(Based on the movie: Jacob's Ladder from 1990)

Summary: Everything seemed perfect, You had Jacob and did your best to make him happy. Things quickly take a turn for you both, nightmares begin to terrorize in his and your mind. Everything feels like a dream and being trapped in hell.

Warnings:mention of ptsd, torture,depression,death, etc)

(A/N: If you've seen this underrated masterpiece, this you know how the film ends. I had this one shot in mind for about three years and always forgot to write it. I just rewatched the movie today and finally decided to write it. Tim Robbins was just too adorable in the movie, all I wanted was to give him a hug. Oh, and this also inspired by Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold since the music video is also based on the film.)

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"Hurry up!"

"We're losing him! How's his heart beat?!"

Everyone began running around the tent back and forth, few soldiers made it out alive and some were dying. They had been killing each other when a helicopter flew by and some sort of smoke or powder filled the soldier's lungs.

Jacob was bleeding heavily and it was getting harder for him to breathe

"(Y/N)! Snap out of it!"

My shaky legs ran over to him and placed him on top of a table and began to apply pressure to his open wound, my entire hands being covered in blood. "Don't worry, Jacob...You're gonna live." I said through desperate tears and stood by his side.

I gasped for air as I woke up and fell on the floor, trying to catch my breath. I looked around frantically and tried to ease my breathing, "I'm in my apartment." I grabbed a nearby towel and wiped off the sweat from my forehead and neck.

The clock continued to click but I saw that the small hands weren't moving, that's odd I just changed the batteries. I shook my head and undressed myself quick and got into the shower.

"Better hurry up before it too late." I got dressed into something warm, grabbed the lunch I had made into a brown bag and began to head over to the familiar streets.

The post office wasn't far from were I live. I walked inside and began searching for him, "Hey, I'm looking for Jacob Singer."

A lady pointed the way while his ex glared at me. I smiled and saw Jacob on his break, he was reading a book. "Jacob!" His blue eyes look at me through his round glasses and he managed to smile.

He immediately stood up and I wrapped my arms tightly around him, "I'm so happy to see you." I whispered and felt like never letting go of him.

Jacob chuckled as he held me tight. "You saw me this morning."

"I know but I keep thinking about you and missing you when you aren't around." I looked up at him.

"The feelings mutual then."

I held up his lunch and handed it to him. "Your cooking is one of a kind, (Y/N). I thought you were today."

I hummed and stared at him lovingly while he ate his food. "I have a full week to rest and take care of you."

Jacob had been struggling a lot these past few weeks, been seeing hallucinations, demons as he likes to call them. He would be minding his own business, being in the streets when he would find himself completely alone with something chasing him.

Not only that, the war in Thailand was anything but easy for Jacob. He'd been divorced once, had three boys but the youngest one was killed before he went to war. Jacob is also sure the government were the ones responsible for his hallucinations and him and his soldiers attacking each other.

He's been in and out of hospitals, been placed under medications and surgeries without his consent.

I'm a nurse so taking care and looking after Jacob had been a bit easier, not only that but I've also been having flashbacks of the war. Or are they nightmares? If so, then they feel too real.

"Well, my work will be done in an hour or so. Why don't we go someplace nice?" Jacob finished his food and grabbed my hand.

I smiled and held onto his. "Jacob, I don't want you to think that being with you is an obligation. I want us to stay at home, relax, not being around other people."

"Just you and me? Sounds like heaven to me." Jacob chuckled.

"It better be." I joked and quickly leaned in and kissed his lips. "I'll continue staying by your side, Jake." I ran my hands down his slightly messy hair.

"I'll just make a few phone calls to my family and we can have a small date over at our place. I'll cook you your favorite and we can watch a nice movie."

"You do too much..How about I do the cooking this time?" Jacob offered.

We stood up since his break was over and he had a few packages to deliver. "We'll do it together."

We started to part ways until I stopped and looked at him again. "Jacob!" He stopped and stared at me before leaving too.

"I just wanted to see you again before leaving. I laugh and see him chuckle. "I love you Jacob."

"So do I." He smirks and I watch him disappear through the door and went back to work.

***********

My conversation with my family didn't turn out too good. They didn't like that I was dating Jacob, because he was in the war and said he would just bring me bad luck. Jacob has made it home, and I lied to him, told him everything was okay.

Jacob and I were back at home, safe from everyone and the world around us. He had been joking around earlier when he came, he offered to buy a couple of things I needed for our date. I knew something was wrong since he was taking so long.

I found Jacob scared, terrorized, eyes open wide in horror looking at something I couldn't see. It was like he was clinging onto the wall for dear life when I had my went out to the streets.

Jacob was getting emotional again, crying at something. Was he remembering his past again?

"Come on Jake, let's go home." I softly spoke and slowly helped him up on his feet.

We made it back to the apartment in no time, Jacob with quiet and shaken, so I made him sit down on the bed and got everything comfy for him. I got warm blanket and draped it around Jacobs shoulders.

