The trip of secrets

Tuesday: It wasn't real

^Val's usual outfit with some baggy jeans.

Danny pops up from the bed breathing heavily. Danny looks around to only see darkness. At first Danny's unaware of where he is which panics him but after some adjusting Danny realizes he's in a room his room. Danny puts his hand on his face and realizes he's crying. (Danny) *mumbles* why am I crying...? *Danny tries to remember why he's crying and then he remembers his dream. Danny covers his ears as flashbacks keep coming. (Danny) *thinks: Come on Danny you know it's not real. Come on! Stop making it seem so real already because it's not! Stop being such a wimp! Stop it already!!* *Danny starts hyperventilating really fast. (Danny) *thinks: Stop! Everything's going to fast! Why won't it just all stop!!!! Please stop!!!!* *Danny holds his knees to his chest and rocks back and forth. (Danny) *Thinking: No no no please no I I can't take it... please stop I can't breath.... H-help... pl-please someone help me!* *Danny's vision starts to get blurry so he uses one hand and grabs his hair and pulls his head forward so there hidden in his knees. Danny stops rocking at the familiar feeling and starts to remember something beside his nightmare. (Danny) *thinking: Jazz... right. Just remember what Jazz told you to do!!* *Danny slowly lifts his head up and looks around. (Danny) *mumbles* wall... door...tv... outlet. *Danny closes his eyes. (Danny) *mumbles* my pjs...my blanket... my hair...my bed frame. Cars outside..jacks snoring..neighbors tv. My cleaned blanket... and jack's fudge. My tongue... *I'm not sure if that's something you tasty really but it's all I got. Anyway Danny's breathing is normal again. Danny gulps and shakily gets up uncovering his ears and uncurling himself. Danny stumbles and reaches for the wall to help him walk. After what felt like forever but was only really a minute Danny makes it to the drawer where he keeps his anxiety pills. Danny pulls out the bottle and with shaky hands Danny opens the bottle and takes his medication to help him calm down. Danny sighs and looks at his alarm and sees it's 11:58. Danny walks back over to the bed. Danny's breath hitches as he closes his eyes and experiences another but much quicker flashback. (Danny) *thinking: Come on Danny you know it's not real already stop letting it scare you!* *Danny tries to close his eyes but the same thing happens but this time he sits up making  the blanket get tossed to the bottom of the bed only covering his bare feet. (Danny) *thinking: You know what maybe I don't need sleep tonight...* *Danny brings his knee up to his chest yet again and puts his arms over his legs. As Danny rests his head on his arms he feels something wet drip down his arm and realizes he's still crying and hasn't stopped since he woke up. Danny grunts and starts to roughly starts to wipe his tears. (Danny) *thinking: Stupid! Why are you crying!? It isn't even real you know it's not!!* *Danny tries and tries to wipe his tears but they just keep coming and eventually he stops trying and just lets them fall letting out a few broken sobs. Time skip to after Danny's cried all he could cry. Danny looks at his clock again and it reads 6:37 a.m. Danny uncurls himself and picks out an outfit for school. Then Danny grabs his towel and goes to the bathroom. Danny starts to brush his teeth. Danny looks up to see how bad he looks but instead of seeing himself he sees Dan and jumps back and shoots a plasma blast in surprise and fear. The mirror breaks and Danny sees himself in the broken glass. Danny takes a step closer to touch the mirror but stops as he feels the glass under his feet. Danny sighs and bends down starting to pick up the glass. (Danny) *mumbles* great more bad luck just what I need... *Danny picks up all the glass and turns to throw it all out but catches a glimpse of himself in the full body mirror that hung on the back of the bathroom door. Danny sees a tiny whole on his wrist bleeding just a little bit. (Danny) *mumbles* What...? *Danny touches the whole with the opposite hand. (Danny) *thinking: I hurt myself in my sleep again...* *Danny sighs shaking his head disapprovingly then he starts to undress. Once he's done he once again looks at himself in the full body mirror. Even he could admit he had a nice figure he wasn't super bulked up that it was intimidating or weird but he wasn't all skin and bones like he was when he first became phantom. He had developed a six pack over the years and some muscles but with this development he also developed many scars that were also a reminder of some of the horrible incidents he's lived well half lived through that couldn't be healed. One of his major scars is from a particularly bad incident that left red marked X across his back. He had been whipped with a blood blossom whip by Walker for yet another prison break. Danny reached to touch the mark in remembrance but flinched from the burn he felt when he touched. Danny sighed and hoped in the shower. After a 10 minute shower Danny got dressed and checked the time yet again. The time read 6:52. Danny started to pack his bag for school grabbing his homework. Till he noticed blood running down one of his fingers and looked back at the hole in his wrist. (Danny) *mutters* right guess I better wrap this before it gets infected or something... *Danny walks back to the bathroom and pulls some bandages from the cabinet under the skin. Danny wraps his wrist up securely and walks back to his room. By the time Danny finishes getting his bag prepared it's already 6:55. (Danny) *thinking: Guess I'll start patrol just a bit earlier than normal.