Walker: Secrets

Chapter 44

I'm back 😊
Enjoy!

The darkness of night finally gave way to day for which Maddie was most grateful. She hadn't had the best sleep at all, her mind too busy with concerns and worries to allow herself to rest. Not long after Geri had left the night before, Cordell had witnessed her having a seizure first hand. Though he tried not to show it, she knew he was worried about her. Really worried. 

When she'd come back to reality after the seizure, for the first time that she could remember, her dad had actually looked scared. Her dad wasn't frightened of anything. Even when they'd been held at gunpoint by Clint West he hadn't been scared. He was a Texas Ranger, he wasn't scared of anything.

And yet, when she'd seen the look on his face.... 

Cordell had done his best to hide how worried he was when Maddie had come out of the seizure, the nurses telling him what she needed was reassurance after her episode. How could he tell her that everything would be alright though when he had no idea if it would be? She'd just had a second seizure in less than twenty-four hours. He had reason to be worried. 

Maddie had watched over him as he'd slept beside her in the chair, her father unaware that she wasn't asleep. Though she was worried for herself, her biggest concern was for her family. With everything that they'd just been through, if she really was sick, how would they manage to hold together after that? They'd literally only lost their home a little over a week ago and now this...

A tear slipped out of her eye, rolling down her cheek onto her pillow. When she'd said to Geri that all she wished was for her family to be happy again, that had been the honest truth. Though they were trying to hold together she could feel things were different. They just were. It wasn't like it had been a couple months ago. Things had just changed and she wanted so much for them to go back to what they were...

Cordell started to stir and Maddie quickly wiped the tears away so he wouldn't know she had been crying. A moment later he yawned softly and she managed a timid smile at him. 'Morning Dad.'

'M-morning.' He seemed a little startled that she was already awake. 

'You get any sleep?'

'Yeah... yeah, some.' He stretched, the hospital chair not being the most comfortable at all to spend a night in. 'You?'

Maddie nodded. 'A little.' It wasn't a complete lie, an hour or two was a little in her opinion. 

Cordell stifled another yawn. 

'You look dreadful Dad.' She chuckled softly. 'You might need a couple extra cups of coffee today I'm thinking.'

'Mmm...' He moved over closer to her again, tucking her hair back behind her ear. 'How are you feeling?'

'Dad-' She smiled up at him. 'I'm okay. Really. Haven't woken with a headache this morning so I'm doing great.' Whatever was in that drip was working like an absolute charm. 'So you can toddle off to work and go catch some bad guys without worrying about me, okay?'

Cordell nodded after a moment. 'Alright.'

'Good.' She glanced over at the clock. 'Wonder if Mawline can grab me some of those blueberry muffins I like for breakfast...'

He laughed at that. 'You and those blueberry muffins.'

'Hey, what can I say? They are the best.' She turned to him. 'Can you ask her to grab me some? Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?'

Cordell sighed heavily then grabbed his phone out of his pocket. 'Well, since you asked so nicely... Alright. Yes. I'll ask her.'

'Thank you.' She watched as he wrote up a quick text, his phone returning to his pocket once he'd sent it. 'Dad...' He looked back at her and she reached out her hand to him, Cordell taking it in his. 'Please... try not to worry about me. When they do the tests and find out what's going on I'm sure whatever it is can be fixed.'