MagicAnimalClub: Happenings

18: One Day

Davids pov

Nicole had went down for coffee, I was beside Joe. John had went home hours ago.
The children slept beside me still. I looked down to Joe. Bloody and distorted.
"Hi mate.." I said, trying to comfort myself. I nervously laughed.
"Not sure if.. If you're still alive or not but- huh, we'll just have to see won't we." I looked at him, unmoving.
"I'm sorry what happened. I'm sorry I wasn't right there for you." I saw that Joe was breathing ever so slightly.
"One day I'll show you guys," I looked down at my children, "one day I'll show you our videos, from lovely world to sky island." I felt tears coming down, "one day I'll show you the vlogs, I'll show you what we got up to, I'll show you the quest videos." I looked at my beautiful children, then over at the destroyed Stampy,
"One day I'll tell you about what we did. One day I'll tell you everything, I'll tell you the stories about what he did, how he heroically fought and recorded in his mouth." I found myself laughing, "one day.. I'll tell you it all. How he, supposedly, ended the war. One day, and- and maybe he'll be there or maybe he won't." I looked at my children,
"One day I'll tell you our story. I just hope I can make your story a long one." I hugged my children, holding them close to my heart. The most precious things I had,
"I promise that nothing will hurt you when I'm beside you. I promise."
"Well you never promised me that." I turned around.
"Stamps?!"
It was nothing more than a whisper, but it was Joe alright. I climbed out of bed, careful not to move the children.
I looked at Joe. I saw a tear ran down his face, or what remained of it.
"I'm ugly as shit I assume." He whispered, I could tell his voice was slowly going.
"Oh my god, you're alive." I wanted to hug him, to tell him how thankful I was.
But he was in such an awful shape. So destroyed, so ruined.
Joe just looked down to the edge of his eye. He wasn't enthusiastic in the slightest. He was just run down and .. Deathlike.
"Is Beth there..." He moaned,
"She is just in the bed next to you." I replied, Joe looked confused, oh.. Joe didn't know..
"Oh.. Beth .. She was effected too.."
Joe looked shocked, he didn't speak, I know he would have though,
"Hey don't you worry. Just get some sleep."
"How.." He croaked, it must have been extremely painful for him. I eyed a nurse at the end of the corridor, signifying that Joe was awake. She came running to me.
"Hey Joe.. Shh.. You might not want to speak.. Your voice box is disturbed. Just try to sleep.."  Joe looked like he was in a lot of pain,
"I'll stay with him." I offered,
"Would you? Just- be careful, stay on your bed, I'll move you round."
Once the bed was moved round I was right beside Joe.
"Joe. Do you think if I never rang you up those many years ago, do you think I'd be here today?" It was a rhetorical question, it gave Joe something to think about though.
"I'd have quit a long time ago." I said, Joe slightly nodded,
"I've got the kids with me." I announced, Joe tried to move,
"They're asleep, I'll lower the bed." I got the switch and the bed began to move down. I cuddled up with my two tiny children beside me. Joe smiled, I knew he was about to cry.
"This is Rosie, and- and this.. This is James." I petting my children's heads. I saw Rosie's eyes open.
"Hey, hey Rosie." I didn't want her to see Joe, I didn't want her to scream or shout.
"Daddy?" She asked, I looked to Joe, tears were slipping down the sides of his eyes.
"Yes?" I responded, my heart warming. Nobody had ever called me daddy before.
She reached out and touched the wound on the side of my face, it hurt, but I didn't want to say.
"Does it hurt?" She asked, I was impressed at how well this 2 year old spoke,
"Yes." I said,
"Are you going to cry?" I looked down at Joe, his destroyed face, his teary eyes,
"Yes, I think I am." I said, truthfully. But I wasn't going to cry of pain.
"What are these?" Rosie asked, looking at the tubes attached to my chest.
"I'm not too sure, actually."
Rosie started to pull at the tubes,
"Ah, ah, ah!" I said, before looking back at Joe, "need ma drugs!" I saw him smile.
"Where's mummy?" Rosie asked, looking about
"She is just gone down for a while, she'll be back soo- oh there she is there." I saw Nicole walk up the corridor, before she got to me she looked down at Beth,
"Hey, Beth, sweetie." She kneeled beside her, I walked out of bed and asked the kids to stay there.
I looked around at Beth, she was crying, she was struggling and in intense pain. Staff crowded round her. They put an oxygen mask on her, and started to give more morphine to her.
I ran back to Joe, he looked worried, he was trying to move,
"It's alright, it's fine, she.. She should be okay.."  I sat back on my bed beside Joe.
"Hey. Hey Joe. I was speaking to John, he visited you a while ago."
"What'd he say?" Joe whispered,
"Called us lying bastards." Joe laughed,
"You gonna be alright, mate?" I asked him.
"Yeh.." He sighed, "one day."
I went back to Beth , I talked to a nurse beside her,
"How's she doing?" I asked,
"Sorry, sir, I- I don't think she's gonna last.."
"What- the bomb was on Joe, he's not as bad-"
"Joseph is stronger, it also damaged him in different parts that are not essential." I felt tears slowly about to form,
"But-" I ran my fingers through my hair, "but you can't do this to him he.. " I buried my head in my hands, "I just want them to be happy. That's all." Nicole walked up to me, she patted my back.
"David?" It was Joe. I looked down at him.
"Yes?"
"Take my keys- go stay in my house. Get somewhere to rest." He croaked, I couldn't do it.
"Joe I'm not leaving you."
"At least let Nicole and the kids stay- stay there." He coughed, I looked to Nicole.
"Joe.. I- I owe you one."
I took the keys, I handed them to Nicole. A nurse came behind me,
"You should go home too, spend some time with your children, we'll ring you if anything goes wrong."
I couldn't decide what to do. Half of me wanted to go home and spend time with Nicole, James and Rosie. But.. But Joe and Beth.. They might be dead tomorrow. I didn't know.
I suddenly started to feel dizzy, I put one hand down leaning against my bed. My vision blurred, my head was spinning,
"David? David are you alright?" Nurses balanced me, they held my arms, when my vision was black I passed out completely.