He'd only just drifted off to sleep when they wheeled his daughter into the room after her surgery. He hadn't slept in days and the nurses tried their best not to disturb him as the shifted her lifeless body from the stretcher back onto her hospital bed. He stirred slightly with the movement and blinked his eyes as he lifted his head.

It took several moments for the realization to settle into his body. She was there in the bed beside him, but she was really gone now... just a shell of the beautiful girl he'd raised and loved more than life itself. He reached out his hand tentatively and stroked her cheek softly. The nurse gently covered her with the fresh blankets before turning to leave the room, whispering as she walked away, "Let us know if you need anything at all... we'll be right out at the nurses station. And when you're ready," she paused briefly, trying her best to fight back the emotions that even nurses at times couldn't help but show and then continued, "when you're ready... they'll come get her."

He sighed as she left the room. He knew who 'they' were and he knew where they'd be taking her. He'd been through this part once before and it didn't make it any easier. He stood and looked down at her face. She looked so peaceful... so beautiful, even in the midst of all the pain and suffering she could still take the very breath right out of his lungs. He remembered the first time he'd ever held her in his arms, right after her birth. She'd been so small then and so frail and so incredibly beautiful to him. He'd felt as if anything he did could break her and so he'd been so careful with her. If only he'd been more careful that night when he'd told her she could take his car and go out with her friends... if only he'd realized then that even big girls can break.

The tears fell from his eyes as he moved to find her hand beneath the blankets. He dared not look at the scars he knew were hiding there... he didn't think his own heart could take the knowledge that hers was really gone. The surgeons had stitched up the wounds on her head and unwrapped the bandages, he hair now flowed freely over her face and cascaded down onto the pillow beneath her. He gently ran his fingers through her curls as he sat back down on the chair beside her. He felt as if his body would give way at any moment. The weight of the world lay on his shoulders and if he didn't sit down he would surely go crashing to the floor in a heap of exhaustion and emotions.

He told her that he loved her, and he told her how proud he was of her. He held her hand and gently sobbed as he did his best to say goodbye. It didn't feel right and it didn't feel fair... but he knew it had to be done. He could never forgive himself if he didn't say goodbye.

He sat there in silence for a few moments, trying to think of the best way to let her go and finally it dawned on him. He laid his head on her chest... he knew it couldn't hurt her now, she was far away from all the pain... and he held her hand tightly in his arms. He looked up at her face and felt the tears as they fell from his cheeks and splashed onto the blanet below. He closed his eyes and began to sing...

His words were soft, his voice not quite perfect, but the intent with which he sang his song was absolutely beautiful. He held her hand and sang her soul right out of her body and up into the heavens where he hoped that she could hear his voice... where he hoped she knew he loved her.

He slowly finished the song and lifted his head. He opened his eyes and wiped away the tears as he stood. The same overwhelming sense of peace and calmness he'd felt several times that day began to fill his heart. He brushed the hair from her cheeks once more and gently kissed her forehead.

He kissed her one last time before grabbing the lion from the bed and walking towards the door of her room. He opened it slowly and glanced out into the hall, nodding towards the nurse who had been waiting for his word. She nodded back with a sobering smile and gestured to the man who'd been standing beside her. He came into the room and slowly lifted his daughter gently onto a stretcher and wheeled her towards the door.

"Can I just..." he said as he followed the man out into the hallway... "Can I be the one to cover her face?"

The young man nodded in surprise and stepped aside to allow the father a spot beside his daughter's head. He couldn't help but feel a rush of emotion for this poor man, knowing this situation could never be easy. He watched as he leaned down towards her and kissed her softly on the cheek. He felt his own tears stinging his eyes as he watched the man flip the sheet up over his daughter's head before he stepped aside himself and allowed him to wheel her away.

Mr. Grant stood there silently in the middle of the hallway, watching for a few moments before he silently followed as they wheeled his daughter away for the very last time...

"My beautiful baby girl..." he whispered as they climbed onto the elevator and headed down to the morgue... "you're someone's miracle now..."