Chapter 10: The Light
A/N: Oh god, I really love writing this fic, thank you guys for reading and your reviews I really appreciate it.
Niall is in BOLD; Liam is in Italics; Other's are in Plain text.
He wanted to scream and cry but he couldn't. It will only bring more attention to himself, and that was the least of his worries.
He clutched the satin box to his heart, sobbing quietly; barely audible over the heart monitor.
His heart rate was at an all time high for himself, but he didn't pay any mind. He had fucked it up.
He had lost the best thing he'd ever have, but Liam still cared.
His sweet & calm boyfriend who'd almost never get mad at anything just stormed out of the room.
He knew that he didn't want to lose Liam ever, but sometimes you had to call the shots and suffer the consequences.
Liam had no right to accuse Niall of not loving him, after all they had been through in the years of friendship that was cruel and disheartening.
He didn't mean it. Niall had known that he said it so that he can be persuaded to have the transplant after the trial.
He never wanted to cause anyone harm, but if it meant breaking it off with his boyfriend he would take the chance. The chance to live again.
The hospital had a glum feeling to it at night, the corridors were empty and lifeless. It made Niall's hair stand on edge and it made his blood run cold.
He hated the place and he wanted out. Knowing that Liam would no longer show up that he would be alone, even after the transplant when he needed the moral support. Liam wouldn't be there.
Niall detested being alone, he was the popular one. The one that had always was surrounded by a group of friends. Where were his friends now? Surely they have heard that he had been nearly beat to death. The boy was scared and he had no one else in his life to turn to in his time of need and it sucked.
"Good morning!"
Niall didn't even notice that the doctor had come in; and he flinched as the sound of his cheerful words. Why was he so happy?
"Hi"
"Good news Mr Horan, we've arranged a date for the transplant.."
Niall drew his attention to the man.
"..W..when?"
"The day after your trial, so I guess thursday."
The date set was too early for Niall to decide.
"You can't move the transplant to a later date? I'm not ready to make a decision."
"Sadly no, the donor is not going to be in town for very long and this is the only day this person can come in. Of course he will have nurses accompanying him while he recovers out of the hospital."
"...Whatever, just get it over with."
He dismissed the doctor, he just wanted to crawl into a corner and die.
The boy had chosen to live, to be with Liam. What if he didn't want him back after their fight.
Niall had made the correct choice now, but was it for a lost cause?
Niall was called up to to the stand to testify against his father.
He shook as his lawyer asked him to recall the night in question
The boy stuttered through every word, his face wet and hot. He couldn't keep going on ; the memory was too painful.
He remembered every punch, every kick. Every word thrown at him. It was horrible that they had to make him re-live such a horrible time in his life. He wished he could just move on from that point in his life, but they keep bringing it up.
Then the cross examination started, his father's attorney was relentless. She was an angry woman, he could see it. Just like his father, no wonder he hired her.
Niall began to sweat, she began asking incredibly difficult questions.
She also said that what her father did was for self defense, he was "afraid he was going to turn me into one of them."
The boy had the urge to run out of the courtroom, what his father was telling was a lie, he couldn't take it anymore and he spoke out of turn.
"He's a liar! He told me it was wrong to be what I was! That I should die!"
The jury gaped at him in awe as the courtroom fell into silence.
" Mr Horan, please do not speak out of turn or I will hold you in contempt of court." The judge said menacingly.
Declan eyed Niall with a killer grin.
" Will the plaintiff call their next witness?"
" We would like to call up as a witness, Liam Payne."
Liam walked into the courtroom and took Niall's place on the stand, avoiding eye contact with the boy.
" Mr Payne, on the night in question what did you witness?" asked Niall's lawyer puzzlingly.
" Well, when I had received a text from Niall, I went into his house and I saw him there. He was in bed, his legs sprawled out and bruised until they were black. His jaw & arms were bruised too, his eyes ...closed shut."
He swallowed hard, pushing tears back.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, Exhibit A!"
A picture of Niall's fragile state flashed upon a projector screen, Liam looked away from the picture. He didn't want to remember Niall that way, so.. broken.
He wanted to keep him safe, and he couldn't.
Niall's stared at Liam the remainder of the time he was on the stand. Hoping that he would look at him.
He never did.
Even after Niall had won the case by a unanimous decision, he never looked at him. He held the same blank expression.
The boy ran up to Liam after the case and he shrugged him off.
"I know why you're ignoring me" he said as he paced behind him.
" I want you to know, i'm going... to go through with the transplant. For us."
Liam's eyes grew wider as he turned around with the biggest grin Niall had ever seen on him.
Their lips pushed against each other once more, Liam biting on his boyfriend's lower lip.
"Thank you."