Only in Your Dreams Chapter 15
When Jan re entered the hallway after phoning Dr. Shannon, she felt as if she was a nurse working in triage. She surveyed the sight before her. Lance was still lying on the hallway floor, holding his head in obvious pain. JC was sitting slumped against the wall opposite of Lance, eyes closed with blood from a scalp wound slowly gliding down the right side of his face. Jan quickly stuck her head in Joey and JC�s room to see that Chris was lying on JC�s bed, sporting a doozy of a black eye. Joey was lying on his bed, still unconscious for the moment. And, finally, Justin was standing in the middle of the bedroom with a look of shock mixed with anguish on his face. Jan took a deep breath and began to enter her �take charge of the situation mode� as Mike had liked to call it when Jan faced a crisis. She would simply slide into autopilot and take command of the situation at hand. First, she knew that she was going to need help from the only other member of the group that was not among the wounded. Jan quickly made her way to Justin�s side and grabbed him by the shoulders in an effort to get his attention.
�Justin. Justin�get it together�I need for you to go get some wet rags and bags of ice while I take care of the boys.�
Justin looked at Jan blankly. Jan shook his shoulders and repeated that she needed ice and wet rags. The shake seemed to bring him out of his trance and his eyes met with Jan�s.
�J, I need you to go get ice bags and wet rags now.� Jan used the voice that she usually reserved for rowdy students and that seemed to cause Justin to snap back to reality.
�Ice and rags�I�ll get that right now.�
�Good Justin�get going�� Jan pushed Justin toward the door and added the words �hurry up honey.�
Justin quickly exited the room, made his way down the hallway to the stairs, and raced to the kitchen for the needed items.
Jan quickly turned her attention to Chris. She sat down by his side and placed her hand on his forehead. It felt clammy to the touch.
�I�m okay Jan�take care of Joey and the others,� whispered Chris who felt about as far from fine as a person could possibly feel at that moment. Joey could pack a mighty punch and the black eye that Chris had was sending waves of dizziness over him.
�Chris�I need you to sit with Joey�JC has a head wound and Lance is hurting pretty bad�sit with Joey. I�ve called Dr. Shannon and he�ll be here in he next 15 minutes or so.�
�Okay,� answered Chris as he struggled to make it into a sitting position.
Jan helped Chris up and guided him over to Joey�s bed. She helped him to sit down and told him to let her know when Joey awakened. Jan quickly took one more glance at Joey and made sure that his breathing was not hampered and that he seemed comfortable before looking again at Chris, who numbly shook his head before bending over to place his elbows on his knees and his head into his hands. Jan quickly patted him on the shoulder as she stood up and made her way back into the hallway.
Meanwhile, Justin had returned to the hallway and was bent over JC�s still form holding a wet rag over the bleeding head wound.
�Put pressure on the wound Justin. We need to get the bleeding under control,� said Jan, as she picked up the remaining wet rags and ice bags. Jan walked over to Lance and laid a wet rag over his face.
�How are you doing Lance?� she asked.
�Still dizzy�not as much�head hurts a lot,� he whispered.
�Just stay down Lance. Dr. Shannon is on his way.�
�Okay.�
Jan quickly lifted Lance�s head just enough to put one of the smaller ice bags under his neck before lowering his head once again to the floor.
Jan hurried down the stairs to quickly unlock the front door and turn on the exterior lights in anticipation of the doctor�s arrival. She then made her way to a keypad on the nearby wall and pressed the code necessary to allow the front gates to open. Once this had been done, Jan ran back up the stairs with the remaining ice bags and wet rags and entered Joey and JC�s room.
�Chris? Here�s an ice bag for your eye.�
Jan placed the bag in Chris� hand and watched as he gently placed the bag over his eye.
�He hasn�t stirred yet Jan,� Chris said as he looked over his shoulder at Joey�s still form.
Just as Jan finished placing a rag over Joey�s forehead and an ice bag behind his neck, she heard a loud knocking on the door and Justin yelling for the person knocking to come in.
