Dizzy Up the Girl

“Well, Elizabeth, do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first?”

If there was ever a worse way of waking up in the morning than by hearing those words, I sincerely feel bad for the person who found it. After having a rare good night’s rest, I was greeted by my physician, Dr. Hedges, and a few nurses at what felt like the crack of dawn. Still groggy from waking up, I pushed my hair back away from my face before giving my doctor a very pointed look.

“You know, I think I will go with the bad news first. I’m already awake this early, so I can’t really see how things can get worse from here on out,” I replied. The doctor tried to hold back a grin, but he failed miserably as he let out a loud laugh.

“Well, if you’re coherent enough to give me lip, then I am sure you’re awake enough to have this conversation. The bad news is that your latest blood work and test results are showing that we’re still going to have to go through a few rounds of radiation and chemotherapy, Elizabeth.” I stayed quiet, taking in the treatment as Dr. Hedges continued to talk about different oral medications and how frequently I would have to take rounds. Though the run down only took a few minutes, by the end of the discussion, I felt like we had been talking for hours. Letting out a sigh, I laid my head down on the pillow, and motioned towards the doctor.

“And the good news? I really hope there is some and that you aren’t just trying to pull my leg.”

“Yes, Elizabeth, I’ve never tried this on you before. Honestly, I feel as if we should trust each other by now.” I smiled, resting my hands on top of my stomach, nodding towards him.

“Well, if I am to listen to my uncle, he says that you can’t ever trust an Alabama fan. So, I don’t know who to believe,” I said and everyone in the room laughed. It was one of the hospital’s worst kept secrets that Dr. Hedges was the world’s biggest fan of college football - Alabama - to be exact, and he didn’t mind if everyone knew it.

“Well, next time you head down to Memphis and see him, make sure you remind him about how our season is going.”

“I don’t think I’ll be heading down there anytime soon. You see, I’m kind of scheduled for a whole lot of treatments in the next month or so.”

“Then, I guess it’s time that we tell you the good news. We’ve had this discussion enough times as is, but you know that you’re diagnosis was always very aggressive. When we caught that tumor during your last biopsy, we were preparing for the worst...”

“...and hoping for the best, right? I’ve heard this speech plenty of times, Doctor,” I finished for him. He smiled, handing my chart to the nurse beside him before taking a step closer to my bed.

“And we were right to hope so. This time around, the cancer is growing slowly. We’ve kept you admitted for the past week to monitor cell growth and your reaction to a few drugs, but Elizabeth, you’re prognosis looks great right now. So, I can officially tell you that you can be classified as an outpatient after today.” As soon as the words had left his mouth, I felt my heart shutter to a stop before rebounding twice as fast. If the nurses were alarmed by my reaction, they made nothing of it, and I couldn’t focus on anything else but what I’d heard.

“So...you’re telling me that I get to go home tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“And I only have to come in for appointments to get treatment?”

“That’s correct.”

“And my odds are looking better?”

“Yes, Elizabeth.”

“I don’t have to live here for another six months?”

“You don’t have to. You can head back to your apartment tomorrow. You just need to call your parents to work this out with them. But the same rules apply there as they do here. Watch your diet, take your medicine, don’t be too rough. We’ll run into more problems later once you start your therapy, but that can be addressed then,” Dr. Hedges replied, and the few tears that I had been holding back from Harry and Niall last night came tumbling forward.

I had been sixteen years old when I had got the news. Hearing that I had cancer was one of the most surreal moments of my life. Because you never expect it to be you. Dealing with treatments, weight loss, schoolwork, and hair loss is a lot to handle when you’re sixteen years old. And, then when I finally thought I had beat it, karma decided to come back around and knock me down. And being nineteen with an apartment, no social life, and cancer, was just as hard. At least now I can say that the odds are starting to turn in my favor.

I wiped my face, too excited to be embarrassed by my tears as Dr. Hedges and his team took another blood sample and clued me in on my coming treatments and how being an outpatient worked. In all honesty, the experience passed in a blur. I nodded when I felt I was supposed to, and it must have shown, because the nurses wrote everything down for me just in case. The call to my parents was brief, but my mom was happy nonetheless to get me out of the hospital. Part of me wants to believe that they are glad to hear that I should fine, but another part knows that they’re just glad that they don’t have to worry about me for much long, let alone help cover my mounting medical bills.

By the afternoon, I was still buzzing around my room, packing what few things I had into my canvas bag I’d brought along with me a week ago. Except for the outfit I had on now, the rest of my clothes were thrown haplessly into a pile at the bottom of the bag, covered by books and all of my other personal belongings that couldn’t fit in my purse. Reaching for favorite pen on my bedside table, I accidentally knocked it off the bed. I heard it roll before I turned around, getting down on my knees to look for it under my bed when I felt something brush my leg. Startled, I shot up only to hit my head on the underside of my bed, and I let out a sharp yelp.

