Daddy's Little Girl

Protect the Ones You Love (Part 1)

“She’s been asleep for two days are you sure there is nothing wrong with her?” Gaby asked Victoria’s doctor.

“Yes, she is fine; I find that after a suffering huge trauma like Victoria did it may take them longer to wake up. I assure you Mrs. Gregorio your daughter is fine, she’ll wake up when she’s ready.” He said giving Gaby a reassuring smile. Gaby let out a sigh of frustration as she walked back into Victoria’s room. She sat down in the armchair besides Victoria’s bed and held Victoria’s hand. Gaby had spent the past two days sitting and just talking to Victoria with the hopes that she would wake up. She refused to leave Victoria’s side until she saw her daughter’s bright green eyes staring back at her.

“Gaby why don’t you go to sleep, I’ll take over,” Nick said as he walked into the room holding a sandwich for Gaby to eat.

“I’m fine,”

“No you’re not you haven’t eaten anything since last night, and you still have to take your medicine.”

“Have you heard from the boys?”

“Yeah, they are coming home after their last class tomorrow.”

“How much do they know?”

“I had to tell them everything, it’s all over the news now, but I told them not to worry and that Vic is doing fine.”

Gaby just nodded as she turned her attention back onto Victoria. She rubbed the side of her face, it made her angry to see her child laying up in bed her face heavily bruised up, half her body wrapped up with wires seeming to cover her whole body.

“Have you heard from Uncle James?

“No not yet, he’ll call if there’s anything new. Gabrielle I’m really worried about you, you’re not taking care of yourself, you’ll end up in a bed next to Victoria if you don’t eat and take your medication.”

“I can’t leave her Nick, not when this is all my fault. If I had more patience and just listened to her none of this would have happened.”

“You don’t know that Gaby. You can’t beat yourself up for what happened in the past, let’s just use this opportunity to bring our baby girl home.”

“You’re right.”

*****

This is nice. Victoria thought as she let the darkness engulf her, nothing hurt in the darkness, her only regret was not telling her family and Dante how much she loved them. She could hear the soft murmurings of someone talking over her. A familiar scent of strawberries filled her nostrils pulling her towards the surface.

That smell…it reminds me of... Victoria struggled to place the scent with the person it reminded her of.

Mom!

Victoria struggled to open her eyes which felt like they had been weighed down, when she finally opened them she groaned as the sunlight assaulted her eyes. She shut her eyes tight; she could hear someone groaning as if in pain and then realized that the noise was coming from her. She opened her eyes again and she could feel someone holding her hand. Victoria fought to keep her eyes open.

“She’s awake,” Gaby said as Victoria blinked trying to adjust to the light.

“Mommy?” she croaked out.

“I’m right here pancake,” Gaby said giving her hand a squeeze. Victoria gave a slight smile when she finally saw Gaby’s tear stained face. Victoria tried to figure out why she was crying, she tried to speak but her throat was too sore. She couldn’t form any words as confusion set in. Victoria wondered where she was, she tried to sit up in order to survey her surroundings put the pain in her side ripped through her body as the room began to spin.

“Don’t try to get up,” Nick said holding Victoria down. Victoria grabbed his hand as she looked up at him with pleading eyes.

“Where?” she managed to croak out.

“You’re at the hospital,” he said as he brushed her hair back. “I’ll get the doctor,” Nick said letting go of Victoria’s hand and panic began to set in. Victoria grabbed the sleeve of his shirt, she didn’t know why but the last thing she wanted was to be left alone. She felt safe having her parents by her side.

“Just ring for the nurse.” Gaby said as she tightened her grip on Victoria’s hand.

Nick pressed the call button for the nurse as Victoria tried to sit up again.

“Don’t try to get up,” he said holding her down again.

“Why…why am I here?” Victoria asked her voice coarse and weak.

“You were attacked,”

Victoria furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to figure out what he was talking about. She had no idea why she was in a hospital bed all bandaged up with a stinging ache in her side.

“You don’t remember baby?” Gaby asked as she grew even more concerned than before.

The nurse walked into the room with the doctor in tow.

“Good afternoon Ms. Gregorio I’m glad to see you awake,” he said with a warm smile before he looked her over. “So tell me what was the last thing you remember before waking up here?”

Victoria sipped at her water; she was slowly beginning to feel alive again.

“I was….I was in front of my house…I said goodbye to Dante and then…” Victoria trailed off as she came to the brick wall within her memory. She tried to push pass it but she just couldn’t remember what happened next. She just remembered being really happy and then nothing else.

“It’s okay, you’ve been through a very traumatic experience and had a concussion when you came in. just try to relax, I’ll be back to check on you, call me if you need anything.”

****

 Dante leaned against his car, his eyes glued to the front entrance of the office building. He didn’t know how long he had been waiting but he knew that it was only a matter of time before Jeffery would come out. He shoved his hand into his pockets as the bitter wind whipped at his face. Unable to take the bitter cold weather he decided to sit in the car. Once inside he checked his phone for any updates about Victoria but there were none. As he looked up again Dante spotted Jeffery as he walked out of the building. Instead of getting out Dante decided to follow Jeffery. He carefully weaved in and out of traffic, keeping enough distance not to be noticed. The town car finally came to a stop in an abandoned parking lot, Dante watched as Jeffery got out of the car as a blue sedan drove up towards him. The two men shook hands; Jeffery handed over an envelope to the man before a woman got out of the sedan and rushed over Jeffery.

Dante drove up closer so he could get a better look, the woman seemed to be very familiar to him but he just couldn’t put a name to the face.  The men shook hands again before the man left, and he began to talk to the woman. Dante couldn’t take it watching him laugh and grope the woman knowing that he was the reason why Victoria fought to live. He got out of his car and the next thing he knew his fist connected with Jeffery’s face, the bones crumbling under the impact. Dante hovered over Jeffery as he laid out on the ground.