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.

them gave me a reassuring nod, though her

professional but warm. "His vitals are improving rapidly. This is

catch a breath, letting

back to us, and for

arm around mine as she held on to me, breathless, her eyes wide with

he...?" She trails off, seeing the doctor inject something

across my face. "He's fighting hard, Amelia. He's coming back to us."

her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked down at Daryl. "Oh, Thank God," she

us gentle smiles on their passing leaving just one more nurse behind with the doctor still in the

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

as he nods and heads for the door with the last nurse going

machines filled up the silent room, but it no longer felt as ominous as

was life in the sound now

were both glued to the spot and scared to move an inch

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

didn't need me. He did this himself. Daryl's always been

trembling with emotion. "He needed you

for his life because

shallow breaths, the beeping of the machines now a strange sort of comfort knowing that they were helping

he was

It wasn't over.

Not yet.

more, as the silence settled between Amelia and me as we just took the time to

thick and tense, like we were holding our collective breath, waiting for Daryl to make

of his eyelids, every groan, sent my heart

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

my voice as she quietly slipped out of the room, leaving me alone

move from my spot. I stayed by Daryl's side, watching him,

still limp in mine, before it twitched again more deliberate

"You can do this." I encourage,

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

was stuck dreaming, he slowly, very painfully, cracked open his

gaze was unfocused, hazy, but it was enough for me. He was

above a whisper now, my emotions swirling as

me as he groaned this time, trying to adjust to

them, but it was incoherent words that I couldn't begin