Shadows In Durango
Chapter 119

***** Vincent's POV*****

At first, I thought I was fully imagining it...

That my mind, desperate for any slight sign of life, was playing tricks on me...

But no- the faintest twitch of his fingers in mine was real!

My gasp caught up in my throat, and I held still, afraid to move, afraid to break whatever fragile connection had just been sparked.

"Daryl?!" My voice barely escaped as a whisper, my heart thudding loudly in my ears.

For a moment, there was nothing. The machines kept their steady rhythm, the silence closing in on me again. I gripped his hand tighter, willing him to give me another sign, anything to show me that he was still in there, fighting to come back. Then, just as I was about to lose hope, his eyelids fluttered. It was so small, so quick, that I almost missed it, but it was definitely there.

A flicker of life!

My heart sprung up into my throat next, and I stood up so fast that the chair tipped over behind me with a loud clatter.

"Daryl? Daryl, can you hear me? Whatever you're doing, keep doing it! It's working!" I leaned over the bed, my face inches from his, my hand still gripping his tightly.

"C'mon, man, give me something else..." I plead, not wanting the momentous moment to die out.

His brow furrowed ever so slightly, and I watched, holding my breath as his chest hitched, a faint groan escaping his lips next.

He's responding! He's finally waking up!

The machines around him beeped a little faster, reacting to his movements and sudden change in demeanour, and I felt a surge of hope crash through me like a tidal wave.

I reached for the call button beside the bed, smashing it with more force than necessary as I called for a nurse - pressing it again and again as if that would make them move faster outside.

Dropping it, I rush to the room door, opening it and seeing a half asleep Amelia looking up at me - suddenly startled.

"What's going on Vincent?!" Amelia stammers, leaning forward and dreading to hear any more bad news.

The rush of nurses come speeding down the hallway, as I motion for them all to hurry up...

"He's waking up!" I shouted, my voice shaking with a mix of relief and disbelief all at the same time. "He's waking up, come quick!"

Within moments, the room was a flurry of activity. Nurses rushed in, checking his vitals, adjusting the machines before a doctor arrived shortly after.

One of them gave me a reassuring nod, though her expression remained cautious.

"Yes, he's stable," she said, her tone professional but warm. "His vitals are improving rapidly. This is a really good sign."

I stepped back, allowing myself to catch a breath, letting them work, but my eyes never left Daryl.

He was trying so hard - fighting with everything he has left - just to come back to us, and for the first time since this nightmare began, I felt the crushing weight of anxiety lift just a little.

Amelia came to my side, lacing her arm around mine as she held on to me, breathless, her eyes wide with hope as we both stood back to watch the scene unfold.

"Is he...?" She trails off, seeing the doctor inject something up in to his arm through a long intimidating needle.

I nodded, a shaky smile breaking out across my face. "He's fighting hard, Amelia. He's coming back to us." I state firmly, believing it wholeheartedly.

She clasped her hands over her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked down at Daryl. "Oh, Thank God," she whispered. "Thank God!"

Some of the nurses began to leave, seeming satisfied with his progress in the moment, as they offered us gentle smiles on their passing leaving just one more nurse behind with the doctor still in the room.

"He should come around any moment now, the injection should help bring him over the last hurdle... it could take minutes or even hours... but just press the button again and the nurses will be with him when he's awake and needs anything. When he wakes up, he will feel exhausted and will probably fall back over so don't be alarmed." The doctor turns to face us, peeling off his latex gloves as we both nod along eagerly at his words.

"Thank you!" Amelia breathes out, as he nods and heads for the door with the last nurse going out at his back.

The beeping of the machines filled up the silent room, but it no longer felt as ominous as it had before.

There was life in the sound now - pure hope.

Amelia remained beside me, as though we were both glued to the spot and scared to move an inch incase we disrupted anything.

"He heard you, Vincent," she said softly. "You're the one who managed to pull him back." She tells me, as I glance down at her in surprise.

I shook my head, my throat tightening with emotion. "Nah he didn't need me. He did this himself. Daryl's always been stronger than me. I just..." I swallowed, struggling to replace the words. "I just didn't want him to leave."

Amelia squeezed my arm, her grip firm yet trembling with emotion. "He needed you here, Vincent. You're family to him more than you even realise."

I wanted to believe her, but the guilt gnawed at me. Daryl was fighting for his life because of decisions I had made - decisions that led him straight into a bullet.

