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.

of them gave me a reassuring nod, though

said, her tone professional but warm. "His vitals are

myself to catch a breath, letting them work, but my eyes never

- fighting with everything he has left - just to come back to us, and for the first time since this nightmare began,

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

doctor inject something up in to his

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

mouth, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked down at Daryl.

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

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

nods and heads for

filled up the silent room, but it

in the sound now - pure

to the spot and scared to move an inch

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

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

squeezed my arm, her grip firm yet trembling with emotion. "He needed you here, Vincent.

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

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

sound meant he was still here, still

It wasn't over.

Not yet.

as the silence settled between Amelia and

were holding our collective

groan,

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

slipped

stayed by Daryl's side, watching him, silently urging

reached down for his hand, finding it to be still limp in mine, before it twitched again more deliberate

closer. "You can do this." I encourage, assuming he

fingers flexing against mine. "That's it!

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

was unfocused, hazy, but it was enough for

whisper now, my emotions swirling as I felt

as he groaned this time, trying

the faintest sound escaping them, but it was incoherent words that I couldn't begin to