Requiem for a Soldier (Requiem #1)

Chapter 29: Trouble

July 23

Ana

Something wakes me up early in the morning. I squint at the dim light filtering in through the curtains and look at the clock on the bedside. It's just before 4 am. Why am I awake?

Casper is awake too, looking at me like I just kicked him.

"I don't know, pupito, it wasn't me," I tell him. He doesn't look convinced.

Casper's ears prick and I look up as an odd sound breaks the early morning quiet. I frown and climb out of bed, moving quietly toward the doorway. As I open the door, I hear the sound again, something between a moan and a cry of pain. It's coming from the couch.

What if Ryan's having another night terror? Dread fills my stomach. As I rush over to his side, his cries become more frequent and more distressed. I gasp when I reach him. Ryan is clawing at the right side of his face with both hands, his cries of pain bordering on screams now.

"Ryan!" I shout. I grab both of his wrists and pull hard. I have to plant one knee between his side and the back of the couch to gain enough leverage to tear his hands away from his face. His whole body is stiff, his muscles straining, and keeping my hold on his wrists is incredibly difficult.

"Ryan, wake up!" I say as he continues to emit wordless cries. He begins to writhe, nearly ripping his arms away from me. I'm already straddling him, so I sit on his legs to help keep my balance. "Ryan, it's ok, you're ok, please wake up. Please, Ryan, please wake up."

He turns his face into the couch cushion and screams.

"Por favor, Señor, ¡ven a liberarme! ¡Ven pronto, Señor, en mi auxilio! Tú eres mi socorro y mi libertador; ¡no te tardes, Dios mío!"

I don't even notice the tears spilling down my cheeks as I recite the prayer my mother used in the direst of circumstances. Ryan has stopped screaming now and is panting heavily, gasping for breath. I launch into the prayer again, hardly noticing that Ryan's arms aren't straining against my grip anymore as the tears blur my vision.

"Ana?"

Ryan's voice is more ragged than usual, but the sound of my name on his lips is the best sound I've ever heard.

"¡Oh gracias Señor!"

I pitch forward and collapse onto Ryan's chest, letting go of his wrists and wrapping my arms around him. I feel his chest rise as he inhales. When he begins to speak, I hear his words rumble beneath my ear.

"Did I hurt you?"

I pull away to look at him.

"What? No, I'm fine. Are you OK? What happened to you?"

"It was just a dream," he mumbles.

"Of what?" I ask before realizing he might be trying to avoid remembering it.

"Burning," he says simply, not meeting my eyes. He scoots away from me and props himself up on his elbow. My face flushes a little when I realize that I was just lying on top of him. Ryan sniffs and wipes at his eyes. His hand comes back with red streaks.