“I’m so sorry! Again! Are you alright, Ellie?” Scrambling out from under the bed, I looked up to see Niall standing there with a sheepish look on his face. I chuckled, astounded by this boy’s obliviousness.

“Yet again, don’t worry. I am uncoordinated and a bit spastic. I just...reacted when you hit my foot.”

“Well, I guess we’re both to blame. If I may, can I ask why you were under the bed to begin with?” I let out a grunt as I got back on my feet, trying to ignore the blush that was fighting its way to my face before answering.

“I dropped a pen of mine. It’s my favorite...I got it at Disney World. I thought it rolled under the bed.”

“Is this the one,” I heard Niall ask from behind me, amusement clear in his voice, as I looked to see him holding it in his hands. I gave him a blank look before letting out a loud laugh, grabbing my pen that he was holding out to me. “It was over by the door when I walked in. Glad I picked it up now,” he said as I tossed it into my bag.

“Rightly so. I’d likely get my door slammed on me or something with my luck but thanks. You probably spared me a concussion,” I told him as I walked over to the other side of my bed, drawing the string to my bag to shut it.

“Second question, Ellie. What’s the bag for? Running away?” Looking over at Niall, I waved him off before sitting down on the bed, patting the stop next to me for him to sit. Feeling the bed shift as he sat down, I looked up at him with a jawbreaking smile.

“Would you believe me if I said that I get to go home tomorrow?” As soon as the words left my mouth, Niall’s eyes lit up, and I felt the butterflies in my stomach go wild.

“Yeah, Ellie, that’s brilliant! Why now?” Now that I felt more relaxed, despite the growing excitement in my stomach, I told Niall just what Dr. Hedges had told me this morning. By the end, if possible, he seemed almost excited for me as I was for myself. Suddenly, the madness of last night meant nothing. If it’s what led me to meeting a guy like Niall, then I can deal with squashing my curiosity. I had heard nothing about whatever had gone on last night, and perhaps it was for the better. I am way to prone to getting myself involved in situations without knowing it, so maybe it’s good I stayed away from whatever went down last night that caused such a crowd.

Niall and I kept talking for what felt like minutes, but by the next time I glanced at the clock, I found that it was nearly five o’clock. But noticing this piqued my interest over a topic that the two of us had yet to discuss.

“So, Niall, I can’t help but notice that curlylocks didn’t show up today. Is he at work or something?”

“I guess you could say that, yeah. He wanted me to tell you that he says hello though,” Niall went on. I stayed quiet, rubbing my arm lightly as I thought of my own job.

“I really love my job. Does that make me sound like a busybody?”

With a short laugh, Niall shook his head firmly. “I can’t say it does because I really love my job too.”

“Really? I thought I was the only one who liked their job. Well, it’s more of an internship for now, but I hope to make a living out of it. I get to work at a recording studio, you know? And it’s probably the coolest thing in the world. If you ever get the chance to go to a recording studio, take it. I’ve mainly been getting lessons on how to work the sound board and do small things, but I love it. I’ve even gotten to help with some songwriting. Coming from Nashville, I mean, this is a big deal for me that I get to work here! And the equipment is really, really nice. Like, it’s really nice. And I get to use their instruments, and I’m rambling again, aren’t I?” Niall laughed, and I couldn’t help but smile at the sound of it. There was something about it that just made me want to laugh along.

“No, well, you are rambling. But I understand how you feel,” he replied. Interested, I leaned closer, cocking my head to the side.

“Seriously? What’s your job that’s got you so fired up? I take it that’s why you’re even here in America for starters,” I asked, and suddenly, I felt him tense. It was quiet between us for a moment, and as I was about to tell him to forget about what I had asked, Niall spoke up.

“Do you really not know who I am?”

Taken back by the question, I leaned back and took a closer look at him. While I had already established his good looks and witty charm, I hadn’t recognized him from anywhere. His name didn’t sound familiar, and with growing uncertainty, I looked back at him.

“I...don’t? I didn’t know I was supposed to know who you were,” I responded. He just shook his head, laughing at my uncertain voice.

“You’re not supposed to. What you said the other day about being in a band, well, I am in one. My mates and myself have been for about two years now. People say that we’re kind of big back home.”

“Well, that would definitely explain why you’re here then. You’re all trying your hand in America, I see. So, is Harry...”

“Yeah, Harry is in the band. He sings, well, we all sing actually.” I looked at him with wide eyes, and for a second, I thought he was about to say something before I cut him off.

