~~Hello readers, I'm back with a new chapter.
I do not own anything from Bakugan.
Only my original characters belong to me.~~
It was now early evening at my apartment.
I had just exited my room after leaving Preyas with our new Bakugan friend Aquos Akwimos.
Akwimos had a calm and collected personality, so I trusted him to watch over Preyas.
Pegasus ran into the living room while panting happily.
"Wait up buddy," I called after him.
Pegasus was laying on the back of the couch when I caught up to him.
I playfully ruffled the dog's fur.
Pegasus nipped at me in return while fanning me with his bushy tail.
His playful growl made me laugh.
"Sioku, don't make him too wild. He might have an accident," said Lynn.
"Pegasus will be fine," I assured.
I couldn't stop thinking about Preyas, so I decided to check on him.
"Hey Akwimos, is Preyas okay?" I asked telepathically.
"Yes mis Sioku, your little dude is just fine. He is sleeping next to me," Akwimos answered.
"Thanks again for watching him," I said sincerely.
"You're most welcome mis Sioku," Akwimos replied.
I was immediately pulled out of my thoughts when Pegasus started barking at the door.
The sound of his high pitched bark made me laugh out loud.
"Knock it off dog," said Kara as she walked inside.
I couldn't help but giggle at that.
Pegasus hopped off of the couch and excitedly ran circles around Kara's legs.
"This dog has the zoomies again," I thought.
Akwimos chuckled and then replied. "Your dog's energy seems to be infinite."
"Go lay down," Kara commanded.
Pegasus shook off and then settled down in a space between the couches.
Kara looked at me and said. "Sioku, I would like you to set the table in a few minutes."
"Yes ma'am," I responded.
She then pointed at Lynn and asked. "Do you want to help me make dinner?"
"Of course Mom," Lynn answered as she stood up.
"We're making a simple meal tonight," Kara added.
As Lynn and Mom were working in the kitchen, I went ahead and began my activity.
"Mis Sioku, are you coming back in your room after you're finished?" asked Akwimos telepathically.
"Yes Akwimos, is everything okay in there?" I thought with slight concern.
"Don't worry mis Sioku, Preyas and I are all right. I was just wondering what I should do when he wakes up," Akwimos answered reassuringly.
"You and Preyas should get to know each other," I suggested.
"Good idea mis Sioku," Akwimos replied.
First, I filled up three cups with ice water and placed them at each seat.
Then I neatly laid silverware on a few napkins.
Lastly, I grabbed three glass bowls out of a kabinet and placed them on the counter.
Lynn looked at the table and said to me. "You did a good job Sioku."
"Thanks Lynn," I simply replied.
"Dinner is ready," Kara called from the kitchen.
"Okay Mother," I replied.
Lynn and I stood patiently near one of the counters.
Kara handed us a bowl of hot soup.
"Thank you Mom," Lynn and I said in unison.
"You're welcome girls," Kara replied.
Lynn and I then made our way back into the dining room.
We situated ourselves at the table.
Kara joined us a few minutes later.
My family and I ate our meal in silence.
I watched the Tv in order to keep my mind off of Preyas and Akwimos.
Pegasus broke the silence by growling at the window.
I couldn't help but start laughing to myself.
"Pegasus! Get away from the window!" yelled Kara.
The dog whimpered while scratching on the glass.
I resisted the urge to burst into laughter as I turned my head away.
"Sioku, go put that dog in your bedroom," said Kara to me.
"Yes ma'am," I replied as I stood up.
I quickly walked over to the window and grabbed Pegasus.
Then I carried him down the hall and into my room.
"Hello mis Sioku," greeted Akwimos as I opened the door.
"Hi Akwimos, I just came in to drop Pegasus off. I'll be back later," I said quietly.
"We'll see you then," Akwimos replied.
I closed the door behind me and then walked back into the dining room.
"Sioku, do you know why that dog barks so much?" asked Kara.
"His excitement probably gets the better of him," I answered.
"I'll take Pegasus out after dinner," Lynn offered.
"I would appreciate that very much," I replied gratefully.
After dinner, Lynn and I cleaned up the kitchen.
I washed the dirty dishes while she wiped down the counters.
Kara wiped down the dining room table.
As soon as our chores were done, I rushed back to my room and let Pegasus out.
