Phoenix

Chapter XXXV

The moments lasted hours. I wanted to help Maria, but she told me to wait with the others. That she didn't need my help. I sat on the floor with my arms around my knees as I waited to hear anything about Robin.

After talking with mom, dad walked over and sat down next to me. "Hey," He greeted softly. "Hi," I sniffled. "You okay?" He asked. "Would you be?" I asked. "I think you mom wasn't. I've been that close to death and closer before," He said. This caused me to look up at him with a strange look.

"You have?" "Trust me... it's not something that I'm very proud of," He frowned. "Really? You've cheated death too many times, I take it?" "Funny," "So what was the point of this talk?" "To assure you that she's going to be fine. We're all not exactly that easy to kill you know,"

"I'm just worried about her. I- What if she needs me? I can't- I have to be there," "Are you sure it's not the other way around, Fi?" He asked. "What?" "You say that she needs you, but are you sure it's not the fact that you need her? I've never seen you as happy before. From the moment you woke up in the bed with her next to you," He said.

"That's because I woke up, and she was next to me," I smiled thinking about that moment, "Why would this happen?" "I don't know, baby girl. You just got to trust that she's going to be okay," He said wrapping his arm around me and pulling me to him. "You know, I missed you daddy," I said resting my head on his shoulder. I adjusted to lay against him.

He brushed my hair with his hand and let the silence fill between us as we contemplated the events of today. "You know..." He began, probably sensing my anxiousness, "It helps to think happy thoughts." "Is that what mom did?" I asked looking up at him.

"I actually don't know what she did. You'll have to ask her. But going through tough times, it helps to think happy thoughts. It helps to think about why you want her to live," He said rubbing my arm for comfort.

I closed my eyes and did as he said. Images of Robin flashed through my mind, and I let them. Tears threatened my eyes, but I didn't do anything to defend myself from them. I let them flow. "Oh honey," Dad said holding me tighter.

"I can't lose her, Daddy," I sobbed, "I- I can't. I just can't!" "Shh... calm down. It's okay. It's going to be okay," He said trying to comfort me. "I can't. Daddy, you don't understand, I- I can't go on without her. She's my everything," "I know, honey. I'm sure that Maria knows what she's doing," He said.

"She does, but- I- I don't know... I just don't want to lose her... ever," I sniffled. "It's going to be okay. You're not going to lose her, Phoenix. You two girls are crazy about each other, aren't you. Robin didn't sleep at all, I don't think, when you were gone," He chuckled. "Really?" "Yeah. The light in your room was on all the time," He explained.

"She doesn't like being in the dark alone," I replied, "She could've gone to sleep with the light one." "That doesn't explain the crying," He said raising an eyebrow. "Oh, well- I don't know, I'm not really in the mood to discuss that," I said laying my head back down.

"It's okay, sweetheart," He said with a frown and rubbing my arm for comfort, "Try to get some rest." I closed my eyes, and eventually drifted off to sleep.

It wasn't until the slamming of a door, that I woke up. I was still laying against dad with his arm around me. I opened my eyes to look at who slammed the door. I soon realized that it wasn't slammed shut, but it was slammed opened. I saw Maria look around until her eyes landed on me.

"Phoenix, I think I will need your help," She frowned walking over to me. "What's the matter?" "She's awake and freaking out. She wants you," She said. "Say no more," I said getting up. I followed her to the room. I saw two doctors trying to hold Robin in the bed as she struggled to get up.

"Robin!" I gasped as I ran over to her and pushed one of the doctors out of the way. "Fi!" She gasped, too, then winced in pain, "Fi, are you okay?" "What?" I frowned, "You're the one who got shot." "What?" She looked down at herself, "Oh." "Yeah, are you okay?" "It hurts a little, but I- I- what happened?"

"Ian shot you. He escaped from his cell and shot you," I frowned. "Ian? The man who tortured you?" She asked. "Do you not remember?" I frowned giving her a saddened look. "No. I- I remember you and I watching the waterfall. Then the- the fire and water, then nothing," "So you don't remember anything that happened after that?" "No. What happened?" She asked, and I sighed. "It's okay. It really wasn't much," I frowned.

"It may come back, Robin. It's common for you to have a bit of amnesia," Maria said with a frown, "It may never come back, or it could be back within moments. Either way, you need to calm down and get some rest." "Can- Can Fi stay with me?" Robin asked. "They couldn't make me leave if they wanted me to," I said taking her hand in mine. "It was- It was so dark," She said breaking down to tears. "Shh... it's okay, baby girl," I squeezed her hand.

She pulled her hand from my hold and patted the bed. Knowing what she wanted, I crawled into the bed next to her. I slid my arm behind her head and covered the both of us up with the blanket as she snuggled up next to me the best she could without her wound hurting.

One of the doctors went to say something, but Maria quickly cut him off. "They do whatever they want. It's not hurting anything," She said to him. "Okay, ma'am," The doctor frowned. "I'll go and get you some medicine," Maria said walking out of the room with both of the doctors.

"I thought I'd lost you," I frowned kissing the top of her head. "It's gonna take more than that to kill me. You know that," She smiled. "That doesn't mean anything. We need to be more careful," I said still frowning. "I'm okay Phoenix," "I know that, but neither of us should have to go through this again. That's what I fear," I replied.

"Fi, let's just go to sleep. I'm tired," She said snuggling up tighter against me. "Okay," I chuckled as she pressed a kiss to my chin.

I knew that there was nothing I could to to keep her safe. She's too stubborn to ever want to hang back and let me protect her. I realized that she will never be safe, the best way to keep her alive is to never leave her side. I can't let this happen again. I just can't, and if I had my way... she'd never ever get hurt again.