"Ten seconds," Liam spat at the smaller person, sternly.
Niall looked up at the older man and blinked twice before he replied as non-shaky as possible. "O-okay."
The fake-blond bit into the other's neck as softly as he could.
Liam started to count...
Louis gets emotional thinking about how Niall is feeling. He desperately wants to hug him, cradle him with the care he needs, but this is a well needed talk that is too many years late.
"You guys need help!" Niall croaks, clenching the blanket covering his legs, knuckles stiff.
Harry places his hands over the latter's from the right side of the bed, head down in shame. Everyone in the room knows very well they've done wrong, too much to make things normal.
"What's happening right now cannot work. It never did!" The Irishman cries. He yanks his hands away from Harry's rough ones to desperately wipe tears away with the bottom of his palms. His IV was shaking, but it was causing more annoyance than helping.
No one replies because they don't know how to. Around the room of standing men was a bunch of lip biting and cocking their heads to the floor or the bottom of Niall's bed. Slowly, said man can feel his breathing relax as he tries to form words in his head for what is most helpful for the future.
Niall inhales. "Please say something, too. I don't know how to start."
"We're stupid," Liam says, letting out a dry laugh, not knowing much to continue with. "These years we've been with you, we were just assholes using you as a slave and abusing you."
Harry lifts his head first and makes eye contact with Niall. "Can- No... Is it possible to fix it?"
The blond removes his eyes and opens his mouth, stumbling with a start. Now that he can speak his mind, it's hard to get used to. More blanket fills up his fists. Louis anticipates for his answer, darting his eyes repeatedly between the ground and Niall.
"I can't say yes," he whispers. "What you guys did to me... That was unhealthy and toxic. I don't know what to think for the years upcoming. I'm young- I have a future, I really believe I do. But for you guys in it, I just don't know anymore."
His response was shaky, almost fearful for what the replies will be.
"Niall..." Louis breathes.
The Irishman cuts him off. "I'm sorry, Louis," he says with sincerity.
Tears crowd the brunette's eyes. "You did nothing wrong. You were just existing and this shit happened to you. Don't apologize," he chokes up. "You need our apologies."
Niall can only press his lips together tightly as a form of comfort.
Zayn let's out a shaky sigh. He's been motionless for a while, only listening. "I'm sorry," he says. "All the punches, the kicks, starving you to death, choosing your own rapist over you, just making your life Hell!"
The man's tone was frustrated and angry, to himself and the rest of the boys besides the injured. He continued, "Lou is right. You just fucking existed and got this treatment."
"Our anger," Liam starts, "Was irrational. I don't know what the rest of the guys are thinking, but I was irritated at every little thing you did wrong because of your biology. Louis was our first mate, we were forcefully loving and calm to him, letting out the combination of frustration of everything on you."
The tension was thick in the room hearing the news. No one denied it, leading Niall to believe it instantly. Their apologies and justification exist, but the Irishman can't bring himself to accept it like his body used to do when he got hit. His mindset before was that he deserved every piece of abuse, however, thinking back, he realizes the truth.
Harry suddenly falls forward onto Niall's bed, near his thighs. His knees were bucked and the only thing supporting him was the furniture his arms latched on. Everyone jumped at the action. The blond, worried he was burg reached out to touch his shoulder until a harsh sob was sounded.
"Niall," he wails, folding arms around his head. "You don't deserve this. You never did. I'm sorry. We'll get help, I promise. I promise with my entire being."
That was the trigger for the blond to start crying. He grasps Harry's arm, leaning forward to sob into it. The room was a mess, knowing that this was a wordless goodbye.
Niall suffered pain and it was time for him to make a life that he needed. The care and support: he'll find it one day.
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