(no subject)
“Move” They come in and move Paige from her bed, their bed. Everyone has always woken up for her before. Some core of truth inside is contradicted. They don’t have to wake up for her. They won’t always wake up.
Natalie will never be able to sleep in this bed again; will never sleep next to Paige again. If she does then no one will wake up in the morning. No one.
Natalie hears their consolations.
“Paige’s just ill.”
“She will be back from the Sick Room in a few days”
“Would you like to talk to your counselor about this?”
“It could happen to anyone”
“It’s not your fault…”
It being her fault had not occurred to Natalie yet, new nightmares. They let her nap the rest of the day away. They give her sleep which gives her those nightmares. It could happen to anyone…
She wakes with a start, gasping and heart pounding. She had fallen asleep, Natalie has promised herself not to do that anymore…sleep.
Paige comes back and hugs her, whole and well again. Paige shouldn’t sleep anymore either. Might happen again. Could happen to anyone.
It takes them a week to realize Natalie’s only faking sleep at night. They talk to her about it, she lies and says she will sleep. They slip her drugs for a few nights. She wakes up screaming, relieved to wake at all. She stops eating so they cannot drug her. They promise they won’t drug her food if she will start eating again. She eats cautiously and they pull her away before bed to give her a shot to make her sleep. They make Natalie sleep every night now and she doesn’t stop screaming.
Natalie will never be able to sleep in this bed again; will never sleep next to Paige again. If she does then no one will wake up in the morning. No one.
Natalie hears their consolations.
“Paige’s just ill.”
“She will be back from the Sick Room in a few days”
“Would you like to talk to your counselor about this?”
“It could happen to anyone”
“It’s not your fault…”
It being her fault had not occurred to Natalie yet, new nightmares. They let her nap the rest of the day away. They give her sleep which gives her those nightmares. It could happen to anyone…
She wakes with a start, gasping and heart pounding. She had fallen asleep, Natalie has promised herself not to do that anymore…sleep.
Paige comes back and hugs her, whole and well again. Paige shouldn’t sleep anymore either. Might happen again. Could happen to anyone.
It takes them a week to realize Natalie’s only faking sleep at night. They talk to her about it, she lies and says she will sleep. They slip her drugs for a few nights. She wakes up screaming, relieved to wake at all. She stops eating so they cannot drug her. They promise they won’t drug her food if she will start eating again. She eats cautiously and they pull her away before bed to give her a shot to make her sleep. They make Natalie sleep every night now and she doesn’t stop screaming.