After bath time Will got a glass of milk and some cookies, and passed right out as soon as his head hit the
pillow. Megan went to the living room and turned on the tv.
An hour later she checked on Will to find that was in the middle of a terrible nightmare and thrashing about
violently. She rushed over to wake him.
"No! Stop! You can't! I AM an adult...", Will was half demanding half pleading.
"Will, Will honey, you're having a bad dream."
He wouldn't wake up so she grabbed his shoulders and shook him while sternly but calmly telling him to wake
up.
Will started thrashing against Megan, as though she were the enemy from his dream. His excitement overruled
the remainder of the chemicals his brain produced to hold him still while dreaming and he sat up and started
trying to smack and claw at Megan.
Megan was taken aback. Will's screaming woke him up. He blinked two or three times, "Megan?", he asked
panting.
Coming back to her senses she kneeled beside him and said, "yes Will, I'm here."
Will desperately grasped at Megan drawing her closer. He hugged her tight and when Megan was about to speak
she realized that he was starting to sob. She rubbed his back and tried to comfort him but it quickly
escalated and he was soon wailing. Unlike most children who are in the throws of a fit, Will was kind enough
to muffle his screams in Megan's shoulder rather than directing it into her ear.
Minutes passed and Will began to calm. The first time Megan tried to pull away to talk about it Will held on
tight not letting her get more than centimeters away from him. A moment later she wisely asked if he was
feeling better before pulling away. A few seconds passed before his arms suddenly relaxed and Megan was able
to breathe. Will had been squeezing her lung.
"Hey honey, want to talk about it?" Megan had never, ever seen him this upset and was honestly not sure how to
deal with it. His calm and controlled demeanor was part of her attraction to him and it was a dependable
aspect to his character.
"I... you..." The horror of the situation still wouldn't allow him to fully formulate sentences. He took a few
deep breaths and started over recounting his nightmare.
"I was back at work, everything was like normal, I was an adult and happy. I was talking with you and we made
plans for dinner. Or maybe we made plans that morning? You know how dreams are."
"I got back to work and all throughout the meetings and paperwork I was only thinking of seeing you for
dinner." as Will said this a smile broke across his face and he practically radiated joy and love.
Megan's heart began to melt even more for this man turned child.
Will's face fell distant and his voice hollowed as he continued, "Then I got a call. It was from your cell
phone. 'Hey Babe' I answered, but it wasn't you. It was a paramedic calling to ask if I knew your blood type.
He told me you were in a car accident and by the time they got there you were in shock and needed an immediate
transfusion."
Will paused for a minute absentmindedly working over Megan's hand as he held it. "I don't even know if that
makes sense", Will offered, "wouldn't they run tests or use saline solution?"
"Go on," Megan offered, knowing that he wouldn't be this upset about an illogical paramedic procedure.
"You were in a car accident, and were dying. I got the directions to the hospital and immediately ran out the
door. I don't think I even told Marv, I just bolted." Will chuckled about disregarding his boss because his
boss was generally nosey and anal about making sure everyone is working while on work time.
I got to my car and realized I couldn't find my keys, I was starting to get frantic and a meter man told me
that I am too young to drive, I have to ride a bike. He pointed to a bike and I was too worried about you to
fight. I hopped on the bike and rode to the hospital. All the while people were calling me kid, threatening to
tell my parents on me and telling me I should be in school."
The love on Will's face had left and was increasingly replaced with bitterness and anger as he recounted his
plight. "Was that it?" Megan asked not knowing how to word it nicer.
"No" Will said quietly, almost whispering. All his anger was gone as he began to put the next part into words,
replaced by a sadness that doesn't belong on a child's face.
"I got to the hospital and asked to be pointed to the emergency room. The woman pointed and I ran ignoring her
call to slow down. It had taken me a long time to reach the hospital on bike because I couldnt drive. I got to
the emergency room and asked to see you, they said I had to be accompanied by an adult. I screamed at them
that I was your boyfriend but they wouldnt believe me. I ran throughout the ward to try to find you and I
finally did."
Megan noticed how animated he was when he talked, Will exuded disgust and contempt when he was told he couldnt
do something an adult could but when he talked about her there was such compassion and love that washed over
him. Perhaps his brain being physically younger hasn't had time to become desensitized to the wash of
chemicals this dream flooded him with, and that's why he is so... animated. Megan thought it was cute.
"I saw you and got in the room, you were banged up but still so lovely. You were unconscious and I held your
hand."
Megan noted that Will hadn't stopped rubbing her hand compulsively since he had started about 5 minutes ago
when he stopped sobbing.
"I was talking with you, telling you it will be okay, and that I love you. That was when security came in,
apparently the bitch receptionist saw me go in and called them on me. They told me I wasnt old enough to be
here, that its no place for children! I refused to leave you and the physically dragged me out. Then your
machines started blaring and doctors ran in. I demanded for them to let me stay or tell me what is happening.
'This is the last thing a kid should experience,' is all they told me. I fought and fought but was completely
powerless. I couldnt stop them, I couldnt help you, I couldnt even help myself. And then I woke up."
It was then that Megan realized how her practical joke was horribly damaging her loving and deeply committed
boyfriend, she had been so selfish.
"Oh my God honey, that is a terrible dream. I'm right here, and I'm not hurt and Im not going anywhere
tonight."
Will didn't say anything but he took Megan's hand and used it to caress his face. Megan was at a loss as to
what to do, she wanted to fix it but knowing how deeply she hurt him now she couldn't bring herself to admit
to it.
Suddenly Will inhaled sharply and said, "I know honey, just tell me this whole situation is just a bad dream,
that I'll wake up tomorrow like none of this happened."
"It's okay honey, we will figure it out tomorrow, It'll be okay." Megan said with determination as she decided
what to do.
With the weight no longer all on his frail shoulders, Will laid back exhausted by the emotions (and from
holding his girlfriend like her life depended on it.) He quickly fell back asleep.
Megan scurried to the Chronivac and typed in that Will shall sleep the rest of the night peacefully with good
dreams of being an adult. She applied the setting and contemplated what to do next, she had several ideas but
didn't know which direction to go.