Picture generated by meusing BingAi
The quiet murmurs in his sleep, the sweating profusely, the restlessness, the kicking of his feet, and the sudden jolts back to reality. All these and more have been occurring repeatedly, and all Dr. Loveday could do was sit on the bed and listen to her husband, Jay, as he called out a name in his sleep, kick, and sweat, then end it by screaming himself back to reality from sleep.
This night was no different, as she heard him call out the same name again.
“Noo Tessa..Tessa. Tessa!” Jay screamed, his voice laced with desperation and fear.
Dr. Loveday couldn't take it anymore as she shook her husband, trying so hard to wake him up from his nightmare.
“Honey! Wake up!” She screamed, tapping and shaking him.
Jay's eyes snapped open as he held tight to his wife.
His body was drenched in sweat, even though it was a snowy night.
His eyes wide agape as he looked around in fear, like there was something else in the room other than his wife.
On his face was fear and confusion. Then hot tears streamed down his face. He held his face in shame.
Dr. Loveday quickly hugged him and whispered words of encouragement to him.
“Hey, babe, it's alright. It was just a dream.
You're fine now,” she said with a voice filled with love and care.
“Tessa, I saw her dying again,” Jay said with a teary voice.
“Who's Tessa?” Dr. Loveday asked with a softened and inquisitive voice.
“I need some water,” Jay murmured instead.
“No problem, honey. I'll get you some from the kitchen,“ Dr. Loveday said with a sigh. Putting on her flip-flops, she headed out of the room.
Her mind was filled with so many questions.
She was a psychologist and could tell that there was something going on with her husband recently. He hardly sleeps these days, and when he does, all he does is talk and scream the particular name ‘Tessa’ in his sleep.
She got to the kitchen and turned on the lights.
Their shiny silver Samsung fridge stood alone like a giant box in the corner of the room. She walked past the countertop and dining table to the fridge. Pulling the door open, memories of what she had just seen filled her mind.
"Please, Lord,” she whispered a little prayer to God to help her husband fight whatever it was that was eating him deep that he didn't want to talk to her about. No matter how hard she tried to get him to talk,.
Grabbing a bottle of water and slamming the fridge door shut, She turned to make her way back to the room, only to see her husband standing at the kitchen door.
“Oh dear! You startled me,” she exclaimed, placing her hand on her chest.
“She was my sister,” Jay said instead, with a voice lower than a whisper and sadder than a sigh.
“Who?” Dr. Loveday asked, confusion etched on her face.
“Tessa. The name I keep calling in my dream”.
Dr. Loveday quickly dropped the bottle of water on the kitchen countertop, pulled out a chair from the dining table nearby, and motioned for her husband to sit.
She knew at that moment that he was willing to talk.
When Jay was finally seated, Dr. Loveday pulled out her own seat, sat down, and said.
“Tell me about it, honey. Everything,” rubbing her hands on his back.
"It was my college graduation party. I went with Tessa, my twin sister. I knew I was drunk, but the adrenaline in me refused to let go of the car keys," he said, his voice cracking.
“I drove head-on into an incoming vehicle, and Tessa never made it out alive." He concluded with tears streaming down his cheek; this time he couldn't hold it back.
Dr. Loveday couldn't hold it back either. Her eyes were beginning to well up with tears as she listened intently to her husband. Of course, she had suspected that Jay's nightmares and constant talking in his sleep had a connection to a traumatic event he experienced in the past, but she had never imagined it to be something so personal as this.
“It's okay, honey. I'm so sorry for what happened.
I never knew this was the burden you've been carrying with you all these years.”.
“Her birthday is in a few days. And whenever it's her birthday, I get nightmares. I guess it's a punishment, reminding me how she could have led a great life if I hadn't been selfish and careless,” Jay said, wiping his eyes dry with the back of his palm.
“You were young and careless, honey. I'm sorry she had to die that way, but you can't keep punishing yourself,” Dr. Loveday said. I'm holding Jay's hands now. “I'll book you a therapy session with my colleague. I think that will help you. But for now, I'm here whenever you need me.”
Dr. Loveday knew she couldn't counsel her husband on a personal issue like this. Her emotions must get the best of her when she sees her husband crying. That's why she intended to let her colleague counsel her husband.
Jay forced a smile and kissed her wife's hands. Then they sat there in silence.
On Tessa's birthday,Jay took her to Tessa's grave to lay a flower. I am promising to do the same in the coming years.
And just as Dr. Loveday promised, she booked a session for her husband, and with time, Jay healed from his past trauma.
Thank you for reading.
Story written by me from my imagination and edited using Quilbot
This is a beautiful piece I must say. The trauma that comes with losing people can be very hard, not to mention carrying the guilt of being responsible for another's person's death. I'm glad Jay got healed and I wish everyone going through one traumatic experience or the other complete healing.
Same here. It's really not easy carrying such burden.
Thank you for reading 😊
You have been warned about use of AI, @marriot5464. We have also explained to all writers in our recent newsletter that we do not sanction any use of AI tool, including Quillbot. This story is detected as 100% AI and will not be curated.
I'm just reading the newsletter for the very first time now ever since I joined this community. I never knew Quilbot isn't accepted in this community. I used quilbot only to correct my poor punctuations which was pointed out in my last post here as being poor. I never intended to go against the community rules. I promise not to use it again but will only stick to grammarly as recommended by the community. @theinkwell .
Once again, I apologize.
Hi @, it's good that Jay is able to recover, but it must be very difficult to forgive oneself in a situation like that.
I like how you told the facts.
Greetings
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Past trauma are always traumatic one way or the other but I'm glad he healed.
A very beautiful piece indeed! A lot of mistakes could happen in the years of childish exuberance and this one is quite touching. I am happy he healed.