The Physical State of Love; a Daryl's Story

Chapter Seven: Hope Awakened

Daryl's POV

Hope!  I feel hopeful that this ordeal is coming to an end.  I've been more capable of controlling my movements and I've been holding hands with Cassie every night.  I've even squeezed it in response to her questions. I know tonight Cassie would be out with Matt and everyone so I don't expect her next to me tonight.  Mrs. Gibson apparently has been tasked as my sitter for the night as I hear her in the room reading to me as if a bedtime story. I never realized how great her voice sounded but I'm enjoying listening to her speak.  Surprisingly as she reads I feel myself drifting to sleep but I try to fight it because I want to hear the story she is reading. I didn't imagine Mrs. Gibson would have been interested in the genre of the book especially someone her age but I was amazed that she's reading one of the Fifty Shades books.  Eventually sleep wins and I dream about Cassie being my Anastasia and I being her Christian. My head bubbles slightly hugging me awake. I open my eye and look around the room. It is dark but the light from the various electrical equipment around the room illuminates it enough that I can see. My eyes settle on the digit clock on my bedside table as the neon light read 12:30 am.  I'm sure Cassie and Matt aren't back yet from the concert. They tend to hangout for a while after the show. It then hit me like a ton of bricks as the realization catches up in my mind. ‘Holy shit, I can see.’  I consciously blink my eyes slowly a few times, taking in the images of the room in a whole new light.  It's dim buy I can see it all. I look down at my body and make an attempt to move my fingers, my hands, and my arms.  They all move without force, without resistance. A huge smile comes to my face and I move my hands up to touch my cheeks.  The sensation is exhilarating and my smiles grows bigger as I start to laugh with excitement. I spend the next few minutes checking and rechecking that everything moves, that it's all working properly without pain.  “Damn!” I say thinking that all this is happening and there's no one here to see it, I'm alone. I grad the edge of my sheet, throwing them to the side off my body, and rotate my body to swing my legs over the side of the bed.  I place both feet on the floor and crunch my toes at the feel of the wood flooring. I place my hands on the edge of the bed and push up in an attempt to stand. I nearly fall flat on my face but I luckily I fall back onto the bed instead.  I take a deep breath and try again determine to hold up my own weight but again I fall back onto the bed. I breath a heavy sigh as I have to accept that it'll take some time before I'm up and walking again. ‘Baby steps, Daryl, baby step. At least you're awake.’  It is a start.  I'm healing and moving forward in my recovery.  Matt will be happy and especially Cassie. I can't wait to surprise her.  I'll have to discuss with her what my game plan is because I'm planning to be out of this bed in a day or two.  I want to take a proper shower, standing unassisted in my huge walk in shower.  I want to sleep in my king size bed upstairs in my room.  There are so many things I want to do and so many things I have to get back to doing. I've wasted enough time and now that I'm up “Daddy's got to get back to work” I quietly say to myself.  I'm absentmindedly thinking of a laundry list of things on my to-do list when I'm pulled back to reality by the sound of an exterior door opening. I look to the clock and realize it is 1:30am.  I listen out making sure it is Matt and Sam bringing Cassie back. I close my eye and strain my ears to hear for any voices. Within a few moments I hear Matt's voice say “Okay Angel, off to bed with you”  a pause and then, “I'll take her up and meet you in the kitchen.” “I'll get you something to drink and eat.” The last voice sounds like Sam. I don't hear Cassie's voice, maybe she's asleep since Matt's carrying her upstairs.  I want to call out to him and have him bring her here but I don't. I feel that Cassie should be the first to know I'm awake since she's the one who has done so much to get me to this point. I owe her a lot and I intend on showing her my appreciation.  I hear Matt's coming down the stairs “She's out cold.” “She didn't drink that much, I hope she's okay.” “She'll be fine after she gets some sleep. I'm glad she came out though. She looked like she had a great time.” “Yeah she did. I hope that stranger did really hurt her like Colin said.”  I sit up straight at the mention that someone might have touched Cassie or caused her pain. If I were at 100 percent I would get out of the bed, demand Matt tell me everything, and head to that venue looking for the son of a bitch. But instead I clench my fists listening to the next words Matt would say.  “Colin intervened before it got too far. I looked at her neck just now. It's starting to bruise but he didn't break the skin.” ‘What the fuck!  Did some asshole bit her?’  How the hell did that happen.  Matt was supposed to be keeping an eye on her.  Anger boils through me, rippling through my veins at the thought of someone touching her.  She's mine and no one else is ever allowed to put a finger on her. She's definitely not going out again unless I'm there and right now I can't even stand on my own so I've got a lot of hard work ahead of me.  Matt's and Sam's conversation turns to a different topic and I stop listening to them. My muscles are tense and I start feeling tired. Since Cassie is upstairs sleeping she wouldn't be coming to me tonight and I can't go to her so I shut my eyes allowing my body the rest it needs.  Tomorrow is going to be a long day and I already have several things planned in my head as I drift off to sleep.