Banter and laughter

Though his eyes were closed, Gunner listened to Bree's reading. He had some trouble tracking what she was saying and understanding the words, but he loved the topic, and her voice was soft and soothing. Finally his heart begins to slow, his pulse going back to normal again. Too groggy to do much, he eventually lies down, curling up with his head back on his pillow again. The medication had taken its toll, but the hallucination was over for the night. He falls to sleep to the sound of Bree's voice.

"Here you go, Brent! Sunny eggs for a sun-shiny day!"

Gunner is sitting slouched in the chair at the table, and looks up at the nurse with disinterest. Nevertheless, the breakfast plate is put before him. Taking up the plastic spoon, he picks around the overdone scrambled eggs. He felt strange this morning, as if he were in the dark, but not. Or maybe kind of cloudy, but not really. He didn't remember a whole lot from last night... he remembered waking up by a horrid nightmare that was so real, he'd thought he could reach out and touch the monster. After that, he kind of remembered Bree... he wasn't really sure what she'd been doing here... and he remembered falling asleep to her reading. Otherwise though, his mind was pretty much a blank.

He stares down at the eggs, his appetite down to nothing. He wasn't hungry, and he had no real mood - the drugs had made sure of that. They were just starting to wear off enough that he knew where he was, but he also knew that meant another dose would be coming within the next ten minutes or so. Death would have been much more pleasant than this.

Finally giving up, he shoves the food aside and slouches even more in his seat. He had the strangest feeling... why he wanted to see Bree, he didn't know. Of course, right now he didn't know much of anything, let alone why he was feeling what he was. But if he had to eat those eggs, the feeling was one of nausea, and that one he recognized.


"No, no, no, yes yes, no, yes!" Jade squeals as the last two pins fall, giving her the spare. Throwing her arms in the air, she does a little dance, laughing.

"She's not my cousin." Clint shakes his head from his seat, taking another swig of pop. "I never saw her before in my life."

Jason chuckles. "Yeah, well that non-cousin of ours is going to win if we don't watch it."

"You could always, you know, knock down an extra pin or two."

"What?!" Jason picks up his bowling ball. "And have Katie tip me off? Never!"

The night was loud, long... and a whole lot of fun. Teams had already shuffled, this round ending up with Dan and Jade, Wendy and Katie, and Jason and Clint. Boys against girls had wound up with the girls winning by a hair, so the guys had insisted on changing things up. Now Jade and Dan were ahead, thanks to Jade's skill, though Dan had been a quick learner as well.

Clint watches Jason get ready and hollers at him. "Whoa, watch it! Careful! A little to the left... no, right... no... wait!" Starting to laugh, he waits his turn, just enjoying all of the banter and laughter.

Fun

Still not sure what was going on Bree keeps her arm around Gunner in a ferm comforting embrace. She could guess this had something to do with his medicine. She could keep it from him at night but what about the day. Bree things for a long moment and had an idea but she would have to talk to Gunner about it when he was more with it to understand. Maybe even a chat with Hope would help once she talked things over with him.

"I'll do my best Gunner. I'll do my best."

Placing the crossword puzzle down Bree grabs one of the other books and opens it flipping through the pages till she found something that looked interesting. Keeping her voice low and soft she starts to read to Gunner once again finding this all interesting for her too.

Giving a laugh Katie cant help but start belting out the song along with Jason knowing the words all to well. It wasnt the same as when Kyle would sing it but it was good all the same. Katie's singing was quite off as she laugh inbetween words not being able to contain the laughter.

Laughing at Clint's atempt to sing Wendy starts to sing herself. Not as strong but loud enough it could be heard. It was good to see the smile that was on Clint's face and the one that formed on her own. If this was the start to how the night was going to be than she new that would have a great time.

Looking at Jason as he starts to sing Dan didnt know the song at all and almost felt left out. He'd never heard of this song or who Jetstream was. He had no idea Jason was a singer, but the song was addicting and easy to catch on to. In no time Dan is singing right along, not very well but not worse than Clint.

Bullfrog

Gunner is so confused and lost that he numbly follows Bree's directions. Deep down, his senses tried to stay in tact. Somewhere he knew that this wasn't right... that his mind was not functioning properly. But he could do nothing about it.

Leaning back against the wall, once he's on the bed, he pulls his knees up close, and stares at the puzzle Bree brings. He frowns, trying to make sense of the letters and the word she'd found. Far all he knew, "backwards" could be a foreign word.

Sliding down a little, his head ends up on Bree's shoulder. His eyes were still glazed and his pulse raced, but his breathing was calming down. He squints at the puzzle and finally points to a diagonal combination. B-R-E-E.

Gunner's eyes fall shut as his body continues to calm down. It was just too much work, thinking. He licks his lips, mustering up the brain power to talk. "Don't... don't let them give me... that... that stuff... anymore. Please?"


Jason's eyes go wide as he drives the pickup down the driveway. "No way! Not in front of this group!"

Clint grins and shakes his head. "As is the girls hate the mush."

Jade kicks the back of his seat. "As if you guys do too - you're just too "manly" to admit it."

Clint's face is red as he spots Wendy in the mirror. "Mmm... maybe."

