Chapter Text
January 2007
Thirteen year old Niall Horan was sitting at the breakfast table with his family, he was quiet. This was unusual. Niall usually chattered away over breakfast, he was currently in the village choir and he had made friends with a boy called Harry. They were joined at the hip literally spending every moment together.
Niall's parents were pleased at this, as at school Niall was a very shy child, he didn't have a lot of friends at school, his mates were the kids at choir, and Harry seemed to be a kind and thoughtful character who Maura thought of as being a good influence on her young son.
"Do you want another cup of tea before school sweetheart?" she asked him.
"No thank you" Ni murmured quietly.
"Are you ok Niall?" Maura asked.
"Feeling tired Mam" Niall said.
"Did you not sleep well last night pet?"
"I did sleep ok, I just feel shattered" Niall yawned "I'll wake up in a bit" he said as he ate another mouthful of porridge. "But it's double maths this morning so maybe not" he smiled.
"Right leprachaun you ready?" Greg said "I'll walk with you today" Greg was eighteen and in the sixth year at Mullingar Comprehensive.
"Yep......I'll just get me bag and that" Niall got up and pulled on his red blazer. Maura came up and straightened his tie. "Have a good day Nialler" she kissed his head and smoothed his hair. "I love you"
"Love you too Mam" Niall smiled and put his coat on.
"Come on, lets go" Greg said.
"Aye, I'm coming" Niall said "see you all later" he said to his parents.
"Bye Nialler" they all chorused as they left.
10am
Niall sat in the maths class looking at the board as his teacher Miss Jenkins was explaining how to calculate the area of a triangle. His head was aching a bit and he rubbed at his eyes.
"Are you ok Niall?" Miss Jenkins asked. "You look a little off colour"
"Just a bit of a headache Miss" he said "It might be me eyes, can I sit closer? Move desks like?" he asked.
"Course you can" Miss Jenkins smiled, she was a newly qualified teacher, very pretty and very nice. Most of the lads in the class had a crush on her.
"Swot" one of the boys muttered at Niall and stuck his leg out to trip him, luckily Niall didn't fall but just got to the desk and sat down. He stared at the board, his head started to hurt more.
"Do you need to go to the nurse?" Miss Jenkins asked "you really don't look too well Niall "
"I'm ok"Niall said, "I'll just sit quietly" he smiled.
"Ok, but you shout out if you feel sick ok?" Miss Jenkins had a soft spot for the young Niall. She could see he didn't have the best of times with the other lads in his class, but he was always polite and pleasant.
Lunchtime came and Niall waited by the gates for Harry who came to meet him every day.
"Hello" he ran up "Ni are you all right?" he noticed Niall looked pale.
"I feel a bit weird" he said quietly. "I've had a headache all day" he winced.
"Oh, do you want me to take youse home?"
"I have to be sent home...can't just go. They'll make us go to the nurse. I'll stick it out till hometime I'll be ok"
"If you're sure, come on lets eat lunch" they sat down with their lunches. Niall opened his lunchbox and took out his flask, he started to gulp down his ribena. "Hey, slow down you'll be sick" Harry said.
"I'm thirsty" Niall said "really thirsty"
"Ok" Harry frowned "what have you got in your sandwiches?"
"Erm..." Niall looked "Ham and Cheese, you?"
"Tuna" Harry wrinkled his nose "Mam keeps doing this, I don't like tuna"
"Swap?" Niall asked.
"Yep" Harry smiled and they swapped sandwiches. "so how was your morning?"
"Ok I guess" Niall shrugged "school's school" he bit into the sandwich.
"No bother of anyone?"
"A bit" Niall said "Harry, can we talk about something else please?"he pleaded "I don't like talking about this, it upsets me"
"Ok, sorry. So you kna' your lines for this week yet?"
"A bit" Niall said "gonna finish learning them tonight like" he said. Suddenly Niall put his hand on his stomach.
"You ok?" Harryasked.
"Got tummy ache" he said quietly.
"Ok mate, you're not feeling well at all are ye?" Harry said "tell the teachers mate, go home"
"I'm ok it's only a couple of hours more like"
"Mmm" Harry frowned. "What crisps you got?"
"Cheese and onion" Niall said "you?"
"Prawn cocktail, swapsies?"
"No, urgh" Niall pulled a face.
"Ok" Harry laughed. "Oh man look at the time, we've not got long"
"Why does lunch go so fast?" he sighed. He got up and held his hand out pulling Niall up with him, they wandered back "have a good afternoon Nialler, I'll see you here at half three ok"
"Ok, thank you" Niall smiled at him.
