I Do Believe In Egos

Test Run

Mark knocked before walking into the make shift hospital, Amy at his heels. He made his way into the sick ward, staring at the sleeping King a moment before he looked up to see Jack pacing in the aisle between the cots. "Morning Sean."

"Oh. Hey." Jack smiled slightly as he stopped pacing and turned towards them. "Is it...?"

"Just went live." Mark sighed, turning his attention back to the cot. Amy leaned into Mark's side, rubbing his back as she watched King, with him. Jack slowly made his way over, standing at the foot of the bed to watch with them.

Dark was sitting in the bed in ward one, with Wilford asleep beside him when he got an alert that Mark had posted a video. Without a word, he got up and headed downstairs, but noticing the urgency in his step, Anti got up to follow.

Mark glanced up, making eye contact with Dark briefly but neither said anything as Dark stood at the other side of the bed, both turning their attention to King.

Anti watched the group a moment, circling around them before hesitantly stepping up beside Dark. After a moment, Anti's body glitched intensely. "Is it working?"

Mark sighed. "He's still asleep."

Dark glared at him. "How did you possibly fuck this up?"

"What?" Mark grunted, lifting his head. "I posted the video! I TOLD you this might not be the answer!"

Jack groaned. "Just... give it a moment. It's going to work. It has to."

Anti shook his head. "It doesn't have to."

Dark chuckled lowly, shaking his head. "It has to because they finally feel guilty."

"You think we wanted this?" Jack frowned.

"Mark never wanted us to exist." Dark growled, glaring at Mark.

Shaking his head, Mark looked up at him. "Don't... don't throw that back at me. You KNOW what I meant by that!"

Dark placed his hands behind his back. "Do I?"

Anti's form twisted, glitching around as he glanced at Jack. "Would you rather we were gone?"

"No!" Jack yelped. "I never said that. Don't put words in my mouth."

"Ok..." Amy sighed. "I think we all need to calm down."

"This never involved you." Dark snarled.

"Hey!" Mark grunted. "Don't talk to her like that."

Suddenly King shifted, groaning softly as his eyes opened and Mark's face softened as he looked down. "King?" Everyone's attention was back on the bed, staring intently.

King looked around at the faces, letting out a whimper and pulled the blanket over his head. Mark swallowed hard, leaning down. "Do you know who you are?"

"I'm... King of the Squirrels." Mumbled a quiet voice from under the blanket.

Dark let out a relieved sigh, and Anti giggled, looking over his shoulder at the empty cot where Robbie had been. Jack covered his face with his hands, taking a few deep breaths, as Amy just smiled. Mark gently lifted a corner of the blanket, crouching down so he could see the man's face. "Do you know who I am?"

"Mark?" King asked quietly.

Mark grinned, nodding his head. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." King mumbled.

Nodding a little, Mark sighed. "Do you... want to put peanut butter on your face and let the squirrels lick it off?"

King stared at him a moment, then yawned, rubbing at his eyes. Finally he answered with a quiet, "No."