Turning the tables

Chapter 6 - Hedgett

Warnings: Mentions of dead and hurt animals, you have been warned.

I lay in bed, awake, staring at the ceiling. I hadn't been able to fall asleep due to stress and the particularly aggressive thoughts plaguing my mind. If I am being honest, I feel trapped. I had fallen into a situation that heightened my anxiety and caused me more stress than I can handle. I feel exhausted from my messed-up sleep schedule, the panic attacks, and not to mention that whenever I'm near Bill I still can't shake the feeling that he's going to suddenly turn on me, which is constantly making my heart race and my mind fill with fight or flight instincts. I'm drained, but I  check the time.

8 am. I had laid in bed for hours without a wink of sleep, and it was starting to frustrate me. I swung my legs over the side of my bed and stood up, groaning as I could practically feel how weak my muscles were. I sighed, getting into my daily attire of a t-shirt and pants before making my bed, putting on my hat and grabbing my satchel, which still had all my journal supplies in it. I went downstairs, finding that no one was awake, so I made myself some coffee and sat at the table.
I made sure to stay quiet so that I didn't wake Mabel, who was still passed out on the couch. I drank my coffee in silence, going over things in my journal and writing down any more theories I had on the moon demon. Nothing but the quiet sound of me sipping my coffee and my pencil scratching against the page. 

I suddenly heard something akin to a whimper, but it was louder. I looked up, peering through the window behind me, blaming the sound on a random animal or something. I went back to writing, but instantly got up when I heard the sound once more. I walked to the living room, checking to see if Mabel was having a nightmare.
I let out a sigh of relief when I found her sleeping peacefully, though I did feel a sense of worry as I heard the sound once more. I made my way upstairs, the sound getting louder and more frequent as I walked down the hall.
The sound was coming from Stan's room. Realization dawned on me as I realized that it must be Bill making the noises.

Now that I was near, it sounded more as though he was in pain, but indecision gripped me as I stopped in front of the door. He had dragged me out of a tree last night, and the last thing I wanted to do was help, yet Mabel's pleas last night for me to at least give him a chance to redeem himself were tugging just as hard as the one's telling me the opposite.
I took a breath, shoving my feelings and grudge aside, deciding to myself that if that man was actually hurt, then I'd be stupid for letting my emotions get in the way of helping him. I turned the doorknob and entered the room, finding Bill whimpering and writhing on his cot. I rushed over, kneeling beside the cot as I tried to get him to stop moving so much.

"Bill! Bill, listen, if you can hear me, I need you to know that you'll be alright, okay?" I asked, trying to calm him down. He seemed to writhe less for a split, but it didn't do much to settle him. I looked him over quickly for wounds and noted that there were no other signs of a seizure other than the shaking.
Bill whimpered once more, almost as though he was scared, and something clicked. I scooped him up in my arms, holding him.
"It's okay, you're just having a nightmare, Bill," I said softly, Bill's shaking and writhing slowing slightly. 
"Bill, it's Dipper. You're going to be okay, alright? It's just a nightmare, I promise." I spoke once more, the demon in my arms slowly calming down.
After a few minutes, Bill had stopped writhing, nothing but a few whimpers slipping from his mouth. He eventually stopped completely, his nightmare now over.

I sighed, laying him back down in his cot and pulled the blanket up to his chin, then turned to leave the room.
"Thanks, pine tree..." Bill mumbled from behind me, snuggling further into his blanket. I glanced at him before I shut the door, making my way back downstairs. I returned to the table and continued to drink my coffee until it was gone.
I checked my phone for the time, smiling a little when I was that it was 9 am, a perfect time to get a lunch packed and go searching for creatures in the woods. I grabbed my satchel and took out the notebook that I always have in there; ripping out one of the pages, I jotted down a quick note to Bill and Mabel so that they don't panic when they can't find me in the shack when they wake up.

I packed up my journal once more, making myself a sandwich and a thermos of coffee to take with me. I grabbed an apple and a granola bar from the refrigerator and cupboard, stuffing them into my satchel with my food and supplies.
"You leaving, pine tree?" Bill's sleepy voice came from the doorway of the kitchen. I flinched slightly at the sudden noise and turned to look at him.
"Yeah... I'm going out to look for creatures." I explained, earning a nod from Bill. Bill hummed knowingly, shuffling awkwardly as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Thanks again for, uh... for helping," Bill said after a few moments, and I nodded.
"Yeah... Don't sweat it," I replied, pushing past him as I made my way out of the kitchen. I looked around the house for anything else I'd need but didn't find anything other than my trusty pocket knife and some rope, as well as a camera. I hung the camera around my neck by the strap and waved to Bill as I passed the kitchen, deciding I at least owed him some common courtesy.