Love's Conquer

Truth

"Listen to me... I need you to pull through this. I need you to be okay. You belong here, Gavin. You belong with us- with your family. Don't give up... we still have the future."

My body jolted slightly as my leg slipped from the side of the chair I had curled up into. Heavy eyes began to open, taking in the drops of candlelight around the room as the heavy breaths through my nose shifted to my dry mouth.

"Hey," Rick murmured, capturing my attention as he moved towards me from the other side of the room.

Straightening my back, feeling my bones ache slightly from the position I had left myself in, I noticed the blanket keeping me warm. "Was this you?"

"Yeah," He smiled weakly. "Didn't want you to get cold."

"Thank you." I returned the favour, smiling as far as my tired face would allow me.

"You're welcome." He sat beside me and reached for my hand.

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

"About an hour. I got here just as you were drifting off." He explained.

"Why didn't you wake me?" I looked up to his bright eyes.

"Even superheroes need their rest." His lips curled into a smirk before they rested against my forehead, his touch allowing me to lean into him, comforting me like he always did. "I know how much you care for him. What we have to focus on right now is that he's in the best possible place. Siddiq'll do all he can."

"I know." I agreed, knowing Gavin's chances of survival were low from the significant blood loss. Everything hung in the balance of tonight, and whether he would still be here by morning. "Where's Daryl?"

"He took Arat back to the Sanctuary, figured she'd feel more safe there." My dearest explained, as my eyes trailed over to Gavin's still body. "You gonna tell me who did this?"

"It doesn't matter, not anymore." I sighed, knowing why it happened and only thankful that I could put a stop to it when I did. "It was Oceanside."

"Oceanside?" Rick repeated, shocked at the answer he received.

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter, Rick." I sat up further and perched myself on the very edge of the chair, cradling his hand between the two of mine. "I've thought about it- I've been thinking about it ever since I worked it out. I know why they did it, and it doesn't make it right but... it gives a reason."

"What're we gonna tell people?" He asked softly, running a finger up my jaw before pulling a piece of hair behind my ear. His touch, as always, so delicate as though he was afraid I might shatter into nothing. Leaving me to feel like the richest thing remaining in the world.

"We tell them we've put a stop to it. We tell them it will never happen again. We tell them anything besides the truth, because that will break us. The truth will shatter any hope we had in this future working." My dread-filled eyes looked back up to his, only to find him already watching me with such care and promise. "We have to lie, in order to give any of this a chance."

"Then that's what we'll do." He agreed, placing another kiss on my forehead before getting up from the arm of the chair and heading towards the door of the small room located in the surgery. "You gonna come to bed? Siddiq's in the other room, he's gonna stay through the night."

"I'll be there in a few minutes." I said with pursed lips.

"Alright, I have a couple things I gotta do before we call in. I'll see you in ten." He nodded my way, and I returned the notion.

I rested my head in my hands, finding my mind racing over the events of the past few weeks and how I had unknowingly contributed to the loss and grief felt by so many of my people. "Oh Gavin..." I watched him with tear filled eyes, half contemplating if praying could even help him. If it wasn't for me, he would never have gotten hurt.