Return to Love

Chapter 29

John's Nightmare

It was a bad night for them all.

Clara had been asleep for less than an hour,when John started to cry out in his sleep.

First,it wasn't so bad,as he let her hold him and seemed to settle back down.

Another hour passed,then there was a crash. Clara started awake.

"John!?"

Sitting up,looking round_

He wasn't in bed with her,wasn't even in the room.

'Where is he?' She thought.

Out of bed,hurrying out of the room. Bumping into Amy and Rory coming out of theirs.

"Clara are you okay? What was that noise?" Amy asked.

"Rory" Clara said.

" John. I don't know where he is"

Suddenly there was another noise from downstairs.

Rory noting the panic in Clara's face.

"Hang on,think I know where he is_"

Going down the stairs,Amy and Clara following behind.

Towards the kitchen.

Rory put the light on,John was taking things out of the fridge.There was a broken jug of milk all over the kitchen floor.

John looking guilty when he saw them in the doorway. His bottom lip trembled.

"I wanted a ddrink "

Bursting into tears,

"I_I didn't mean to be naughty!"

Looking at the broken glass on the floor.

"Rory" Amy said.

"The broken glass,he's got nothing on his feet"

Rory had started forward thinking the same.

John moved away from him.

"I'm sorry,please don't spank me!" flinching, frightened.

"Johnnie"

Rory speaking softly.

"It's alright we know it was an accident,you're not going to get a spanking for that"

Pointing to the mess on the floor.

He put his hand to him.

"Mind the glass,you didn't put your slippers on did you?"

John looked down,saw blood,then up confused at Rory. He fainted.

Rory managed to catch him before he hit the floor.

"Woe,John"

Carrying him to the sofa in the lounge,saying to Amy,

"Get the first aid kit,he's cut his foot,"

She brought it with a bowl of water and a cloth to bathe it with.

" It's not too deep"

Rory putting a plaster on it.

He sighed.

" It seems as though he's 'Johnnie' again,we need to get another pill into him.

Clara bit her lip.

"Will he take it though,if he thinks it's medicine,most three year old hate to take pills"

" Then we put it in some milk or juice.

It's nearly midnight now"

Looking at his watch.

He needs to take it,so he can have another about eight tomorrow"

John had started to come round looking about,burst into tears again.

"Where's Auntie,want Auntie,don't like it here,want to go home! Please"

He pleaded with them. Trying to sit up.

"Johnnie its alright You're going home soon"

Patting him on the shoulder.

"It will be okay"

Rory thought,well he would be when this was all over.

Thinking on his feet!

"We're on holiday,staying with friends of Daddy,that's alright isn't it?"

He looked over at the girls..the look saying 'Go along with me'

"Its an adventure!"

"Course it is" said Amy.

"Will there be a picnic?" John asked.

"If you like" Rory said.

" But you have to go back to bed now"

"NO! _WON'T!"

John looking like a tantrum was starting.

Rory raised an eyebrow,remembering the obstinate look on John's face from when he was three!"

"Johnnie,that is being naughty!"

Clara said trying to keep a straight face.

Amy was cleaning up the broken glass from the kitchen floor.

"Watch your fingers" Rory said.

"Have you got some juice I can mix the pill with?"

"There's another jug at the back of the fridge. Orange,he hadn't got too that" She replied.

Rory got a glass from the cupboard,taking one of the pills from the bottle,he ground it to a powder and mixed it in the juice.

"Here"

Amy pulled some wrapped barley sugar sweets out of a drawer.

"He might drink it,not mind about the taste too much if you bribe him with one of these after.

I got them for Clara. Her morning sickness"

When he looked puzzled at her.

Taking the glass of orange into the lounge,he found that John could hardly keep his eyes open.

He was leaning against Clara on the sofa she had an arm round him. Rory held the glass to her.

"Try and get him to drink this"

"Johnnie" Clara said.

"How about a nice drink of Orange?"

"No want milk!"

"You 'bloody ' would"

Rory under his breath.

"Johnnie,if you have this nice orange,you can have this barley sugar"

He held the sweet in front him. John put out his hand for it.

