I was taking a nap on the bus when the nightmares started. I fell into total darkness and I fell… and fell… and fell. I let out a scream and jolted up from the lounge couch. My whole body was drenched in sweat, my body was trembling and my heart was racing. Beating really hard in my chest, making my whole head pounding. I could hear my own heart beating. Wait, I could hear my heart? Then I saw that Aaron was sitting by the table and staring at me.
"You okay?" he wrote on a note and I was trying to take deep breaths.
"Mairin?" he said and I gasped a little. It wasn’t loud but I could hear his voice. He stared at me, just as surprised as I was, and then everything went quite again. He said something but I couldn’t hear him.
"I heard you say my name" I wrote on a note with shaky hands. He looked really surprised and he stared at me.
"I can’t hear you anymore though…" I said and I could only feel the vibrations. He just stared at me, just stared.

I took my towel, and my toilet bag, and I walked over to the venue where they would have a show later that night. I took a deep breath and looked into the big shower. It was an unisex shower, but I still didn’t really want it to be that many people. Inside there was one guy and one girl, both minding their own business, so I walked inside and into one of the booths.
I turned on the shower and I let the water wash my sweat away. I took a deep breath and close my eyes. Just letting the water hit me.
I took a deep breath and for a second I could hear my own breathing, and the water against my skin. I smiled a little and felt at ease. Maybe my hearing was coming back. I smiled some more and sighed in relief, and felt that the tears started to stream down.

- - -

Austin’s POV

I walked over to the bunkers and I saw that Mairin was sleeping. She looked so peaceful and relaxed. She held a book in her hand and soon it would fall down to the floor. Just as I looked at the book and saw the words journal it fell down. I jumped a little but she didn’t seem to wake up. So I picked it up and by accident, or maybe not such an accident, I took a look inside. I frowned a little when I realized what she had been writing. Her mind was really… disturbed… and I got really surprised over what I saw. What I read. Tino came up behind me and I jumped a little.
"What are you reading?" he asked.
"Mairin’s journal fell out from her bunker and well… I kinda picked it up and… Here" I said and gave it to him. He read a few pages and he frowned a little, and he looked at her. Sleeping so calmly.
"I should maybe have a talk with her" he whispered and got to the last page. He raised an eyebrow and looked a bit surprised.
"What?" I asked, and looked at him. He held up the book.

For the first time in over a year I could hear my own heart beating. At first I thought I imagined things. Like when you feel the beat and your brain makes it sound like you hear it beat. Beat like usual in your chest. But not today. I actually heard it. I knew because Aaron was in the room and he asked me if I was okay. I woke up from a nightmare when I took a nap and he wrote on a note like usual. ‘Are you okay?’ and when I didn’t answer I said my name. He knew that I couldn’t hear it but he said it anyway and I could hear it. I could hear his voice, muffled, and it said my name.

And it got even better when I heard my own breathing, and the water hit my body, in the shower earlier. Even if the sound was muffled and low I could hear it. For a few minutes I could hear it.

Maybe I’m finally getting out from this hell?

I looked at the page and nodded slowly. Then we both looked at her.
"I really do hope she get her hearing back" Tino whispered.
"Yeah" I agreed and he put her journal at the end of her bunker. Then he turned his attention to her again and he cleared his throat.
"Mairin?" he said, hoping she would hear it.
She didn’t respond at all and he let out a sigh. He took a breath and swallowed. Then he looked at me and I shrugged.
"MAIRIN?!" he yelled. To out surprise she gasped and jolted up from her bunker, making her hit her head and she cried out. then she looked at us with tears in her eyes, a bit surprised.
"Did you just… say my name?" she said with a hoarse voice.
Tino just stared at her and then he nodded.
"Yes I did" he said and she gasped again. She had heard him.