I woke up with a start with my arms pressed into the chair to break my fall. Once I realized I wasn't actually falling, I sat up and took my mask off, looking at Florence to see if she was okay. She saw me take my mask off so she took hers off, putting it neatly on the chair beside her.
"How do you feel?" I questioned, taking the probes off one by one.
I swung my legs over the edge so I was now facing her with my feet flat on the ground. My eyes quickly looked her over, looking for any signs she needed to go to the hospital. Even though she said she wasn't allergic, it was careless of me to take her word for it. Now I'm paying for it as I'm silently panicking over her health.
She didn't show any signs of having difficulty breathing which was a relief. Her breathing was gradually slowing down. Reckon the fall must've scared her but once she realized she was fine, she calmed down. What unnerved me most was how pale and quiet she was. I got up and sat at the computer, pulling up her heart rate data. You could see an uptick in her heart rate when she fell and woke up. Her heart rate was slowly going down and there were no signs of complications. Her data looked just like ours.
"Please say something. You're making me worry," I told her. That seemed to do the trick.
"I'm fine. Still trying to process what just happened," she said in a small voice. She took the probes off and I could see her hands visibly trembling. She was in a state of shock.
"Do you want something to drink?"
I didn't wait for her to answer. I grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to her. She thanked me and twisted the cap off, taking a sip. Bondy must've noticed my panic because he came over to put his hand on her shoulder.
"You're in shock right now. Take all the time you need and let us know if you need anything," he told her calmly.
I let out a sigh, relieved that Bondy was here to help. He's been here the longest so he's seen many people go under for the first time. Bondy was the one who had the idea of visualizing dreams in the first place. He's worked with many people that have come and go yet he still remains.
"Why don't you make her tea?" Bondy suggested.
Why didn't I think of that earlier? Tea can help people calm down. We don't have any calming teas but having something warm to drink is always comforting. I went to work filling the electric kettle with water and flicked the switch on. While waiting for it to boil, I grabbed a mug and opened a packet of tea, placing it inside. I turned around and leant back against the counter to watch Bondy. He asked her something in a low voice and she answered back but I couldn't make out what they were saying. She seemed to be feeling more like herself. The color in her face was returning.
Not sure how she liked her tea, I didn't let it steep for as long as I'd like. Caffeine has no effect on me so I need my tea strong and I realize not everyone likes that. I poured milk and sugar in, gave the tea a little mix, and brought the mug over. Having made tea countless times, I didn't need to taste it to know it's fine.
"I made you tea," I told her. She thanked me and brought the mug to her lips, testing the temperature. In the meantime, I looked at Bondy. He leant in to whisper in my ear.
"She seems to be better now."
He gave me an encouraging nod and walked back to his desk, leaving the both of us alone.
"How are you doing?" I asked, sitting across from her. She set her mug down in her lap.
"Better now. Thank you." It was silent for a few seconds before she spoke again. "That dream felt so real. I actually thought I was pregnant." Her hand mindlessly went to her stomach.
"It's incredible, innit? And the best part is that you still remember it unlike a normal dream that would escape you." She nodded her head in agreement.
"Were you...were you actually there with me? Did you see what happened?"
"Yeah, did you think I was a hologram or summat?" I joked and her eyes widened.
"No! 'Course not!" she quickly replied.
She was no doubt recalling the encounter trying to remember if she did or said anything embarrassing. Blush was slowly creeping in and she looked away. There was no doubt she remembered saying it was all my fault but she didn't want to relive the embarrassment. I'm contracted not to bring it up so as much as I'd like to tease her, I can't unless she brings it up herself. She pressed her palm into the chair to stand up and the sudden movement caused me to stand, ready to catch her. Surprisingly, she held up on her own.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
"I'm fine," she answered, walking to the couch to get her stuff. "I'm heading home unless there's something else that needs to be done." She stuck her arm in her jacket and brought it around to put her other arm in before straightening it and zipping it up.
"That's all I had planned. We'll continue working on those concepts next week."
She didn't confirm nor deny that she was coming in next week but I don't blame her. This was new and strange to her; she has a lot to think about this weekend. Despite her change in mood and sudden departure, I had a feeling I was going to see her next week. As terrifying as it is to experience your dreams, there's always something about it that makes you come back for more.
