𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐀 𝐏𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 // 𝘫𝘰𝘩𝘯 𝘣

𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚢-𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚎

Daniel swallowed hard, but then those empty eyes started to flicker with a little bit of energy, life. "But wait...you-you also said that..." The blue in his eyes became even more vibrant. "Oh my God, she's alive! You told me she was alive. My girl survived!"

Connor's lips graced into a smile. "Yes!" He said enthusiastically. "Oh thank God you remember! Affinity is going to be so thrilled."

"Affinity. Yes. Wait-" He started to push himself up from where he lay. "I have to find her. I have to get out of here. She needs me, I need to find her."

"Are you insane?! No way in hell is this happening!" Connor gently pushed his hands against Mr. McCormick's chest, urging him to lay back down. "Your memory is still failing. Doctor Wrede has to run tests for brain trauma, damage. If we push this recovery time, this could result in serious, permanent damage that could leave you mentally impaired, paralyzed, and many other things that will change your life completely."

"Please, you have to let me."

"Absolutely not! It's too dangerous and-and I could lose my job!"

"I'm begging you."

He locked his eyes with Connor. "I don't care, she's my daughter. She thinks I'm still gone. I have to find her. I have to see her. We need each other. Come on, you can't tell me that you've never had someone in your life that would risk everything for."

Connor felt himself stiffen slightly at Daniel's words. He understood the man completely. "We have to run tests first. I'm not promising anything. This is still a matter of life and death."

"Do what you must. I just need your help."

"I'll see what I can do."

<<<>>>

Connor burst through the door. He looked like a nervous wreck. "Okay, listen, we move quickly. You put on that change of clothes and keep your head down. We have to be back here before 10:30 because that's when the night shift nurses swap in and make the rotations through patients. I have another nurse covering for us but we have to be quick, understand?"

"Uh...yeah," Daniel answered slowly, slightly terrified. "Alright, help me up."

"Shit, I'm already regretting this."

Connor helped Daniel sit up and position his feet sturdily on the floor. With all the strength he could muster, Mr. McCormick pushed himself up. His knees buckled significantly but Connor kept him upright. Connor handed him the forearm crutches to stabilize Daniel. They couldn't take any risks of him falling and becoming subject to blunt trauma again. Daniel followed Connor's orders. Connor had changed out of his nurse uniform to become a little more inconspicuous. He helped Daniel into his car so they could exit the parking lot and drive towards where they might find Affinity as the Outer Banks sun set in the pink sky.

While darkness flooded across Figure 8, the house remained sufficiently lit with their privileged generators. Mr. McCormick rolled down his window and let his hand float in the wind. After a month of the sensations of nothing, this felt heavenly. He loved living in the Outer Banks. He had missed the salty smell and damp air. Daniel expected the gentle sound of the wind to fill his ears but, instead, he heard a scream rip through the air. He recognized that they were near the harbor, and that was where the sound came from.

"What the hell was that?" Connor asked, eyes wide.

"It came from the docks, pull over."

"What? Are you kidding? It sounds like bad trouble and we don't need you getting in the mix of it."