Subject 208

Chapter 6~ Adjusting

{Pete's POV}

      I woke up late in the afternoon, around 3:30. Rolling over in bed, I got up and pulled on some clothes, then headed down to the kitchen and began making myself some food. I finished making some eggs and sausage, then poured a glass of orange juice before taking my food and going out into the living room. I took a seat on the couch and turned on the TV, finding some old action movie, and deciding to watch that. After an hour and a half, I finished that one and turned on a different one, simply killing time until Patrick woke up. Somewhere during that movie, I dozed off on the couch. 

     I was forcefully woken up by a loud cry coming from upstairs. Immediately sensing that something was wrong, I jumped off of the couch and raced up the stairs, then into Patrick's room. I noticed Patrick, curling in on himself on the bed, crying and whimpering with the occasional scream piercing the calm atmosphere. I sat beside him on the bed, and reached out towards him, but as soon as I touched him, he violently pulled away from me. 

     "N-No, please. Please stop. I-It hurts!" He whimpered. 

     "Patrick. Relax, buddy, it's me. It's Pete. You're okay, just relax." I said softly, trying to get him to calm down enough so I could touch him without him freaking out. 

     "P-Pete?" He asked after a minute. 

     "Yeah, 'Trick. It's me. I'm right here. Relax." I said. Slowly, I moved my hand to his, taking it in my own and stroking it with my thumb. He relaxed for a moment, but then his breathing quickened. His eyes burst open, staring off into space. "Pete, he's coming! H-He's gonna hurt you! No, please! Please!" He cried. 

     "Patrick, hey, listen. Nobody is here, okay. It's just a dream. You're okay!" I said. He simply didn't listen, his breathing still quick and his expression still terrified. 

     Suddenly, a gasp escaped his throat, and he went still and silent. I looked down and watched as his eyes changed from blue to yellow. My own eyes widened in shock. I'd seen them red, but never yellow. "P-Patrick?" I asked, backing away a bit. 

     Patrick turned and sat up, perfectly fine, slinging his feet over the edge of the bed. He looked up to me and smiled. "I'm not Patrick. You can call me Vaughn." He said in a cool, chilling tone.

     "W-What? No, you're Patrick. Who's Vaughn?" I asked, thinking that maybe he was still dreaming. 

     "Nope. Like I said, I am Vaughn. I've been with Patrick way longer than you have. I've been with him since around the time he was bitten. I'm his other half." He explained. 

     "Wait...this is crazy. So, you're like...a different version of Patrick?" I wondered. 

     "I'm the more vampiric part of Patrick. Patrick is the more innocent, human version. Sometimes I'll take control, but not very often. I only did now to wake him up, because he was having a really bad nightmare about that Urie guy. He was a real jerk by the way." He said with an eye roll. 

     Pete laughed and agreed. "Anyway, it was nice meeting you. Patrick wishes to take control once again. I think the two of you have some talking to do." He said. 

     "Well, it was...nice to meet you, too, Vaughn. I guess. Thanks for helping Patrick." I said. 

     "Of course. I will give him back now." He said, closing his eyes. His eyes opened and he stumbled back onto the bed. 

     Patrick looked up at me, and I was relieved to see his regular blue eyes. "Hey, Patrick." I greeted, taking a seat beside him on the bed.