Reality is gone

In a dream I will escape

You said hold on

But I feel like I'm slipping away

-Trust Company-

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Danny could hear them calling to him, touching him, and crying around him. But reality was blurring in and out of his head. This was the second time he'd been reduced to this state of mind and he still didn't know how to control it. He was teetering on the razor's edge of life and death.

One way he'd feel so good into letting his consciousness go, then the next way he would catch Sam's mournful cry and he would grasp tightly to life. And he knew he had a better chance if he just opened his eyes, he had to fight the darkness and keep them open. Because he knew just beyond this refuge was a girl with teary violet eyes waiting for him and a man with navy blue one hoping to see him alive.

He was expected to live, to survive. If he died again, this whole thing would've been in vain. He didn't want to run in a never ending circle of life an death. It was time he got stronger, so Danny fought. It was a inner struggle of pure pain. He never realized how horribly battled he was until he actually tried to get a hold of consciousness.

It hurt, it hurt like nothing he'd ever felt before. It burned him from the inside out, and Danny wasn't sure how much of it he could take. Because at this point he was only feeling half the pain, now he was frightened to open his eyes, yet he wasn't sure if he was more afraid of dying again or being in pain.

'No. You can't give in, come on.'

Danny wasn't sure if he thought that or if someone else was telling him. But it was right. He'd gotten so far and he just couldn't give up now. It wasn't in his character to just let go, and wasn't about to change. One way or another he was going to win.

Finally after the hardest battle in his life, Danny opened one eye. His vision was blurred and unclear, the sky above was still gray. His eye caught movement on the left and right. Sam was on his left and like he'd thought before, she was crying but her eyes were closed and her hand was grasping his. His father was on his right, he looked worried and often turned his head to glance behind.

"Danny? Danny can you hear us?" Jack asked as he noticed Danny's open eye. His hand touched Danny's face gently to prove that this was real.

Danny wanted to respond with a yes, but was unable to speak or move his head. Instead he struggled to open his other blue eye and he simple stared at his father. They locked eyes and stared at each other, one worried the other blank. Danny couldn't feel anything but the pain the snaked up and down his body constantly. He twitched his hand to summon Sam, in the knowledge that his father remained speechless.

Sam slowly opened her eyes and saw the pale hand she as holding move and felt the pressure between her fingers. "Danny?" She whispered her eyes moving up to his face. She saw those two sparkling blue eyes look weakly at her, she knew he wanted to smile he wanted to speak and tell them that he was fine, but Sam knew that he just couldn't. She smiled for him it was a genuine as she could make it in her state.

Satisfied, Danny began to let his eyes fall shut again as he heard the screaming of the sirens approaching.

"Danny hold on for us." Sam beckoned. Her hope fading along with his vision.

Danny was feeling dizzy, his heart was pounding in his ears and breathing was becoming more difficult as the air burned in his lungs. He just wanted to rest as the fatigue set in on his weakened body. He felt that he had held on long enough for help to come, and now they could save him. He didn't have to fight alone anymore. So what was Sam so worried about?

"Danny!" Sam shouted as his eyes clenched shut.

He was dying, she could feel it. The energy in his hand seemed to release as it began to go limp in her grasp. He probably wasn't even aware that his body was shutting down. But she was and it was clear to Jack was as well. He immediately went to get the attention of the paramedics. That's when Sam noticed for the first time that there were by-standers.

They must've been watching the whole spectacle between them and Danny. She wondered how much they had seen and when they arrived. She suddenly felt angry, they were just standing there in a semi-circle watching mutely as Danny fought for life. Did they even care, as they stood there like statues without a purpose. No mutter passed between them as she glared at them. It didn't matter much though as the paramedics made there way over, soon she, Jack, and Danny would be far from their prying eyes.

The next series of events bypassed Sam in one crazy stir. She wasn't aware of anything all she was completely sure was them prying her from Danny and then ending up in the back of the ambulance sitting beside Jack and swaying with the movements. If there were conversations she wasn't aware, if she even talked she wasn't sure.

Her head began to clear as they began their rush to the hospital. She trained her eyes on Danny's figure and never looked away. By then she was aware of Jack keeping her close with one arm and she was aware of what was being said. But she sat there watching like the useless spectators that she had loathed only moments ago. She felt helpless, knowing that now Danny was in their ands and she could no longer do a thing for him. He was out of her protection now.

Danny really was getting worse like she had thought. And she could see the hint of panic that the emergency workers displayed over his 'decline in blood pressure, his inability to breathe on his own, and all of his serious injuries.'

Sam saw the oxygen mask on his deathly pale face, yet she didn't remember seeing them put it on. One of the paramedics moved in her sight path and she could only see the events obscurely. She could see his feet sway back a forth limply as they turned corners. But she was almost glad that she couldn't see Danny's face anymore.

In fact the goth didn't want to think about it, so she hid herself in Jack, who immediately welcomed her with his warm paternal instincts. And before Sam knew it the loud sirens and medical words were behind her and she was sitting with Jack in the waiting room, while they had wheeled Danny off to the ER.

She sat there with dead eyes her hands folded neatly in her lap. As Jack explained to her that Maddie and company would take care of the Specter Speeder and would be down here in no time. She felt each words go in one ear and out the other. And the only thing that seemed to resonate in her mind were the words.

"This kid is fading fast..."

A whisper faintly leaped from her violet lips. "Danny..."

I really like writing this chapter. It still wasn't all that long compared to my usual point, but I feel it fits nicely like this. Care to tell me about your thoughts on it, I worked hard on this chapter.