Pegasus bolted straight into the living room while panting.
Lynn clipped a leash onto his collar and then led him outside.
"Hello Bakugan friends," I greeted as I closed the door behind me.
"Welcome back mis Sioku," replied Akwimos.
I walked slowly over to my bed and then sat down.
"How is Preyas doing?" I asked calmly.
"Preyas has been asleep since you left," Akwimos answered.
I gently placed my hands around the sleeping Bakugan and picked him up.
"It's okay Preyas, I've got you. This is Sioku," I said softly.
Akwimos rose from my bed and hovered next to me.
A long period of complete silence passed between the three of us.
I laid down carefully in order to prevent myself from startling Preyas.
Preyas lay still on my chest.
"Mis Sioku, does Preyas usually sleep for a long time after he has a panic attack?" asked Akwimos.
"Yes, we just have to wait until he wakes up. Panic attacks take a lot of energy out of him," I answered quietly.
"I'll stay right here by your side in case anything happens," Akwimos said calmly.
"Thanks Akwimos, I'm really glad you're here with us. Preyas could learn a lot from you," I replied with a smile.
In the midst of our quiet conversation, Preyas woke up and looked at Akwimos and me.
"Hi Preyas, how are you feeling?" I asked smoothly.
"Very tired," Preyas answered with a yawn.
"Are you all right little dude?" asked Akwimos.
"I'm fine," Preyas answered briefly.
I hugged Preyas close to me and said. "Oh Preyas Love, I was so worried about you."
"Mis Sioku and I didn't mean to frighten you earlier today," Akwimos added.
Preyas yawned again and closed his eyes.
I sang another song to Preyas while rubbing him in a soothing way.
Preyas drifted off during the song.
"I love your singing voice mis Sioku," said Akwimos.
"Thank you, Preyas loves it too. My voice helps him relax," I replied.
I pulled out my phone and said happily. "Hey Akwimos, I am about to video call my friends. Would you like to meet them?"
"Cool is the rule mis Sioku, I would love to meet your friends. This will be great," Akwimos answered joyfully.
"You sure have a lot of energy," I added.
I opened up the group chat and pressed the video call button.
Dan, Runo, and Julie answered almost immediately.
"Good evening people and Bakugan," I greeted with a smile.
"Same to you Sioku," replied Dan.
"How are you feeling. asked Julie.
"Are you at home now?" Runo added.
"Yes, I've been home since this afternoon. I am feeling much better now," I answered.
"That's good to hear," said Runo.
Dan pointed his camera at Preyas and asked. "Hey Sioku, is your Bakugan tired?"
"Yes, Preyas had a panic attack at the park. It was caused by paranoia," I answered quietly.
"Pardon me Sioku, but why does your Bakugan have panic attacks?" Julie chimed in.
"My Preyas is afraid of brawling. Just watching a brawl will scare him," I explained.
Drago hovered in front of Dan's computer screen.
"Dan and I have witnessed one of Preyas' panic attacks. That Bakugan wouldn't move as soon as he was released. It is not a pretty sight at all. I made a wise decision by not fighting him," he said with a serious expression.
"Preyas trembled violently and couldn't breathe very well until I calmed him down," I added.
"That sounds really rough," replied Runo.
"I feel bad for the poor Bakugan," Julie said sadly.
"Don't worry Julie, Sioku knows how to take care of her Preyas. She's a real pro at that," Dan replied in a happier tone.
I blushed in response to his complement.
"Speaking of Bakugan, I want to introduce someone to all of you. I just met him at the park," I said cheerfully.
"Really? Who is it?" replied Runo.
I pointed my camera down at the other Aquos Bakugan laying beside me and answered. "Everyone, this is my new Bakugan friend Aquos Akwimos."
Akwimos perked up and chimed in. "Cool is the rule dude, it's nice to meet all of you."
"My name is Dan Kuso. I love your catch phrase," Dan said with a bright smile.
"Yeah, it really suits you Akwimos. My name is Julie Makimoto," Julie continued.
"My name is Runo Misaki. I'm glad to meet you Akwimos," Runo added.
"Hey Sioku, how did you and Akwimos meet?" asked Dan.
"I took Pegasus to the park after you left. My Preyas and I were just having a normal conversation when I spotted a Bakugan hovering above the fountain. Akwimos introduced himself and then told me that he came to help Preyas conquer his fears," I explained.
