Andrew had no idea how the hospital had managed to contact him, but he was glad they had gone to so much trouble just to give him a phone call. It seemed that not all people in Baltimore were bad, considering how obstinate two of the nurses had acted, desperately calling two hospitals in Seattle before they had found his cellphone number.
Rachel was in trouble. The nurses hadn’t said much, but they had made it clear he needed to make it home right away. Home. That word had sounded so foreign on their lips. Andrew didn’t know where his home was. His home had been stolen right under his very nose by someone he had believed was his friend.
After two hours waiting around in the airport and then five hours on an airplane, Andrew had finally made it to Baltimore. He had started packing as soon as the nurses had told him about Rachel’s accident, had taken a taxi to the airport half an hour later and was buying a plane ticket for the next flight leaving to Baltimore, Maryland, to be with his friend. He knew Rachel would have done the same for him in a heartbeat, that’s how their friendship functioned. They had always been there for each other and would continue to be until one of them was buried six feet underground.
Now, arriving to the hospital that had been his home for almost a decade, Andrew felt a sense of dread crept onto him. He despised this place. It brought back horrible memories of his last year of residency. All the drinking, the drugs, the one night stands with the nurses. He had behaved wrongly and he was ashamed of whom he used to be before moving to Seattle, before getting his shit together.
Walking straight to the reception, Andrew recognized one of the older nurses and waved her over. “What room is Rachel in?”
“Room 207,” The nurse said, flashing Andrew a weak smile. “It’s nice to see you back, Andrew.”
“I’m not back, Moira,” He said, already trotting towards the stairs.
Reaching the second floor, he made his way to room 207 without getting lost, working so many years in the same building apparently did have its perks. He pushed the door open and walked to the bed, looking down at Rachel with a grim expression on his face.
The gentle expression was gone from her features, instead, Rachel’s face was bruised and cut in so many places that it was almost hard looking at her. But still, Andrew kept on looking. He was worried, he hadn’t been told what had happened, just that she had been on a car accident that had caused a lot of damage. He had been told over the phone that she was in surgery and wouldn’t be out for a couple of hours. Was told that they were praying, but things looked bad.
“I’m glad you made it,” He said, sitting down next to Rachel’s bed and taking her hand in his, giving it a light squeeze. “I was worried. You know I can’t live without you.”
Summary: Jo opens up to Alec about her nightmare and her past.
Jo: Jo hated the effect nightmares had on her. It was always the same - less sleeping, bags under the eyes, etc. This one...this one was different. She had felt like she had said that about every nightmare, but this one felt different. Usually after each nightmare, she could go back to sleep. With this one, she couldn't sleep. She sat up in bed for what must have been hours, analyzing every aspect of the nightmare. It scared her to bits, and she hated admitting that. Back in college, she might have had a minor drug problem. At first, she just popped pills to go to parties, but that transitioned into a dailthing. The only thing keeping her from thinking she was an addict was the fact she doesn't crave the pills anymore. Sure, she had some withdrawals at first, but she hasn't wanted them in years. She swore she'd never go back down that path. Rubbing her eyes, she heard a knock on the door. She had told Alec to come - he was the only one who knew. Getting up, she walked towards the door and tried to make herself look better, although she knew she looked like shit. She opened the door and half-smiled when she saw Alec. "Hey," she said, "Everyone else is working and I'm on break, so you can come in." She walked back inside and leaned against the counter, facing him. Not wasting any time, she decided to get with it: "You remember when I went to college for a year?"
Alec: Alec was now sure that something was up; the half-smile Jo forced his way told him everything. Even back when they were younger and Jo was visiting with her family, she could never hide anything from Alec, because her face always told the truth. "Hey." He answered, choosing to ignore it, though, and let her explain everything on her own time. It didn't take her long to do so, because she had already started talking again while Alec was still stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "I do, yeah. Why? You wanna go back?" He wondered out loud as he let go of the door knob and wrapped his arm and Jo, placing a kiss on her cheek as he always did to greet her before pulling away. He walked into the trailer he'd been in more times than he can count and plopped down onto a chair, looking up at Jo as he waited for her to continue speaking.