"Everything will be alright sweetie. Remember, you'll always be safe with me." I was whispered of him and gently wrapped my arms around him. I promise to myself that I would look after him, Jacob has no one else left but me.

I make sure Jacob had everything he needed before I went back to the kitchen, I couldn't help but wonder, what exactly has Jacob been seeing. My mind has been plagued by dreams or should I say nightmares, I have a few family members who work for the army, ever since I heard that Jacob would join the military, I offered myself to a nurse.

So, I begged my family members to help me get in and look after Jacob. I just couldn't live with myself knowing that Jacob and I would be far apart from one another. I met him way before he had married and continue to loving him ever since.

The weather had become gloomy, the once bright skies having absorbed by dark ones, it was getting colder and rainier every minute. I managed to be quick I prepared our lunch, by the time I went back to our room I found Jacob in the bathroom staring at himself in the mirror, holding onto his head with a few tear drops running down his face.

"Jake? How are you?"

Each and every day was filled with concern. At first I thought Jacob was just suffering from a minor PTSD case but now I fear it's more than that. Whenever he's feeling down all Jacob does it talks about nightmares, says that he sees faces everywhere tormenting him, silhouettes of people chasing him, some people have even told him that he's already dead.

"I'm fine..probably just another fever." Jacob lied and started splashing his face with cold water.

"You know you can tell me anything, Jake. Unlike the rest I don't think you're crazy, you just need a bit of help, put your mind at ease."

Jacob began shaking his head to the sides and gave me a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry I had to ruin our date." He began to laugh if off and all I did was look at him and smiled back.

"You didn't ruin it..being with you is enough."

The food was now long-forgotten, I decided to lay down by Jacob side, making sure to hold him tight and promise him that everything would be all right.

***********

"Jacob!" I started screaming his name and running across the halls until I reached the mental hospital he had been placed in. No one had informed me or anyone else if his whereabouts. It had been about three days since he went missing and I had contacted Louis, Jacob's chiropractor and we both came to look for him.

"Where's Jacob Singer?!" He also exclaimed. We both followed Jacob's voice when he heard us and we ran over and saw him laying down.

I ran over to him and held onto his hand tightly and began to blink the tears away. "We're gonna get you home."

Louis got Jacob's on a wheelchair and the three of us hurried and left the hospital. We were now resting up in Louis place, it was already dark and heavily raining.

"It was a nightmarish hospital.. everyone keeps saying in dead." Jacob's words flooded my mind. He began telling me that when we got I to Louis's car and back here.

We were finally left alone and Jacob looked at me lovingly yet upset. I did do too and held his hand again, "You know, I wanted us to have a family." I confess and can feel his eyes on me when I stared down at the floor.

I knew it would be impossible since Jacob always mourns over his son and he still isn't ready to move on.

I felt Jacob's fingers running down my hair and I saw my reflection through his glasses, his blue eyed always seemed so sad, filled with pain but they looked different this time.

"I would love to." This made me look at him confused and all he did was smile at me and stare. "You've been nothing but help, I'll always be grateful for the time we had together."

It was my time to stare at him confused again. Jacob placed his hand behind my neck and made me lean in and kiss him. I wrapped my arms around him and felt him kiss me back. I grabbed onto his coat tightly and began to pull him down with me on the couch until he stopped and pulled away.

"I need to go." Jacob whispered and held my head with his both hands and I saw tears running down his face.

He quickly pulled away again and hurried himself to walk out of the door. "Jacob.." I stood up and tried to follow him, I stopped when he turned around.

"Hey, (Y/N)." Jacob stopped before he walked out and turned back. He chuckled and covered his face and wiped his tears away.

"I just wanted to see you again...before I leave.." Jacob whispered but loud enough for me to hear. His bright blue eyes were full of tears again.

"I love you, (Y/N)."

I laugh and smiled wide with tears too. "So do I, Jacob."" He smiles lovingly and I watch him disappear through the door.

************

"(Y/N)! He's bleeding!!" I snapped out of it and remembered the dream I was having before I woke up. It felt like Jacob and I were sharing a dream, a memory.

I had to be sedated earlier because I was informed earlier that Jacob had been stabbed. As quickly as I could I got the needles, clean pieces of cloth and alcohol to wipe the blood.

"Stay with me, Jacob!" I begged and started to run over to him and continued to press his wound. Jacob's blue eyes were closed and he was unresponsive.

One of the men here began to check his heartbeat, he looked at me and it was enough for me to understand what he meant.

"No, he isn't gone." I began to shake and tears began to block my view from Jacob who was laying still. "Jacob, stay with me." I began to cry and slowly stopped putting pressure on him.

"He's gone, (Y/N)." The man have me a sympathetic smile and walked away. I stated down at Jacob's body

"What's the soldiers name?"

"Jacob. Jacob Singer."

With my hands still covered in his blood, I stepped closer and let myself break down. I gentle rested my head on his chest and held onto his uniform tightly. All I wanted was for this nightmare to end.