Never • Say • Never § a Niam Horayne collab fanfic [AU]

Chapter Twenty-Eight - SIGH.

(butterfliess :3)

Liam's POV

I sighed, making my way over to the bed. On my way, I snatched the remote from the desk and pulled out my phone. I secretly hoped Niall had taken his... I probably wasn't supposed to text him while he was working, but I couldn't help but feel sort of bad. He looked so pale when he fell; like he was gonna pass out. I was thankful he didn't. 

I also wanted him to have his because... Well... I like talking to him. He's always looking on the bright side. He's always happy. Me, on the other hand? I was depressed all the time. Even though we're not in love, Niall went from making me want to end my life, to making life worth living. 

I suddenly started to feel ill. I guess something I ate was disagreeing with me. I moved over to my side, throwing the remote to the other side of the bed. I clutched my stomach in pain and moved an arm over my face, trying to muffle my loud noises. People would surely come in to check if I was screeching loud enough for them to hear. If I wasn't muffling it, it'd be heard from a mile away. 

I reached out for my phone, not opening my eyes, but my hands couldn't find it. When I finally grabbed it, I let it go. Was I going to text Niall over a little bit of stomach pain? Okay, maybe it wasn't just a little bit, but I doubted it was that serious.

Boy, I couldn't wait for Niall to get home. 

---

I was just laying in the bed, trying to sleep off the illness, when my phone buzzed. I picked it up - hoping and expecting it to be Niall - and it was.

"Hey, Niall-" I was interrupted.

"Hi, I'm Niall's boss," Came a distressed and fast male voice on the other line that I didn't recognize. "And I just wanted to tell you that-" He paused. "Um, Niall's in the hospital." He sounded like he was shaking. "I'm in the hospital too. I called you from Niall's phone."

I hung up and dropped the phone, already wide-eyed. I repeated Niall's name over and over and over again until I finally reached the hospital. 

I rushed to the counter at the front, hands shaking. Was this why I was ill? It was like I could sense that Niall was hurt. My whole body was shaking. Did this have to do with when he fell? He looked like he was gonna pass out then... Oh god, did he pass out or have a seizure or something?! 

"Um," I stammered. "Horan. Niall James Horan." And a nurse directed me to a room. A doctor met up with me on the way there - Niall's doctor, Dr. Badger. I stopped at the door leading into where Niall was. 

"Can I go inside?" I asked.

"Be my guest." He smiled painfully. Not only was I affected, it seems like his doctor was too. 

I pushed open the door, only to pause at the third step I took. I stared, far away, at Niall on a hospital bed. He was hooked up to a few frightening machines. 

"What happened?" I questioned.

Dr. Badger sighed and held a board close to his chest. "Niall's boss told me what went on. He was here a few moments ago, I believe he just left. It seems like he passed out at work, and I was told he had fell and hit his head - pretty hard - against the counter. I suppose he was working at the front, as a cashier of some sort. Is there any reason he'd pass out? Did something happen today that could have caused this? Stress? Was he nervous about something?"

I paused to think. "Um.. Well.." I was at loss for words. "Today we got sent to detention. He was sitting on a desk and..." I truly forgot what happened. Seriously! I finally remembered and instantly started to speak again. "And he fell. He hit his head pretty hard. He said he was fine, but he looked really pale. We got him some medicine and then he left."

"Ah, I see..." He said and scribbled things down on a clipboard and continued to speak. "Well, we don't have results back yet, but as you can see, he has bandages around his head. He got a fairly deep wound from the counter, I was told he hit it right against the corner, in which the sharpest part is. As I said, we don't have results back yet, but from the looks of it..." He paused briefly. "It doesn't look good. Possible amnesia." 

Amnesia?! 

I fell against a chair next to the bed. Everything started to spin and I felt like throwing up. Oh god...

I felt even more incredibly ill than before, just looking at his pale skin that no longer had a lively glow.