8. Flash of Yellow

He told Carol that he would take me home and then meet up with her for breakfast at Jody's Diner in about an hour. Carol agrees and watches us leave.

While walking to the car, I relived all the memories I had of Nick and all his interactions that I witnessed with Carol. It all did make sense, I always felt he was so protective of her. I thought it was a romantic feeling but I guess it was just my misunderstanding.

After all what experience do I have of romance, that would have helped me judge these situations correctly.

I was distracted in my memories of my past relationship when Nick yelled, "Watch out" and with one arm around my waist pulled me back towards him. A bicyclist has just plowed down the hill without stopping at a red light. I felt a breeze and saw a flash of yellow, he definitely would have hit me if Nick hadn't pulled me back.

His tone was a little harsh as he reprimanded, "You really don't let others be at ease when they're with you! Could you have a little more awareness of your surroundings and a sense of self preservation?"

As I was pulled backwards, I was leaning against his rock hard chest at the moment, hearing his words, I tilted my head slightly and looked at him from below. I then answered with a smile on my face, "I can."

He helplessly sighed, letting go of my waist and then playfully pushed me off of him. We continued walking to the car, and I had a big smile on my face that I just could not suppress. But I was just reprimanded, why was I so happy? I opened the car door and sat next to him, told him the address and he typed it into the GPS before we continued on our way.

While he was typing, I took the chance to say, "Thank you for last night. I hope I didn't punch you too hard. Did you get hurt?"

"You are quite strong for such a petite woman," he seriously said, but did not look away from the GPS screen. He finished typing and said, "But no, it didn't hurt. Then with a smirk on his face, he said, Absolutely, gross, but no it didn't hurt."

I winced again, "I am very sorry for that."

"Treat me to a meal someday and we are even, " he teased.

I answered, "Fine, I owe you that much. Oh, by the way, I'll wash the t-shirt before giving it back to you."

He looked out the window, before saying, "That's fine."

When he turned I saw that the tips of his ears had turned red.

In my mind, I am screaming, "Oh no, oh no, oh no!" What I feared to confirm this morning, he just confirmed. I flushed red and turned to look out my window.

After a bit of awkward silence, he broke it by saying, "Let's get you home."

The ride felt like hours, even though it was only 15 minutes away. When he pulled up to my parent's house, I jumped out of the car before it even came to a full stop. I walked as fast as my feet would take me, screaming back, "Thank you for the ride," before I disappeared through the door.

Once inside, I plopped down next to the door and after a few screams into my hands. I swore to any god that listened that I will never let myself get that drunk again.

I walked into my room, sulking a bit. I gathered my clothes and I walked the hallway towards the shower. Hoping the water will wash away the embarrassment, I ran it hot and it felt wonderful.

The water suddenly felt cold. I turned it higher and it warmed up again. When I was just about to lather up, it went cold, freezing cold. A shiver ran through me, I turned it even higher, but it was still cold, I turned it off.

Then I heard it, beep, beep, beep… and it went dark.

"That is the end of the treatment for now. Her surgery is tomorrow and she needs to rest." a woman said.

I was scared, the darkness and the cold I was feeling. I was just taking a shower. What happened?

Monitors went off, even more beeping and loud alarms. I felt my body move uncontrollably, hitting hard objects but I couldn't stop.

"I need help in here," a woman said as I felt something hooking onto my armpits and pulling me up.

"I have her left side, go around to the other side. Now on the count of three. One, two, three." the woman said.

I felt myself heaved up onto a flat surface, a bed maybe? I was being held down and the fear in me was even greater. It is dark and I can't say a word and people are holding me down.

Then I heard it, "Caitlyn!" it was my mom's voice. "Caitlyn! Why is she having another seizure now? What happened?"

"Ma'am please wait outside," a man said.

"No, let me stay. I want to be with my daughter," my mom screamed.

Finally my body stopped convulsing and a warm blanket was placed over my body. Then it came to me, I was in a car accident.

I was probably still in the hospital. It, it was a dream, everything from the company to drinking and being nauseous and all that with Nick was all just a dream. An medically induced dream by that darn treatment.

"Caitlyn," mom said again. I guess they let her in now that I have stopped convulsing.

She clasped her hands around face, I could feel her warmth. After a while she let go and I started moving. I guess I was being transported back to my room. I was right, not long later, I was heaved up and placed on another bed.

Mom adjusted the height so that I was slightly reclined instead of lying down. She fussed over me until I heard the door open and people walking in.

Mom said crossly, "So what happened?"

A male replied, "We are very sorry Mrs. Jiang, it seemed that the tech this time stopped the treatment too abruptly and it caused your daughter to have a physical reaction to being pulled out of the treatment. In the future we will remind all the staff to follow the protocol and adjust to the needs of the patients. Again I apologize."

"So will this affect her surgery tomorrow? We have waited three months for the swelling to go down, will this affect it?" mom asked.

The male voice replied, "Ma'am we are uncertain at the moment. We will perform a scan later today to determine if any further damage occurred."

Then I heard footsteps leave and the door closed.

I heard mom crying, and soon she also left the room.

Alone, I was finally able to think about what happened. The dream felt so real, the emotions, the embarrassment, it all felt real. Except for the fact that it was Nicholas and he does have a step sister named Carol, none of the other things were real.

Carol is a fashion designer and Nicholas is a physical therapist. Their family name is Lok, well at least Carol's is. Nicholas' last name used to be Fong, his mother divorced his father when we were in middle school and when she remarried, he did eventually change his last name to Lok.

We went to the same high school too, well at least for the first two years, but his mom met her new husband and they relocated to San Francisco, while I stayed here in Seattle.

He finished college and returned back here and opened up a Sports Medicine Clinic. He looked me up and we reconnected and I became one of his Occupational Therapists at the clinic.

I always had a crush on him, from that very first day at Theater Club, but we were never more than friends and I guess we never will be. Since I am technically a vegetable now. Can't move, can't speak and can't even control my dreams.

Sigh. Well maybe this treatment is a blessing. If I can't have it all in the real world, at least I can still escape to the dream world.

I calmed my mind and yearned to dream again.