A/N: I realized there are more confusion than bums sliding to the edges of seats anticipating what's next… But fear not, the answers are in this chapter. I don't want to spoil it, I'd rather you read and find out; so I'll respond to all the reviews in the next chapter, and what the story is based on. Hopefully things make more sense after this! Thanks to all who's been reading and reviewing and following and sticking to the mystery!

Ashley

Through the Ghost

I woke up with a start. Heart racing, skin clammy, breathing erratically short, and a shooting pain going through my head. This feeling was all too familiar. My eyes scanned the room, landing on Aiden who sat patiently on the still empty bed next to mine, watching me. It was as if he knew exactly what was going on with me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back tears as I recalled the nightmare. It was the same as the one I had with Aiden, except this time I was Sasha Miller, and I lived in her shoes up until the moment she got shot. By me. My hand instinctively reached to feel my own forehead but there was nothing.

The impact of that bullet felt more real this time. I had a pounding headache, and it didn't help that I kept replaying those last moments in my mind. At least I wasn't violently vomiting again, but the nausea was there.

"Sasha Miller?"

I looked up at Aiden, wishing more than ever I could tell him to leave. Why did he have to be so cocky all the time? I watched as he got off the bed, leaving no evidence that he was ever on it. Things were on the verge of making sense, yet I still couldn't figure it out.

"How did you know?" My voice was shaking. Glancing down at my hands, I realized everything was shaking.

"She's on her way in. Just getting directions to your room," Aiden said nonchalantly.

Wait, what?

My eyes followed Aiden as he walked to the door, glanced to the right, then left, and stood back eventually, allowing a teenage girl to enter. From the left.

The left…

I remembered realizing Aiden coming from there. I must have passed out at the realization. And I was sure I was headed to a world of darkness again as I recognized the teenage girl.

Sasha Miller.

Wearing her graduation gown, and I hoped something decent underneath, she looked as flawless as Aiden. Hair effortlessly wavy, make-up applied to perfection, not one scar or mark on her Barbie-molded body. Except for the painful reminder of how she got here in the first place. A small, star-shaped scar right in the middle of her forehead, barely visible, but there. Even if it wasn't visible, I'd know it was there for the rest of my life.

I felt a gasp leave my lips as she smiled up at me, her eyes clouded with sadness, but smiling none-the-less.

I didn't know what I expected from her, maybe some anger?

"Hi, Ashley," Sasha said politely, making her way to my bed, Aiden short on her heels. "I heard about your accident, I'm so sorry."

She was sorry? Why did she apologize? I was freaking out. My hand was already on the nurses' button before I could stop myself.

"We'll be back in a bit, would you like some coffee from the cafeteria?" Sasha asked sweetly, motioning for Aiden to follow her.

Of course.

They were out of the room just as a new night-nurse appeared by the door. Her friendly smile disappeared – probably as she saw the panic on my face – and was replaced with concern. "Miss Davies? Is everything okay?"

No, it would never be okay again.

"Please don't let them come back," I huffed out, wrapping my arms around myself. I probably looked as crazy as I felt.

The nurse frowned. "Let who come back?"

"My… visitors – don't let them back in here," I started sobbing. They were real, please tell me they were real.

"Miss Davies, which visitors? I haven't seen anyone up in your room for the past two days."

That was so not what I wanted to hear.

"Please can you get Doctor Lewis for me?" I begged her. Maybe Chelsea would understand. I knew Arthur would too, but I felt more comfortable with Chelsea at the moment. She wouldn't think I was crazy, right?

The nurse checked her watch. "Well, it's 11PM, Doctor Lewis is not in tonight. Can it wait until the morning?"

I shook my head furiously. I wouldn't survive the night. They were going to come back. The moment this nurse left my room, they were going to come back. I couldn't remember a time I was more scared than this.

"Please, you don't understand, it's an emergency. Is Doctor Carlin here?" I pleaded with her.

"Miss Davies, if you are not in a immediate medical emergency, I cannot page either doctors for you. Protocol states that nurses assist and stabilize the situation first. So what is the matter?"

My panic induced state was pushed aside to make way for anger I didn't know I harbored. Who the hell did this nurse think she was? Weren't they supposed to help patients?

"Look, nurse… whatever your name is. Please, I need Doctor Carlin or Doctor Lewis here, now!" I didn't bother with an explanation. She could go fuck herself.

The nurse turned on her heel and I freaked even more. No way she was leaving me alone in this room! "No! Don't go! Page them, please! I beg you, please."

Emotions were running high. I went from crying to a raging lunatic to crying again in the matter of seconds. Pretty soon I could see my ass hauled off to some psychiatric ward.

