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Liam sat up straight, panting. He took a look around, trying to recognize his surroundings. He figured he was in a hospital – only in hospitals are there walls that hideous – though he had no idea how he ended up there. He stood up, hissing at the ache that was his whole body – and he remembered. The car accident. He was in the car with his boyfriend when that gigantic truck hit their car on the driver's side – Liam's side. “Zayn ?” Liam called out, glancing around, slightly panicked. He went out of the room and made his way to the hallway, the floor cold against his bare feet.
A nurse was passing by with a trolley. “Hello, can you help me ? I just woke up, and...” Liam started, but she just ignored him and walked pass him. “Rude” Liam mumbled, more to himself though. He turned around to try and find someone more helpful when something familiar caught his eyes in the room next to his – this color could only be Zayn's hair. He entered the room silently, only to find Zayn in an hospital bed. Liam sighed at the sight of his boyfriend, his perfect face covered in wounds. He sat on the bed and gently stroked the boy's cheek.
“Zayn, baby ?” Liam spoke softly. Zayn shivered and slowly opened his eyes, revealing hazel pupils – that still took Liam's breath away, even after two years. Zayn gulped and glanced around. “Hey baby. You're okay ?” Liam smiled gently, but before Zayn could reply, a nurse walked into the room – she was way too loud for Liam's liking. He just wanted to tell her to be quiet and let his boyfriend wake up gently, but he was too polite to. “Morning Sir. I see you're awake. How do you feel ?” she asked as she checked whatever the machines next to Zayn were for. “Um, not at my best. Where's.. Where's Liam ?” Zayn asked, in a raspy voice.
“Baby, I'm right here” Liam chuckled. The nurse looked down at Zayn, a worried look on her face. “In the room next door, Sir.” “How is he ?” Zayn wondered, worry obvious in his voice. “Uh, I'm perfectly fine ?” Liam furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “You remember what happened, Sir ?” The nurse was clearly avoiding his question, and that pissed Zayn off.
“How is he ?” he urged her. “He still hasn't woke up yet, Sir.” “What do you mean he hasn't woken up ?” Zayn yelped. “His kidney and stomach are damaged, but the most worrying his that he has a head trauma. If he wakes up...” Zayn interrupted her, half yelling. “If he wakes up ?? Is this some kind of joke ?!” “What the hell are you talking about ??” Liam groaned, getting frustrated. Why was everyone ignoring him, for God's sake ? “The doctors are doing their best. We'll know more after he's fully recovered from surgery.” “I want to see him.” Zayn stated. “You're still weak, I don't know if it's a really...” “I didn't ask your permission.” Zayn hissed.
He stood up weakly, shoving the nurse away when she tried to help him up. “I don't need your help !” he growled and made his way through the door. Liam didn't know what to do at all. “But Zayn, baby, I'm right here !” Why wasn't he listening ?? Liam didn't understand what was happening. But then Zayn was out of his sight, and Liam could only follow him – what else, really ? - in the room next door.
Air got caught in Liam's throat at the sight before his eyes. “What the...” he muttered, dazed. Zayn let out a whimper and sat on the hospital bed, next to Liam. This Liam was unconscious, laying in the hospital bed. Liam blinked, speechless. “What the actual fuck ?” he gasped, staring at... at himself, at his body in the bed. A shiver went down Liam's spine. Was he dead ? “Liam, baby ? Do you hear me ?” “Fuck, Zayn, yes, I hear you !” Liam whined, helpless. This was the most frustrating situation he had ever experienced. The person he loved the most was standing right next to him, though he didn't hear him. Liam couldn't think of any reason why that was happening – except the one he didn't want to think about. He blinked away a few tears – he couldn't die, not now. Not the day of their two years anniversary. Not the day he wanted to propose to his boyfriend. He couldn't leave Zayn alone.
