No Happy Ending

Chapter 15: Dream or Reality?

Not being rostered on for night-shift, I handed in my paperwork at the reception and left for the day. My home was only a short walk away, it took me about 10 minutes to walk there.

Having changed out of my nurse's uniform and let my hair down, I sat out the front of the little cottage-like house that I called home. As I sat there, letting a soft breeze ruffle my hair, I let out a heavy sigh and closed my eyes. The events of the past week flitted and danced through my thoughts and while most seemed to leave as soon as they came, a select few stayed a little longer; I smiled as I recalled being scared out of my wits when Evelyn came and brought me back to reality because I had been sucked into Roy's story.
While the memories of Roy's story, or rather the bits I heard, brought on a slight smile, I also frowned a little. If he was so talented with words then why did he not speak to me like he did when we first met? While he seemed a little reserved and even a little shy, I had never met anyone who was shy to meet me, other than children that is.
Knowing that thinking about this any further would only add to the confusion, I stood up and brushed off my dress and made my way inside.

I slept surprisingly well that night. Although, my dreams were far from normal, not that they usually are. What unsettled me most was how much I recognised the setting; I had only ever been there in my imagination for it was the setting of Roy's story.

I was standing in the middle of what appeared to be an endless expanse of white sand. Among the first things I noticed was how hot it was and the glaring white sand was not improving things. Looking down, I saw that I was in complete black. I was wearing knee-high leather combat boots along with tight-fitted leggings. Over that I wore a leather skirt that reached down to my ankles and was slit almost all the way up for ease of movement. My top happened to be a loose fitting blouse that was overlain with a leather corset, the sleeves of the blouse reached all the way down my arms and billowed slightly at the warm breeze. My hair was fashioned into a tight braid and was slung over my shoulder.

Believing to be more out there than just an endless sea of sand, I begin to walk for what seems like hours. I just make it over a small hill when I see something unusual on the other side. There's a black platform of some kind, it contrasts starkly with the white sand. Curious as to what that really is, I make my way towards it. I freeze, however when I notice five figures; one is secured to a pole while the other four sit in the platform with their hands bound behind them. As I near them, I notice that they are not alone, two of Governor Odious's loathsome guards are there with them, taunting one of the prisoners with fresh water. It is then that I begin to recognise the prisoners and my heart leaps into my mouth when I see Roy, he is the furthest away from me. His head is flung back and his eyes are closed, I am reassured when I see his chest rise and fall. He looks so defeated and exhausted and I send up a silent prayer for him and his friends, that they may survive long enough for me to get them away.

Luckily for me, the guards were distracted and so they did not notice me as I crept towards them. Reaching down, I take a dagger that I somehow knew was strapped to my leg. I never thought of myself as stealthy, perhaps because I've never had to be. I was surprised, however, when my footsteps made not a sound. Approaching the first guard, I creep up and quicker than I thought myself capable of, I found his vulnerable spot beneath his helmet and slit his throat. I knew that I should have been deeply disturbed by the ease with which I had performed the action but for some unknown reason, I was not.
My action had not gone unnoticed, not by the remaining guard, nor by the prisoners. The guard advanced as I brandished my dagger. Adrenaline was running rampant in my system and overshadowed the panic and fear that had begun to make themselves known. Knowing that I did not stand much of a chance with such a small blade, I decided on a different tactic. Being a good deal smaller than the guard, I used this to my advantage. The guard's attacks are swift and deadly; his blade is a lot bigger than mine. Narrowly dodging his strikes, I hit back with my own, not just with my blade but also with my fists and a few well-aimed kicks. The fight seems to last an eternity before I finally manage to finish him by use of his own blade which I had managed to swipe off him.

Not hesitating for even a split second, I free each of the bandits and when I come to Roy, he is barely conscious. Quickly cutting him free, I gently ease him down so that his head is resting on my shoulder. "Roy?" My voice is hoarse with fear and I gently lay a hand on his sun-burnt cheek, "Roy wake up, it's me." But no matter what I said or did, I could not wake him, "Roy please," I was surprised by the raw desperation in my voice as well as by the tears that were threatening to fall. "Please wake up. Please, I beg you," I never beg so this surprised me immensely. In an effort to stop the impending tears from falling, I closed my eyes and bowed my head, "your friends need you, my sister needs you....I need you." The last three words were whispered so quietly that even I wasn't sure I had heard them.

I wake to find that my cheeks were wet with tears. Quickly drying my eyes, I get up and look out my bedroom window. What on earth could that dream mean? Why would I even dream something like that? And why now?
Sighing heavily, I turn from the window and get ready for another day. I only hope that the oncoming day will be uneventful, for once, I would like a boring day.

I arrive at the hospital an hour before my shift starts like I always do. And as always, I poke my head into Roy's room and sigh happily when I see him still fast asleep. Content, I leave the ward and head for the main reception to collect my schedule. Upon making my way back, I spy Alexandria leaving her ward and smile a little to myself.

Seeing me, she waves and makes her way towards me, "good morning Nurse Irene."

I smile back, "good morning Alexandria. Where might you be going?" I recalled our previous conversation and tried to think of where else she could be going.

"To Roy." She said this as though it were the most obvious thing.

"But he asked you not to. Did he not?" I narrowed my eyes as I waited for her response.

"He did not mean it."

This surprised me, "oh? Is that so? The why did he say it?" Crossing my arms over my chest, I turned to face her.

"He was taking these little white things and eating them"

I felt all the blood drain from my face at her words, "h-he what?!"

Alexandria must have heard the urgency and alarm in my tone, "he said that they would help him to sleep." Her words sent panic and shots of adrenaline running through me.

"Alexandria," I took hold of both of her shoulders so that she looked at me, "those pills were not meant to help him sleep."

Cocking her head to the side, she looked at me with a confused expression, "then why would he want them?" Her question was so innocent and the way she looked at me tore at my heart.

Knowing that the truth would be too harsh for her, I merely shook my head and smiled sadly.

Alexandria accompanied me all the way to the ward. But we both froze when we saw the orderlies wheel a covered body out of the building. It was as though I had forgotten how to breathe and I squeezed my eyes shut as though to erase the image from my mind. After a few moments, I open my eyes and take a deep breath before walking as calmly as I could into the ward. In my shocked state, I had failed to notice that Alexandria was no longer with me. Clutching my paperwork close to my chest, I all but run down the hall towards the room that had once been Roy's. I stop short when I hear Alexandria's voice call his name from inside the room. Taking a few deep breaths, I brave a look into the room.

I blink a few times to make sure that I'm not imaging things. There, a few feet away from me is Alexandria but it is not her that has caught my attention. Her back is to me and she seems to be talking to a very much alive Roy.

Relief floods through me and I am shocked at the force of it. "Roy?" My voice is barely above a whisper, but somehow he hears it and looks up. I could almost cry at the sight of those dark eyes and the look of surprise in them.

"Irene?".