I turned back to him, watching his chest rise and fall in shallow breaths, the beeping of the machines now a strange sort of comfort knowing that they were helping to bring him in to the light.

Each sound meant he was still here, still fighting.

It wasn't over.

Not yet.

Minutes passed, maybe more, as the silence settled between Amelia and me as we just took the time to watch him.

The air in the room felt thick and tense, like we were holding our collective breath, waiting for Daryl to make his next move.

Every twitch of his eyelids, every groan, sent my heart racing with anticipation.

Amelia broke the silence, her voice soft. "I think... I think I'll go and get some air, I feel a little nauseous in here, maybe you can try to talk him round again?" she said, her voice thick with exhaustion. She gave me a gentle pat on the arm. "You stay here. He'll want to see your face when he wakes up I'm sure."

I nodded, not trusting my voice as she quietly slipped out of the room, leaving me alone with Daryl.

The room felt colder, emptier without her, but I didn't move from my spot. I stayed by Daryl's side, watching him, silently urging him to fight just a little bit harder.

I eventually reached down for his hand, replaceing it to be still limp in mine, before it twitched again more deliberate this time.

My pulse instantly quickened. "C'mon, man," I whispered, leaning closer. "You can do this." I encourage, assuming he could hear me somehow.

His eyes fluttered once more, his fingers flexing against mine. "That's it! Keep doing what you're doing!" I state, longing for more.

Then, as if I was stuck dreaming, he slowly, very painfully, cracked open his eyelids just a sliver.

His gaze was unfocused, hazy, but it was enough for me. He was in there, coming back to us.

"Daryl?" My voice was barely above a whisper now, my emotions swirling as I felt in that moment like I could cry again.

His eyes shifted, trying to focus on me as he groaned this time, trying to adjust to the light of the room.

His lips parted, the faintest sound escaping them, but it was incoherent words that I couldn't begin to make out.

I squeezed his hand gently, hoping to anchor him back to reality as he took his time to wake up.

As you reach the final pages, remember that 000005s.org is your destination for the complete story. Share the joy of reading with others and spread the word. The next chapter is just a visit away! "Vin..." His voice was weak, rasping, but it was the best sound I'd heard in hours.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, blinking back tears as I instantly reached for the call button to summon back the nurse. "Yeah, man, I'm right here. You're okay. You're gonna be okay now. You did it!" I commend him. He tried to move his head, wincing in sudden pain, and I quickly reached out to steady him. "Don't try to move. You're in the hospital... but you're safe now, the nurse is coming."

Daryl blinked slowly, his eyes clearer now, still clouded with pain and confusion. "Sofia..." he rasped. "Ashton?" He recites single words, his memory catching up to him.

"Sofia is fine, she's waiting outside with Emma and Reid to see you. Your aunt Amelia is here too." I encourage him, as he attempts to lick his dry lips.

Daryl's eyes closed for a moment, as if gathering up more strength.

When Daryl's eyes opened again, they were sharper - more focused - but the pain was still evident in his every movement.

"Ashton... is he...?" His voice cracked, barely audible, but the concern in his tone was unmistakable.

"He was arrested. They're dealing with him and everyone is safe now..." I confirm, as he sighs slightly and seems relieved.

He's probably glad to know that he didn't just take the damn bullet for nothing. I can only begin to imagine what level of fury and stress we would all feel if Ashton had managed to get away with it... "W-Water?" He whispers, as my eyes widen at the request.

Fuck! Why hadn't I thought of that sooner?!

Thankfully, before I could respond and freak out, the door opened, and a nurse walked in, brisk and efficient, her presence grounding me.

"He's asking for water." I inform her instantly, as she nods and smiles, rounding to a mini fridge that I hadn't even noticed since being in the room.

Damn!

She moved to crack the bottle open, before shifting a pillow behind his neck to prop him up before bringing the bottle to his lips.

Once he had drank most of it back, she moved to check his vitals again, her expression calm and reassuring as she worked around us.

"You've been through a lot young man, you're very lucky!" she said softly to Daryl, adjusting the IV line. "But you're making remarkable progress now. I can imagine that you're exhausted so please just keep resting, and we'll have you back on your feet soon enough." She tells him kindly, as he mumbles back in response.

Daryl's eyelids were instantly drooping again, the brief moments of wakefulness taking their toll.

The nurse gave me a small, encouraging smile before stepping out of the room, leaving me alone with him once more as I watched him fall back asleep.

Daryl was alive and awake and for now, that was enough to keep us all going...