All Those Missing Pieces; Niam & Larry *Completed*

Chapter 6

    Liam James Payne was sentenced to the cruel fate of waiting.. And waiting… And waiting. And some more waiting. His chest was tight with anxiety, the nerves racing through him and making his body feel like it’s on fire. He thought singing the intro song to a concert in front of hundreds of screaming fans was tough, oh boy, he didn’t know the meaning of tough until right now. He was sitting at the edge of his chair, too nervous to stand up and yet too nervous to commit to relax. Liam was a man who loved organization, who loved to know everything that was going on. He was a devoted, clean-cut kind of guy. Being booted off the X-Factor with nothing but a broken-heart, crushed dreams, and a renewed sense of determination was the kind of thing that slapped a guy into shape. And that guy just happened to be a fourteen year old-Liam-. Who dived headfirst into studies and only resurfaced to sing. And sing some more. Because he had to win this, the X-Factor was the goal. The walls in the circular waiting room were of a soft, sweet powder pink. Like the interior designer wanted the room to feel warm and inviting, instead it made Liam’s stomach churn in his stomach. He felt like he might vomit, but he hadn’t eaten in a few hours and he thought it’d just be sickly sweet, clear-ish bile. Zayn, and Louis were outside chain smoking, which is horrible for the throat and lungs, especially for someone who uses their vocals for a living, and Harry was perched on a chair beside him. His face was a sallow white, paler than Niall’s skin, and his chestnut curls were hidden. He’d pulled on a beanie, and only a few stray brown locks were sticking haphazardly out from under the pulled on hat. He had on his infamous Jack-Wills hoodie, and a pair of gray sweats. He had managed to yank on some miss-matched toms, one blue, and one red and white striped. He looked like an all around mess, but not as much of a mess as Liam; who had splotches of Niall’s blood all over his clothing, damp and bitter. Smelling like fishy copper. The boys had gone home to pick up an extra change of clothes for their Irish friend but Liam, our shaved friend, refused to move. If he was the only one who Niall would see when he woke up… So be it. He’d coddle him and strangle him enough for all 5 of them. In then they’d come rushing back and Liam broke the news-Niall would be okay-, in the physical sense. Who knew what kind of love and protection he’d need to overcome this. This… this… Tragedy? Is that what this was? What in Gods Good Name was this? He didn’t know and just like with the evil girls and their hateful words like swords-he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

   It struck Liam, like a semi, hard and fast. Painful and overwhelming, how many times Niall had looked sad. Homesick. He’d been homesick and on his phone messaging his mum. But he was doing it because of the hate. Everything rushed at the brown eyed, tan skinned boy in a swell. The green sweaters and clovers to remind Niall that he was not alone, all of it, a waste. Niall just wanted acceptance, and now because Liam hadn’t noticed, he was lying in a hospital bed with a set on his leg because he’d tried to commit suicide. But is that what the Irish lad had done? Tried to kill himself? Or had he just wanted to cut? Or had he had those awful intentions in mind?

    Liam knew a lot about morals, or so he thought. He couldn’t tell you all of those, ‘Thou shalt not killith,’ or whatever but he knew the basics. Be nice, be true, be real. That’s it, Liam Payne’s, live by it rules. The three B’s. He knew that the tablets Moses carried down didn’t include, ‘Ifith An Irish Laddith Is To Wantedith To Killith Themselves Because Of Fake Idiothith Babeiths Then He Shouldith Not Do That… ith.’. But he knew those bible-slappers would be all over this, yodeling about how One Direction was the devils band, luring in young girls to suck in their souls through microphones and lust. Liam thought for a second that he should be alarmed about the fan base-really he should- but he was more worried about Niall and not all of the fans had to know. Right? It wouldn’t be lying just… Withholding some of the truth.  

   In then that door swung open, the big one with the circular windows like in the Submarine and a man in blue scrubs and a laminated ID walked in. He had a soft face, stubble, and thick looking black curly hair, much shorter than Harry’s. “Niall James Horan’s residences?” He said, looking down at his clip-board. Immediately Liam rocketed to his feet, but Harry had curled in on himself and fallen asleep.  Liam almost wanted to wake up the younger boy, but the doctor saying; “Leave him, and come see your friend. He’s been calling for you.”  The man said and Liam turned his dark chocolate gaze on him.