* *Danny leaves out as phantom taking his bag with him. Danny drops his bag near the school before flying off again to patrol the town. Luckily Danny has a seemingly refreshing patrol where he only really had to face Youngblood unluckily this left Danny with his thoughts which were very... worrying. These thoughts went from worrying about the trip to worrying about the dream wondering if it was a warning to worry about his family, to worrying about his chosen and beloved family. Finally before Danny could care to realize there was about 5 minutes before the first period started and he had to rush to school due to being on the other side of the town. *School starts at 8 am*. Danny rushes to the building where he left his bag and finds Val standing there his book bag in her hand and her own on her back. (Danny) What're you doing here...? (Val) We all used the same spot to leave our stuff before patrol and so when I showed up to leave my stuff here and saw your bag I decided I'd just wait for you for us to head to class together. (Danny) Oh. Thanks... (Val) So... how was patrol? (Danny) Alright... (Val) Okay... did you have to fight anyone? (Danny) Just young blood... (Val) Alright... well then how'd you sleep last night? (Danny) fine... (Val) Okay enough! What's wrong?! You haven't looked directly at me once since you arrived and these short responses are pissing me off. Plus you obviously didn't sleep "fine"! (Danny) It's nothing... I'm just a bit tired we should head to class. The last time I checked we only had five minutes till class started. (Val) I'm sure we have- *checks her phone* A minute... *Danny and val look at each other before both flying down changing back into their regular outfits and running to class. Just as the bell rings the two burst into class. (Lancer) Nice of you two to join us on time for once. Now the only one late is Samantha... (Danny) She won't be coming today. (Lancer) And why's that? (Danny) She's taking care of... um- (Tucker) Her sick cousin! (Lancer) What cousin-...? (Val) You should probably start class! And we should get to our seats! *Val pulls Danny to his seat and then takes her own seat. Time skip to lunch. (Tucker) Hey are you okay? (Danny) Yeah... why do you ask? (Tucker) Well you look crazy tired did you even sleep last night? (Danny) Yeah I slept... (Tucker) *furrows brows* For how long? (Danny) Couple hours... (Tucker) Exactly how many. (Danny) *mumbles* I don't know... a few... (Tucker) *warning tone* Danny! (Danny) Less than two! Okay I slept for less than two hours okay! Happy now! *Tucker doesn't respond too surprised to respond. Danny and tucker arrive at their usual table that Val was sitting at holding her phone. Val looks up at the two and puts her phone away. (Val) Finally you two are here what was taking so long. *Danny puts down his tray but doesn't sit. (Danny) *mumbles* Be right back... *Danny starts to walk away but Tucker grabs his arm stopping Danny and making him wince at the slight pain in his wrist at the contact but Danny quickly hides the pain filled expression. Tucker instantly lets go having seen the wince and he and val stare wide eyed at Danny knowing his pain tolerance is crazy high so for him to react to pain he has to be in crazy pain or his mind has to be distracted and unaware of things. (Val) Danny- *Danny walks away. (Val) What was that about..? *Tucker goes and sits down next to Val. (Tucker) I'm not sure... he said he slept for less than two hours. Actually he yelled that he did. (Val) What!? He never yells! (Tucker) I know that's what surprised me... him not getting sleep isn't especially special none of us really get the best sleep schedules but he just seemed so... so ashamed about it. I don't think he didn't sleep because of missing assignments... (Val) So what do you think it could've been? (Tucker) A nightmare... maybe even a night terror. (Val) Night terror...? (Tucker) A night terror is similar to a nightmare except you don't easily awake from them and Danny well he used to do a lot of sleep fighting worse then waking him up being that he holds nothing back... (Val) Seriously?! (Tucker) Yeah... it was extremely hard to wake him up from them even Sam had major difficulty waking him up. And even when we did wake him it wasn't always the... best idea... (Val) Oh... wow... (Tucker) *sighs* I'm not sure what to do. The only reason we found out he was having night terrors last time was because we were having a sleep over and it just sort of happened... then we got him to talk to Jazz being that she finally knew at that time. He said they stopped happening and we all checked on him to make sure they really did but I guess they're back now... but I can't help if he won't tell me! Last time we only found out because he was just starting out as phantom and he wasn't so... goddamn stubborn!  *Tucker puts his head in his hands. It takes a minute or two but Val starts to hear tucker breathing heavily. (Val) Tucker...? Tucker! Tucker what's wrong?! *Val pulls tuckers hands from his face and sees tucker is hyperventilating. (Val) Oh my god Tucker!? *Tucker reaches for his book bag and grabs a pencil and paper. Tucker quickly writes on the paper and passes it to Val. 