Jan quickly left Chris and Joey and made her way out into the hallway where, Dr. Shannon met her who stood there, mouth opened, surveying the damage about him. With a low whistle, Dr. Shannon set his medical box down and began his assessment of first Lance�s condition and then JC�s. As he worked, he spoke, �Where�s Joey and Chris?�
�Down the hall�Joey�s unconscious and Chris has a black eye.�
�Jan, bring me a phone. I�m going to need reinforcements here I�m afraid,� said Dr. Shannon as he bent over Lance.
�No,� Jan said forcibly. At the insistent sound of her voice, Dr. Shannon stood up from his position. Jan immediately explained herself.
�If someone else comes in, we might not be able to keep this problem away from the press. Please�let me help you.�
Dr. Shannon stood quietly before the woman, contemplating her words then nodded his head in agreement.
�Alright�let�s get busy then.�
It had been nearly an hour since Dr. Shannon�s departure and Jan was ready for some much needed down time. She had settled herself onto one of the chairs at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and was quietly watching the slow rise of the morning sun through of the large bay windows in the breakfast area.
With a sigh, Jan mulled over the evening�s tumultuous events that had occurred just four hours earlier. The peace and quiet that had now descended upon the house was a wonderful change from the chaos that had begun its ugly reign with the first screams that the household had heard at around 3:30 coming from Joey and JC�s room.
Joey�s latest nightmare had not been one of the worst that he had had, but the aftermath was one that Jan and the others, including Dr. Shannon, had not been prepared for.
Jan took a sip of her coffee and felt sudden weariness at the remembrance of what she had seen upstairs after the first scream shattered the stillness in the house.
Seeing Lance in pain and then JC being brought out semi-conscious into the hallway had been disturbing enough, but not as nearly disturbing as the sight in Joey and JC�s room. That scene mad Jan realize that the whole nightmare situation was getting out of hand and cause her to question whether or not she and the others would really be able to help Joey on their own. She was going to at least try it, starting this morning. Jan felt determined to try for not only Joey�s sake, but also for the sakes of the others.
Jan�s thoughts returned to Joey and she shuddered at the memory of an exhausted and injured Chris straddling his unconscious form and how the bedroom looked like a war zone. With those thought in mind, Jan wondered how she had been able to retain complete control of the situation from that point on.
�Thank goodness for Dr. Shannon,� Jan said quietly as she took another sip of her coffee and found it to be now lukewarm, so she got up and poured the rest into the sink, rinsed out the cup and left the room to check on everyone.
Jan first made her way into the living room where Justin was sleeping on the couch, his arms wrapped around a pillow. Jan stood quietly looking over the back of the couch at her sister�s child. She could not help but feel a little twinge of envy at the good fortune that Lynn had in having such a wonderful son, but her envy melted at the thought that she also had a wonderful nephew because of Lynn�s good fortune.
Jan made her way to the front of the couch and very carefully, without disturbing the sleeping young man, pulled Justin�s cover further up on his body and the bent over and gently kissed his forehead. Jan felt pride at how Justin had remained in such control of himself and his emotions before Dr. Shannon had arrived. However, then, as the reality of the situation hit him, he had slowly fallen apart. Jan recalled how she and Dr. Shannon had found Justin earlier in the evening.
�Where�s Justin?� Dr. Shannon asked after he and Jan had finally left Joey�s bedroom and returned to the hallway.
�We haven�t seen him at all.�
�I don�t know. We know he isn�t up here so I guess we need to check downstairs,� Jan answered. She and Dr. Shannon made their way down the stairs and into the living room.
�Looks like he may have gone outside,� Dr. Shannon said as he pointed toward the open patio door then quickened his pace, crossing the room.
Jan followed him out the door and they both stood there for a moment scanning the darkened backyard for any sign of Justin.
�Turn on a light, Jan,� Dr. Shannon said as he looked over his shoulder. �I can�t see a thing right now.�
Jan quickly stepped back inside the door and turned on the patio lights before rejoining the doctor outside. After a few seconds, Dr. Shannon pointed. �There he is.�
�Jan�s gaze followed the direction of his pointing hand and saw Justin sitting on the end of the diving board with his feet dangling in the pool. Dr. Shannon and Jan slowly walked around the pool.
�Justin, are you okay son?� the doctor asked, watching the young man carefully for any signs of distress. He did not like how Justin was looking for the moment nor did he like where Justin was sitting.