A doctor walked in at this moment, and Liam was still standing in the middle of the room. Not only the doctor didn't see or hear him – just like everybody else, but also he kind of... passed through him. Liam gasped at the sudden coldness that invaded him. How was that even possible ? People don't usually pass through other people, do they ? Liam patted his chest, shivering at the feeling. He was properly freaked out now. “Sir, I have your boyfriend's results. It's better than we expected.” the doctor announced, and fuck, Liam would kill everyone in this hospital if it wasn't true. Not because he really didn't want to die – which he did, of course - but because of the look in Zayn's eyes – hope, like he had never seen before. Liam just couldn't fail him, couldn't abandon him. He couldn't die. He had to... go back into his body, or whatever.
The doctor talked a lot, about things Zayn didn't know anything about – medical stuff. He nodded absently, half listening, until the man finally walked out. Zayn sighed deeply, stroking Liam's hair. “Don't you dare do this to me, Liam Payne. You better open your eyes right now or I swear you're getting in huge trouble.” Zayn growled, and Liam didn't know whether he should laugh or cry, because this was just so... so Zayn. He was dying to touch him, to kiss him, to wipe the tear that was rolling down his cheek, to tell him that he was here, that everything would be okay. Zayn stared fondly at Liam, his thumb absently drawing patterns on Liam's stomach – it was just a thing he did all the time, without even realizing it. “You better wake up very soon, I'm telling you.” Zayn said, but his tone was sounding less confident this time, and Liam was crying for good.
A week later, unconscious-Liam was still unconscious, and Zayn was still by his side. Conscious-Liam was on an emotional rollercoaster – he went from angry to sad and from hopeless to helpless. And the worse thing was the voice. There was a voice in Liam's head, telling him to just close his eyes and let it go – and Liam was doing his best to ignore it. Because he knew that if he closed his eyes, he would go away for ever, and he couldn't – and wouldn't. Everytime the voice came back in his head, Liam would sing, loud enough to cover the annoying and terrifying voice.
It lasted a month. A whole month. Four god damn weeks during which Zayn didn't leave the seat next to unconscious-Liam's bed, and during which conscious-Liam could do nothing else than staring at him, still haunted by the voice. He was loosing hope every day ; Zayn didn't. He stood by Liam's side, never leaving his spot on the chair – though it seemed the most uncomfortable thing on Earth. Nurses had to bring food to Zayn, because this stubborn boy wouldn't leave Liam for a second, and otherwise he wouldn't eat.
It was the middle of the night when it happened. The room was peaceful. Zayn was fast asleep on his chair, curled under a blanket. Conscious-Liam was sitting next to him, listening to Zayn's slow breathing. It was raining outside, the sound of the water falling on the window somehow relaxing. Liam looked up at his body, and the second later, he felt numb. Everything got blurred before his eyes, and his head was spinning. “This is it. I'm dying.” he thought, and panic invaded his body, rushing through his veins. “Zayn !” he gasped, in vain. The voice was back in his head, but this time Liam couldn't make up the words. He was scared, and confused. “Go away ! I don't want to die !” Liam yelled, even though it was stupid since the voice was in his own head, but he couldn't do anything else. “Zayn needs me” he whined before his eyes closed, for the first time in a whole month.
Zayn jerked awake and looked around in confusion, before jumping on his feet and rushing to Liam. He knew he wasn't dreaming. He was sure he had heard Liam. “Liam, baby ?” he whispered, squeezing Liam's hand gently. It was barely noticeable, but he could have sweared Liam moved. “Wake up, Liam” he begged, stroking the boy's cheek.
Liam opened his eyes slowly, blinded by the bright light of the sun invading the room. The first thing he saw was Zayn's angelic face above him. “Zayn ?” he said, but that came out as a husky groan. “Thank God” Zayn sighed in relief before trapping the boy in his arms. “You scared the shit out of me, you know that ?” Zayn said, both chuckling and crying – judging by the wetness in Liam's neck. “Don't be stupid” Liam smiled, letting the boy's scent invade his nose, hugging him tightly. “I couldn't leave without you. I couldn't live without you.” “You better, you cheesy boy.” Zayn said before pecking Liam's lips. It felt good to be back.