Roots - h.s

18.

Days like today are the antidote
If you think just maybe it's her
Then promise me young man
You're gonna let her know...
You won't go lonely.

STERLING'S POV:

    I wake up in a haze, thinking the sun will be up, but as I look to the window it's dark out.. I'm confused until I see what woke me up. My phone rings, and I don't recognize the number right away, but I answer anyways.

    "Hello?" I ask, rubbing the back of my hands on my eyes as I try to focus myself.

    "Hey Sterling hey... Um.." I recognize the voice as Gemma, and I sit up.

    "Hey Gemma. What's wrong? Is something wrong?" I ask quickly, my brian automatically thinking the worst.

    "Can you come over here for a little bit?" She asks softly.

    "It's.. Gemma it's two in the morning, I-"

    "I know. Shit I know, but Harry woke up, and he was freaking out, and me and my mom both woke up, and ran in there, but he was.. I don't even know he said your name he said he wanted you to be there so I said I'd call you and then he freaked out more, and... and I don't really know what to do except ask you to come here so please." She pleads with me, and I move out of my bed.

    "I'll be over there in a second." I tell her, ignoring the sleepy momentum in my body, and pushing past it.

    "Thank you... God thank you, I'll wait at the front door." She speaks softly, and I hang up the call, pulling on a sweater, and throwing my hair up quickly. I put shoes on, and decide to just wear my sleep pants, not caring about how I look. There's something going on that's far far more important than my attire. I move from my bedroom, and down the stairs. Jon shoots up from the couch, alarmed at me being awake this early in the morning.

    "It's okay Jon... Just got some business to take care of, I'll be home soon okay bud?" I ask him, and he just looks at me. "Don't give me that look." I groan, and walk to the front door, not giving him a second thought as I run across the yard, and go over towards his yard. Gemma wasn't lying, she's already outside, tapping her foot. She looks stressed beyond belief, and I'm more concerned now than I was before.

    "What's going on Gemma?" I ask quickly, and she pulls me into a hug, letting go before she opens the door, and lets me in.

    "He had a nightmare. He was screaming. Me and my mum ran into his room, and woke him up. Once he realized he was awake, and that we were touching him he freaked out, and... and I've never seen him like this." She shakes her head, running her hands through her hair.

    "So he's never done this before?" I ask carefully.

    "No he's... Well rarely, but he's had nightmares before. He went to therapy for a long time back in England, and they stopped, and then he came here, and mum said this was the first one he's-"

    "Just go away. Just go away!" I hear his voice and I flinch.

    "He doesn't know that you're here... He said you understood, and that you would understand a million times, and then he said not to call you because you.. He didn't want you to-" She starts, and I shake my head, moving up the stairs.

    "I don't care what he wants.. Let me figure this out.. Or try to."

    "That's all we want because he's not listening to us." She sighs behind me, and I can hear Anne trying to talk to him from the door. I move it open slowly, and peak my head in. Anne's eyes look at me, and Harry does too, and he instantly starts to panic.