Dolphin Tale 7

Chapter [4]

A pink-tinged light clawed its way into the room, fighting for territory against the blue-hued shadows; teeth bared, eyes narrowed, striking with incredible precision until its enemy was driven out and forced to lurk in the darkest of corners.

Sawyer cradled Hazel in his arms as they lay side-by-side on the bed, watching the shadows morph into pale light. Days had passed since the birth of their children, but there was no sign of improvement. Both lives were still hanging in the balance despite the doctors' best efforts.

It was so cruel to see just how helpless and vulnerable they were, with a monstrous amount of tubes and wires linking them to machines which essentially kept them alive. Every effort was made to ensure that they were never alone; there was always someone with them - talking to them, singing to them, simply being with them. At this very moment, Phoebe - upon whom the title of godmother had been bestowed - was with them while everyone else had either gone home or had gotten a room at the hospital to catch some rest.

The days were endless, tiresome, blending into one long dream that slowly bled into a nightmare; hope flickering like a candle, threatening to extinguish with one feeble breath. Each tick of the clock was the beat of a heart, each tick bringing it a beat closer to the risk of mechanical failure. Worry lurked in every shadow—fear around every corner—threatening the hope which ceased to exist as soon as it was marred by darkness.

As Sawyer continued to stare at the slow dance of shadows and light on the ceiling, he felt Hazel shifting within his arms. Turning his head to the side, he pressed a light kiss on her forehead, his lips lingering there as he whispered a gentle good morning.

A small smile graced Hazel's lips before it morphed into a yawn, her arms pulling Sawyer closer towards her as she opened her eyes.

"Morning," she said blearily, snuggling further into his body and revelling in the warmth and comfort he provided.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Sawyer asked, absentmindedly stroking her hair.

Hazel hesitated for a moment. "I feel...better, I think," she said before another yawn overwhelmed her, smiling slightly as Sawyer yawned in response.

"Still tired?" Sawyer asked, nuzzling against her cheek with her nose. He certainly was exhausted despite not physically doing much, spending the past few days either resting or watching over Hazel and their twins.

Nodding, Hazel turned and buried her face into his shoulder. She longed to get out of hospital, but she knew that it was going to be a while before her wish came true. Everything had just happened so quickly, there had been no time to react or fully process what had happened. Even now, her mind was still reeling. The lack of normalcy in their lives over the past week or so had been difficult to adjust to, but now she supposed that this was their new normal. Sometimes it felt like she was having an out-of-body experience—other times a waking nightmare—but this was her reality.

It was going to take a long time to adjust.

Sawyer seemed to sense that the air was heavy with unspoken thoughts because he pulled Hazel tighter against him. He wanted her to feel safe and reassured in his embrace. Even though everyone had found the recent events difficult to comprehend, he knew that she was struggling the most. He could not even begin to imagine—to comprehend—what it must have been like to lose consciousness in a world that felt like it was falling apart around you, only to awaken, disoriented and scared, and realise that the nightmares that had kept you awake—the ones that made you toss and turn until light drove out the shadows—were real.

Very real.

Indeed, they were so real that they no longer needed to hide in the safety of the shadows of the night. The nightmares were tangible—they had become a part of everyday life; ingraining themselves within the light until there was none left. Until all that was left were the shadows from the eclipse.