'The note- I have a pump in my locker get it!!!' Val quickly reads the paper and runs to tuckers locker. With Val's increased ability from working with Pham she quickly reaches tucker's locker and grabs his pump quickly running back to tucker. As soon as Val hands tucker the pump tucker takes off the cap breaths out as much as he can then puts it to his mouth and pumps some air into his mouth holding it for just a second before letting it out. Tucker does this two more times and each time his breathing returns more to a normal pace then after two more pumps for good measure he stops, puts the cap back on, and puts the pump back into his bag. *this is what I usually do, yes I have asthma and yes I've used my albuterol to help me calm down from panicked hyperventilating*. Tucker removed his glasses for a second and rubs between his eyes. Tucker puts his glasses back on and sees Val staring intently at tucker. (Tucker) Right... you're here... (Val) What the hell was that!? (Tucker) A panic attack... it's because of my obsession to help Danny... (Val) You get panic attacks too!? I thought only Danny only gets those! (Tucker) Nope as long as you're a halfie you can get them, of course you'd have to truly think you're on the verge of failing... (Val) Y-you think you're failing Danny...? (Tucker) No! Well yes. Sometimes? I don't know... it's just he's so stressed and it seems to have only gotten worse... and I can't even imagine the hidden guilt he has being that the love of his life, his only blood family member to actually care for him, and his best friend damn there brother have all had to suffer from the same fate as him... (Val) I never thought about that... (Tucker) *dryly chuckles* sometimes it's all I can think about... *Val goes and sits next to to tucker giving him a side hug. (Val) We'll help him... he's going to be okay and you know it. We've faced so much more than this. (Tucker) I know... I just can't help myself sometimes. *The bell rings and the two look at each other then without any words walk to class together. But on their way they see Danny and sitting on the ground leaning on a locker  seemingly deep in thought. The two yet again look at each other before walking over to Danny. Once close enough the two see that Danny has a black eye and start to run to Danny. (Tuck) Danny!? (Val) What happened?! *Danny looks up at the two then looks down. (Danny) It's nothing I'm fine... *Tucker and Val stop in front of Danny. Val crosses her arms and raises a brow as tucker sighs. (Val) Danny you're obviously not. (Tuck) Danny please... just- just tell us what's wrong. (Danny) ... Ax punched me in the face... (Tuck/Val) WHAT!? (Val) I thought that bastard stopped hitting you since Sam lectured him last time! (Tuck) Yeah and to leave such an obvious mark... what's he trying to do! (Danny) I don't know... I think because Sam wasn't here he knew she wouldn't see it and didn't care... (Val) But she would have saw if you didn't have your- ... (Tuck) Fast healing.... (Danny) Yeah I think he caught on to it... (Val) Still what if you were to tell Sam! (Tuck) he knows he won't... (Val) And how would he know that!? (Tuck) Because.... *Danny looks up at Tuck but then looks away as he sees tucker's face of realization and somewhat hurt. (Tuck) he hasn't told her about the other times... or us... *Val looks at Danny for confirmation and Danny just avoids her gaze. (Val) Danny is this... why- (Danny) because it doesn't matter... (Tucker) Doesn't matter!? Dude he doesn't have the right to just- (Danny) Yes he does. *Tucker stops knowing when Danny uses such a sharp tone there's something wrong that's worrying Danny. (Val) Why! Why is he allowed to give you such bullshit! It's- (Danny) I made him! (Val/Tuck) What?! (Danny) *sighs* When Sam first told Ax to stop bullying me he started targeting others.  At first I didn't notice but then... when Ax found out about me and Sam started dating I... I found mikey behind the school... at night. He was beaten up pretty badly... I won't say he was close to death but... he was close, a little too close. Like if there was a tight rope between life and death he was about to walk on that rope.... I took Mikey to the hospital...he was in a coma. It took me a while to figure out how but when I did I approached Ax and we got into a yelling match where he admitted he didn't mean to and that he was just blinded by anger... I didn't want him to ever do it to anybody else again so I told him I would let him take his anger out on me if he left everybody else alone and never hurt anybody again. He agreed and that was that... (Val) *mumbles* damnnit danny... you and you're stupid hero complex... (Danny) *flinches* sorry... (Val) Don't! *sighs* Don't apologize... Just get up and lets go to class... (Danny) Okay. *Danny gets up and walks with tucker and val to class knowing more then well they were late. It was not as often for them to be late in the other classes as it was for 1st but still it wasn't too rare of an occasion for at least one of them to be late sometimes. So once in class the teacher just glares at them then continues the lesson once the trio is seated. Eventually Danny's thoughts wander back to what happened when he was alone.