REM // Van McCann

14. Do You Want To Bet?

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.