Hold Me Close (Sequel To Take Me Home and Keep Me Safe)

Chapter Four

Niall fell asleep again an hour after they had entered Louis' room. He hated the wheelchair, but upon trying to stand and almost falling down as a result of the dizziness from the concussion, he had finally allowed Zayn to push him through the corridors.

The room had been silent (aside from harsh beeps and clicks from the machines) when they had entered it. The bed looked too big for the small room. It looked too big for Louis too, and for Zayn, it was the first time the taller thirteen year old had looked so little in a long time.

If it wasn't for the heavily casted leg propped up on a plump pillow at the end of the mattress and the scratches that littered the kid's cheek and exposed right arm - presumably from the smashed window of the car, as they matched the ones detailing both Liam and Niall too - he might have looked like he was only sleeping.

His eyes were lightly closed, rolling beneath the lids as though he were dreaming, hands rested limply by his sides, hair cleaned and pushed back from his face slightly. A heart monitor was clipped to the index finger of his left hand and an IV was inserted into the same hand, connected to a bag filled with dark crimson liquid. Blood.

Zayn took a deep breath, hating to see any of his boys in such a state, anyone he loved so dearly hurt. Liam, standing beside him, took a shaking inhale of his own, one hand moving up to press against his mouth as his eyes flooded with tears.

Zayn didn't know what the best thing to say was, so he settled for saying nothing at all. Instead, he moved one hand away from the handle of Niall's wheelchair to rest against the bottom of his husbands back, rubbing it gently. Liam leaned into him slightly, sniffing. Neither of them made a move forwards. It was difficult enough to see their usually talkative, sassy, often moody thirteen year old in the state he was in from across the room.

Surprisingly, it was Niall who made the first move. With Zayn's loosened hold on his chair, he was able to wheel himself forwards and toward the bed, stopping just by the head of the bed. He stared at Louis with teary eyes for a moment, before lifting a shaky hand to wipe his nose and then resting it on the mattress to take his brother's hand gently, giving it a soft squeeze. He didn't say anything, he didn't have to.

The twins had this thing, they had done for a while, but lately it had been more apparent to the two men. They could communicate without words, it seemed. The two of them would happily sit in silence in a room together, and yet it never seemed quiet.

On Niall's quiet days, Louis was the only one who could really get through to him and make him laugh or smile. Their bond was strong, no matter how much they teased and fought. They were brothers, blood set aside. And it was clear by the hurt in Niall's eyes right then that it was just as painful for him to see Louis in such a state as it was for poor Lou.

It was surprising to Zayn that Niall never cried. He sniffled a little, but blinked the tears away every time they rose and kept his gaze on his twin brother's face, watching him closely as if silently communicating with him, willing him to wake up.

Zayn finally forced himself to step forwards, resting a gentle hand on Niall's shoulder. The boy jolted harshly at the contact, and he quickly pulled his palm away, wincing internally at the realisation that Niall hadn't reacted in such a way to physical contact in a while. Perhaps the crash had set him back and Liam had been right. He gulped the thought away.

"He'll be alright, Bug. Doc said he might be home come tomorrow, just on bed rest for a while. This whole thing, it'll be in the past soon enough," he attempted reassurance.

The blond didn't reply. He didn't even react, he just rubbed his thumb over the back of Louis' hand delicately and kept on looking at him with heavy lidded eyes. Zayn realised the kid must have still been exhausted, and so he set about pulling the armchair closer to the bed that was set in the corner of the room.