said "Hungry?" he gestured towards the sandwich but got a negative shake of the head from Niall.

"Nay, just some water, please" Niall's voice was soft, tired sounding.

"Here ya go" Louis handed Niall a glass of chilled water and Niall sipped it gratefully, rubbing the cold glass against his fore head and cheeks which were dark pink. "We shouldn't have sat out in the sun, bro. It looks like it's made your heat rash worse" Louis commented.

"Yeah, I dozed off in the sun yesterday and got a little sunburnt. Ma thinks it's a rash" Niall shrugged dismissively.

"Well, she could be right. If you did that yesterday and we sat out in the sun earlier, you probably aggravated it. I reckon you had too much sun, maybe that's why you were sick?" Louis suggested. He'd done something similar last year in Mexico and had to be treated for heat stroke.

"Yeah" Niall agreed "That'll be it. Look, I'd better get moving, take Ma and Chris out for dinner. THanks , Lou" He hugged his mate then left, heading home. With a bit of luck, his Ma will have found something else to fret over and leave him alone.

"Ma, Chris?" Niall called out as he walked into the blessed coolness of his home.

"In the kitchen, darlin'" Maura replied and Niall headed that way.

"Get your glad rags on" Niall grinned at his diminutive mother as he hugged her . He wasn't overly tall himself but he still was half a head taller. "I'm taking you guys out to dinner"

Maura eyed her son , taking in the redness covering part of his face which contrasted so starkly with the extreme pallor of the rest of it. Her son looked exhausted and, she looked him up and down, much thinner than he was a few months ago. "Niall, I don't think that's a good idea" she said tentatively "You look like you should be in bed, resting"

"I'm fine, I don't need to rest" Niall tried to keep the irritation from his voice. "Stop your fussin' "

"Fussin, is it?" Maura's tone was sharp "Then explain this" she thrust a small sheet of paper into his hand and he glanced down , reading the information on it..

'Appointment with Doctor Ward at 2pm Wednesday' He looked up at his mother, color flushing the cheeks that were not already stained red.

"Well?" She stood and glared at her son who shifted his weight from one foot to another.

"Just a check up, Ma. IT's nothing. We've been on the road, touring and stuff so it just routine".

"Then why are you covering it up Niall?" Maura said tersely

"M'not" Niall tried to sound confident . "Not, covering up anything" . Maura continued to study him then turned away.

"We'll just get ready for dinner then" she said and left the room. Niall stared down at the floor and sighed. "D*mn" he muttered.