Awake, Awake

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AJ paces back and forth, horrible possibilities running through his mind. What if Nate died? What if he didn't see the portal? What if he didn't want to come back? What if he couldn't? All these questions swirl in his head as his stomach churns. Something gnaws in the back of his head, it's not quite his anxiety, or his inner voice causing him to panic. It's this strange, rhythmic beating. Although this seems irrelevant to his current problems, he can't help but hear it as it crescendos and decrescendos in and out of his mind.

"AJ, you need to relax," Gwen says, staring blankly at the portal.

"I'm sorry, I just-" his mind blanks, he tries to form words but can't think of what to say.

"I know, but he'll come," Gwen says, as though AJ had finished his sentence.

The portal screeches and flashes a bright blue light. AJ blinks rapidly as his eyes adjust to the light returning to normal. He looks around, squinting a bit as two blurry figures come into view. Gwen gasps and squees, AJ watches as one figure runs into the arms of the other. His eyes are almost completely focused, but still slightly blurry. He's still able to recognize that it's Gwen, clinging onto Nate. AJ smiles.

"I-" Nate begins taken aback.

Gwen clings onto him, so happy to have him back. So happy to have the guilt slip away slowly.

"I'm back," he mutters, "I'm okay."

AJ stumbled forward, the room beginning to spin. Nate looks up at him, tilting his head in concern. AJ steadies himself.

"Glad to have you back," AJ says, his words slur together.

"AJ? Are you okay?" Nate asks, pushing Gwen off of him so he can take steps towards AJ.

AJ shakes his head. His vision blurs in and out, the room spinning like a carousel. His breathing increases as his head pounds. His blood rushes through his ears so loudly he can't hear anything. Gwen looks up just in time to see her husband fall to the floor.

AJ's green eyes snap open and he begins coughing and sputtering, trying to remove the breathing tube that's inserted in throat.

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