This is not the end~ Fourth book in PLMI series

Hold on for dear love-8

-Mackenzie's POV-
I woke up slowly to the sound of a beeping. A heart monitor. Mine? Niall's? I couldn't be sure of anything right now. My mind was not in the best state.
I slowly opened my eyes and closed them again at the bright light. My head pounded and the world was spinning as I opened them again.
"Kenz?" I heard Louis ask slowly. "Are you awake?" He whispered and I managed a nod. I was too tired and too weak to fight the restraints that held me down. I slowly opened my eyes again and looked up at him. I couldn't sit up,but I could manage to look at him. His eyes were scared and...tired.
"Niall."I croaked, wanting an answer. My lungs were aching for fresh air, my throat for water. I began to fight the restraints again, but Louis reached out and touched my arm.
"Shh....stay still. Niall's okay. He's....alive." he whispered and I calmed down.
"He.....he.....He's alive?"I stammered and Louis nodded, but didn't smile or laugh like he usually does. His face was expressionless. I couldn't read it like I usually could.
"Where is he? Is he okay? Did his cancer come back?" I shot the questions at him quickly and he sighed.
"I just....need you to listen to me and I need you to listen good. You got that? " He asked sternly and I nodded and he reached out to grab my hand.
"Jake is dead. Your mother.....and Trey....they were caught. They are in jail. Okay?" Louis asked and I nodded for him to continue. "They had to sedate you...two times because you wouldn't calm down. Once you got here, you went straight into surgery....they got the bullet out of your foot. Your arms....were infected. Did you cut yourself before you went to turn yourself in?" He asked and I looked away.
"Louis." I sighed and he nodded, already knowing.
"I know...." he whispered, gripping my hand. Tears began to sting my eyes and I wanted so bad to sit up.
"Can...you do me a favor....?" I stammered and he looked up at me.
"Sure."
"Can you please get these damn things off of me. I'm not an animal. " I said, fiddling with the strap that went over my stomach. Louis nodded, then looked up, smiling.
"As long as you don't bite me, gouge my eyes out, or rip someone's throat out with my teeth." He smirked and I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm.
"Shut up and do it." I said. He fiddled with the straps and finally they released me. I sighed and sat up slowly. My head pounded and my foot hurt badly.
I opened my arms for a hug and Louis hugged me tightly.
"It's good to have you back love."
"I was only gone for two days Louis." I pointed out and he shook his head.
"No. I mean you! You weren't yourself when Niall was gone. That girl wasn't you. She was your grief." He said and I thought for a moment. Is that girl me? The anorexic....depressed, anxious one? No. I don't think so. Is that how other people see me? Is it how Niall sees me? It is impossible to determine what Niall thinks.....boys are so confusing. I suddenly got an idea and I sat up more, ignoring the pain in my foot.
"I want to see Niall." I blurted out and Louis sighed.
"You aren't even supposed to sit up. Let alone get up." He said sternly and I huffed and swung my legs over the side of the bed, getting up.
"Bullshit. Since when are you the responsible one." I said forcefully and he laughed.
"See. This is why I like you Johnny." He said and I smiled through my pain and got up, balancing on one foot. He didn't offer me help, and I didn't ask for it either.
"What room...is he in?" I asked Louis as I ripped open the door. Louis laughed and winked at me.
"218. You're such a child." He said and I rolled my eyes.
"Get it from you." I gasped at the pain, walking out the door. Everyone was outside the door and I met everyone's eyes. They all stared at me in wonder.
"Where do you think you're going?" A doctor asked me, who was outside the door. I gripped the railing along the wall and smiled fakely.
"To see my boyfriend." I replied and Harry laughed. Obviously that was funny?
"Are you supposed to be doing that?" He asked me, grabbing my arm. I winced at the sting coming from my cuts.
"Yes." I replied, ripping my arm from his grasp.
"I think you need to go back to your room....." he trailed and Zayn stepped behind him, putting a hand on the doctors shoulder.
"Can she go if I carry her?" He asked slowly and I looked at him. Thank you Zayn!!!! The doctor sighed and rolled his eyes.
"I suppose. Just as long as she doesn't put weight on that foot. Or it will take longer to heal." The doctor warned as he walked away. Zayn stepped up to me and I hugged him quickly.
"Thank you." I sighed over his shoulder and he laughed.
"No problem. Come on." He whispered. He pulled away from our hug and picked me up into his arms slowly. I winced and he rose his eyebrows.
"Did I hurt you....?" He asked and I smiled and shook my head.
"Nope. I'm perfectly alright." I replied, hiding my pain as best I could. Zayn nodded and sighed. He carried me down the hallway and turned into another one. I was dizzy and tired, but I only wanted to see Niall.
Zayn gently opened the door, which read 218. I peeked inside and gasped at Niall's appearance. Zayn carried me into the room and sat me down on a chair next to the bed.
"Can you........give me a minute with him alone....?" I whispered and Zayn nodded, heading out the door and closing it quietly behind it. I looked back to Niall and his eye twitched. I reached out and grabbed his hand in mine slowly.
"Niall. You know I love you. Right?" I asked and he just laid there.....unresponsive. "I want you to fight. I want you to get better. For me. Please. You saved our lives. You can't give up now." I whispered, tears coming to my eyes. I reached my other hand up and brushed some of his dirty hair away from his face. His face twitched and I desperately wanted him to wake up. I began to cry, and put my head down on the bed. I stayed there for quite a long time before I put my head back up to look at him.
I instantly thought of a song I was writing. The chorus was done, but not the verses. But....it was about Niall leaving.
"Niall.....?" I asked. "Can I sing you something?" I asked and he groaned, still in a deep, drug induced sleep. I began to sing anyways, my throat aching as I went, my voice totally shot.
"If we're not stupid, we'll both hold on for dear love. Fight our way through this, it's not worth just givin up. Cause I've got some fire left in me. And I don't see us ending this way. If we're not stupid, we'll both hold on for dear love. Love." I sang and Niall's hand moved underneath mine. His heart monitor jumped rapidly and I smiled.
"Come on Niall." I whispered, bringing his hand up to my lips.