Jo: Jo half smiled again when he wrapped an arm around her and kissed her cheek. The two were never close growing up, but they had become closer in the past few years. She liked having a family member around. Her eyes went wide and she shook her head at the thought of going back to college. "Oh no, no, it's not that. I don't plan on going back unless I have to." She tapped her fingers on the counter, trying to figure out how to say what she had to say. He was the only one who knew about everything, and while she would have rather had no one know, she appreciated the fact he never bugged her about it. She was never good at talking about how she felt, but she felt like she had to say something. Clearing her throat, she said while avoiding his gaze, "Uh, you remember when I might have a slight...partying problem back then? All that stuff?"
Alec: Alec couldn't help but frown lightly when she mentioned something both of them never liked to bring up. "Yeah, yeah, I remember." He said quietly, looking down for a while before letting his gaze find its way back to hers. "What about it, though?" He wondered. Alec knew Jo and she was always a very secretive and closed-off one, even if she was the person to start a conversation, you'd have to drag every single word out of her. "Don't tell me something happened in Vegas." He quickly added, his mind already playing out all possible scenarios. Even though the two weren't as close as they could have been when they were younger, due to living on different continents, Alec still worried and was as protective over Jo as he was over his own three younger sisters. If anything happened to her while she wasn't around, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.
Jo: Jo shook her head again, happy that she didn't do any of that stuff in Vegas. "No, the only thing I did was drink. None of that other stuff don't worry." She rubbed the back of her neck, not sure where to go with this. She had forgotten long ago how Alec found out about the stuff she was doing while in college, but in the end it didn't matter. Walking over to the window, she stared outside for a few seconds. It was beautiful out - the view was nice, and she would love it more if she wasn't so preoccupied with her thoughts. She wanted to enjoy this, but for the time being, she couldn't. Sighing, she turned back around. "I don't know what it is, Alec. I had this really weird dream and it's just freaking me out. It's a dream, I don't know why I'm so worked up about it."
Alec: Alec sighed in relief, glad that there wasn't anything too particular for him to worry about. "What kind of dream?" He asked, concern coloring his voice. Alec knew all too well how real dreams — or better yet nightmares — could feel. "What happened? Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, getting up from his chair to walk over to where Jo was standing, looking at her as she stared out the window.
Jo: Jo gripped at the windowsill, holding herself up for balance. Talking about this wasn't going to be easy. "I saw myself dead, Alec," she said, turning her head in the other direction, not facing him. Thinking back on it was painful and she already somewhat regretted asking him to come here. "I was in this weird run-down apartment, and then I saw a body just slumped over. I went over to the body and it was...me. I died of a pill overdose. And then everything changed and I was at my funeral, and I saw my two little cousins crying and my uncle holding my mom while she cried. Then, I was in a casket being buried...and then it ended. Just like that." She paused, her voice a little shaky. It felt good to get all that out, but she still felt a weight on her chest. "All of my nightmares feel real. I always fee like I'm there, but I can always tell that they're just nightmares. This one...it never crossed my mind it was a nightmare. I thought I was actually dead. I thought that's how it ended."
Alec: Alec's eyes widened and he quickly grabbed Jo's arm when he noticed her losing her balance. "Watch out.." He whispered, letting her continue to talk. "Oh my.. — Jo, I.. I'm so sorry." He didn't know what to say, he was at a loss of words. Alec imagined for a split second what Jo's funeral would look like, but he quickly shook his head, hating himself for ever daring to create such an image in his mind. "It's not real, though, you know that right?" He asked, doubting that she did. By the way she had been acting, Alec was afraid that Jo might think about her recent nightmare a bit too much and that was the last thing he wanted.
Jo: "I know it's not real, Alec," she said, shaking her head. The whole thing was made up in her head - it had to be, right? The fact she could remember how it felt though made her feel otherwise. She could remember the smell of the flowers, the feeling of dread, the tears rolling down her cheeks...it all felt too real. "It just felt so real. I can't get it out of my head." She moved away from the windowsill and paced around the room, looking down. After she quit all that stuff, she swore she wouldn't go down that road. She couldn't end up like her mom, she had to live her life and let herself be consumed by those demons. "I-I'm just...I'm just..." she stammered, stopping in front of him. "What if I end up like that, Alec? I can't end up like that."
Alec: "You won't, Jo." Alec said sternly, walking towards Jo and placing both his hands on her shoulders to keep her from walking, forcing her to look up at him. "You didn't do anything, nothing of what happened in your dream happened in real life. There is not a chance that you could possibly end up like that, alright?" He said, hoping to sound as reassuring as possible. Before he could think twice about it, Alec pulled Jo into a hug, before slowly letting go of her again, his hands still holding onto her arms. "You're fine."
