Fic: Dream Awake - Pt. 1 [Eli Stone]
Title: Dream Awake
Rating: T
Characters/Pairings: Eli, Nate, others
Summary: After the fight with his brother, after the nosebleed, Eli wakes up in hospital. He's not prepared for what happens next. Post episode 209
Eli woke in a fog. His thoughts were confused and it was hard to focus. He slipped out of consciousness a few more times, but each time he became aware of himself it was a little easier to concentrate. Eventually he was able to open his eyes. He saw a plain ceiling and the glare of white lights. It hurt to look.
"Where am I?" Eli croaked, his throat dry. His mouth felt like cotton wool.
He heard the movement beside him before Nate's concerned face hovered into view.
"You're at St. Vincent's, Eli. Don't worry, we're taking good care of you," he said, a wash of relief in his voice.
"Ugh, my head."
"That's what happens when you hit it hard, little brother. I thought you would have remembered that from childhood."
"What?"
"You hit it on the planter, don't you remember?"
"Not really, it's all fuzzy."
"Don't worry about it, it's only a mild concussion. Taylor's just gone to get some coffee, she'll be back in a minute."
Eli frowned and closed his eyes again. He may have even drifted off to sleep but when he opened them it felt like only a few seconds had passed. He felt more lucid.
"Why is Taylor here?" he asked. His voice was working better, too.
"She was worried about you," Nate replied.
"Why isn't she at work? What time is it?"
"It's the middle of the night. You've been out of it for a few hours."
"She shouldn't be drinking coffee," Eli murmured, trying not to focus on the throbbing ache in his head. "It isn't good for the baby."
"What?" Nate spluttered.
Eli pressed his fingers against either side of his forehead and shut his eyes once more but Nate shook his arm insistently.
"Eli, what are you talking about? Taylor's pregnant?"
"You didn't notice?"
"Ah, no. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why would I?"
"Well, gee, maybe because I'm your brother."
"Okay. Sorry, I guess."
"You guess?"
"Nate, I'd be happy for you to berate me some more but can I have some aspirin first? Seriously, my head is killing me."
Nate shook his head, words failing him. "I'll get something. But this conversation isn't over."
Eli turned his head away from the overhead light when Nate left his side. He wanted to sleep again but barely had a moment to consider it before he felt a hand on his arm. He found Taylor sitting beside him looking pensive. When she saw he was awake she smiled.
"Hey, there you are," she said. "You had me scared, you know that? Are you okay?"
He nodded warily. "Are you? Why are you here in the middle of the night?"
"Where else would I be?"
"I don't know, at home."
"Of course I'm going to be here for you," she replied. "The doctor said you'll be fine."
She brushed her hand over his forehead before she saw the confusion in his eyes.
"Eli, what is it?"
"Where's Matt?"
Taylor blinked. "Who?"
Nate walked back into the room and Eli noticed for the first time that he was wearing a medical coat. He wondered why, when Nate and St. Vincent's Hospital had parted company some months ago.
"The nurse is bringing in some paracetamol for your head," he said. "And you're gonna need it. I can't believe you guys didn't tell me."
"Tell you what?" Taylor asked, turning her head towards him. Her hand was still on Eli's arm.
"I'm going to be an uncle!"
Taylor snorted. "What are you talking about?"
"Eli said you were pregnant," Nate said. Now he was the confused one.
"I am?" Taylor rounded on Eli. "Really."
"You can't exactly hide it, Taylor," Eli said. He glanced down at her belly but his brow puckered when he didn't see the small bump that she had recently begun to carry.
"Is this some kind of joke? Because it's not funny." She glared first at Eli then at Nate. "What's wrong with him?"
"It must be the concussion," Nate surmised quietly but she could tell he was concerned.
"Dr. Stone?" A nurse appeared at the door and handed over a small paper cup with a couple of pills in it.
"Thanks, Marie." Nate took the cup but he didn't give the paracetamol to Eli straight away.
"Oh God, is this just a vision?" Eli said, mostly to himself. He didn't see the look pass between Taylor and his brother. "Just don't start singing because, seriously, I'm not in the mood."
"Nate, what the hell?" Taylor said with rising panic.
