The Sanders Sides

26 - Virgil's Nightmare

Later that night, as the house settled into an uneasy quiet, a strangled cry pierced the silence. Roman jolted awake, his heart hammering in his chest. The sound came again, this time a choked whimper that sent a jolt of fear through him.

He scrambled out of bed, his bare feet slapping against the cold floor. Following the sound, he found himself outside Virgil's room. The door was shut, but another choked sob escaped from within.

"Virgil?" Roman called out, his voice laced with concern. "You okay?"

There was a muffled thump from inside, followed by a shaky breath. Silence descended once more, heavy and thick. Roman hesitated, his hand hovering over the doorknob.

He knew Virgil wasn't one for displays of vulnerability. Their interactions were usually limited to dry sarcasm and brooding silences. But the raw fear in those choked sounds was undeniable.

Across the hall, Patton's door creaked open. His sleep-tousled hair and concerned frown mirrored Roman's own feelings.

"What's going on?" Patton whispered, his voice barely above a murmur.

Roman shook his head, worry etched on his face. "I don't know. He... he sounds like he's having a nightmare."

Patton's expression hardened with concern. He took a step towards Virgil's door, his hand reaching for the knob.

"Virgil?" he called out, his voice gentle yet firm. "It's Patton. Can you open the door?"

Another muffled sound, this time a mumbled plea. "Don't... don't touch me."

Patton's hand froze on the doorknob. He exchanged a worried glance with Roman.

The silence stretched on, punctuated only by the sound of ragged breaths coming from behind the door. The minutes ticked by, each one an eternity in the tense atmosphere.

Finally, after what felt like an hour (but was actually 34 agonizing minutes), the sound of the lock clicking echoed through the hallway. The door creaked open a sliver, revealing Virgil's pale face and red-rimmed eyes.

"I'm... I'm fine," he mumbled, his voice hoarse. "Just a bad dream. Go back to sleep."

Before either Roman or Patton could respond, Virgil slammed the door shut once again, plunging his room back into darkness.

Roman and Patton stood there for a moment, the weight of Virgil's unspoken fear hanging heavy in the air.

"Do you think..." Roman began, his voice trailing off.

Patton nodded grimly. "Nightmares. Panic attacks. It's happened before."

Roman felt a pang of sympathy for Virgil. The stoic shadow they all knew clearly harbored a deeper darkness, a vulnerability he fiercely guarded.

"What do we do?" Roman asked, feeling helpless.

Patton sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We give him space for now. But in the morning, maybe we can talk to him. See if there's anything we can do to help."

Roman nodded in agreement. There wasn't much they could do in the middle of the night, but they could offer their support, let Virgil know he wasn't alone in the face of his inner demons.

With a shared look of worry, Roman and Patton retreated back to their rooms, the unsettling echo of Virgil's nightmare lingering in their minds. Sleep, for both of them, seemed a distant prospect. They knew that tomorrow, they would have to navigate a new challenge – supporting Virgil through the aftermath of his unseen battle, a battle fought not in the waking world, but in the treacherous lndscapes of the mind.