Hey guys! Thanks for all of the reviews! I own nothing.

I AM SUPER SORRY FOR THE MIX UP ON CHAPTER 8.

Chapter 10: Nightmares

A bright light white pierced my vision. It was as if I was looking directly towards the sun, it stung my eyes, and I had the fight the urge not to close them.

Then, I felt cool metal grazing my skin. It hit me dead on in the side, and then I was flying. Soaring through the air like a bird.

But, this time when I landed nobody came to my side. People just kept walking, not even paying attention to me.

"Help!" I croaked. "Please! Help!" But nobody even looked my way. They just kept walking by, texting on their phone, some chatting away with other people. Nobody seemed to realize that there was a broken boy laying in the street who need help.

And all they had to do was look.

"Help me!" I tried to say a little louder, but it put strain on my vocal chords and I cried out. I was scared, and started to panic. I needed to move out of the road. Surely another car would come.

I tried to pull myself up and crawl to the side of the road, but every movement hurt. I screamed as waves of agony washed over me.

Finally, someone passed me. I grabbed their ankle with my hand.

"Please, sir." I pleaded, "Please help me!"

But the man just kicked my hand off of his ankle. "Worthless piece of trash," he said as he walked off.

I started to sob, because I realized nobody was going to help me. Nobody cared.

And then the stop light turned green. A silver car raced towards me, and I screamed because I knew I was going to die, I knew I couldn't do anything about it, and I knew that nobody cared.

I shot up in my bed, letting out a blood curling scream.

My entire body was shaking uncontroablly, and a layer of sweat clung to my body. I could feel my heart pounding, and with every pulse I felt a horrible flash of pain course through my body.

Then, I cried out. I had sat up too quickly, and my ribs weren't even close to supporting my weight. I could feel the ache of each broken rib and I bit back another scream. I laid back down in bed, and tried to calm down, but I was incredibly frightened.

That was when my door opened and Dr. Verso and three other nurses came running into my room.

One nurse ran to the heart monitor and gasped. "Doctor, he went over the maximum amount." She said.

He nodded before turning towards me. "What happened?" He asked.

Suddenly a nurse grabbed my arm and checked my blood pressure.

"I just had a nightmare." I said. Dr. Verso placed his hands along my face with a concerned look. "He's clammy," he said, taking my tiny hand in his strong ones, "I suggest we calm him down, bathe him, and then put him to sleep."

While he talked, one of the nurses was writing something down on a clipboard very fast, and all of the others just nodded.

"Where's my dad?" I asked.

"Home." One of the nurses said to me as she took my face in her hands. "Now, concentrate on calming down. Slow your heart rate down."

"Why?"

"Because your heart could explode." Someone said.

"What?" I said, panicky. Everyone was running around the room, checking my IV, checking the fluids, the heart monitor, everything. I didn't like the chaos, and it made my heart rate spike.

"I think we would be better off putting him to sleep first, just to calm him down." Someone said.

What were they going to do to me? "Put me to sleep" could mean a lot of things.

"Good idea."

"Wait, wait, wait, could someone please-"

But before I could finish, darkness flooded my vision and my words slurred. I was pushed against the mattress, and my eyes were forced to close.

I was asleep in a matter of seconds.

I woke to the constant beeping sound of my heart monitor. My vision was a little fuzzy, and I felt strangely relaxed.

The sheets of the bed felt good against my bare skin, and I felt like I could sleep a million years. I was so comfortable and relaxed, so at peace.

I moved my leg underneath the sheets a little bit, enjoying the cold sheets against my warm skin. The low humming sound from my breathing tube and oxygen tank threatened to lure me back to sleep, but I didn't let it.

I realized I wasn't wearing my hospital gown anymore. In it's place was one of my dad's giant tee shirts. It went all the way past my knees to mid shin, and the collar was so large it hung off my shoulder.

But it smelled like my dad. That lovely smell you get after it rains. The smell of a forest after a great thaw. It calmed me.

I looked to my right, and I smiled.

"Hey, Gobber." I said. Gobber looked up at me and he broke into a huge smile. His blonde beard moved as he walked over and knelt by my bed.

"Hey, kiddo." He said, ruffling my hair. "How ya holding up?"

"Not so well." I said.

He gave me a slight chuckle. "Ya, the doctor told me what happened. Got a nightmare, didn't ya boy?"

I gave him a small nod. "Aw, don't worry lad. Everyone gets 'em. But you got yourself so worked up they had to knock you out or else your heart was going to explode."

He ruffled my hair once more and gave me another smile. "But don't you worry, they fixed you up. They gave you a bath and then they changed you." He gestured towards my dad's giant tee shirt.

"So, I'm guessing my dad is back." I said.

Gobber nodded. "Ya, he's havin' a little chat with the doctor."

"About?"

"What happened." Gobber said, "When you got the nightmare."

"Oh," I said.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Gobber asked, pushing my bangs out of my eyes so he could look me in the eye.

I shook my head no. I didn't even want to think about it, let alone talk about it. Gobber sighed as he rested his hand on my temple.

"You're a tough kid, ya know that?" I gave him a weak smile.

Suddenly my door opened, and my father and Dr. Verso came walking in.

"Oh good, you're awake." Dr. Verso said. "So sorry about the sudden sleep spell, but it was for the best." He checked the heart moniter. "Good, you have a steady heart rate."

My father knelt next to me as Gobber stood up to make room.

"I'm gone for a couple of hours and your heart almost explodes?"

I gave him a sad smile. "Sorry. I-"

He shook his head and put his finger to my lips, hushing me. "Do not apologize."

He ran his fingers through my hair and gently pressed his lips to my forehead. I close my eyes and just enjoyed the moment, the love.

"You should rest," my father said after he broke away. "Oh, and I have something for you."

My father pulled a blanket out of a small black bag he had rested on the chair. I remembered it: my mother had made that blanket for me when I was born. Then, he pulled out a stuffed dragon, something else I have had ever since I was a baby.

He placed the blanket over me, and he handed me the stuff toy. I struggled into the warmth and pulled the toy close, inhaling the smell of home. It was nice to smell something that didn't smell like hospital.

"Thank you," I whispered to my father as I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to take me.

But before I fell completely asleep, a thought struck me. The nightmare seemed realistic. As if I had endured the pain of being ignored as I screamed for help.

And then it clicked.

That was my life. The nightmare was my life.

But this time, there was no waking up.