Keefe's hair 101

29th

Keefe watched Sophie leave. He knew something was wrong. She was never that quiet and observing.
Keefe also felt a little creeped out by the staring she made him endure.

Keefe was always scared. Anything could be a nightmare waiting to appear in his head. Darkness could morph into a face with dark brown hair and cold teal eyes. Light could dim into a red liquid. Seats could sprout hands and hold Keefe down- kicking and screaming.
Sleeping was worse. His head was full of terrors that worsened when he had no control. Keefe gave up on sleeping.

Whenever he nodded to sleep, he would wake up screaming. Nurses rushed in but all he wanted was Sophie. They didn't understand. Not at all. Sophie seemed to know his head, seemed to relate to his nightmares.

Keefe hated that he was restricted movement. In the dark when he battled sleep, the bed sometimes sprouted millions of hands -sometimes ropes- that held him down. And all he could do was keep silent with tears falling.

One time Sophie was sitting in his room while he was supposed to be sleeping. She witnessed his silent tears and grit teeth.
"Are you in pain?" She wondered out loud.
Keefe shook his head violently and groaned.
"Ah," Sophie put her hands over his. It got a little better.
"Go to sleep now."
"No."

Sophie started to stand up. "Go to sleep!"
Keefe let out a small laugh. "There is NO way I'm sleeping."
Sophie frowned at him. "So what the nurses say is true?"

Keefe went quiet.
Sophie sat back down. "Well?"
"What do the nurses say?" Keefe felt a bit hurt. The nurses talked about him? Behind his back? Actually maybe some bad news would not help right now.
"Actually don't tell me."
Sophie sighed. Keefe could tell she was confused about his rapid change of decision.

"Are you scared?" She asked.

Keefe stared at her in disbelief.
"Am I scared?!" He burst out. "I'm not scared! I'm terrified!"
Sophie flinched from his sharp outburst. "You don't know what it is like to lie in the dark waiting for the nightmares to come!"

"You're right..." Sophie mumbled. "I don't understand..."
She stood up and ruffled his hair, placing a kiss on his forehead.
"Why are you leaving?"
"Well, I'm tired, Keefe." Sophie continued to the door.

Just the fact that she called him by his name made Keefe feel bad. It was like he was a child that needed explaining. "I'm sorry for shouting at you. Please stay..."
"Keefe, please." She looked so desperate.
Keefe hmphed. "Fine."

Sophie smiled and kissed his forehead again. Keefe grabbed her head and dragged her lips to his.
To his dismay, Sophie jerked away quickly. "Somethings wrong."

A trapped expression fell onto Sophie's face. She backed away, now her expression struggling between pain and trapped. "Don't kiss me if you don't mean it..." she eventually whispered. "Don't kiss me if you only want it to make you forget nightmares..."
"Don't kiss me just for the kiss."
"Kiss me because you like me!"

"I did-"
"Please don't lie Keefe." Sophie choked on his name. "Just sleep, please, sleep..."

"O-only if you d-do..." Keefe stumbled. His face fell. "Oh, Soph... please listen, I do like you. A lot. Do you have to go?"
Sophie faked a yawn. "Oh looks like I'm tired- yep goodnight- bye!"

Then she was gone.

Keefe yelled in frustration- the stupid nurses rushed in thinking he was having a nightmare. "I'm fine! Stop!" He yelped when they held him down expecting him to start thrashing. "GET OFF ME!!!"
Wrong thing to say. That was one of the normal things he shouted when thrashing. Keefe screamed at the nurses; at the world; at his nightmares; and at himself, as the nurses tightened their hands on him. Keefe broke down sobbing.
"I love you Sophie, I do!" He cried.

Sophie was walking out the hospital and heard Keefe screaming. She stopped and listened to the loud sobs.
Then - "I love you Sophie... I do..."

Sophie hurried out.

Keefe took a deep breath and kindly told the nurses to back off. They all went away.

"I don't even thrash anymore..."

Sophie

A week later, Sophie decided to visit Keefe again. But at night, because she wanted to see him with a peaceful expression. Sophie was just about to enter Keefe's room when she heard him scream. It wasn't a 'I'm in pain' scream. It was a scream of pure terror. Someone hurried out of the room, pushing Sophie aside. She stared at the figure running down the hall and realised... it was Fitz.

For a second Sophie couldn't decide between chasing down Fitz and consoling Keefe. But she hastily turned and ran after Fitz. As Sophie passed some nurses, she cried out to them: "Quickly! Call the police! A wanted criminal is here!"
Soon some nurses cornered Fitz.

"Sophie," Fitz begged as she began moving away. Sophie blocked out Fitz.
The police came and took a kicking and screaming Fitz away.

Finally, Sophie could go see if Keefe was okay.

Except Keefe wasn't there.

Sophie panicked a bit but then decided he was probably still in the hospital. She searched the kitchens - you know how Keefe likes midnight snacks - but he wasn't in there. Giving up, Sophie went back into his room.
And you know how there is always a twist and the guy they were looking for is just sitting in the first place they looked or they find him when they give up?
Well, no it's not like that. I don't think real life is that easy.

Running out of ideas (and out of the hospital) Sophie decided to call Cassius. She didn't want to, but he might know where Keefe was.

"Hello?" Cassius's voice rang out her phone. "Who is this?"
"It's Sophie."
"Ah. And what do you want miss foster?"
A small voice was heard "Is that Sophie?"
"KEEFE!!" Sophie shouted. "WHERE ARE YOU??"
"Please don't shout in my ear, miss foster."
"Sorry... Mr Sencen." Sophie thought she might add that to be polite. "May I please talk to Keefe?"
Silence.
"You can come over and talk to Keefe. Right now I'm busy and I need my phone. Goodnight!" Cassius hung up.

Sophie rolled her eyes and strolled over to Keefe's house.
Keefe was waiting for her outside the front.
"When did you think you could leave the hospital?" Sophie's first words to him were.
Keefe's face scrunched up moodily. "Hi to you too."
Sophie studied Keefe's posture. It was WAY too straight to be Keefe. "Your neck hurts," Sophie guessed. "And keeping a straight back makes it hurt less."
Keefe's expression told her she was right.
"Eurhm... no...?"

Keefe gave in and let Sophie walk him back to the hospital.
Sophie kissed him to sleep, her emotion towards Keefe showing.

"G'night..." Keefe murmured before falling asleep.
"Goodnight."

:)