“Wait! You’re in a boy band? That’s...rich! I can totally see it though. So, you sing and play guitar? Niall, you’re holding out on me. What else are you hiding from me?” He just carried on laughing, but I moved to get off the bed. Reaching the other side of the room, I grabbed my guitar and brought it back over to the bed where Niall was now watching me from. I held it out to him, waiting for him to grab ahold of the neck, before he tentatively took it.

“I guess you’re wanting me to sing then, right?”

“That would be correct.” I watched as he positioned the guitar in his lap, his fingers moving along the frets of the guitar, and he strummed a few chords as if testing the strings. He looked up at me before letting out a breath.

“Would you laugh if I said I was nervous?” I snorted, pushing him lightly in shoulder.

“Well, it’s only me. You’ve got nothing to be nervous about, I’m sure.” With a final look in my direction, he began to play a few slow chords that I soon recognized. And, when he opened his mouth, I had to do my best to keep my jaw from dropping.

Maybe surrounded by a million people

I still feel all alone

Just want to go home

Oh, I miss you, you know

By the end of the song, I was well aware of the crowd of nurses that had formed outside of my room, watching Niall’s performance. And I honestly couldn’t blame them. As he finished, I could feel his eyes on me, and I cleared my throat...trying to remember how to speak.

“Looks like I was right,” I said as Niall propped my guitar against the side of my bed.

“Right about what?”

“That you’ve got nothing to be nervous about.” The smile that fitted across his face seemed impossibly wide, and he looked down shyly with a small laugh.

“Thanks, Ellie.”

“Sorry to interrupt you two, but Elizabeth, we need you start filling out some discharge papers and such for tomorrow. I’m sorry.” Both Niall and I looked over towards the door to see a nurse standing their, her lips curved into a knowing smile, as she held out a folder full of papers. I let out a low groan, dreading the paperwork that was dangling in front of me, and I stood up as Niall got ready to leave.

“I guess I would see you later, but I get to leave tomorrow,” I said quietly, unsure and unwilling to really say goodbye.

“It’s good luck really. My friend, Liam, was able to leave last night.” I looked up at him sharply, gesturing to the room around us.

“Then...why’d you come here if you’re friend left?”

“I promised you that I’d come by, and what kind of gentlemen would I be if I didn’t keep my word?” I opened my mouth to respond, but all that came out was hot air. I could feel my heart beating faster, and it took all that I had to calm myself down before speaking again.

“Then, I guess I get to thank you yet again, Niall. I seem to be doing that quite a lot lately. Are you going to be in town for much longer, or do you guys have to head out or go home...or something?”

“We’re still here for a little while longer,” Niall answered, and I practically felt my heart sag with relief. I opened my mouth, debating if I should ask for his number or whether that would end with an awkward rejection, when he broke through my thoughts. “I’ve already put my number in your phone, Ellie. You should really think about getting a password.”

“B-But...how did you...”

“Is it too cliche to say that I can read you like a book?” I let out a loud laugh, giving another shove as I walked him towards the door.

“I thought you said you didn’t like books. I just assumed you didn’t know how to read them either.”

“Then I guess there’s a lot you don’t know about me, Ellie.”

“Apparently so,” I replied. Standing at the door, I moved my hand to wave goodbye, but Niall soon reached down to hug me. Again, the fluttering my stomach came back with avengeance. I pulled him close, glad that I might have found someone who meant as much to me as I did to them.

“You're a fighter, Ellie. I know you’ve got it in you, alright? I better be hearing from you soon,” he whispered as he began to pull away, and the only thing I could manage to do was nod. He smiled, waving goodbye to the nurses as he made his way to the elevator, and I felt like a piece of meat in front of a lion’s den once he had left. Several nurses walked in as I looked through my paperwork, signing and initialing where needed, as they tried to pry into my alleged “love life.”

“You know, if I were you, I would have kissed him right there. I’m sure he wouldn’t have minded,” one said, and I looked up from my papers.

“Uh, it’s really not like that. We’re just friends...I think...if even that. I don’t know why you’re all so...like this over him,” I said as I went back to my papers when I heard a different nurse gasp. Trying to control my temper, I looked up and motioned for her to speak.

“So, you mean, you don’t know?”

“I don’t know what,” I asked. All of the nurses stared at me for a moment before the first one spoke up.

“You really don’t know who he is, do you?”

“I think it’s been made pretty clear that I have no idea who he is, so if you lot aren’t going to tell me, then can I please get back to these papers?”

“I’m surprised you don’t know...or didn’t recognize his voice. I mean, I hear you listen to them all the time...” I looked up, seriously considering throwing my pen at the woman, before she finally answered me. “That boy is a member of One Direction. That’s why everything was so crazy last night. One of them was sick, and he came by here.”

Well, fuck.