I can't say that I love you.

Memoirs of the Mute

Red had to process what he had just saw. Was this... Was this really his mother he was seeing? It.. It couldn't be a dream, right? No, that can't be right.. But why was.. Why was she hooked up to so much machinery?

"Mom..." Red had thought the word came out, but however it didn't. His mouth pursed to push out the movement needed to make the word, but however,  no sound was produced from his vocal cords. Just like it always had been now..

His mother was still glancing up at him, though her smile had faded into a worried expression once she saw the mouth movement without the sound that followed. Her poor boy couldn't speak now, and she knew he hadn't been to the doctor in ages.

"Oh no... Don't tell me.." She spoke to herself as she got up from her spot, though Red himself had tried to sit her back down for her own good health. He cursed Arceus under his breath, blaming her sickness on himself. Though, he knew his mother would have blamed his leave on herself. This must have been a family thing, huh? It had been that way since his father's death, and the disappearance of his older brother. Red just had to follow suit and leave himself, huh?

"Red, I think you should sit down for a while.." She replied from her seat, frowning at her youngest son. "It's been so long..." Red nodded, eyes staring wide to his mother as he felt around for a chair before sitting down in it. He found himself looking down to his stomach, twiddling his thumbs nervously. Red was He couldn't speak, so how could he ask his mother about anything? He smiled nervously and extended a hand out to his mother.

It's all your fault, Red. She's in pain, and you could have prevented it.. You had to leave her, your poor dear mother behind because of your selfish actions. What happened to you... you could have told her that.

No, he really couldn't. He would never be able to share the incident that had occurred to him that caused his leave. The trauma was way too much to even try to comprehend right now, let alone remember and tell someone.

"Everyone's been worried about you, Red.." His mother leaned over to speak to the raven, a small smile returning to her pale face. "I'm surprised paparazzi didn't follow you..." Red nodded, brushing a hand through his matted hair. He could really use a nice hot bath at this point. It'd been so long since he had a bubble bath. Good times.. He couldn't help but give a small smile to the memory of his Pidgey freaking out over having to have a bath in the sink after having a messy battle with a Muk. He focused back to what his mother was saying. She was more important right now than a fond memory of childhood.

 Red mouthed a sincere "Sorry..." to his mother's statement before looking away, trying hard not to cry as he trembled violently. His emotions always seemed to get the best of him now, but he couldn't help feeling so horrible for leaving her and his friends behind. Then, she said something that made his heart drop.

"Green's spent years trying to find you."