A Child Smile - FNaF Fanfic [+14]

Chapter 13

  Michael looked to the side and saw how anxious his mother was. She barely blinked, and her eyes were wet. Her teeth were biting her lower lip, perhaps in an attempt to hold back her tears, and she was clutching her arms so tightly that her nails were already beginning to dig into her skin.
  It was then that Michael remembered that neither he nor his friends knew what had happened to Henry.

  – ...Mom?
  – What?! – the woman's voice carried the weight of her disappointment, and was now hoarse. Michael imagined that this was the effect of how much she had certainly cried before coming to the hospital.
  – What happened to Henry?
  – Is that what you have to say to me?! Why don't you start by explaining what the fuck happened while I was gone?!

  He looked away to the floor. As much as he wanted to tell his mother, that wasn't the best time to reveal that the animatronics were possessed by the children that her own husband killed. He would have to wait weeks, at least, to do that.

  – I-I don't want to worry you any further. Just tell me what happened to Henry, please.
  – I don't know, actually. When I got home, he was on the floor and your father had already left. The doctors said he was drugged, but the only person there was Willia-am – her voice seemed to crack at the end of the sentence, as if he was about to cry again. – Would he really do something like that to his own partner and best friend?

  Michael chose not to answer. As he had already decided, this was not the time to show William's true face, a sadistic and bloodthirsty one, simply driven by pure envy.

 

 

  – Michael Afton?
  – Yeah? – the boy stood up quickly.
  – One of the patients can now receive visitors. He specifically requested you, no one else.
  – Who is the patient? – he asked, already following the nurse into the room.
  – Henry Morgon.

  Michael felt his heart skip a beat. Could it be that he was the one in charge of delivering the bad news to Henry, besides his own mother? Why him? There was no escape anyway, the nurse was already opening the door.

  – I'll leave you two to it – the man looked at the watch on his wrist. – You have twenty minutes – then he left the room, fulfilling his initial promise.
  – Mike? – Henry slowly opened his eyes, still trying to get them used to the light.

  Michael turned to face the older man quickly, not taking long to notice what he assumed was the effect of the drug. His skin was so pale it seemed to blend in with the white of the gurney, his eyes were more tired and dark than usual, and of course, there was a long catheter stuck in his arm.

  – What happened to you? – Mike approached.
  – William... he found out... everything about the robots – he kept pausing in the middle of his speech. The mere air that entered his mouth when he opened it was enough to make his stomach turn. – He didn't want me to... hm... do anything more about it, so he put some... drug in my drink. At least that's... that's what the doctors said.
  – And this serum? What is it for?
  – ...For my body to have... urgh... nutrients... energy. I lost a lot due to vomiting.
  – You vomited?!
  – I had... a seizure, Michael. But I... I'm better now.
  – Why did you call me here?
  – I know how to save... them – Mike didn't answer, just waited for him to continue. – Do you know how the robots can make such... animalistic movements?
  – No.
  – Thanks to the... illusion discs. We created them just for that.
  – You and my father? – Henry nodded. – How do they work?
  – They emit a... specific frequency. To sum it all up: it makes people... see something different from reality.
  – And you think there's a way to use the discs to get them back into their bodies? Or into something that looks like them, at least? – again, the man nodded. The longer he could remain silent, the better.
  – William already had some plans... to do this too. I saw the papers... in his office. That's how he became suspicious. He saw me going through them.
  – Don't worry, I'll get the papers for you. Now I have to go. My mom will want to talk to you too, so I don't want to take up all the time – Mike smiled at Henry and turned his back, walking to the door.
  – Uhum... oh, Mike?
  – Hm? – he turned around again.
  – What happened to the rest of you? How's Charlie?
  – ...They'll be fine – then the boy left the room and closed the door, – and I'll make sure he doesn't hurt them any further.

 

 

  After waiting so long for more news and receiving nothing, Margie decided it was time for them to return home. Lamar and Marla's parents would call if anything happened to Henry, Charlie, or William, so Mike didn't argue with the choice. It was already a little after two in the morning, after all.

  – You're really not going to tell me what happened at the pizzeria?
  – I-I will, I just don't think this is the best time.
  – My husband is in the hospital after nearly suffocating to death, my best friend is also there after having a seizure on the floor of my own house and your friends are there because they got stabbed or, at the very least, had some broken bones. I don't think it gets any worse than that.
  – You have no idea... – he rolled his eyes and rested his head against the car window.
  – You know you're going to have to give an explanation eventually, right? At least to the police. They're going to want to talk to you.
  – Just pay a few hundred dollars and they'll jump off. That's what your husband did with Fritz' case, wasn't it? – the woman could feel the young boy's hostility penetrate her skin like a needle.
  – He's not just my husband, Mickey. He's also your father.
  – Urgh, você não entende.
  – How can I understand if you don't want to explain it to me? – Michael couldn't find the words to answer her. – That's what I thought.
  – ...I'll explain everything to you, I promise. Just not right now. Today has been stressful enough as it is.

  Margie nodded, even though she knew Mike probably wasn't looking at her.

  – We'll stop by somewhere to eat, okay? I don't think I can cook anything right now.
  – Uhum.
  – And tomorrow- I mean, today I'm going to stop by the pizzeria to help clean up the mess. I'll be there at about seven o'clock, do you want to go too?
  – Sure.
  – After that, we'll go to the hospital to pick up Charlie.
  – And Henry?
  – He'll be leaving later. When we can pick him up, we'll go.
  – And... dad? – Mike saw his mother sigh.
  – They're still not sure if your father will survive. I hope so, but... the chances are slim.
  – I understand.
  – I just wanted you to at least tell me who tried to kill him.... – at the same moment, Mike groaned. – ...But you said now is not the time, so I'll wait until that time comes. – Margie smiled at Mike. He smiled back.