Awake

Chapter Three


Holy Shit! It's been forever, and I am so sorry! Thankfully school is done with for the semester, so I should be able to get out chapters much quicker than before. I don't know why, but this chapter just couldn't come together for me. It took ages to get this much. I wanted it longer, but I all but gave up. If anyone is still around, I hope you like this chapter.


"Mrs. Stokes, I have some good news and some bad news."

Danika wasn't sure what to feel. Should she be happy because of the good news, or full of dread because of the bad news? How was she supposed to take such news? She looked at Jillian then back to the doctor, waiting for him to explain what was going on. Which did she want to hear first though?

"The good news is that we stopped the bleeding, but your husband hasn't woken up yet."

That wasn't so bad was it? If Nick was still sleeping, then he was healing. Wasn't that how it worked? But what if he didn't wake up? What if he left her, Cassie, and the baby all alone?

"Danika?" she brought herself back to the present as her mother-in-law placed a hand on her shoulder. "Danika, you look white as a sheet. Do you need to sit down?"

Sitting down, that was a good idea. Taking the vacant seat beside her daughter, Danika dropped her head into her hands. She needed to get out of here. She needed to go home and rest, but she knew that she needed to stay in the hospital too. She needed to be there for Nick. No matter what.

"Momma, ya kay?" Cassie asked, climbing into her mother's lap, trying her best to not hit her little brother in the process. "Momma, sweep?"

"I'm-I'm fine, Cassie," Danika replied, running her fingers through her hair.

"Das good," the little girl smiled widely. "Daddy, wake up?"

"Not now, sweetie," Danika said. "He's sleeping. The more he sleeps the better he'll be when he wakes up."

"Daddy gonna sweep long time?" Danika could only shake her head.

"Cassie, why don't you gather up your crayons dear?" Jillian tolf her granddaughter. "We're all going to go home and go to bed."

"Den we come back?"

"In the morning dear," Jillian replied, helping Cassie stuff her princess backpack with all of her drawings, paper, and crayons. "Hopefully, when we come back, your daddy will be wide awake, just waiting for you and mommy to see him."

Cassie looked from her grandmother to her father. She didn't understand why her daddy was sleeping in the hospital bed, or why her momma was so sad. Daddy didn't like it when her momma was sad. Her daddy needed to wake up so she would smile and be happy again. When everything was stuffed back into her bag in its correct place, Cassie walked up to the side of her daddy's bed, looking up at her grandparents.

"Me kiss Daddy bye?" Bill nodded without a second thought as he lifted Cassie up into his arms. "Bye, Daddy," Cassie said, kissing her father goodbye, patting his cheek lightly. "See ya morrow."

Everyone in the room felt a slight tug in their chest. That little girl was so optimistic. If only they could have the same mindset as she did. They couldn't help but smile at the little girl. She was something else.

The ride home was long, and Danika didn't like it. Thankfully Bill drove them all home. There was no way she would have been able to concentrate on the road. She just wanted to get to bed; maybe if she woke up this nightmare would disappear.

"Momma, sleep with ya?" Danika looked up to find her daughter standing in the doorway, holding her blanket tightly in her hands.

"Of course you can, Cassie," she gave her a tiny smile, helping her into the big bed. "You couldn't sleep either?"

"No," Cassie answered, snuggling into her mother's side. "Daddy gonna wake up tomorrow?"

"I don't know, sweetheart," Danika answered. "I hope so. You miss your daddy don't you?"

"Ya," Cassie nodded her head. "Miss him," Danika didn't doubt that. She missed him too. Their bed felt so empty without him in it. She prayed that he would wake up when they arrived at the hospital the next morning. Her husband was strong. He would make it through this. He always did. "Love ya, Momma."

"I love you too, baby."

It took what felt like hours, but Danika finally fell asleep.

Nick couldn't open his eyes. They were so heavy. That didn't make sense though. Why were they so heavy? What happened? He remembered walking into the restaurant with Ray and Clark….oh. That's right, Papa DiMasa's son was Dr. Jekyll, and he shot him and killed Clark. If Ray hadn't been there he would have been in a body bag. It was then when he felt something move from beside him. Where was he? It wasn't possible for him to still be on the floor in the restaurant.

"An den da kitties wen up da stairs ta be with der momma," he heard faintly. Nick knew that voice anywhere. "Did ya like my stowie, Daddy? Did ya?" If only he could tell his daughter that it was lovely, but he just didn't have the energy to tell her that.

"Cassie, I'm going to go and talk to one of the doctors right outside the door, okay," Danika, oh how he missed her voice. It felt like an eternity since he had last seen her.

"Kay, Momma. I juss readin' ta Daddy," Cassie replied, probably with that adorable grin of hers.

"Okay, baby."

"Momma, goin' be back soon, Daddy," Cassie placed the book on the side of Nick's bed, wrapping her tiny hands around his hand. "Daddy, gonna wake up? Miss ya, Daddy." He missed her too. He missed them so much! Trying as much as he could, Nick wiggled his fingers, gripping onto his daughter's tiny hand. He couldn't help but smile when he heard her gasp. "Daddy? Daddy, ya awake?"

The light blinded his vision as he opened his eyes for the first time in what felt like forever. He was in Desert Palm, which made sense especially with being shot in the chest. Nick couldn't help but smile at Cassie's excitement when he looked at her.

"My Daddy's awake!" she all but screamed, running out of the room to get her mother, who was right outside the door. "Daddy woke up!" Nick could not help but smile at the sound of the heavy footfalls from the hallway and the loud gasp that followed.

"Nick!" Danika cried launching herself at her husband, being careful of his shoulder. "I am so glad you're awake."

"How long was I out?" he sat up slowly, wincing only once when his shoulder bumped the side of the hospital bed. "Tell me it wasn't that long."

"Not as long as it could have been, Mr. Stokes," the doctor answered. "Mrs. Stokes, I understand that you are relieved that your husband is awake, but I am afraid that we need to run some tests. You and your daughter can come back once we are finished."

Danika's heart fell; she didn't want to leave Nick now. Not after all this time. And Cassie, the way she was clinging to her father's hand, there was no way she was leaving without a fight.

"Daddy, I don wanna leave!" Cassie cried.

"Cass, sweetheart," Nick said to her. "The nice doctors are just going to give me a check-up and then you can come back and stay with me all you want. Okay?" Cassie looked back and forth between her parents, tears in her eyes as she held onto Nick's hand more tightly. "Cassie, you need to go with Momma. You can come back when they're done checking up on me."

"No!"

"Cassie," Danika crouched down beside her. "We need to let the doctors check your Daddy to make sure that everything is all right. He's not going to go anywhere. We'll come back when they're done."

The little girl looked between her parents again, not knowing what to do. What if her Daddy wasn't there when they got back? What if she never saw her Daddy again?

"Cass, everything is going to be all right," Nick smiled at his daughter, running his fingers through her hair. "Come back and see me in the morning. I promise I'll be right here waiting for you."

"Ya promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay," Cassie sighed, taking a hold of her mother's hand, leaving the hospital for the night.


gaarasmistress39 - Was that good news? I made you sweat a long time didn't I?