Requests are open**
Hope you are all well! Much love!
One Direction were currently on tour, and were having a wonderful time. They were having a concert, and all of the boys were doing their routine jumping and dancing around as usual. They were singing, and were really having a great time. Liam and Louis were having their typical water and Gatorade battle, Harry was bebopping around hyping the crowd up, and Niall was running down their catwalk style stage playing the guitar. Niall often had trouble out of his knee, but lately it had been doing alright. Niall normally would be super careful not to irritate it, but with it feeling much better for several days, Niall wanted to join the boys in jumping and dancing around on stage. The next song started, and Niall returned his guitar to the stand it sits on, and then he ran down the stage with the other lads. They sang and that's when Niall jumped off a platform on the stage. The moment he did it, he knew he had made a mistake. The moment he hit the ground, his knee buckled under him, and the crowd gasped loudly. Liam saw his boyfriend take the tumble, and ran over to see if he was okay. "Niall, are you alright?" Liam asked reaching his ailing boyfriend. "No," Niall said through gritted teeth and tears. "Let's get you backstage," Liam said as he went to help Niall stand. "No! We only have a few songs left, I'll stay," Niall said as he sat on the platform he had just previously jumped off. "Are you sure?" Liam asked hesitantly. "Yes," Niall waved him off, and then they finished the concert.
Niall started to hobble his way toward the exit of the stage, and Liam was quick to bow and run up after his boyfriend, and was followed by the boys very shortly after. "What happened, Niall?" Harry said as they got backstage. "Jumped off a platform, knee didn't take it well," Niall explained as he sat down on a seat, and tried to rub some of the horrific pain away. "Goodness, mate. You've gone pale," Louis said taking in Niall's pained features. Liam kneeled down in front of Niall, and tipped his chin up to look at him. "How bad is it?" Liam asked getting completely serious. Often, Niall wouldn't let on to how much his knee was actually bothering him. He would make it seem like he wasn't hurting as badly as it was, so he didn't worry the others, but they always saw right through him. "Bad," Niall admitted knowing there was no since in lying at this point. Luckily, the boys were about to go on a short break from tour just to get some rest and see family, so Liam texted Niall's knee doctor right that minute to set up an appointment for the moment they got back home in London, which was just the next day. "We are going to the doctor," Liam said protectively after Niall's doctor had said he could get him in as soon as they arrived at the office. "No, Liam!" Niall argued knowing that it couldn't be good news he would receive about his knee injury. "Yes, Niall. Now, come here, and let me carry you to the bus," Liam said as he easily lifted the smaller man in his arms bridal style, and laid him in his bunk. Liam sat up the whole night trying to make Niall comfortable; he replenished his ice every hour or so, he fought with the pillows to get Niall some kind of relief, and eventually got Niall into a restless sleep. They were coming from another part of England, so the next morning they were back in London, and were ready to go back to their homes.
"Li, I really don't think this is necessary," Niall said as Liam carried all of their bags into their shared house, and then hopped right back into the car. "You're going to the doctor, and that's final," Liam said and Niall could hear the seriousness in his voice. Niall hated the doctor, hospital, anything that had to do with any of it. Niall could feel his heart pounding as they pulled into the familiar white building, and Liam came around and opened the door for Niall as he used his crutches to support himself to the door. "Thanks," Niall said as Liam held the door for him. "No problem, babe," Liam said as he signed Niall in, and then they were called back.