After she left, I started putting everything away, leaving the computer for last. I wanted to pull up her data and compare it to ours but it was nearing the end of the day and I was wary of starting too much. Her heart rate spiked numerous times throughout the dream. Reckon it must've gone up when she found out she was pregnant, when she saw me, and when she jumped out the window. My heart rate was tame in comparison but I've done it so many times, it's like comparing apples to oranges. I saved the data and turned off the computer.
"How did it go?" Bondy asked, sitting on the table. Larry walked over as well.
"It went fine. She learns quickly," I replied.
"What did she dream about?" Larry questioned.
"I'm sorry but that's confidential information," I joked.
Larry playfully hit my arm, shaking his head. We agreed that dreams will be kept confidential. We won't share it with anyone outside the study but since Bondy and Larry are part of the study, they're allowed to know what happened.
"She dreamt that she was pregnant and she was freaking out," I told them. "She was in the kitchen and I was on the stairs watching it all unfold. And then she suddenly went upstairs not giving me enough time to hide. She saw me and started saying it was all my fault."
"What did you do?" Bondy asked, curious.
"I didn't do owt! First, she said it was my fault she was pregnant—"
"She what?"
"Exactly! I asked her how it was my fault and she said the test was faulty, wagging the darn thing in my face." I paused when Larry burst into laughter. Bondy was trying hard not to laugh but I could see him sniggering. "Oh, it gets even better. Apparently it's my fault global warming is happening and she called me a pervert."
"Jesus," Larry murmured. "She's mad. I want to see this for myself."
"That's if she even comes back," I replied.
"Oh, she's coming back," Bondy stated nonchalantly.
"What makes you think that?" I questioned. "She was shaken up and her demeanor changed entirely. Reckon I must've scared her off."
In some way, I was relieved she was no longer going to be my problem but I admit I will miss her ridiculous dreams. It was a nice change from Bondy's and Larry's dreams but I don't enjoy the verbal abuse from her. It will get tiring fast.
"We talked for a bit while you were making tea," Bondy started and I looked up. I do remember seeing them talk to each other but I couldn't make out their conversation. "I asked how she was feeling and she said she was fine but a bit shaken up. I asked what she thought about it and she said it's unlike anything she's ever experienced." I waited for him to continue but he stopped there.
"Okay...but how did you get to the conclusion that she's coming back based on that?" I challenged.
"Curiosity will bring her back. Do you want to bet?"
"Not really." I had a nagging feeling that Bondy was right but I didn't want to admit it.
"Let's make it fun," Bondy started. "If she comes back, we'll have her go under your dream next."
"Fuck no. Anything but that," I complained.
"C'mon," Bondy begged. "It's not like we're the ones taking a look. It'll just be her and she doesn't know who you are. After this study is over, you'll never see her again. No harm, no foul." He's right. We're practically strangers and I doubt we'll be best mates after this is over.
"And if she doesn't come back? What happens then?" I asked.
"I gotta make it worth your time, don't I? How about the next time you go back to the UK, I'll pay for your plane ticket."
I nodded my head, finding the deal reasonable. I wasn't sure what Bondy was getting out of it. What does he gain by having her go under my dream? He won't be able to experience it himself. Meanwhile, I get my plane ticket paid for which is quite a bit of money. He must be very sure of himself which made me a bit hesitant but I was willing to take the risk.
"Deal. Let's shake on it," I said, holding out my hand. Bondy gripped my hand and shook it.
"Deal. No cheating."
"It's too late. You already shook on it before adding that part," I replied, grinning.
"Fair enough. I'm gonna win anyway."
-
We all went home not long after so I packed my stuff and stood outside the building having my after work ciggy before going home. It wasn't until I got home that I began to panic about the deal made. I'm sure Bondy meant no harm when making the deal. The both of them like to give me shit for refusing to have them go under my dream but no one ever forced me to or gave me an ultimatum. As soon as an opportunity came, he took it and fuck—I fell for it.
While preparing dinner, I kept thinking of ways to get out of it. Maybe I can call out sick or make up some excuse. I was worried I was going to lose so I poured myself a glass of wine to relax as smoking didn't help and I didn't want to smoke weed just yet. Smoking weed is supposed to be recreational but now it's turned to a stress reliever which I didn't like. I was on my third glass of wine on an empty stomach and flat out drunk. The room was spinning as I made my way carefully to the table to eat. I didn't have much of an appetite but I forced myself to eat. After dinner, I crawled into bed and passed out.