The Trap

Bad Dreams

Shannon watched Cari as she slept by the dim light of the lamp on the side table. It was the third night she slept in her bed, but, even though that kiss from the other night reassured them that they obviously missed each other, maybe sleeping on the same bed after everything that Cari went through wasn't the best idea at the moment. She still had trouble while sleeping, that was when her mind used to trick her the most ever since they found her, as the memories haunted her and wouldn't leave her alone even when she wasn't in a conscious state. The medications helped her sleep, but sometimes it made her feel confused and a little numb so she would take a minute to come back to normal and realize everything was okay when those episodes happened.

Cari insisted that Shannon didn't have to spend the night sleeping on an armchair because of her. The bed was big enough and she wouldn't even notice the presence of another person next to her, but Shannon didn't want to be the cause of more panic attacks when she woke up in the middle of the night and forgot where and with whom she was, so she would stay right beside her and make sure she was okay while keeping a safe distance.

The first two nights were okay. Shannon was afraid that the sudden change of surroundings would cause her some discomfort and she would feel more vulnerable or something like that, but as far as she could tell, there was nothing bothering her, at least not while she was sleeping. Also, it wasn't like she wasn't familiar with the room anyways.

Shannon was doing the most to manage her time between work and making sure Cari was doing okay. She arranged a session for her with one of the best therapists in the city that afternoon and, apparently, it helped her. She looked a little more relaxed after the session. They even went for a walk in the park after she left her shift at the hospital and talked a little bit about it, but she could tell Cari was still struggling. They had not yet gotten into the delicate subject that floated around the room every time they were alone. They both silently agreed that it would be better to take some time to figure things out and to give more space for Cari to feel better and recover to talk about them and their feelings.

She was taken out of her thoughts when she saw Cari lightly moving in her sleep. Seeing her still so weak and fragile made the images of her being molested while tied against a wall, hurt, cold, hungry and in pain too real for Shannon. The thought of it still made her stomach turn. Her blood went straight to her head when Reid came to her mind again. He would pay for it. He would pay for each touch, each bruise, each time he took advantage of her smaller and weaker body to his own pleasure. They just needed to find that son of a bitch and then it would be over for him.

"Stop."

Shannon heard Cari say softly in her sleep turning her head to the side over the pillow. She saw her body tense up and her face expressing complete fear and discomfort. She was having another bad dream and her entire body was responding to it. She promptly stood up and kneeled by her side, still not knowing exactly how to help her. She was afraid that if she touched her she would end up scaring her even more.

"Cari." She said as gentle as she could. "Cari, it's ok, you're safe."

She felt her heart ache seeing how she clung to the bed sheets with her hands, making her fingertips go white. Her head turned from side to side and her legs moved as if she was trying to get away from something. She had to do something immediately.

"Baby, I'm right here, please wake up." She ran her fingers from her front to her chin, barely touching the cold and sweaty skin. "Cari!"

"NO!" Cari suddenly woke up, sitting on the bed and breathing extremely fast as her chest went up and down repeatedly.

"Hey, it's ok, you're fine, you're safe."

"Shan..." She looked at her, terrified, before closing her eyes and letting a tear roll down her face, trying to control her breath. Shannon ran her hand through her arm and held her hand, still kneeling by her side. She felt Cari tighten the grip and bring it to her chest, making it possible for Shannon to feel her heart beating fast. Shannon stood up and sat on the edge of the bed facing her.

"Come here." Shannon wrapped her arms around Cari and brought her close, trying to give the comfort and safeness she needed. She felt her own eyes get watery. It would take a long time for Cari to recover from the trauma that man caused her. "I promised nothing was going to happen to you, remember? I won't let him hurt you again." Shannon kissed her forehead, feeling her heartbeat slowing down gradually. "Do you trust me?" She felt Cari shaking her head up and down while she swiped the tears away.

"Thank you."

"Stop thanking me, silly. All I need from you is to know that I won't rest until you're fine again and until I put that man behind bars." She looked into her eyes to make her see she was being honest with every word. "C'mon, you need to rest." She made her lay down again, kissing her forehead one more time and caressing her cheek. "I'll be right here okay, I'm not going anywhere." Cari shook her head again and closed her eyes. When Shannon was returning to the armchair, she heard a weak voice behind her.

"Baby?"

"Yes." She turned to face her again.

"Can you lay down with me, please?"

Shannon felt her heart shrink half its size hearing her soft voice. How could she say no to that?

"Of course."

Shannon walked around the bed and lay down beside her, sighing with relief when Cari turned to her side and put her head on her chest and her arm around her waist. She trusted her. She trusted her to the point of allowing her touch after the traumatic experience she went through. She ran her fingers through her blonde hair until she felt that her breathing was back to being rhythmic, showing that she had fallen asleep again.

"Thank God you're here." She whispered more to herself than anyone else. She had no idea what she would do if the worst had happened.