Stay, Forever

25

"George," Dream repeats the name for what feels like the twentieth time, but still, he gets nothing in return.

Dream's heart is beating hard, and his eyes are locked on George's face. He looks too pale, and his eyes have been closed for far too long.

Instinctively, Dream reaches up to feel the pulse point just below George's ear, and panic settles in quickly as he glances back at Sapnap and says, "his pulse is really weak, Sap. He's lost too much blood, we need to get him help."

Sapnap nods, and Dream knows him well enough to know that he's panicking but trying not to let Dream see it. But he can't let himself focus on that, and so instead, he reaches for the gauze and the medical tape, and he instructs Sapnap to help him try and stop the bleeding as best as they can.

They work quickly and manage to get most of the wound cleaned and covered with gauze, but Dream knows from experience that it won't hold for long. George's leg is bleeding far too much, and it's just a matter of time before he bleeds through the bandages.

"Karl," Sapnap calls out, and it's only just now that Dream notices another person hovering nervously in the room, "can you get the car started? We need to get George to the hospital."

Dream glances back to look at Karl, and he sees him hover anxiously for just a second longer. And then he wipes away the tears and nods, and without a word, he rushes out the door to get the car started.

"Okay," Sapnap continues quietly, almost like he's speaking more to himself than to Dream, "we just have to move him really carefully, and he should be fine. I'll take extra gauze just in case, and I'll just keep pressure on the wound to slow down the bleeding."

Dream nods, and he slides a hand under George's shoulders. His free hand moves to brush the hair out of George's face, and he doesn't know whether George can even hear him, but he still quietly murmurs, "don't worry, George. We're gonna get you help. You're gonna be okay."

He silently prays that everything he's saying is true, and he leans in to quickly kiss George's forehead. His chest aches, and he wishes that George would just open his eyes or move even the slightest bit. But he doesn't, and so Dream focuses back on Sapnap, and together, they gently lift George from the couch and carry him out to Karl's car.

They manage to get him into the backseat, and Sapnap goes to climb in after him, but Dream grabs his shoulder and urges, "I'll sit in the back with George."

Sapnap stills, and then responds, "I don't think you should go, Dream."

Dream's heart hammers in his chest, and suddenly, he's ten years old and he's back in his childhood home.

He's sitting on the floor in his kitchen, knees drawn up towards his chest, hands shaking where they rest against his legs.

He thinks about how George's hands always get shaky when he's scared, and how Clay always tells him to take deep breathes and think of something that makes him feel happy. And so Clay tries to listen to his own advice, and he squeezes his eyes shut and he tries to think of something that makes him feel happy.

He thinks about George, and how he was the first person who didn't make fun of Clay for wearing second hand clothes and beat up sneakers. And he thinks about how happy George looks every single time Clay comes rushing down the sidewalk towards his house. And he thinks about how even though they haven't known each other for long, it feels like they've always been best friends, like they were always meant to find each other.

But when Clay opens his eyes again, he's still stuck in the same nightmare. His mother is still lying in a pool of blood in front of him, and now he can hear the distant sounds of sirens that he knows are headed in his direction.