~Caelum's POV~
While my dad was far from the best, or even a good dad at all at times, I still loved him more than anything. He was my only family, I never had siblings, and I technically didn't have a mom either. He may have been abusive sometimes, violent and rude, but I never doubted that deep down he still loved me. For a fox my age I was more intelligent that others, knowing roughly what drugs were, and what some types could do to a persons mindset. My dad took some, but even then, he always told me not to do what he does. Despite everything, he still wanted me to grow up and live a good life, not like his.. I didn't know anything about my dad, his life. Courtney was taking me to see him, after a week now.. He had only just woke up, and he was asking for me.
The drive was short and quick, atleast to me it felt like that, and before I was aware of it we were already at the hospital. There were other animals wandering in and out, and my eyes darted between the different speices, spotting a family of three foxes walking to a car, the younger one, a red/orangey fox, wearing a light green top and grey trousers sporting a cast over his left arm. 'Ouch' An internal wince at the thought of the pain a broken bone could feel like, most I'd ever injured myself was cutting my paw partly open when I broke my mirror, somehow Courtney was still non-the-wiser about it. Thankfully she wasn't. I had no memory of ever going to a hospital, I had no idea what to expect, but I wasn't scared. I followed Courtney to the room where dad was, ignoring everything around me for the duration of the short walk. Courtney stepped in first, while I remained outside the room. Honestly, I was a little scared, but she told me I could wait out here until I was ready. I mean, I didn't know what to expect. It took only a minute or two before Courtney walked out, smiling as she looked down to my smaller form. "His asking for you Caelum. He wants to see you, and just you.. Don't worry, you'll be fine."
I gulped, stepping pass the grown female into the room. What I saw shook me. My dad on the bed, he looked, so broken, so scared, so weak. I'd never seen him like this, but when he saw me, his eyes lit up and he smiled like he used to smile. I walked up closer to him, climbing ontop of a chair next to the bed so I could see him better. I'd never seen my dad like this. "You...came" He wheezed out, and I swore on everything that there was a tear in his eye. "You.. Actually came to...see me."
I couldn't help but give him a weak, but genuine smile. "Of course I did dad" His eyes lit up when I said dad. This was a side of him I'd never seen, but I was both liking it and hating it.
"Even...after everything I've done... How much I've hurt you.. You still see me as your dad?" I nodded, not trusting my voice; even the silent response was still enough to bring happiness into his eyes. Of course he was still my dad. "Son..." His tone dropped, faltering, laced with fear. "I'm scared." That word, coming from him shook me to my core, a word I'd never thought I'd ever hear him say to describe himself. Not knowing what to say, I just threw myself over the top of him and hugged him, feeling his arms weakly wrap around me and hold me. His embrace, even as weak as it was, still made me feel safe, made me feel like his son again. I didn't speak, I didn't trust my voice, but eventually I found myself sobbing quietly; I tried so hard to stiffle my sobs, afraid I'd dissappoint him, but instead he just held me. "It's ok.. It's ok Caelum.." I heard weak sobs of his own. "It's ok... Everything will be ok... I know you probably don't believe that, coming from an abusive pathetic father like me... But I promise.. Courtney will take good care of you, she's... The mom you never had. I've been in here... Even though not long, I've been lying here hating myself.. Thinking about how I treated you.. I didn't know how to grieve for mom... But beating you, abusing you wasn't the way.. And if I could turn back the clock I would in a heart beat, I'd be a better dad." He paused and sobbed a little, me doing the same. I didn't want to speak, I didn't know what to say, so I remained silent. "I'm so fucking sorry.."
"I forgive you dad.. I love you"
"I do... as well son.. I love you more than my own life.. I know I've never really shown it, but I do... I just.. Wanted you to know before it was too late.."
"W-w-w-what? W-w-wh-what d-d-do y-you m-mean t-to-too late?" I choked back a sob and faltered with my words.
