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valiantvivian

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            Three nurses rushed in and pulled Daryn from Tara’s side. It took all three to hold her down on the bed. Daryn stood in the doorway while they administered drugs into her IV. He struggled to keep his composure; he couldn’t take the pain anymore. It was just too much to go through. Daryn walked down the white hallway to the elevator at the end. He rode down to the bottom floor and walked outside for some air. They weren’t allowed to open the windows in Tara’s room; too many germs in the air and it would cause her breathing problems.

            He sat down on a bench at the small park across the street from the hospital. It was his only way of finding any sanity in this world. He rubbed his eyes and held his head in his hands. Daryn cried against all the work he put in trying not to. He played with the dark blue buckle that held his coat closed; it was so old and ratty that he cried even more because of Tara’s hospital bills adding up. Daryn reached the point where he could no longer cry. He lifted his head and saw an elderly woman staring at him.

            She apologetically smiled and pulled her dog along. Daryn wiped his eyes and watched the sun slowly set until it was a small thumb nail sitting on the horizon. Daryn paid one last visit to Tara before walking home. She was sound asleep in her white bed. He covered her arms and kissed her forehead, “I‘ll be here tomorrow honey.” He smiled. Tara slowly came to and looked up at Daryn; her love danced in her sullen eyes.

            “Never dear.” He smiled but she watched it stop at his lips; it never seemed to touch his eyes anymore. Tara took his hand and refrained her instant jerk of pain. His hand felt warm in her cold hands. She sighed at all the purple bruises left by IV’s on her hands.       

             Daryn watched her for any sign of pain that he might accidentally cause. He smiled again and quietly spoke in her ear, “Today I dropped one of those gross fruit cups on a nurse and she dropped her sandwich on another nurse. The funny part,” he held up one finger and turned to snort, “She turned and tripped landing face first in the crouch of a male doctor.” Tara tried laughing but her laugh was raspy and more of a cough then a laugh. Daryn rubbed her brow with a washcloth and kissed her on the cheek.

            Tara weakly smiled, “Ah, now get out of here before they confine you to a bed.” Daryn smiled and walked to the door.

            “I love you.”

            Tara’s eyes lit up and she quietly whispered, “I love you too.” Daryn tapped the tan door and lowered the lighting in her room. He kissed her one last time and whispered in her ear, “I already miss you.” Tara smiled and waved him away. Daryn closed the door behind him and proceeded to the elevator.

He dug his hands into his pockets and made his way up the street. The orange glow from the street lamps overhead made the night seem darker.

            Daryn shivered and pulled his coat closer around his waist. He felt like there was something lurking just beyond the shadows and it made him walk even faster. He cut across the street and turned down a small alley that was a short cut home. He was scared and when his house came into view Daryn’s fear seemed to disintegrate. He walked slower and watched the shadows jump and dance around him.

            Suddenly the air was knocked from his lungs. He was thrown up against the brick walls of the alley and his body was lifted from the ground by a powerful hand. Daryn’s mouth was covered just before a scream erupted from his lungs. “If you don‘t move then I‘ll make this painless, I promise you.” The hands dropped Daryn to the ground and he struggled to the mouth of the alley.