Wheelsy AU ~ Bad nights

[noteasytobepink]

The scream was probably a little unsettling. Ringing out sudden and piercing in the night. The walls of the house and blankets over her head did little muffle it as she thrashed. Nightmares. She had them most nights but she usually managed to bite her tongue...

...today had been bad though. She'd started physical therapy for her arm, wore herself out, couldn't wake up as easily as she tended to. How she hated being broken and weak. It was bad for her mental state and brought on more nightmares.

"No NO NO NO NO NO!" Each word was accompanied by the thick thump of her fists on the bed as she worked to tear herself free from the past and finally ended up tossing herself straight off the bed with a firm 'thunk'. The jarring of her shoulder helped yank her free of sleep until finally, gasping, she was awake and shaking, nearly in shock.

Coffee. Caffeine. Something to keep her awake. She was NOT going back to sleep again after that.

That decided she stumbled down the hall to slump, shaking and exhausted, at the table. "Hell..." she muttered, thunking her forehead on the cool surface.

Comments

[noteasytobepink]

"Yeah, I know. But hey, some nights it's best not to get back to sleep." She chuckled softly and patted his knee. "Tonight being an exception. I'm getting back to sleep despite my better judgement and under weak protest. Honest."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Sleep is supposed to be good for you," he reminded her, even though he knew some about it not being the greatest.

"Should I be quiet now to help you get there?"

[noteasytobepink]

"Nah, keep talking. Hearing someone else nearby is nice." That was the honest truth. "Never did much...alone...growing up. Everyone stayed close. It was safer."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Ok."

Shifting on the bed just a bit, he leaned back to rest on his palms.

"When I was small I was alone quite a bit. Just me an my friend would spend time together. Later on, as I moved up through grade school I started hangin' out with more kids. I guess that was about the time I started playin' peewee football."

[noteasytobepink]

"Mmmm, uh-oh...the dream is born.." she chuckled softly, letting the pain pill truly sweep through her system now. Nice, but...terrifying too. "The football touched your hands and..."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"More'n likely I dropped it," he chuckled. "But we were six of seven, so everyone was droppin' it."

That's what you get when you suit up a bunch of little kids and send them out onto the field.

"But it was fun, an' me bein' at practice made things a little easier on my mom."

[noteasytobepink]

"Children do that. It doesn't make it any less dream inspiring." She grinned and cracked an eye open to look at him. "You loved it. Your mom got rest from the little hellion you no doubt were, and you got to tackle people."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I was not a hellion."

Just so they were clear.

"My mom worked a lot, though, an' football helped her not t'have to pay a sitter. An' yes, I did get t'tackle people."

[noteasytobepink]

"Ever child is a hellion, even the quiet, good ones." She poked his knee gently. "It's the energy. The sheer amount of energy." Ah, children.

"Mr. Creed used to end up almost crying at night, after he had a five year old me attached to him all day."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I was an angel," he said, in a way with a grin that said she was absolutely right.

"I was better'n some, at least. My mom did a good job keepin' me in line."

[noteasytobepink]

"Sure you were Bill, just like you're an angel now. Just not one accustomed to heaven." She chuckled. "Mr. Creed kept me in line too, and my adopted brother, as much as he could. Wild Child was...not well when we found him."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Bill chuckled.

"That's a good way of puttin' it." He'd has to use that sometime.

"Wild Child? Well the name kind of says it all don't it?"

[noteasytobepink]

She could be eloquent sometimes! Usually when negotiating or when tired. "He wouldn't answer to anything else. He had a mutation like Mr. Creed. Enhanced senses. Claws. Teeth. We took him from someone who raised him as a dog."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"They what?"

Bill shook his head. He knows people do a lot of screwed up things, but that doesn't make hearing about them any easier.

He tried to focus on the better part here, for both their sakes.

"You an' Mr. Creed helped him get better, an' he became your brother?"

[noteasytobepink]

"As better as we could before the world ended," she shrugged. "He was managing sentences. He could joke. He was a sweet kid, when he wasn't riled up. I've met him in other realities since then. He's a hero in those usually. It looks good on him."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

Before the world ended.

Bill picked at a loose piece of thread on the bed sheet, and was lost a minute for something to say.

"Y'ever meet yourself? In those other realities?"

[noteasytobepink]

She chuckled at that, then shrugged. "No. Apparently I have the tendency to die young in sane realities." Didn't mean she wasn't out there...just meant she hadn't found herself yet.

And if that didn't make a zen masters head hurt she didn't know what would.

"For good cause, if I hear about it, but still dead."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

He was quiet a long minute, trying to wrap his head around that.

"Well, could you do me a favor? Could you not die in this reality?"

He gave her a weak smile, because there wasn't much else that could be said for this.

[noteasytobepink]

"Sure, your reality has a distinct lack of things as want to kill me so far." And if there be slugs, well, she could give it something to think about in her own right.

"You either."

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"Small town hospitality," he said, smile strengthening. "We try an' not kill our company."

The concern directed at him was unexpected, and added warmth to his expression.

"I'll do my best. Haven't had much try an' kill me lately, so outta be okay."

[noteasytobepink]

"Pfft, it's when you let your guard down you get nailed by reality." she snorted, teasing. "I think...I'm going to pass out now okay?"

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"I'll do what I can to keep it up, then," he promised.

Sitting up again, he nodded down at her.

"Alright. I'll let you sleep, then."

Standing carefully so he wouldn't disturb her, he nodded towards the end of the house.

"I'm just down the hall if you... if y'need anything."

[noteasytobepink]

"G'nigh..." she sighed, lifting a limp hand to vaguely wave at him. Ooooh, pain pill fogggggg.

Yep, she was going to sleep until at least dawn!

[no_andy_taylor.insanejournal.com]

"'Night."

He lingered a moment, just to make sure she was settled, then headed back to bed.

Laying in bed, he listened out for any more trouble from her room for awhile, before finally drifting off to sleep himself.