A scream pierced the stale night air. She sat up in bed and immediately heard his footsteps in the hall. She buried her face in her hands to hide the tears now rolling down her cheeks as the door opened and he rushed to her side, enveloping her in a big hug.
"Who?" Was his question. He knew she'd had another nightmare, mostly because of the scream that awoke him.
"You, again." She sobbed, leaning into his chest, eyes tightly closed and hands over her face.
"Same way?" She nodded. He sighed, knowing that she had dreamed of him being ripped to shreds by raptors in the Cretaceous era. "It's okay, I'm right here."
"No, you died."
"Abby, I'm right here. I'm holding on to you and I swear I will never let you go." This caused Abby to cry harder.
"No, that was real. I'm sorry, it was all my fault. I went off for food while you were sleeping then you got scared and followed me and they ganged up on you."
"Abby, I didn't die. See?" He took her hands away from her face to see her crystal blue eyes closed. "Look," Abby whimpered.
He sighed again and, trying to think of something to make Abby see he wasn't dead, pressed his lips against hers. "See, not dead." He whispered when he pulled away.
Abby opened her eyes and saw nothing. She hadn't even been sitting up. She was still under her covers, sobbing her eyes out. She wanted so despratly for Connor to be there, to hold her, to comfort her, to kiss her. He wasn't there, and he hadn't been for a while.