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.

me a reassuring nod,

he's stable," she said, her tone professional but warm. "His vitals are improving rapidly.

to catch a breath, letting

to come back to us, and for the first time

my side, lacing her arm around mine as she held on to me, breathless, her eyes wide with hope as we both stood back

She trails off, seeing the doctor inject something up

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

welling up in her eyes as she looked

leave, seeming satisfied with his progress in the moment, as they offered us gentle smiles

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

nods and heads for

the silent room, but it no longer felt

the sound now - pure

glued to the spot and scared to move an

you, Vincent," she said softly. "You're the one who managed to pull him back." She tells

He did this himself. Daryl's always been stronger than me. I just..." I swallowed, struggling to find the words. "I just didn't want him to

yet trembling with emotion. "He needed you here, Vincent. You're family to him more

to believe her, but the guilt gnawed at me. Daryl was fighting for his life because of decisions

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

meant he was still here,

It wasn't over.

Not yet.

silence settled between Amelia and me

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

his eyelids, every groan,

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

slipped

stayed by Daryl's side, watching him, silently urging him to fight just a

be still limp in mine, before it twitched

I whispered, leaning closer. "You can do this." I encourage,

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

dreaming, he slowly, very painfully, cracked open his eyelids

was enough for me. He was in there,

barely above a whisper now, my emotions swirling as I felt in that

to focus on me as he groaned this time, trying to adjust to the light of

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