April 9th
Don't say it
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"Look, I know why you're here and I know what you're gonna say." Edmund muttered. "But how about you just leave and don't say it, yeah?"
Peter stared at him for a while, before he shook his head. "How about no." He replied eventually.
Edmund rolled his eyes, flopping down on his bed with a loud sigh. "Just go away." He grumbled.
"When was the last time you slept?" Peter asked firmly.
Edmund stared at the ceiling, swallowing hard. "Last night." Was his answer.
"The truth." Peter added.
Edmund was silent for a while, before he shrugged. "A couple days ago," He whispered. "I dunno, can't remember."
Peter sighed, "Ed come on," He murmured. "I know you have a lot of work to do, but not sleeping to get it done isn't going to help you at all."
Edmund nearly laughed. "It's not the work," He murmured. "Not exactly."
"What do you mean not exactly?" Peter asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
Edmund sat up, rubbing at his eyes quickly before taking a deep breath. "I've been having rather - bad nightmares the last week." He whispered. "At the beginning of the week I'd wake up and then do the work to distract myself, now I just do the work so I don't fall asleep."
Peter was shocked. "Why didn't you tell me?" He murmured.
Edmund shrugged. "Dunno." He replied. "Guess I thought I could deal with it by myself."
Peter sighed. "What's brought on the nightmares?" He asked.
Edmund shook his head. "I have absolutely no idea, but they're all Her." He whispered. "I don't want to sleep at this point, cause the second I do I'll just see her."
"Ed-"
"Don't say it." Edmund choked.
"Ed you have to sleep." Peter murmured. "You'll make yourself sick, you'll exhaust yourself."
Edmund lay back down again. "I can't." He whispered.
"I'll be right here?" Peter tried. "Who knows, maybe it was just a passing thing and the dreams are gone now? If nothing specific has triggered it, there's a possibility it was just an odd few nights."
Edmund swallowed hard. "You won't leave?" He asked.
"I won't go anywhere I promise." Peter said firmly.
Edmund didn't say anything else, but he nodded and shuffled up the bed, curling up under the covers, and he was completely out within two minutes.
And Peter kept his word, he stayed there all night, not moving, awake, until the sun rose and Edmund slept through the night.
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