8:34pm
"He's suffering from somnambulism. And a bad case of it, too," Anton told Matt and Claire while watching Peter sleep in the small medical room in the lab. Lindsay was in there, too, holding Peter's hand while he slept.
"Say it in English, doc," Matt said.
"A complex case of sleepwalking," Claire informed him.
"Yeah, but that doesn't tell me why he's been so tired lately. I mean, even if he's sleepwalking, he's still sleeping, isn't he?"
"Not really. When people sleepwalk, they usually don't get much rest, if any at all."
"I think he should get some rest at home, shouldn't he?"
"I think so," Anton agreed.
Matt walked into the med room and shook Peter gently. After getting him less than half awake, Matt helped him walk to his truck. Putting him gently into the passenger's seat, as not to wake him, Matt got the keys from Peter's pocket, then drove him to where he was staying. He had agreed to spend the night with his friend to make sure he didn't hurt himself in his sleep. 
Later on that night, Matt woke to a voice yelling. He got up from the couch he had been sleeping on and ran over to the door of Peter's bedroom. "Pete?" he called through the door. He turned the knob and pushed, but he couldn't open the door. He knew it couldn't be locked, because he had taken the locks off the inside of all the doors in the house, except for the front and back doors just to be safe. He leaned all his weight on the door and it opened slowly. As it opened just enough for Matt to squeeze into the room, he heard a loud crash. He went inside and noticed that the bed, which had been standing upright against the door, had fallen back onto its four legs. Matt went around the bed, into the adjoining bathroom to the right of the door. He searched everywhere, only thinking to check in the shower stall last before he left the room. He opened the tinted-glass door and instantly saw Peter cowering in the corner with a butcher knife in his hands. His eyes were open, but he wasn't awake.
Peter was shaking uncontrollably. The room was air-conditioned for the summer months and he was dressed only in his jeans, but Matt knew that wasn't why he was shaking. The thing in his dreams must be back to get him.
Matt approached him slowly, talking to him. "Pete, it's me, Matt. Wake up, alright? Come on, bud, wake up..." he said while inching towards Peter. When he came within two feet of his friend, Peter ran the knife quickly across Matt's ankle and right up to his knee, slashing the skin. Blood instantly started to gush from the cut, and Matt limped backwards out of the stall, leaving Peter to sit with the bloodstained knife.
Matt wrapped a towel around the cut and limped into the living room. He picked up the phone and dialed Lindsay's cell phone number.
"Lindsay Donner," she said in her usual answer.
"Lindsay. Get Anton down here, and bring tranquilizers," Matt instructed her, losing his breath with each word.
"Matt? What happened?"
"Just get down here. Hurry." Matt hung up the phone, then passed out.
Ten minutes later, Anton and Lindsay came rushing into the house, Anton with his med bag in hand. They went straight to Matt, who was lying on the floor, unconscious. Anton stayed to bandage Matt's leg, while Lindsay went to search the house for Peter.
After Anton finished wrapping Matt's leg and made him comfortable, Lindsay called him into the bathroom. She was standing just inside the doorway, looking at Peter. Anton came into the room, and saw Peter at once. He was still cowering in the corner of the shower stall, but he had laid the knife down beside him and was hugging himself and rocking back and forth slowly.
Lindsay went slowly to Peter's side and picked up the knife, handing it to Anton. She crouched down beside Peter and put her hand on his shoulder. He came half-awake and started weeping. Lindsay helped him stand up and led him into the living room, where Matt was unconscious on the floor. Peter went over to him, but looked at Anton. "What happened to him?" he asked, worried.
"He was badly cut and lost a lot of blood," Anton told him.
"Did I do this?"
When he saw the look on Anton and Lindsay's faces, he didn't need an answer. He lay down on the couch and put his hand over his face. "How could I do this? It's getting out of control. Anton, you have to help me. Please."
"We have to get Matt to the hospital. We're packing everything up at the Hunntersen's place. We're done there. But we can have everything sent to Central Lab and stay here for a while so I can help you. Okay?" Anton questioned.
"Thanks," Peter said, yawning. Soon he fell into a deep, undisturbed sleep. |
