She's Fine. (Part 2)

I looked at my daughter
laying on her
bedroom floor.

She had tears in her eyes large wounds running across her arms.

She cut?!
How had I never noticed
before?

I'm so stupid!
Such a terrible father.
My daughter has been depressed forever
and I could never do anything
about it.

I stood above her small
fragile
body.

She looked so...hurt.
Not just her arms,
but her facial expression.

I was always so focused
on forgetting about
Mindy's death
and working
that I could never see
how much
pain she was in.

I took her home from school most days.
She was bullied constantly.

I never understood why my beautiful daughter
was getting bullied.

I carried her to the hospital,
too caught up in my thoughts to get in the car.

My baby girl
might die.

I might loose
my only child.

I burst
through the doors
panting,
holding my
daughter.

"Please help my daughter!"
I cried.

I saw nurses
rush to my side.

"What happened, sir?"
Asked one nurse.

I hated to say it.
I hated it.
And my daughter did it.

"Self-harm."

The nurses looked frightened and nodded, before placing
my only daughter
on a gurney
and leaving me in the
waiting room.

I didn't want to wait.

I filled out many papers,
and paced back and forth.

Other patients in the room
stared at me
like I was crazy.

Maybe I was.

After hours a nurse came up to me and my
heart stopped.

"Mr. Rivers?"
she asked.

"Yes?"

"Your daughter, Tara,
she lost a lot of blood..."

"Yes."

"But we have her on some medicine and she should
regain a lot.
After she is completely conscious she will need to start taking some anti-depressants.
She is going to live, sir."

My heart leaped when
she said those
last words.

I couldn't help but hug the nurse before she lead me to my daughter's room.

I walked in and saw her.
My daughter.

She was hooked up to
many machines.

The nurse left me alone
with her.

"Tara,
I love you."
I knelt beside her and grabbed her hand.

"Dad?"
A weak voice
pleaded to be heard.

"Tara?"

"I love you dad.
I'm sorry."

"I love you
with all my heart Tara.
You are going to live.
Everything is going to
be just fine."

"Just fine?"

"Just fine."

"You're my only daughter.
I love you and I'm not going to loose you."

"Really, dad?"

"Really, Tara."

"I love you, dad."

"Get some rest, Tara.
I love you."