Rose

I rushed my way over to the elevator before it had a chance to close, almost disappearing into the mass of people. It was always busy at seven am, and I couldn't help but be selfish today as it was Zayn's birthday and I wanted to be there as soon as possible.

As we finally reached the fourth floor I quickly stepped out and took a deep breath, staring at the elevator as it went up again. I made my way over to the wardrobe and left my coat there, taking my bag with me as I had a small present for Zayn.

Walking over to room number 28, I noticed how quiet it was around here. A few nurses were walking around, but most of the patients were still asleep. Except for the children, but they were on the other half of the department.

I opened his door, knowing Caroline was already there, but frowned when I saw that his bed was empty and not made. "Good morning." I told Caroline, who was busy cleaning the toilet- chair.

"Oh, good morning love! How are you doing today?" She asked, throwing some napkins away along with her medical gloves.

I smiled, "Fine. Where's the birthday boy?" I looked around me one more time and noticed that the bathroom curtains were closed, making me think he was in the bath.

"He's in the bath. I woke him up early today so he can take a bath and nap after that because his family will come around eleven." Caroline explained as she started to decorate his room with balloons and colored birthday flags.

I nodded, "I get it." I placed my bag down beside his bed and walked over to Caroline, helping with the balloons.

"Oh, Zayn asked if you could help him in the bath. He really wanted it to be you, that's why I left him alone." Caroline smiled, "If you don't feel comfortable with it, it's okay. I'll tell him. But its for your paragraphs too, right? Helping wash somebody? I know it's a weird time right now so we hadn't really done anything with the paragraphs.."

She probably said that because I remained silent for a while, but I knew what I told myself yesterday still mattered. He needed the care, so that's what I was going to give him, again. And if he specifically asked for me, then I'd want to do it even more. The paragraphs didn't even bother me anymore, Zayn was more important.

"No, no. It's okay. I'll do it." I smiled.

"Alright, great." She patted my shoulder, "Just help him wash his body, help him get out of the tub and help him dry off and change into clothes. He'll say what he can do himself."

I nodded again, "Okay." I walked over to the bathroom and slowly shoved away the curtains, not wanting to scare him in any way.

Zayn looked up and smiled when he saw it was me. I closed the curtains and crouched down in front of the tub, noticing the water was completely covered with soap so I didn't see his lower body.

"So here's the birthday boy," I smiled as I leaned in and gave him a kiss. "Happy birthday!" I cheered, making him smile brightly.

"Thank you." He said sweetly, wrapping his wet arms around my neck and kissing my face softly.

"Are you excited?" I asked him, slowly rubbing his wet and bare back. It felt soft and according to his closing eyes- he liked the feeling of it too.

"Am excited to see my family and spend my birthday with you, Rose." He said slowly as he opened his eyes and smiled at me again.

I smiled back, "Me too."

I stared at his bare upper body and only then I noticed how full of bruises it was. It made my heart beat a little faster as I knew he had them, but I didn't know they were so.. many and bad. It shocked me and for a moment I didn't really know what to say. This made me realize that he did look sick, maybe not always in his face, but definitely on his body.

Zayn handed me a wash cloth and I squeezed some soap on it, wetting it and placing it on his back as I started to wash it. I laid my free hand on his shoulder and he watched me intensely as I did so.

"Sorry," He said quietly, and when I looked down at him I stared right into his beautiful hazel colored eyes.

"Why are you saying sorry?" I frowned slightly as I stroked his soft tube free cheek.

Zayn looked down into the water and pulled his knees up, resting his chin on them as he wrapped his arms around his legs. "Don't know.. You don't.. you don't mind washing me, do you?"

I smiled and pressed a kiss on his head, "No, I don't mind at all, Zayn. Trust me. I want to help you, you know that. With anything."

Zayn looked up again and smiled, "Okay." Now he stroked my cheek, and I didn't mind one bit that his hand was wet and full of soap.

Suddenly he started to smile even more and I wondered why. "Rosie, do you remember the first day we saw each other?"

I nodded, "Of course I do, why?"

He looked down as he absently played with the water, "I asked for a bed bath, remember that? You said you were never going to wash me and here you are, washing me." He looked up at me again, his eyes full of happiness and it made me feel so warm yet sad for reasons I didn't understand at all.

"Well, things change." I smiled by myself, remembering it very well. He had startled me so much with the question that time, I got a total black- out.

"Yeah, they do." He said quietly, a soft yawn leaving his mouth.

I continued to wash his back in silence, then moved onto his chest. I tried to ignore the bruises and huge scar of his surgery but it brought back a lot of memories and emotions, knowing in how much pain he had been. I remembered it so well, that he wanted to be alone because he wanted to cry. He used to barely cry, only if he was in unbearable pain.

I grabbed a fresh cloth and started washing his face carefully and his bald head, moving down to his arms and armpits as I held up one of his arms. I wanted to move down to his legs but he stopped me, "I already washed my lower body." He said quietly.

"Okay," I smiled. "Want to get out?" He nodded and I stood up so I could help him better. I placed my hands underneath his armpits and he grabbed my arms as he tried to pull himself up. Once he was up, I quickly rinsed off the soap and helped him step out of the tub, noticing how much he was shaking because he didn't have the strength to stand up all the time.

I wrapped a towel around his waist and sat him down on the toilet chair Caroline just brought after placing the lid on it. Taking another towel, I started with his head and face, moving down to his back, chest and arms.

Zayn was staring at me the whole time I was drying him off and it made me wonder why. When I stared back at him, he started to smile, and I copied the action instantly.

"You're amazing, you know?" He said, again quietly, his voice sounding deep and slightly tired. "That you're doing this for me."

I grabbed his blue sweater and helped him into it after putting on some deodorant. "For you, Zayn. You know I'd do anything for you." I said, leaning in to cuddle him for a while.

He sighed deeply but it was a happy sigh. After a while, I felt that Zayn was starting to get sleepy so I quietly pulled away and dried his lower body, quickly pulling up his boxers as he leaned on my shoulders for support. I tried not to think about it too much and helped him into his pants.

"Let's get to bed, yeah? Do you think you can walk or..?" I asked him.

Zayn rubbed his eyes and sat back down on the toilet chair. "Can roll me over to the bed, Rosie." He said tiredly. The bath, washing, drying off and changing into his clothes were pretty intense for him, it took him a lot of energy so I completely understood that he couldn't walk and was tired.

"Okay, Zayn." I stroked his head and shoved the curtains away, carefully rolling the chair over to his bed.

I stared at him and noticed how his eyes started twinkling as he saw the birthday decorations for him. He gave me and Caroline a small sleepy smile, "Thank you."

"Of course! We're going to make it an amazing day." Caroline smiled brightly and helped me to get Zayn onto the bed.

He immediately laid his head back down but we moved the upper part of the bed up so he was in a sitting position. "Now I have a present for you. Do you think you can stay awake?"

Zayn nodded and smiled.

"I'll give mine too." I said, walking over to my bag and getting the wrapped present out for him.

Caroline gave her present first. He slowly took the wrapping off, and stopped sometimes in between because it made him tired. When he finally had the wrapping paper off, he revealed a book full of photographs from Zayn in the hospital. Sometimes with Nathan, with Tyler, with Caroline and unnoticeable with me. I didn't even know those photos existed and I wanted to have them as well.

I sat down beside him on the bed and wrapped my arm around his shoulder as we looked at the photos. I smiled when I saw another photo of us, when we were on our way to the zoo.

Zayn smiled when he turned his face to me and I did the same, feeling slightly surprised when he kissed me on my lips. "It's so nice. Thank you." He told Caroline.

"Welcome, Zaynie." She patted his head and smiled as she pulled out a chair for her to sit down on.

"I've got you a present too. It's not much but.. I hope you like it." I bit my lip nervously and gave him my present.

"I'm sure it'll be good." He said. I watched how he slowly ripped the wrapping paper open and laid it beside his body on the bed. Eventually, a black beanie with his name in graffiti style was revealed and Zayn looked at me with big eyes.

"You made this?"

I nodded, "Yeah.. I tried. I liked your sweatshirts so much that I wanted to return it in some ways."

"It's so sick, I can't believe it. Thank you so much, Rosie." His eyes twinkled and he pulled the beanie over his head, smiling brightly as he touched the sewed on letters.

"I'm glad." I smiled and kissed his cheek, adjusting the beanie slightly better and admiring the view of it.

Caroline grabbed her camera, which she took today for Zayn's birthday and stood at the end of the bed. "Now smile at me, Rose and Zayn. We need pictures of the both of you."

Zayn wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer, making me smile instantly. We posed for a few photos and I bet the last photo was the cutest as Zayn kissed my cheek.

When Caroline was busy checking out the photos, Zayn took my phone and snapped a few pictures of him kissing me on my lips. I blushed when we pulled away and he just smiled. "She'd think it's inappropriate."

I chuckled and shook my head as I stuffed my phone in my pocket. Zayn snuggled deeper into his blankets and as he stared at me, his eyes started to close and he was gone to sleep after a short while.

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Opinions on this chapter?

Rose taking good care of Zayn? ❤️

I can officially say I have finished writing Heal and I have mixed emotions about it. After this chapter, I have 5 chapters left.

I don't know if I'm going to publish them all in one day. I will probably just publish them throughout the weeks.