Together (Sick & Hurt Liam)

Who's In Control? (Edited)

Harry's POV

"Dr. Caine said to bring him in if his temperature goes over a 102. It's just barley a hundred. Whatever this is will hopefully just disappear with rest," Paul reassures us. He turns back to Liam and gets down beside him gently shaking him awake. "Liam, I know you don't want to, but we have a signing to get to. Come on buddy ya need to get up," Liam groans in response but gets up  throwing the blankets off him. 

"Just take it slow, Li," Zayn orders watching from the doorway as our friend gets up slowly, obviously wary of dizziness and using Paul to steady himself when his world spins.

"If you feel any worse during the signing just say something and I'll have somebody take you back here to rest," Paul promises watching as Liam enters the bathroom closing the door behind him waving his hand dismissively. 

"Keep an eye on him," Paul orders before heading back out closing the hotel room door behind him firmly. 

Liam's POV

I need to do this for the fans. I can't let this control my life. 

I fight past the dizzying headache and grab the sink for support. I shed my pjs and slide a pair of jeans and t-shirt on. I don't spare the guys a glance grabbing a sweat shirt from my suit case hoping it will help with the chills.

"Ok I'm ready," I smile at them hoping it will reassure them that I am ok. They give me hesitant glances, clearly not believing me, but they lead the way out of the hotel room anyway, clearly deciding it wasn't worth the fight. 

"There are a ton of fans out there. We don't have much security so keep close," Paul warns us once we reach the hotel lobby the screams of the fans outside clearly heard from inside the hotel making my ears ring and head pound. When Paul said we don't have much security he really means it, besides him there is only one.

After a quick nod from all of us we head towards the doors. I can feel myself be pushed into the center of our little group, so that Paul is in front of me, Harry to my left, Niall behind me and Zayn to my right. Louis and the other security guard are both out of my sight. I don't argue with them, honestly not feeling well enough to put up with much of an argument.  

 My head is pounding and the screams are not helping, half out of dizziness and half out of not wanting to get lost in the crowd I grab the back of Paul's black t-shirt letting him push past the fans and using him as support. I can see Harry smiling and waving like usual, Zayn is gently pushing girls that are trying to grab him off, but muttering a few hellos as well. I can hear Louis' chirpy voice over the screams talking to Niall, clearly trying to distract him, because even after 4 years Niall still gets claustrophobic when the fans come at him like this. 

Finally we reach the car. Paul all, but pushes me inside and as soon as I get myself into a sitting position I rest my forehead in between my knees trying to push the dizziness aside. 

It isn't too long before I feel the comforting hand of one of my band mates on my back, gently rubbing soothing circles. 

 "You ok, Li?" Niall asks after I set up. 

"Yeah, just dizzy," I reply leaning my head against his shoulder closing my eyes, needing a couple of minutes of darkness and peace before we get to the signing.

All too soon Paul announces we are here.

We quickly slide out and into the place we're doing the signing. Louis and Harry take the seats at the end of the table, Niall sits next to Lou, and Zayn next to Harry. Leaving me to sit in the middle, shocker. I sit down and gladly accept the water Paul gives me, carefully sipping it. 

I smile out at the fans and wave making them cheer. 

Slowly the girls start filing up with the security always standing nearby, ready to interact if needed. 

"It's great to see that you're feeling better Liam and that you're out of the hospital," one fan greets smiling at me as I sign the albums that are being flung my way. 

"Thanks, love. It's great to be out of the hospital and actually being able to be back doing what I love," I answer smiling back at her before the security push her on.

It continues like this, fans commenting to me about my illness and how they're happy to see that I'm feeling better. I just smile back in reply even though to be perfectly honest it's starting to get overwhelming. I am more than this disease, right? 

"My mom told me that if you get sick again like what you did that you wouldn't be in the band any more. I say good riddance then, you made us fans wait for the HEALTHY boys. You'll probably die young any way," one girl snaps at me. I look up from the album I'm signing and meet her cold blue eyes.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but, love, I'm not going anywhere," I reply calmly smiling at her even though inside my heart sinks and I can feel my stomach twist into knots. 

"Whatever," she stomps away and down to Niall. 

"She's not a true fan Liam. Don't listen to her. The boys need you and so do we, your true fans. This disease won't take you, Liam, you're too strong," another fan greets me smiling at me and bravely squeezing my hand.

"Thank you, love, you have no idea how much that means to me right now," I smile at her blinking away tears and giving her hand a squeeze in return. Fans like her are the fans that remind me why I have to keep fighting, without fans like her and the boys I wouldn't have anything to fight for.

As we near the end the exhaustion creeps in and my head is pounding. Struggling to keep my eyes open I finish up the signing and in a dream like state get through the rest of the girls before standing up as the last girl leaves. 

As soon as I am upright my world sways and Zayn's arm is immediately wrapped around my abdomen. 

"Let's get you back to the hotel Li," Zayn says warmly helping me back out to the car where I fall asleep with my head on his lap.

Zayn's POV

Louis and I sit together in the sitting room of the hotel flipping through TV channels as Liam sleeps in the bedroom. Neither one of us say anything our thoughts not here on the TV but with our friend.

"He's not ever going to be the same is he?" Lou finally speaks up getting my attention.

"It will now always be part of his life," I reply my heart sinking with the realization. This diease will forever have a hand in how much Liam can do.