The Wolf In sheeps clothing

Phase Three

Niall grabbed the bowl just in time as another wave of nausea hit him. He gagged weakly, his pale face slick with sweat. He was so exhausted and just wanted this torture to end.

"Oh, you poor lamb" the nurse cooed at him as she switched the soiled receptacle for a fresh one. "I'm going to get you some more anti-nausea medication and call Mr Hayes-Hamilton". She bustled about him, wiping his face with a cool cloth before injecting the promised medication into the canula in his hand. "It should take effect very soon, sweetheart" she promised. "I'll be back in a moment, you just try to rest." She left the room briskly and Niall lay back weakly against his pillows. He was so done. He closed his eyes and willed his stomach to settle but within minutes he was vomiting again.

"I'm taking you off this medication, Niall. It's obvious that your body just can't tolerate this particular combination of drugs." Gordon Hayes-Hamilton said resignedly " You are not gaining any benefit from it, rather it is making matters worse. We'll stop them immediately then give you time to get over any side effects from the withdrawal and try something else.".

"If I  just stop being sick, I'd be happy" Niall's voice sounded sore and husky. He had endured almost constant vomiting, bleeding, tremors and countless other side effects following the introduction of the immunosupressant medication ,but it was the nausea that had tormented him the most. Still, he had been warned that finding the correct treatment would be no walk in the park.

"Yes, you've suffered rather badly there. I did warn you it was a possibility but I've never had a patient react quite so badly to before" Hayes-Hamilton admitted. " I'll leave you to get some rest then we'll discuss how we can proceed when you are feeling a little better." He smiled at Niall then left, pausing at the doorway to have a whispered conversation with the nurse, who nodded several times then followed him out. She returned moments later to check his iV before handing him a paper cup of pills and a glass of water. Niall obediently swallowed the proffered pills before allowing her to lower the bed then darken the room before she  left, leaving Niall to sleep.He was so exhausted that his eyes shut almost immediately and he was soon deeply asleep.

Louis glared at Gordon Hayes-Hamilton, hands fisted on his hips. "Why can't I see him?" he snapped .

"Niall hasn't reacted too well to the drugs we've been trying. We've stopped them but Niall needs to rest, without being disturbed." Hayes-Hamilton said patiently. "Louis, I know you don't approve of what I'm doing, but I really do have Niall's best interest at heart."

"Do you?" Louis asked bluntly . "Or is Niall just a convenient guinea-pig for you? "

"The treatment we've been trying is the standard, recognised method. I promise you, I am not experimenting. I'm just aiming to find the most beneficial treatment for your friend. Sometimes it takes time to find the right combination." Hayes-Hamilton said firmly. Louis looked at him, eyes narrowed. "That's all I'm doing, Louis."

"Ok, say I believe you..and I'm not sure I do.....what happens now?" Louis questioned.

"We give Niall some time to get stronger then we try another combination. And we keep trying until we get it right." Hayes-Hamilton responded. "And we will get it right....eventually."

"So Niall has to put up with getting sicker and sicker until you do?" Louis said furiously.

"What do you want me to do, Louis? Abandon treating Niall? Because that isn't going to help him either. Yes, he's sick but if we don't find some way of controlling this, his heart and kidneys will get more and more damaged. Is that what you want?" Hayes-Hamilton kept his voice even though he was getting frustrated with Louis. He understood the young man's reaction but he was also concerned about his patient, genuinely wanting the lad to recover.  "I know he's your friend, I understand you care about him, but I only want the best for him, myself. You have to trust me and allow me to do my job".

"Yeah, I know" Louis turned away from the Doctor, hiding the tears swimming in his eyes.He surreptitiously wiped his hand over his face. Hayes-Hamilton put a hand on his shoulder and patted it. "I...I'm sorry." Louis whispered.

"I promise, I will do my best for him, Louis" the doctor spoke quietly. "Look, I know I said no visitors but if you promise not to wake him, you can sit with him for a short time. Come on." He guided Louis out of his office and towards Niall's room.

Almost a week later, Niall was feeling so much better, the constant nausea having finally ceased and he was now able to hold down small amounts of food and water without difficulty. Even his normally pale complexion had gained a feint tinge of pink across the cheekbones. Louis had been a constant visitor, following Gordon Hayes-Hamilton lifting the ban on visits and was delighted to see Niall improve with each passing day.

In the following weeks, more drug combinations were tried and  Niall's body rejected every drug mix . Though the medication improved some aspects of his Lupus , the side effects were exacting a toll on his body and he grew more frail with each attempt to control his illness. Eventually he was released from the hospital and allowed to recover away from the intense hospital atmosphere. Niall immersed  himself in his music and  recording his forthcoming album, attempting to put his health problems to the very back of his mind. He  almost succeeded, while his mind was focussed on his work, but the pain and the sleep problems continued to daunt  his life in the hours he was not able to distract himself..

"Hey lad, how are you doing?" Louis asked as Niall opened  his front door to admit his friend,Louis face brightening  when he took in Niall's own welcoming smile .

"Great" Niall grinned broadly  back at him. "I'm doing good."

"I'm glad to hear it, bro." Louis plonked himself down in Niall's den  and studied his friend's appearance .  Niall looked pale and he'd lost even more weight,in silent disavowal  of his words claiming he was well, but Louis acted like nothing was wrong. "So, what's the craic?"

"I'm due to  talk to Gordon Hayes-Hamilton tomorrow about some new stuff , see how it goes. I'm..I'm a bit nervous about it, actually." Niall confessed, his smile wavering "I just don't want to get sick again. I've been avoiding the treatment but, well, I guess I need to try again. I've buried my head in the sand long enough and I'm sick of fighting this illness."

"Me neither, bro..I don't want you sick again... but if  they find something that works....." Louis trailed off. He was hating this, watching Niall go through torture but also wanting the right treatment to be found for his friend. "Look, do you want  me to come with you?"  He watched Niall's face lighten up with relief at his suggestion.

"Good afternoon" Gordon Hayes-Hamilton entered the room, a thin file in his hand. Both men looked at him, expectantly. "I'm glad you are here as well, Louis" the man said as he waved a hand at the vacant seats and then sat down himself.. "I've something important to discuss with you." He opened the file he'd brought with him and began to talk at length, the two young men with him focussing all their attention on his every word. When he finished speaking, Louis and Niall exchanged grave looks. This was it. This was what Louis had been dreading?

"Ni, are you sure? I mean, really sure?" Louis asked Niall for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"No,,,but what choice do I have really have, Lou? They've tried all the conventional stuff and it's just made things worse." Niall's voice was serious, so unlike his normal happy-go-lucky tones.

"Exactly!" Louis responded "If they all failed, this could be even worse?"

"But if it works, Lou? What if I don't try it and it turns out it was the cure? What then?" Niall stared at Louis then down at the paperwork in front of himself. He picked up the pen and, with a hand shaking with nerves, scrawled his signature in the relevant places on the forms. "Well, that's it" he murmured. Phase Three !" he gulped nervously. 

What had he done? Niall asked himself as Gordon Hayes-Hamilton adjusted the iV that was about to pump a trial drug into his body. He was doing the one thing Louis had been so against him doing from the start . He was becoming a guinea pig. Once the the drug started flowing into him, it would be too late. He just hoped he hadn't made the biggest mistake of his life.