Pieces of the Past - [Danona] Book One ✓

19. the final truth

"Mr. Harbour?" an unfamiliar voice called. "Mr. Harbour, it's Doctor Jones." David stirred in his sleep, waking up with an incredibly sore back from the chairs. He had barely noticed that Winona's head was snug against his shoulder as she slept. 

"Mm— what?" he grumbled, shaking his head as he tried to wake himself up. "Is she out of surgery?" he asked, watching out of the corner of his eye as Winona started to wake up as well. She rubbed her fists into her eyes, trying to figure out where she was. 

"Yes, sir. We removed her appendix and we were able to get out as much of the infection as we could reach, and we're giving her antibiotics to fight off any remaining infection. She's awake in the PACU, and she's already asking for you." 

David's hand instantly clutched Winona's as he turned to give her a nervous glance. "Can I just have a minute real quick?"

"Not a problem. As soon as you're ready, I'll have one of the nurses show you your way back." the doctor smiled, leaving the two worried parents on their own in the waiting room. 

Winona's hand pulled away from his, resting on his shoulder instead. He could see right off the bat that she was just as apprehensive as he was. Still, both of them knew that going on another moment with the lie would only make things worse— even though it was the worst possible timing ever. 

In the back of his mind, he hoped that maybe the remaining anesthesia would take the edge off of his confession. Maybe it wouldn't sting her so badly. Maybe it wouldn't sting at all. 

"I think I should be the one to tell her. I think she'll handle it better if it's just me," he admitted softly. For a long time, he wondered if this moment would actually arrive. They had discussed the basics of her mother, just what she already knew. This would be a whole new magnitude of uncharted territory. 

"Do you still wanna tell her?" she asked, nervously biting her lip as she watched his expression carefully. Her words weren't meant to be a test of his willingness, yet they still came out that way. 

"Yes," he said, the confidence in his voice cooling down her anxieties. He stood from the chair, stretching his limbs as he tried to wake up the rest of his body. "If I put it off any longer, I'll never do it. She needs to know." Taking her hand into his, he started walking towards the entrance to the recovery rooms. 

Winona nodded gently at his words, stroking her palm against his back. "Okay. I'll be right outside... thank you," she breathed the last two words as if she didn't actually want him to hear her. With a sad smile, he nodded back at her.