After being propelled over the SUV, and landing about ten feet behind the vehicle, it was amazing that Jacob even survived. His medical records would be another testament to that fact. When he landed on his back, he suffered not only a whiplash but a concussion. Not to mention the shattered knee, broken neck, broken right arm, broken collarbone, broken ribs, and lacerations on his face, hands, and arms.
When Jacob woke up in the hospital, he was thankful to have Stephanie, Richard, and Stephen by his side. He was even glad to see the flowers and "Get Well" balloon sent by Dr. Neil Gordon. Stephanie said that he was overseas, and would visit Jacob when he arrived back in the states. Jacob appreciated the gesture. Neil was like a surrogate father to Jacob, especially after the incident ten years earlier with the Nightmare Warriors.
For the first few days, Jacob didn't think about what he saw during his death. How could he…amidst the pain and heavy medication? In fact, it wouldn't be until a few days more that Jacob would discover something else—no dreams. This hadn't happened to Jacob since he was twenty-one. At the time, he had spent some time in Westin Hills, and his power grew so strong that Jacob—and every other Springwood resident—weren't dreaming.
But Jacob didn't have time to worry about that. The lawsuit was just as cumbersome as the surgeries and the physical therapy. The same driver who expressed remorse at the accident was trying to avoid paying Jacob's medical expenses. He claimed everything from Jacob being at fault for jaywalking to insurance fraud. When Jacob was laid off from his job, he and Stephanie delved into their savings to cover the expenses. In the end, the settlement didn't meet what they sued for. But it would've devastated the family even more if Jacob had died that day.
Once everything reached a plateau, Jacob started focusing on his problem. He took sleeping pills to guarantee REM sleep, but still no dreams. Jacob would've visited a sleep clinic if he had the money to do so. But due to more financial straits (Stephanie lost her dental assistant job), Jacob and the family moved back to Crystal Lake. It wasn't the easiest transition for the family. The kids had to be taken out of their school mid-year. They all had to move to a completely different state, and Ohio was a poor substitute for California. They had to move in with Stephanie's aunt, who owned a hotel.
And then, when Stephanie's aunt died a month later, he and Stephanie had to learn overnight how to operate a business. Jacob's degree in computer science gave him little preparation. So it was Stephanie's experience with bookkeeping that ended up saving the day. Now a year into the business, they both felt less trepidation.
During that stressful period, Jacob could see Stephanie struggling in her sleep. It was obvious that she was having nightmares. She once asked Jacob if he felt something stirring in the dream world. But Jacob was still in denial about his condition. So, he lied to Stephanie and replied in the affirmative: "Maybe the spirits of our parents are watching over us."
"You're right…I shouldn't be so paranoid."
Even though Jacob gave a safe answer, he still felt guilty. What if there was something bad approaching? After all, Stephanie began having the nightmares when they moved to Crystal Lake. But Jacob could not detect it because his Dream Master abilities were gone. How can you be the Dream Master if you did not dream?
And so Jacob has been continuing the lie for about two years. When it approached the anniversary of his mother's death, Jacob finally came to a realization—he needed to visit Neil for help.