Giant Dancing Hedgehogs are Nightmare Fuel

Chapter 9

By the time they get to the room, part of it is in disarray.

The end table is knocked over, as is the IV stand. Pete can see that the needle in Vegas’s arm has been compromised, with the way blood is spread underneath the tape. He can only hope Vegas’s wounds haven’t been compromised as well. They’re at the point where they are mostly healed, but there can still be complications with the scar tissue if he does too much too soon. 

As much as Pete wants to just hold him down and check out his physical state, he needs to tend to Vegas emotionally first. He’s spiraling and having a full fledged meltdown. Kim and Arm are trying their best to keep him on the bed and give him pressure - likely in hopes that it will calm him - all while Tankhun tries to talk him down, but Vegas doesn’t seem to be comprehending anything that’s being said to him. He’s yelling, crying, and demanding to be let up and doesn’t even notice Pete and Macau walk into the room. Pete had gone through the possibilities of how Vegas would handle the text if it had to be sent, but tried not to think about those possibilities at length because it was too upsetting. However, for some reason, he never thought Vegas would take the text this hard, especially since he saw him less than an hour ago. 

“WHERE’S MY BROTHER?!” Vegas yells, sobs following the words, “WHAT HAPPENED?! WHY DID HE SEND-WHAT DID YOU DO TO PETE AND MACAU?!”

Of course he thinks something happened to Macau too. Macau had been with Pete. He probably thinks he lost both of them - his entire world - and Pete just managed to send something out.  

“Hia,” Macau says, his voice wavering as he comes closer to the bed, “Hia, it’s me. I’m here. Pete’s here. It was an accident. Pete sent that by mistake-”

Vegas lets out a heart wrenching cry and falls forward onto Macau’s shoulder, “H-He didn’t! That wasn’t a pocket t-text!”

“I’m here, Vegas,” Pete says, coming forward, “Hey, look at me.”

Vegas lets out a whine and he lifts his head, but doesn’t seem to understand what’s happening or what he’s looking at. Finally, his eyes are able to focus on Pete as his face crumples and he pulls at Pete’s shirt. Pete quickly shifts himself over and lets Vegas soak his shoulder with tears and snot, holding him firmly as he rubs his back. Vegas is vibrating with residual panic, grief, and devastation and all Pete can do is whisper reassurances into his ear while Macau squeezes Vegas’s shoulders and hands. Finally, Vegas lifts his head, his eyes red and puffy as he stares at Pete with hurt and confusion. 

“I’m sorry,” Pete says, gently as Macau gets to his feet to pick the end table back up, “I scheduled it to send in case something happened to me on the picnic with Kinn. I canceled it, but it apparently didn’t work. I wasn’t sure…I should have written a letter and left it with Macau. I didn’t realize the phone would glitch and send the message anyway. It was only just in case. I wanted to make sure you knew those things and that I didn’t just up and leave you if I never came back. I’m so sorry I scared you. I feel terrible.”

Vegas breathes a few shallow breaths in and out, clearly still panicked. Pete initially thinks giving him a little space might be a good idea, but as soon as he tries to stand up, Vegas shakes his head frantically and pulls him back.

“No!” is all he says, letting out a choked hiccup.