Fighting For The Doctors Affection (Manxman)

Fighting for the Doctors Affection: Chapter Fifty-Four

A / N: This one took me a bit of time because I have been having computer issues. Where the computer I used to write the first three drafts of this. So this is good but still not as good as the one I was thrilled about but gah, there is nothing I can do. I hope that ya'll enjoy it.

Tiggs

Song of chapter: Tom Grennan: Run in the Rain

Dedication: Shireaa76 ( Sorry about the sadness of the last chapter)

The picture is of Athiss and Cheryl Daughter!

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Taking in a shallow breath of air Vaughn, allowed his emotions to take the back burner as they did, he pulled Athiss closer to his body.

Once the man was pressed against his chest, he could not help but try to reassure the man in his arms it was okay to let his emotions free, right here, right now. Because for the moment he didn't have to be a doctor, he could just be plain Athiss. A man who was worried about his best friend. Immediately he could feel Athiss wrap his hand in the material of his shirt and whimper. That sound was like music to Vaughn's ears not because the man was hurting, no, because the whimper meant that he was letting himself feel.

Vaughn knew that it must be hard for his husband.

After all, it was not every day that your own well-being was given a rain check for something else to take precedence at least not for Vaughn. He was sure that Athiss dealt with things like this daily; However, not all his patients meant something that resembled love to him. Besides, he knew just how much Cheryl meant to Athiss.

No matter what dispute they may have, she was still important to him just as he went to open his mouth he heard, "Unkle Vaug you hurt me." Subsequently pulling back he eyed the preschooler with a wide grin hoping that his awkwardness at the fact that he had forgotten she was there didn't show through on his face.

Part of him wanted to pull her close and tell her everything would be okay, even if he was not sure how much of this she truly understood.

Swiftly stepping away from Athiss as the man's fists let his shirt go, he spoke softly to his niece that still hung onto Athiss as if he was her last lifeline. "Sorry,Vyida, I was just comforting Uncle Tiss". Prior to her responding to his sad excuse, his mind started going off on a tandem about the fact that his niece will someday, maybe sooner than any of them wished would one day have to learn to live without her momma. Vaughn knew that all of them were hurting but at the end of it all, he knew that Vyida would be the one that missed out the most.

Meekly tilting his head to the side to see if his father was still at the reception desk, he noticed how that Javier had his father wrapped in his arms as the man whispered to him. He was glad that his father had someone who truly cared for him by his side. He had always promised himself that he would always protect his sister from any harm that the world may throw at her. Honestly, right here, right now, he felt as if he had failed her.

Even though he knew that there was nothing that he could have done to prevent this or fix the illness that took claim to her body. He still wished that he could take everything away, to make her the healthy loveable Cheryl that she was instead of the half-being that had replaced her. He knew that it scared her, that she was unsure of what she could get out of this life that she was frightened and that was why sometimes she acted without thinking, that she hurt people without realizing what the consequences would be. More so than not he was on the end of that stick. But he took it all with a grain of salt because of his love for his sister. She is and-

Snapping his head back around toward Vyida and Athiss his eyes widened at what he thought he had heard the little girl say. Illogically, he wanted to scream at his niece and ask her what she had said but as he took in Athiss; He knew that there was no need it was written all over his face. The man looked pale, and he looked like at any moment he would keel over the state that Athiss was in didn't look good.