Mcyt -autistic- oneshots

Food pt.2 (Karl and Chris+Jimmy+Chandler)

Chris' POV:

One minute we were all trying the spicy food, the next I'm on the floor next to Karl and everyone is running around. He looked petrified and it was as if everything was hurting him. Wringing his hands through his hair, all of a sudden he was ripping at his sweater. Desperately trying to get it of him and I suppose the mic pack going off with it. Jimmy got everyone to stay back and moved on to go talk to someone, no clue who. Chandler then took over Jimmy's job of doing crowd control.

I don't even think Karl knew I was there because if he did, he would have probably wanted a hug immediately. He was still rocking, and quiet talking could be heard amongst our crew, in between him crying. As carefully as I could, I helped him take off his jumper, passing the now discarded mic pack to Chandler. For a brief moment I though about taking mine off too, but my focus quickly turned back to Karl. 

Someone had brought his backpack over and when I looked up to see who it was, Jimmy crouched down to my height instead. We both look at each other with worried expressions. Karl had never had a meltdown this bad before and we all felt super unprepared. I got some headphones out that had been sat at the top of the backpack and connected them to my phone. As I desperately searched for a quiet, and hopefully calming song, Jimmy took the headphones and tried to put them on Karl. He pulled away and almost hit the headphones out of Jimmy's hands. "Karl it's alright, they are just headphones. Chris is going to put some music on for you, man." Slowly Karl's rocking had come to a stop, and now his hands were holding his knees as tight to his chest as they could go. He was still on the floor, but it would be a while before he would be calm enough to stand up and walk, by himself.

"Hey Karl, you don't have to look at me, just let me know you are listening." He looked up and seemed to finally realise I was there. In an instant he had shuffled up from the floor, and was sat, nestled into my side, still curled up on himself. I wrapped an arm round him, giving him a small hug and he took my hand and forearm and hugged that instead of his knees. Now sat cross legged just like I was, my arm was still being clung onto. Jimmy carefully placed the headphones on Karl's head.

"You're going to be alright Karl, when you are calm enough I'll take you home. Or if you don't want to be alone, I'll bring you back to mine. That sound good?" I saw a small nod and squeezed him a little tighter. His head was gently swaying from side to side with the music. Everyone else had calmed down and Jimmy was talking with everyone about salvaging the video. If it couldn't be salvaged it simply couldn't be, but this was our job, we couldn't give up just because we felt like it. 

 Chandler came over and crouched in front of the 2 of us. "Do you want some help walking to the cars?"

"Thanks man. Don't know how disorientated he is going to be when we stand up."

"Yea, that was a bad one."

"Bad."

"Yea, it was bad wasn't it Karl. You tired?" He nodded. "Ready to go home?"

"You."

"You want to come back to mine for a bit? Tucker might be napping so we'd have to be quiet, that alright?"

"Don't want to be alone."

"Don't worry man, I understand. We'll go to the car in  few minutes." Karl has this thing after meltdowns, he didn't like to be left alone. Something about his brain being busy and all over the place, scared him. He would constantly want to have physical contact with someone, even if they weren't talking. It was just his way of knowing someone was there. No one minded, we loved Karl for who he was. If we didn't, we wouldn't be good friends.

"You ready to go?"

"Please."

"Okay. Chandler is going to walk over with us and you can hold on to both of us if it makes you feel better." I looked down at him still sat on the floor and offered out a hand. He took it and pulled himself off the ground, instantly launching himself into the air and scaring himself. Obviously still very overwhelmed, he once again clung onto my arm. We took a breather there to try and calm him down.