Love... or something like it

Part 20

The next day Phoebe watched as Nell's eyes fluttered open and she began to fight like an angry badger. She mumbled some nonsense and then settled back down. Phoebe cried as she laughed a little seeing the spunk in her daughter. She recognized the fight in her even as she lay mostly sedated in the hospital. It was hard to watch her daughter start to wake up and struggle, but not emerge completely enough to recognize that she was finally safe. 

"Shh shh." Phoebe stroked Nell's head as she lay back on the pillow. 

"Why does she keep doing that?" Ander asked from a distance. Seeing his sister like that scared him and he was avoiding getting too close. 

"Remember the doctor said that the fever was going to make her sleep for a long time? Well this is her way of trying to fight the fever." She said softly. 

"I don't like it." Ander looked on the verge of tears. 

"Why don't you kids go get some lunch, I know Charles was asking to come in for a few minutes, so you can send him in." Phoebe said understanding their need for a break. She hadn't left Nell's side in two days. The life flight helicopter took her directly from the roadside to a trauma center and Phoebe had driven there immediately and hadn't moved since. Charles had followed and remained in the waiting room only seeing her twice for short visits. He wanted to remain close incase there was any news of her waking up. 

Charles was asleep awkwardly sitting up in the corner of the waiting room. Persey shook his shoulder gently.

"Mom says you can go in for a bit now." Persey said quietly even though they were alone in the room. Charles jumped and wiped his eyes. 

"Thanks!" He quickly got up and left the room. 

He entered the room to spot Phoebe looking tired and worn. She tried to perk up when she saw him but the last few days weighed on her. 

"Thanks for letting me come in." He whispered. 

"I know you two have gotten close, Thank you for being here." She smiled but it just served to make her look more tired and warn. 

"I couldn't be anywhere else." He admitted. He found a seat and pulled it closer to the bed. Nell was simultaneously pale and flushed. Her fever was giving the doctors a run for their money but her bodily injuries were thankfully more manageable. 

Nell suffered a fractured coccyx, pelvis and tibia. most likely from the impact of what was believed to be an SUV. She had a fractured collarbone and two cracked ribs, likely from the impact with a tree or the ground. She had stitches in her shin and head but over all she had no injuries that would cause permanent damage. The doctors told her mother how lucky she was, and that it was a good thing she was in such good shape because it helped her survive and be able to drag herself to the roadside. 

Charles Hated when the doctors called her lucky. Getting hit by a car was not lucky. Dragging herself through the muck was not lucky, breaking her leg, hip, tailbone, shoulder and ribs certainly wasn't lucky. Watching her fight the infections and fever didn't make her seem lucky to him. He sat beside her and held her hand. She looked different laying there. Her vibrance was missing, her light was dull. He wanted her Sunshine back, and tears burned his eyes. 

Phoebe noticed and put her hand on his arm. 

"I'm going to go make some calls, I will be right down the hall." She smiled. He nodded and turned back to look at Nell.

"Hey Sunshine, You gave us quite a scare, I can only imagine what it was like for you! You are literally the bravest person I know. I was so damn worried, I tried to focus on where i thought you were, like I could psychically connect to you or something, dumb, I know. " He talked to her quietly.