The New World (Days Gone Fanfic)

The Strength Needed to Protect

_Erin pov_

Waking up was hard, everything was sore and my head felt like led. My eyes were screwed shut, shielding me from the bright light in the room I was in. I was laying on my side with a cold hard surface under me, I wasn't in a cage nor was I chained up, must be in Sarah's lab tent. I could hear slight shuffling going on around where I was, but no voices. I made a slight move of my hand to feel for what surface I was on, it felt like metal. I moved my hand around a little more and came in contact with something warm. someone else's hand.

The hand moved and enclosed mine, I let out a sigh from the warmth and security it gave off. A gruff and sleep-ridden voice sounds near my head, just above a whisper "How are you feeling?" It's Deacon, he lightly squeezes my hand in an encouraging motion for me to speak. "Everything hurts" My voice is scratchy from lack of moister.

"Understandable after being beaten unconscious, you're lucky you're alive. both of you" This voice is light and female, Sarah. I let out a cough and forced my words out " Could I get some water please" There was no response other than the sound of glass and a whooshing sound as water is poured. I try to open my eyes once more and am forced to once again lose them tight from the harsh light but after a few seconds I reopened them and could stand to keep them open despite them starting to water. I look around and find Sarah standing a few feet away from the table with a glass of water, Deacon is sitting by the table. He's holding my hand in both of his as he looks down at me with worried eyes. 

I move to sit up and gasp at the sharp pains that spread through my lower abdomen. Deacon rushes to help me up. Tears roll down my face at the amount of pain from just sitting up. Sarah hands Deacon the glass of water and then stands back just a step further than she was before. Deek holds the glass to my lips and I take small sips, struggling to swallow. Deacon is the first to speak, his voice soft and comforting "What's the last thing you remember?" 

"After we left the tent, I was taken into the ark where I was to wait for my father, the guard I was with got handsy and I threw my head back into his nose. I broke it, my father came in shortly after that and we started fighting verbally then it turned physical. partly my fault I think." Deacon looks at me with a concerned glint in his eyes "What was the fight about? And why do you say it was your fault?"

I sigh " he kept saying that our baby was a parasite and that I was a whore like my mother, I got angry and started talking back to him. He hit me and I don't know what came over me but I started laughing. it made him angrier and he knocked me down and started kicking me." I bring a hand to my lower abdomen as I remember the events. Sarah spoke next "Next time don't laugh, you and your baby were lucky this time but next time you probably won't be so lucky. it's not just you anymore you know?" I nodded "Yeah I know, I just got so overwhelmed with the thought of making him see that he had no power over me anymore that I lost all sense."

I lowered my head at my selfishness, Sarah sighed "I get it, I probably would have done the same but if you want this baby to stay alive you need to be more careful. You were strong enough to protect it but at the cost of slow healing for you, if it's a recurrence then- well put it this way, you're no good to that baby if you're dead. understand?"

She was talking to me like a child but she was right and it bugged me how much I knew she was. "I understand, I'll be more careful." I looked at Deacon and my heart broke, his face was full of exhaustion and worry. Without looking at me he moved his hand to cover mine over my lower belly. "I promise" I whispered just loud enough for him to hear and he lightly raised his head in acknowledgment.