𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ➳ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬

Chapter 28 ~ The Letter

I blinked open my eyes, shutting them again after hissing as blinding light filled my gaze. Groaning quietly, I opened my chocolate-brown eyes again only to be met with a stark white room. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Where was I? I tried to move my arms but there was a needle and IV taped to one of them, making it impossible to move. I glanced around the room then before my eyes fell on a familiar sight - fast asleep in a chair in the corner was Daryl.

I tried to reach a hand out to wake him but the exertion of it made me ache, a groan slipping through my lips unbidden. That was enough to rouse him though - the redneck hunter starting in his chair. His blue-eyed gaze snapped to the sound and softened when they fell on my now very-awake form in bed. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth as he leaned over to me, his hand grasping mine.

"You're awake...you're alive," he said in relief, his voice shaky but raspy as usual.

It all hit me like a train then - the depression, the pain, the attempt at taking my own life so that we could be together again...it hadn't worked.

"I'm still here..." I whispered slowly, feeling my eyes fill with fresh tears as I clenched the bed-sheets hard, "I'm still here,"

I began to shake my head, my shoulder shaking as my chest began to heave with sobs.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" I screamed, starting to hyperventilate just as Daryl quickly sat down on the bed, carefully gathering me into his arms as I wept, "Why am I still here, daddy?! Why!?"

My heart clenched in my chest, feeling so empty and desolate inside. I could feel Daryl's chest shake as he held me and with a start, I realized he was crying, too.

I sniffed, pulling away from him slightly, "Dad?"

He answered with a strangled cry of his own, trying to downplay it but I had already heard. Brushing his dark hair out of his eyes, I could see the tears streaming down his face. Remorse rippled through me, shame washing over my features at what I'd put him through.

"Oh, dad..." I breathed out, almost choking on the words as another onslaught of tears hit me and I engulfed him in another hug, "Daddy, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry..."

"You're all I have left, Angel... You're my little Dixon, you can't-can't just leave me." he sobbed out brokenly.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me and I glanced up at him with wide eyes, my hand sliding onto my stomach fearfully.

"The-the b-baby?" I choked out, fear gripping me.

Had I killed Carl's child in my selfishness?! But a wave of relief washed over me when Daryl shook his head 'no'. 

"You didn't take enough to kill it the doctor said..." he admitted lowly.

I said nothing in response, only cried harder as he held me tight until finally, both of our tears had eventually subsided. Slowly, he slid off the bed then and grabbed something that was lying on the nightstand beside me. His blue eyes met mine uncertainly before he held the object out to me - a slightly wrinkled white envelope. My stomach dropped at the sight of it - my name visibly scrawled across the front in Carl's atrocious handwriting I'd come to love. A pit formed in my stomach from just looking at it.

"I think it's time you read this..." Daryl said softly and with hesitant fingers, I took it from his outstretched hand.

Walking to the door, he turned around to gaze back at me one last time before exiting the room. My head fell back on the pillow then as tears threatened to fall, leaving me alone with Carl's letter still clutched tightly in my hand.