"Preyas could use the extra help," said Dan.
"That's true, and I'm glad to have Akwimos here with us. I can't wait until you guys meet him in person," I replied gleefully.
Dan looked at me and asked curiously. "Sioku, will you be busy tomorrow?"
"No, do you want to hang out?" I replied.
"Yes, I want to take you over to Runo's cafe. You and your Bakugan can meet Runo and Julie too," he answered.
"Okay, that sounds like a great idea. I'll ask my mom for permission in the morning," I said with excitement.
"Cool is the rule dude, I'm totally in. I would love to meet you guys for real," Akwimos chimed in.
I laughed out loud and then said to my Bakugan. "I love you Akwimos, you're so adorable."
"I look forward to meeting you tomorrow Sioku," replied Runo.
"Yeah, me too," Julie added.
I curiously looked over at my alarm clock.
The screen red: 10:00 PM.
"It's getting late, so I'm going to get ready for bed now. I'll talk to you guys in the morning," I said.
"Good night Sioku," replied Dan.
"It was nice talking to you again," continued Runo.
"Sleep well," Julie added.
I ended the video call and then plugged my phone into the charger.
Then I gently set Preyas down and asked. "Akwimos, will you please watch him for a few minutes?"
"Of course mis Sioku," Akwimos answered as he snuggled up to Preyas.
"Thank you Akwimos, you've been a big help to me since we met. I appreciate you so much," I said sincerely.
"It's not a problem at all mis Sioku. I appreciate you for taking me in," Akwimos replied.
I slid off of the bed carefully in order to prevent myself from waking Preyas up.
"I'll be right back Akwimos," I said as I stepped away.
"Take your time mis Sioku," Akwimos replied.
I quickly changed out of my regular clothes and into pajamas.
Then I brushed my teeth at the bathroom sink.
Lastly, I took the rubber band out of my hair.
Back in my room, I climbed into bed and carefully situated myself next to the two Bakugan.
"Welcome back mis Sioku," said Akwimos.
"Hi Akwimos, how is Preyas doing?" I replied softly.
"Preyas is all right," Akwimos answered.
I put my arms around both Bakugan and closed my eyes.
"Good night mis Sioku," said Akwimos.
"Same to you Akwimos," I replied.
"Good night Preyas," I whispered.
I felt safe and secure with the two Aquos Bakugan by my side.
My Paranoia didn't exist in this wonderful moment.
The complete silence in my room allowed Akwimos and me to drift off within a few minutes.
Unfortunately, my dream wasn't peaceful at all.
~Dream~
I found myself back in elementary school.
My academic assistant Julie and I were alone in the computer lab.
All of my classmates had gone out to the playground for recess.
This was our third and last recess before school let out for the day.
Julie was punishing me for freaking out over Type to Learn by making me work more on it during that time.
She sat in a chair directly behind mine while glaring daggers at me.
Her death stare made me feel very uncomfortable, but I just shrugged it off.
I didn't want to give her a reason to yell at me or extend my punishment.
Unfortunately, I didn't have the Bakugan or Zenoheld by my side.
Deep down, I knew that Type to Learn was going to scare me senseless.
However, I decided to force my fears down in order to prevent myself from attracting Julie's unwanted attention.
I tried to pretend that Type to Learn didn't bother me by putting up a brave face.
It seemed to work for a while.
The female robotic computer voice didn't faze me as much as it usually did.
I worked quietly on each lesson and completed them with perfect accuracy.
This went on for twenty minutes straight.
Thankfully, I was finally able to get off the computer when recess was over.
I stood up and stretched my legs.
"Go back to the classroom Sioku, I'll meet you there. Do not fool around, or I'll punish you again. Do I make myself clear?" Julie demanded in a threatening way.
"Yes ma'am," I answered quietly.
"Get out of my sight," she said roughly.
I then hurried out of the computer lab and headed back to my teacher's classroom.
My classmates were laughing and having conversations as they stood on the metal ramp.
Julie's daughter Mira smirked at me as I approached the ramp.
She then turned to the other kids and said. "Look everybody, Sad Sioku has returned."
None of them responded to her which earned them all a glare of annoyance.
"You're so pathetic Mira," I commented.