    “And the boys?”  The brunette questioned, walking slowly towards the man with the tag.

“No, just you. He’s been calling for Liam.” The man said, turning and making his nametag flutter. It said, JOHN, in big letters and he presumed he was an important man here.

“How did you know who I was?” Liam was used to being known, but being known by grown men was weird. Especially since he was in France, and since the rest of the gang was scattered. You could hardly tell who Harry was, all curled in on himself with his curls concealed and a red face.

“I’ve got a teenage Niam shipper,” He says stoutly, pushing open the door and flashing Liam a wicked pearly smile, “And I probably know more about you from her than you do.”  Liam felt this weird twist in his gut, he was anxious he pacified it as, but he was also excited. There were girls who didn’t only like Larry? “She says Larry is to mainstream, and she’s all about being a ‘Hipster,’” He put air quotes around the last word as we turned a corner and he waved at a nurse with fiery red hair.

“Is it weird to have a little girl who really likes five men?” Liam wonders, because he’d never really talked to a dad of someone who liked One Direction, as they stepped into an elevator and John pressed the number 7 with his thumb. It lit up.

“No. I used to love the Beatles when I was her age, and I figure if she wants to be obsse-“ He stops, chuckling, “She gets so mad when I call her that. If she wants to be dedicated so be it. I figure you all are good influences; I’ve seen all the video diaries and interviews. She has me in on all the inside jokes. I love her and she loves you so I love you, in a manly, gruff dad kind of way.”       We sit in a festering silence as we leave the elevator and continue down another hallway. In then he puts a hand on Liam’s shoulder, right outside another set of doors. “Look here, buddy.” He says forcefully, pushing at Liam with his right hand as he stares into Liam’s eyes, “From one man to another, one catholic raised man turned free-will by his daughter who is devoted to your bromance like I’m devoted to her,” He swallows thickly, “Thanks. Okay? I want to say thanks for being so inspirational for the kids. You don’t understand how big of a person you are in so many people’s eyes and the fact that you’re so young and you’ve got so much, it makes the others feel like they can be famous too.” In then he lets Liam go, and puts a hand on a hospital room door, but before he walks in he says in a gravelly tone, “I saved him. So I want an autographed Niam photo for my daughter, and by the way… We tried to put him under. I tried to drug him, so he wouldn’t feel anything but he just kept saying. ‘I’m so sorry Liam,’. And so I had to get you in here with him. Treat him right and when you start dating. Go easy, okay? I don’t think my daughters fan-girling heart could take it.”  He smiled once again in he pushed into the room and brought a very dead looking Niall into view.

Niall looked extremely venerable, hooked up to life support machines with a clear IV dripping into his left wrist. Liam stumbled to a chair, braced his hand on the wall and vomited into the trashcan. In then he wiped his mouth and collapsed into the seat.

“Niall should wake up any minute,” John said, heading for the door.

“Would you stay with me? Until he does? I’d like to hear more about your daughter.”  Liam’s voice cracked. John turned around and smiled a small, sarcastic smile. “I’ll give you tickets, passes.” Liam rushed on, seeing John’s face.

“I don’t live here in France, just on a board meeting. I really live in Oklahoma,” He amends, pressing two fingers to Niall’s neck, sighing in relief in then pulling a chair over to sit next to the sad Wolverhampton boy.

“Then you’ll have tickets to the one in Dallas,” Liam promised, pulling out his phone and sliding through pictures. Trying to see which would be the best to sign for this little girl. The little girl he’d never met, but because of her love, his Niall had been saved. “Now tell me about her,” Liam pleaded.

“Well, she is a big writer…” And so Liam settled in, selected a picture and listened about the girl who he didn’t know saved his mates life.

 ~….~

  What John the doctor didn’t mention is that because his daughter loved them so much, he refused to let Niall die. His heart was flat lined for 6 total minutes and John didn’t stop. Didn’t stop pounding on his chest or breathing air into his lungs until he heard the steady beating. He didn’t know if his daughter would be able to handle the abandonment of her mother and Niall from 1D. SO he saved the Irish lad, because... He loved his daughter.

And boy you’d be amazed what love can do. <3