Stars (Reddie fanfic)

Chapter 27: Sleep Walking

I wake up a few hours later to David thrashing around more than usual. He kicked all the blankets off and was muttering in his sleep.

I sat up and push off my blankets. "David you're okay." I say rubbing my eyes.

He was still asleep, I went over to him and grab his shoulder, shaking it. "David, wake up."

David started screaming, "don't hurt me! Please, don't hurt me!"

"David you're okay!" I say, then think, "where the hell are the nurses or doctors? There's a night guard, why hasn't anyone heard this?"

David was still screaming and thrashing away from some unseen thing.

"Help!" I scream at the door, turning my back on David for just a second which was a mistake.

David struggles so hard that he rips one of the straps off the bed. He sits up and start reaching for me. I jump back, but sense a hand was free he undid the other strap.

He wasn't screaming anymore, but he stood up and faces me. That look was scarier. He was still asleep, but his eyes were glazed over with malicious intent.

"David?!" He still wasn't waking up. "Please just calm down!" I was backing up from him.

"You can't tell me what to do anymore, dad!" He whispers

I back up from him until I trip and fall on the bed. David even in his sleep has enough sense to use this opportunity. He lunges at me and wraps his hands around my neck.

He squeezes and doesn't even notice my struggling. I look into his eyes and he's not there anymore, his eyes are soulless.

My lungs seize up, I can't breath. My struggling starts to die down. My eyes close.

Suddenly the room fills with orderlies and doctors, screaming orders at each other. The orderlies get David off of me.

"Get off me! Get off! Please don't, dad, I'm sorry!" My eyes were still closed, I'm coughing and gasping for air. I hear the sound of glass breaking, like something cracking, but not shattering.

I open my eyes and see him being carried out of the room by two huge men. A doctor is following giving orders to a nurse trailing behind.

"Eddie, are you okay?" Nurse Tate is with me, a hand on my back, leading me to sit up.

My only response is my choking. My eyes stream tears down my cheeks.

Even when my choking stops, my breathe still comes out in wheezes. "That's it, just calming your breathing." She coaxes me

Doctor Mason comes into the room. "How is he?" He kneels down beside the nurse.

He checks my neck as I continue breathing slowly. "You're going to have bruises around your neck, but other than that you'll be okay."

He gives me my inhaler off the table and guides it to my mouth. I take a satisfying gulp of air. My lungs are thankful, but it hurts to swallow.

He waits until my breathing is normal, "You're okay for tonight. I'll come back in the morning to check on you. Get some rest."

He leaves the room. Nurse Tate stays with me for another minute or two, she's rubbing my back comfortingly.

She leaves the room turning the lights back off, the door locks.

I lay in bed, but it hurts to be on my back, my chest still feels tight, my neck feels like it's swelling. I'm never gonna be able to fall back asleep. I sit up and prop the pillow behind me. I start to cry, but stop instantly. It hurts too much.

I focus of breathing slowly like nurse Tate instructed. Out of all the people working here, she seems to be the most caring.

I lean my head against the wall and start drifting off, I hear the wind whistling outside. Eventually I fall back to sleep.

When I wake up the next day, Doctor Mason and nurse Tate come in and check my neck. I couldn't swallow my pills so they have them to me as an injection. I hate needles, they scare me. But I'm in too much pain to complain about it.

I was excused from group that afternoon, it's not like I could participate. They have me a notepad to write on if I really needed anything, but otherwise was instructed not to speak for the next few days. I also lived on different juices and soft food sense I could hardly swallow anything.

I have no idea what happened to David after they escorted him out last night. I wanted to be mad at him, but mostly felt sad. He seemed really scared of the dad in his dream he was fighting off.

I look at my neck in the mirror in the bathroom. It's covered with dark blue black bruises shaped like fingers, but bigger than David's.

Dr. Hydaker came to me during free time to check on how I was doing, but didn't stay long. Right after he left Kennedy say down next to me on the couch.

"You okay, kid?" She sits super close to me.

My only response is a bored glare from the side sense I don't want to turn my head.

She giggles sadly, "sorry."

She has a comforting presence about her that I allow myself to take hold of. This feeling doesn't come often here.

I inch closer to her and we're now practically cuddling on the couch... but not in a romantic way or anything. Just in a healing way.

I'm the only one in the room tonight. I haven't seen David at all sense he attacked me. I couldn't tell if I enjoyed the empty room though, it was spookier. Having David in the room, even if he went crazy, was still better than being alone. I wish I could share a room with Kennedy, but that's obviously against the rules.

I was trying to fall asleep, but the whistling wind hadn't died down yet. It was blowing so hard that my window squeaked.

I couldn't ignore the sound anymore so I got up to look out the window. I pull the curtains slightly to the side. The crack in the left corner was bigger now. The wind lightly blew from the crack, that's what was causing it to whistle.

"David must've kicked it while struggling last night... I wonder if he's the one who did the initial crack?"

I close the curtain again. "I'll just have to ignore it."

I tiredly crawl back into bed. I sleep propped up again just in case. It's easier to breath this way.