i.
Y/N thinks, ultimately, college is trying to kill her.
Professors unconsciously plot it, she believes, realizing that they're not as far in their curriculum as they need to be so they pile on the work in loads as if it's a good idea. And Y/N has never been good with huge work loads so of course she starts freaking out, stressing over all the assignments and projects she has due in the course of two or so weeks. Stress can kill you, she learned, and she doesn't doubt it, because she was sleeping less and eating less and has a fever of 104 which – fun fact – is not good at all apparently, because Niall breaks a lot of traffic laws getting her to the hospital.
She aches all over, her tooth has been dodgy lately, and it hurts to think. She's so worn out, and tired, things are too fuzzy to know what's real and what isn't and Y/N knows she's lost weight, but feels so heavy as Niall tries to help her to the front desk. Barely making it past the rug before her legs start giving out, and the medicine she took isn't helping anymore, and uh oh, she's falling isn't she?
Definitely trying to kill me – is her last thought before she passes out.
###
Y/N is pretty sure she's dead, when she wakes up, or whatever happens when someone realizes they're dead. Opening her eyes to something blindingly white, a consistent beep that she hopes stops because if not then she's surely in hell, but she's 99% certain there is an angel standing over her. A smile tugging at his overly pink lips (like bubblegum salt water taffy or something, if that's a thing) and hair that falls over his face. She's sure if he leaned forward then it would shield the both of them from this light, so she tries to move her hand to pull him closer but he talks and it startles her to a stop.
"Easy there, Love." He tells her, lying a hand gentle on the arm closest to him and she doesn't know if she's shivering because she's sick, or she's dead, or if he's just really pretty, but it's a shiver all the same.
Squinting up at him, Y/N moves her other hand (though it requires some effort) anyways to pat at his, "I'm dead right?" She asks him seriously, sniffling, "Are you an angel?"
The hovering boy laughs at her, shaking his head with a smile, "Not quite. Did give us all a scare for a tick, but all is under control now." He leans back and Y/N's sad for it, but now she can make sense that she's in a hospital and not in the sky (or down below) and that's good, she guesses. Didn't want her life to be over just yet, she hadn't gotten to take a cruise to Jamaica yet and that's on her bucket list. "I originally came to switch out your IV, but before I left you started mumblin' and your eyes fluttered so I s'pposed it would be better to wake up with someone there. Must be feeling pretty spotty right now, are you?"
He says a lot really fast and Y/N's head can just barely keep up with it, wanting to hold his hand forever because he's warm and she's freezing it feels like (What kind of hospital tries freezing the patients out?). Bits and pieces come back to her with what happened – falling out at the front desk in the ER – but that all seems so far away, and she really can't be bothered. "You'll stay with me won't you?" She doesn't mean to ignore his previous question, but Y/N feels like – safe with this boy, or whatever. He makes her feel better, because she doesn't like hospitals all too much when she's the one in them, and he is pretty and nice, and his voice – gosh, maybe he is an angel and he's lying because his voice is just heavenly she thinks.
Smiling kindly, he nods, "Course I will." He promises.
###
