[You guys really do all motivate me. Really. If it weren't for your reviews, I wouldn't have continued this story.]

Chapter 6: Just a dream

Chell opened her eyes to see a hospital room. The space was all white, and completely empty. She looked around, confused by the strange silence of the hospital. There were no beeps, no murmurs, no footsteps; nothing but the weak chime of her heart rate. Nobody was there by her side either. Was everyone at home? Did everyone leave? What time was it, anyway? How long has she been out? Chell looked around once more, hoping to find a clock or a calendar of some sort, but came to no avail and leaned back against the bed. She'll just wait until Wheatley came back from wherever he was to ask. She winced; her head still throbbed, but the pain was much lighter. At the same time, she felt a bit woozy in her head, as if the pain was being numbed. It didn't matter, the pain was gone. And Chell was no longer thirsty, being hooked up to an IV. She closed her eyes and waited for Wheatley.

"Oh good, you're awake," A voice said, sounding as sour as ever. Chell froze and opened her eyes, looking around the room. The voice came again, this time indifferent, but with a hint of amusement, "You get outside for fifteen minutes and manage to give yourself a concussion. Good job."

Chell brought herself to a sitting position, trying to get her voice, though she could speak no louder than a whisper, "W-Wha...What..."

"Oh don't try to speak, you might hurt yourself again."

Chell ignored her, "What…H-happened?"

The AI let out a short, impatient sigh, "You hit yourself in the head. I sent Orange and Blue to look around for any nearby animal for an experiment. To my surprise, they came back within two minutes, dragging your bloody, unconscious body across my floor" Her tone turned sour at the end, either irritated by her being brought back or by her getting blood on the floor. Chell had begun to remove the IV's and get out of the bed. She held the edge for support, but quickly started to walk to the door. The AI spoke, "I would get back to your bed before you slip and fall again. Seriously, I don't need to clean up any more of your blood, so do us both a favor and lie down," She paused, "Fine, do walk around. Run around the room, jump on the bed, I don't care. Personally, it'll be easier if you kill yourself. Then I won't have your death on my hands."

"Let me out," Chell pushed against the locked door. She leaned against it, sliding against the floor in attempt to push the door open. It quickly slid up, forcing Chell to fall to the ground. She pushed off from the floor, getting to her feet and glaring around for a camera. The computer ignored her look and opened a door across the hall, leading Chell to her chamber. She hung high from the ceiling, staring down at the human with a narrowed optic. Chell hesitated upon entering the room, but tightened her fists and walked in.

The two stared at each other for a while, GLaDOS seeming annoyed that Chell was back, and Chell trying to figure out what was going on. This was supposed to be a dream. She was supposed to be in her real life with Wheatley and her siblings and her friends, and magical cat. What happened? She dug through her memory to find her last moments at home. She remembered that she had a fight with Wheatley and passed out. That was all. This had to be a dream. Maybe Chell had hit her head, causing another coma or something. That seemed unlikely, but it was the only explanation she had. That was what she was sticking with. This was a dream.

The machine tilted her head when Chell smirked, growing curious about her reasoning, being that she was facing a possible certain doom. Maybe she thought GLaDOS would release her again. Ha, what an idea. "What are you smiling about," She asked irately.

Chell shrugged lightly, "You're not real."

The AI was caught off guard, and she twitched in confusion, "Excuse me?"

The woman now fully shrugged, seeming very calm about the situation, "You are not real. You're a figment of my imagination, and this is just a dream."

"A dream," The computer stifled a laugh, "Is that what you think?" The girl nodded and GLaDOS chuckled, "You must have hit your head harder than I thought. Either that, or you're really brain damaged after all, which wouldn't be a surprise, seeing how you nearly killed yourself in a field of wheat."

Chell stared at the machine, unfazed, "This is a dream. I just passed out at my home is all-"

"Home," The computer asked quizzically.

"Yes, home. And I have parents and younger twin siblings, and I have friends that go to college with me." Honestly, as Chell said that to the machine, it sounded as stupid as Wheatley's Turret-Cube idea. The AI started to laugh again,

"Family, college, friends…listen to yourself. You really have finally gone insane, haven't you?" GLaDOS leaned in closer to Chell and spoke in a more serious tone, "You have no family. You're just an annoyingly stubborn human with no parents or friends. And this is real life, not your fantasized life. This is your life."

Chell looked forward, away from the optic of the machine. Was she right? Everything was just a dream, for real this time? She was seriously and truly stuck in this world forever. No, she couldn't be. GLaDOS had given her freedom before. She had to let Chell go again. She looked up at the AI, "So I'm awake now. You can send the lift to take me outside and away from you again."

GLaDOS widened her optic in surprise, "You think I'm going to let you go back out there? Please, that place is riskier than in here, for you at least. Besides," She turned away thoughtfully, "Now that you're back, I can continue testing. Yes, I use the Cooperative Testing now, but let's be honest, they're nothing like you. They're both dimwitted robots who can't die. It gets boring quite fast. But you," She turned to look at Chell, "you're surprisingly unpredictable for a human. So I'm putting you back into testing." A claw came down and lifted Chell by her arm. She dangled helplessly as the machine moved her over to a newly formed gap in the floor. The grip loosened and Chell dropped into the hole, landing in a test chamber.

"It's lucky you still have the Long-Fall boots. They're the only pair," GLaDOS gave a short chuckle, "Get the Dual Portal Device and we can continue the testing."

Chell did so, falling silent from the shock of the realization. She slowly proceeded through the test, working the puzzle in a fog. She trudged forward and shot the portals, getting a laser into the receiver and stepping on the moving platform to the door. The door slid open and Chell went down the stairs, stepping onto the elevator. Once the door closed, Chell slid down and sat in a curled ball, closing her eyes. She couldn't believe it; she was really, truly stuck in Aperture Laboratories. Her normal life was gone forever. That place didn't even exist! The college didn't exist; her family and friends didn't exist; Wheatley didn't exist. None of it was real. It was all just a dream. Chell frowned, the thought making her stomach turn; she was never going to be free; it was just a dream. It was just a dream.

[Thank you all for your comments and views. I really do appreciate them all. You guys are awesome! And yes, this is the end

Please review. They make me smile, all the time!]