HIATUS - Ghosting Through Time (Niall Horan AU)

-eight-

So this chapter is going to be a bit different but I hope you enjoy it all the same. Sorry it took me so long to put this up, but hey! It's finally up so yay? Short author's note because I don't have much to say. Now here's chapter eight of Ghosting Through Time. Enjoy!

-absoLouis <3

The year was 2004.

Young Niall Horan rushed home from school, excited to see what would be waiting for him as soon as he stepped through the front door. Today was his eleventh birthday, and although turning eleven wasn't so greatly celebrated like turning five or ten, it was considered one of the major stepping stones in his house because it was his mum's favorite number.

He hadn't been able to see his parents nor his brother this morning when he woke because they had all gone to work before the break of dawn. What he did wake up to was a grand breakfast consisting of pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and a huge helping of some homemade Irish stew his Nana had come to drop off the previous night. Beside his feast was a note from his mum with the usual birthday greetings and that she loves him and hopes he has a great day at school because today was his eleventh birthday.

He entered the house to find that nothing has changed which was strange because usually on his birthday he would come home to find his mum and dad still hanging up birthday decorations. "Mum? Dad?" He called out, throwing his backpack on the couch. The only response given were quiet, yet menacing sound of the chirping crickets.

Minutes after Niall had situated himself on the couch, the front door burst open. It was his older brother, Greg. "Get your coat, Ni. Let's go." He said frantically and urgency in his voice sped up Niall's lazy movements. He grabbed his coat off the coat rack behind the door and followed his brother out to the car that was still running.

"What's wrong, Greg?" Niall asked, clicking in his seat belt. Greg reversed out of the driveway and sped out into the streets, heading into town. "Greg!"

"Da called me and said it was urgent. He said it was mum." Greg rushed out and Niall almost couldn't understand what he just said. "I just hope it's nothing too bad." His hands gripped around the steering wheel tightly; his knuckles turning white.

Niall's eyes widened as he stared at his brother. He sat there and wondered what had happened to his mum. Was she okay? Was it a work injury? Was she even alive? He shook his head because that thought was just too much for his young mind to handle. He couldn't lose his mum, not on his birthday, not on his eleventh birthday, not ever. He couldn't lose her.

--

They arrived at a hospital and Niall's heart immediately dropped. Greg parked in the lot for the emergency room and practically flung himself out of the car. Niall did the same. They rushed past the hospital doors, looking for their father but he was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, Greg's phone went off. "Dad? Where are you?"

After a few seconds, Greg snapped his phone shut and turned around where he saw paramedics rush in with a gurney; their father not too far behind. Niall caught a glimpse of the person in the gurney and no matter how short that glimpse may be, it would forever be etched into his brain. "Mum!"

The paramedics ran behind the double doors and so did their father. Greg and Niall went to follow after them but were stopped at the door by a few nurses. "I'm sorry, you're not allowed back there." A woman dressed in cloud patterned scrubs said, her hand restricting the two from going any further.

"That's my mum in that gurney!" Greg shouted, trying to shove his way past her but failed when two security guards came in to block him. Niall staggered back when one of the guards pushed them away, and he immediately crumbled to his feet. "We've got to see our mum!" Greg said, anger boiling in his voice.