[TW] Pyrophobia

Chapter Thirteen | "Phantasmagoria"

DOC

"Just stay still, it won't take long."

Doc was dealing with the ordinary: a child taking a shot. Of course, they were nervous, but who wouldn't be nervous of a stranger with a needle ready to stab it in their arm? Hm. Was that really the way to word it?

The kid winced as Doc pierced the needle in, but then drew it back gently and helped swipe away the blood drawn from the small cut. "There, see? Not that bad, right?"

The kid, who had been suckling on a small lollipop that Doc gave her beforehand, nodded shyly as her father beside her smiled. "Thanks, Hernandez."

"Anytime." Doc nodded. "I'll get you signed up with Sandy now, and she'll help take care of the rest of the process." He got into his chair and began to type on his computer for only a moment. He signed the patient up to Sandy and then dismissed them to her office. As he did so, he thought he saw a few panicked co-workers rushing by...

Stepping into his room, he stopped with a sigh and sat down. His door was knocked on gently not even a few seconds later and, honestly, he didn't even mind. "Come in."

The door opened slowly, and he heard moderately loud footsteps that told him it was Ed, however he was quiet. Strangely quiet.

"Hey, Ed." Doc typed at his computer for a moment before glancing up. "What's up?"

"Hey." Ed seemed to nervously fidget with his own fingers. "Uhm. I want you to keep doing what you're doing. You're doing great. Perfect, actually."

Doc raised a brow. "Yeah... what's wrong, Ed?"

"Did you not hear?"

"About?"

"The fire?"

Doc turned from his computer entirely. "...What fire?"

"...At the... school..."

Doc blinked for a moment, only starting to get fearful. "Which... school...?"

Ed looked at the ground. His words seemed to get lost within his thoughts, as if he was suddenly unable to speak.

"Which. School. Ed." Doc demanded this, beginning to tremble.

"I'm... sorry, it's... Duh..."

"WHERE IS HE?!" Doc immediately stood up, his heart jolting. No. This couldn't be real. This had to be a dream. "Where is he?!"

"He's okay. He's alive. He's—"

"WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?!"

Ed winced and ducked his head, looking away. "He's... severely burnt. He got everyone out of the school, even Lulu, but then something must've happened. Th-They found the remains of one of those gooey figures in there."

"I know he's alive!" Doc cried. He felt like his heart was shattering in a million pieces. He had to do something, fast. "I just need to know where he is! PLEASE!"

"I-In the trauma center. I-I can take you there..."

"Pl-Please..." Doc pleaded, breaking down. Ed grabbed his hand, almost reassuringly, and lead him along the way hurriedly, trying to ignore the looks patients were giving them. It was a long walk as they traveled the corridors of the hospital, but Doc didn't care.

He had to see Duh.

Whatever happened to him, he didn't care, he had to see him.

As they made it to the trauma center, Doc let go of Ed's hand and rushed to the trauma center, skidding to a stop. Where is he?!

"Doc?" A staff member stood at the front. "What's wrong—?"

"Where's Duh?!"

"Oh? Uh, he's right over here—" They pointed at a nearby room.

Doc rushed past, not daring to look back. Please be okay. Please, be okay, for me! Please, be okay, for Lulu, for us.

Bursting open the doors, he stopped dead in his tracks. The door squeaked shut, leaving the room dark and silent. The window filtered a cold sunlight, fogged up slightly by the clouds ready to cover the dying star. On the bed he saw him. Bandages all over his body.

And he saw many other things.

Eyes.

Fire.

Ghosts whispering to him.

"It's all your fault, why hadn't you watched over him, Doc?" Doc looked around warily, he wished he could answer those questions. "You're so irresponsible, an angel like him doesn't deserve a demon like you, it isn't meant to be."

"O-Of course it's meant to be. We're meant to be—!" Doc argued with the voices in his head.

Someone on his left appeared. A flower tucked in her eye. She spoke first. "He never deserved you; I deserved him first, I treated him better than you would ever treat him in a million years..."

"That's not... that's not true..." Then how did he end up like that, Doc... how did he end up like that?!

He turned again and saw someone familiar. No, no. A red figure. RED. RED. "You cursed him, Doc. You cursed him, and because of you, he's going to die... he's going to die, Doc, and it's all your fault...!"

"IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" Doc screamed out. "IT'S NOT MY FAULT, IT'S NOT MY FAULT, IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" He just wanted to keep screaming the words. He held his head in his hands, tugging his hair, tears trickling down his face, letting out agonizing wails. "IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" He turned sharply past the ghosts of his past and saw a mirror. He still saw them.

He still saw those pests.

He still saw those illusions, those disarrays of his mind. Those monsters.

He had to get rid of them.

Running towards the mirror, he let out a furious, angry howl of rage, holding up his fist and throwing it to the glass, punching it and shattering it. He felt a sharp pain run through his fingers, and a warm liquid spill down his skin. But he didn't care. The ghosts went away, right...?

He looked down at his bloodied hand, trembling and crying. All he could do was let out small, manic fits of laughter. "Hahah... you're gone now... you're gone...!" He looked up at the shattered mirror, forcing a grin. "You're all... gone..."

That wasn't right.

In the shattered fragments, he could still see the reflections of RED and the floral woman staring from behind, malicious grins plastered on their faces. Doc's grin twisted into a frown and he only turned slowly. Why won't they leave me alone...?

From behind them, he thought he could see Justin and Walton staring in worry. He thought he could hear their dreadful whispers.

"Stop this, Doc!"

"You're hurting yourself!"

"Duh wouldn't want this for you..."

Duh wouldn't want this for me.

Doc collapsed to his knees on the floor, letting out little giggles that slowly dissolved into helpless cries. "You're right. Duh wouldn't want this for me. I don't want this for myself. So why don't you all just... fuck off? Just... leave me alone..." He held his head in his hands once more, blood slowly spilling down his head as he let out forced laughs and cries. He sunk to the floor, blood and tears trickling down his cheek as he did so.

...He didn't care anymore...

He just wanted Duh back...

...that was all he wanted.