"Orange first"

Clara holding the glass to his mouth,he drank it down. John pulled a face,but didn't spit it out.

"Good boy"

Said Rory opening the sweet and popping it into John's mouth.

"You have this and then it's time for bed,okay"

Clara,grinned at him.

"What!"_He said.

"YOU are going to make a very good Dad,when the time comes"

"After this,its going to be a doggle.

"Pity he won't remember this" He sighed.

"Perhaps it's as well"

"Think I would have liked to have met little Johnnie"

Clara smiled at him.

"The thing is how,we are,going to get him upstairs,to bed?

Don't think my back could take another trip up those stairs" Rory replied.

John was fast asleep,Rory lay him down on the sofa and covered him with a blanket.

"You and Amy go and get some sleep,I'll stay with him,in case he goes,walkabout again."

"I'll stay with him,I'm awake" Clara said.

"Really,not sleepy now"

Amy came over then.

"We'll all stay up with him,I'll make some hot chocolate"

By the time the hot chocolate was made,For all Clara had said she was nearly asleep in the armchair.

"Look" Rory said.

We're all going to be exhausted tomorrow"

It was now after one.

"_Today,you girls,go to bed. Please?"

When Clara looked about to protest said.

"I will call you if he wakes,up or gets upset,Amy please go to bed.I will do some of the work I brought home from the office"

"Okay,okay"

"Amy said back.

"Come on Clara"

She pulled her up from the armchair.

Clara looking back at John. She looked exhausted.

"But_ I want_"

She started to say.

Amy said then.

"I know you are worried about him we are too,but you have to think about you and the baby.

You will be no good to him in the next few days if you get sick.

Come on,Rory will call us if there is a problem"

"Alright"

With a last look at John,Clara reluctantly went up to bed with Amy. She got into the bed said.

" Will you stay with me,please Amy I hate being on my own"

She was getting tearful.

"I miss him"_

"Lie down then"

Amy lay next to Clara,on John's side of the bed, her arm on her back said.

"Go to sleep"

'Raggedy Man,you better come back to us soon' she thought

'This girl needs you badly'

Downstairs,all was quiet except for a soft snore from the sofa.

Rory smiled at that. John snored.

Once when they were teenagers,Rory taped him,but John being John didn't believe it.

He got up and made himself a coffee,hadn't drunk the hot chocolate Amy made which was cold now. He needed to keep awake.

God forbid if John went missing,Clara would never forgive him!

He sat down at the table,spreading the papers out of other cases,he was working on as well as John's at Master's.

Luckily for the next few weeks,he could work from home,which was as,well,with the funeral and other "John" problems he had to sort out. He wondered if when he woke would they get John or Johnnie? It was hard to know.

It wasn't that he couldn't cope with Johnnie ,he also had to sort the funeral out,for the following week.

It was just,would they get John back for then?

He looked over at him now.

"Come back mate,I miss you!"

It must have been about Six,and just getting light when there was a bang.

Rory jerked awake his head was on the table,on top of the Fergus V Fergus looked over at the sofa it was empty!

'Fuck! John,where was he? The patio doors,leading to the garden were open and banging.

'Oh no, Amy will kill me' he thought.

He moved to the doors when a football whizzed past his head and hit a vase that was on the side table near on the floor with a smash before Rory could grab it.

'Oh shit!'

He thought 'that was a wedding present!'

Upstairs Clara sat up in bed, at the noise.

Amy was still sleeping next to her.

"John!"

She put on her dressing gown,and not disturbing Amy,she closed the bedroom door quietly and made her way downstairs.

She stood In the lounge doorway.

There was John covered in mud,pulling on Rory's arm saying.

"Play football,please"

All of a sudden,Rory shouted at him.

"STOP IT JOHNNIE,it too early for this!

The neighbours will be complaining, look at the mess you've made!"

Soon as the words,were out of his mouth,Rory regretted it. John's lip quivered he burst into tears.

Seeing Clara near the door,he ran into her arms,sobbing.

"Mummy!"

"Oh God,Johnnie,Clara,I'm sorry I didn't mean that.I fell asleep.