Did someone say something about singing? Jason pulls out onto the road as they drive towards town. "Well, I took one summer, down at ol’ Grandpappy’s. Had a farm by a lake, we used to go fishin’..."

Jade cracks up, recognizing the bullfrog song, and she chimes in. Clint does too, though his off-key notes just make the whole thing funnier. By the time Jason lets out a low "bullfrog!" everyone is already laughing.

Backwards

"Orion Nebula...I'm going to have to look that one up. I dont really know to much about stars other than the normal. I'd like to know more though."

After cleaning the wound in Gunner's hand Bree wraps his nicly with the bandage not tight but enough that it would keep his hand together at least for tonight to let it heal just a little.

Once finished with his hands Bree runs her hand down the side of Gunner's face whipping the sweat away. Running her finger under his eye to take away the tear Bree wraps her arm around his back comforting him again and trying to get him off the floor.

"Its not going to come back, we will keep the lights on ok? Come on lets go to something a little bit more comfortable."

Helping Gunner back to the bed again Bree spots his crossword puzzle book. Grabbing it from the table along with a pen Bree sits down one the bed with him.

"Her looks here I found B..A..C..K..W..A..R..D..S backwards."

Circleing the letters Bree looks for the next word.

"Lets see what else both of us can find....Mmm..do you see any?"

Please

Gunner is startled but relieved by Bree's sudden presence, and he clings to her as the only thing that makes sense and is not terrifying.

Though still shaking, Bree's voice begins to bring Gunner down. His bloodied hand grips her arm, his face pressed in her shoulder so he couldn't see the nightmare. Stars... stars... Jupiter?

His body and mind under so much strain, he couldn't seem to think straight, but somehow, Bree's words broke through the darkness. "Jupiter," he manages to gasp out. "Seen all the..." His body shakes. "...all the time."

As Bree gets up, Gunner's eyes dart around the room, but it seemed his monster was gone. His pulse still raced, and he feels like his heart will beat out of his chest. Curling up again, he resists Bree's attention to his hand, but eventually relents.

Trembling, he shakes his head at her question. "Um... O... Orion... nebula, right... right below the... the..." He winces as the pain in his hand finally feels the damage. "...belt."

Starting to hyperventilate again, his hand grips hers tightly. "Don't let it come back... please..." Tears stung his eye as he has no control over his emotion. "Dying is easier... please don't let it come back."

Mushy stuff

Hearing the yells from down the hall and the loud banging sound that echoed through the building Bree drops the papers she was looking at and breaks into a sprint. Taking the courners and almost losing her balance but catching herself in time.

Coming to Gunner's room Bree comes to a skidding halt opening the door and catching Gunner as he almost falls out. Flipping on the lights Bree looked into the room exspecting to see someone standing there but seeing nothing she looks down at Gunner with the looks of terror on his face.

Moving him back into the room just enough to get the door shut Bree sinks down to her knees next to him her arm still wrapped around him as she trys to make him calm.

"Hey Hey, break Gunner breath your ok its me Bree. Come on buddy they are gone its ok. Think about the stars, I read in one of your books that this is the month you can see Jupiter the best. Hmmm...is that true?"

Still holding Gunner Bree runs her hand through his sweat soaked hair. Whatever had happend it had been very real to Gunner that much was for cretin.

Looking down at his hand and seeing the blood on his knuckles Bree moves just a little. She had to get those cleaned up before they got infected.

"Give me one second, I am just going to go into the bathroom and get a wet cloth to clean your hands ok?"

Disappearing for a moment some water runs in the bathroom as Bree grabs a wet rag and some bandages that were in all the bathrooms before coming back over to Gunner and squatting down in front of him again starting to clean up his hands while trying to destract him at the same time to continue to calm him down.

"So, you never told me whats your fav star cluster?"

Getting into the passanger side of the car slidding into the middle not being able to help the small chuckle. Though hearing about Jason's leg and ending up in a ditch Dan cant help but tense up just a little bit as for a moment him mind starts to run away with itself. But pulling himself back a smile forms again as he waits for the others.

"Not getting shot would be a good thing at this point."

Glancing in the rearview mirror Dan throws a quick wink at Jade who is right behind him.

"I am a little hungry, maybe a pig out wouldnt be a bad thing."

Wendy gives a little laugh as Clint helps her into the car and she scoots next to Katie.

"Wendy it must be all that energy you are using up from taking care of Chase thats making you hungry. You use to eat like a bird."

Katie smiles at Wendy showing she was playing around and than not being able to contain her laughter.

"Hey lets sing songs on our way there to drive the boys crazy."

Sitting up a little straghter Dan looks to his left at Jason and than to his right at Clint.

"Pizza did someone day Pizza? I dont care if I just eat or not I never turn down pizza."

You boys will be boy wont you? I love you J!

Katie looks at Jason through the side mirror a big smile on her face.

"I saw that Katie!"

"Huh...WHAT?"

"Talking again so we cant hear you!"

"Well do you guys really wanna hear all the mushy stuff?"

"Yes"

Replys Wendy and almost at the same time Dan replys as well.

"No, mushy stuff gross...are you guys going to kiss all night?"