They followed Dr. Stone through the house, then down a set of winding stairs to what should’ve been a basement, but wasn’t. At the bottom of the steps was a reception area. Dr. Stone faced their little group.
Did Gill tell him about Lathan’s hearing problems? Or did the doctor just prefer to be looking at the people he spoke to?
“We formed the OIO forty-five years ago when no one else was studying dreams because they were believed to simply be a throwaway function of the brain. We were pioneers. Still are. Only now is the scientific community beginning to study what we’ve devoted nearly a half century to.”
The doctor stopped at a doorway. Inside the room, a metal table was positioned under a light, and medical machines lined the walls. “This is our surgical suite. We really don’t need one, but to be classified as a medical research facility, we had to comply with basic standards.”
He showed them a sleep lab that looked exactly like a fancy bedroom, except for the medical apparatuses flanking the bed. And then ushered them into his office.
Half the room looked like every office Evanee had ever been in, with bookshelves and a desk with two chairs in front of it. The other half was an inviting living room with a couch and chairs separated by a coffee table. Natural light flowed into the room from rectangular windows set high in the wall, just above ground level. Even though the day was overcast, the play of light inside the room wasn’t cold or harsh, but serene.
She and Lathan sat on the couch. During the entire tour, he’d kept his arm around her, and even now while sitting, he held her tightly against him.
Gill and Dr. Stone took the chairs across from them.
“So Evanee, Mr. Garrison has told me a little about your experience, but I want to hear it from you.”
Her face suddenly blazed like she’d been in the sun all day without sunscreen. A bead of sweat formed above her lip. She swiped at it. What she was about to say—to a doctor—would make her sound certifiable. “You’re going to think I’ve cracked up and send me on a winter vacation to a padded cell at the nuthouse.”
“Evanee, I assure you that in forty-five years of researching dreams, I’ve heard it all. There’s nothing you can say that will surprise or shock me.”
Lathan shifted away from her to see her face when she spoke. She missed his touch, the courage it gave her. Like he’d read her mind, he reached out and took her hand. She pushed her fingers between his and held on tight. It was going to be a crazy ride. While her body was aimed toward Dr. Stone, her face was turned to Lathan. No way would she have a conversation and intentionally leave him out of it.
She told the doctor about the first dream. And then the second one.
Dr. Stone listened. Really listened. His brows were drawn together over his eyes in an expression of intense concentration. He never once interrupted.
When Evanee finished, she drew in a deep breath. She felt like she hadn’t inhaled since she started talking.
“I want to make sure I understand,” Dr. Stone said. “The objects were given to you in the dream, and you had them with you when you awakened?”
Why didn’t he sound disbelieving? He should be telling her she was full of shit. Like Gill had the first time she’d said it. “Yes. But I know that doesn’t make logical sense.”
“What happened after you woke up and realized what you held?”
“I freaked.”
A mild smile twitched the corner of his mouth. “After you freaked.”
Lathan answered for her. “She passed out. Both times. Was out about ten minutes each time, and then woke up shivering with cold.”
“I passed out? I don’t remember that. I remember being cold…” She knew Lathan wasn’t lying, but it didn’t feel right to have things happening to her body without her being aware of them.
The doctor spoke to Lathan. “Could she have had a seizure?”
“Seizure?” The word exploded from her mouth. “As in epilepsy? No way. Wouldn’t I know if I was having seizures? And why would I all of a sudden start having them? That doesn’t make sense. None of this makes any sense.” Even she could hear the hysterical quality to her tone. “I just want to make it all go away.”
“Evanee, your reaction is normal.” The doctor’s tone was the same one adults used on frightened children. “This is difficult stuff to wrap your mind around. Allow me to explain.” He sat back in his seat, looking comfortable.
She sat on the edge of the cushion. Lathan’s hand holding hers was the only thing anchoring her to the seat.
“While you are asleep, your brain directs your body through the cycles of sleep. But when you are having one of these special dreams, your brain is on double duty. It’s directing you through the sleep cycles and navigating you through this whole other experience. Your brain is experiencing two realities at once.” He repeated the words with extra emphasis. “Two realities at once. Upon waking, the brain short-circuits from the overload—usually in some form of seizure. It takes a while for everything to come back online.”
“My brain short-circuits?” Maybe she was short-circuiting right now. None of this conversation was on the same page as logic.
“How can something from a dream end up in reality?” Gill asked. “It’s against the laws of physics or something, isn’t it?”
“Depends on which laws of physics you are following,” Dr. Stone answered.
Lathan nodded his head as if he fully understood Dr. Stone’s meaning. Evanee didn’t understand. Was Dr. Stone saying that more than one set of rules governed the universe and the objects in it? She was starting to feel like she was in an episode of The Twilight Zone. Or being punked. Or in an alternate universe where everything looked the same and sounded the same, but somehow wasn’t the same.