The Return of Delilah

Chapter 22

Hold on tight a little longer

What don't kill ya makes you stronger

Get back up, 'cause it's a hard love

You can't change without a fallout

It's gon' hurt but don't you slow down

Get back up, 'cause it's a hard love

-Hard Love by NeedToBreathe ft. Andra Day

*****

DELILAH

There's something about hospitals that have always scared me. It's quite confusing how a single building can hold so much hope and love as well as sorrow. People die and are born within those four walls. 

Liam held my hand in his, squeezing tightly as we walked inside. I'd long ago stopped listening to what the detective had to say. My mind was overrun with questions that would only be answered when I saw him. We took the elevator to the sixth floor - the pediatric wing of the hospital. 

"It'll be okay," Liam whispered, kissing the back of my hand. I closed my eyes, turning my back on the detective and leaning my head on Liam's chest. He was just as nervous as I was. I felt him sigh as his grip tightened around my body. He was holding him me so hard I could barely breathe but I was thankful for that. It was comforting. 

The elevator stopped moving and chimed, the door opening to let us walk to our fate. A nurse with a sweet smile walked up to us, taking us to the room in which Adrian was. My heart was unsteady. They kept talking and talking but all I cared about was getting to my son. 

The door to room number 628 opened. 

"Mom! Dad!" Adrian ran to us, wrapping his arms around us. 

"Oh God," I whispered, hugging him, my hand roaming from the back of his head to his back, making sure that he was actually there with me. "You're okay," I said. The words were more to reassure myself. It was surreal having him with me, holding him. 

Liam held us both, kissing Adrian's forehead. I didn't even realize when it happened, but I was crying, sobbing into the arms of the two men that meant the world to me. 

"It's okay," I heard Liam whispered into my hair. "Everything's okay, it's over, baby."

I nodded, still holding Adrian as if were to disappear at any moment. He didn't complain or push away which I was thankful for. I felt that if I let him go he would slip away once again and that was something I wouldn't have been able to tolerate. 

Trying my best to calm down, I wiped my tears and took Adrian's face in mine. He was dirty but didn't have a single scratch on him. He was smiling with dazzling blue eyes that took my breath away.

"Did anyone hurt you?" I asked him. Adrian frowned, shaking his head.

"No. Are you mad at me?"

"Oh no, baby, no, of course we're not," I replied hugging him once again. I heard Liam and the detective talking but couldn't focus on anything that wasn't Adrian. 

The nurses explained how they waited to collect evidence before allowing him to take a shower but that everything seemed to be okay, both psychologically and physically. The next few hours were a blur. Liam and the detective spoke outside the room, while I helped Adrian change into clean clothes. One thing was for sure; he was starving. He ate everything that had been set in front of him.