Deicide: Clementine X Male Reader (Book 4)

Y/N-Dying Son

You watch Darrow sleep. His chest rises and falls, showing he's still alive. You did your best for him. You pulled the wood from his arm and got the bleeding to stop, but it needs to be sutured. How it is now, wrapped with a portion of your sleeve, isn't going to keep him alive. And the burns. He can't move. Every minor movement pains him, and you can't do anything about them. All of his wounds are exposed, and within a week, he'll have an infection. You may only have a day or two to get him medicine. His little body is too frail to keep him alive for weeks with these wounds in the condition they are.

You watch him. Chest heaving up and down...

You went to a town twenty miles out from the community, hoping others would be here, but you found no one. It's not the safest option, but you had to help Darrow. Brooklyn is out looking now, making sure there isn't anything to worry about. You set up in a backroom of a house and let Darrow lay in Brooklyn's jacket on the floor.

The front door opens, and you move to the room's door. You hide behind it in the dark and wait for whoever it is. They step one foot into the room, and you jump out with your knife. "It's me," Brooklyn says, hands raised.

"I told you to signal," you say.

"I didn't want to wake anyone." She looks at Darrow. "Can we talk in another room?"

You step out of the room with her and move away from Darrow's room. "Tell me you have good news."

"I don't... There's nothing here. Just us."

You were hoping for something. Someone.

"I'm sure they're ok, Y/N."

"We need to get Darrow somewhere. He needs Emma. If we can't find her, he at least needs medicine." You can't watch him die. You refuse. You'll do what you have to. Anything.

"We'll figure this out. We always do. We always have."

You smile because you know she means it, but you wish you had the optimism she does. You'll do what you have to, but that doesn't mean you think everything will end ok. Darrow is dying, and you have no way to help him and no immediate solutions. And you have no idea whether or not your family survived. The Heavenly Kingdom hit hard without warning and wiped everything out in minutes.

"Dad?" Darrow is awake.

You leave Brooklyn and move back to Darrow's room. "Hey, buddy." You sit down next to him. "How are you feeling?"

"It hurts."

"I know. It'll be ok. I promise."

"Where's Mom?" He asks.

"I... Don't know." You wish you did.

"Is she ok?"

You nod. "Yes." You have to believe it. You need him to believe it.

"And Mars and Di?"

"They're ok, too." You feel like you've failed them. You were supposed to keep them safe. All you ever wanted for them was peace. A life that was nothing like yours. You feel empty without them. They're everything to you.

"You're being real tough, y'know?" Brooklyn joins you. "You're not even crying."

"I was," Darrow admits.

"But you're not now." She shifts to you. "I'll keep watch."

"Thank you."

Brooklyn nods and then leaves the room again.

"Are you staying with me?" Darrow asks.

"Yeah." You lie down with him. You don't have anything to lie on except the hard floor. You've gotten used to a bed, but you'll have no trouble relearning how to sleep on the floor. "Unless you want me to sleep somewhere else."

"No." Darrow turns his head to look at you and winces. "Am I dying?"

You smile at him. "No." It's a fake smile meant to ease his worries. "You're going to be alright as long as you rest." You close your eyes to show that you're not scared or worried. "I love you, Dare. I won't let anything happen."

Just like your father failed you, you're failing your children.