"Eli?" Nate tried to get his attention
"Okay, fine." Eli looked up at the ceiling, squinting against the fluorescent lights. "Hurry up and finish. Send me whatever message you need to. Whose relationship can I wreck next? Or am I supposed to get some kind of clue for a case?
"Eli, who are you talking to?"
"Shh, you don't need to be interactive, Vision Nate," Eli said with a wave of his hand. He pulled back his covers and dropped his legs over the side of the bed before they could stop him.
"Get back into bed. You have a concussion," Nate ordered firmly.
"Eli, do what he says," Taylor said.
"You guys, I'm fine. You're fine. We're all fine. This will be over soon." Eli stepped around the side of the bed towards Nate but opted for the window instead. He felt a little unsure on his feet which he wasn't expecting.
"Okay, that's enough." Nate caught him by the arm. "You're talking gibberish."
"You're talking gibberish," Eli repeated then laughed at the silliness of the word. He felt light-headed which added to his amusement. He looked up as someone else entered the room. "Mom! Mom's here!"
"There you are. Why didn't you call us sooner, Nate? I had to threaten to make a call to Trevor Snyder because they weren't going to let us in." Their mother bustled forward and made a sympathetic sound as she laid a gentle hand on Eli's cheek. "What have you done to yourself, Eli?"
"It's not serious, Mom," said Nate when Eli only grinned.
"He's pale as a sheet," she tutted, a fact which Nate saw too. The color had drained rapidly from Eli's face as he stared at the door. Then his knees buckled and Nate had to catch him before he hit the floor.
"Dad?" Eli yelped, his eyes wide.
Aaron Stone walked into the room and pulled a cap from his head. Eli stared in shock at him, taking in his grey hair and face more lined than in any vision he'd had.
"Hey son, are you alright?"
Eli was breathing heavily and Nate's grip on his arm tightened.
"Mom, press the call button," Nate instructed quickly. "Come on, Eli, let's get you back to bed."
"No, no, wait," Eli gasped, his eyes still fixed on his father. He reached out a shaking hand to him. "Dad?"
Without warning he pulled himself out of Nate's grasp and almost fell into his father's arms. Eli held on as tightly as he could and felt his father shuffle back from his weight. There was a soft chuckle in response. He was real.
"It's okay, son. You're okay," he soothed, patting his back. But he frowned after a moment when he felt his shirt grow wet. He looked down and saw that Eli was weeping. "He is alright, isn't he?"
Nate insisted he lay down again but had to extract him from Aaron's embrace first. Eli was trying to catch his breath as he stopped the tears from falling and was suddenly compliant. Nate maneuvered him into bed with well practiced movements.
"Oh, Eli," Linda Stone said, immediately at his side and grasping his hand. "Nate, what is it?"
"It's just a concussion, Mom. Don't worry." But Nate didn't believe his own words. He didn't like the way Eli was still staring at their father in disbelief. A different nurse came into the room, answering the call for assistance, and Nate looked up at her sharply. "Call Dr. O'Day and tell him I need him. Now."
"Yes, Doctor."
"This isn't happening," Eli said through ragged breaths. "What is going on?"
"Eli, what is it?" Aaron said, stepping forward.
Eli looked from one startled family member to the other. Taylor stood in the background, her hand over her mouth.
"You're dead!" he stated, when his gaze fell on his father once more. "You're not really here."
"I'm not dead, son," Aaron replied calmly, ignoring the sharp gasp from his wife. He sat on the edge of Eli's bed. "Look at me. I'm right here."
"No," Eli moaned. He pressed his eyes shut. "I don't understand."
"Nathan, do something," Linda cried.
Nate forced each of Eli's eyes open with the pad of his thumb. He pulled a light from his pocket and checked his pupils.
"Do you know your name?" he commanded, his voice all business.
"Of course I do," Eli said, pushing his hand away and shielding his eyes from the harsh light.
"Tell me."
"Eli Stone."
"And who am I?"
"My brother Nathan."
"And her?"
"My mother."
"And me, Eli?" Aaron said gently before Nate could.
Eli blinked, his cheeks still wet. "My father," he whispered.