"Caelum... I'm dying.. I don't know how long I've got.. If I'm lucky, I might be able to leave the hospital and spend my last days with you and Courtney... But there's no preventing it... They can't treat me... They can't save me, I'm dying and no-one can do anything for me.. It's up to whatever Gods or Higher Entities that decide our fates how long I have..." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I only understood what he meant by dying, but that was enough to completely crush my heart and shatter my soul. I sobbed into his chest, grabbing his fur and clutching to him, refusing to let him go. He IS MY DAD. His paw pushed up my face slightly so I could see him, a weak smile on his face with tears in his eyes, as he wiped away my own tears. "Remember what daddy always said... The real daddy who loved you.. Not the drunk, high on drugs piece of shit... Straighten up, sharpen those claws, bare those fangs, and just tell yourself 'you can't break the sky'... You know you're name means sky... It was the only word you mom ever said.. During your birth..." A smile played on his lips. "She didn't swear once during the entire birth, she just kept saying 'c'mon sky.. c'mon sky' seriously thinking she was having a girl" he released a sob.. "She never even got to see that she had a boy... A beautiful champion fox... I always told her we were gonna have a boy, a boy we'd call Caelum.. And we did... She just... Wasn't there to see it."
My sobs had long since died out, but I still continued crying silently in his chest. The room grew quiet, save for the sounds of hospital equipment.. Then a rather loud, distraught and angry feminine voice started screaming outside. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN HIS FUCKING DYING!"
"Sound's like someone told Courtney. I'd cover your ears.. She tends to curse ALOT when she's mad." He chuckled weakly, as if recalling a memory.
"FUCK OFF HIS DYING AND WE CAN'T HELP HIM BULLSHIT.. THAT IS MY FRIEND IN THERE! AND HIS SON! FUCK OFF WITH THE BULLSHIT! FUCKING SAVE HIS GODDAMN MOTHER-FUCKING LIFE AND STOP STANDING OUT HERE LIKE A FUCKING IDIOT LISTENING TO ME FUCKING SCREAMING AND SHIT! DO SOMETHING!"
"I actually feel sorry for whoever that is out there... Courtney's a great girl but she's really prone to her anger." Speaking of the female German Shepherd, she walked inside the room, fur visibly tinted a light red from anger, but her eyes looked full of tears. Her body was shaking slightly, as if she'd crumble down any second. It was such a different contrast to the raging girl they just heard. Not a word was exchanged, and before I knew it Courtney threw herself into the embrace and cried.
"Don't...You can't fucking die... Not you as well... Please... We fucking need you here.. Caelum needs you... Please.. Please please.. Please, don't fucking go.. Don't you dare fucking go!"
"I..can't make that promise Courtney.. But there is a promise you can make to me.."
"A-a-a-anything"
"Look after Caelum... Take care of him..."
"I'd treat him like he was my own son.. I promise.. I'll take the best care of him I can."
"I don't doubt it... She always said to me you'd make for a perfect mom.. I don't doubt you'll be anything short of perfect... But Courtney... I can't stay with you and Caelum here forever... I'm...being pulled from this world for a reason... I...I'll finally get to see her again... You were always like a sister to me... That big sister I never had, even though we're not that much different age wise... Thank you...so much, for giving me a chance... To win her heart..."
"She was my like my little sister... I wanted her to be happy.."
"Yeah... I remember... I haven't forgotten just how protective of her you were...I still remember the threat you made if I ever hurt her... You know I'd never hurt her..."
"To rip your balls off, ram them up your arse on a knife, then force them down your throat and shoving another knife up your ass, while ramming one into where your balls used to be" Even I shuddered at the sound of her threat, and I didn't really know what she actually meant.. "You know.. I would've actually hurt you really bad if she came to me crying because you hurt her or let her get hurt... Thank fuck you were honest to your word... Even now, seven years later.. You're still loyal to her and her alone...But don't you dare fucking die on me... Not when we need you... C'mon... You survived last time for me and her... Surely you can survive this time for me and Caelum." Tears were still freely flowing down her face.
"I got lucky last time... Trust me Courtney... I don't want to die.. I wan't to stay with my son.. Raise my son... I want to live still... I'm already fighting to keep my eyes open.. I want to live as long as I can.. Do as much as I can for Caelum... Before I die and get reunited with her..."
"Don't...fucking go...please...don't fucking die...you can't" I heard her words, so weak and fragile, tired as she seemed to cry herself to sleep with one last desperate beg to him.. I felt my eyes grow heavy as well; drifting asleep were I lay in my dads embrace, noticing he had wrapped one arm around Courtney to comfort her..
"Don't die.. Dad"