Knockout

Chapter 14

~Marshall's P.O.V~

My eyes shoot open to the sound of Rachel screaming beside me in the bed. It's not a normal scream, this is a blood curdling type of scream. I sit up and take her in my arms, shaking her, trying to get her to wake up. She screams again and shoves me back, tears running down her face. I grab hold of her again by the shoulders and shake her again.

"Rachel wake up!" I yell at her. "Baby it's me!"

"No don't touch me!" She screams, scratching at my hands, forcing me to release her.

"Rachel it's Marshall!" I yell desperately, I don't know how to help her.

She starts crying again, heaving in breaths of air. My chest contracts with pain, I don't know what to do. She's never been like this before. Once I think she's not going to attack me, I force her to sit up and finally get her eyes open.

"Wake up." I tell her, holding her face.

She blinks herself awake and looks down at herself. She feels on her body, as if to make sure it's really hers. Her hands fall to her lap and she slowly lifts her head to look at me. She sees me and let's out a sigh of relief, immediately starting to cry after.

"I don't..." I slowly reach out to touch her hand and she grips mine. "What happened?"

"Marshall..."

She starts to cry harder and I feel my heart breaking in my chest. I pull her against my body, assuring her that she's safe. She continues to cry and I feel myself getting upset too. What the hell was she dreaming about?

"I've got you baby." I tell her, rubbing her back.

"It seemed so real, I don't..." She starts but then begins to cry again.

"Don't cry Rachel, please, you're safe with me." I beg her to stop. "I'll never let anything hurt you."

"I felt like I was back there." She says through her crying. "I felt burning from the glass and I couldn't breathe-"

It clicks for me now what she's talking about. She was dreaming about the accident. I pull away from the hug and hold her face, examining her. It's now I see that my hand is bleeding, most likely from when she scratched me. I don't care, I don't care about any of that. I want her to be okay. She looks different, exhausted and red from the heat of her tears.

"That's over baby, you're safe now." I tell her, swishing some of her tears away.

"In the dream, you didn't come for me." She says, a new wave of tears wedging their way out. "I was out there with him, and you never came." My hands slowly fall from her cheeks and she can't look at me. "I was screaming for you, and you weren't there."

This is what pushes me over the edge, my heart breaks, my eyes water. I'm stuck in stunned silence. My eyebrows knit and I can't believe this, even if it is only a dream.

"Listen to me." I demand, taking her face again and leaning my forehead on hers. "I did come for you, and I will always come for you." She nods lightly.

"I know." She says, and wraps her arms around my neck, starting to cry yet again.

"It was just a dream." I say, kissing her temple. "It's over."

"You're bleeding." She says softy, taking my hand and looking at it.

"It's just a scratch." I assure her, pulling my hand away. "It's nothing."

"Did I scratch you?"

"It was an accident." I say.

"Come on." She sighs.