"Best mate duty, I'm good at it" Harry grinned "bye mate" he ran off.
By the end of the day Niall was really starting to feel rough, he sat on the wall waiting for Harry, Greg came up to him.
"Hey" he said "Nialler are you all right?"
"I don't feel very well Greg' Niall murmured.
"You don't look very well" Greg felt his head. "ok kiddo, you're burning hot, come on lets get you home"
"Harry...I'm waiting for Harry"
"Well I think Mam will want you home now squirt"
"He'll be here in a minute" Niall leant forward and wrapped his arms around his brother resting his head on his stomach.
"Ni, what are you doing?" Greg frowned.
"I'm fr...freezing" he murmured.
"Ok, that's it come on" Greg lifted his brother up; he was such a small boy it was no effort at all. Niall rested his head on his brother's shoulder. They were about to move when Harry came legging it over.
"Sorry mate, got kept back after class. Ni, you ok?"
"He's not too well Harry, no" Greg said.
"Oh shall I come back with you?" he asked.
"Sorry, Mam'll have a fit, he'll call you when he's feeling better" Greg said. Niall raised his head from Greg's shoulder.
"Sorry" he murmured.
"Hey it's ok" Harry said "feel better pal, I'll ring you later on"
Greg took Niall home and fumbled with the key in the lock; he opened the front door and went in.
"Hello" Maura came out of the kitchen "boys...what's happened?"
"Nialler's not feeling too good" Greg said.
"What's wrong?" Maura came around and looked at her son. "He looks awful" she frowned. "Come and pop him on the sofa a second darling" Greg did so and Niall looked at his Mother with tired eyes. "How do you feel baby?"
"My head....aching and my tummy" he said. "I'm cold too" he said shivering, Maura felt his head. "You're burning up sweetheart, ok, up to bed I'll be there in a minute"
"But Mam I've got choir tomorrow"
"Not if you're sick you don't" Maura said "now go on, pyjamas on please I'll bring you a hot ribena" Maura said firmly.
"Can I have hot milk instead Mam?"
"You can have whatever you like poppet" Maura kissed his head. Niall slowly got up but faltered.
"Hey"Maura caught him "ok?"
"I'm dizzy" Niall sat down again "I feel horrible"
"Greg carry him up will you?" Maura said. "I don't want him falling on the stairs"
"Yep sure, come on kiddo" he took Niall upstairs and put him down on the bed. "you need a hand with your pyjamas?"
"Can you get' em for us?" Niall pointed at his chest of drawers.
"Sure, which ones do you want? The Derby ones or the Dangermouse?"
"Dangermouse" Niall gave a watery smile.
"Ok, here we go" Greg handed them to him.
"Thanks" Niall looked up at him, his cheeks were flushed red.
"No worries kiddo" Greg kissed his brother on the head. "See you later" Dec got changed and got under his covers and shivered. He lay down cuddling Henry (his teddy bear). His Mother came in and set down the mug with hot milk in it.
"Here we are pet" she said "are you warm enough?"
"I'm so cold Mam"
"Ok, I'll get you a spare blanket" she went and got a blanket and tucked it over Niall. "Try and get some sleep, it's the best thing when you don't feel well" she kissed him.
____________________
Maura went downstairs and started to continue with the dinner she was making when the phone rang.
"Oh for crying out loud" she said and washed her hands before picking it up "Hello"
"Hi Maura, it's Anne here"
"Oh hello, how are you doing?"
"Not so great, I've had a call that my Mam has had a fall and she's in hospital, I was wondering if you could have Harold for the night. I know he mentioned that little Niall's not too well but I'm really stuck, my friend is taking Gemma but she hasn't got room for both kids to stay, I wouldn't ask normally but...."
"Anne it's fine" Maura said "he's more than welcome you know that"
"Oh thank you so much. How's your boy?"
"Oh he's just got a bit of a bug; you know what kids are like. What time do you want him to come over shall I give him some tea?"
"You're a lifesaver Maura"
"No problem, drop him over whenever" Maura smiled.
"Thanks will do, bye"
Harry was dropped off about an hour later and he put his bag in the hallway.
"How's Niall?" he asked Maura.
"He'll be fine pet, don't worry" Maura smiled "he's just got a bit of a bug is all"
"Can I go and see him"
"Go for it but I think he's asleep" Maura smiled "pop your bag up in his room love"
"Ok"Harry smiled, he grabbed the bag and went upstairs, he went quietly into Niall's room in case he was asleep. He wasn't, he was sitting up in bed reading a batman comic. "Oh hey" he said "thought you'd be asleep"
"I tried but me head.....it's banging, what are you doing here anyways?" he frowned.