�I hope you don�t plan on jumping in or anything, J,� Jan said with a nervous chuckle.
�You know, I thought everything was going to be okay,� Justin said so quietly that Dr. Shannon and Jan almost missed what he said.
�It�s going to be okay, J�really,� Jan said as she stood at the edge of the pool near Justin.
�Everyone is doing fine, Justin and it�s time for you to come inside now,� Dr. Shannon said.
Justin simply nodded and slowly stood up on the diving board, turned around and walked back to the end of it and stepped onto the pool deck. Dr. Shannon and Jan quickly stood on either side of Justin and led him back into the house.
�Justin, let�s sit down on the couch,� Dr. Shannon said in quiet tones as he and Jan guided the young man through the doorway and across the room. Justin sat down and Dr. Shannon began his assessment of his condition. After several minutes of checking his blood pressure and reflexes, Dr. Shannon decided to administer a mild tranquiller to help Justin rest.
�You�re going to be fine, Justin. I�m going to give you a tranquiller similar to Joey�s to help you rest.�
�Yes, sir,� Justin whispered as he continued to stare straight ahead at the wall in front of him, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.
Dr. Shannon rose from the couch and looked at Jan, who was sitting beside Justin, holding his hand.
�Is that really necessary?� Jan asked with concern.
�Yes�you saw what he was like outside and the only words he�s spoken in the last 10 minutes were those to answer my questions. He needs rest and the shot will help.� The doctor could understand Jan�s trepidation, but his main concern was Justin�s well being for the moment. Jan handed over the box that the doctor was pointing to then sat back down beside Justin, watching as the doctor prepared the injection.
Less than five minutes later, Justin was lying on the couch asleep.
�The shot should last at least 5 to 6 hours,� Dr. Shannon said as he smoothed a blanket over Justin�s lax body. �Here are some pills for him to take later�one when he wakes up and then one before he goes to bed tonight.� Dr. Shannon handed over a small container to Jan.
�I want him to rest for at least the next 24 hours.� Just as the words left the doctor�s mouth, he noted the weary look that Jan was giving him.
�He�s going to be kept drugged for the next 24 hours then,� Jan said, not liking the idea at all.
�He really needs it, Jan as do the others.�
�I�m sorry,� Jan apologized. �It�s just that I�m starting to use up my second wind here and I�m not exactly sure how long I�ll be able to last for them.� Jan wearily ran a hand through her hair, instantly regretting what she had said.
�That must have sounded really selfish�I�m sorry.�
�No�it sounded like someone who has selflessly taken care of five young men.�
�Thank you, Dr. Shannon,� Jan said with a small smile. �I needed that.�
Dr. Shannon felt sorry for the young woman, knowing that she must be tired but he needed her to keep going for a little while longer.
�Jan, everyone will be resting comfortably until at least noon or later today. I know you are tired and in need of some sleep too. You should be able to cat nap throughout the morning before anyone starts waking up.�
�I�ll catch up on my sleep before I leave. There�ll be time later for that. I really shouldn�t have complained.�
Dr. Shannon stepped closer to Jan and placed a hand on her shoulder. �I just don�t want to be getting a phone call from one of the boys about you, okay?� Dr. Shannon said with concern.
Not ten minutes later, Dr. Shannon left and Jan began her vigil over the boys.
Jan took one more look at Justin, then stood up and crossed the room to the stairs leading up to her other nephews. With the sun coming up Jan was able to avoid turning on the hallway light, which might awaken the sleepers since Dr. Shannon had insisted that all bedroom doors remain open so that Jan could hear anything going on. Jan first made her way to Lynn�s room where Chris was sleeping. With a slight smile she replayed in her memory how that had come to be.
Jan had called Dr. Shannon and within 20 minutes of that phone call, he was there at the house taking care of the boys. Jan had led the doctor up the stairs after briefly filling him in on the situation. Much to Jan�s surprise, the first person that they came across at the top of the stairs was Chris, who was sitting just outside Joey�s bedroom on the floor. The last time that Jan had checked on him, he had still been in Joey�s room watching over him.
