Breathe (Cheryl Fanfic)

Chapter 68

Simon's P.O.V
We're sat here on the bench right outside the operating room and its seems like we've been waiting for years and counting for a doctor to just come out of those double doors and tell us how are daughter was.

Cheryl is unresponsive. She just stares at the floor as she rests her head on my shoulder.I know she's scared, I am scared too. Our daughter is fighting for her life behind those double doors and who knows if she would make it till the end.

I just couldn't take my mind off of her state earlier. Her bruises that covered her whole body and it seems like they were still fresh because of the purple color along with her wounds and burns.Everytime I remember it, I can't contain myself. I wanted to kill Kevin and Eloisa. How can they do this to a child without their conscience bothering them. I'm not even satisfied that they are now in jail. That wouldn't make up for anything that they did to Athena.

I was brought out of my thoughts by my phone ringing inside my pocket so I carefully took it out hoping not to disturb my wife in her silence. When I successfully got my phone I look at the screen to see who it was and when I saw Joan calling, I know I got to prepare myself for the story I bet she wouldn't want to hear.

"Hello?" I whispered and immediately I hear multiple voices on the other line making me figure that I'm on loudspeaker.

"Simon, Did you find her?"

"Daddy, Is Athena with you?" As soon as I heard my son's voice asking for his sister, it totally broke my heart and made a lump form in my throat. I don't want to tell them but I don't want to lie. They deserve to know what is really happening to Athena.

"Simon, When can we see our little girl again?" I hear Nicola asked followed by Kim's voice agreeing to what she just said. I swallowed and took a deep breath before deciding to speak.

"Yea, we found her." I hear breaths of relief had released before Joan speaks up.

"So where are you? Can I speak to her please?" I can hear the emotions that are all mixed up in her voice along with my son yelling his sister's name. And soon I can't help it but to release some tears.

"She's uhm...We're-We're at the hospital." I whispered and hear gasps but nobody talked after that so I continued. "She's..She's still in the operating room and its been hours..We don't know what's happening to her." There was a long pause after that,  even thought she hung up but then I heard her voice.

"Nic can you take Eric upstairs first please?" She says before I hear a sigh and Eric started to cry as he continues to call out for his sister. I let out a shaky breath before leaning back on the wall and placing a soft kiss on top of Cheryl's head.

"Tell us, what really happened?." I hear the worried and scared tone in her voice but I can't blame.

"Cheryl found her in the attic.." They gasp as I hear murmurs. "She..-" I can't seem to say it because saying makes it just real.

"She's lying on the floor,her body is covered with bruises, cuts, wounds, burns...If Cheryl wouldn't have to kiss her and wake her up, we might thought that she could be-" I paused. "That she could be..."

"Dead?" Joan whispered. I swallow the lump forming in my throat and let out a shaky breath. When I didn't respond, gasps was heard from the other line.

"Where's Cheryl?"

"Beside me.." I glanced at my wife to see her just staring at the floor with tears hanging from her eyes. I think she haven't stop crying.

"She's out of it" I whispered making her sigh.

"Knowing my grandaughter, I think she can make it through." Even though she's staying on the positive side, I can still hear the doubts on her voice because no one knows if what she believes is true. No one knows what will happen to Athena.

"I hope so."
------------------------
Cheryl's P.O.V.
After hours of waiting a doctor finally emerged from the room making Simon and I shot up our seat and rushed towards him.

"How is she?" I desperately asked. I just need him to say that she's okay but his face is telling us otherwise.

"She made it through the surgery..." A small weight has been lifted off my shoulders but I am sensing there is more to it. I looked at Simon and he's just staring at the doctor in front of us.

"But she's not in a stable condition.." It felt like someone was squeezing my heart as soon as I heard those words.

"Her wounds and burns are treated. We stitched up her cuts. Both her legs are fractured and also her right arm so we needed to fix that up. Her ribs are broken and it already caused damage to her lungs and kidneys a-"

"So what are you saying..." I cut him off. Why can't he just say it. Just say what is exactly my daughter's condition. He paused, looking at the both of us before exhaling deeply.

"There's a possibility that Athena would wake up but I don't think she wouldn't last long anymore. Her system is too damaged already. I'm really sorry." I felt empty as his words kept repeating in my head like a broken record that is slowly killing us. I broke down in tears as the doctor walked away and Simon took us in his arms.

I can't believe this is happening to our family. I can't believe that eventually she will leave us soon. I don't want that, I can't cope. I want her to stay and fight. Why isn't she fighting anymore. We save her didn't we. Questions that couldn't be answered. Questions that are torturing my mind. I just want her to live.
--------------------------
Simon's P.O.V.
"Babe, I've talked to the doctor and they said that they will get assistance for us to take Athena home tomorrow." I said softly as I stood beside Cheryl resting a hand on her back as I look at our daughter and somehow I couldn't recognize her with the stitch on her cheek, temple, nose and her lip and the huge dark bruise on her left eye.It's far from the last time I saw her and its tearing my heart in two.

"How about the case?" I glanced at Cheryl and she just sat there her hand on top of Athena's and the other is gripping the side of the bed too hard that her knuckles are turning white. She's boiling but she doesn't want to let it out.

"I've talked to our lawyers and they would have to take care of that." She nods and didn't speak anymore. I'm really getting worried about Cheryl she refuses to eat and she doesn't talk that much anymore. She just sat by the hospital and stare at our daughter. I understand how she feels about our situation but she also needs to take care of herself.

My eyes travel to our girl lying on the hospital bed looking so lifeless. And I remember what the doctors told me earlier, that machines are helping Athena to breathe. So it means that she really is in a terrible condition. I want her to still fight and never slip away because we're not ready for this yet and we don't know if we'll ever be.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Cheryl whisper bringing me out of my thoughts. I look at her and she's just staring at her before stroking her hair.

"Just give her time sweetheart." She didn't respond and just lets out a shaky breath. Cheryl thinks that there's no time left. She needs Athena to wake up so she can tell her to fight this because she loves her and misses her so much. She can't cooe if ever she'd be gone again. I can't cope with it. Even though Athena is not biologically mine, I still thinknof her as my own and I can't imagine our lives without her.

Comments??? Feedbacks??? Votes???