Nate motioned Taylor forward.
"Eli?" she prompted.
"Taylor. My... my ex-fiancée."
Taylor's mouth fell open.
"What? What happened?" Linda asked, even more alarmed. "Taylor?"
But she received no reply. Taylor shook her head, looking scared and betrayed, and was running from the room. She almost crashed in the doctor who was entering.
"What's going on, Nate?" he asked, quickly assessing the tension in the room.
"He's altered, complaining of a headache," Nate replied, stepping back to allow O'Day some room. He pulled his father up, too. "He recognizes us but he hasn't been making much sense, talking about things that haven't happened. Changes to relationships and other… stuff."
Nate didn't want to repeat the part about their father being supposedly dead. The doctor just nodded and focused on his patient.
"Hi Eli, I'm Dr. O'Day. Can you tell me how you're feeling?"
Eli took a few deep breaths to calm himself. He had to be rational about what was happening, even if it didn't make sense. Sometimes that's how visions went. He tried to ignore the fact that this wasn't feeling like a vision anymore. They usually felt pretty real, but this was something else entirely.
"Apart from a headache, I'm fine," he said. "I'm not altered. It's not me... I'd just need to know what's going on."
"We'll find that out, okay? Follow my finger with your eyes." The doctor performed a few quick tests on his pupil reaction. "Can you tell me today's date?"
"It's October…something." Eli struggled to remember the day.
"That's okay. What about the year?"
"2008."
There was a hiss from Nate. Linda held out her hand for her husband and held on tight. The doctor glanced back at Nate.
"The CT showed no skull fracture or bleeding but we'll send him for an MRI just in case." O'Day placed a hand on his patient's shoulder. "Eli, we're going to take you upstairs. You hang tight for a minute."
O'Day spoke quietly to Nate away from the bed so Eli couldn't hear them. He looked over at his parents. His mother's eyes were full of tears.
"Mom?" he asked in a scared voice she hadn't heard from him since he was a boy.
"It's alright, baby. You're going to be fine."
Eli stared at his father again who nodded in support of his wife's assertion.
"You got old, Dad," Eli said with a sad smile, then his vision grew black.
Rating: T
Characters/Pairings: Eli, Nate, others
Summary: After the fight with his brother, after the nosebleed, Eli wakes up in hospital. He's not prepared for what happens next. Post episode 209
Eli woke in a fog. His thoughts were confused and it was hard to focus. He slipped out of consciousness a few more times, but each time he became aware of himself it was a little easier to concentrate. Eventually he was able to open his eyes. He saw a plain ceiling and the glare of white lights. It hurt to look.
"Where am I?" Eli croaked, his throat dry. His mouth felt like cotton wool.
He heard the movement beside him before Nate's concerned face hovered into view.
"You're at St. Vincent's, Eli. Don't worry, we're taking good care of you," he said, a wash of relief in his voice.
"Ugh, my head."
"That's what happens when you hit it hard, little brother. I thought you would have remembered that from childhood."
"What?"
"You hit it on the planter, don't you remember?"
"Not really, it's all fuzzy."
"Don't worry about it, it's only a mild concussion. Taylor's just gone to get some coffee, she'll be back in a minute."
Eli frowned and closed his eyes again. He may have even drifted off to sleep but when he opened them it felt like only a few seconds had passed. He felt more lucid.
"Why is Taylor here?" he asked. His voice was working better, too.
"She was worried about you," Nate replied.
"Why isn't she at work? What time is it?"
"It's the middle of the night. You've been out of it for a few hours."
"She shouldn't be drinking coffee," Eli murmured, trying not to focus on the throbbing ache in his head. "It isn't good for the baby."
"What?" Nate spluttered.
Eli pressed his fingers against either side of his forehead and shut his eyes once more but Nate shook his arm insistently.
"Eli, what are you talking about? Taylor's pregnant?"
"You didn't notice?"
"Ah, no. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why would I?"
"Well, gee, maybe because I'm your brother."
"Okay. Sorry, I guess."
"You guess?"
"Nate, I'd be happy for you to berate me some more but can I have some aspirin first? Seriously, my head is killing me."
