right under my nose

Bad Dreams

Jason's pov

I wake up in the hospital bed. Bandages wrapped around my stomach and an IV in my wrist. "Hello? Where is everybody?" I mumble, my voice hoarse and weak. I struggle to sit up causing a searing pain in my stomach and lightheadedness in my head, which causes me to faint.

*later*

Miranda's pov

I shakily sit by his bed and hold his hand. He slowly opens his eyes and blinks a few times. "Oh Jason, I'm so sorry! I should've just given him my ring!" "I.... I'm okay. I told you I'd be fine." I force a smile. Thank goodness. I hug him tight. We get home and the twins are asleep. Keely and Kendyl are on the couch asleep too. "You have to go rest. I've got the girls." After he goes to lay down, I put the girls to bed. I'm not gonna tell him about the horrible nightmares I've been having.

Jason's pov

I was drifting off to sleep again when the door opened. I smile, seeing Miranda. She looks worried. "I'm okay baby." She sits beside me. "Don't be sorry neither, it wasn't your fault." "How's your stomach?" It's killing me. "I'm fine, darlin'." I say, kissing her cheek. I hope she isn't too freaked out.

*later*

I wake back up when my alarm goes off. I gotta take pain meds every five hours. I'm about to get up when I see Miranda's still awake. "Babe, have you been awake this whole time?" She was reading a book. "I'm okay. I'm not tired." By the look on her face and the bags under her eyes, tells me otherwise. I go take the pain meds and lay back down.

*the next day*

Miranda's pov

I don't like to sleep much. I always have horrible nightmares and I'm sick of it!! I rub my eyes and yawn. I take a five hour energy shot. Nathan and Anna are still asleep and the girls are at school. I make breakfast for Jason and when I walk back up there, he's awake. "Babe, we need to talk." "About what?" "Did you sleep at all last night?" I shake my head. "What about while I was in the hospital?" "Not much." I mumble, worried. "When's the last time you got 8 full hours of sleep?" I shrug. He stares at me worried. "I know you're exhausted. You sleep today. I've got the kids." "I'm fine Jason. I took a five hour energy." He bites his lip still worried. "I promise I'm fine." I say. "Ok." He says, reluctantly looking up at me. I'm about to walk back out but he grabs my hand. "Promise me you'll tell me if something is wrong." He says. I bite my lip. "Of course, Jay." I kiss him then walk back downstairs. Nathan woke up and I fix him up with some baby cereal. I walk into the kitchen. My breath catches in my throat when I see a guy dressed in black. I scream and jump back. But then I see it's just a black jacket draped on a chair. My hand is to my racing chest. "What happened?! Why'd you scream?!" Jason cries appearing in the doorway seconds later. "N-Nothing." I mumble, glaring at the jacket.

Jason's pov

Ok that's bull. What is going on? I grab her hands. "Babe, please tell me what's going on!" I gasp, desperately. She bursts into tears. "I thought I saw a guy but it was just a jacket! I've been having nightmares. I can't sleep!" No wonder. I wrap my arms around her. "You're okay baby. I'm okay. Nothing is gonna happen to us." She sobs in my chest. These nightmares must have been really bad. "Go get some sleep. You're exhausted." "I can't! I'll just have nightmares. I can't handle it!" What do I do?!

*2 days later*

She still won't sleep and the weird seeing things are getting worse. We were sitting on the couch with the babies playing in the playpen. She screamed and thought she saw Nathan with my pistol when it was just a wooden block! I get someone to babysit the kids and we go to the doctor's. "Well doc, she hasn't slept in almost two weeks due to nightmares and since she won't sleep, she has hallucinations! I don't know what we can do!" "Any recent trauma that could have caused the nightmares?" He asks. I glance at her. "Do you think it was?" She whispers. I shrug. "Well we got mugged at the ATM a few weeks back and I got shot. I don't know if that could be it." He nods. "It has to be." He waves for me to go out with him to talk. "We should do a sleep study on her." "But how will we get her to sleep?" "A sedative. Come back tomorrow for it."

*later*

Miranda's pov

Jason walks back in the room. "Whatever this is we'll figure it out." He says, hugging me. I hate that this is happening."

*the next day*

I wake up back in bed. Wait?! When did I go to sleep?! The doctor stands by the door. I stare at him confused. "What's going on?" I ask, slightly freaked out. He doesn't answer. I must still be sleeping and this is the nightmare. "This must be another nightmare." I mumble to myself. He shakes his head. "Oh I bet!" I gripe, "Since this is a nightmare, all I gotta do is shoot myself to wake up!" I grab Jason's pistol out of the bedside table. "No! Miranda you're not dreaming!" The doctor cries. "Get away from me!" I scream, tears in my eyes as I put the gun to my head. "Where's Jason?!" He turns to the doorway and calls for him. He appears in the doorway. "Whoa!? What's going on here?!" He yelps, running to me. "I'm dreaming. I wanna wake up! I have to wake up!" I cry, my shoulders shaking. He slips the gun from my hand. "Baby girl you're not dreaming!" I stare at him fearfully, not sure if he's real or not. I don't know what is real and fake. He hugs me tightly. The gun falling to the ground. "It's me, I promise, it's me." He whispers. My tears soak his shirt. "Oh Jason!" I whimper, holding him tight afraid that if I let go, I'll lose it all.