They say that sleep apnea can't kill you, outright. Each episode can, however, cause your blood pressure to skyrocket, which can't be good for you. Plus, the loss of oxygen during each episode probably puts unnecessary stress on your heart. That can't be good for you, either.

But kill you? Not likely.

Well, actually, I suppose sleep apnea can kill, say for example if you're having an attack and you get so startled that you knock your bed-mate completely off the bed and onto the floor where he hits his head, and stops moving.

That might kill him.

Or, at least make him angry. Very angry. Extremely angry. Angry enough to banish you to the other room.

Meanwhile, you probably aren't feeling so hot, yourself. You are afraid to fall back to sleep, in case it happens, all over again. You eat a brownie. Another brownie. Drink water out of a banned plastic bottle. You worry. You take a sleeping pill and lie down on the pleather couch, the cheap material sticking to your sweaty skin. Lovely.

You try to forget the day. After ten to fifteen minutes of cold sweat intermittently intermingled with flashes of memories / hallucinations of events that took place back when you were in grade school, the medication starts to work, and you start fading off to sleep.

With the Dream Catcher come tonight? What does he want from me? Now I have something else to fear.

I can't breathe. I can't rest, I can't sleep. And, now the brownies are gone. And no soda or milk left, either.

Oh good, a rubbish truck. It will keep sleep away. Please keep me awake. To fall asleep is to have sleep apnea. To have sleep apnea means fear, confusion, perhaps death.

Two hours 'til dawn.

YouTube, you're my only hope.

Shine on you crazy diamond, shine on.

Grampa, is that you?