Parker turned in her sleep. Her dream never changed from the fiery nightmare. She stood there in the flames, trying not to let them touch her again.
Parker coughed through the flames. "Hello?" Parker looked through the flames to see a man. "Who's there?"
When the man turned around to meet her, Parker woke up to Dalton and Jade performing CPR on her.
Parker gasped awake. She looked around at her surroundings. Jade pulled Parker into a hug. "It's okay, I'm here."
"What happened?"
"You died on us for a moment." Dalton explained. "We almost thought you wouldn't come back." Jade glared at Dalton. "Sorry, not the time. Let's get you to a hospital."
"Wait, how did I die?"
"Your heart just stopped for some reason." Jade picked Parker up in her arms, carrying her down the stairs and out to her car. "Dalton, drive."
Dalton caught the keys Jade threw at him. He got in the front seat while Jade and Parker sat in the back seat together.
"I don't need a hospital."
"You just didn't have a pulse for twenty seconds, I'm not risking it." Jade held Parker's hand. "Just stay awake until we get to the hospital."
Parker sat in the back seat, trying her best to keep her eyes open. Everything was so loud to her. Why was it so loud? It nauseated her to her stomach.
Parker covered her ears to block the noise, slipping in and out of consciousness.
"Hey, stay with me!" Jade shook Parker to keep her awake. "I just got you, do not die on me now! Dalton drive faster!"
"I'm driving as fast as I can."
Jade pulled a small bottle out from her pocket. She screwed off the cork and forced Parker to drink what little liquid was inside of it.
Dalton glanced over at the rear view mirror to watch the two of them. "Are you sure it's a good idea giving her the rest of Blaze's tears?"
"Do you have a better idea?"
'Just let me sleep.' Parker slowly dozed off back to sleep.
Jade pressed her thumb against the pulse point on Parker's wrist. "Don't fall asleep!"
Why?
Why now?
From what Jade was told, Parker never had any medical problems at the mental institution. So why is she dying?
Parker was soon back in her world of flames. "Jade? Dalton? Where are you?" She looked around the flames only to find nothing. "To whoever is out there, this isn't funny!" Parker glared.
A loud piercing cry rang through the sky, if she could even call it a sky. "Ki-ki ker." In the inferno was a golden eagle with a peacock-like tail, a phoenix.
"This dream just got ten times weirder." Parker chased after the phoenix. "Hey, what's going on! Where am I!"
The phoenix chirped as Parker followed her. "Ker ker."
"Not helpful!" Parker groaned. She chased the phoenix to a lighter area away from the flames. "What is this place?" She asked as she looked at the less hot flames.
Just as she went to take another step forward, a chain wrapped around Parker's neck, wrists, and ankles, dragging her back to the more intense flames. Parker choked as she tried to grasp at the chain around her neck.
"We're losing her." A nurse in the hospital room said as she prepared the AED. "We need a doctor in here stat!" Jade rushed into the hospital room. "Ma'am, you can't be in here."
"I'm her sister!"
Dalton pulled Jade close to him. "Don't worry, she'll be okay."
"She's been with us for not even a full 24 hours and she's already in the hospital, Dalton!" Jade bit her nail anxiously. "Why shouldn't I be scared?"
"Do either of you know how this happened?" The nurse asked the two.
"No idea," Jade said, pulling her hair back, "she just kept waking up screaming and then she stopped breathing."
"Stand back," the nurse ordered, "clear!" The nurse shocked Parker with the AED.
Parker gasped, grabbing at her neck where the chains were. Tears were streaming down her face. She quickly went to sit up, but lost any strength she had.
"Where am I?" She quickly wiped the tears at her face. "What's going on?"
"Well, you keep dying on your sleep for one." Dalton said, making Parker sigh. "But, don't worry, the doctors are going to find out what's wrong with you."
"There's nothing wrong with me."
Jade and Dalton looked at each other then at the nurse. The nurse sighed, "We'll take a look at her and let you know what we find. For now, just sit in the lobby while we examine her."
Jade reluctantly followed Dalton to the waiting room, where she sat anxiously. Jade chewed on her nails. Dalton wrapped his arm around her shoulder to keep her comforted.
"Don't worry, she'll be fine," Dalton told Jade and himself, "she's just sick."
Jade gripped his hand tightly. "Do you think we should let her know? It's only a matter of time before she starts questioning."
"Let's let her get some rest. She needs a break after whatever just happened. Just get some rest, I'll wake you when we can go back."
"Thank you."