Disconnected

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Michael

Daniella screams beside me.

I sit up to find her towards the end of the bed sitting with her legs over the side, grabbing the sheets in her clenched fists. I reach out for her, pulling her back in to me to calm her down.

"It's just a nightmare, Daniella." I whisper.

Though I do wonder what she is dreaming about, I am not going to wake her to find out. She is still in a state of sleep. She needs all the sleep she can get in order to be able to function.

And with what she said about me last night, it is probably better to not have my freaky pierced face in front of hers when she wakes. It may just startle her even more. That is the last thing I want to do, especially since she is already frightened about her dream.

Her bedroom door swings open, the boys all stumbling in half asleep to see what the matter is.

"It was just a dream, Daniella. I'm right here." I rock with her in my arms, being extra careful not to hurt her in any way. She is still in pain, even from the littlest of cuts. The pain is much worse emotionally than physically, but I am sure she still feels sore and hurt.

Daniella panics, not being able to remove herself from this sense of danger within the nightmare. She is still asleep enough to not be able to depict what is just a dream and what is reality. 

She screams, the images in her head becoming too much. Her eyes pop open. She is awake.

She breathes heavy, trying to catch the air that has escaped her. "He was- he-" she struggles to speak.

I pull her closer, wanting her to feel me around her, to know that she is safe. "It was just a dream." I whisper again, hoping she can hear me. "You are safe."

She nods, clinging to my arm as she struggles to relax herself. I lay myself down, pulling her along with me as she internally fights whatever she is thinking about.

Luke leaves the room, deciding I have this under control enough to be able to go back to sleep. Calum follows him.

Ashton lingers behind, making sure Daniella is safe. "I can lay with her if you want to get some sleep." He offers, stepping closer. "Or I can just sit in the chair. I won't hover."

"It's fine. I think she is calming down." I reply, Daniella's body crumbling in to mine as she relaxes her muscles.

He nods and leaves the room to go back to his.

I cradle her in my arms, trying to rock her back into her comfortable state of sleep. I hum a soft song in her ear, hoping the soothing pattern of my hushed voice will relax her enough for her brain to allow her to slip back in to sleep.