Caffeine Withdrawal | T. Drake ✔

[43] Waking Up From A Nightmare

Isadora had drifted off to sleep but even then she could not find peace. The terrible images of her dead loved ones swirled behind her closed eyelids and not long after, she sat up terrified badly. She could not stop the screams that escaped her and Alex was beside her immediately, holding her by the wrists and bringing her close in a comforting embrace.

He held her tightly though she struggled against him, tears streaming down her cheeks. His hands gently stroked her head as he kept asking her to calm down by focusing on the sound of his heartbeat. 

At last she stopped struggling and grew silent, training her focus on the sound of his steady heartbeat just like he had asked her to. There was no other noise in the room so the sound of his heartbeat was quite clear to her.

Back when she had had nightmares, Alex used to calm her down using the same method. He used to make her focus on his heartbeat and count it until her own frayed nerves synchronized along with it, making her calm down.

Out of habit she had begun to count, her voice was low but the shivering had started to subside and gradually she softened in his embrace, her hands that were clenched into fists relaxed as she held onto him.

A few minutes passed with neither of them saying a word until Isadora spoke up, "you're alive?"

"Alive and breathing. Right in front of you."

She looked up into his eyes as if seeking confirmation and was met by the same concerned gaze that she had known too well by then. A sigh of relief passed her and she rested her head back on his shoulder as if afraid he would vanish if she let go of him.

"And... Tim, Steph, Jason... All of them... Are they here too?"

"Of course. Nothing happened to any of us," he soothed her gently, "it was just a nightmare, Dora. And it's over now."

She was still dubious but she closed her eyes, letting his words sink in, "it was terrifying. And so so real."

"But the truth is that it wasn't real. All of us are fine and you are safe and with us. Whatever you saw won't ever come true, trust me."

She had calmed down considerably and when she retreated, her eyes weren't terrified though traces of tears were still visible on her face.

It seemed as if she was gradually waking up from the terrible nightmare she had been held in. And slowly but eventually, her features relaxed as she held his hand and repeated his words in her head again and again.

"Where are we?" She asked when she noticed that the room was much different and larger than those at their place.

"We're at Wayne Manor," he replied, "Jason says it will be best if we stay here for a few days. Safety reasons."

She nodded but noticed the exhaustion on his features and his tired eyes, "Alex, you're tired."

"I'm fine."

"No. You must rest," as she had begun to come to normal, her usual concern for Al's health had struck in with full force, "ask Steph, she'll show you a room and please go to sleep."

"I'm not leaving you, Dora."

Stephanie knocked on the door gaining their attention, she was holding a glass of warm milk and honey for Dora and as Alex nodded, she stepped inside. "Dora's right, Alex. You need to rest or else you would fall ill," she remarked, handing Dora the glass and gently making her drink it.

After she had finished it, Steph placed the glass aside and gave her a tight warm hug which she gratefully returned, "thank God, you're all safe. I don't know what would have happened if..."

She hushed him, "hey, don't think about it. You are back with us and we are not going to let anyone hurt you again, that's all that matters." Then turning to Alex, she remarked, "and you are coming right away with me. If you won't rest right now, I will not let you go to the shop, you hear me? Come, I'll show you your room."

"But Dora..."

"Don't worry, she won't be alone," Steph reassured him, "Tim will take care of her."

Upon hearing Tim's name, Dora looked up and saw him standing in the doorway, leaning against the wooden frame. His concerned blue eyes connected with hers and he offered her a slight smile.

Alex could not possibly argue against that so he followed Steph out after making Dora promise that she would call him if she got scared again. After the two had left, Tim stepped in but he was still being very cautious for he did not want her to relapse in that dreadful state again.

So he stopped a few steps away from her as if asking her whether he could come closer or not for her fearful features when she had retreated from him earlier still swam in front of his eyes.

But Dora approached him instead, her feet still unsteady as she stood up and he quickly reached out to steady her, placing his arm round her back.

She crossed her wrists at the back of his neck, head resting on his chest as she took in the familiar sense of his presence, letting her mind accept it that he had not died and was alive and breathing, right in front of her.

With another arm sliding under her knees, he lifted her up and brought her back to the bed, sitting down along with her. Her eyes had drifted close but relief was evident on her features.

His fingers gently ran through her hair, soothing her frayed nerves. He kept silent because he could feel that she needed him to be there with her and it would be better if she opened up herself.

"Tim," she mumbled, her head nestled in his neck, "please don't ever leave me."

"I would never," he replied comfortingly.

She pulled back his jacket catching a glimpse of the bandages wrapped around his shoulder, "you were there? You got me and Selina out?"

"Yes, me and Helena got you both out while Batman dealt with Scarecrow."

"You mean Mister Wayne..."

"Yes."

There was a short pause after which she spoke, "thank you. If you hadn't reached there in time, I wouldn't even be here at this moment."

Her words seemed to have cut through his heart as he cupped her face tilting it so that she was looking straight in his blue eyes, "there's no need to thank me, I did what I had to." He paused but then resumed in a low voice, "to be honest, I had gotten terrified too. I can not see you in pain, Dora, but all that we went through was too much."

She nodded knowing full well what he had meant. It was the same for her when he had turned up at her balcony, injured from patrol. She could not bear to see him in pain and neither could he.

Tim held her close as he spoke, "we can't change what's happened but we can get through this together, right? You will get better soon and we will all make sure of it."

She nodded, "I will try my best."

"I can't bear to lose you," his forehead rested against hers and she had cupped his face in her hands, fingers gently caressing the skin underneath.

"I love you, Tim," she confessed reaching up to kiss him delicately, "and I am grateful that none of you went away from me, that all this was just a nightmare and not real."

"We will stay by you, Dora. None of us will ever leave you alone, I promise."

***