Dom's POV

*Ring Ring, Ring Ring.*

I groaned as I turned over in bed, sloppily hitting the sides of the nightstand, fumbling for my phone. I prised myself into a sitting position, and lazily answered the call, confused as to why someone was ringing at 3:00am.

"Hello?" I spoke groggily, still rubbing my eyes as I waited for their reply. If this was a prank call, or a doctor with my number, I wasn't going to be happy about it.

"Hi, is that Dominic Copeland?" It was a woman's voice, vaguely familiar I think. I nodded to myself, before answering her.

"I'm Catherine, one of the night staff at your husbands Hospice, is there any chance you could come down here?" I listened carefully, before her question rendered me confused. She had a hint of worry in her voice, and it felt serious at such an obscure time.

"Of course, but can I ask what is the reason, at this time of night?" I felt a little pit of dread in my stomach, like any human thinking the worse, but I knew he wasn't that bad yet, he couldn't be.

"I'm afraid Arthur is having some trouble sleeping, and he is disturbing the other residents. We have tried to calm him, but we think you would do a better job." The woman spoke with sadness in her voice, as if she was tired of fighting his night terrors.

He only seemed to be calm around me.

-Time skip-

I entered the building not many minutes after. Since he had moved here, four months ago, I had found a property, just a few miles down the road. It was easy access, and it felt nice to live in the country for once.

I walked into his bedroom, to be faced with Essie, rubbing his back as he screamed out.

"I've tried everything I can Dom, nothing will shift this one." She huffed sadly, still massaging his back in circular motions.

I imagined it was another nightmare, a delusional hallucination, something quite common with the disease.

It was the night terrors that came second in his array of symptoms, the thing that finally pushed him to the doctors as he was scared to fall asleep.

{~}

5th December 2015.

It was late at night, and as we finished yet another documentary, I was falling asleep on Arthur's shoulder.

I had been reading up on a new type of appendectomy all night, my head in a book as well as trying to take care of my boyfriend, the one who was slowly making himself weak.

"Babe, come on, you need to go to bed. It's making you ill!" I whined, trying to pull at his arm, as his eyes, half open, were still staring at the TV. "If you keep losing sleep, I'm going to have no sympathy for you when you get sick!" I stated.

"Dom, I don't want to go to sleep, not after last time!" He protested, slowly walking to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. "I don't need to go to bed, I'm just fine I-" suddenly he went quiet, and I shot up from the sofa.

"Diggers?" I shouted, confused as to why he had gone mute. I heard the crash of a porcelain cup, and I rushed to him quickly.

"ARTHUR!" I fretted rushing to his aid. He had managed to slide down the back of the cabinet, so sleep deprived that he didn't know what he was doing.

"Right that's it, you're going to bed. You haven't slept in 4 days Arthur." I picked him up with a struggle, and carried him bridal style to the bedroom. He was already asleep when I placed him on the bed.

"Sweet dreams honey, gets some rest." I climbed in beside him, and stroked his flat wisps of hair. He was very cute when he slept, the little bump on his head especially prominent.

I kissed it.

-2 hours later-

"NOOOOO!" I woke up startled to find Arthur sat up, wailing for mercy. I knew what was happening, and quickly wrapped my arms around him, trying to calm him down.

"It was just a nightmare, just a nightmare baby." I soothed, laying him back down with me as he shook. He curled up into my side, and I hugged him tight, stroking his sweaty back and showering him in kisses.

"You're okay, everything's okay. I'm here Diggers, I'm here..." I tired to whisper calming words, but he just cried.

He cried hard.

"You need to see a doctor, don't you think?" I suggested, just as he was peacefully snuggled into me. He wouldn't let go of my torso, and I didn't want him to. I kissed his forehead, and sighed as I saw his eyes widen in dread.

"B-but I-" He tried to refuse, but this time I wasn't having it.

"All of this isn't good for your health baby, you need to talk to someone other that me, you need to be sleeping properly."

I watched him nod his head, before crying once again. He was scared of what the doctors would say, and to be honest, so was I.

First thing tomorrow I was going to tell Sacha, I was going to get to the bottom of this.

{~}

"Hey, hey, baby what's with all the noise?" I cooed, nodding at Essie as she began to stand up. She walked over to the other side of the room, and took a perch on a chair.

Arthur heard my voice, and stopped crying for a second, his heavy breathing slowing slightly. I climbed onto his bed, and began to kiss his neck as I got close. He was all sweaty, but I didn't care, I loved him in any form.

He began screaming again, as I rocked him back and forth, desperately holding his body weight as he panicked. He really wouldn't calm down this time, and I understood why I was called.

"Arthur, Diggers, look at me." I pleaded, pulling his face upwards so he could focus on mine. "It's Dominic baby, it's Dom." I soothed, stroking his fluffy hair. "Please calm down, you're okay, everyone's okay."

He was just getting louder.

He was absolutely belting out yelps and screams. He kept shouting "No" every five minutes. I watched as another nurse and a doctor filed into the room, and gestured for me to leave the bed. I laid him back down, and gulped back my own tears, as I watched him being pinned down.

They gave him a sedative, something that instantly had him unconscious, rendering him weak again in his bed. His arms were no longer thrashing about, and he slept peacefully once again.

I was wide awake, and took the chair next to his bed, before taking his right hand in mine, and massaging his sweaty palms.

"Oh why does it have to be like this?" I asked myself, studying his delicate features, whilst gripping tightly on his little fingers. "Why did you have to get this, why you, my beautiful, beautiful Arthur."

"I just want our love to be normal again, I want you to kiss me like I kiss you." I felt the tears prick at my eyes, and I let them fall onto his arm.

I didn't cry when he was awake, as my pain distressed him. He could still sense when I was upset, often hitting my hand with his, gesturing for me to hold onto it.

"Is it bad that I just want you back?" I sniffled.

"I just want my Diggers back."