stars and terrain (zayn malik)

Chapter 56

Zayn

Charlie's sick. And I feel helpless.

She's blowing her nose for the tenth time this morning and it's been two days of my poor, pretty girl sniffling and sneezing. Today she seems worse. Her voice is raspy and she grimaces every time she swallows.

And she has no appetite. That's how I know she's really sick. She hasn't touched her room service and it's almost time to head down to the bus.

"I need to go back to the drug store," her hoarse voice pushes out, as she attempts to climb out of bed. "I'm out of medicine."

"It will be our first stop." I promise her, kissing the top of her head and gently pushing her shoulders back down. "Stay in bed. I'll pack us up."

"Thank you," she frowns as she pulls the blankets back up. "I sound disgusting."

"I think it's quite sexy," I offer, shooting her a wink as I zip up our bag.

"I think I feel way worse than yesterday." She blows into another tissue and tosses it in the trash can I'd set up for her last night. "Is it freezing in here?"

I'm wearing a cut off tank top and rather warm so I cross the room to press my palm to her forehead.

"Shit, you're burning up, Charlie," I bite my lip and start to worry.

A cold I could handle. I could make tea, I could keep cough drops in my pocket at all times and I could stock the bus with tissues.

I could call my mom to find out the weird concoction she used to make me as a kid - and I had, to both the most important women in my life's delight. I could take care of a cold.

But she was just getting worse.

"Alright, if I have a fever you need to stay away from me. Stay on Holly's bus today. I can't get you sick." She stops talking to sneeze three times in a row, which I have learned seems to be a habit of hers. "I mean it, Malik. I'm not getting you sick."

"There's no way I'm leaving you alone," I warn, narrowing my eyes at her like she's absolutely crazy. "Now come on, I'm going to get you tucked into my bunk and then I'm going to go buy everything on the cold and flu aisle of whatever drug stores are called in Canada."

She slowly gets up, pulls on her yoga pants and one of my tees and then tucks her hair into one of those topknots before digging through her purse.

"Here." She tosses a bottle of hand sanitizer towards me. "Use this. Every five minutes."

I slip it into my pocket and hold the door open for her. Even with a red nose and not a scrap of make up on she blows me away.

"You're a really pretty sick kid," I say, once we're facing each other and heading down in the lift.

She blushes and sniffles and we're dumped out into the hotel lobby where I hope no one takes notice. I keep my head down and lead the way to where I see Joe standing outside.

"I'm going to run to the drug store on the corner, I think Charlie has a fever," I tell him. "I'm going to get her settled first. Won't take me long."

"Alright," Joe nods, and then nods toward Charlie. "Hope you feel better soon."

"I'm telling him to stay away from me!" She assures Joe, as loud as her raspy voice can muster.

"Well we all know that's not going to happen," Joe smiles.

"Smart man," I point at him before leading her into the bus, grabbing her one of my sweatshirts and tucking her into my bunk.