With a shake of her head, Jan saw that Chris had his back against the wall and his knees were drawn up close to his body, supporting his elbows. Chris was holding an ice bag against the left side of his face and had apparently fallen asleep while waiting for the doctor to arrive.
�Let�s see what we have here,� Dr. Shannon said as he and Jan made their way to kneel beside Chris, who had not heard their approach.
�Chris�Chris�wake up, son,� Dr. Shannon said quietly as he placed his hand lightly on Chris�s right shoulder. Chris jerked awake, dropping the ice bag to reveal that his left eye had turned completely black and was nearly swollen shut. With a low whistle, Dr. Shannon gently cupped Chris�s chin in his right hand and maneuvered his face in his direction.
�It was your turn to run into Joey�s fist?� Dr. Shannon asked, trying to help Chris to relax. The attempt at humor was not lost on Chris and he gave the doctor a half-hearted grin.
�Yeah�beauty, isn�t it?� he quietly quipped before wincing.
�Yep�I�d give it a ten,� Dr. Shannon replied.
�Gee�thanks, doc,� Chris whispered before closing his eyes.
The doctor�s smile faded a bit as he began asking questions as he pulled out a penlight from his pocket.
�Any dizziness?�
�No, sir�at least, not anymore�� Chris answered.
�Look at my forehead, Chris.� Dr. Shannon cupped Chris�s chin in his hand once again and began flashing the penlight in front of his right eye. Chris winced at the invasion of the bright light on his vision.
�Now I know how Joey and Lance felt yesterday,� the young man softly whined.
�Sorry son�almost finished,� Dr. Shannon quietly replied as he continued his exam. A few seconds later, Dr. Shannon turned off the light and dropped it back into his pocket. He gingerly probed Chris�s head causing him to nearly jerk out of his grip. Jan quickly grabbed Chris�s left hand and placed it on her left arm for him to grip. In response, Chris quickly began his death grip on Jan�s fair skinned arm.
�Oops,� Jan thought to herself. �That�ll leave a mark.� Jan placed one of her hands over Chris�s and began stroking it as Dr. Shannon continued his exam.
�Be still Chris�I need to see if any of your facial bones are fractured.�
�It really hurts�it really, really hurts�� Chris whispered. A moment or two later, Dr. Shannon was finished.
�It looks like there aren�t any fractures since I felt no grating or popping. You�re pretty lucky, Chris.�
�Yep�Lucky is my middle name,� Chris said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He loosened his grip on Jan�s arm but didn�t notice the tell tale signs of bruising beginning on her wrist. Jan dropped her arm and stood up before that could happen.
�Can you get up, Chris?� Dr. Shannon asked as he too rose to stand in front of the young man.
�I think so,� Chris answered as he held up his right hand to the doctor who gently hauled the young man into a standing position.
�Whoa there�someone stop the ride�I wanna get off�� Chris moaned as a wave of dizziness hit him.
�Dizzy?� Dr. Shannon asked as he slipped around behind Chris�s back and quickly put his arm around the young man�s waist to prevent him from falling over. Jan also grabbed Chris�s right elbow and helped support him from that side.
�A little. I think I�d like to lie down right about now.� Chris had his head down and his eyes tightly clinched in an effort to bring his senses back under control.
�We can take him to Lynn�s room for now�it�s the closest.� Jan and Dr. Shannon supported Chris as they took the few steps into Lynn�s bedroom and slowly made their way to Lynn�s bed where Chris began a slight protest.
�I can do this�this bed belongs to Justin�s mom�he�ll kill me�this is sacrilegious or something��
Dr. Shannon ignored Chris�s weak protests, but Jan could not help but giggle as Chris continued his fearful complaining as she and the doctor lowered him into a seated position onto the bed. Jan pulled down the covers enough so that Chris was able to lay back.
�This isn�t right�can�t do this�won�t do this,� Chris continued to complain.
�Chris, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, son,� Dr. Shannon said as he watched the young man wrestle with his conscious.
�Huh?� Chris asked.
�You can either do this on your own or I can give you a shot of a sedative to help you get some sleep.�
Chris seemed to mull over his options for about 2 seconds before speaking again.
