Phil's Kid

Ch-47-Burns-?

. . .

My lungs...

They hurt.

It hurts!

I can't breathe...

It burns.

It burns.

It burns!

It burns!

Help.

Help.

Help me.

Please.

Anyone?

Please!

Something cold touched my forehead.

I snap my eyes open.

When did I close then?

.   .   .

When I realize in laying down I try to sit up. But am painfully reminded of the pain in my lungs. I groan in pain when I sit up and hug my ribs.

"Woah, lay back down." I hear someone say putting a hand on my shoulder. I flinch at the sudden contact and they move their hand away. I look to my right to see Phil there. "Phil?" I mumble."Hey kid." He gives me a soft smile. "How are you?"

"M-my lungs... they burn." I groan out tears pricking my eyes. Phil looks at me sadly. "That makes sense. I'm sorry." I look at him confused. He shakes his head making eye contact with me. "I should have checked on you sooner."

We sit in silence. Then another lesson enters the darkroom. A figure from my dream kicking down a door flashes in my head. I pull my blankets up to my chest. "Oh you're awake." the person says walking in the room.

When they walk into the room there is just barely enough light for me to see who it is. I relax my shoulders that I didn't realize we're we've and release the blankets from my grasp, chest still burning. Kristen sits by my feet at the end of my bed and looks at me. "I brought you a glass of cold water." She says giving it to me. I nod my head and grab the ice-cold water taking a sip. "Thanks." I whisper after my sip when my through is less dry.

"How are you?" She askes me after another second of silence. "Burns." I say and point to my chest. She nods her head understanding.

"Um, well." Phil says getting our attention. "We found you passed out on hour stomach, and you were sleeping in your binder..." He said rubbing the back of his neck. Oh...

I looked down at the cold glass in my hands and notice my chest is back. I quickly look away to the wall on my left. Someone touches my hand and I flinch pulling my hand away and look back to see Kristan looking at me worldly. "You sure your ok?" She asked placing her hand in her lap.

"Yeah, it just burns." I say talking about my lungs, then take a sip of the cold water. "I had a weird dream to I think. I just can't really remember much." I shrug my shoulders. Phil and Kristan give each other a look, I act like I didn't notice looking away.

"Well, I put some pain medication in your water..." Kristen says. "So hopefully you feel better tomorrow." I nod my head. "Thanks."

"Kristan had to take your binder off for you." Phil says and I look back over at him. "I know you just got it but..." He trails off. I look at him confused, Phil noticed and cleared his through before continuing. "We have it for now, and well give it back when your feeling better." I look at Kristan shocked. She nods her head in confirmation.

I look back down at my water watching the ice move around. "Don't worry, it'll only be for a day or two." Phil says. Oh, guess I must have looked upset. "I'll wait, and I'll miss it." I mumble. I kept my head down but spared a glance at Kristan and Phil, I don't miss how they looked at each other sadly.

"It's for your own good." Phil says. I look up at him to see he has an arm stretched out, most likely thinking whether or not to put his hand on my shoulder. "Not good for my own mental health..." I whisper a mumble. But it seemed like Kristan and Phil heard me, from their faces, and the silence in the whole house.

I place my water on my nightstand next to Phil making him retract his arm completely. "Want to talk about anything?" He askes carefully. "Like what?" I shrug my shoulders. "Like your mental health about this..." I look at my feet that are under my blanket. "Or about your dream?" Phil suggests. "I don't remember much." I say. Phil nods his head. "Ok, well if you ever want to talk we're here for you." He stands up and placed the chair he was sitting on back at my desk. "Ok." I say.

Kristen stands up. "You should get some sleep too." She says "We have another fun day tomorrow." I can barely see her smile in the dark. "Thanks." I say as Kristan and Phil standing the doorway to my room. "Goodnight." They both say. "Goodnight." I say back. Then they fully exit my room closing my door.

I sit alone on my bead thinking for a few minutes. I grab the cup on my nightstand and gulp down the last of the water before placing it back as it makes a clinking sound.

I lay down causing my lungs to burn at my movement. I place my head on my soft pillow and pull up my blankets wincing at the burning pain in my lungs.

I thought a fire made my lungs feel like this? Why would a fire make my lungs burn? Wasn't a tv on fire? Why was the tv on fire?

I snuggle in my blankets wincing at every little movement until I'm in a comfortable position on my right side. I bend my head back a little to look out the window. The moon is in the night sky creating some light in my room like a night light.

Where have I seen a light like that before? Did I see a moon like this before? A night light maybe?

I slowly drift asleep thinking about the moon, cutting off the process of remembering that fuzzy dream I had.

.   .   .