Thanks again to Alyssa Ray for her help with this chapter. Also a shout out to brittpage21 for spell checking this chapter.
This chapter returns to Chris's POV
I was in a field of yellow and blue flowers; a gentle breeze caused the lush green leaves of a large oak tree to rustle. The sunlight warmed my pale freckled skin as I wandered through the long grass, which tickled my bare legs and feet. The cool breeze caused my milk white linen dress flutter slightly as I wandered aimlessly.
A small smile spread across my face as I brushed my fingers against the blades of grass and delicate flower petals. Suddenly a soft voice, belonging to a female, caused me to pause and whip my head around to investigate. There, standing before me was my mother. The floral dress she was wearing highlighted her caring eyes, her blonde hair moving with the breeze as she slowly approached me.
My eyes widened with disbelief, I opened my mouth to speak but my mother glided over and placed a single finger against my dry lips. She smiled down at me.
"Shhh, I'm here to help you get well little one," she hushed, as her other hand smoothed down my fluffy hair. "Sometimes all you need is Mom."
She leveled herself with me and I threw myself into her arms, a lump forming in my throat. I knew that this was a dream, and that's what made it all the more painful. Soothing warmth radiated from my mother as she held me close.
"Mommy" I uttered, resembling my inner child as I clutched at the material of her dress, my breath hitched with emotion.
Mom pulled away from the embrace slightly in order to gaze into my eyes. She smiled as she stroked the side of my face.
"I'm right here baby," she said comfortingly. "You just rest and let me take care of you."
Oh, why can't this be real. Why did it have to be a figment of my imagination, expressed through a dream. It wasn't fair!
"I'm sorry" I whispered, leaning into her touch.
My Mom frowned in confusion and concern as she gazed into my eyes, her fingers tucked a strand of hair behind my right ear.
"Sorry for what angel?" she enquired.
I sighed, my voice threatening to crack due to the bubbling emotions inside me.
"For getting myself into this mess. I'm sorry for getting myself hurt" I answered sadly, tears glazing my eyes.
A kiss was planted on my forehead, Mom then cupped the side of my face in her gentle hands.
"I am so proud of you sweetheart," she smiled, her eyes shining with pride. "I admire you for choosing what you think is right. You are following your family and that is what is important. Dean and your father may not always make the best decisions, but they are trying their best and doing a good job."
My brother maybe but I still had my reservations regarding my Dad. He wasn't a bad man though, even though his words and actions hurt.
"We don't have much time sweetheart; you need to get back to Dean before he loses his mind," added Mom. "He loves you so much Chrissie. You need to watch out for him as much as he watches out for you. Promise me that."
I nodded as I gazed up at her, tears stinging my eyes as my Mother began to dissolve into the air. A ghostly kiss grazed my cheek before she disappeared altogether. Suddenly a dazzling flash of light nearly blinded me. I guess it was time to wake up.
My eyes creaked open as I returned to reality. I can recall the sensation of a tube being shoved down my throat, regardless of being unconscious at the time I could still feel every poke and prod from the doctors and nurses. I've always hated hospitals. It's not the fact that you're stuck there for whatever reason; it's the smell that freaks me out. The sterile stench of disinfectant and medicines make me feel sick with worry and fear. The curtain of death also hangs around hospitals.
The ventilator must have been replaced, as an oxygen mask was clamped over my nose and mouth. Groggily, I gazed up only to be confronted by my big brother. He almost broke every bone in my right hand when he grabbed hold of it.
"You had me going there for a while kid," he said. "I seriously thought you weren't going to open those green eyes up for me again. Scared the crap outta me!"
I felt guilty for giving him such a scare, then again I didn't exactly plan it. Blinking up at him with bleary eyes, I made an attempt to speak. My throat raw and sore.
"Hey, no talking young lady," he chided with a small frown. "You need to save your strength and your oxygen."
I felt so lightheaded and all I could do was blink and squeeze my brother's hand. Whatever drugs or medicines I was been administered, it was wreaking havoc with my logic, confusing fact with fantasy. This nurse with a broad Boston accent then showed up with, I'm assuming, some sort of therapist. I was giving two breathing treatments since it was claimed that my chest was still very tight due to the smoke inhalation. Under strict rules, I was allowed to remove the mask for short periods of time, until my breathing was stable enough.
The nurse, named Joyce soon left with the therapist, leaving me alone with my brother. Slowly, I removed the mask from my face with a trembling hand.
"Mom," I croaked with a hoarse voice. I gazed up at my concerned big brother, squeezing his hand again "I saw Mommy, Dean."
He blinked, holding back his breathe as he looked down at me. I had freaked him out with my statement. This was like the scene in Sixth Sense when the kid tells Bruce Willis that he sees dead people.
"Oh yeah," replied Dean, raising an eyebrow slightly. "What did she say?"
I licked my parched lips as I pressed the back of my head against the pillows. Was it raining upwards outside? Uh oh. The drugs were kicking in. I've been told that I become extremely hyper and crazy whenever I'm given any form of pain relief. I gazed up at my brother.
