**********
Afterwards
Part 2
Author: Mac
Disclaimers in Part 1
**********
Dorothy held Michaela's hand through the whole story. She could hardly believe her friend lived to tell it. She noticed that Michaela's eyes were drooping. "You know where to find me if ya need me."
"I do, Dorothy. Thank you for listening."
"That's what friends are for. Now you get some rest. And don't worry about bein' strong. That's what ya got us for."
Michaela nodded and watched her friend leave. Dorothy was right, she had plenty of friends to be strong for her. With a sigh, she laid down the bed. Sleep came to her the second her head hit the pillow.
*************
"Colleen, can I see Ma yet?" Brian asked.
Colleen looked up from the book she was reading. "I don't know, Brian, when Miss Dorothy left she was asleep."
"I don't have to talk to her, Colleen, I just wanna see her." He pleaded to his sister with his eyes. "Come on, I didn't get ta see her as long as you or Matthew."
"All right, go on. But don't wake her up!" she told him.
Brian smiled, heading to the door. "Thanks, Colleen!"
However, he knew something was wrong the minute he entered the room. He could see her moving around in the bed, muttering something. "Ma!" he called, rushing to her side. He realized that she was having a nightmare.
Brian placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her. "Ma, wake up, it's ok!"
"No! Stay away from me!" she exclaimed, pushing Brian to the floor.
"Ma?" he asked, tears threatening to spill out. "It's me, Brian."
Still in the throes of her nightmare, Michaela shouted, "Leave me alone!"
Colleen rushed into the room to find Brian on the floor in tears. He got up and ran out. "Brian!" With a sigh, Colleen went over to Michaela. "Ma, wake up!"
She took a deep breath and smacked her across the face. Michaela woke up in confusion. "C-Colleen?"
"I'm sorry, I hit ya."
"No, it's all right," Michaela replied.
Colleen gave her a glass of water that was sitting on the nightstand. "Feeling better?"
"A little." Michaela noticed something in Colleen's eyes. "What happened?"
"Well, Brian was in here a few minutes ago. I think he tried to wake ya up from your dream. When I heard ya screamin', I found him on the floor cryin'..."
Michaela closed her eyes. "Oh God. Was he all right?"
"I don't know. He ran out so fast, I couldn't ask him." She pulled off the covers, and swung her legs off the bed. "What are ya doing, Ma?" she asked worriedly.
"I have to find your brother and speak to him."
Colleen pushed her firmly back onto the bed. "No, ya can't do that. Ya need to rest. I'll go find Brian an' bring him back."
************
Brian wasn't paying attention to where he was going and ran straight into Sully. "Whoa there, Brian. Y'all right?"
"Ma don't like me," he said, looking at the ground.
"What are ya talkin' about? Course she does."
Brian shook his head. "No she don't! She told me to stay away and leave her alone."
"Brian!" The two saw Colleen running up to them. "There ya are. Ma wants to see ya."
"See," Sully said, "I told ya she still likes ya."
Colleen nodded. "She was just havin' a bad dream when you came in. She wasn't sayin' that to you."
"Are ya sure, Colleen?" he asked.
"I am." Brian glanced up at Sully, then ran off to the clinic.
"A nightmare?"
"Yeah," she replied. "Sully, it was real bad."
Sully sighed. "We just have to be patient, Colleen. And I'm gonna let her know it ain't gonna happen again."
Afterwards
Part 2
Author: Mac
Disclaimers in Part 1
**********
Dorothy held Michaela's hand through the whole story. She could hardly believe her friend lived to tell it. She noticed that Michaela's eyes were drooping. "You know where to find me if ya need me."
"I do, Dorothy. Thank you for listening."
"That's what friends are for. Now you get some rest. And don't worry about bein' strong. That's what ya got us for."
Michaela nodded and watched her friend leave. Dorothy was right, she had plenty of friends to be strong for her. With a sigh, she laid down the bed. Sleep came to her the second her head hit the pillow.
*************
"Colleen, can I see Ma yet?" Brian asked.
Colleen looked up from the book she was reading. "I don't know, Brian, when Miss Dorothy left she was asleep."
"I don't have to talk to her, Colleen, I just wanna see her." He pleaded to his sister with his eyes. "Come on, I didn't get ta see her as long as you or Matthew."
"All right, go on. But don't wake her up!" she told him.
Brian smiled, heading to the door. "Thanks, Colleen!"
However, he knew something was wrong the minute he entered the room. He could see her moving around in the bed, muttering something. "Ma!" he called, rushing to her side. He realized that she was having a nightmare.
Brian placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her. "Ma, wake up, it's ok!"
"No! Stay away from me!" she exclaimed, pushing Brian to the floor.
"Ma?" he asked, tears threatening to spill out. "It's me, Brian."
Still in the throes of her nightmare, Michaela shouted, "Leave me alone!"
Colleen rushed into the room to find Brian on the floor in tears. He got up and ran out. "Brian!" With a sigh, Colleen went over to Michaela. "Ma, wake up!"
She took a deep breath and smacked her across the face. Michaela woke up in confusion. "C-Colleen?"
"I'm sorry, I hit ya."
"No, it's all right," Michaela replied.
Colleen gave her a glass of water that was sitting on the nightstand. "Feeling better?"
"A little." Michaela noticed something in Colleen's eyes. "What happened?"
"Well, Brian was in here a few minutes ago. I think he tried to wake ya up from your dream. When I heard ya screamin', I found him on the floor cryin'..."
Michaela closed her eyes. "Oh God. Was he all right?"
"I don't know. He ran out so fast, I couldn't ask him." She pulled off the covers, and swung her legs off the bed. "What are ya doing, Ma?" she asked worriedly.
"I have to find your brother and speak to him."
Colleen pushed her firmly back onto the bed. "No, ya can't do that. Ya need to rest. I'll go find Brian an' bring him back."
************
Brian wasn't paying attention to where he was going and ran straight into Sully. "Whoa there, Brian. Y'all right?"
"Ma don't like me," he said, looking at the ground.
"What are ya talkin' about? Course she does."
Brian shook his head. "No she don't! She told me to stay away and leave her alone."
"Brian!" The two saw Colleen running up to them. "There ya are. Ma wants to see ya."
"See," Sully said, "I told ya she still likes ya."
Colleen nodded. "She was just havin' a bad dream when you came in. She wasn't sayin' that to you."
"Are ya sure, Colleen?" he asked.
"I am." Brian glanced up at Sully, then ran off to the clinic.
"A nightmare?"
"Yeah," she replied. "Sully, it was real bad."
Sully sighed. "We just have to be patient, Colleen. And I'm gonna let her know it ain't gonna happen again."
