The nightmares came back. Maybe it’s just the stress of everything, heck it could be even the fever I’m running, but either way I’m sweaty, achy, and my brain hurts. I roll to my side, breathing fast. This dream had been worse than normal. No longer are they relived memories. Each night, they morph further from real life and dive deeper into my subconscious fears. Tonight had been about Cameron, and it has been the scariest one yet. Every time I close my eyes, I see his limp, lifeless body staring at me from the dream. My heart is racing at what happens next.  I whimper as I quickly sit up from my bed. Pulling my comforter closer to my body. The tears come as they always seem to these days and I sob into my blanket. I know it’s just a dream, and that Cameron broke my heart, but seeing him like that has been far worse than the pain of him not wanting me. My door slowly creeks open and I see a head pop in, my heart pounds as I find my voice.

“Maybe he ran away to think?” I Offer while we drive aimlessly around town searching for any sign of Cameron. The arcade on 16th St had been our first stop. We were there at Edith’s suggestion, so I had run in only to appease her. I couldn’t imagine Cameron coming to a gaming hole, not as a 17-year-old jock, anyway. After thanking the woman behind the counter who said she hadn’t seen him, I raced back out to the running car.  Edith frowns as she stares out the window. We are running out of places to look. We have checked the mall, the football field, weight room, yacht club. The yacht club was interesting trying to get in. Edith faked a heart attack while I snuck behind the desk checking their log. For 3 hours we have done nothing but search all the places she used to take him when he was a little boy. I feel useless as I have nothing to offer other than my average driving skills. I know Cameron well, bu

*Cameron POV* An incessant ringing continues to grow louder and louder, tugging at my consciousness. Each decibel brings with it a higher amount of pain until it becomes so sharp it disappears altogether and I can hear nothing but my own labored breathing. Every part of me aches in unison, as I can feel the whole of me waking up. My back feels stiff as if I am pinned to a board and my legs tingle as if on a bed of needles. I try but fail, to open my led-laden eyes, annoyed that even the most simple of tasks is just out of reach. Something near me creaks and I try to turn towards the sound, finding that my neck is also protesting my brain’s demands of movement as I lay motionless. The sound of rustling fabric and a slight breeze tell me that someone is sitting by my bedside, moving around. My mind goes instantly to grandma who I know must be here waiting for any sign that I am still inside this shell of a body that keeps m

*Faith POV* Hours have passed, and Cameron hasn’t stirred since his terrifying screaming. The doctors have assured us that any progress is good progress, though it feels like we are back to square one. Cameron’s father, Richard, has sat silently with me in the room, neither of us willing to take a step away from him in fear of missing out on whatever might happen next. It’s strange to see Richard so torn up over Cameron after all the stories I have heard about him. Cameron had often painted him to be a cold unfeeling man, yet according to the nurse, he has been here the entire time conducting business meetings out of the corner of the room while waiting for progress of any kind.  I have seen him cry twice since being allowed in. The first time was when I hadn’t recognized it was him in the cafeteria and I had given him my second chocolate bar. The more recent time had been silent tears after everything had settled down in the room.

*Cameron POV* My head is pounding as the nurse explains to my father and grandma what the next few days will entail for me. I was hoping to be discharged today, but the Doctor quickly nixed that hope. Twenty-four hours of observation before making any big decisions, he told my dad. All I want is my bed, my own clothes, and Faith near me. I groan as I drop my head back on the pillow. My dad comes running over, concerned. “Are you ok? Do you need more medicine?” “No, what I need is to get out of here,” I say, annoyed. He frowns at me. “You need to be observed, to make sure you are really ok.”  “I’m perfectly fine other than a terrible headache,” I complain.  “We expect headaches with head injuries.” The Doctor interjects. “I know being stuck in the hospital isn’t ideal but it is the best thing for your health,” he assures me. “Can I at least get up and walk around?” I ask. The doctor looks at me, thinking hard, and sigh