-Niall's POV-
I heard a voice. It had to be hers. It was beautiful.
"Come on Niall." She whispered to me. I felt her raise my hand to her lips. I slowly tried my eyes and opened them slowly. She was sitting right next to me, crying.
"Shhh.....don't cry love." I whispered and her head shot up and I watched her as the tears fell down her face at a faster rate.
"Oh my gosh. You.....you're awake!" She sobbed and I nodded slowly. Every thing hurt. Every slightest movement I made hurt. Her hand gripped mine so tightly, it was cutting off my circulation, but I didn't tell her. I didn't mind.
"What....what happened?" I asked. I had no memory of what happened. None whatsoever. I was so confused.
"We got away Niall. They're both in jail." She said and I smiled.
"They...got caught?" I asked and she nodded. I tried to lean over to hug her, but groaned at the pain all the way down my chest. It ran from my lungs, even down into my stomach.
"Careful. Don't move much." She warned and I frowned.
"It hurts." I whined and she nodded.
"I'd expect it would."
"Why?" I asked curiously.
​​​​​​ "You had surgery Niall. You had a tumor in both of your lungs. They got it all out." Mackenzie said and I frowned.
"How's your foot......?" I asked and she shrugged.
"Its a'right." She said, reaching her hand out to play with my hair. I noticed the bandages that went all the way up her arms where she had cut herself.
"And.......your arms....?" I asked and she froze, looking down at her feet.
"They....got infected.......cause....I didn't bandage them....and it....there was dirt and....." she stammered, trying to find the right words. I reached out to her, which hurt, motioning for her to come her.
"C'mere...." I slurred, still tired from the drugs. I scooted over slowly, leaving a space for her on the bed. She slowly got up and hobbled closer to bed, laying down next to me quietly.
"I want to be with you forever." She whispered and my heart raced. You could literally hear it on the heart monitor. I tried to move my arm, but it was hooked up to the tubes and needles again.
"Your heart is racing Niall." She whispered and I nodded slowly, staring at her green eyes.
"I know." I told her. "What was that song you were singing....before I woke up...?" I asked and she frowned.
"You heard that?"
"A little." I admitted and she shrugged.
"I wrote it while you were gone." She whispered and I nodded.
"I like it."
"Its about....how I never want to let go. I want to hold on. To you." She whispered, blushing.
"I'll never let you go." I whispered, wrapping my free arm around her. She sighed and hugged me to her chest.
"Don't leave me again." She sighed quietly, sounding tired.
"Believe me. I'm not planning on it."

A/n- Here's the song she sang. m.youtube.com/watch?v=-zxmf1ZUIL...