The Summer of Sparrow and Dream

Chapter one

"Dream! DREAM!" His mother's face was blurring. Her nose was inches from his, and he could feel her warm breath on his cheek. The horribly familiar feeling of numbness was spreading from his eyes, across his face, down his arms. Dream gulped and tears slid down his nose. What if it was the last one? The last thought? Last feeling? Black slammed into his vision, always too sudden. He was going to die this time, he was-
A throbbing hum replaced the noise of the world outside Dream's head. Slowly getting louder, the screeching buzz in his ears grew so obnoxiously loud, Dream thought he might go insane. It had never been this loud before... Maybe it meant it was the last time. All thought was being slowly leeching out of his brain, like water draining from a tub.
As soon as it started, it stopped.
Dream gasped and sat up. He breathed. Breath is good. Dream exhaled slowly and groggily turned his head. There was his mom, sobbing loudly in the chair next to the hospital bed. He turned to the left and stared at the heart monitor. There was a frighteningly low line disappearing into the dark, pixelated screen. The line had only several meager jumps in it. Dream shivered. He was getting too close, and there was not even a tiny head start on the cure.
Dream Kanaoepen had a disease that causes the victim to sleep for long periods of time, and slowly increasing. It eventually caused the unlucky person or animal to die of starvation or dehydration. Ironically, the virus looked like a misshapen Z.
There was a small shriek of glee, and suddenly Dream's face was smothered in wet kisses from his mom's lips.
"Mom, I'm ok, I really am-" his voice was muffled bye his parent's arm, which was reaching over him to snatch the water from the bedside table. She shoved it to his lips, and Dream reluctantly drank. The water was room temperature from sitting there so long. Perspiration broke on Dream's forehead. "Mom.." He said slowly. "How long was I, er, out?" She hesitated, then said,
"One-"
"Day?" Said a very hopeful Dream.
"-week." Finished Dream's mother feebly. Dream suddenly noticed the rumbling ache in his stomach. His mouth was nice and wet, but he had just been drinking water. He jumped up. His mother, Kaitlyn, grabbed his arm. "Sweetie,"she whined, (which was very unlike herself) "where are you going? You have to stay and rest!" She hung on to the word rest, drawing it out until she sounded more like a pouting four year old than a grown woman. Dream yanked away.
"I'm fine, mom, seriously!"
"No. You're. Not!" She grunted angrily, pulling me back into the hospital bed. A plump nurse bustled in. She looked tired and exasperated.
"What are you doing, ma'am? There are weak patients in the room next to you!"
"My son-" Dream's mom gestured wildly in Dream's direction. "He just woke up, and he needs to sleep-"
Both the nurse and Dream laughed. The nurse became very stern.
"No, he can't I'm afraid. If he goes to sleep, the virus will take over again and he might not wake up."
"And I think I've had enough sleep!" Added Dream. The nurse smiled and turned to him.
"You're free to go, dear."
"Thanks!"
"Have a good night." She waddled out. Dream sighed happily. He would finally go home.