Lost

•● Chapter 5 ●•

Gregory struggled to open his eyes. Everything felt heavy. As soon as he woke up, he was hit with immense pain. He winced before finally coming to his senses.

He was on a bed in a wooden building. He could feel that his head and chest were wrapped up. He forced himself to sit up and saw his dad was there too.

Freddy was sleeping in a wooden chair by the bed. His hat was placed carelessly on the floor, and his whole body slouched uncomfortably over.

"...dad...?" His voice was scratchy from his yelling.

Freddy was normally a heavy sleeper, but this time, he jolted awake immediately to the boy's voice.

When he saw Gregory wake up, his eyes visibly teared up, and he pushed himself out of the chair. He hurried over to sit on the bed by the boy and caught him in a gentle hug, being mindful of his injuries.

"Oh, Gregory! You scared me to death!" He cried.

He let go of the boy to look him over in disbelief. Freddy took a deep breath to calm himself.

"I was so scared... I-I thought you wouldn't make it!" He cried.

Gregory could see the bags under Freddy's eyes and gave his dad a concerned glance.

"How long have you been here...?"

Freddy finally sat on the foot of the bed to give the boy space.

"I brought you around nine o'clock last night... it's nearly noon now. I never left."

"I only... fell asleep an hour ago." He wiped his eyes and yawned.

The boy momentarily forgot the anger he felt for Freddy and instead felt pity for his dad. The boy grabbed his head and winced, but Freddy took his paw away gently.

"Do not touch the bandages, honey." He kissed the boy's injured forehead. Gregory remembered the attack and stared at his dad in astonishment.

"What happened?? Why did that mad man attack me?!"

Freddy crossed his arms and glanced down solemnly. "I told you about the plague going around. He was infected."

The boy remembered their talk. When he was around seven, shortly after Bonnie left, there was a surge of a new illness that many called 'The Violet Plague' that overtook the land. It was not contagious, but no one knew how it started appearing in so many citizens. Part of the side effects were a violet glow in the eyes, uncontrolled aggression, and skin-rotting. There is still no known cure, either.

Gregory never imagined he'd come across it. The boy sighed in frustration.

"Can we leave yet?"

Freddy nodded and gently lifted the boy. "They said you would be okay to leave after you woke up.."

As they walked out, his dad spoke up again.

"I don't want you playing so rough for a few days until you heal. So, no fighting or going on missions."

The boy scowled in annoyance, that indignation of his dad returning. "That's not fair!"

Freddy sighed, his voice hardening. "It is fair. You just got treated, I do not want you hurting yourself more."

"It's not MY fault. Why am I being punished for it?!" He argued. The boy knew Freddy was correct, but he was still outraged by his father's dishonesty, and he needed to let his feelings out.

"It's not a punishment, Gregory! It's for your safety!" Freddy raised his voice a bit but still maintained a relatively calm demanour.

"But-!"

"Gregory! Enough." He warned, his tone growing more stern.

The boy pouted and crossed his arms, ignoring the pain growing in his head. He was tearing up in frustration, and he felt like he was about to explode.

"You never listen to me! You're always bossing me around and hiding things!" He snapped suddenly, pushing himself away from his dad, who still held him.

Freddy was stunned into silence for a moment before responding.

"I'm your dad, Gregory, not your 'friend'. It's my job to look out for you and to do what is best for you... even if you don't like it."

Gregory lifted his arms up to grab his head in frustration, but Freddy used his free paw to stop him again.

"Do not touch your bandages, Gregory." He repeated. The boy finally lost his composure. All the frustration with Freddy he's built up for weeks now was finally being released.

"I HATE YOU! YOU'RE RUINING MY LIFE, YOU'RE LYING TO ME!" Gregory yelled out without thought.

"I WISH DAD WAS HERE INSTEAD!"

Freddy stopped dead in his tracks and nearly dropped the boy in shock. He grew dead silent and stared at Gregory in horror.

The boy felt bad, but he had not fully processed what he had said yet. He buried his face in his paws and sobbed helplessly. The boy was overstimulated and enraged.

After a few seconds, Freddy hesitantly lifted his paw to rub the boy's ears in comfort and pulled him closer to his chest to hide him, but he said nothing.

When they returned to the ship, they did not interact with the others. Freddy brought him straight to his hammock and laid him down. The boy was still trapped in his meltdown.

His dad stayed to comfort him while his breathing died down and offered him water from his canteen afterward. Freddy pulled the knit blanket over Gregory for him to fidget with as he calmed down again.

Now that he was fully aware again, the boy finally understood the extent of what he said to Freddy. He felt a chill as his own words replayed in his head.

He turned to his dad, who still had a solemn expression on his face. He still would not look at the boy.

While he was tucking Gregory in, the boy quickly tried apologizing.

"D-dad, I..."

He was hushed by Freddy. The bear did not look angry at him, but he was visibly hurt.

"Don't say anymore, Gregory... you're going to get a headache."

He left without speaking, leaving the boy alone to his thoughts.

Gregory could not put into words how guilty he felt. He had already lost one dad, and now he was pushing his other one away.

What if Freddy never forgave him?

What if this ruined their relationship entirely...?

At this point, the only one Gregory could go to was Cassie. That is, if he does not end up burning his bridges with her too.