Mira ignored my comment and proceeded to taunt me. "Hi Sad Sioku, did you enjoy my mom's punishment?"
"Shut up and leave me alone," I snapped back.
"Whatever Sad Sioku," Mira said with a huff.
I turned around and looked down at a small pach of tall grass.
My classmates and I entered the room as soon as the teacher arrived.
I took my usual seat in the back.
"Okay everyone! May I please have your attention?" the teacher called out.
All of the chattering soon faded into silence.
"I am giving all of you two choices. You may either work on your homework or read a book for the last thirty minutes of class," she said.
"Yes ma'am," we replied in unison.
I immediately pulled out my English homework and began working.
All was going well until I felt a burning sensation in my chest.
I bravely pushed through the pain in order to keep Julie and Mira off my back.
The pain in my chest got worse with every minute that passed, but I forced myself to stay focused.
Before I knew it, school was finally over.
People immediately started leaving as soon as the dismissal bell rang.
Fortunately for me, Julie left with the other adults.
I followed behind a large crowd of other students as we walked toward the bus area.
My younger sister Lynn met me in one of the lines.
"Hey Sioku, are you ready to go home?" she asked.
"Yes, I am so exhausted. Julie drives me crazy," I answered.
As soon as we boarded the bus, I sat directly behind the driver while Lynn sat in the middle with her friends.
I continued fighting through the intense pain and held my chest tightly.
Breathing was becoming more difficult for me as well.
The bus ride seemed to go on forever.
I felt like I was going to pass out.
As soon as the bus pulled up to my house, I stood up and immediately stepped off.
Lynn caught up to me wearing a concerned expression.
"Sioku, why are you in such a hurry?" she asked.
"I'm in a lot of pain right now," I answered weakly.
Lynn put her arm around me and said. "Let's go Sioku, I'll take you inside the house."
I tried my best to keep up with Lynn as she quickly led me through the apartment building.
Going up the stairs wasn't easy for me since I had been weak for a while.
My heart pounded rapidly in my chest.
Lynn pushed the door open and led me inside.
Pegasus excitedly ran circles around Lynn and me as soon as we entered our apartment.
I couldn't help but smile at him.
Pegasus' hyper energy always brightened up the room.
"Settle down boy," said Lynn.
The hyper dog shook off and then hopped onto one of the couches.
Lynn slowly led me to the couch and helped me get situated.
Our mother Kara heard all of the noise and emerged from her bedroom.
"Good afternoon girls," she greeted warmly.
"Hello Mother," I replied breathlessly.
"Did you have a good day at school?" Kara continued.
"Not really," I answered briefly.
"I had a good day," Lynn added.
"Sioku, what happened at school today?" Kara asked as she looked at me.
"Julie punished me for freaking out over Type to Learn by making me work on it during all of my recesses. She doesn't care about my panic attacks. I had two major ones today," I explained.
"I am so sorry Sioku, Julie should have never put you through all of that. I'm going to have a serious talk with her tomorrow morning while you're in class," Kara said in disbelief.
"Thank you Mother," I whispered.
"Mom, there is something wrong with Sioku. Sioku is very weak, and she told me that her chest hurt. She couldn't walk or stand on her own without falling," Lynn chimed in.
"Sioku, when did you start feeling this way?" Kara asked as she looked at me.
"Right after I got off the bus," I answered breathlessly.
Kara then turned to Lynn and asked. "Will you please go to the neighbor's house for a few hours? I need to take your sister to the hospital immediately."
"Yes Mom, I'll go there in a few minutes. I'm going to put Pegasus in his kennel first," Lynn answered.
"Thank you Lynn, Sioku and I should be back home later tonight. I'll call you as soon as we return," Kara said warmly.
"Okay, I'll see you two later. Feel better soon Sioku," Lynn replied.
I stood up slowly while holding onto the couch.
My whole body throbbed in agony, but I was determined to try walking again.
"Wait Sioku, I don't want you to fall. I'll carry you to my car," Kara said as she picked me up.
She then rushed down the stairs and out of the building.
After helping me get situated in the passenger seat, Kara jumped into the driver's seat and drove away.
I looked out my window as a distraction from the pain.
Luckily, the nearest hospital was only 15 minutes away from our apartment.
Kara parked her car in the hospital's parking lot and then lifted me out of the passenger side.
She then carried me into the large building.
