She kissed his cheek. "It's okay, Daddy. I'm here. You're gonna be okay." She gingerly climbed onto the bed and curled up against his side, tucking herself under his arm. When she heard the door open, she curled into a ball to make herself appear sm...
After a serious head injury a man was in the ICU, his body still so unlike his usual state. His chest slowly inflated and deflated with every breath. He was also silent, so silent when usually his words filled a room. His smile would make even the grumpiest person crack one of their own but he wasn't smiling.
No one noticed the little girl sneaking into the room and clambering up onto the chair beside the bed. Her red hair formed curls around her face from the slight heat of summer, parts of it slipping from its half up half down style. She looked at her daddy and sniffled, her blue eyes wide and full of unshed tears.
She kissed his cheek. "It's okay, Daddy. I'm here. You're gonna be okay." She gingerly climbed onto the bed and curled up against his side, tucking herself under his arm. When she heard the door open, she curled into a ball to make herself appear smaller.
"Hey! What are you doing in here?" a man demanded.
The little girl set her jaw. "Protecting my daddy. He always protects me."
When the man looked like he might argue with the child, the girl puffed out her chest and glared at him but then a doctor came in. "I've got this, Nurse Harrison."
The man snarled and muttered under his breath but took his leave. After he was gone, the doctor closed the door. "My name is Dr. Argent," he said. "What's your name?"
The girl squeezed her daddy's hand. "Meera Nova Stilinski. Please don't make me leave my daddy. Please!" she asked, eyes full of tears.
Dr. Argent smiled gently. "Your daddy is going to be sleeping for a while because he hurt his head. I won't force you to leave but is there an adult I can call?"
The girl's face shuttered as she shook her head and averted her gaze. "I'm smart, you know? I know he's not just sleeping. It's c-called a c-coma. And no. There's no adult to call."
Dr. Argent frowned. "No one at all?"
"Nope. G-Grandpa got shot on duty, but he is—he was—the best sheriff ever. Daddy got in a fight with his best friend last year cause he said 'told you so' when mommy left. Daddy cried a lot that night but he's strong. He'll be okay. I know it."
"So, it's just the two of you then, huh?"
The girl nodded. "We're all each other has, mister. I think maybe daddy's mommy had a bab-bacia that lives far away but I never meeted her."
Dr. Argent took notes on everything the little girl said and then debated what to do next.
The little girl placed a kiss on her daddy's cheek. "Can I go back to sleep please? Daddy loves hugs and kisses and cuddles. They make him smile."
"Of course, sweetie. I'll come back a little later and a different nurse will be in shortly to check your daddy's vitals. You can press this button if you need anything. Okay?"
The little girl nodded and settled against her daddy's chest once more. Her eyes drooped and fluttered before falling shut.
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Dr. Argent stepped out of the room and paged a different nurse.
"Hey, Dad," his daughter Allison said with a tired smile. Then she noticed the look on his face. "What's wrong? What happened?"
He sighed and quickly explained the situation, leading his daughter to pull him into a tight hug. She always knew that despite the exterior armor, her father had a heart of gold, one that was easily triggered when someone was in need.
"I'll keep an eye on her, Dad. I'll do whatever I can to help."
Allison went in to check on the man and his daughter, pleased to learn there were no negative changes.
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Over the course of the man's recovery, Allison would engage Meera in activities like coloring, reading, and various other things. She talked to her like an adult because she understood that her daddy needed to stay sleeping for his brain to get better.
Allison quickly grew attached to the girl and grew fiercely protective of her. She was the one who the girl clung to when her daddy's monitors started beeping, alarms blaring in the middle of the night. Allison was the one who dried the girl's tears and gently shushed her.
"Why did daddy's beeping make everyone run in?" Meera asked in a whisper.
Allison rocked her back and forth. "Because his body was letting us know that something was hurting. So, we fixed it and he's sleeping but he should be able to wake up soon."
Meera looked up at her, doe eyes wide, eyelashes clumped with tears, but her eyes were full of hope. "Promise?"
Allison smiled. "I promise."
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It took a month and a half—six weeks in total—before the decision to wake Stiles up was unanimous. The doctors were confident it was time and wouldn't pose any risk to do so.
Allison held Meera close, propping her up on her hip as the doctors—including her father—began to lift the sedation and wake him.
It was slow going but the tension was worth it when the man's first word was his daughter's name, "Mee'a?" he croaked out.
Allison couldn't help the tears in her own eyes when the little girl climbed onto the bed.
"DADDY!" Meera cried out. "I love you, Daddy. Daddy, you came back to me!"
She curled up in his arms and he smiled tiredly at her. The heartwarming sight and reunion were only witnessed by Dr. Argent and Nurse Allison who had remained in the room while everyone else left.
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