�Lynn�s bed sure is comfy�I think,� he said as he patted the bed�s surface then laid back, putting his head on a pillow, allowing Jan to pull the covers up to his chest. Jan ruffled Chris�s hair then kissed him on the forehead.
�Thanks, Jan�thanks, doc,� Chris whispered as he closed his eyes in weariness.
�I�ll check in on you in a bit, Chris,� Dr. Shannon said as he and Jan walked back out of the room, closing the door quietly behind them. Once out in the hallway, the pair were overcome with giggles at Chris�s change of heart.
The memory caused Jan to briefly smile again as she entered Lynn�s bedroom and saw that Chris was still peacefully sleeping with his back turned to the doorway. Not wanting to disturb him, Jan quietly turned around and headed over to the next doorway.
From the hallway, Jan could see that Lance was still fitfully resting. The scare that they had all had at the sounds of the first screams from Joey had seemed to affect him the most for some reason. Even now, Jan watched as Lance mumbled in his sleep as he turned from his back to his side. Jan tiptoed into the room, over to Lance�s bed and placed her hand on his forehead. She lightly began stroking his soft, spiky hair and this action seemed to calm him. His body relaxed and the mumbling stopped.
�It has to be the medicine,� Jan whispered quietly to herself as she continued to stroke Lance�s hair for a moment long as she continued to think about Dr. Shannon�s care for Lance.
�Who�s in the next room?� asked Dr. Shannon as he and Jan walked over to his medical boxes and picked them up after getting Chris to bed.
�Lance is asleep in the next room down the hall. He had complained of being dizzy and had a bad headache, but he went back to sleep fairly quickly one he was back in bed.�
�Did he complain of blurred vision or nausea?�
�No, he didn�t� Jan answered as the doctor followed Jan further down the hallway to Lance�s room. Dr. Shannon turned on a small lamp that was sitting on a nearby desk and then made his way over to Lance�s bed and sat down with a chuckle.
�What�s so funny?� Jan asked quietly, trying not to disturb Lance�s sleep.
Dr. Shannon stood up and motioned to Jan to follow him over the far corner of the bedroom where he explained his first meeting with Lance and how the young man had nearly fallen off his bed in an effort to get away from the strange man sitting at his bedside. Jan quietly laughed at the thought of Lance using a pillow to protect himself, but her laughter faded when she looked back over at the sleeping figure on the bed. The doctor noted her change in demeanor and quickly tried to comfort her.
�Jan�he�s going to be okay,� reassured Dr. Shannon as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
�Are you sure?� she asked, not taking her gaze away from the figure lying on the bed.
�Yes.� Dr. Shannon dropped his hand and returned to sit at Lance�s side. He reached up, pulled his stethoscope from off the back of his neck, and very gently pulled back the covers that were lying across the young man�s chest. Without attempting to lift Lance�s t-shirt, the doctor placed the instrument on Lance�s chest and listened to the strong, steady rhythm of his heart.
After a few moments, Dr. Shannon gently pulled the covers back up over Lance�s body and stood up.
�Everything sounds good. I don�t want to wait until Tuesday to see him though,� he commented. �Let�s make it Monday night.�
�Why?� Jan asked with a tinge of concern lacing her voice.
�He�s doing okay and I don�t want to put off that visit, but I will admit that the headache bothers me a bit. I want you to bring everyone in for that visit.�
Jan nodded her head in agreement at the doctor�s admission as she listened to what he said next.
�I want you to make sure he continues to take his pain medications, okay?�
�No problem,� Jan said as she and Dr. Shannon left the room.
Before leaving the room, Jan stood up, bent over Lance and brushed his forehead with her lips. Then quietly, Jan exited Lance�s room and crossed the hallway to the bedroom where JC was now sleeping. The light from the window in the room was beginning to make its slow crawl across the room. There was just enough light that JC�s features could be seen causing Jan to wince at the sight of the black and blue mark that marred the side of his face, right below his sideburn and ear.
The memory of Justin practically carrying the young man out into the hallway still made Jan�s stomach flip flop. Jan made her way over to the bed opposite JC�s and sat down. She watched the young man sleeping and her thoughts drifted once again.
�Well, it looks like you have a slight concussion, JC,� Dr. Shannon said after finishing his examination. JC slightly nodded his head then closed his eyes as he sank further into his bed.
