InsaneJournal

Who: Sam and John
What: Catching up
Where: John’s office
When: Early Nov
Rating: Low for cake!
Status: Complete



John was almost feverishly working away on his calculations at his desk. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with them, but his new invisible friend Harvey kept whispering in his ear to keep working at it, that he’d figure it out. He was trying not to listen to him but was finding it increasingly difficult to ignore him. It. He couldn’t anthropomorphise it anymore than it already was. It was a hallucination. Despite finding himself having conversations with it.

Sam wasn’t aware of John’s new ‘friend’, she’d assumed it had just been a side effect of the sleeplessness which had swept the town a while ago. She hadn’t known he’d stuck around. Deciding to bring him lunch she grabbed some sandwiches and coffees from the campus coffee shop and headed to his office. Knocking on the door she stuck her head around, “Hey, want some lunch?” she asked holding up the goodies.

John looked up at the knock on his door, surprised to see Sam’s head poking round his office door. “H...hey,” he replied, casting a quick glance at the seat in the corner of his office where Harvey had been sat. He wasn’t there now and John couldn’t help but let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding as he invited Sam to come in. “This is a pleasant surprise, what did you bring?” he asked, piling his workings off to the side and clearing his desk for them.

Sam worried she was interrupting something for a moment but there was only John in the room, then he was smiling at her and she entered fully closing the door behind her. “Just sandwiches and coffee, maybe a cheeky slice of cake too” she grinned coming to sit down opposite him after depositing lunch on the desk. “Take your pick I like either” she told him gesturing.

“Ooo, a cheeky slice of cake,” John grinned as he peeked at the sandwiches available. “So much better than a mundane slice of cake,” he joked, picking the chicken caesar salad on white bread. “What type of cake is it? Ok if I have this then?” he asked, holding up said sandwich.

“That’s what I thought” Sam replied with a wink, “Luckily there were two cheeky ones left” she told him before nodding, “Of course. Chocolate fudge cake” she grinned.

“Nice!” John grinned at her, peeling back the covering of his sandwich and tucking into the contents. “How have you been Sam?”

Sam grinned at his enthusiasm, it was good to see him smile though she could see he looked tired and a little drawn. “I’ve been alright. The first round of grading papers is scarily close” she joked, “How are you John?”

“I’m ok,” John shrugged and cast a quick glance where Harvey had been sitting before Sam arrived. Focussing back on his sandwich he carried on talking. “I’ve had some more of those weird ass Dreams though,” he frowned, taking a bite.

“Yeah?” Sam watched him carefully, “Have they been interrupting your sleep John? You look kind of tired”

“Well,” John winced slightly. “Maybe a little bit. I don’t think I’ve slept soundly for a while now,” he admitted. “The Dreams are just really...unsettling,” he told her. “Are yours?”

“Maybe you should see someone, it can’t be good for you” she suggested softly, “Sometimes, but I quite enjoy most of them. I find they don’t linger too long for me”

“Then you’re lucky,” John huffed a laugh at that then sighed, staring down at his sandwich. “I’ve thought about it, but I don’t know who I can trust to tell this sort of stuff to and not think I’m a complete nutcase,” he glanced up at Sam. “Except you, of course,” he gave a one shouldered shrug and a little smile before taking another bite.

“I know. Sorry” she added with a small almost apologetic smile. “I’d never think you were a nutcase John, you’re an intelligent man who can be affected by the dreams just as much as others can”

“Not your fault,” John shrugged with his eyes on his sandwich. “But thanks Sam, it means a lot. Don’t suppose you’re a professional therapist as well as astrophysicist?” he joked.

“I wish I could help but sadly I’d be worried about doing more harm than good” Sam told him, though not without sympathy. “There must be a few around here who are pretty good, though, I mean they’d have enough clients”

John chuckled at that, nearly choking on a bit of sandwich. He reached for his bottle of water and took a few gulps to recover. “Don’t make me laugh when I’m eating,” he laughed, putting his water down again.

“Sorry” Sam replied with a smile, “I didn’t realise I was being that amusing” she added with a slight smirk.

“Yeah, well you always did have a quirkier sense of humour,” John teased. It was something they shared, making stupid jokes about physics or something equally as nerdy. “But I will, I’ll see if I can find someone to talk to. Maybe Lizzie’s beau,” he huffed a little laugh. “I mean, I know he’s not that kind of doctor but we’ve both had some weird Dreams and he might be able to suggest something,” he shrugged.

Sam nodded, “Maybe so. Might be easier to talk to someone who also dreams as well. I mean he knows how it feels right?” she smiled softly.

“Yeah, it can’t hurt right,” John shrugged. “Worst case scenario, he prescribes me some high-dose valium and I get some sleep so can grade my term papers,” he joked, perhaps a little too glibly.

“You struggling that much John?” Sam asked in concern, she hadn’t realised it was that bad. But if he could barely sleep at all that wouldn’t be good for him.

“Well...I wouldn’t call it struggling,” John tried to play it down. He didn’t want Sam to think he couldn’t handle a few bad dreams after all. “I’ve had sleepless nights before, that’s what college was all about, right?” he laughed. “Pass the cake,” he beckoned for the cake with his hand.

“Yeah but we’re a bit older now, can’t handle it like we used to” Sam told him with a smile, though she was still worried. She’d have to keep an eye on him more in future. “Cake” she said as she passed it to him.