The Way Back: Chapter 18

"No.  I don't know.  I don't know anything, I've told you that a hundred times.  Leave me alone."

Viki turned over and pulled the blanket up closer to her shoulders and settled back down.

"Go away!  I don't know what you want from me.  Leave me alone!"

It took her a few moments longer to realize what she was hearing.  Just as she feared, Todd was laboring through a nightmare.  She had intentionally left the intercom open between their rooms in case of something just like this.  Fully awake, she now sat up in bed and listened for anything further.

"Stop.  Stop it.  Get that away from me.  No more.  Go away."

At this point, his words were more than mumbles.  It was as if they increased in clarity as he went on.  Suddenly, she jumped as he shouted "Get me out of here!" and the shouts escallated to screams.  "Get me out of here!  Get away!"

She immediately placed a call to Blair, knowing she was needed.  She raced from her room, throwing a robe over her nightgown and down to the West Wing.   Stumbling toward his door, she must have alerted Clint, because he was on his way as well, and they met in the hallway.

"What is it?" he whispered.

"It's my brother."

"Viki, wait."  Clint took her arm.  "Bo was in Vietnam."

Viki was pulling from Clint as the yelling continued.  "I have to go to him now, Clint!"

"Viki!  Listen to me!  You mustn't touch him to wake him.  Just use your voice.  Touching him could cause him to strike out, even if he doesn't mean to.  He won't know the difference between what's real and what is not."

"Oh my God, he does not need any more guilt.  Clint, thank you, will you come with me?"

"Of course," and they both headed to the door of his suite.  She stopped by the door, "he's suffering so."

"Just go in and call to him, he'll awaken after a while.  I'll be right beside you."The screams had been relegated to "no" and "stop," until she called his name.  "Todd."

"I have a daughter, her name is Starr.  I have a wife, her name is Blair.  Stop!  No!"  With breathing elevated to a fever rate and his body ensnared in an imaginary battle, Todd was fighting something in that dream that she could not even fathom.  "I have a son, his name is Jack.  I have a sister, her name is Viki.  Trust her above all."

She repeated, walking closer to the bed.  Her fear, coupled with pity, created an inability to hold back tears.  "Todd?  Todd?  It's Viki."

Clint appeared at the doorway.  "Todd, wake up!"  he boomed, at which Todd sat up directly, breathing rapidly, and still reciting his family list.  The sweat that had formed on his brow had intermingled with tears, and soaked his pillow and his a-shirt.

Viki immediately went to the bedside, and carefully placed a hand on his shoulder.  After seeing no physical rebuttal, she took him in her arms.  "It's all right now, that was just a bad dream."

He held onto her, putting his face on her shoulder.  "No, no it wasn't.  It was real.  It really happened.  It really happened."

She looked to Clint, who moved forward.  "Todd, it's over now.  You're safe.  You're at Llanfair.  You're with your sister, and me, and you're okay."

His breathing slowed.  His heart was pounding.  "I'm safe," he repeated aloud.

"Yes, you are."  Viki said.  "You are."  He was holding her particularly tightly, and she didn't dare let go.

Clint continued, "Todd, do you know where you are right now?"

Todd didn't answer.  Clint stepped back and waited.  "He's coming out of it, but he's not there yet."

Just then, they could hear the screech of tires outside.  Viki continued to gently rock and shush him, reassuring.  Clint remained quiet, as Blair raced up the stairs.  "Todd?"  She called from the bedroom door.

"Hi, Blair," he said, lifting his head off Viki's shoulder.

Her voice cracked, "Hi."

As Blair slowly moved forward, Viki let go of Todd, who seemed deflated like a balloon, sitting in the darkness, with only the light from the hallway, damp from the experience.  Blair sat next to him, and Viki stood, moving to Clint, who hugged her in comfort.

Clint spoke clearly, "you're all right, Todd.  It's Viki, Blair and me, Clint." 

Blair stroked Todd's hair at the temple and fixed it's disarray on top of his head.  Then, she gently touched his face and turned him to her.  "We're all here."

He let out a raspy sigh and studied her.  "It was real.  It happened, Blair."

"I know it did."  she said, hugging him.  He clung to her and she turned her attention to Clint and Viki.  "What happened to him tonight?"

Clint spoke, "he had a nightmare.  Viki had the wherewithal to keep the intercom open and she heard him yelling."

"Thank you, Viki."  Blair smoothed his hair on the back of his head.  "Thank you for being there for him."

In her ear, softly, she could hear him whispering, "I have a daughter, her name is Starr.  I have a wife, her name is Blair."

She responded, "Yes, you do.  I'm Blair, and I'm here."  Within a few moments, he stopped.  He pulled back from Blair, and all three of them waited.

He spoke.  "I'm sorry I woke you all.  What is wrong with me?"

Clint answered, "You've got PTSD, Todd.  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Bo had it, too.  It's one way we react to immense stress."

He looked at Clint.  "Yeah, that's some stress.  Blair, do you see why..."

Blair shushed him, "No, never mind that now, Todd."

"Let's just all catch our breath, first."  Viki added,  "We'll go make some tea," as she and Clint left the room.

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