The night

Wyatt gives Katie and encouraging smile. Her wanting him to meet her family made him feel good…wanted. “I’d love to meet your aunt sometime.”
After sitting for just a few minutes in quiet, Wyatt takes the initiative to move on. “If you want to come along, I’m going to go inside and start making some calls about where you two will stay tonight. I know Jason was going to do it, but I don’t want to put any more undo pressure on him.” He rises and offers Katie a hand up. “And might I suggest you packing a few things? You’ll be able to get back here okay, but you might want some extra things with you at the hotel.”

After a couple hours, Jason finally wakes from his foggy state, only to find his headache back. Hearing the others talking though, he rises, from the couch to join them in the kitchen. Laura is cooking supper for all of them, and Wyatt was on the phone.
Leaning on the doorway, Jason crosses his arms casually, listening to figure out that Wyatt is calling a hotel. For a moment he’s a little upset that he didn’t get to do it himself, but then realizes he really doesn’t care. As long as he’s got a bed to sleep in.
Supper doesn’t take long, and Wyatt keeps the conversation lively with banter back and forth with both Laura and Katie. Jason interacts some, though is fairly quiet, barely eating anything as his stomach churns with just the smell, even though he’s always liked Laura’s cooking.

By eight o’clock that night, Wyatt prompts both Katie and Jason to get ready to go. He offers them a lift, explaining which hotel they’re going to and what he set up with them.

The three head back to TJY to drop of Trooper for the night and pick up money for the hotel, then heads across town. A suite is reserved with two rooms and separate baths, sharing a living room area and small kitchenette.
After Wyatt leaves, Jason checks in and makes his way to the second floor with Katie. Entering the suite, he automatically heads to the room on the righthand side, tossing a borrowed bag on the floor with his clothes from Laura’s. He goes to the window to check out the view over the swimming pool, then draws the blinds to avoid any suspect seeing them move about.
Turning around, he sets his hands on his hips and eyes Katie warily. He’s hardly spoken to anyone all evening, but feeling as numb as he does, it doesn’t affect his decisions. He hasn’t even discussed any of this situation with Katie, avoiding it, knowing good and well that Katie can sense he’s not happy about it. “Well…I’m heading to bed. Hear anything suspicious, let me know.”
He heads to his room, but stops, turning once more. “And Katie…” He purses his lips in thought, studying her for just a moment, with his stare. Keeping his mind on track, he reminds himself of the seriousness here and the professionalism. “I can’t hide nightmares from you and I know it. I’m not expecting to have trouble tonight, but if I do, just let me ride it out. If anyone barges in here, it would be worse for both of us to be in that position.” He spins back around and enters his room, shutting his door quietly.

Eleven o’clock. Jason sits wide awake in a chair, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling. He’d tried watching tv for a while, but nothing was of interest. He’d tried counting backwards from three hundred, but he’d made it to 1 twice without drifting to sleep. His mind didn’t seem to want to shut down as it raced behind his newly built walls.
Finally rising, he pulls off his shirt and flops into the soft bed, his jeans still on. If he was going to be any good at work tomorrow, he had to get some sleep.


One o’clock. Jason writhes in bed, desperately trying to pull himself out of his nightmare. He’s running, running….fighting…screaming….there’s police… Austin… his mother… his house on fire…Alex… and even Katie mixed into the vivid scenes, skewed by a torrent of horrific images. His subconscious yells at him to wake up, but it takes what seems like an eternity plus a passing car on the street below with a loud muffler to send him bolt upright in bed. He lets out a cry as pain shoots through his leg from his sudden move.
Not even thinking straight, he rolls himself out of bed, trying to rid his mind of the nightmare. He couldn’t stand it any longer. He couldn’t take this. How much longer must he suffer?
His whole body trembles from shock, the exhausting effects taking hold of his muscles once again. Stumbling to the bathroom he loses what little supper he had before making it back into his bedroom to grab the bottle of Advil for his head. His knee gives out on him and instead of getting to his bed, he sinks to the floor beside it, too weak to get up.