Mute Musician (Ziall Horlik) AU

Chapter 16

Zayn's POV

When I walked in to the hospital room, I wasn't truly prepared to see my grandmother's sick figure laying in bed with oxygen tubes on her face. She turned towards me weakly when the door clicked into its place as if that soft sounds was all it took to wake her up. A weak smile crossed her face and her hand opened like a gesture for me to go towards her. I slowly did, but I felt like there was some type of rope attached to the door that was holding me that no mater how much I wanted to move.

"Zayn Javadd, I missed you." She told me weakly. I tried to move just a little faster so I could sit in the chair that was already pulled up next to the bed. Once I sat, she smiled then started to cough. I slipped my hand in the one that wasn't covering her mouth and let her squeeze it as her coughing fit ran it's course. When she finished, her body sank further into the hospital bed. She closed her eyes as she struggled to take deep breaths. My eyes started burning because this wasn't how I wanted to see my grandmother.

Just looking at her in this state only made me remember how she used to be. It made me remember the woman that sat down next to me on her old piano and teach me a few things on how to play. It made me think of her laugh and how she would tell me she loved me in her own simple ways. Seeing her like this hurt in more ways than I could explain. She had been the only person to save me and my sister from getting moved around any more than we already had been. She took us in and loved us no matter what. Even when she realized the severity of my speech condition she still loved me and treated me like a normal person.

"How's school?" She asked me weakly with her eyes still closed. I gave her hand a squeeze the leaned down so I could be right next to her ear. She moved her other hand up to mess my hair up a little like she always has done since I was little. It was her telling me I needed to cut my hair in her own soft way. She always told me that I needed to cut my hair when it was long enough that she could mess it up by running her hands through it once. I knew right now my hair was pretty long on the top, so I wouldn't be surprised if she just told me I needed to cut it. Even as sick as she is, she's tending me and loving on me.

"Good." I whispered to her. Her hand stopped moving and I felt her cheeks smile against where my forehead was pressed. I smiled too, but my eyes clouded more because I begin regretting all these years that I've never said anything to her until now. I spoke to Niall before I ever spoke to my own grandmother. I didn't know Niall that well, I was just overcome wrh how attracted I was to him and how much my heart just trusted him with no questions. That just shows what a shit person I actually am.

"What are you doing in piano?" She asked me with an insane amount of pride in her voice. I chocked out a few tears because that was the one thing we loved together. That was the love that we shared. Those note I stumbled through playing my first few times were the words that showed her how I was feeling about my life. As of grew, she grew with me by always listening to me play or teaching me a few things. Then she stepped back and let Doniya push me to do greater things than if ever imagined.

"Don't cry, my love. I'm a strong old woman. It's going to take more than pneumonia to take me from you. Now tell me what you're doing in piano." She said weakly. Her hand continued to run through my hair in a soft way that soothed me from crying. It only made those walls around my mind fall and tell me I could say a few things.

"Going to audition for the Symphony Orchestra." I mumbled to her then sat back to look at her face. She was paler than I always saw her as. She usually had skin that was darker than mine, her beautiful Pakistani side coming out strongly. Even though her brown eyes looked beyond tired, she looked so proud of me. She got my hand in hers and took some labored breaths before nodding to me.

"You'll do great. When I get out of here, I'll go hear you play your audition song." She said. Another tear rolled down my cheek because I wanted that more than anything. I wanted her there with me as I auditioned for the biggest thing in my life so far.