Real.Doc - Part 2 - Joe (English Version)

Joe's Nightmares

We had dinner in silence. Even though everyone agreed to a glass of brandy afterward, the quiet lingered, heavy and unbroken. Joe and I didn't sleep tangled together that night, but he was back in our bed. It felt strange, the two of us lying side by side after everything that had happened. But there was an unspoken understanding between us, a quiet acknowledgment that I needed to keep watch. He couldn't be left alone—not now. Not just yet.

To be honest, I'm not sure if he slept at all. He sat there for hours, silent and unmoving, lost in his own thoughts. I must've drifted off at some point, because when I woke up, he was gone. I headed downstairs for coffee, hoping for some sign of him.

"He's out jogging," Rony said when I asked. "Did he get any sleep last night?"

"I didn't see it. He was still awake when I finally passed out."

~

A few nights later, I woke to the sound of Joe thrashing beside me. In the dim light, I could see him frantically rubbing his arms and chest, as if something was crawling all over him. His movements were desperate, his breathing ragged. He got up, still clawing at himself, trying to rid his body of whatever horror was haunting him. Then, he slumped into the corner of the room, eyes wide and filled with terror.

"Joe, what's happening?" I rushed to him, my heart pounding.

"I see her... it's horrible... her blood is all over me..." His voice was broken, tormented. "I can't get it off..." His hands flailed wildly, knocking over the nightstand as he grabbed at random objects, desperate to scrub away the imagined blood of Amy.

"No, Joe, stop!" I tried to wrest the objects from his hands, but he was too strong, still lost in the madness consuming him.

"I need to wipe her blood away... I need to clean it..." His voice trembled, raw with desperation.

Panicking, I ran to Jase's room and flung the door open, relieved to find him and Françoise deep in conversation. They were just talking—thankfully.

"Help!" was all I could manage before rushing back to Joe.

I knelt in front of him, my voice low and urgent. "Françoise is here," I whispered, hoping he would grasp onto the reality of it, praying he wouldn't say anything foolish. 

"Get it off me... get it off me!" he repeated, still in agony, but apparently, he understood what I meant. Françoise stepped forward and knelt in front of him.

"What's wrong?" 

"He thinks there's something on him." 

"Get it out... get it out..." Joe pleaded. 

Françoise looked at Jase and asked, "My necessàrie, the golden one by the sink."

Jase ran and quickly brought Françoise's bag. Françoise pulled out two pills and showed them to Joe. 

"Take these."

Joe looked at them but stayed in his breakdown. Jase appeared with a glass of water and also asked, "Here, man."

Joe couldn't... he either tried to wipe his arms or hugged his legs, rocking back and forth.

"Here, babe," I said in my 'wife tone,' trying to grab his attention. I took the pills from Françoise's hand and gently placed one in Joe's mouth. Then, taking the water from Jase, I helped Joe drink. Once he swallowed, I repeated the process with the second pill. "There."

"It will make you feel better," Françoise said. 

Joe still looked terrified, but soon his movements started to slow down... his hands became more relaxed, and he seemed to feel better. When it looked like he was going to be okay, he passed out.