It's the point of contact between him and Walter that startles him awake. There was no soothing counterpoint in his dreams, and in that confusion, he struggles his way back to consciousness.

He starts, falling off the edge of the sofa and locking himself into a defensive position. His heart is racing and all he can hear is the sound of his own laboured breathing and his pulse. It takes a couple of seconds for him to realise where he is, for his breathing to slow, for his muscles to relax. As soon as that happens he feels the familiar taste of bile rise up in his throat, and he belts off to the bathroom.