Diamonds Dancing

Forty Seven "Part Two"

PART TWO

Once the doctor had arrived to tell him what had happened, Slater understood the nurse's reaction. He had been correct in his assumptions, he had died. For approximately, four minutes and thirty seconds.

It was a miracle that he survived.

Sat on an uncomfortable chair beside the bed, he let his gaze drift across the sleeping body, ignoring the steady beeps of the heart-rate monitor. He hadn't seen his little sister in a while and seeing her across him made him relax.

She looked so young. Despite being in her late twenties, she always reminded him of the squeaky seven-year-old that never left his side, the same one that insisted she'd join him and his foster friends, who were a good few years older than her, in the streets of Russia.

He was finally able to hold his daughters when his sister and Devin walked in tow later that evening to see him. The kids didn't understand what was wrong with their father, all they knew was that he was okay and he seemed somewhat normal.

Lilia glued herself to his arms, never wanting him to let go. She had missed him, those thirteen days that passed by without him were far too long.

He glanced over at his eldest daughter, she didn't seem fazed, which was a good thing. Janessa was sitting on Devin's lap, he was good at calming her down. Letting her play on his phone as he made sure his friend didn't feel bad about his current situation.

For as long as he knew the producer, he had struggled with his battle with addiction.

Slater felt like a shitty father, he knew Lilia was too young to remember any of this, but it was a different kind of worry when it came to his oldest child.

She'd be way more affected with the things she saw at her age, she was always so shy and reserved and he feared his actions were making her more secluded.

He didn't dare to ask his sister the details of event, figuring it was most likely Janessa that had found his unconscious state in their home. He had dismissed the staff early the night of his overdose, it was strange as flashes of the night entered his mind.

She had been upset, so so upset with him. He couldn't get her to eat dinner, she refused to talk to him and then he had Lilia, who wouldn't stop crying on about her missing nanny.

He didn't mean to take as much as he did, he just wanted a good night sleep. Without all the white noise, and seeing those faces of disappointment behind closed lids.

All he did was disappoint them.

He couldn't even father his own children properly, he needed help to look after them.

"—And then Ella's mommy got us ice cream and we watched a movie." The young girl in his lap recited, playing with the cold chain around his neck. Unfortunately, he was stuck in hospital wear, a stupid gown that shifted every time he moved. The cheap blanket thrown over his lap made it possible for him to have her on his lap.

He noticed she wasn't squirming around like she usually did, clearly terrified that if she even moved an inch she'd somehow hurt him.

Slater hummed, distracted by her ash blonde locks and those endearing emerald eyes. "What did you do after that?"

He wanted to know everything he had missed, even if that meant hearing her talk on about her new imaginary friend or the stuffed toy that she insisted could speak.