The Wolf In sheeps clothing

"Lou, I think You'd Better Come Clean"

A/N   Thank you so much to everyone on your very kind comments about my writing and my English. I feel most humble that you all enjoy the story despite my mistakes. Thank you for your great kindness.

"How's he doing?" the surgeon asked the anaesthetist quietly as he worked on his patient.

"Everything is stable" was the reply  , making the surgeon smile with satisfaction. Skilled as he was, he knew that even the most routine operation could suddenly go wrong for unexpected reasons. He continued his tasks carefully, making quiet commends for this or that instrument as he worked. He grinned under his mask as the kidney was carefully lifted out and transferred to a sterile container , ready to be washed then transported to the other theater where Niall was also being operated on. The surgeon carefully checked everything was in order then stepped back. "OK, close him up and get him to recovery." He walked out.

In the other theater, things were also going well. NIall's surgeon  was now waiting for  the donated kidney  to be brought in so it could be delicately fitted into his body and attached.

"Will you remove the damaged kidney?" one of the junior doctors asked anxiously, noting his superior didn't seem to be making any sign of doing so.

"No, young man, we don't do that, not unless the kidney is so diseased it will cause trouble. We'll just fit this new kidney in lower down, attach it and, hopefully, let it do it's work." His head swivelled towards the nurse who had just walked in, bearing the donated kidney in the special transportation container. "Ah, and here it is."

The soft music playing gave the room a strange calmness, the quiet commands barely seeming to break the peace. Eventually the surgeon in charge stood back as another stepped forward to close the wounds with sutures. So far, everything had gone to plan. 

"Let's hope this stays good" the surgeon muttered to himself. The operation had been so textbook straight forward that he mentally crossed his fingers as he spoke. Despite the surgery going so well, there was still too many things that could go wrong....bleeding, rejection, failed blood circulation to the kidney, no urine flow. Far too many things to assume that his patient was safely out of the woods.

"Louis,Louis" A soft voice called Louis from his drug induced sleep. "Here" The nurse held a cup with a straw to his lips and bade him take a few sips, which he did.

"Is it done?" Louis asked groggily.

"Yes, sweetie. Everything went well and you are in recovery now. We'll take you to your room soon, when you are a bit more alert. Rest now" Louis nodded, and drifted back to sleep.

"Hey, Lou" Louis opened his eyes and blinked sleepily in the direction of the voice. Much to his surprise,  Dave was sat next to him, a big smile on his face,

"Dave, what the f.ck are you doing here?" Louis said, his voice sounding rusty from the effects of his surgery. "Not that it isn't great to see you" He added "Seen Niall, yet?"

"Oh, just heard a few rumors.......plus Olly  might have told me where you were.'" Dave admitted sheepishly. "And no, not seen Niall yet, maybe later. He's OK, though" Dave added quickly, seeing the sudden look of alarm on Louis face.

".Cool, I was worried for a moment there." Louis breathed out a huff of relief then frowned as something Dave had said nudged his memory. "Rumors? What rumors?" Louis instantly became anxious again. He hoped it wasn't about the transplant as he didn't want it known he was Niall's donor. 

"Well, naturally the media got hold of Niall being here and undergoing surgery but the rumours are about you all turning your backs on Niall, that none of you are visiting him.You know, the usual cr*p about you all hating each other." Dave sounded somewhat bitter. The media seemed to  be on a mission to prove the boys all hated each other. " I knowHarry  is flying in tomorrow , along with Liam, but actually.." Dave paused, looking at Louis, an embarrassed look on his face. "The media are hammering you, Lou. You've not been seen too much lately and your PR team have you away on "promotional" work. The media claim you have deserted Niall when he needs you most."

"But......." Louis pressed the control on his bed , raising the back so he could sit up more. He winced in pain as the stitches from his surgery pulled and a wash of post operative nausea  hit him. "They know I've seen Niall recently. Why?" Louis said fretfully. Why did the media always look to show him in the worst possible light? He wasn't a bad person, far from it, yet they always targeted him.

"Lou, maybe you should just tell Ni the truth, tell the media. Niall would understand, you know he would." Dave pleaded

"NO!" Louis almost screamed at him. Moments later, a nurse hurried into the room having noted the increased beeping of the monitors attached to Louis body. Dave was politely, but firmly, asked to leave, which he did. Louis buried his face in his hands as he willed his breathing to slow. No, Niall should not be told. He, Louis, would just have to weather the storm. After all, vicious media attacks were nothing new to him.

Harry and Liam had staggered through LAX a few hours earlier, totally exhausted. Both of them had been shuttling back and forth from the US to UK doing their separate promo work, never staying in one place long enough to resolve the jet lag. And now here they were again, back on US soil and being harangued  by the media.

"Harry, how's Niall? Is he OK?"

"Liam, where is Louis? Why isn't he with Niall ?"

"Is there another rift between you guys and Louis?"

"Where is Louis?

 Is he hiding?"

The paps all yelled their questions at the lads as their security team hurried them through the pressing mob, cameras flashing rapidly, but they didn't stop. Both Harry and Liam remained grim faced and silent and  it was a relief when the car doors slammed on them and they were able to sit in silence.

"I know there is no rift but where is Louis?" Liam finally asked. Harry just shrugged, equally puzzled. Neither had heard from Louis for a few days. It was like he's suddenly disappeared off the planet. He had no idea what game Louis was playing but he intended to find out once they'd seen Niall. Still, in a very few minutes they would, at least, be able to see Niall.

Niall groaned  quietly. He hadn't felt such intense pain for some time and he gritted his teeth.

"Here, sweetie" the nurse pushed a button on the PCA that delivered pain relief, knowing Niall hadn't touched it. "You'll feel much better soon." She smiled at him and he gave a weak smile in response. "You've a few visitors, if you're up to it?" Niall looked at her questioningly. His  dad had been in earlier and had gone back to Niall's house to rest. Louis said he'd be away , so............ His face lit up when the door opened and Harry and Liam walked through, big grins on their faces.

The boys kept their visit short, anxious not to exhaust their friend. They walked quietly past a few doors and then suddenly stopped hearing a voice that  had a  very familiar Doncaster accent yelling "NO!". Both men paused and stared at the door  just in front of them. They heard a quiet voice murmuring something then the door opened and a man emerged, followed by a nurse.

"Dave!" Liam said in amazement.  "What are you doing here? And is that Louis in there?"

"Ummh..yeah...ah" Dave looked at Harry and Liam with a sheepish expression on his face. "But I don't think he wants to......." He didn't get to finish because Harry and Liam brushed past him and entered the room. Their  eyes grew large at the sight of their friend, monitors and drips attached to him.

"Louis?" Harry asked in confusion "Are you sick? What's wrong?" Dave had entered behind him and looked between the three men.

"Lou, I think you'd better come clean" Dave said quietly as Louis  again covered his face with his hands, shaking his head in resignation. This was just want he wanted to avoid.