Neptune

Chapter 47 | The Dream

C A S S I E

Please, save him.

I couldn't feel anything but pain in my body, just as painful as my heart. I couldn't move, and it seemed like my life was being drained out of my body.

"No!" I wake up. My chest hurts like hell.

"Cassie." It's Luke's voice echoing in my ear, filled with worry.

I'm panting, trying to absorb the new reality that I'm in. I'm sitting up on my bed, sweat all over my body.

What was it? Was I having a bad dream? But it felt so real.

I turn to Luke, who's sitting beside my bed, holding my hand firmly. Concern skates all over his face. "How are you feeling?"

Again, I'm trying to adjust to what's actually happening. I look down at myself and notice that I'm not drenched anymore, already wearing my clean pajamas.

The clock on the wall tells me that it's almost evening.

"Aiden." My voice shakes as I speak the name, tears forming in my eyes. I stare at Luke in fear, my lips trembling.

Is he okay? Please tell me that he is.

Luke caresses my hand, trying to soothe me.

"He's okay," Luke says. "He's in his room. The doctor has examined him, and thank God, he's alright. He woke up earlier, but now he's taking a rest again. He's not as traumatized as I feared he would be. But, Cassie, you—"

"I want to see him," I cut him off, urgency in my tone.

Luke tightens his hold on my hand. The worry on his face is still very much visible. "Okay. We're going to see him now. But, Cassie, I'm worried about you too. Your condition was worse than his. You don't know how frightened I was when I pulled you out of the water."

I remember that—it was like hell. I wasn't only drowning but also had a sudden force striking my head like a hammer.

I'm starting to wonder whether my brain cells are indeed damaged.

"The doctor said that you need some rest," Luke continues. "But when you slept, you kept tossing in your bed, restless. You were talking in your sleep, like you were having a bad dream."

I did. I did have a really bad dream. But it doesn't matter now.

Luke looks like he wants nothing more than to hug me in his arms—I can see how much it tortures him to hold back, but what happened between us has made him extra careful to not do something against my feelings.

"Please, Luke. I need to see him," I beg, my voice barely a whisper due to how weak I am, but I won't be able to rest until I can see Aiden again.

Luke sighs and helps me get up from my bed. When I do, I feel incredibly dizzy and quickly hold his arm for support.

Luke puts his other arm around my shoulder as I walk with him, because I'm still shaking from the bad dream just now.

When we finally reach Aiden's room, I see Ms. Langston sitting beside the bed, watching the boy sleep. She notices us walking in and stands up from her seat, surprised.

I speed up my pace, and as I get closer to Aiden, tears pool even more in my eyes.

Aiden is sleeping, his breathing steady, his chest heaving up and down in a relaxed rhythm. I burst into tears, covering my mouth with my hands.

He's okay. He's alright.

I have the urge to be with him at all costs. I settle myself on the bed and lie down beside him.

"I'll leave you two here with him," Ms. Langston excuses herself before walking out of the room.

"Cassie," Luke whispers. His eyes soften as he watches us. It seems like he wants to say something to comfort me but doesn't know what to say.

"I'll stay here for a while," I say. "I'm worried about him."

Silence falls between us. Luke doesn't say anything as my mind starts to overthink again.

"What if he's traumatized?" I snap my head toward Luke, panic evident in my voice. "What if he's afraid of water because of this?"

"We'll work through that," Luke says without the slightest hint of doubt. "Don't worry. Aiden is a strong kid. He'll still be brave, and strong."

A soft sigh leaves my lips. I shift my attention back to Aiden. The peaceful look on his sleeping face somehow makes me calmer, like there's nothing more precious than that in this world.

I would do anything to make him feel safe. Caressing his hair, I watch him sleep.

Luke takes a seat on the other side of the bed.

"You need to have a rest too," he reminds me. "Don't worry. I'll look out for you two," he whispers, his voice shaking with emotions that I can't identify.

It's a mixture of sadness, guilt and determination.

My eyelids indeed feel heavy, and my head is still spinning although it has gotten better after seeing Aiden again.

Soon, I drift off to sleep.

*

My eyelids flicker, and slowly, I open my eyes. Fortunately, I didn't have a bad dream again.

To my surprise, Aiden is already awake. I notice that I put my arm around his stomach, over the bed cover, as we slept.

On the other side of the bed, Luke lay down too. He's sleeping, facing Aiden. Luke's arm has wrapped around my waist, trapping Aiden between us.

I don't know whether Luke has realized what he's doing—it seems like he has pulled us closer to him, embracing us protectively.

Judging from the contented expression on his sleeping face, Luke doesn't seem like he's going to wake up anytime soon.

Aiden is staring at the ceiling, and my worry escalates again. How is he feeling? Is he feeling scared? Is he feeling traumatized?

A single tear forms at the corner of his eye, and my heart drops, panic overwhelming me again. But then, a small smile tugs at his lips.

Am I dreaming? Aiden is smiling, still staring at the ceiling of his bedroom.

So the tear in his eye is a tear of joy. But, how come? Even though this sight gives me relief, I can't help but wonder why he feels happy despite the terrifying accident that has happened to him.

"Aiden," I whisper, gently stroking his hair. "Are you alright? How are you feeling?"

Anxiety fills me again. I'm dying to know whether he's feeling okay or not.

With a meaningful smile still creeping on his lips, and without shifting his gaze from the ceiling, Aiden whispers, "Never better."