The Awakening

Chapter 22

"Her spirit was like the ocean...she danced with the tides of the moon"
                             -Unknown.

Time is meaningless as I hunch over my father. Mindless with grief, agony, and anger.

I can't lose him too. I can't lose him too. I can't lose him too.

I'm whimpering as I rock him back and forth. Back and forth.

My heart squeezes painfully, over and over and over. The pain is breathtaking and soon my whimpers die down to wheezes as I try to catch my breath. I tighten my grip on dad.

He makes a low pained sound and I go still.

Dreadful hope unfurls in my chest.

Could he...?

"Dad?"

His arm twitches a little and he groans.

I look over at Robin. Still tightly secured.

I carefully lift my dad up, carrying him over my shoulder, careful not to jostle his wound as I take him into the safe house. I lay him on his stomach on the couch and quickly tear away his shirt to clean his wound.

It's a minimal injury, a shallow wound in the side abdomen.

When I saw him go down, I thought he...

I swallow.

He must've fainted from shock or pain.

When I've bandaged him up I glance up to see him staring at me. I try to smile at him, try to form a smile for him despite the ice block that's lodged on my heart.

"Khloe" he rasps.

"Don't talk" I tell him softly "The wound is shallow but I need you to rest so you can regain your strength" I brush my fingers through his brown hair, stroke my hand through the graying hair at his temples.

He closes his eyes with a sigh and soon falls asleep.

I watch him for a while. Watch his chest rise and fall to reassure myself he's alive.

He's going to be okay.

I reluctantly leave his side to go check on Robin.

He's stopped struggling and is contemplating the vines holding him captive. He glances up as I approach.

"I didn't know he was your father. I only wanted to weaken him, not kill him. But I Promise you, Khloe I wouldn't have touched him at all If I knew what he meant to you. I'm sorry" Robin says earnestly, staring straight into my eyes.

I can tell he means it. The way he's looking at me. He's being genuine. But anger is still simmering in my veins.

I flick my hand out and one of the vines slither away, freeing his left hand. It slowly climbs up his body, and wraps around his neck.

I don't add pressure. I just leave it there.

His eyes stay on mine, watching me.

"So you would've hurt an innocent man. Render him helpless?" I scowl.

"You call Knight innocent?" He scoffs "If I hadn't sifted away, he would've shot me."

"To protect me!" I exclaim "He saw you standing in front of me, and his first instinct was to protect his daughter"

"Nothing you say is going to change who Knight is. And it's not going to make me believe he's an innocent man"

I start pacing "Knight? Why are you calling him that?"