Twisted Love

Chapter 9 - Clingy Overprotective and Obsessive.

Rae's POV

I stared at the ceiling as I lay in bed, placing my arms limply over the duvet. Turning my head slightly to look at my alarm clock which was placed on the wooden side table, it was 5:30am. I hadn't gotten any sleep at all last night. I didn't know what to do with myself after I'd spoken to Dad. My mind wouldn't stop replaying everything he'd said.

[Flashback to phone call]

"Hey Dad, how's it going?" I asked as I took a seat on my bed.

There was a long pause which caused me to grow nervous by the second. Every time Dad took long pauses he was thinking hard about something. Something had happened. I could feel it. My breath caught in my throat.

"D-Dad?" I stuttered as tears rose in my eyes.

"Hi Princess."

My heart dropped when I heard his voice, it was so hoarse that I could just about recognise that it was him speaking.

"Is everything okay?" I barely whispered.

He sighed. "It's only fair... that I'm honest with you," he began, he sounded as if he hadn't slept in weeks, "barely."

My vision blurred as I sat on my bed and cupped my mouth. I shook my head, unable to believe my ears.

"Wha-" I couldn't get the words out before I broke down in tears.

"She caught a cold and... it's really taking a toll on her. I-I've never seen her like this. She's extremely weak to the point where she barely moves... she just...she just sleeps." His voice cracked and I knew he was trying to fight back the tears threatening to escape his eyes. "I haven't left her side because I'm scared, Rae."

Dad was a strong man; I'd never seen nor heard him cry like this before. He wasn't scared of anything and the fact that he was scared shattered my heart into a million pieces.

"I'm scared that if I step out of the room for one second-" he took a deep breath, "that I'll return and she'll be... gone." His voice was barely audible as he broke down on the other side of the phone.

Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to catch my breath. Swallowing hard, I attempted to speak. "Dad?" I sniffed, "Mom's a fighter," I let out a shaky breath as tears rolled down my cheeks, "she fights for everything she believes in and I know that she's fighting this with everything in her. She's trying, I know she is. God hasn't given up on her, so please Dad, don't give up on her."

The phone fell silent for a minute.

"How did I ever get so lucky to have a daughter as brave as you?" Dad said, evidently smiling through his tears.

I laughed slightly, wiping my face with the back of my hand. "We're all we've got, Dad. We have to be strong for each other and for Mom but promise me something?"

"Anything."

"That you'll take care of yourself; the last thing I need is for you to get sick too. We all know Mom wouldn't be pleased if you got taken in to hospital."

"I promise, as long as you promise to do-" He was cut off by the sound of the nurse talking to him about Mom.

"She's really poorly but she's hanging in there. In fact, she's doing pretty well. Normally when patients are in this condition there's really nothing left to do but things are looking up for her," the nurse said in her squeaky voice.

"Really?" Dad asked in surprise.

"I just checked her over and according to our records she's improving but it's going to take some time. If you don't mind, Mr. Ellington, I'll be leaving you alone."