MY EYES FLICKER OPEN when I hear a thump. The first thing I see are my hands still laced together over my stomach. When I lift my head, a dull pain resonates in my neck from staying in the same position for so long. Closing my eyes, I tilt my head back and twist it from side to side, loosening the muscles. When I scoot my ass back in the seat, I notice the nurse call remote has fallen to the floor. I pick it up, then stand to wind it around one of the rails to keep it from slipping off again. My body locks in place and my jaw damn near falls to the floor when I look at Jules. She’s lying there with her eyes wide fucking open looking at the ceiling. The first thing I notice is the brilliant color of her eyes. Just like in my dreams, they’re a bright golden amber. She blinks slowly a couple times. She must not see me, because she keeps looking at the ceiling like it’s the most fascinating thing she’s ever seen. I hold still, not wanting to startle her, but also desperately wanting her eyes directed at me. Swallowing to wet my suddenly dry throat, I murmur softly, “Jules.” Her lips part. She blinks a couple more times before her head slowly turns in my direction. The minute her eyes lock on mine, a rush of air leaves my lungs. Fuck, but they are striking. I don’t get a chance to enjoy her eyes being on me before they fill with fear. I frown, confused at the stark terror forming on her face. I reach out a hand to her to try to quell the fear but drop it when her lips tremble. Her hands clutch the sides of her head as her mouth opens and she lets out a god-awful scream. I stumble back a step and knock into the chair, stunned at her hysterical behavior. She starts thrashing on the bed, her legs kicking the blanket off her as she presses herself as close to the railing as she can to get away from me. The whole time, her wide eyes stay connected with my astonished ones, like she’s accusing me of something. A nurse rushes in, and I numbly step to the side to give her room. Another rushes in seconds later with a doctor following closely behind. They both go to the other side of the bed. “NO!” Jules screams over and over again, clutching her head. “NONONO!” The ache in my chest that’s always present in my dreams is back, except it’s ten times worse. The pain I feel seeing her suffer in the flesh makes the pain of seeing her suffer in my dreams feel like a fucking paper cut. It’s agonizing and all-consuming and takes my damn breath away. I want nothing more than to go to her, to hold her against me, and make all her fears go away, but it’s me she fears, and that thought tears me apart. “Mr. Hendrix, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” I ignore the nurse trying to usher me out of the room. I can’t take my eyes off Jules as she fights the doctor and nurses. They yell back and forth to each other as they try to calm her down. I grow angry when they hold her down and stick a needle into her IV. I force my legs to hold still, instead of rushing over and yanking them away. I know they’re professionals and only trying to help her, but I still don’t fucking like it. “Mr. Hendrix.” The nurse tries again, grabbing my arm. “Theo!” It’s the use of my brother’s name that has me ripping my eyes away from the distraught girl in the bed. I stare down at the nurse, and her eyes soften in sympathy. “Please, just wait outside until the doctor calms down your wife and assesses her. He’ll come talk to you as soon as he can.” I don’t correct her on her mistake of thinking I’m my brother. I just give her a stiff nod before looking back at Jules one more time. She’s no longer screaming due to the medicine now running through her veins, but her eyes are still on me. Tears fall from them, soaking the pillow beneath her head, and it makes me want to fall to my knees and scream. Instead, with one final look and my chest feeling hollow, I turn on my heel and leave the room.