The nurse sighed audibly, informing me silently that she wasn't happy at all. "I'll need to call my charge nurse."

"Can you call them from here?" I asked. Okay, begged.

Another sigh. The young nurse finally caved in and marched over to my bed, reaching for the panel colored with various buttons and numbers. I watched her punch in a code, and moments later another nurse came rushing in.

This one was much older, but didn't look very friendly. I cringed, feeling so small all of the sudden.

"Nurse Crawford? What seems to be the problem?" the charge nurse asked, glancing between the nurse and myself.

"Miss Davies is requesting Doctor Carlin or Doctor Lewis's presence – "

"Go page Doctor Arthur Carlin, he is on duty tonight," the charge nurse instructed. Then, after making sure the younger nurse had left, she turned back to me, her expression turned from serious to concerned. "Miss Davies, I'm just quickly going to check your vitals. Will you sit upright for me?"

I did as I was told. The charge nurse took my pulse, listened to my breathing, checked my eyes, the usual check. Her concern didn't cease when she picked up my file to record her findings, which in turn stressed me out more.

"Are you in any pain, Miss Davies?"

My heart was somewhat broken, but I wasn't sure that counted. I shook my head no.

"Are you experiencing trouble with nightmares?"

Bingo. Only, this wasn't a nightmare.

Well, whatever it was, the nurse seemed satisfied that the problem could be the nightmares. And she also seemed satisfied with the decision to get Doctor Carlin here. "Okay, Doctor Carlin should be on his way up now. Is there anything we can get you in the meantime? Some tea perhaps?"

Eeeeew. "Can you just stay here until Doctor Carlin gets here?"

"Of course, Miss Davies."

"Ashley? What's wrong?" Arthur waltzed into my room, concern written all over his face.

Something about Aiden and Sasha's presence was gnawing at the back of my head, I just wished I could figure out what. And I wished I could tell Doctor Carlin, so badly.

"It seems like the nightmares are still persistent, Doctor Carlin. Is there anything you want to prescribe for her for sleep tonight?"

"Ashley?"

I nodded eagerly. Anything would help. I'd gladly sleep through the rest of the year if I could.

Doctor Carlin sighed and motioned for the nurse to order medication, and then sat down on the chair next to my bed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Which part? Dreaming of the people I killed or them coming back to life?

"There was a girl – I don't know her, or her name – I was her. And she got shot. The same way Aiden did. It felt so real," I squeezed my eyes shut, missing the pained look on my Doctor's face.

"You've never seen her before?" Arthur pressed.

If Sasha Miller's name had to slip from my lips, ever, I'd never see daylight again. I'd have the FBI on me within seconds. "No, I don't even know what she looks like."

Doctor Carlin sighed. "Okay, I'm going to prescribe something to help you sleep a little better, we'll have a look at your medication intake again tomorrow. It's almost time for our session, so I'm not going to push too much about it now. I want you to write down everything you remember about the nightmares – I'll get someone to bring you a notebook and a pen. Then we can start from there on Friday."

I really hoped they'd give me something to knock me out immediately.

"You know, I'm starting to think you don't want us here. You can't let them sedate you forever, Ashley."

I groaned inwardly, wishing I could somehow slip right back into slumber. Whatever the nurse gave me two nights ago really made me feel so good.

But Aiden knew I was conscious despite my eyes still being closed, and he was going to annoy me until I couldn't fall back asleep.

I forced my eyelids open, dreading to see him. I wondered –

"It's good to see you're awake. I was worried there for a while," Sasha made her presence known.

Nevermind. They were both here. Aiden was on the empty bed next to mine, comfortably browsing through a women's magazine, propped up with his back against the pillows. You'd swear he was a model for hospital beds, as if it was ever comfortable.

Sasha was seated on the visitor's chair next to my bed, her legs propped up on the rail of my bed. She was flipping through the channels on the tiny overhead TV, clearly bored.

What the hell? They were hanging around as if we were all best friends!

"What are guys doing here? Seriously? What are you?" I was getting annoyed.

Aiden dropped the magazine and stared at me, a smile forming on his lips. All I wanted to do was punch his perfect face. "I thought you'd never ask!" Cocky as ever.

"Ashley," Sasha took a deep breath. "We're – "

"Leaving. Coffee?" Aiden offered.

I let out a grunt of frustration. Really? They wouldn't let me sleep ten minutes longer but couldn't wait to jump up the minute someone was on their way? I sighed and watched them leave the room, always turning to the left.

Wait.

I was on it the other day. There was a wall on the left – you couldn't go anywhere.

Were they –

Doctor Lewis appeared in the door. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Are you okay?"

Through the Ghost - Shinedown