Can't You Save Me?

•17•

A/N: Only two more chapters after this!
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After driving for six hours straight the gas tank finally needed to be refilled and the sky was pitch black. Pete pulled into a small gas station, one of the lights in the sign flickered and only one person was inside; the clerk. Which was good because then Patrick doesn't have to worry too much about keeping his head down.

"Want anything?" Pete asks, opening his door but not yet leaving.

Patrick shakes his head.

"Are you sure? It might be a while before we can get anything real to eat."

"I'm sure."

"Alright, well, I'll be right back." Then Pete exits the car and heads inside the store. He goes straight to the snack aisle to pick something out to eat, something for both him and Patrick. Although Patrick said he didn't want anything, Pete didn't want to get all this junk just for himself, he'd feel selfish and Patrick needed to eat too. So Pete decides to grab a bag of Chex Mix, two bags of beef jerky, about five muffins, and two Ginger Ale sodas. This should last them a few miles.

Pete goes up to the register with his arms full of junk food and drops them onto the counter. The clerk raises a brow at him but Pete just hands them the money to pay for it and an extra thirty-five for gas. When he returns to the car he knocks on the passenger side window where Patrick's sitting. Patrick rolls down the window and Pete shoves the bag of snacks through it saying something like, "Hold this." and then disappears to the other side to pump gas.

"He's going to let you down, Patrick."

Patrick isn't in the mood for any of Vaughn's bullshit. "Don't. I'm too tired to deal with you right now."

"Then fall asleep. Let's have a heart to heart."

Patrick shakes his head. He doesn't want to see Vaughn in his dreams, doesn't want to be engulfed in darkness and told that Pete can't help him. Vaughn's laughter mocks him.

"You can't stay awake forever. Sleep will come and when it does, I'll be there."

He'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen, Patrick can stay awake if it means he won't have to meet with Vaughn in his dreams. That's the last thing he wants and the first thing he fears.

Just then Pete gets back into the driver's seat and starts up the car, watching where the needle on the gas gauge lands, it's nearly full.

"Ready?" He asks while clicking his seatbelt on.

Patrick nods then says a quiet, "Yes." and Pete pulls out of the gas station.

***

It's two a.m. and Patrick is struggling to keep his eyes open. He and Pete had found a motel to stay in for the rest of the night because Pete had been driving for several hours straight. He was passed out on his own separate bed and Patrick is sitting against the wall with his knees pulled to his chest. The blanket on Patrick's bed was undisturbed by him, the TV was off and the only light in the room was the moonlight shining dimly through the blinds. Patrick is too afraid to sleep. His head is quiet but if he closes his eyes he knows that Vaughn will be there. The thought helps him stay awake.

Time ticks away much too slowly for Patrick's taste, he wish it were the next night already so they could get back on the road. But Pete's exhausted and needs to rest so he can continue driving.

Four a.m comes and Patrick's still awake. He eats a muffin and drinks one of the Ginger Ales Pete bought. While sipping his soda, he sees Pete toss and turn more frequently until the movements eventually cause him to crack his eyes open. His eyes roam for a moment, trying to make sense of his surroundings then his gaze lands on Patrick.

"Wha-what are you doing up?" Pete asks groggily, rubbing his eyes and sitting up on his bed. His hair is all over the place and his eyes were barely open.

"Couldn't sleep." Patrick lies. He thinks for a moment that he shouldn't lie to Pete, he deserves to know the truth but Patrick can't bring himself to tell it.

"Dude, you need to sleep."

"I'm not tired." Patrick lies again but Pete catches it this time.

"You're dying for some sleep right now, I can see it."

Patrick blinks at him tiredly, proving Pete right, and downs the last bit of his soda while looking Pete in the eye. It was Patrick's way of telling Pete that sleep wasn't going to happen. Pete got the hint.

"Fine." Pete gets up from his bed and walks over to Patrick's, sitting down and leaning against the wall beside him. He watches Patrick as he removes the bottle from his lips and tosses it in the direction of the trash can. Patrick stares back at him. Neither of them say anything and Pete looks like he's close to clocking out again and Patrick was trying to fake being wide awake. Then Pete places his arm around Patrick and pulls him closer until he's forced to rest his head against Pete's shoulder. Patrick doesn't fight it but is a bit confused until Pete makes them both lay down on the bed, causing Patrick's head to fall to Pete's chest. His heart beat was calm and steady but Patrick's was doing the complete opposite.

"Sleep." Pete keeps his arm around Patrick pulling him a little closer.

"But-"

"I know." Pete interrupts. "Nightmares. Vaughn. It scares you, I get it. But you're letting him win by staying up. You're showing him that he can control you. I'm right here, Patrick, if anything happens I'll be here. We'll fight him together, you're not alone anymore."

His words strike Patrick roughly in the heart. He's not sure how Pete could have possibly known what Patrick was going through right now but it made him feel at ease. It was almost like Pete could read his mind but if that was the case then he'd be able to hear Vaughn's voice ringing inside his skull more often than not. Patrick must have had a tell about him that only Pete knew about. Then the man in question says softly, "I got you, Patrick. I got you."

Patrick's always wanted someone to be by his side, never to be alone, and it seems that Pete wants to be that someone. Patrick can deal with that.

He drifts off to the beat of Pete's heart.