When Video Games Come to Life

(9) When the Doctor Calls...

Laura's P.O.V.

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There I was. In the midst of battle. I was bleeding out of a deep gash above my eye, making me temporarily half blind. I couldn't see anybody anywhere—-I didn't know if they were okay... I couldn't check on them... A thick mist hung over the forest we were in... And suddenly, as I was hit so powerfully in the head, everything went red, then black. It was all gone, all of it... No noise, no scents or scenes... I supposed it was the true end, and lay my head on the ground as I lost all senses...

Then suddenly I was suffocating. I sat up and reached up to the gash above my eye to figure out there wasn't anything there. Actually, I couldn't even feel my own flesh... "...ra? Laura!!! Laura, calm down, everything's okay, I'll get you out!" OUT OF WHAT?! Okay, wait... Let's take a moment here... Okay, it's all clear now! I'm literally being suffocated by my blanket; wrapped around my head. I don't remember it now, but my throat feels raw from screaming. I hadn't recognized the voice I heard until now; it was Wesley's. Finally! Something fresh and recognizable in this this seemingly unfamiliar world. Ow! Okay, that kind of hurt. Not as bad as my dream, though. Okay, let's get back to the moment... I reached up to grab the blanket, but my hand meets flesh instead. "Ow!"

"I am so sorry!" If he could understand that... But anyway, yes, I just accidentally smacked Wesley square in the face. Then I could breathe again! And for the first time I notice the tears streaming down my face.

"Okay, Laura, what's wrong?" I was not prepared for that question...

"I - uh- nothing - nothing's - uh..."

"Laura, don't attempt to lie to me." Suddenly I was mad.

"Okay, Wes, what isn't wrong? You know just as much as the rest of us that's nothing's going right here lately - and it's all my fault! Just leave! I can take care of myself!" I was just pretending there wasn't a hurt expression on his face. "Okay, I'm sorry. It's double the intensity to act normal when you at least feel all of it lies on your shoulders."

"I can understand that." Thank you so much! It's so nice when people understand! Back to the present...

"You're not going to tell Claire?"

"Tell me what?" Okay, that was the first time I noticed she was in here... No backing out of this now...

"I just... Uh... Well, it really scared me, and I wanted as little people as possible to know about it, and well... I don't know... Well, anyway, here it goes... I was having this dream" —-"You were screaming loud enough." —-"Thanks for the notification, Claire... Anyway, we were shrouded in mist- well, we were in a forest shrouded in mist. There were these strangely slim, but lithe and strong creatures; I've yet to identify anything about them. They were all around us, everywhere. I was fighting. I know we all were, but thanks to the mist, I couldn't see you guys. I had so many injuries, it was impossible to count, but I had this really deep gash above my right eye, and I was half blind due to the blood that never seemed to stop pouring out... I remember tripping over something, now that I think about it... It was something soggy, I can almost think of it..." Then with a gasp I almost gagged. The rest of my dream came rushing to me at once... I was there, fighting, and I remember I taking a swing at one of the creatures when Cream came between me and it. I couldn't stop myself in time, and the blow landed on Cream instead. What I tripped over, had been her body. I had another nightmare about me and Cream's accident! Then when I realized Claire and Wesley were staring at me, I also found out I had said it out loud, and poured it all out to them.

"I'm so sorry, that sounds horrible..." Sympathy's the best medicine.

"You look like you're going to be sick; are you all right?" Usually I would be my smart aleck self about being all right, but who's got the time?