After some x-rays were taken, Niall's doctor came back in with some paperwork. "Okay, so we have found the problem," he said as he signed into the computer in the office room, and sat on his rolly chair. "Basically, you can see here what has happened," the doctor said turning the computer toward Niall and Liam, and using a pen to point out different things. "So, when you jumped, you put pressure where there were already knee problems, and basically just made it worse. So, after I reviewed everything, I think it's best we go ahead and schedule a surgery to fix it all for next week, since you'll be starting tour back up shortly. That will give you time to recover and start rehabilitation," the doctor smiled at them, and Niall's heart dropped into his stomach. "Surgery?" Niall asked with a gulp, and Liam saw all the color leave Niall's face. "Yes, but it's fairly routine. I have done it thousands of times. The worst part of it all is just the recovery, the surgery itself only takes about an hour or two," the doctor reassured Niall, but he wasn't having it. "I don't want to," Niall managed out. "I'm sorry, we don't have any other options. You need to get it fixed pretty quickly anyway," the doctor said and Niall was silent as they got the surgery scheduled for the following week. "What's the matter Ni? You look like you've seen a ghost," Liam said when they returned to the car. "I can't do this," Niall said still wide-eyed. "Love, it's okay!" Liam said noticing how scared his boyfriend was, and grabbing his hand from the driver's seat. "I know how much you hate the doctor and stuff, but we will get this surgery done, and then your knee will be better! Also, you heard the doctor, there's nothing to worry about," Liam comforted as he drove them home.
The next week was torture to Niall. All he could think about was the surgery, and the nervous butterflies never left his stomach, just got worse as the day approached. And here they were, sitting in the waiting room to be taken back for the surgery. Niall's leg bounced up and down uncontrollably, his breathing was rapid, his heart was pounding, and his stomach was turning circles. Liam fought with Niall to get him in the car all morning, and eventually wound up throwing him over his shoulder. "You're okay, baby," Liam said as he took Niall's hand in his own. "Liam, I-" Niall started but was interrupted by a nurse calling him back. "Niall?" she smiled as they stood. Niall thought about running, but it was no use, he wasn't getting out of this one. Liam and Niall followed the nurse back to a room where had him put on a hospital gown, and then made him lay down in a bed until she could come back to start his IV. Niall nervousness was growing by the second, as if it could get any worse, and that's when everything errupted. "Liam, I can't! I have to go home. I can't do this!" Niall said as tears and sobs started coming from the Irish boy, and he started to attempt to get out of the bed. "No, no, no, Nialler. Lay back down," Liam said gently putting the boy back on the bed. "You're alright, it's alright. Everything is okay," Liam said slightly shocked at the boy who was very clearly having a panic attack in front of him. "Here babe, focus on me," Liam said moving to sit next to Niall on the bed. "I'm right here, baby. Look at me. Take a nice big deep breath," Liam said putting Niall's hand on his chest for Niall to feel Liam's breaths, so he would mimic them. Niall gave it a fair shot, but his breath hitched in his throat, and another sob came out. "Shh, Ni. It's alright. Big deep breaths," Liam instructed and finally Niall settled down enough to take a few sharp inhales. "Keep it up, baby. You're doing so good!" Liam said as he watched Niall get some color back in his face. "That's it," Liam encouraged again as the nurse walked in with her supplies to start Niall's IV. Niall's face whitened a bit when he saw the needle, and Liam took that as his cue to lay next to Niall in the bed and hold him close. "Alright, let me see your arm, please dear," the nurse said and Niall pulled his arm away from her. Liam pulled Niall's head into his neck to rest, and so he wouldn't look at it. "You're alright, babe. Let her see," Liam said gently pulling Niall's arm out of his grip, and letting the nurse put the needle in. "Okay, 1,2,3," she said as she put it in, and got a small jump from Niall. "There! All done! The surgeon will be in shortly!" she smiled and Liam held Niall while he cried, and rubbed his back to calm him down.
A minute later, the surgeon walked in and smiled at Niall and Liam. "Hey guys!" he said pulling Niall's attention away from Liam's now tear-soaked neck. "So, we are about to start the surgery. It'll be about an hour or so, and then you will be good to go! So, if you don't have any questions or concerns, we are ready to wheel you down to the OR," the surgeon said and Niall looked at Liam. Liam gave him a reassuring nod, and then got out of the bed. He walked beside Niall to the OR door, and Liam gave him a good luck kiss. "I'll be right here when you wake up, love! I love you!" Liam said as Niall was taken into the OR. "I love you too," Niall said as he was transferred onto the operating table, and Liam went to the waiting room, knowing that Niall was in good hands.