Even though I was weak and in extreme pain, I knew exactly where my mom and I were.
The sights and smells of this place made me feel very anxious.
At the reception desk, Kara checked me in.
We then waited in the lobby.
"Sioku," called the receptionist.
Kara stood up and walked toward toward the back area.
A friendly female nurse led her into an exam room.
Kara gently laid me down on the bed.
"What seems to be going on?" asked the nurse.
"Sioku has had fatigue and chest pain since she got off the school bus today," answered Kara.
"Do you know what caused it?" the nurse continued.
"It's probably stress from her panic attacks," Kara answered again.
The nurse typed the details in a report on her computer.
She then checked my vital signs and hooked me up to a few monitors.
I twitched nervously whenever one of her medical tools came in contact with my body.
"Both Sioku's heart rate and blood pressure are very high," she said while staring at the screen.
"Is there any way you could bring it down?" asked Kara.
"The doctor will come in shortly and give her some IV medication," the nurse answered before she walked out.
My mom and I waited in silence.
I closed my eyes and slipped into a train of thought.
Ten minutes later, a male doctor entered the room.
"Hello ladies," he greeted.
"Good afternoon sir," replied Kara.
I opened my eyes and looked around the room.
"Hey Sioku, how are you feeling?" asked the doctor.
"I feel like my chest is on fire," I answered weakly.
"Don't worry Sioku, I'll give you some medication to help you feel better," he assured.
He then filled a bag with medication and attached a tube to the IV machine.
I started to tense up as I watched.
My stomach instantly tied up in knots.
First, the doctor searched for a vein in my arm.
Then he cleaned my arm with a disinfectant wipe.
I shivered in fear of what was coming next.
Lastly, he inserted a needle in my arm and wrapped up the spot with a bandage.
"I am about to go see other patients now. I'll come back and check on her in a few minutes," said the doctor before he took his leave.
My body finally gave in to the exhaustion, and I drifted off to sleep.
All was going well until my monitors began to beep erratically.
"Somebody please help my daughter!" Kara hollered sadly.
Alarms rang throughout the space which alerted the doctors and nurses.
They immediately rushed into my room and surrounded the bed.
I was now unconscious and couldn't respond to the commotion around me.
"What's wrong with Sioku?" Kara asked frantically.
"Her heart is in ventricular tachycardia," answered the nurse.
"What does that mean?" Kara continued.
"Sioku's heart is beating way faster than it should. We need to shock it back into normal rhythm," she explained.
Kara sobbed as she stared down at my unconscious body.
One doctor placed two defibrillation pads on my chest while the other doctor charged up the defibrillator.
"All clear, shock," commanded the first doctor.
The second doctor sent an electric shock through my heart.
My stats on the monitors remained unchanged.
A third doctor inserted another IV line in my body and pumped more medicine into me.
"Shock her again," commanded the first doctor.
The second doctor shocked my chest a second time.
"She's in ventricular fibrillation," said the nurse.
"What does that mean?" asked Kara.
"Now Sioku's heart is beating way slower than it should. We have to shock her again," the nurse explained.
A third dose of medicine was pumped into my body.
The same doctor charged up the defibrillator and shocked my heart a second time.
"Sioku! No!" Kara cried.
"We're doing everything that we can to help your daughter," the third doctor assured.
Much to everyone's relief, my stats on the monitors went back to normal.
"Sioku should be okay now. We'll need to keep her here for observation," said the nurse to Kara.
"That's okay with me as long as she gets better," Kara replied.
My eyes fluttered open as I slowly regained consciousness.
I still had many tubes and wires hooked up to me.
~End Dream~
I gasped deeply as I shook myself awake.
My entire body trembled with fear.
Sweat covered my forehead as I panted heavily.
My heart pounded rapidly in my chest.
I opened my eyes and frantically looked around the room.
Fortunately, I still had the two Aquos Bakugan by my side.
"Preyas... Akwimos... I said timidly.
Akwimos heard my voice and woke up immediately.
"Mis Sioku, what's going on? Are you all right?" he asked with a worried expression.
The sound of his voice helped me perk up a bit.
I pulled him into a tight hug and answered sadly. "No Aquimos, I just had a terrible nightmare about an event from my past."
"Was that just a bad dream, or did it really happen to you?" the Bakugan asked smoothly.
