Unscripted (Jack & Crutchie)

Chapter 16 - Anxiety

Criticism spot! :)

*****MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING***** - this chapter contains Crutchie describing ab*se near the end of it. It isn't for a while, and I will put a * where it starts if you'd like to read the chapter still. However, if ab*se triggers you, then once you see the * I recommend you skip the rest of the chapter.

Crutchie's POV

I woke up suddenly, gasping for air and feeling tears on my face. I sat up, unable to breathe. Jack sat up right after, and was just as startled as I was.

"Whoa! Crutchie you need to breathe," My breathing was sharp and panicked, but I wasn't exactly sure why. I must've had a nightmare, but I didn't know what it was about. "Crutchie look at me," I looked at him as he said, and I noticed I was shaking as well. "Let's do what we did in the alley the other day, remember? Breathe with me," I nodded to show I understood, and we began taking deep breaths together.

It took a bit, but I was finally able to calm my breathing. I had stopped crying, but was still shaking bad. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to figure out what I was so upset about.

"Nightmare?" Jack said, touching my shoulder so I'd turn to look at him.

"I... I think?" It had to me. I mean, I was just asleep before I woke up. But I couldn't remember.

"You think? Whattya mean?" He said, still looking at me.

"I don't know why I woke up like that." My voice was shaky, but I continued, "I must've had a nightmare, but I don't know for sure." I kept trying to think, wanting to know what had made me freak.

"Well c'mon, let's lay down." We both laid back down, facing one another. I was still thinking, and I guess it showed in my face. "Are you trying to remember the dream?"

"Yeah." I said, looking at him.

"Why? I mean it clearly freaked you out, why do you want to know?"

"I don't know, actually. I guess I just want to figure out what it was that freaked me out." I took my focus off of Jack, looking at his shirt rather than his face.

"Oh..." He stayed silent for a moment. "I get that, actually. I'll stay awake with you for as long as you need."

We stayed quiet for a while before it hit me. I remembered what had made me so upset. I shot up again at the realization, scaring Jack shitless.

"I remember." I turned to face Jack who sat up too, clearly startled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Don't worry, you didn't. Do you want to talk about the dream?" He studied my face, trying to see if I was upset, I assume.

"Well, I had just finished selling my last pape and was making my way to you. The Delancey's pulled me into an alley, but instead of beating me, they started... They started stabbing me." Jack's eye's widened, his eyebrows raising.

"Shit, that would freak me out too-"

"That's not what woke me up, though." I said, thinking about the dream still.

"Oh I'm sorry, I thought it was." We want silently for a moment as he stared at me, waiting for me to continue. After a few beats, I sighed.

"Well they left but I wasn't dead when they left. So I knew you were comin' by soon, so I started to call out for you. But you weren't coming." I looked down at the ground, not wanting to see Jack's face when I told the next part. "I was losing blood real fast, and I couldn't yell anymore. Then, I saw you. You were pacing the street, trying to find me. But I couldn't call to you. No matter what I did, I couldn't scream. Or make any noise for that matter. You couldn't find me, and I knew I was done for. Right as my vision started going, you saw me and started running, yelling for me. But I guess it was too late and I... I think I died?" I looked to Jack at this moment who looked devastated.