Stranger Things Have Happened, I Know

Ch 51 & 52

Chapter 51

                “Katie,” Dave’s voice rang in my ears. “Katie, wake up baby, you’re having a bad dream.” My eyes fluttered open and I struggled to crawl out of the deep sleep I’d been in. I was soaked in sweat and my throat felt tight. I was panting. I sat up right, my heart still racing. Dave sat up, too, and pulled me into his arms. “It’s ok, it was just a dream. Everything’s ok…” he whispered, his voice soothing and doing wonders to calm me down.

                “Shit…” I breathed, squeezing my eyes shut. “I was having the worst dream.”

                “I could tell,” Dave said quietly. “You were twitching and whimpering.” I shook my head trying to clear it. “Was it about James again?” I nodded.

                “Dave, it was awful,” I said. “I dreamt that he was in this room with a crocodile and I had to wrestle it to try to save him…I know it sounds crazy, but in the dream, it seemed so real.” I pushed the blankets back and jumped up. “I just want to go see him,” I told Dave. He smiled and nodded then climbed out of bed himself. He took my hand and I followed him down the hallway to the nursery. We quietly pushed the door opened and crept over to the crib. I peeked in over the edge and saw him, lying there, so tiny he was almost lost in the expanse of the crib. He was breathing evenly, safe and sound asleep. He’d been home a little over a month and everything had been going very smoothly, except for the occasional nightmare I would have about something terrible happening to James. Dave kissed my cheek.

                “Feel better?” he whispered. I nodded and smiled. He wrapped his arm around me and led me back to the bed room. I changed out of my sweaty night gown into one of Dave’s soft and worn cotton t-shirts before crawling back in bed next to him. “I have bad dreams, too,” he whispered, propping himself up on his elbow.

                “About James?” I asked, looking at him in the dark.

                “Yeah… and about you,” he said, reaching for my hand and giving it a squeeze. “I have nightmares about the night you had J.D., when Chris found you in the bathroom. I dream that they can’t stop the bleeding or sometimes I dream that the doctors want me to pick which one of your lives they have to save.” He stopped and took a deep breath. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I just love you too much,” he murmured. “I can’t live without you.”

                “You don’t have to,” I said, pulling away and kissing him. He rolled onto his back and I nestled down on his chest. He trailed his fingers up and down my arm. “I am going to marry you and you are going to be stuck with me forever.”

                “You are the one that is going to be stuck with me,” he said, smiling. “I’m going to get old and you are going to still be this hot young babe.”

                “Going to get old?” I said, giggling. “You already are old!” Dave gasped and pinched my sides, making me squeal and jump.

                “Will you still love me when I am old-er and gray?” he asked me. I turned my head and placed little kisses all along his chest.

                “I will always love you,” I whispered. He wrapped his arms around me and we managed to fall back to sleep together, Dave holding me close, trying to keep the bad dreams at bay.

                The next morning, I got up with JD and let Dave sleep in for a little bit. I had finished giving him his bottle and was in the process of changing him when I heard Dave open the bedroom door.