United We Live

Thirteen

It wasn't as long as a wait as it had been when they were waiting for Harry, but it still felt eerily familiar as they sat huddled in the waiting room once more. At least this time it wasn't as terrifyingly lonely, as Zayn, Anne, Gemma and others from Harry's visitors gathered around them to wait.

"Tomlinson?"

Immediately, all their heads popped up as a middle aged woman approached them in uniform with an IPad in hand. She had a firm expression, giving nothing away about the state of her patient, and certainly didn't seem surprised to see so many waiting for him.

"Does he have family present?" She inquired, looking at the lot of them.

Before Liam or Zayn could say a word, Paul and Anne both stepped forward and began to talk quietly to the doctor, keeping their words concealed from interested ears.

It seemed like an eternity before the two finally ended their discussion and turned back to the others, but the relieved looks on their faces already gave it away.

"He's going to be just fine, lads. He just developed a bit of a nasty case of Pneumonia. He's currently in the ICU on a ventilator to help him breathe through the night, but he'll be alright."

Zayn stepped forward, his brow still furrowed.

"What about his fever?"

"They're also keeping him overnight to watch it, especially since it did spike to 107, but after a nice ice bath he seems to be keeping it relatively under control. They have him on some antibiotics for the next week or so and some ibuprofen for the fever. He'll likely be exhausted for the next couple of days, but nothing he won't be able to handle."

Liam and Zayn both let out sighs of relief, praising that it wasn't anything worse than what it was, but still praying that Louis would recover fast.

"Can we see him?" Liam asked, clenching his hands together nervously.

Paul shook his head.

"He's out like a light boys, they slipped him some sleeping tablets for the night. He probably won't wake up until well into tomorrow morning, maybe even the afternoon."

"Can't we just stay here for the night?" Zayn pleaded, thinking of the amount of times he had already gone back and forth from the hotel that evening. "We want to be here when Harry and Louis wake up."

"And you will be, but hospitals are hospitals. Neither of you are Louis or Harry's family, and I'm sure the boys would like to sleep tonight without nurses coming in on the hour to check in. You two will be more comfortable and safer in a hotel room for the night."

It was obvious the bodyguard wasn't leaving it open for debate, but it certainly left a bitter sting.

That night the media exploded.

One Direction Tour Delayed

One Direction's Niall Horan Goes Missing Mid-Tour in America

One Direction's Harry Style's Hospitalized the Night Band Mate Niall Horan Disappears

One Direction's Louis Tomlinson Ill? Paparazzi Catch Concerning Pictures of Midnight Memories Singer Carried into the Hospital Late At Night

One Direction Fans Crowd Hospital in Touching Candlelight Vigil for Missing Band Member Niall Horan

One Direction's Louis Tomlinson Breaks Silence as he Addresses Crowd Outside Hospital as to what Happened