We All Fall Down, a One Direction sickfic story

Chapter six, tears.

Louis was confused. He felt sick still, his stomach was aching and if he stood up too quickly he might just fall, but there was something else; he was hungry.
He tapped on his Dad's shoulder, not remembering that he was sick too until he opened his bloodshot eyes.

"How's it Lou?" Zayn mumbled croakily, loosely covering his mouth with his hand.
"Sorry, I forgot." Louis shook his head wearily.
"It's okay, what do you need?" Zayn perched up on his elbows. He felt like total crap but his son's needs came first under any circumstances.

"Something to eat, I think," Louis replied. Now that he thought about it, food didn't sound very appetizing. But his stomach was growling hungrily and he knew that at least some of his body wanted food.
"You sure you can stomach something? Let's maybe try some water first," Zayn said, not thinking he could cope with undigested food.
"Need food. . ." Louis moaned.
Zayn nodded, "okay, shush before you wake your brother. I'll get you some toast," he said.

Getting out of bed made Zayn's head spin. He held on to the bed frame for a few moments while he waiting for the room to stop moving around him and when he opened his eyes Louis was watching him intently.
"Dad?"
"It's okay." Zayn took a deep breath and tested his shaky legs out. Thankfully they did not collapse beneath him like he thought they might.

Zayn went past Harry's room fine the first time. He figured that Liam would've checked him before he'd left so he just stumbled straight past.
On the way back, plate of toast in one hand while the other rested on his stomach, he paused, hearing groaning noises and soft whimpers.

Zayn sighed. He decided to take Louis his toast and then leave a bucket in reach on the bed. He slowly walked into the bedroom giving Louis his toast. He told him to eat slowly before slowly walking back to see Harry, who had gone both ways in his sleep.
However just as he was about to enter the room the smell hit him and he threw up on the floor, not being able to take it anymore.

Liam had dropped Niall off and decided to grab some supplies before going home. Things like adult nappies, medicine, more buckets, and hand sanitiser, like a lot of hand sanitiser.
He got back into the car quickly after loading it all into the boot. He had a bad feeling.

Liam tried to drive home as quick as he could but he got caught in rush hour traffic.

Louis attempted to eat his toast. He could hardly taste it and after just four bites most of his hunger was gone.
He tried a couple more bites and then put the plate down, finished.
He could hear his Dad coughing down the hall but his lids were too heavy for him to move. He was back asleep within seconds.

Harry fully woke hearing his dad puke and violently threw up on himself.

With a hand on the wall to hold himself upright Zayn gagged and heaved again, his figure almost folding in half.
Zayn puked up all over himself and the carpet, groaning and coughing. He slid to the floor, not having the energy to stand anymore.
His whole body felt like it was shaking as he tried to calm himself down. Liam hadn't been in bed and he wasn't with Harry, which meant he wasn't home. Zayn had to take care of his kids. He couldn't just sit on the floor.

Zayn tried to get up but the smell hit him again. He felt desperately for his phone in his pocket. Liam was on speed dial, he had been for a very long time. All Zayn had to to was touch a single button and the phone started ringing.

In Liam's car, the phone connected to the dash so the music he had on changed to a staticky ringing sound. He answered it with the press of a button.
"Z?"
"Where are you?"

"I'm almost home, got stuck in traffic. I just dropped Ni at school and then collected some bits from the shop," Liam explained.
Zayn went to reply but instead he gagged harshly, acid crawling up his throat again.
"Zayn, babe? Are you okay? What's going on?" Liam blurted hurriedly, gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles.