"Where is he..?"

Zayn shouted down the phone,pacing up and down, with a crying child on his arms. He's been on hold for the paediatrician for five minutes and Yasmeen's screams were getting worse. Harry had woken him up flustered and had to rush off to a meeting with potential clients and Yazz was refusing to eat and he was running late. Zayn had called his mom and did everything she told him to do, check the baby's temperature, it was a little bit high and he gave her some medication for that. Trisha had assured him its probably a cold. A bath might help cool her down, she said. Zayn was getting her ready for the bath, when he noticed the red spots on her back, like a rash but there were also small blisters. He's heard about meningitis in babies but he's never seen it up close, doesn't know what it's supposed to look like and doesn't want to waste time looking it up. That's why he's on the phone for the paediatrician but he's been put on bloody hold.

"Mr Malik..its Dr Cowell"

"Yes, I've been on hold for bloody five minutes, what took you so long?"

"I'm sorry about that Mr Malik. What seem to be the problem with your daughter?"

"You should be telling me what's the problem, I've spent ten minutes being questioned by the receptionist on why I was calling before she would even let me through to you" Zayn spat down the phone angry, rocking the baby back and forth.

"She was just following the rules Mr Malik, now please, can you tell me what's wrong, Yasmeen has a rash, that's right?"

"Yes she has.."

"Can you described it to me, what it looks like, where it is exactly, when did it start?"

"I've noticed it this morning, its on her back, its red, but there's also like little blisters."

"What do the blisters look like..?"

"They look like blisters look, except they're like tiny"

"They don't look black a bit, do they?" Zayn put the phone down on the coffee table, turned the baby around to look at the rash, picked up the phone again.

"No.." Zayn said

"Has she got temperature?"

"Yeah...she does.." Zayn kept rocking the baby back and forth.

"What you've described to me sounds like chicken pox which is not life threatening, all children get it at some point. But,I can hear she's quite agitated though, so you need to bring her to the clinic for a proper examination, are you able to do that?"

"Yeah..I can do that"

"Okay then, I will see you in a bit Mr Malik"

"Bye.."

Zayn tried calling Harry but it went straight to voicemail, "Shit.." he groaned frustrated when he remembered Harry had meetings this morning. He called him at work nonetheless but was told he was in a meeting,kinda expected that,even Yaser was not available, he left a message for him to call as soon as possible. There was not time to waste ringing around,so,with a changing bag, juice, bottle of milk and a restless baby dressed in a fluffy white romper and secure in the car seat, Zayn was driving off. He's never been more grateful to Dr Jonas recommending a paediatrician who's clinic is based in a hospital till now, he sighed in relief when he reached the clinic. Thankfully, Yazz had stopped crying and was just whiney and fidgety by the time he parked the car.

"Zayn.." Zayn turned towards the voice to see Nick rushing towards him.

"Dr Jonas..,It's my daughter...Dr Cowell said to come in.." Zayn's vision blurred for a bit, his eyes tearing up when he saw Nick.

"This way..Simon told me you called, we share clinics sometimes. Come on,.."

Nick led to him to an exam room, Dr Cowell and a nurse already waiting for them. Yazz started screaming,clinging on to Zayn when the doctor tried to take her over from him, her little arms around his neck and Zayn couldn't let go either,he was close to crying himself. He needed Harry so much right now.

"Mr Malik, please, can you put her down for a minute, i know she's crying but I promise this won't take long, .."

"But she never cries this bad..I can hold her while you do your checks, please. Please let me hold her." Zayn begged looking at Nick, he couldn't bear seeing his daughter's face red and puffy from crying.

"Zayn..just let Dr Cowell check her quickly, yeah, then you can hold her,the nurse need to check vitals as well. It really won't take long, please" Nick had his hand on Zayn's shoulder trying to calm him down,

"Okay.." Zayn said but Yazz wasn't letting him go, and Zayn just looked at Dr Cowell, besides himself, he didn't know what to do. This is not the time to have a meltdown, he had to be strong for his daughter, but it was hard when her screams were ear piercing.

"Actually Mr Malik you can hold her, just come and sit on here and we should be okay.." Dr Cowell could see how agitated the baby was becoming and Zayn looking distressed, so he helped him sit on the exam table.

"Thanks.." Zayn's voice wavered a bit, taking the baby's romper off, Nick stepping closer as well looking at the rash, him and Dr Cowell consulting with each other quietly,.till a shrilling N.E.R.D ringtone made them stop,..

"Thank God.." Zayn let out a not so silent prayer, he had never in his life been happy from hearing his phone ring, everyone looked at him and then where the sound was coming from, his jacket, he gestured for Nick to take it from his pocket, "Want me to answer that?" Zayn nodding, "Yes, please"

Nick smiled when he saw the caller ID, "Baby daddy.." he said eyebrows raised, Zayn blushed a bit, or it could be because he was just worked up, no one has to know.

"Harry.." Zayn said looking at Dr Cowell who cleared his throat, "You can answer the phone Mr Malik" but Nick had already answered, "Hello?."

"Baby, is everything alright?" Harry sounded out of breath,

"Eh, Harry...hi" Nick chuckled,

Harry looked at his phone wondering if he had dialled the wrong number, but no, who the hell was answering Zayn's phone,"Who's this? Where's Zayn? Can i speak to him now?"

"Harry..relax its Nick"

"Who?!! Who the hell is Nick? Why do you have Zayn's phone?"

"Nick..Dr Nick Jonas, Zayn's doctor"

"Dr Jonas??Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. Zayn has an appointment with you?" Harry's heart was racing, was Zayn ready for another baby, yes, yes, yes, he pumped his fists in the air, dropping the phone, "Fuck.." he said picking it up, "Hi Dr Jonas, I'm mean Nick...hello"

"Did you just drop your phone?" Nick chuckled while Zayn looked up at him as he's been listening but focused on Dr Cowell examining Yazz, he was for the second time today, grateful for Nick.

"No, 'course not, is Zayn alright? Can I talk to him..?"

"Zayn is alright, it's your daughter that's not...Dr Cowell is checking her out as we speak,so...Zayn can't come to the phone right now.." Nick said looking at the nurse apply calamine lotion on the baby's back,

"What?! What happened? Is he at your clinic?"

"No, he's at Dr Cowell's paeads clinic," Harry cut him off before he finished, "Tell him I'm on my way.." He didn't wait for the reply, driving off. He'd called Zayn on the way to the car when he got his message, something had to be wrong for him to call his work.

*

"Haz..." Zayn's bravado came to an end when he saw Harry, eyes filling up with tears. He was lying on the exam bed with Yazz asleep on his chest, Dr Cowell had given him lotion for the rash, and confirmed its chicken pox and is contagious, and told Zayn could wait for Harry in the room. Nick was sitting on a chair talking to Zayn.Harry"s heart beating fast seeing Zayn's tears.

"Baby.."Harry said striding forward to wipe his tears,

"Harry..wait" Nick said stopping him,

"Yeah..?" But Harry wasn't looking at his face rather Nick's hand or if one need to be specific, his fingers massaging Zayn's scalp and Zayn letting him. Zayn hates having his hair touched, only him and Louis gets to mess with his hair.

"She's got chicken pox Haz, you might catch it" Zayn said blinking his tears tiredly, Harry wondered if Zayn's mind registered what was happening because he didn't even flinch when Nick's fingers combed his hair back,

"Hmmm." Harry said slowly, chewing the inside of his mouth, eyes fixed on Nick, "What about you Nick? Are you not afraid of catching IT?" He said quite forcefully, pity he couldn't forcefully move him from that fucking chair.

"No..I've had chicken pox, so, no, I won't catch it. I'm good"

"How about you Zayn, are you good?" Harry asked arms folded across his chest looking at him then Nick.

"Yeah..Nick said I'm good" Zayn was smiling at Nick, then at Harry.

"Oh I can see you good, Zayn.." Harry said locking his eyes with Zayn's, breaking contact for a second to look at his hair then back to his eyes, Zayn's eyes suddenly going wide in realisation, sitting up quickly standing next to Harry, the baby whining a bit at being disturbed. Harry took his daughter, kissed her forehead staring at Nick, "I'm good too,...she's my daughter" he said to him.

"We'll be on our way, thanks Dr Jonas" his hand on Zayn's lower back as he bends down to pick the changing bag and walking out waving and mouthed "thank you" to Nick.

"Oh Zayn, here's my card, feel free to call anytime" Harry took it before Zayn could, "Thanks, I'll make sure we do"

"How's your wife by the way, Dr Jonas?" Harry asked lips together,

"I don't have a wife.."

"We're getting married, Zayn told you right..?"

Zayn's eyes darted between the two of them, chewing his lip nervously,

"No,..Congratulat.." "Bye.." Harry took Zayn's hand walking out, not caring about Nick's fucking well wishes.

*

"Chicken pox party? Gems is that even a thing?" Harry said, his eyes closed rubbing his hand up and down Zayn's back,

"Chicken pox party...it's such a thing right now.." Gemma was lying on the couch wearing a crop top and shorts, Yazz wearing a nappy and vest on top of her, playing with her necklaces. Harry called her,..well everyone, told them to stay away if they didn't want chicken pox. Gemma had knocked on their door an hour later, with snacks and drinks and said she was here for the party. She's never had chicken pox and wanted the exposure,she said. And according to her, people pay to have their children exposed to chicken pox, it's less painful when you're younger and there's growing trend for such parties. Given her weird friends Zayn actually believed that.

"You've been exposed now, so you can host your own party Gemma" Zayn suggested,

"Yes I could but won't, imagine people leaving a mess all over my flat, eh, no I'll pass thanks" Gemma said taking her phone out and typing, then took a selfie with Yazz, pouting.

"What are you doing..?" Harry asked,

"Just taking one for my collection, Hazza"

Just then Zayn's phone buzzed, Harry being within reach, his excuse anyway, had a look. Zayn was lying between his legs anyways, arms around his waist, "What the hell?" He was looking at the message, unbelievable,

"Omg." Zayn laughed out loud seeing the message, Gemma's selfie with Yazz sent on their group chat, inviting everyone to a 'party at Zayn's house, come at your own risk',

"I didn't even know there's a group chat, not that I care anyway" Harry frowned looking at the message, then at Zayn, who was avoiding eye contact,

"We talk about you,so..you are excluded from the chat, not that we care that you don't care, little bro. Zayn is in the group chat though"

"I can see that, I wonder what else I don't know about..." the doorbell chimed, Zayn rushing to answer, smiling when he saw Niall, Liam and Louis..

"We've got snacks...where's the party?" Niall smiled back, as Liam pushed past him, "We were on our way here,Gemma sent a cute pic of Yazz looking all white, I need to see that"

"Hi babe..we came to see Yazzie how is she? How are you, are you okay?" Zayn nodded, "Yeah.."

"Gemma, I see you're here.." Louis said, Niall and Liam sitting on the floor next to Gemma, fascinated by Yazz looking like a snowman, body covered in white calamine lotion. Niall lifted the baby's vest looking at the blisters, Liam taking pictures, Louis knocked his phone off.

"I see you're mad, Louis. Eleanor putting things out of reach again then. Take it easy with her, considering her state"

"What state is that then, Harry?" Louis was glaring at Harry, the bloody tittle-tattle,

"Why are you asking me for..? I didn't say nothing"

"Gemma is your bloody sister, how else would she know about whatever 'state' El is supposedly in..huh?"

"Oi oi, watch it Lewis, don't attack my little bro, I've always said I'm psychic, y'all don't believe me"

"What are y'all talking about?"Liam was watching all confused,

"I knew you couldn't keep your bloody mouth shut, Zayn wouldn't say nothing, so it's gotta be you.." Louis scoffed sitting down next to Gemma, pushed Liam out of the way, blowing kisses at Yazz,

"I didn't say nothing.." Harry was looking at Niall, who shrugged ruffling through the snacks,

"Niall...what do you know of El's state?"

"You mean her being pregnant.." Harry shouted at him "Niall!!! Shut up"

"Harry never told me nothing,Niall did" Gemma was smiling at Louis,

"What the hell Niall, it was meant to be a secret, it's not like she had to suck it out of you" Harry said, Niall choked on a crisp, the boys looked at him,

"Omg, she sucked it out of you didn't she? Unbelievable!!" Louis roared out with laughter, kicking his legs.

"What!!!" Harry shouted standing up, "Run Niall..run" Zayn was laughing,

"Chill little bro, it was a one time thing. Niall was a gentleman..."

"Shut up, shut up! I don't wanna know, I don't care about any of your secrets. Give me my daughter, she's the only one I trust"

He didn't need to think about his best friend and sister doing the dirty or Zayn getting a head massage from Nick. No. The only good thing was his daughter looking better and blabbering about again, "Ba..ba" Oh..Harry sighed in defeat. "Where is he then, huh?"