iWant My Dad

Chapter 3: Welcome Back

Carly's heart was beating fast. What was happening? Her head was swimming with questions and confusion. The ground was cold, and she felt the warm hands of people attempting to pick her up from the ground, but she ignored them. The ground felt so much safer right now.

"Carly," she heard voices call out to her, reach out to her, trying to snap her back to the distorted reality, but she didn't want to go back, not yet. The lights were too bright, way too bright, and she closed her eyes tightly. She wanted her dad, the desire inside her chest was burning her, she couldn't take the reality in front of her anymore. She blacked out.

When she woke up, six eyes were peering at her worriedly. Their faces showed obvious relief when her eyes flitted back open. She was propped up in a hospital bed, with a pillow cushioning her head. She was in the same room, but in a different part of it. A curtain was shielding her from the outside, and she was wondering how she got here, when a voice pierced through the peace and quiet of the hospital room.

"Carly, you're awake!" Spencer cried. He hugged her so tightly she was left gasping for air. "Don't worry me like that again, Carls," he whispered into her ear before he let her go.

She murmured a groggy agreement. She had a pounding headache, and it felt like someone had just kicked her stomach in over and over again. She ignored the pain and focused on her two best friends instead. Their faces were pale and tired, but happy that she was awake.

"Hey, kid," Sam said, patting her best friend's clammy hand gently. "Don't you ever do that to mama again." Carly smiled at that.

"The nurses said you'd be fine and that it was just a shock," Freddie told her. "And don't worry, you've only been out for half an hour." She turned to face him. "I mean, you thought your dad was dead and when you saw him -"

"My dad," Carly interrupted, whispering. "I don't understand, Spencer said he was dead."

"I didn't say that, Carly," Spencer insisted. "I just said his sub was bombed."

"Which means he was as good as dead," Carly argued back. Her headache was killing her. She would do anything for a couple aspirin and some bottled water, but she was hungry for answers so she didn't ask for anything.

"He was the only survivor," Spencer replied, and Carly's heart soared. "He was out of the sub when it exploded, so he was close enough to get the impact of the explosion but not enough to kill him." And just like that, Carly's spirits lifted and the hope was back in her chest, as strong as ever.

"So...he's alive? Is he okay?" Her voice sounded far away. She was imagining her dad twirling her in the air once more, calling her his little princess over and over again, and the memory made her smile. Her headache was suddenly gone and it felt like a thousand pound weight was lifted from her shoulders.

"He's pretty beat up, and he hasn't woken up yet, but the doctors say he's going to be okay," Spencer assured her. Carly was grinning so widely it felt like her face was going to split in two. He was okay! Life would go on, and this time her dad would be in it. For once everything seemed fine. She said a silent thanks to God and the stars she had wished on so hard for these past several years and apologized for thinking that they had forsaken her earlier that day.

"When can I see him?" Carly suddenly demanded. She wanted to see him so badly. They were in the same room this very second. She was so close to him. How could she have wasted time not seeing him by passing out? She cursed herself quietly.

"Right now if you want to, kiddo," Spencer smiled. He gripped the side of her curtain and swung it open. On the other side was her dad.

Carly felt like crying. There was her dad. His face was scratched up and gauze covered most of his body, and his head had been shaved because of a huge, deep gash that was most likely the effect of the explosion, but he was there in one piece. It wasn't the picture she kept on having to check so she wouldn't forget him, it was him, in the flesh. His handsome, rugged features betrayed his real age, and a five o' clock shadow overwhelmed his face.

"Welcome back to Seattle, Colonel Shay," she whispered, smiling, tears streaming down her face. Freddie and Sam and Spencer stood back, smart enough to decide that this was her moment, and that they shouldn't disturb it.

"When will he wake up?" Carly asked, holding her dad's bandaged hand tightly. She never wanted to let go.

"He's in a coma, Carls, it could be days, weeks, months," Spencer replied softly and carefully. She nodded, accepting the fact. The only thing she knew was that she wanted to be there when he opened his chocolate brown eyes to the world again.

"Can we stay here for the night?" Carly requested. Spencer hesitated but then nodded.

"You don't have to go to school tomorrow, either," he decided, knowing it was the right thing to do. Carly nodded like she already knew that that would be his answer and turned to face her dad again. Ten minutes must've passed. Sam had gone down to the cafeteria, and Spencer had followed, promising to bring back ginger ale and lime flavored jell-O cubes for Carly and Freddie.

She was so absorbed in trying to remember every line, every feature, of her dad's face that she almost didn't realize that Freddie had placed his hand on her shoulder.

"So that's your dad, huh?" he asked, and she almost jumped. She almost had forgotten that he was there.

Carly smiled at him. "Yeah," she said, almost proudly. She stroked the side of his face with the back of her hand. She wanted him to wake up, but decided not to push God any further with anymore of her prayers.

"Well, we now know where you Shays got their good looks from," he went on casually. Carly always liked how Freddie could compliment her in such an off-hand way that it sounded like he was commenting on weather, and yet meant it all the same. She made a mental note to thank him properly later on for being such a good friend.

"This must be pretty straining for you," he went on. "I just want you to know that Sam and Spencer and I are always here for you, Carls. Always." His statement was so heartfelt and genuine that Carly took the moment to hug him tightly around his neck.

'Thank you, Freddie," she whispered, her breath tickling his neck. He hugged her tightly back. She didn't mind that he was probably praying that the embrace was more than just being friendly, she just wanted to hang on to him and smell his husky scent that always calmed her down in the craziest moments of her life.

Freddie chuckled and held her before stiffening quickly.

"Freddie?" Carly questioned, breaking apart from him and staring deep in his soothing brown eyes. "What's wrong?"

He just gaped from over her shoulder. She turned to see what he was looking at and gasped. Her dad's eyes were open. They were glazed over, foggy, and had a lost look in them, but they were open.

"Should I call the nurse...?" Freddie asked.

"Not yet," Carly said breathily. Her dad was awake.

Thank you, God, again, she said to him silently. Then she took her dad's hand in hers again and squeezed tightly. His head snapped toward hers and their eyes met.

"Dad," she whispered, and the thousandth tear of the day escaped her right eye.

He stared right through her though, and it took him a moment to find his voice. He finally found it and he made a low moaning sound. Then he looked at Carly again. Something about his actions was making her blood run cold, and then he asked the question that changed everything:

"Do I...know you?"

A/N: Well, I'm just popping these things out now. I have way too much time on my hands :) Well, I don't know, I don't really mind people not reading this, but I probably won't continue if I don't feel motivation, so sorry people who might be enjoying this story!

P.S. Sorry if some of this information might be weird/incorrect. I'm not good with research.

And thanks to the like two readers who are reading this :P

~Inkling