Trance stepped briskly down the hall. It was too early in the morning for anyone on the ship to be awake, but she found herself walking along the hall to Harper's bed quarters anyway. As she rounded the corner, she heard a muted cry, then another. She stopped. It was coming from inside Harper's room. "Harper?" she knocked tentatively on the door.
A muffled yelp.
"Harper?" Trance repeated. "Harper, are you alright in there?" Panic was clearly rising in her feeble morning voice. She listened.
Silence. Then an agonized moan.
"Harper!" Trance banged on the door. "Open up!" But the door didn't open.
More frantic screams.
"Rommie!" A holo-Rommie appeared within seconds.
"Yes?" she asked with her arms folded across her chest.
"Rommie, can you open the door?" Trance was trying to not yell.
Holo-Rommie nodded and disappeared just as the door hissed and slid open. Trance rushed in.
Harper was thrashing violently in his bed. His eyes were wide open, but they had a glazed-over look to them, as if he were seeing something just over her shoulder. He was obviously having a nightmare. Trance hurried over to his side. "Harper, it's okay..." she whispered, reaching out to touch his arm. She let out a yelp as he started to attack her. "Harper!"Trance yelled desperately. "It's me! Trance!" She tried to hold him down, but he seemed to have the muscular advantage and lunged for her. They toppled onto the floor. Trance fended him off as best she could. He had to wake up some time, right? "Ouch!" she yelped as he smacked her across the face. They were on their knees now. Trance cringed as she whacked him back, hard. I'm so sorry, she thought. But it worked.
Harper blinked. His arms stopped thrashing. He started gasping for air.
"Shhh. It's ok... just breathe for me, will you? Shhh..." Trance held his face up. But Harper kept gasping in raspy wheezes, as if something were choking him... But he's awake, Trance thought with relief. Awake. Harper bent over and his forehead landed on her shoulder. Trance hugged him around his neck. "It's ok... it was just a dream. Just a dream..." Trance didn't know if he could hear her, but to her surprise, Harper let out a ragged breath. "Harper?" He was crying.
A muffled yelp.
"Harper?" Trance repeated. "Harper, are you alright in there?" Panic was clearly rising in her feeble morning voice. She listened.
Silence. Then an agonized moan.
"Harper!" Trance banged on the door. "Open up!" But the door didn't open.
More frantic screams.
"Rommie!" A holo-Rommie appeared within seconds.
"Yes?" she asked with her arms folded across her chest.
"Rommie, can you open the door?" Trance was trying to not yell.
Holo-Rommie nodded and disappeared just as the door hissed and slid open. Trance rushed in.
Harper was thrashing violently in his bed. His eyes were wide open, but they had a glazed-over look to them, as if he were seeing something just over her shoulder. He was obviously having a nightmare. Trance hurried over to his side. "Harper, it's okay..." she whispered, reaching out to touch his arm. She let out a yelp as he started to attack her. "Harper!"Trance yelled desperately. "It's me! Trance!" She tried to hold him down, but he seemed to have the muscular advantage and lunged for her. They toppled onto the floor. Trance fended him off as best she could. He had to wake up some time, right? "Ouch!" she yelped as he smacked her across the face. They were on their knees now. Trance cringed as she whacked him back, hard. I'm so sorry, she thought. But it worked.
Harper blinked. His arms stopped thrashing. He started gasping for air.
"Shhh. It's ok... just breathe for me, will you? Shhh..." Trance held his face up. But Harper kept gasping in raspy wheezes, as if something were choking him... But he's awake, Trance thought with relief. Awake. Harper bent over and his forehead landed on her shoulder. Trance hugged him around his neck. "It's ok... it was just a dream. Just a dream..." Trance didn't know if he could hear her, but to her surprise, Harper let out a ragged breath. "Harper?" He was crying.
