response #3 to challenge 46: limits
Season 5 stuff
Tom
It came to Tom in a dream. Sort of.
It was a Sunday night fueled with microwavable burritos, Miller beer, and ESPN. Tom had his legs up on the coffee table with the remote in his hand and a half-empty bucket of KFC on his side. His head bobbed up and down as he tried to fight sleep. Just as his eyelids shut, he heard it.
“Set me free.”
Tom’s head jerked up. He squinted at the television screen. The basketball game was still playing.
His head began to roll back again.
“Set me free.”
This time, he knew he wasn’t dreaming. He shut off the TV and sat up. He waited.
When he didn’t hear any more, he rose from the couch and shook his head. “Get some sleep, Grace.”
He stumbled to his bedroom and flipped on the light switch. Nothing. He flipped it again and still, the room remained in darkness.
Fuck it, Tom thought. He’d just fix the bulb in the morning.
He flopped onto his bed stomach first and closed his eyes.
“Set me free.”
His eyes flew open.
“Tom.”
A cold shiver raced down his back. He was almost too afraid to look over at where the voice was speaking from. When it said his name again, he did look up. He turned to the mirror and his eyes widened.
Inside the mirror was a young, dark-haired woman dressed in a white gown.
“Set me free,” she said.
Tom tried to place the woman’s face. It looked so familiar.
“Tell Sydney,” the woman said. “Tell her to set me free.”
Nadia. It was Sydney’s sister in the mirror. Nadia, who was in a coma. Nadia, who was speaking to him through his mirror.
“Am I losing my mind?” Tom asked to no one in particular.
Nadia’s image began to fade. “Set me free.” Then, she was gone.
When Tom woke up the next morning, he glanced at the mirror and thought about his sort-of dream.
At the office, Sydney was missing. Marshall told him she had gone to the hospital.
“The baby?” Tom asked.
Marshall shook his head. “It’s Nadia.”
Tom immediately raced to the hospital. He stormed past security and doctors and nurses to get to Nadia’s room. Jack stood outside the door and grabbed Tom before he could enter.
“What are you doing here?” Jack asked.
“I have to tell Sydney something,” Tom said.
Through the window, Tom watched as Nadia’s body lurched forward as she convulsed. Inside the room, Sydney and Sloane watched helplessly as doctors tried to revive her.
“Let her go!” Tom’s cries made Sydney and Sloane turn to him. “Set her free. That’s what she wants.”
Jack pushed him aside. “Tom, please...”
Sloane was stoic as he touched Sydney’s arm. Sydney slowly nodded.
Tom watched as Sloane said something to the doctors. The doctors stopped what they were doing and stepped away from Nadia’s now still body.
Sydney and Sloane walked out of the room.
Sydney looked over at Tom. “Why did you say that?”
But, he had no way of explaining an answer to her.
Sydney and Sloane turned to Jack. Tom didn’t pay attention to them as they started to talk. Instead, he moved to Nadia’s room. Nurses began to dismantle the machines. A doctor reached for a sheet to cover Nadia’s body.
"Hold on,” Tom said to him.
He stared at Nadia’s face. He found himself waiting for something.
A small sigh came from Nadia’s parted lips. She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Tom.
“Oh, my god.” Sydney rushed back to her sister. “Nadia, you’re awake.”
“She was stuck, contained,” Tom said to no one in particular. “You had to set her free.”
Tom
It came to Tom in a dream. Sort of.
It was a Sunday night fueled with microwavable burritos, Miller beer, and ESPN. Tom had his legs up on the coffee table with the remote in his hand and a half-empty bucket of KFC on his side. His head bobbed up and down as he tried to fight sleep. Just as his eyelids shut, he heard it.
“Set me free.”
Tom’s head jerked up. He squinted at the television screen. The basketball game was still playing.
His head began to roll back again.
“Set me free.”
This time, he knew he wasn’t dreaming. He shut off the TV and sat up. He waited.
When he didn’t hear any more, he rose from the couch and shook his head. “Get some sleep, Grace.”
He stumbled to his bedroom and flipped on the light switch. Nothing. He flipped it again and still, the room remained in darkness.
Fuck it, Tom thought. He’d just fix the bulb in the morning.
He flopped onto his bed stomach first and closed his eyes.
“Set me free.”
His eyes flew open.
“Tom.”
A cold shiver raced down his back. He was almost too afraid to look over at where the voice was speaking from. When it said his name again, he did look up. He turned to the mirror and his eyes widened.
Inside the mirror was a young, dark-haired woman dressed in a white gown.
“Set me free,” she said.
Tom tried to place the woman’s face. It looked so familiar.
“Tell Sydney,” the woman said. “Tell her to set me free.”
Nadia. It was Sydney’s sister in the mirror. Nadia, who was in a coma. Nadia, who was speaking to him through his mirror.
“Am I losing my mind?” Tom asked to no one in particular.
Nadia’s image began to fade. “Set me free.” Then, she was gone.
When Tom woke up the next morning, he glanced at the mirror and thought about his sort-of dream.
At the office, Sydney was missing. Marshall told him she had gone to the hospital.
“The baby?” Tom asked.
Marshall shook his head. “It’s Nadia.”
Tom immediately raced to the hospital. He stormed past security and doctors and nurses to get to Nadia’s room. Jack stood outside the door and grabbed Tom before he could enter.
“What are you doing here?” Jack asked.
“I have to tell Sydney something,” Tom said.
Through the window, Tom watched as Nadia’s body lurched forward as she convulsed. Inside the room, Sydney and Sloane watched helplessly as doctors tried to revive her.
“Let her go!” Tom’s cries made Sydney and Sloane turn to him. “Set her free. That’s what she wants.”
Jack pushed him aside. “Tom, please...”
Sloane was stoic as he touched Sydney’s arm. Sydney slowly nodded.
Tom watched as Sloane said something to the doctors. The doctors stopped what they were doing and stepped away from Nadia’s now still body.
Sydney and Sloane walked out of the room.
Sydney looked over at Tom. “Why did you say that?”
But, he had no way of explaining an answer to her.
Sydney and Sloane turned to Jack. Tom didn’t pay attention to them as they started to talk. Instead, he moved to Nadia’s room. Nurses began to dismantle the machines. A doctor reached for a sheet to cover Nadia’s body.
"Hold on,” Tom said to him.
He stared at Nadia’s face. He found himself waiting for something.
A small sigh came from Nadia’s parted lips. She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Tom.
“Oh, my god.” Sydney rushed back to her sister. “Nadia, you’re awake.”
“She was stuck, contained,” Tom said to no one in particular. “You had to set her free.”