Nate shook his head, words failing him. "I'll get something. But this conversation isn't over."
Eli turned his head away from the overhead light when Nate left his side. He wanted to sleep again but barely had a moment to consider it before he felt a hand on his arm. He found Taylor sitting beside him looking pensive. When she saw he was awake she smiled.
"Hey, there you are," she said. "You had me scared, you know that? Are you okay?"
He nodded warily. "Are you? Why are you here in the middle of the night?"
"Where else would I be?"
"I don't know, at home."
"Of course I'm going to be here for you," she replied. "The doctor said you'll be fine."
She brushed her hand over his forehead before she saw the confusion in his eyes.
"Eli, what is it?"
"Where's Matt?"
Taylor blinked. "Who?"
Nate walked back into the room and Eli noticed for the first time that he was wearing a medical coat. He wondered why, when Nate and St. Vincent's Hospital had parted company some months ago.
"The nurse is bringing in some paracetamol for your head," he said. "And you're gonna need it. I can't believe you guys didn't tell me."
"Tell you what?" Taylor asked, turning her head towards him. Her hand was still on Eli's arm.
"I'm going to be an uncle!"
Taylor snorted. "What are you talking about?"
"Eli said you were pregnant," Nate said. Now he was the confused one.
"I am?" Taylor rounded on Eli. "Really."
"You can't exactly hide it, Taylor," Eli said. He glanced down at her belly but his brow puckered when he didn't see the small bump that she had recently begun to carry.
"Is this some kind of joke? Because it's not funny." She glared first at Eli then at Nate. "What's wrong with him?"
"It must be the concussion," Nate surmised quietly but she could tell he was concerned.
"Dr. Stone?" A nurse appeared at the door and handed over a small paper cup with a couple of pills in it.
"Thanks, Marie." Nate took the cup but he didn't give the paracetamol to Eli straight away.
"Oh God, is this just a vision?" Eli said, mostly to himself. He didn't see the look pass between Taylor and his brother. "Just don't start singing because, seriously, I'm not in the mood."
"Nate, what the hell?" Taylor said with rising panic.
"Eli?" Nate tried to get his attention
"Okay, fine." Eli looked up at the ceiling, squinting against the fluorescent lights. "Hurry up and finish. Send me whatever message you need to. Whose relationship can I wreck next? Or am I supposed to get some kind of clue for a case?
"Eli, who are you talking to?"
"Shh, you don't need to be interactive, Vision Nate," Eli said with a wave of his hand. He pulled back his covers and dropped his legs over the side of the bed before they could stop him.
"Get back into bed. You have a concussion," Nate ordered firmly.
"Eli, do what he says," Taylor said.
"You guys, I'm fine. You're fine. We're all fine. This will be over soon." Eli stepped around the side of the bed towards Nate but opted for the window instead. He felt a little unsure on his feet which he wasn't expecting.
"Okay, that's enough." Nate caught him by the arm. "You're talking gibberish."
"You're talking gibberish," Eli repeated then laughed at the silliness of the word. He felt light-headed which added to his amusement. He looked up as someone else entered the room. "Mom! Mom's here!"
"There you are. Why didn't you call us sooner, Nate? I had to threaten to make a call to Trevor Snyder because they weren't going to let us in." Their mother bustled forward and made a sympathetic sound as she laid a gentle hand on Eli's cheek. "What have you done to yourself, Eli?"
"It's not serious, Mom," said Nate when Eli only grinned.
"He's pale as a sheet," she tutted, a fact which Nate saw too. The color had drained rapidly from Eli's face as he stared at the door. Then his knees buckled and Nate had to catch him before he hit the floor.
"Dad?" Eli yelped, his eyes wide.
Aaron Stone walked into the room and pulled a cap from his head. Eli stared in shock at him, taking in his grey hair and face more lined than in any vision he'd had.
"Hey son, are you alright?"
Eli was breathing heavily and Nate's grip on his arm tightened.
"Mom, press the call button," Nate instructed quickly. "Come on, Eli, let's get you back to bed."
"No, no, wait," Eli gasped, his eyes still fixed on his father. He reached out a shaking hand to him. "Dad?"
