The smoke was burning Karissa's lungs and the heat from the fire was close. It was so close her skin felt like it was blistering. It hurt! The light from the fire around her was bright. She was scared. She looked around and she was alone. No one was there, and everything seemed so big. She cried out loud; screamed in her terror of the fires and looked at the lab equipment around her burst into flames. Suddenly, a hand took hers; a small hand, like her own. As she turned, she saw the face of a blond baby girl with green eyes just as scared as she was. They both turned toward the sound of breaking glass, holding each other and crying. Suddenly, just as darkness was closing in, there were faces and hands.
Karissa's eyes flew open from the nightmare; though she hadn't been completely jarred awake. But she could feel the fast pace of her heart and took a deep breath. She turned her face toward Will and saw that his eyes were still closed and sensed that though he was in a light sleep, he was still sleeping.
As graceful as a panther, she got up from the bed, causing hardly any movement. Going to the bathroom, she turned on the water in the sink and splashed her face with it, trying to not only rinse off the perspiration from the nightmare, but to refresh herself... as if convincing herself that the nightmare was truly over. She grabbed a nearby towel and dried her face.
Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder. "Another nightmare?" Came a soft voice from behind her. It was Will.
As she looked into the mirror, she could see their reflection together and the worry in his brown eyes.
"I'm fine," she said softly with a gentle smile. "Don't worry."
"I think I should. You've been having nightmares almost every night since your parents arrived. Each time I ask you about it, you shut me out," he said softly. "I don't understand. You speak to me of the nightmares you have of Ryan. I can't imagine how much worse these could be."
She was quiet for a moment. "It's a reoccurring nightmare from my childhood," she said softly. "They sometimes return."
He gave her a puzzled look. "And what is this nightmare about?" he asked, wondering if it was based on a child's fears or if it was based on a real event. He knew from experience her nightmares were usually based on personal events in her life.
"As you know, when I was an infant I was rescued from a fire," she said as she sighed and then walked back to the bed to sit down.
He followed her and took a seat beside her. "Yes, I know... You've told me about it," he replied.
"Every so often I have a nightmare about the fire. I don't think it's imagined. I can smell the smoke; feel the heat of the fire as it gets closer to me... makes my skin burn... and I can see the light of the fire all around me. But I can't find a way out and the fear is there... Overwhelmingly there."
Will's brown eyes still held concern. "Why would you be dreaming about that now?" he asked.
She shook her head and shrugged. "I really don't know. Unless seeing my parents triggered off the fact that it's how they came to adopt me. I survived that fire and no one claimed me. Of course, no one at the time suspected what I was."
Though she had come to terms with the fact that she had been created, it still bothered her from time to time. Knowing that all she had started out as was someone's experiment.
Tenderly he pulled her into his arms. "Karissa, it doesn't matter what you were. It matters who you are," he said reassuringly.
She smirked. "Counseling the counselor, I see," she said as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "You're getting pretty good at it."
He smiled. "Well, someone has to, don't they?"
She laughed softly.
"But it is true, you know," he replied with seriousness.
"I know... I've become more than what I was ever meant to be," she replied.
Will was quiet for a moment. "So this is the nightmare that's been plaguing you for the last week?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yeah. But this time it was different. Usually all I remember is the fire and how scared I was. This time, I wasn't alone."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I don't think I was the only child in that fire," Karissa replied. "I saw another little girl. She had... blond hair and green eyes and she was about my age at the time."
"And you've never dreamed about her before?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Usually I wake up as I feel the fire and get scared," she replied, her dark eyes meeting his. "I've never had so much detail in the dream. In fact, I saw the hands and faces of the men that must have rescued us."
"But you also told me that there was only one child found in that lab. It was in the papers," he replied.
She shrugged. "I don't know. But I really think she was there. She wasn't just something my mind dreamed up."
Will gazed at her and sighed. "So what does that mean?" he asked.
"There's another one of me out there. Only, unlike Shara, she doesn't look like me," Karissa replied. "She survived the fire. Probably even has the same nightmares," she smirked.
Will smiled. "Perhaps." He then stood. "I'll be right back."
He left the room for only a moment and then returned. In his hand were a pill and a glass of water.
"I want you to take this," he replied.
"Oh no... really... I'm fine," she said.
"No arguments," he replied firmly. "You haven't been getting your usual 4 hours of undisturbed sleep and if you don't, it will take a toll on you. Remember, I've seen you like that. Now being the doctor in the family, I want you to take this. You're going to get some sleep."
She shook her head and grinned. "All right, twist my arm." She took the medication without further comment.
As she handed him back the glass, he grinned. "Good, girl," he said teasingly. "Would you like a lollipop to go with that?"
She took the pillow and threw it at him as she laughed. "Pain!"
"You asked for it!" he insisted as he grinned, taking the pillow and throwing it back at her.
She caught it and put it back.
"Now lay down," he said. "I'll be right back."
She did as he said and within moments he returned, crawling into the bed beside her. As she felt him snuggle in beside her and put his arm around her, she sighed contentedly.
"Now, I order you to have pleasant dreams," he smiled.
"You're giving orders to a Lieutenant Commander?" she quipped with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Medical privilege," Will replied, winking. "Now get some sleep."
With that, she leaned over and kissed him. "Goodnight," she said as she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of him beside her, lulling her back to sleep.
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