A Deadly Fate

Sleep Is For The Weak

Chapter 21

(Warning: suicidal thoughts)

Water...

It's all around and it's needed to survive. But water can be deadly. People die from floods, hurricanes, pollution, drowning, and more. For Kai, he could only think of the bad things associated with water. He almost died from it and now he had PTSD.

Water...

It was suffocating Kai's thoughts. Wait.. It was literally suffocating him! He couldn't breathe!

'One breath of fresh air! Please!' Kai panicked and threw his limbs around trying to save himself from drowning. 'Not again! Please! No!'

Kai's motions started to grow slower and he felt weaker. Death stared him in the face and laughed. He was done and he let himself just drown.

'I'm weak... pathetic... how can I just give up now? I guess I don't deserve to live then...' Kai thought to himself as the air escaped his lungs and water replaced it.

Just as Kai thought it was over, he gasped for air. To his relief it was actually air that entered his lungs. Kai coughed as he violently caught his breath. His vision was blurred with water... no tears.

Kai couldn't stop himself from thinking his own tears could drown him and he roughly wiped his tears away. He hugged his chest painfully as he coughed and took in air. Once his sight was restored, he relaxed more seeing that he was in the hospital bed and his friends weren't there to worry about him.

Kai took a shaky deep breath in and coughed it out. When Kai reached for a tissue on his side table he froze when his eyes met Cole's. Kai felt a weird wave of anxiety take over him and his cheeks went red in embarrassment.

"I... I forgot w-we were sharing a room." Kai mentally kicked himself for stuttering like an idiot.

Cole was standing in between the two hospital beds and gripping onto Kai's railing to hold himself up. With one hand holding the railing, he raised the other to sign something to Kai.

'Are you ok?' Cole signed and Kai went to sit up. Cole reached with his signing hand and placed it on Kai's shoulder. Cole moved his hand when he was sure Kai wasn't going to get up. 'Stay'

"Cole I'm fine."

'No you are not.' Cole signed with an upset look on his face. He was worried. 'You weren't breathing.'

Kai looked up to Cole. "It was just a bad dream."

Cole's eyes watered, 'Dream or not. You almost died, again!' He signed aggressive and rubbed his eyes with one hand.

"Cole, I- I promise it's not serious. I'm not going to die." Kai persuaded. "I just can't stop thinking about-" Kai bit his lip and tears threatened to fall.

Cole could barely hold himself up anymore and move to sit on Kai's bed. 'If you can't talk about it, sign it.'

Kai raised his bandaged hand and it was clearly shaking. 'Water.'

Cole looked confused and pointed to the cup of water with a straw at Kai's bedside.

Kai felt anxious and shook his head. "No... I'm afraid..." He switched to signing. 'Because of drowning'

The look on Cole's face said it all. He felt so stupid for not realizing what the problem was. 'Was your dream about- that?'

Kai nodded and avoided Cole's eyes. Cole opened his mouth to speak, "K-Kai.."

Kai's head snapped back to face Cole. He had tears threatening to fall. "Cole! You spoke!" And in response Cole grimaced and coughed a little. His chest felt tight and his throat was no better. It was almost like his vocal cords were forcefully ripped out.