The Difference Between Vulnerability And Desolation Is Fear | Aphmau AU

One/Seventeen

The 23rd of October, Monday, 2017.

I gasp as I wake up, and pain shot throughout my body. As relieved as I was to finally escape the nightmares, I started screaming as I felt an unbearable pain. People rushed in, including my father, and put a strange mask on my face that numbed the pain. I started crying although I could no longer feel it, stuck lying there and unable to move my legs and arms. I was paralysed from my neck down, yet could feel everything, or at least until I went numb.
   My mom followed behind them and ran over, putting her hand on my cheek, and started crying too. I didn't know why exactly, but I had a feeling that it was to do with my nightmares. They felt like they had lasted forever, whereas a 12 hour long nightmare was over within what felt like two minutes. Her mouth opened and moved, but I couldn't hear a thing she was saying. Worried that I had gone deaf, which seemed highly possible, I started to cry even heavier.
   "Speak up Mrs Lycan, I don't think he can hear you. His hearing is expected to be weaker." A doctor said, a metre behind her.
   She glanced at him, then crouched down beside the bed I seemed to be on. "Aaron?" She asked, her voice seeming hoarse. 
   The mask was taken off my face, but the numbness stayed. A doctor played around with a strange bag that lead a tube into my arm, a liquid pouring down and into me. I didn't feel it of course.
   My breathing was unstable and made it hard to breathe through my nose, so I had to breathe through my mouth. I attempted to respond with her name, but I sounded terrible so I closed my mouth fast. I glanced around the room which lead me to confusion, as I didn't at all recognize it. Dad saw my expression and smiled weakly. "Don't worry, we're in Falcon Claw. You're safe."
   "Aphmau." I say, not caring that I sounded terrible this time, I just wanted to see her.
   He looked around the room and at the three doctors. "A moment?" They all nod and leave at his command, and he walked over. He pulled over a chair and sat down while mom sat down on the bed by my feet.
   "Is she with Ein..?" I ask, beginning to shake in worry.
   "No. No, you saved her. She's back to normal." Mom said, smiling.
   "Then I want to see her!"
   "You can't." Dad said rather plainly.
   I started shaking more. "Did she break up me with me?"
   Mom grabbed the oxygen mask and put it over my face, and as it helped with my breathing, it also helped calm my heart and stop me from twittering. "No she didn't. Honey, you're going to be apart for a few months."
   "...Did she die?"
   "Oh for the love of Irene." Melissa walked in, dropping a glass. "You two keep worrying him. You can't see her for seven months because we're hiding you. Rumour is going around that you killed that guy and you are the Ultima and to keep any suspicions, its better we keep you aware from the public eye."
   "Why can't Aphmau stay?!"
   "Don't yell." Dad said quickly. "She can, but her mom said it'd be better for her to stay back 'home'. Apparently you'll give her bad memories."
   I started crying even heavier. They sighed and left to give me privacy, but I knew they were right outside the door. I didn't let that stop me. I kept crying and crying, until I cried myself to sleep.
   That was a big mistake. I woke up two hours later, screaming. They ran back inside the room, adjusting the numbness liquid to give me more. Although it helped the pain, I didn't stop crying as I had a nightmare. It wasn't so much a nightmare and more a reminder, of Aphmau trying to kill me when I let Lucinda and Garroth let go of her.
   "Cry-baby." Melissa muttered.
   Mom pushed her out immediately, and shut the door behind the two. Yelling was heard, but not loud enough to hear. Dad fiddled with a terrible bag, and it calm me down and made me sleepy. "Hmm?"
   "Sorry. Doctor said it was an antidepressant. While it helps your mood, it makes you tired too."
   My eyes widened. "No, I don't want to go back to sleep! I'd rather cry!"
   He sighed. "Sorry."
   I looked away from him, trying to keep myself awake.