Waiting is the Hardest

Noble stared at all of the monitors. "Is this heart rate out of normal range? I feel like it is elevated." 

"It probably is. That happens a lot right at first. Bodies and souls were not meant to be separated in such a way if you ask me." The healer in the chair spun and checked the screen which Noble indicated. Her dark brown hair fell in front of her chestnut eyes. "Hm, it is a bit erratic. I will go check and make sure their pod is behaving properly. Be right back." 

"Thank you, Umbei," Noble floated out of the way to let the Awakened Healer exit from the gap in the circular desk. 

Noble watched the screen intently while the other woman was gone, and slowly the heart rate lowered. The professor breathed a sigh of relief. 

When Umbei returned, Noble looked at her expectantly. "There was nothing visibly wrong, but I adjusted the settings a little to help. It seems to have worked." 

"You are the best." Noble allowed the healer back into the area with the monitors. 

Umbei picked up her stylus to mark vitals down on a datapad. The back of the device was covered in pictures of adorable extinct animals. The healer chuckled softly. "I would try to sound humble, but the Academy only hires the best. I do hope I live up to their expectations...and yours as well, professor." 

"You are doing an amazing job. I am sorry if my hovering is bothering you." Noble didn't even register her own pun. 

"You care and feel responsible for all those teens. I cannot fault you for that." Umbei paused, trying to decide how to continue. "But if I may be frank, you need to take care of yourself too. There is nothing you can do here just now. You said you just wanted to stay and make sure everyone settled in alright, but that was two hours ago. It's time to go home." 

"But..." Noble started to object. 

"You look like you might fall asleep yourself. When was the last time you visited the Dream Realm?" Umbei tilted down her chin like a mother scolding a child. 

"I...that's not important." The professor waved her hand to dismiss the question.

"That's the answer of someone who doesn't want to answer. Which means the answer is more than a few days." The healer narrowed her gaze. "We may be Awakened, but we are not invincible." 

"Don't worry about me." Noble suppressed a yawn. 'Yawns are contagious,' She convinced herself silently, 'I saw Catphine yawn before she left. That's all.'

"You don't want me to worry? Then leave. Out of sight, out of mind. Go before you pass out on your way home and don't make it to your pod. Do I need to call security?" 

Noble narrowed her gaze. "You wouldn't do that. You are too nice." 

"Oh really?" With a mischievous smile, Umbei pressed a hidden button behind the counter. 

A few moments later, a gruff Awakened in grey uniform appeared on the floor. "Is there a problem?"

"Hello, Dwayne! Thank you for coming so quickly. I can always count on you." Umbei motioned to the Professor. "Awakened Noble is in need of someone to see her out of the building. She seems to have forgotten the way. Could you help her?" 

Noble looked at the Guard. If she caused a problem, there would be plenty of others who would come to his aid. And she did not want to do anything that might jeopardize the health of her students. 

"Fine," she muttered to the healer. "But I want to be notified the moment anything changes with any of them. I mean it." 

Umbei touched her arm, sending a warm burst of energy through Noble's body. "Understood. You can count on me." 

"Thank you." Noble patted the healer's hand. "I'll go now." 

"I'll escort you, ma'am," Dwayne motioned toward the elevators. His face looked mean, but the professor could sense no actual anger behind his words. 

She nodded and followed his lead. They passed the hall for the intensive care unit and Noble shuddered. Some Dreamers spent years in the Dream Realm. A particular Dreamer was celebrating her second anniversary in the wilds of the Dream Realm tonight. Noble hoped none of her new students would suffer the same fate. 

When at last they reached the entrance of the Medical facility, the pair parted ways. "Keep those kids safe, Dwayne. Our future depends on them." 

The gruff guard gave a short nod and a left-handed salute. There was nothing more to be said. Noble left him behind and slipped into the frigid night air. 

By the time she made it back to her home, Noble felt the fatigue really take hold. She had been fighting exhaustion for so long. Now that there was nothing left to fight for, the professor felt utterly drained. 

Sneaking into the house like a burglar, Noble tried to shut the door as quietly as she could. 

"You know that works better when you remember to turn off the alarm before you sneak in," a voice said in the darkness. 

Noble jumped, suddenly awake. She summoned and dismissed a weapon before it could fully manifest. "You scared me!" she hissed at her husband. 

"Sorry. I tried to wait up for you and fell asleep out here. I awoke when you tripped the alarm before you made it to the door. I didn't want to blind you by flipping on a light as soon as you entered." Fort turned on the small lamp between the couches.

Noble shielded her eyes. "It is the Winter Solstice. You knew I was going to be late." 

"And I knew you were going to need me when you finally got home. How did everything go?" Fort sat up and his wife cuddled up beside him. 

"It went as well as can be expected. It never gets any easier." Noble laid her head on the man's shoulder and sighed. She was too tired to cry. 

"It is hard because you care. That is the mark of a good teacher. The world needs more of those. It would be a much better place." Fort kissed the top of his wife's head and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. 

"The only reason I am home now is because the healer kicked me out of the hospital," Noble admitted. 

"Oh? Tell me their name and I'll send a thank you note." Fort squeezed the woman gently even as she rolled her eyes. "But really, you look tired. I do hope you are about to go to sleep." 

"I should, but I don't want to. Getting into the pod will only remind me what those poor kids are going through." Noble shifted uncomfortably at the thought. 

"Then how about this. I'll turn on a movie and we can watch it until you fall asleep. I'll put you in your pod and you won't have to see it until you wake in the morning. If you are lucky, I will have your favorite brunch almost done when you return." Fort poked his wife's side, making her giggle. 

"Thank you," she said. "You are too good to me." The woman snuggled up tightly to his side, and he held her close. 

"So, what do you want to fall asleep to?" Fort brought up some choices. He sighed. "You could have at least made it past the opening credits..." 

Next to him, his wife's body was already beginning to float aimlessly into the air. Noble was asleep.