Closed Eyes - 1

"Cece, wake up! It's time to go. You know this dinner is really important to me. Hurry up!" a gruff voice sounded deep within Cece's mind. She felt herself stir before slowly opening her eyes.

Groaning, Cece reached over to the bedside table and twisted the clock to face her. It was 4:30pm, only a half hour before they were supposed to be at the Riverside Dinner Hall for a formal dinner with all the policemen her fiancée served with.

"I'm sorry, Patrick. Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

Cece let her hand fall from the clock. She was still exhausted from having driven nearly 20 hours just to make it home in time for this special dinner. She had spent the last week traveling from state to state, speaking at motivational concerts and doing individual sessions with young teens struggling with the loss of a loved one. Cece was all too familiar with loss, so once out of college, she had set out to make an impact on those who shared similar experiences.

Patrick sighed, straightening his bright red tie as he sat at the edge of the bed. "Because I was worried about you. You looked beyond exhausted."

Cece stretched briefly before sitting up and yanking the covers off her. She swayed slightly, waiting for the room to stop spinning. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time I've only gotten a few hours of sleep before going to something important," she murmured, leaning over and kissing Patrick on the cheek.

She then stood quickly and made her way over to the tiny closet, throwing the door open, letting it bang against the wall.  She still felt as if cotton balls were filling up the space in her head, but ignored the sensation, knowing it was only because of how exhausted she was. She couldn't shake off her strange dream, but then again, it was happening more and more recently. She supposed with only a few hours of sleep under her belt, it was bound to happen.

Rummaging around toward the back of the closet, Cece finally came upon what she was looking for and quickly yanked it off the hanger.

"I'm going to go pull the car around, Cece," she heard Patrick say before hearing his muffled footsteps grow quieter as he exited the small apartment.

Cece had pulled her strapless bright red dress on and was zipping up the side when he left, but she paid him no mind. She was trying to hurry, not wanting Patrick to be late for this dinner. He had wanted her to meet the Chief, as well as his patrol partner. They were his second family while she was traveling a week out of each month.

Shoving her feet into her white pumps and throwing a white shawl over her shoulders, Cece then threw her nearly white hair into a neatly spiraled bun. She dared not look too closely in the mirror, knowing it would only show her tired, puffy eyes and a red spot on her cheek from her pillow. Cece also felt very shaky, though decided that it was probably from not having eaten since that morning. She looked awful, but decided it would have to do considering the time restraints. No time to put on make-up now!

Hearing an impatient honk from beyond the apartment window, Cece rolled her eyes and grabbed her small clutch from the closet, shoving her keys and her ID inside.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she grumbled under her breath and rushed to the front door. She wiped sweat from her brow, pausing a moment to catch her breath before exiting the apartment and locking the door behind her.

***

"See, we made it on time," Cece said with a smile to Patrick as they entered the Riverside Dinner Hall. She scanned the room, taking in the large banner hanging at the front of the room by the stage that read, 'Riverside Police Department Annual Formal Dinner'. The room was filled with round tables covered in silvery tablecloths and purple orchids had been chosen for the centerpieces. It was beautiful, making the room feel iridescent without being overdone.

The tables were already filled with men in their uniforms and ladies wearing beautiful dresses that made Cece wince over the state of her own dress. These women looked elegant and well rested, something she severely lacked at the moment. At least I have a good excuse for not looking the most pretty!, she couldn't help but think sourly.

Cece's eyes felt blurred, however, as if she were looking through fog. She knew it was a sign of just how tired she was and couldn't help but scrub her eyes in the hopes of clearing them up.

"I know, but you know how much I hate being late for things," Patrick said. He nodded at a few passing men while leading the way to the sign-in table.

Cece only nodded as she allowed herself to be pulled toward the table. She suddenly felt very unsteady, as if the ground was rocking beneath her feet.

"Patrick, I don't feel so well," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. She knew she was tired, but she had never felt this sensation before. Her stomach felt as if it were jumping into her throat and her legs felt wobbly beneath her. She pressed a hand to her stomach as if in hopes of helping her regain her balance.

Concern filling his hazel eyes, Patrick pulled Cece to the side of the table, letting other couples pass them. "Do you need to sit down?"

"I don't know, I just feel so tired…" Cece's voice drifted off weakly. She could no longer focus on anything around her. She could feel Patrick's strong hands grip her arms but could not see his face any longer. Her vision had gone completely black, causing a swell of panic to ram through her body.

"I can't see!"

Patrick's arms enveloped her protectively, as if those arms could keep anything from truly harming her. "Just close your eyes, Cece. I'll get you to the hospital."

Closing her eyes in compliance, Cece suddenly lost all sense of feeling. Even the sensation of collapsing was not felt within her and the gasps of alarm did not fall upon her ears.

 

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