Jo: Jo closed her eyes, afraid of think of what her life could end up like. Before she knew what was happening, she could feel Alec pull her into a hug. Again, she closed her eyes and felt a tear fall. She didn't want to cry, but she could feel them coming. When he released her from the hug, she looked up at him with tears brimming in her eyelids. "I don't know. I can't stop thinking about it..." she said, her voice quiet and shaky. She wanted to turn off her mind and just forget about everything, but that was easier said than done. The fact she was so upset over a nightmare made her feel vulnerable and exposed, and she hated that. "I swore I wouldn't go back down that road. I didn't want it to become an actual problem. I'm just afraid that I can't help but go back down that road. I don't wanna end up like how my mom was."
Alec: Alec slowly pulled the arm of his sweater up and brushed away the tear that was running down Jo's cheek. "It's alright. I'm glad you told me, maybe it's gonna be easier now?" He said. "Look, Jo, it's been so long, so long since you've ever taken anything. There's no way you could fall into your old habits, you've changed so much, don't you think I'd tell you the truth? I know you, Jo. And I trust you. I trust you to not do that ever again." Alec let his hands slowly slide up and down her arms, noticing the way that Jo was shivering, making him realize that this dream really seemed to have been more than just a regular nightmare to her. He was just hoping that it wouldn't lead her back to her old ways, now that she spent every waking minute thinking of it.
Jo: "I hope so," she said looking away. She wanted to believe what Alec was saying. It sounded like the truth, and she knew that, but in the back of her mind something was telling her that that's how she'd end up, that she couldn't avoid it. "I always thought that when people said they predicted the future in their dreams, that they were just bullshitting, but I don't know. It just felt so real and I can't shake that feeling." She don't know what possessed her to do it, but she hugged Alec again. It was too much - the thought of going back to her old ways and then dying over an overdose. She couldn't handle it. "I'd hurt so many if I go out like that. I'd be disappointed in myself. I'm sorry, Alec...it's just hard not to believe that."
Alec: Alec wrapped his arms around Jo tightly, it pained him to see her hurt like this. "I heard that dreams are the future but not exactly the way you see them." He started, hoping to give Jo a different point of view. "Like, when you dream about someone you love dying, it actually means that they'll live a long life, you know? Like, almost the opposite. Maybe that's your dream, too. Think about that." He said softly, his hand slowly stroking up and down her back. "There's so many people, including me, that would never let you go back down that road, even if you wanted to yourself, which I highly doubt, Jo."
Jo: Jo nodded, trying to think of that point of view. Maybe he was right, maybe she wouldn't end up like that. Maybe she'd live a long life and not get involved with the drugs she used to take. Something in the back of her mind was keeping her from fully believing that, though. She just wanted to believe Alec, but she couldn't fully believe in what he was saying. "I know you wouldn't. I know a lot of people wouldn't, either...but people can slip under the cracks. I did it once, I mean...you're the only person who knows, so I kept it hidden pretty well." She sniffled, trying to hold back her tears so she wouldn't make his shirt wet. "I, uh...Sorry for unloading all of this on you, by the way. The whole thing is just freaking me out."
Alec: "It happened once, yeah, but you learned from it. It won't happen again." He said, placing his chin on Jo's head, holding her close to him. "My God, Jo, don't worry. That's what family's for, right? How many times have I bothered you with all my bullshit? A few too many, I'm sure. I'm here for you whenever you need me to be."
Jo: "...Okay," she said hesitantly. She wasn't sure if she believed him, but she had to say something. She had already pestered him with this problem, and she didn't want to drag it out. He was trying to help and she knew that, but she still couldn't help but feel the way she did. "You haven't really bothered with your bullshit...too often,' she said, half smiling. 'But you're right, that's what family is for. This...whatever it is, it honestly is probably nothing and I feel kind of stupid for getting so worked up over it, but I don't know. Sorry."
Alec: "Don't apologize, please." Alec said quickly, glancing down at Jo. Her hesitancy made it clear to him that she didn't quite believe everything he said, but considering how stubborn Jo could be, that was no surprise to him. "It's fine. We all have things we're afraid of, right? And yours is nothing to feel stupid about." He tried to reassure her. Alec knew that all his talking probably entered one ear and left the other, but he knew that a few words would possibly stick with Jo and he was hoping it would work this time.
