Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Ryo, Dee.
Rating: PG
Setting: Vol. 4, Act 11.
Summary: After the blowing up of Bikky’s school, Ryo has a nightmare and starts to doubt what’s real and what was just a dream.
Word Count: 615
Written Using: The dw100 prompt ‘Something That Never Happened’.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
‘It was just a dream,’ Ryo told himself firmly, pushing one hand through sweat-dampened hair. ‘That wasn’t how it happened; everything is fine.’ Nevertheless, he slipped out of bed and tiptoed through to Bikky’s room where the boy was sound asleep, untroubled by the bad dreams that were plaguing his foster father.
Going back to his bedroom after splashing cold water over his face, Ryo checked the clock on his nightstand; it was almost three in the morning. He knew he should go back to bed, but sleep wasn’t too likely after that dream.
No, not just a dream but a full-blown nightmare, where the events of the previous day had become far more devastating than they had been in reality. In his nightmare, Dee had been unable to defuse the bomb, and the classroom he’d been trapped in had exploded like the rest of the school in a blazing fireball. Worse, Bikky had still been trapped in there with him, the windows sealed shut to make escape impossible. Ryo had lost them both in one horrific instant, leaving his dream-self wishing he’d been in that classroom too, so he could have said his final goodbyes to them and shared their fate.
‘It could have happened that way, but it didn’t,’ he reminded himself. Bikky was fine, and Dee was recovering from his bullet-wound in hospital. He’d be out of there in a few days.
Still the dream nagged at him. Was he sure that Dee was alright? Maybe that part of what he thought he remembered was the dream, and the fireball had been the reality. He reached for his phone on the nightstand, then drew his hand back. What good would it do calling Dee? He wouldn’t have been allowed to keep his cell phone with him. He could phone the hospital, but would they tell him anything? Probably not, he wasn’t family and it was the middle of the night.
When his phone suddenly buzzed in his hand, he nearly jumped out of his skin. He didn’t remember picking it up. Had he dozed off? Was he dreaming again? He wasn’t sure anymore what was real and what wasn’t. He lifted the phone to his ear.
“Hello?”
“Ryo? Sorry, did I wake you?”
“Dee? No, I wasn’t asleep.”
“Oh, sorry, I know it’s late, or early… I talked one of the night nurses into letting me have my phone for a few minutes. I just wanted to touch base, check on…” Dee’s voice sounded rough. “Dammit, I had a nightmare is all. Stupid, huh? Just needed to make sure it wasn’t real, that you and Bikky are alright.”
“We’re fine, Bikky’s asleep, like he doesn’t have a care in the world.”
Dee gave a brief huff of laughter. “His school just got destroyed, he’s probably overjoyed.”
Ryo chuckled at that. “I wanted to call you, but I thought you wouldn’t have your phone. You’re not the only one who’s been having nightmares. After everything that happened I guess it’s not surprising.”
“I guess.”
“You are okay though?”
“Yeah, I am now I’ve heard your voice. Listen, Ryo, I have to give up my phone now. Talk to you tomorrow?”
“I’ll stop by the hospital. Anything you need me to bring in?”
“Uh, could you bring my MP3 player? That way I won’t have to listen to the old Badger. It’s in my desk at work.”
“I can do that. Goodnight, Dee. See you tomorrow.”
“’Night, Ryo. Get some sleep.”
“I will.”
Ryo hung up, put his phone back on the nightstand, and got back into bed, lying down and turning out the bedside lamp, sure that now he’d be able to sleep.
The End