Rehabilitate and Adapt

Nightmares

Gria stayed by Doc's side for hours on end. 

Xisuma walked into the room to relieve Cub so he could get some sleep. They had been making sure at least one person who had slept recently was with Doc at all times, and Gria no longer qualified for that.

"You really should sleep, Gria," he said gently. The young girl jumped and looked over at him. She was pale and had large bags under her eyes. He long brown hair was disheveled and she looked like she could drop dead at any minute.

"I-i-i kn-know-w," she told him. "I j-ju-jus-s-st w-w-want-t-t t-t-to m-m-mak-ke s-s-s-s-sure h-h-hes-s-s o-o-k."

"Get some rest. We'll tell you if anything happens."

"I-i-i w-w-will-l i-in a m-m-in-nute-te."

"Cub?" Xisuma asked. "Can you bring her to her base?"

"Sure," the scientist told him as he rose from his chair by Doc's bed. He quickly walked over and grabbed Gria before she could run away from him and pulled her out of the room.

"H-h-h-e-hey-e-y!" Gria shouted. "L-l-l-et-t-t me go!" Cub simply ignore and proceeded to drag the small girl away fro Doc.

"Come on, Doc'll be fine, I promise" he told her, trying to be as reassuring as possible, despite not actually know if Doc would alright after this.

Gria continued to struggle until they were outside of Doc's base, when she finally let Cub take her back to her giant cake base.

"Get some sleep," Cub murmured in her ear, holding her close to him.

"F-f-fine," Gria muttered, as she leaned against him. Cub pulled her into a hug and lead her to her bed, laying her down and pulling the cover over her small form.

The vex walked over to the hole in the ceiling before turning and calling over his shoulder, "'Night, Gria."

When he got no response he glance back at her, but soon relaxed as he realized she had already fallen asleep. 

"Sweet dreams."

~

Gria ran through a dark, wooded forest. The trees seemed to close in around her, their branches reaching out to grab her as she sprinted past. A dense fog surrounded her and made seeing the narrow path ahead of her virtually impossible.

Suddenly,  she burst into a small clearing. It didn't seem very big, but the fog made it impossible to see the other side.

"Hello?" the cat hybrid called. "Is anyone out there?" Silence.

"Where am I?" she cried out. "Please, someone, help!"

A snap in the woods behind her made the young girl whip around.

"Is anyone out there?" she asked. 

"You could have done something, Gria," a voice called from the mist. Gria could have recognized that voice anywhere.

"Doc!" She ran to the voice and saw her boyfriend standing by the edge of the trees. The neko threw her arms around his neck, but he quickly pulled her off of him and threw her on the ground.

"Doc?" Gria asked. "What's wrong?" she asked as she rose to her feet.

"You could have done something. You're worthless!" The creeper hybrid threw her back again and fell on the ground, but it soon disappeared and left her falling though space.

"Doc! Please!" She cried out. "I don't understand! What did I do wrong?"

Then the world faded to black as she fell into the void's embrace.