"Me Nana's had a fall and Mam had to go to the hospital so I'm staying here the night, is that ok?" he asked.
"Course it is!" Niall beamed at him. "You can cheer us up like" he said.
"Sure" Harry smiled "what do you wanna do?"
"not much to be fair" Niall said quietly. Wanna read comics with us?"
"Ok" Harry nodded.
"Go for it mate, you kna' where they are"
"Yep" Harry got the box from under the bed and picked on, he sat down on the bed by Niall who immediately snuggled up to him. Harry didn't mind, he liked the fact they were close mates. "So what did your Mam say about youse being sick then?"
"She's not been too bad actually" Niall looked up at Harry "considering normally like she fusses so much"
"That's good then, amazed she let us come over to be honest"
"Oh hey, your Nana had a fall, Mam's not gonna say no" Niall said "she loves you" he smiled.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah course" Niall put his head back on Harry's chest and carried on reading.
"That's nice" Harry smiled.
Later that evening Maura came upstairs to let the boys know dinner was ready. Niall was asleep and Harry was reading a Newcastle United Annual.
"Tea's ready pet" Maura smiled "oh I don't know if I should wake him" she felt Niall's head, he was very warm. "How long has he been sleeping for love?"
"Probably a good hour" Harry replied.
"All right, well I think I'll leave him, come on downstairs though love, foods ready"
"Thanks" he smiled, he gently got up and Niall rolled over with a whimper and buried his face in Henry bear. Maura tucked his covers around him and kissed his head.
Harry went downstairs to the kitchen and sat down with the Horan's. Maura served up the Shepherds pie and the conversation started to flow straight away. The family talked about anything and everything and Harry loved it. He loved his Mam and sister but their small family unit was nothing like the Horan clan.
About an hour later when Maura was serving up some apple pie, Nialler came wandering into the kitchen carrying Henry. He looked horrendous.
"Baby.." Maura said "are you all right?"
"No" Niall walked up to his Mother and she pulled him onto her lap and he cuddled up to her. "I don't feel well" he sniffed.
"No I know love" Maura said "you should be in bed"
"No" Niall murmured and buried his head in Henry bear.
"I'll keep you company mate" Harry piped up "but your Mam's right, you should be in bed"
"I've been sick" Niall said.
"In your bed love?" Anne asked, he nodded against her.
"I'm sorry Mam..."
"Hey, it's ok, you don't have to say sorry love. Ok, I'll change your bedding for you" Maura said. "So you need to get down poppet"
"No" Niall said quietly still clinging to his Mother.
"I'll do his bed Mam" Greg said.
"Oh love you don't have to"
"It's fine, let him have a cuddle like" Greg went upstairs and sorted out Niall's bed for him. He came back down with his covers and put them in the washing machine. "Mam, he was really sick" he said "like really"
"Maybe we should call the doctor" Maura said stroking his head gently "he's very warm"
"Leave it till the morning pet, he may just have a sick bug" Bobby said "Niall, go on back up to bed now please son"
"I'll take him" Maura said, she carried him back up to bed and went as well, he sat on the end of the bed and looked on worriedly as Maura tucked him back in.
"What do you think is wrong with him?" Harry asked.
"Just a bug love, nothing to worry about" Maura smiled "Niall do you still feel sick pet?"
"Yeah" he nodded.
"Ok sweetheart, I'll get you a bowl" Maura smiled "you'll be fine poppet, just rest. Ant we'll probably watch some tv if you want to?"
"I'll stay with Ni" Harry said "keep an eye on him."
"Ok, good lad" Maura smiled.
Harry sat with Niall reading some comics. Ni was lying on his side holding onto his stomach, he reached out and tapped Harry's leg.
"Yeah?" Harry looked at him "you ok?"
"Can you read that to us? Me head hurts trying to read it myself" he murmured.
"Of course" Harry said, "shift up a bit" He sat on the bed next to Niall and put his arm around him. Ni lay with his head on Harry's chest. He started to read the comic to Niall, putting on silly voices for each of the characters. Soon enough Niall fell asleep on him and started to snore lightly. Harry smiled at his mate, he was glad he could make him feel safe enough to fall asleep.
Harry went to bed himself at about ten o'clock, he got into the sleeping bag on the floor, he considered staying in the bed with Niall but thought as Niall was sick his parents would be coming in to check on him and they might not be too impressed with the sight of him and Ni in a bed together.