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.

gave me a reassuring nod, though her

tone professional but warm. "His

myself to catch a breath, letting them work, but my

left - just to come back to us, and for the

held on to me, breathless, her eyes wide with hope

inject something up in to his arm through a

smile breaking out across my face. "He's fighting hard, Amelia. He's coming

her hands over her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked down at

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

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."

for the door with the last nurse going out at

up the silent room, but it no longer felt

was life in the sound now - pure

as though we were both glued to the spot and scared

the one who managed to pull him back." She tells me, as I glance down at her

himself. Daryl's always been stronger

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

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

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

sound meant he was still

It wasn't over.

Not yet.

as the silence settled between Amelia and me as we just took the

like we were holding our collective breath, waiting

of his eyelids, every groan, sent my

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.

slipped out of the room, leaving me alone

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

for his hand, finding it to be still limp in

whispered, leaning closer. "You can do

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

he slowly, very painfully, cracked open his eyelids just

unfocused, hazy, but it was enough for me. He was in there, coming

swirling as I felt in that moment

focus on me as he groaned this

it was incoherent words that I couldn't begin to