bag of bones // one direction // zianourry

chapter 19//niall's breaking point

"is he doing okay?" Niall pestered Liam during his one on one.

"he's doing great Niall, i already told you, he'll be here in 15 days." Liam laughs softly at the boys concern for his friend.

"just checking. is he eating good?" Niall asked, clearly stalling the real conversation Liam had been meaning to have with him.

"yes Niall. i make sure that he eats 3 times a day. it is safe to say he is fully recovering from anorexia. just needs help with his drug addiction now. let's focus on Niall now okay? no more Zayn." Liam half heartedly smiles.

Niall sinks in his chair.

"Niall... we can't avoid this forever."

"i'm not better yet Liam."

"yes, you are. what you are suffering from right now is separation anxiety from the boys and myself. of course we will miss you Niall. but you can't stay at a place that's meant for sick boys when you're not sick anymore." Liam tries to easily lay this information on Niall.

yes, it is true. Niall is going to be getting discharged from the home very soon. so that he can return to ireland and his family. he misses them of course. the only problem is, he's going to miss Louis and Harry and Zayn and Liam a whole lot more. maybe because he knows he'll never see them again if he leaves.

"i don't want to go home and go back to school." Niall pouts.

"your parents and i agreed that you would be better off finishing your homeschooling. and then you can decide what to do after! maybe go to college? or start working?"

"no."

Liam sighed.

"i know you're scared Niall. this is a good thing. you're healthy!"

"but... my real friends are still here. i need to stay here with my real friends." Niall says sadly.

"i know... sooner or later they will get discharged too. and you all will become adults and make plans to see each other again. friendship like yours doesn't just go away once you've stopped living together."

"how long do i have left here?"

"i've started your paperwork. all i need you to do is come to hospital with me to visit some of my colleagues so they can examine you and approve you for discharge. i would say a week tops."

Niall's heart broke. he can't leave Harry and Louis behind. Zayn won't even be back in a week.

"no Liam, i'm not ready."

"Niall..."

"i mean it. i'll stop eating if you force me."

"Niall. we talked about using food against others as punishment. you know you don't really mean that. don't you enjoy being able to eat and not feel guilty? or being able to finally portion control? when you first came here, you told me you couldn't wait to love food the right away again. now that you finally do, you want to regress and throw away so many long months of progress? the Niall i know is stronger than that."

Niall blushes at the praise.

he was dreading the next coming week. he decided against telling Harry and Louis straight away so that he can enjoy this last week with them. but, he also did not want to go home. he loved being in Oxford. or, he loved the independence Liam gave him while living here with 3 other sick boys. Ireland always felt too constraining.

that's it. he's made up his mind.

he had one final request though.

since he was quote unquote "healthy" now, he requested to visit Zayn in rehab.