To the Nights in the Hold of Stone (BillDip)

Open My Ribcage and Ask So Kindly For it's Contents(26)

Dipper POV

I'd never felt this kind of pain, if I was conscious I'd be hurling my guts out, in this black void pain felt like nothing and everything all at once which was so much worse.

What could only have been lightning shot down what used to be my spine. Bright blinding fire broke through the void, fracturing and splintering and then, there he was.

Haloed in blue flames he was there, golden glow streaming through the blue, washing over his pained expression. Eyes that rivaled the sun sparked with powerful embers resembling tears. The sharp bridge of his nose wrinkled up in frustration and his mouth turned down in sullen and lost. I wanted to reach out and touch him to take that pain away, fix whatever caused this.

Before I could find my hands the world pulled away again and I was plunged back into the void.

~

I thought it would be more like the movies, almost dying and all. Instead it felt more like that one time I had food poisoning and slammed my head on the shower edge. I was nauseous and light headed, in one moment my head felt like someone cracked it open with a sledge hammer and in the next nothingness. When the world swam back in, the pain had dulled.

No 'dulled' wasn't right, the pain was gone. All of it, everything from the past week, my arms didn't throb, shake or pinch. My ribs didn't feel like they were crashing into my lower back and my spine no longer felt like a toppled game of Jenga. All of it, from my feet to the top of my head felt normal again.

Just as I thought, for a second everything was clear, fear oozed and crawled across the thought. What did Ford do? What could this mean? What's coming next? What is he planning that he had to heal or numb the pain that was there before? I groaned, the room beyond the back of my eyelids is dark meaning at least for now I'm alone.

Bill. I reached out for him, feeling his presence even stronger, could he tell something was wrong too? Something's wrong.

"Pinetree, open your eyes." His voice was so much louder in my head, just like his presence so strong I could imagine his hand in mine.

He did something- I don't- My thoughts raced, chasing each other around so fast the nausea came roaring back with a vengeance.

"Dipper." Softer, so much softer, delicate and warm to the touch against my cheek. The way he said my name slid over my skin as smooth silk, "It's ok if you don't remember yet, but I really need you to open your eyes ok?" I could feel his fingers on my cheeks, sliding his hands into my hair to cradle the back of my head. When did his presence grow this strong? Maybe I was dreaming, but if I was- I can't open my eyes. I don't want to lose this dream just yet.

"Are you there?"

Yes, yes but how are you? Everything feels so much stronger now.

"It would make a lot more sense if you opened your eyes." His soothing tone now lilted in a soft chuckle, his breath warm against my skin.

Against my skin, I could feel him. With a pounding, my heart slammed in my chest, crushed under the immense weight of hope I'd been so desperate to keep under control.

"Slowly, it's ok, I'm not sure how your body reacted to everything so be easy."

Slowly! He wanted me to take this slow, when all I can think is that he's here, he's really really here and all I have to do is open my stupid eyes! Hell No. My head lurched and my stomach tumbled, like I really was going to lose it this time, the flutter of light behind my stubborn lashes strobed hard enough to make me keel over, his arms came around my shoulders supporting me.