Jo: "I know, but it just feels so childish getting worked up over a dream. I've always been that way, though. Maybe I'll get over it," she shrugged, not even sure if that was the truth. It probably wasn't - she had been through years of therapy and it never went away. She didn't wanna say that to worry him, so she kept her mouth shut. The last thing she needed was him getting more worried about him, he had enough problems anyway. A part of her regretted asking him to come talk to her, but she knew in the end, letting out what she had said earlier would help her. Smiling up at him genuinely, she said, "Thanks...again. I, uh don't wanna keep you from Faye...she's probably missing you already."
Alec: Alec shook his head lightly before he spoke up. "No, Jo, it's not childish. I think we all have dreams that have us waking up covered in sweat and fear. It's totally normal, at least I think so. You can always talk to me, though, you know that right? Don't ever think you're bothering me." Alec knew that Jo was more of a listening than a talking person and it was rare for her to open up to him without him having confronted her about something beforehand. Actually, thinking about it, this might even be the first time Jo was the one that initiated a talk between the two. The thought made Alec smile a bit, realizing that even if she didn't always show it, she seemed to consider him to be someone very close to her. "She's fine, don't worry. She should be sleeping anyway, or she's talking to Mariah. Either way, she'll survive an hour or two without me."
Jo: She nodded, not sure what to say. He was right, everyone was that way. People had bad dreams all the time, she wasn't alone. "I know that. I've just always been that way, Alec. I feel like I'm bothering people." Wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt, she stood and tapped her fingers on her thighs. She wasn't sure what to say next, and she felt like she had let it all out. A weight was lifted off her shoulders, but she knew a new one would replace it almost immediately. "I honestly think that's all I have to say about that," she said, shaking her head and laughing a little. "You wanna go check out the ruins or something? I kinda wanna just clear my head."
Alec: Alec stepped away from her, nodding slightly. "Yeah, sure, we can do whatever you want." He said as he looked at Jo. He wished that there was a way for him to make everything he said become reality and actually know that Jo believed him. Seeing her upset and broken, crying in front of him, reminded him all too much of the times that he had to sit hours and hours with his younger sisters to make them forget whatever made them upset. He felt a sense of protectiveness, which he only shared when it came to Jo, especially now that she was the only family he had around. "I haven't done any actual sightseeing anyway, I need to see something more than just my hotel room." He joked, trying to bring new and happier thoughts to both of them.
Jo: Jo nodded, stepping away from him and walking towards the door. She just wanted to clear her head of everything, to forget the fact she actually had a nightmare. Maybe if she pushed it out of her mind long enough she could forget so it wouldn't be painful to her anymore. She appreciated the fact Alec came to listen to her, considering she felt like she couldn't talk about this to a whole lot of people. He understood, and she knew he wouldn't go tell other people about it. She could trust him with how she felt, and she appreciated that she could have someone like around him around. "Well, come on," she said, jerking her head as she opened the door. "Let's go explore while I'm still on break, so you can say you didn't stay in your hotel room the entire time while we were here."
The sun was at its peak that day when Keller emerged from the castle, squinting at the daylight. He hadn’t seen the sun like this for a few days – maybe even a week – due to his extensive hibernation in his own secret room with his notes and theories. Keller knew that, realistically, it wasn’t good for his health or his image to look so dishevelled as he did, but he also knew that he didn’t care. His friends knew what he was working on, and that’s all that mattered to Keller; if they stuck by him and understood that he couldn’t always be social and he couldn’t always be enthusiastic about the small things, then he could get by just fine. One friend that always seemed to be checking up on Keller was Katie, the smallest Gryffindor with the largest personality, and though Keller was grateful and appreciative, he also knew that he didn’t deserve that kind of friendship. Sighing, Keller stood beyond the doors, wrapped in a cardigan and waiting for Katie to arrive after having agreed that he’d take a well-deserved break from his cross-examination of the evidence to relax and, god forbid, do something fun. Keller was slightly apprehensive, especially when it came to Katie’s idea of what the meaning of “fun” was, but he trusted her, perhaps more than almost anyone else. With his eyes narrowed, he turned when he heard the sound of footsteps, finding a smiling on his face at the sight of Katie. “Cricket,” he said by way of acknowledgement, and if there was a touch of relief in his voice that she had turned up, then he hoped that Katie didn’t notice.
