It Goes On - Book l

The Night Terrors

Panting, Kiera shot up in their shared bed, a sheet of sweat coating along her chest and forehead. She looked around, seeing an empty spot next to her where Simon should be. Shaking her head, she slowly stood to her feet, her hands falling to her stomach to feel her bump, gasping once she realized that there was no bump there. Huffing, she opened the bedroom door to walk towards the kitchen, the sound of a flickering overhead light catching her attention. "Where am I?" 

She looked down, seeing her usual nighttime attire to be now a hospital gown - a brace on her leg as well as mint-colored socks. An IV catheter dressed her arm as she continued to be pushed through the corridors of the hospital. "Wh-Where're we going?" 

The nurse didn't respond. 

Kiera continued to look around, seeing no sign of life within the hospital aside from her own. The lights were dim and continued to darken within every push of the wheelchair. Her heart began to beat faster, growing more and more anxious. "Where are we going?" She repeated, her eyes darting around before hearing a shuddering and terrifying sound she had remembered on the battlefield. 

Shuttered, heavy breathing. 

She held her breath before she slowly looked over her shoulder, seeing a blueish-grey complexion of skin accompanied by a camouflage sleeve. Her eyes continued their trail up his arm, her gaze falling onto his undead features, his grey eyes looking down on her - the blood-stained oxygen mask causing her jaw to drop. 

She screamed, recognizing him as a man she had killed in battle, the knife still embedded into his jugular once he started to push her faster. 

She tried to escape, thrashing her legs and arms in a desperate attempt to get free, but he didn't stop. 

Long, desperate shrieks.

"Kiera!" Simon shouted, his hand on her arm as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Kiera!" 

She shuddered, her mind seeming to keep her stuck in her night terror, not realizing Simon's hand was clamped on her shoulder. "Kiera!" 

Her eyes opened, tears dropping from her eyes as she slowly realized where she was. "Come here." 

She panted, Simon helping her lay on her side as she clutched Simon's chest. He pushed her hair back from her face before she grunted out of irritation that her clothes were sticking to her skin. "I'm burning up." 

"Hold on. I'll be right back." He sighed, removing the sheet from over his legs before he went towards the bathroom, soon returning with a cool and damp rag, pressing it to her forehead after she had removed her shirt. 

"Thank you." She sighed. 

"Night terrors worse?"

She nodded, "Yes."

"Want to talk about it?"

"It's stupid." 

"I saw how it affected you. I can assure you it's not stupid." 

She huffed, "I keep having nightmares about being back in the hospital and one of the men I've killed." 

"The hospital in Chicago?"