Stumbling through the dark

Harry And Liam Need Your Support, Louis.

Blue eyes, wide with panic, stared at Paul, hands reaching to try and claw at his  own throat. The heart monitor beeping rapidly as a small heart sped up in terror.

"Shh, you're fine" Paul said soothingly, grabbing the small hands and holding them firmly with his large , warm ones. "You're not suffocating. Big cough for me, right" he smiled reassuringly. "Cough".Niall coughed and the tube from his throat  was gently pulled up and out before an oxygen mask was placed over his nose and mouth by Dr Peters..His body then started to relax as he felt air moving into his lungs once more. "It's a scary feeling, I know" Paul spoke soothingly " but you were always able to breath, you just panicked. Try and relax for us".

"You've been giving us quite the fright, Niall" Dr Peters spoke next. Niall looked weakly up at him as the rapid beep of the heart monitor gradually slowed back down to a regular rhythm. "Let's see how you are doing." Helped by the nurse, he began to exam his patient. Paul stood to one side, waiting patiently for Dr Peters to finish.  Finally the man straightened and thanking the nurse, jerked his head towards the door, Paul following him. Niall's brief minutes of wakefulness had ended and he was once again sleeping as the men left.

"Well?" was Paul's only word. 

"We aren't out of the woods. Still too much can go wrong but .............." A big smile crept across Dr Peters face   "it looks like he's turned the corner'. A grin lit up Paul's face as well as he listened to his colleague's opinion. It was moments like these that reminded him why he had entered the medical profession. Time, he decided, to go see Louis and maybe make a small difference in that life. Shaking hands with Peters, he walked away to change, whistling tunefully as he went.

Louis had woken up and was glaring up at the ceiling. When he had finally emerged from his enforced sleep, he found himself hooked up to a drip and the bed rails up. Preston was nowhere in sight, instead Basil was sitting next to him, nose buried in a newspaper.Louis moved irritably and Basil lowered the paper and smiled at him. "F.ck you" were the first words out of Louis' mouth. Basil grinned, not remotely offended. He was Irish and could cuss with the best of them so Louis' little outburst just rolled off his back. "Seriously, f.ck you. You ganging up on me too? "

"Nice seeing you too, Louis" Basil said pleasantly as he folded his paper. "Ganging up on you? What gives you that idea?"

"First Liam, then Preston, now you. Why else are you here? F.cking guard dog!" Louis said rudely

"Because you are a silly little boy who doesn't know how to look after himself. If you won't then we will so you can shut that smart little mouth of yours" Basil said sternly. Louis' mouth fell open in shock. He'd had such great banter with Niall's fellow Irishman  in the past but Basil had never spoken like that to him ..ever! Louis went red with embarrassment before mumbling out an apology. He put his head back down on the pillows and returned his stare to the ceiling. He shut his eyes as tears of anger and frustration fought to leak out from under his closed lids.

"Am I interrupting? " Paul's cultured voice broke the silence.

"No, please come in" Basil said pleasantly, shooting a warning glance at Louis. "I don't think we've met before? I'm Basil Whelan, Niall's bodyguard...and friend". The two men shook hands.

"Might I speak with Louis alone? Do you mind?'. Basil smiled as he shook his head. He headed for the door saying he'd go get a drink and return later. He gave Louis another warning glance before he closed the door on himself.

"Hello Louis, you've been giving the staff a hard time, I hear" Paul's tone was quiet, pleasant, not a hint of the anger Louis was expecting. He opened his eyes and turned to face Paul who had put down one of the bed rails and perched himself on the end of Louis' bed.