gaping black maw.
Sanders tried to scream, but only a hoarse wheeze came out of her constricted throat.
Butler managed to take a step towards the side of the bed even though some of the plastic was still wrapped around both of her legs. She reached out towards Sanders with one hand. Blood was crusted around her wrist, and her hand was bent down at an odd angle because the slash in her wrist had been so deep it had almost severed her hand completely. The plastic crinkled even louder as she raised her arm higher, her hand hanging down.
Sanders scrambled back on the bed towards the wall, trying to get away from the monstrosity beside her bed. No coherent thoughts ran through her mind as she backpedaled … her only thought was to get as far away from this dead thing as she possibly could.
And then she screamed.
• • •
Cromartie was the first one in Sanders’ room. She was in her bed, cowered against the wall, crying. His first thought was that Ward had tried to attack her, but he didn’t see Ward in the room and he hadn’t seen him out in the corridor.
He rushed up to Sanders and grabbed her arms gently, trying to calm her down. “What is it, Sanders?”
Sanders wasn’t looking at Cromartie, she was staring at something in the room that he couldn’t see. “She … she …”
Cromartie shook Sanders slightly, trying to get her eyes to focus on him, to see him in front of her. “Sanders!”
She finally looked at Cromartie and she was suddenly calm. “It was Butler,” she whispered. “She was in here.”
Cromartie let her arms go and stood up straight next to her bed, staring down at her.
Abraham, Ward, and Rolle plowed into Sanders’ room all at the same time. “What’s going on in here?” Ward said.
“Nothing,” Cromartie said as he glanced at the three men. “Sanders just had a nightmare, that’s all.”
Ward sighed. “I’m glad I got woke up for that.” He left the room.
Abraham stared at Cromartie like he was trying to decipher some kind of deeper and hidden meaning in his words. “You sure she’s okay?”
“She’s fine.”
“Okay,” Abraham said and nodded. He gestured at Rolle to leave with him.
“Close the door, please,” Cromartie asked them as they stepped out of the room.
Rolle hesitated at the door, his hand on the door handle. He looked at Sanders like he was making sure it was okay for him to leave, like he wanted to hear it directly from her.
She nodded at him, indicating that she was fine.
Rolle closed the door softly.
Cromartie looked back at Sanders when everyone was gone and the door was shut. He sat down on the edge of her bed. She was still close to the wall, her back against it as she hugged her knees, rocking just a bit.
“It was just a nightmare,” Cromartie said. “That’s all. Butler wasn’t here. She’s dead.”
Sanders looked at Cromartie with wide eyes rimmed in tears.
It was strange for Cromartie to see this strong woman reduced to this kind of terror.
“It was so real,” she said. “I heard her before I even turned around and saw her. I could hear the plastic rustling. I think I could even smell her … smell her blood.”
Cromartie remained at the end of the bed, but he laid a gentle hand on her knee. “It was just a dream. I promise.”
Sanders nodded and took a deep breath. “I know.”
He took his hand away from her knee. He didn’t know if he should try to comfort her more or not.
They stared at each other for a long moment. He thought Sanders should talk about her dream, but he didn’t want to force her if she didn’t want to.
“It was just a nightmare,” Cromartie said again in what he hoped was a comforting voice. “I’ll talk to MAC about it. I’ve been having some strange dreams lately. Maybe our dreams are another side effect from the cryosleep.”
“Yeah, that’s probably it,” Sanders said, but she didn’t look convinced.
“Do you want me to stay with you for a while?” Cromartie asked her.
She
Sanders tried to scream, but only a hoarse wheeze came out of her constricted throat.
Butler managed to take a step towards the side of the bed even though some of the plastic was still wrapped around both of her legs. She reached out towards Sanders with one hand. Blood was crusted around her wrist, and her hand was bent down at an odd angle because the slash in her wrist had been so deep it had almost severed her hand completely. The plastic crinkled even louder as she raised her arm higher, her hand hanging down.
Sanders scrambled back on the bed towards the wall, trying to get away from the monstrosity beside her bed. No coherent thoughts ran through her mind as she backpedaled … her only thought was to get as far away from this dead thing as she possibly could.
And then she screamed.
• • •
Cromartie was the first one in Sanders’ room. She was in her bed, cowered against the wall, crying. His first thought was that Ward had tried to attack her, but he didn’t see Ward in the room and he hadn’t seen him out in the corridor.
He rushed up to Sanders and grabbed her arms gently, trying to calm her down. “What is it, Sanders?”
Sanders wasn’t looking at Cromartie, she was staring at something in the room that he couldn’t see. “She … she …”
Cromartie shook Sanders slightly, trying to get her eyes to focus on him, to see him in front of her. “Sanders!”
She finally looked at Cromartie and she was suddenly calm. “It was Butler,” she whispered. “She was in here.”
Cromartie let her arms go and stood up straight next to her bed, staring down at her.
Abraham, Ward, and Rolle plowed into Sanders’ room all at the same time. “What’s going on in here?” Ward said.
“Nothing,” Cromartie said as he glanced at the three men. “Sanders just had a nightmare, that’s all.”
Ward sighed. “I’m glad I got woke up for that.” He left the room.
Abraham stared at Cromartie like he was trying to decipher some kind of deeper and hidden meaning in his words. “You sure she’s okay?”
“She’s fine.”
“Okay,” Abraham said and nodded. He gestured at Rolle to leave with him.
“Close the door, please,” Cromartie asked them as they stepped out of the room.
Rolle hesitated at the door, his hand on the door handle. He looked at Sanders like he was making sure it was okay for him to leave, like he wanted to hear it directly from her.
She nodded at him, indicating that she was fine.
Rolle closed the door softly.
Cromartie looked back at Sanders when everyone was gone and the door was shut. He sat down on the edge of her bed. She was still close to the wall, her back against it as she hugged her knees, rocking just a bit.
“It was just a nightmare,” Cromartie said. “That’s all. Butler wasn’t here. She’s dead.”
Sanders looked at Cromartie with wide eyes rimmed in tears.
It was strange for Cromartie to see this strong woman reduced to this kind of terror.
“It was so real,” she said. “I heard her before I even turned around and saw her. I could hear the plastic rustling. I think I could even smell her … smell her blood.”
Cromartie remained at the end of the bed, but he laid a gentle hand on her knee. “It was just a dream. I promise.”
Sanders nodded and took a deep breath. “I know.”
He took his hand away from her knee. He didn’t know if he should try to comfort her more or not.
They stared at each other for a long moment. He thought Sanders should talk about her dream, but he didn’t want to force her if she didn’t want to.
“It was just a nightmare,” Cromartie said again in what he hoped was a comforting voice. “I’ll talk to MAC about it. I’ve been having some strange dreams lately. Maybe our dreams are another side effect from the cryosleep.”
“Yeah, that’s probably it,” Sanders said, but she didn’t look convinced.
“Do you want me to stay with you for a while?” Cromartie asked her.
She
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