Chicago one Imagines

Nightmare »» Matt Casey

This is in Matt pov
There's also mentions of slight anxiety

My eyes were starting to slowly open, from the sound of someone crying. Or at least it sounds like crying. When my eyes opened, the room around me is completely dark. Once switching on the bedside lamp, I look next to me to find y/n breathing heavy in her sleep. It sounds like another nightmare. She's been getting those a lot lately. It was getting better for a while but they're back again.

For the past year she has had off and on nightmares. For months she will be okay then for weeks straight have nightmares every time she goes to sleep. It hurts me not being able to help her. She got to a point where she was so afraid to sleep that she'd drink loads of coffee every night to stay awake. On the really bad nights I'll stay awake with her so she doesn't have to go through it alone.

It honestly breaks my heart to see her suffering so much. It makes me feel so useless that there isn't anything I can do. Medicine doesn't seem to help her anymore. Her doctor diagnosed her with insomnia but the medication that she takes to help her sleep defeats the whole purpose of her trying to stay awake. She wants to avoid the nightmares.

Her body is moving uncomfortably as her breathing increases. Some nights the bad dreams give her panic attacks. All I'm able to do is hold her in my arms, reassuring her that everything is okay. Carefully, I place my hand on her shoulder, shaking her awake. I call her name repeatedly until finally, her eyes open and she quickly sits up in bed.

It's obvious that she's having a panic attack again so I rub small circles on her back. She leans closer to me, trying to regain her normal breathing. "I'm here," I whisper. "You're going to be okay. Deep breaths."

She listens to my words for a while until she starts calming down. When her breathing returned back to normal she looks over at me, her eyes watery. "Why does this keep happening?" She lets out, her voice weak. I pull her close to me, her head resting on my chest.

"I don't know, baby. I'm so sorry but we're going to figure this out." I assure her.

"It makes me feel so helpless." She admits to me. I leave a kiss on her head and run my fingers through her hair.

"Don't say that," I whisper. "You're not helpless. I know it's hard right now but things will get better."

She pulls away from me and gives me the best smile she could muster up, which I returned. Once she leaves a kiss on my cheek we lay back down while I hold her close to me. It took hours of us talking and me reassuring her that she is going to be okay, before she is able to go back to sleep. I like to stay awake until she falls asleep every night just so she's comforted in the fact that I'm here.

Even half an hour after she went to sleep, I stayed awake just to be safe that she's okay. When realizing that she isn't going to have another bad dream, I switch the light back off then go back to sleep. She may be dealing with a lot right now but I'm so lucky to have such an incredible girl in my life.