Unending Nightmares

Chapter 8: Questions

I look at the Hospital Bed my Mom is currently sleeping on.

"What's the problem, Doc? Any results from the lab tests?"

"Well, Mrs. Crawford seems to have been having issues with her sugar level recently, and based on our records, it's not her first rodeo being admitted here," Dr. Ward said, holding a few stacks of papers in his hand and handing them to me.

"Patient records say she's been admitted multiple times, and it appears that the dates match your business trips, Sir," Martha said as she took the papers I gave her from my trembling hands.

"Are you sure she can view those? We might violate HIPPA laws", Dr. Ward asks, with a worried look on his face

"Sir is not much of a man when he gets rattled," Martha said.

"Yes, she's my secretary. It's fine", I told Dr Ward as I began wiping tears. 

"As you know, we still have no cure for this sickness. All we can do is hope and pray that Insulin works for her, and she's on a very high unit right now"

I stroked Mom's hair. "Mom, why hide this from me? Why? We could have worked something out. We could've bought the things you wanted to, we could've—'' I choked on my tears. It was the dream about last night. The first creature I looked into.

My eyes cleared up. Is this reality? Have my nightmares become a reality? Is this why the collective group of creatures called themselves "Fear"?

"I'm not dead, don't cry too much; my ears are hurting. And yes, buy me that oven range I told you about. And also the leather bag I saw the other day, the shoe, that purse -'' I covered Mom's mouth, less she said more absurd things.

"Stoppp. You just woke up, and that's all you can think about? Geez, Mom," I told her, holding her hand and pressing it lightly. 

—

"This is before lunch. 15 minutes before, okay? This is for hypertension; this one is Vitamin B Complex, and this one is Centrum. Your Anlene is right there on the corner, just beside the Biscoff. Are you listening, Mom?" I look at her, and she's just smiling at me. I asked her, "What? Too much handsomeness?"

"Yeah, yeah. Now that you look more mature, you look much more like your father", Mom said. I can clearly see the sudden shift in her mood when she says the word. 

"Well, Mom, I know you miss him. Focus on yourself, and drink all the medication I've bought you, okay?" I held her hand and patted her shoulder. "We can do this."

Dad has been gone since I was a child. I can't even remember his face now, all I know is that I was not planned into this world, my Mom and my Dad just met at work, and decided it was good to have a relationship even though Dad already had a family.

Yes, I'm the kind of guy you see on TV Dramas—the illegitimate son. However, this doesn't bother me anymore. I grew out of it and have focused on my Mom ever since.

*ding*

The doors burst open,  and I can see Aether taking her shoe off and entering the house. 

"Hey, Moooom! How are you? Is your stupid son taking care of you?" Aether asked, hugging my Mom as she put the fruit basket on the table.

"Hey, get off her. And that's my Mom, not yours," I told Aether as I opened the fruit basket and grabbed the apple inside. "This, too, is mine now. Fuwahahahahha"

"I bought it for your Mom, stupid. Buy yours!" Aether said while trying to get the apple off my hands.

"Quiet down, lovebirds. I'm trying to rest here," Mom said, laughing as she watched us bicker, clearly amused and a bit in tears. 

"We're not!" Aether and I blurted out at the same time.

"If only," Aether thought to herself.

"Me and Aether? Meh, she's like my sister. How could we end up like that?" I said in my brain as I munched the apple. 

A gold line, bigger than ever, crawled from Aether and merged with the swirling dark mass inside me. The mass stopped spinning for a second, then continued relentlessly spinning.

—
"Congratulations! Aether Studios numbah wan!"

Cheers and hoorays can be heard at the office. It was our second-year anniversary, and Aether and I decided to buy a three-tiered cake to celebrate. We also hired a live band and caterer, and there were a few games for everyone to participate in—and booze, of course. 

"Isn't that too many?" Arthur asked.

"Wait for it," I told him. Little did everyone know that the cake had something me and Aether put inside.

"Hey, what's that silver thing inside the cake?" Micah asked, looking like a child as Susan smudged her face with frosting.

"Hey, let me through, let me see it first!" Rick yelled, not noticing that his hand was pushing Micah away. Micah accidentally tripped on her heels and fell in my direction. My jaw dropped, and I had to put down the wine glass in my hand to free them and catch the brat.

"Got you. So clumsy, are you?" I told Micah as her face paled.

"Thank you," she said sheepishly. I could see Aether suddenly move toward us and ask, "Is she okay?"

"I'm fine, Aether. Thank you, old geez.., Sir," Micah said, and hearing what she almost said, my eyes twitched.

"Rick, watch it; you almost killed Sarah's child," Arthur said, and everyone laughed.

The person in question was standing dumbfounded, though, along with Martha and Susan, their faces looking like they'd seen a ghost.

All of a sudden, Martha shrieked and yelled, "Yes! 5D4N tickets to El Nido, Philippines!"

Joy tripped. Brad choked on his drink. The rest of the "interns" were so happy that I could feel the second floor shaking from their jumping.

"Hey, watch it, guys. We're still using the building after we return; we don't want it in ruins," I yelled and grabbed the microphone we used for the program. "Pack your bags, folks! We're going on a vacation!"