"To watch out for you" I answered weakly.
My brother scoffed at me and rolled his eyes.
"Watch out for me!" he said with a smile. "You're the one in the hospital bed, not me. What have I been telling you? Huh? I take care of you, remember."
No I'm sure it was raining upwards. Another fact I just remembered, the doctors and nurses had an evil plan, what the plan was might take a while recollecting.
"You need some rest kid," Dean said leaning over to plant a kiss on my forehead. "I'll be right here, not moving an inch."
With that limp, a tortoise would beat him in a race at this current stage. Come to think of it, what was a tortoise doing at the foot of my bed? I smirked and wriggled my toes. Leaning forward towards the strange tortoise wearing a purple bandana, I cocked my head like a confused boxer puppy, wrinkling my nose like a rabbit. My trademark confused expression.
"Get some rest little girl," said Dean, gently pushing me into the mattress. "I need you well."
Ha. The tortoise just gave me a thumbs up. Do they even have thumbs? Now it was licking a lettuce flavored ice cream, giving me the odd glance.
"I'm not a little girl" I protested with a pout as I folded my arms.
The tortoise continued to eat the ice cream whilst laying on a tiny hammock. I really was crazy.
"Okay, miss eleven year old, you still need rest," he mimicked whilst trying not to laugh. "I'm the boss and it's an order."
He had begun to recognize the symptoms of my hyperactive madness. Poor guy. Minutes later I passed out, only to wake up several hours later. Dean hadn't moved from his spot. My brother is like a guard dog around me. Anything troublesome regardless of whatever or whoever, they will be at high risk of being bitten or mauled.
"How are you feeling baby?" he asked me as soon as my eyes reopened. He squeezed my hand tightly as I yawned.
"A little sore" I wheezed, rubbing my throat with my free hand.
The instant I said that, my brother's expression turned to concern and panic. Drama king.
"Do you want me to get a nurse?" he asked, the concern evident in his voice. "Do you need another breathing treatment?"
She shook my head before motioning him with my hand. He sat on the bed beside me, waiting for me to make the next move. I leaned forward as if to tell him a secret.
"The doctors are evil," I whispered. "It's all a master plan to get our DNA and send it to aliens on Mars. The aliens are gonna invade the Earth and drain the Atlantic for science."
Oh Lord, I had officially lost my mind now. My brother blinked and raised his eyebrows at me.
"We're all gonna be slaves for the aliens. I heard them talking, but they don't know that I know," I continued. My eyes widened with fear at that point. "The doctors said they were gonna steal my brain. They want to cut my head open like a melon."
Dean shook his head in amusement and confusion.
"Chris, what in the hell are you talking about?" he asked, a smirk playing across his face. As he ruffled my hair, he added with a small chuckle. "Your delusional little head is still intact."
I pouted like a toddler, my eyes going wide like a puppy.
"I'm not lying," I insisted, tears welling in my eyes. My bottom lip wobbled. "I'm scared."
My brother sighed and rolled his eyes. He shook his head at me again.
"First, I assure you there are no aliens here," he said. "Second even if there was, I would not let them cut your melon and steal your DNA. Not gonna happen on my watch."
Tears began to drip down my pale cheeks, my bottom lip trembling like a little kid.
"I don't wanna go to Mars," I said sniffling.
Sighing again out of humor and exhaustion, my big brother pulled me into a one armed embrace.
"Sweetheart, you are not going to Mars," he told me in an assuring tone as he gazed down at me fondly, giving me a slight nudge. "Look, here's the plan. As soon as we bust out of here, we are finding a decent motel and getting you all better, okay kid."
I sniffed and wiped my nose with the back of my hand noisily. My brother held back a grimace as I did so as snot grossed him out.
"C'mon get some rest, we'll be outta here before you know it," he grinned whilst running a hand through my hair. "No aliens are coming to take over the world, and nobody is gonna steal your brain. I'm on guard duty. They would have to get past me first."
Even though I was still alert about an impending alien invasion and a brain snatching scenario, the drugs once again knocked me into another round of slumber.
I received a review regarding this story from an anonymous reader stating that it's kinda bad that I'm recently delivering more updates for this section of Chris's story. Also that I need to slow down with the chapter updates and more quality is needed because I seem to be doing something wrong.
Honestly I was taken aback by this review but I have my reasons for producing short chapters. I have a busy week due to college and a work placement at a nearby school. I try to produce longer chapters and I'm going to within the next few chapters. Also I've started a new semester at college and I have homework and stuff. I do this out of my free time and enjoyment. I'm not J.K Rowling.
I know I need to lengthen my chapters and I promise to do so. I wasn't offended by this review but I felt a tiny bit patronized. I do like feedback but please choose your words wisely. It was hard to decide whether or not that review was positive or negative.
For the fans of this story, I thank you all so much for following me with this story and my others too. It means a lot to me to hear good and kind feedback as it pushes me to produce more.
Anyway, rant over.
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