I was just frightened,thought he was missing,didn't realise he was in the garden,then he kicked the football in"

Clara,was trying to comfort Johnnie it was evident that John had not come back.

Rory was babbling,to be fair he had been up all night.

"Rory Rory" She said.

"It's okay.

Where did the football come from?"

Amy's friend's son Mark left it here last year.

The vase was a wedding present,but there is nothing we can do about that"

He said quietly..looking over at John,who was still sobbing slightly.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you Johnnie,I didn't mean it."

Rory looked harrassed tired,worried.

"Rory,look he's fine,why don't you sit down and I'll make some coffee"

She sat John down at the table and poured him some orange juice,making a coffee for Rory and a tea for herself sat down opposite him. Had his head in his,hands.

She said.

"He'll need a bath"

"I know,I'll sort it in a minute" He replied.

"Clara,I'm sorry I just panicked! He was missing,I thought he had run off"

"I know it's early will have to carry on"

Rory looked over at John.

" He's only had two of the pills and seems to be having some sort of breakdown."

She touched his hand.

"John could still come back to us,maybe he has to go through this to get it out of his,system about his,parents?"

"Clara,would you be happy about that? The man in there is the one you're going to marry,have your baby..a life with,to be fair,you have not known him long"

"I know enough" She said.

"You and Amy have known him thirty years,are you going to give up on him?"

"No,NEVER!" He said.

"Then I trust you and Amy"

She put her hand on his arm.

"So we go on bring John Smith back to me!"

Amy came into the room then,rubbing her eyes,and yawning.

"What's going on?"

Seeing her,John who had been sat at the table quietly while Rory and Clara had been having their talk,suddenly burst into tears again,flung his arms round her waist saying.

"Amy,Daddy is being mean to me"

His lip quivered.

"He shouted at me! Wanted to spank me!"

"What,Rory! Did you?"

She was holding John to her.

Mouthed "There's no change?" over his head.

"Of course not!" He said as Clara shook her head to her silent question.

"I might have told him off,but I didn't threaten to spank him!"

Rory bent down to John's level and touched his face.

"Now Johnnie you know that's not true,I shouted at you for which I'm sorry,but I didn't threaten to spank you"

'God,he really is three years old'

Rory thought.

"Your naughty for saying that"

Pausing then.

"Now are you going to come with me and have a bath? Then we'll play"

"Yes,Please"

John said,taking Rory by the hand as he took him upstairs. Tears forgotten.

Amy said,"Clara,have I missed something? Why are the patio doors wide open.

My vase in pieces on the floor!?"

Clara said.

"John is still Johnnie,we have had a few problems.

Rory thought he'd lost him they both got upset,think its sorted,for now"

She then told Amy what had happened in the time they had both been asleep.

"I think you are both right,Amy said.

"We stand by him,try and get him come back to us,as you said Clara,think he needs to get through this to get over his mum and Dad"

"Do you remember how he was,then Amy?"

"Very into himself, quiet ,as I said would only talk to me and Rory and didn't in his,sleep as Rory I didn't see that"

"Perhaps it's coming out,now,"

"What is?" said Amy.

"The naughty side of him" Clara replied "Rory never threatened to spanking him.

John thinks he is "Daddy" as well,and I'm "Mummy"

"That could be because of Brian,his Dad,their very alike,never thought when we had a child,it would be a thirty four year old.

"Amy,said amused.

"What about me!" said Clara"Mummy"_

"Well,you've had the practice with Daisy...least you be up to speed before the baby is due"

Clara said,"What if he doesn't come back before then.

Oh John!"

She put her hand to her mouth at the thought.

Amy put her arm round her

"Don't think like that,Clara he came back after the first episode he had yesterday,surely when he has taken the pills he will be alright? Come on, Mummy let's get the coffee on,I've a feeling it's going to be a long day and Rory is going to need it_

A/N

Hope you are,still with this story,so John as regressed back to his childhood because of his trauma.

They still have to sort a funeral out as well.

Next chapter,will be up soon"A day with Johnnie"

Please read and review.

Thanks.