The Promise Ring (don't read, it sucks a lot okay)

~-Chapter TwentyFour-~

(Author's Note: Thanks for the lovely feedback :) Haven't updated in a while, got caught up in other stories and so on. Promised I'd post another chapter, and here it is. <3)

                                       -Candace Miller's Point of View-

 This was all too much to take. Waking up every day, I was positive that it would be my last, thinking my heart might finally give out under all this depression.

  I missed Niall. No mere words could describe the pain and grief I felt. It was my fault he was in that God awful coma and if he died, it would be my fault. The guilt weighed my heart down just as much as the sadness did.

   Day after day, I spent nearly all of my time in that hospital room. Niall hadn't moved an inch, not said a word, not blinked an eye. I rarely ever left that room. Louis brought me food, which I didn't eat. Zayn brought me books to pass the time with that I didn't read. I often couldn't sit still and paced the rooms.

  You don't even want to know how many times the doctors had tranquilized me.

 It seemed as if all I did anymore was wait. Wait hopelessly and pray with everything I had. I lost weight, and hadn't smiled once. But if you were in my position, you wouldn't blame me. Because today was going to be hard.

  Today, exactly nine weeks ago, the accident happened. Today, I feared that the doctors would give up on sustaining Niall's life and unplug him from the machine that breathed for him. Today, I lost all hope that he would wake up.

  Thoughts gnawed at me, terrible thoughts, as I lay on that uncomfortable leather couch in his room. Through the window, the sun was starting to come up, shining brightly in my face.

  Even the sun brought bitter thoughts. I remember how Niall used to brighten up my day with his smile. It's like the sun stole his job. I hate the sun for it. I always liked the night anyways.

"Candace?" Liam whispered softly, poking his head in the door. I didn't answer him. I never did anymore.

  "Are you hungry?" I shook my head. Food was one of the things Niall loved unconditionally, and I couldn't even look at some form of food without bursting into tears. Somehow, the boys still managed to shove the substances down my throat when I wasn't paying attention.

  "You need to eat. You aren't helping Niall with anything, just sitting around and slowly dying because you're starving yourself." Liam walked over and sat by my feet.

 "You never did care about N-Ni-" I couldn't bring myself to say his name. "him, did you? You don't seem the least bit upset about the fact that he's been in a coma for nine weeks. You don't care!"

  "I do care!" Liam whispered, trying hard not to raise his voice. "Candace, I'm going to be honest. I'm just trying to get on with my life and prepare myself in case he doesn't make it. Maybe you should try."

  "You're betting that he dies."

 "I'm not betting anything. I'm just being realistic. Wake up, Candace. Get a hold of yourself! You have no idea how much you're hurting the people around you! Niall would want you to live as if nothing happened."

  ''Don't tell me what you think he would want. Because you have no idea, Liam Payne." I snapped. I didn't want to fight with Liam, I really didn't. But I was wound tighter than a rubberband and I was about to break.

  "He's going to die, Candace. I'm trying to help you. There isn't anything we can do about it, but continue on with our lives. You can't live in the past." With that, Liam angrily stood up and left without a second glance.

  Niall was... He was going to die?

 I stood up shakily, not trusting my feet. Niall had no change of facial features, which I already knew. He was going to die?

 "Niall?" I finally whispered. No change. "I love you.'' My voice cracked as I placed my lips on his forehead, tears streaming steadily down my face.

                                -Louis Tomlinson's Point of View-

 "He's going to die, Candace. I'm trying to help you. There isn't anything we can do about it, but continue on with our lives. You can't live in the past." I heard Liam almost shout before stomping from the room.

  Why hadn't the rest of us heard this news? Nialler was going to die?

 Liam wouldn't lie about something like that, especially not to Candace. My little leprechaun was dying? I had to tell the others. Liam looked too worked up.

  "Harry, Zayn." I whispered, waving them over to me. "Liam just told Candace that Niall isn't going to live." I felt a hot tear splash onto my cheek.

 "Wh-what?" Zayn stuttered. Harry gaped.

 "N-Niall's... He's dying!" I blubbered, full out balling now.

  "I thought he was doing better," Harry sobbed, trying to hide behind his thick curls.

 I crumpled to the floor, not caring what people thought. If they had a heart, they wouldn't judge me at the moment.

***

 Candace was in no better state than I was when she came stumbling out of Niall's room. I jumped up from the hospital floor to greet her with a hug.

  "I love you so much, booberdoo. So much." I choked out, crying into her shoulder. Even amidst all this pain, the crying and snotting, the endless days and nights of sleeping in a hard leather couch at a hospital, she still looked beautiful.

  "I love you, too, boo-bear." Candace mumbled into my neck.

   "Don't leave me." I sounded pitiful, like a helpless, scared child.

 "I won't. I promise I won't." She only hugged me tighter.

  I couldn't get over something like this. Niall dying... that's not an easy thing to accept. And somewhere, deep down in my heart, I still didn't believe he would.

  But Liam wouldn't lie about that. Right...?

 (A/N: Sorry it's short. I'm in a rush. I promise the next chapter will be longer!)