�Do you remember anything that happened?� Jan asked as she sat down on the edge of JC�s bed and began stroking his left arm.
�Yeah�kinda,� JC answered. �It all happened so fast. One minute I was asleep and the next thing I know Joey�s scream startled me so bad that I fell out of bed. That�s really the last think I remember before waking up in the hallway with you standing over me, Jan.� JC wearily rubbed his face with his hands.
�Justin said earlier that JC was able to explain that he had hit his head on the nightstand on his way down to the floor. I guess the concussion is causing the memory lapse,� Jan explained to the doctor as he replaced the wet rag on JC�s forehead that he had removed during his exam.
�That�s not uncommon, Jan,� the doctor commented. �In fact, Lance had the same problem when I was here the first time. He had been able to tell the others what had happened to him, but then the next morning, he had several holes in his story.
�I�m really tired and my head hurts,� JC complained quietly after Dr. Shannon had finished explaining to things to Jan, who continued to stroke JC�s arm. She looked up at Dr. Shannon, who breathed a sigh as he looked down at the young man before opening one of his medical boxes to retrieve a small bottle of pills. He opened the bottle and poured a small pill into palm of his hand before closing the bottle again.
�I want you to take this, JC,� Dr. Shannon said as he handed over the small pill to the young man along with a glass of water that JC had been drinking out of earlier.
�What is this?� JC asked before popping it into his mouth.
�A mild pain pill for your headache and it�ll help you to get some rest, okay?� JC nodded and then spoke after swallowing the pill with a gulp of water.
�Sure�whatever, doc�I�m will to take anything right now that�ll help this headache of mine.�
�We�re going to let you sleep now,� the doctor quietly stated. �Jan will be in later to check on you. I�ll want her to wake you up every few hours to check on you.�
JC nodded before turning to his side and falling asleep almost immediately.
Jan quietly stood up and walked out of JC�s room and made her way to the last bedroom down the hall. She stood quietly in the doorway and watched Joey as he turned over in bed and struggled with his pillows.
�Want some help sweetie?� Jan asked as she entered the room.
�Yeah, if you don�t mind, Jan,� Joey quietly answered with a hint of frustration in his voice.
Jan walked over to Joey�s bedside as he sat up in the bed, allowing her to fluff up his pillows.
�There you go, Joey,� Jan said as she stepped back from the bed.
�How are the others, Jan?� Joey asked as he settled back into the bed and readjusted the bedcovers around him.
Jan looked at Joey and saw that his eyes were filling with tears.
�Everyone�s resting just fine, honey,� she answered as she sat down beside Joey and reached up to brush away the stray tear that tracked its way down his left cheek.
�How are you doing, Joey?�
Joey looked down at his hands and began to absent-mindedly pick at the covers on his bed.
�I guess I�m okay, Jan,� he answered in a small voice.
�Do you remember the dream you were having when�� Jan asked, hoping that she wasn�t going to cause Joey any distress.
�No�not really�it wasn�t as bad as the others but I guess it was bad enough.�
�I won�t push you sweetie, but we really need to get to the heart of these nightmares and pick them apart. If we can pick them apart and find the reason behind the, maybe they�ll go away.�
�Do you really think so?� Joey asked without looking up.
Jan reached over and took one of his hands inheres. Jan gathered her thoughts before speaking. This was going to be one of the most difficult things for her to say, but she felt that it was necessary.
�I used to have terrible nightmares after Mike�s death that I�ve never, ever shared with anyone, Joey,� Jan said quietly as she looked at Joey, trying to gauge his reaction.
�I think it might be the right time to start sharing them and you are the right person for me to share them with. I was able to get over them only after I picked them apart and understood the meaning behind them. I think if you hear my nightmares and you tell me yours, we�ll be making a step in the right direction.� Joey looked up and his eyes locked with Jan�s. Jan saw that his eyes held fear and doubt. This made Jan even more determined to have the old Joey back�the Joey that she and the rest of the group loved.
�Jan�are you sure you want to do that�I mean�are you really sure?� Joey stammered. His eyes seemed to search Jan�s for any doubts of her decision and there were none.
�When do we get started then?� he asked.