Without warning he pulled himself out of Nate's grasp and almost fell into his father's arms. Eli held on as tightly as he could and felt his father shuffle back from his weight. There was a soft chuckle in response. He was real.
"It's okay, son. You're okay," he soothed, patting his back. But he frowned after a moment when he felt his shirt grow wet. He looked down and saw that Eli was weeping. "He is alright, isn't he?"
Nate insisted he lay down again but had to extract him from Aaron's embrace first. Eli was trying to catch his breath as he stopped the tears from falling and was suddenly compliant. Nate maneuvered him into bed with well practiced movements.
"Oh, Eli," Linda Stone said, immediately at his side and grasping his hand. "Nate, what is it?"
"It's just a concussion, Mom. Don't worry." But Nate didn't believe his own words. He didn't like the way Eli was still staring at their father in disbelief. A different nurse came into the room, answering the call for assistance, and Nate looked up at her sharply. "Call Dr. O'Day and tell him I need him. Now."
"Yes, Doctor."
"This isn't happening," Eli said through ragged breaths. "What is going on?"
"Eli, what is it?" Aaron said, stepping forward.
Eli looked from one startled family member to the other. Taylor stood in the background, her hand over her mouth.
"You're dead!" he stated, when his gaze fell on his father once more. "You're not really here."
"I'm not dead, son," Aaron replied calmly, ignoring the sharp gasp from his wife. He sat on the edge of Eli's bed. "Look at me. I'm right here."
"No," Eli moaned. He pressed his eyes shut. "I don't understand."
"Nathan, do something," Linda cried.
Nate forced each of Eli's eyes open with the pad of his thumb. He pulled a light from his pocket and checked his pupils.
"Do you know your name?" he commanded, his voice all business.
"Of course I do," Eli said, pushing his hand away and shielding his eyes from the harsh light.
"Tell me."
"Eli Stone."
"And who am I?"
"My brother Nathan."
"And her?"
"My mother."
"And me, Eli?" Aaron said gently before Nate could.
Eli blinked, his cheeks still wet. "My father," he whispered.
Nate motioned Taylor forward.
"Eli?" she prompted.
"Taylor. My... my ex-fiancée."
Taylor's mouth fell open.
"What? What happened?" Linda asked, even more alarmed. "Taylor?"
But she received no reply. Taylor shook her head, looking scared and betrayed, and was running from the room. She almost crashed in the doctor who was entering.
"What's going on, Nate?" he asked, quickly assessing the tension in the room.
"He's altered, complaining of a headache," Nate replied, stepping back to allow O'Day some room. He pulled his father up, too. "He recognizes us but he hasn't been making much sense, talking about things that haven't happened. Changes to relationships and other… stuff."
Nate didn't want to repeat the part about their father being supposedly dead. The doctor just nodded and focused on his patient.
"Hi Eli, I'm Dr. O'Day. Can you tell me how you're feeling?"
Eli took a few deep breaths to calm himself. He had to be rational about what was happening, even if it didn't make sense. Sometimes that's how visions went. He tried to ignore the fact that this wasn't feeling like a vision anymore. They usually felt pretty real, but this was something else entirely.
"Apart from a headache, I'm fine," he said. "I'm not altered. It's not me... I'd just need to know what's going on."
"We'll find that out, okay? Follow my finger with your eyes." The doctor performed a few quick tests on his pupil reaction. "Can you tell me today's date?"
"It's October…something." Eli struggled to remember the day.
"That's okay. What about the year?"
"2008."
There was a hiss from Nate. Linda held out her hand for her husband and held on tight. The doctor glanced back at Nate.
"The CT showed no skull fracture or bleeding but we'll send him for an MRI just in case." O'Day placed a hand on his patient's shoulder. "Eli, we're going to take you upstairs. You hang tight for a minute."
O'Day spoke quietly to Nate away from the bed so Eli couldn't hear them. He looked over at his parents. His mother's eyes were full of tears.
"Mom?" he asked in a scared voice she hadn't heard from him since he was a boy.
"It's alright, baby. You're going to be fine."
Eli stared at his father again who nodded in support of his wife's assertion.
"You got old, Dad," Eli said with a sad smile, then his vision grew black.