I shivered anxiously as I explained. "Unfortunately that was a real event. I had two major panic attacks at school which put a lot of stress on my body. My chest felt like it was on fire as soon as I came home. I was immediately rushed to the hospital by my mom. The doctor gave me medicine through an IV in order to lower my heart rate and blood pressure. All was going well until my monitors started beeping erratically while I was asleep. The doctors had to shock my heart twice in order to stabilize the rhythm."
Akwimos felt the shaking in my body and said gently. "Calm down mis Sioku, you're trembling like a leaf. What's wrong?"
"I have an uncontrollable fear of medical facilities because I've been in and out of the hospital many times," I answered sadly.
"If you don't mind me asking, what causes your Panic attacks?" he added.
"Stressful situations," I answered briefly.
"I'm so sorry mis Sioku, is there anything I can do for you?" Akwimos said sympathetically.
"Would you mind telling me about your home world?" I replied.
"Not at all mis Sioku," Akwimos answered.
Akwimos went on to explain that Neathia is being ruled by a queen and a princess, and that everyone there lives in peace and harmony.
I slowly started to calm down as I listened to his story.
My heart rate gradually returned to normal.
"How do you feel mis Sioku?" asked Akwimos.
I'm feeling much better now," I answered calmly.
"Cool is the rule dude," he said in a happier tone.
I giggled happily in response to his catch phrase.
"Mis Sioku, I love seeing that pretty smile of yours. I'm glad to know that my catch phrase cheered you up," Akwimos added while grinning at me.
"Thank you for your help Akwimos, I am able to recover from nightmares much faster with you and Preyas here," I replied.
I continued to hold both Akwimos and Preyas close to me as I relaxed.
An image of Zenoheld flashed through my mind which made me smile again.
"I'm glad to see you looking happy again mis Sioku. Your smile is beautiful," said Akwimos.
"I love you Akwimos," I replied softly.
A brief period of silence passed between us.
"Mis Sioku, how often do you have nightmares?" Akwimos asked curiously.
It varies depending on how I feel at night. I'll have nightmares more frequently if I'm stressed," I answered.
"That sounds really rough," Akwimos said quietly.
"My academic assistant Julie causes most of them," I replied with a bit of frustration.
Preyas heard our conversation and woke up.
"Hi Preyas," I greeted softly.
"Hey Sioku, did something just happen?" Preyas asked slightly worried.
"I had a nightmare, but I'll be fine. Please don't be sad," I said gently.
"What? Sioku, are you serious? You should have woke me up," Preyas replied fearfully.
"Chill out little dude, everything is all right now. Mis Sioku is back to being herself," Akwimos assured smoothly.
Preyas thought to himself while staring at Akwimos.
"Wait Akwimos, you already helped her?" he asked in a calmer voice.
"I sure did," Akwimos answered cheerfully.
I placed my hand over Preyas and said gently. "Preyas, I really do appreciate your concern for me. I also wanted you to rest and recover from your panic attack. Your recovery will always come before mine."
"Thank you Sioku, how do you feel right now?" Preyas replied.
"Don't worry Dearest, I'm okay now. I promise," I assured.
"Mis Sioku is safe with us little dude," Akwimos added.
"I apologize for freaking out on you like that," Preyas said remorsefully.
"It's okay Preyas Love, I know why you did. Your concern means a lot to me," I replied smoothly.
"Hey little dude, did you sleep well?" Akwimos asked Preyas.
"Yes Akwimos, I slept fine. I feel much better thanks to you and Sioku," Preyas answered.
"I'm always happy to help little dude," Akwimos added.
"Pardon me Sioku, but what was your nightmare about?" asked Preyas.
"It was a recurring dream about that time when my heart got shocked at the hospital. I told you about that event in the infirmary at school," I explained.
I let out a yawn and closed my eyes.
"Are you tired again mis Sioku?" asked Akwimos.
"Yes, hopefully I'll have a better dream this time. I am always afraid of having another nightmare after waking up from the first one," I explained.
"We're here to help in case you do," assured Preyas.
"Your little dude is right," continued Akwimos.
"I love both of you so much," I replied with a bright smile.
I took a deep breath while staring affectionately at my Bakugan friends.
A long period of silence passed between the three of us.
My Bakugan and I drifted into the darkness once again.