Panic Attacks // Ruel // English

Chapter 45

(Ruel's pov)
I wake up from my dream when I hear someone softly begging and screaming. I soon realize that it is Yasmine who is sleeping in the guest room. And then I get scared that someone is with her. She must not lose her safety here. Not in this way.

I get out off my warm bed and walk into the cold air. I walk through the really dark hall to her door.
Yasmine: "Let go of me." She calls under her breath.
I open the door and see her tossing and turning in bed alone. My heart is starting to beat faster and faster, even though I know that no one is with her.

Yasmine: "Dad please it's not my fault." I hear her mutter as I walk into her room.
I quickly go to her bed and sit on the edge next to her.

I am in a panic and I'm not sure what to do. She has had so many nightmares and I never knew how to help her.

Her whole body is shaking and turning as she sleeps hyperventilating. Her chest rises and falls uncontrollably with every breath she tries to take. Her body is damp with sweat, so is her hair.

Her words screaming for help echo through the room.
Yasmine: "Stop."

My hand clasps her shoulder and shakes her gently. But she doesn't respond to it.

I try to take off the covers she's entwined in, calling her name.

Ruel: "Yasmine calm down." I tell her.

I run my hand through her hair, but it doesn't help. You can feel the vibration of her legs shaking through the mattress.

With a hand running through her hair and my thumb running across her forehead, I try to calm her down.  I brush her thigh with my other hand, hoping that will help her.

I really don't know what to do and I feel weak. I don't want to see her like this. It really scares me because I don't know what's going on in her head. I want to know her fears and protect her.

Ruel: "Yas. Yas. Yas. Wake up." I shout if she doesn't want to wake up from her nightmare.

I keep calling her name and continuing my movements of my hand until she calms down or wakes up.

Then she wakes up in a panic and gasps for breath.
Ruel: "Hey hey hey shhhh." I say to calm her down.
She crawls away from me for a moment and straightens up, so I let her go right away. Soon she will be afraid of my touch.

Ruel: "Yas I'm here with you."
Her body doesn't want to calm down and keeps shaking.

I hold her face between my hands and tell her to breathe. I watch my own breathing and imitate it excessively so that she can follow it when she needs to.

Her body continues to shake as her breathing has calmed down. My hands go to her hands and I hold them. But they keep shaking. No matter how hard I squeeze it to say it's okay, or however long I stroke them, she won't get any rest.
I hold her hands together and bring them to my heart and press them against my chest with both hands. My heartbeat is pounding against my skin where her hands are.

Ruel: "Baby, listen to me. I'm here. You're safe here. Nothing is about to happen. Take a deep breath and it's okay. It was another nightmare and it's going to be okay. I promise." I tell her when I look deep into her watery eyes.

Tears slowly flow down her face when she looks at me. I notice that her body is slowly calming down.

She's shivering with cold, just like me, so I put the blanket over her again.

Ruel: "Thank you Ruel."
She continues to hold one of my hands as I rub her slightly trembling thigh with the other.

She sits upright and lets go of my hand, then spread her arms open and look at me with a trembling lip. I slide closer to her and take her in my arms. I keep her close enough so that no one can hurt her anymore. Her head rests on my chest and I have my arms wrapped around her upper body, with one hand in her hair.