Until the Very End

Chapter 42

Don woke up in a start, wondering where he was. It was a different room. Nothing looked familiar. Meryl had been in bed with him. He remembered that. He remembered what happened at the house in Maine. He remembered the fear of something happening to Meryl and the babies. He remembered hearing the babies crying. He remembered Raymore lunging for Meryl, and Don taking the knife instead. He remembered Meryl and the babies as he was being wheeled into the ambulance. Finally, he remembered Meryl promising that the babies and she were fine as she climbed into his hospital bed with him. But where was she? Where were the babies? Did Raymore get to them again? He tried to get out of bed. "Meryl?"

"Hey, hey, hey." Meryl was in the corner laying the babies in the stroller for their nap. Liz had brought them back to Don's hospital room once he got moved so Meryl could nurse. Liz said she would be in the waiting room if Meryl needed her. The babies fell asleep after nursing, and so Meryl put them in the stroller when she heard Don gasp her name, and she immediately went over to him. Helping him back in bed. She immediately sat down on the bed facing him as ran her fingers through his hair. "Baby, I'm right here. I was just feeding the babies and put them in their stroller after they fell asleep."

Don held both of her hands in both of his. "They're okay? You're okay? Kids?"

"We are all just fine, Don Man." Meryl sighed in relief once that calmed him down. "All because of my hero."

Don shook his head as he was continuing to try to calm down. "You're mine."

"Baby, I am right here, I wouldn't go anywhere without my guy." Meryl was carefully running her hands up and down his chest to try to keep him calm. "Sweetheart, you're shaking. Is there a reason why you thought we would be here?"

Don sighed as he shook his head. "I know you would never leave. I woke up, and it was a different room. Nothing looked familiar. The last thing I remembered was you laying in the bed with me, telling me that you and the babies were safe. I didn't see you. I thought..."

"He's in custody, and Larry is making sure he is being extradited to Manhattan." Meryl leaned forward to gently kiss his forehead as she continued to keep her hand on his chest. "Thanks to you."

Don shook his head. "I was so damn scared when I saw him go after you with that damn knife. But I was so proud of you for getting away from that psycho."

"I know when I first came in that you wanted me to get the hell out of there, I could see it in your eyes and feel it in your body language. It's like I could hear you tell me to go get the babies and run." Meryl explained as he nodded his head. "I couldn't leave you, Don, not in his hands. Would you have left me?"

Don's eyes got huge. "Hell no, I would NEVER leave you in the hands of that monster."

"I NEVER would either." Meryl knew they needed to talk about this as this was really their first opportunity. "I was weighing every option in my head. I knew that if I called 911 then the sirens would make it worse. I also knew that the babies were safe away from him. So I focused on you. I really thought we had him."

Don knew she was talking about when they managed to get the gun from Raymore before he grabbed the knife and Meryl. "I was so damn scared when he was holding that knife to your throat. The way he was touching you. I wanted to fucking kill him, but every time I took a step towards him he pushed that fucking blade into your throat."

"I know, baby." Meryl choked. "I hated you were seeing that. I wanted you to go to be safe."

"I wouldn't be safe as long as you weren't." Don said honestly. "I was so damn proud of you for jamming that fuckers nose once the smoke detectors went off. So proud, more than you know."