Immaculate

Blackmail

I think you wil hate Mr Hendricks even more after this, I did.

Sang's POV

I could smell the smoke, it was thick acrid, pouring into my lungs and I knew that if I took in any more breaths I would die.  I tried to cover my mouth with my hands but the smoke crept through the cracks in fingers.  I remembered a wet cloth over my mouth and head would stop me from burning and make breathing easier.  I could feel the heat at my back, as I tried to get towards where I knew the bathroom was.  The door was locked no matter how hard I tried to open it.

I could hear banging, my lungs were fit to bursting, I had to breath, I just had to.  I turned, trying to make my way to the bedroom door, but the room was so filled with smoke I could barely make it out.  The banging got louder and I fumbled, tripping over something on the floor, I looked back at what had tripped me up and saw Dr Green lying on the floor.  His eyes were open, his mouth open in a grimace of pain, he was badly burnt, big swathes of skin, cracked and peeling from his face, but he was silent.  Fear and agony shot through me as I tried to shake him awake, but it was no good, I realised he was dead.  Tears poured from my eyes and my lungs gave out.  I had to breath, there was nothing left anyway, it was all gone now.  I took a great gulp of air....

"That's it, darling, deep even breaths." A voice, warm beside me, as I fought to take in clean air.  There was no smoke now.

"He's dead!" I cried out frantically, the pain searing my heart, even as my lungs still burned.

"No one is dead, Sang, no one, I promise you."

I looked around wildly and realised with a jolt that it had been another of my bad dreams.  There was no smoke, the house was not on fire and Dr Green was at the hospital and not dead.  I was with Mr Blackbourne in his house.

"Oh god, Sean, Sean," I sobbed and covered my face with my hands.  "He was burnt, his face was burnt and he was dead.  I couldn't breath... there was so much smoke."

"Shhh, it's ok, it was just a dream," he soothed me, his arms around me as he pulled me onto his lap.  

"Just a dream," I repeated his words, letting them sink in as I moved my hands to cling to him.

"Just a dream," he reassured me, rocking me back and forth slightly.  "Here, listen..."

He moved me till my back was pressed against his chest, his hand rested on my knees, a phone clutched in his fingers.  He used his thumb to open up Dr Green's app and then he was pressing his number.  It was answered very quickly and Mr Blackbourne put it on speaker phone.

"What's up?" Dr Green's sleep roughened voice was filled with concern.

"Miss Sorenson was having a nightmare, you were dead in her dream."

"Oh, Pookie," his voice was laced with sorrow now. "What happened?"

"You were burnt, on the floor," I hiccuped and wiped my hand over my face.  "The room was filled with smoke and I couldn't breath."