Super Sensitive - The Umbrella Academy (♡Klaus)《ON HOLD》

☂️Chapter 20☂️

《•••The Present•••》

A near death experience is something you don't forget very easily. Most people develop something called a Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD for short. Of course, this doesn't only occur to people who had such an experience. Someone could also get it from witnessing or living some other kind of live endangering or traumatic event, even though this disorder is mostly found by people who served their country at one point in time, or who have been physically or mentally abused. The symptoms of this disorder are very broad, they could be intrusive memories, meaning you relive parts of the event unwillingly. In dreams or in your waking life. One could be avoiding going places, seeing people or thinking about the event. Negative changes in thinking and mood can also be an indication that somebody has PTSD. This may include, feeling hopeless about the future, having trouble remembering aspects and details about the event. Feeling detached from family and friends, which makes it hard to maintain close relationships. You may have a lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed or have difficulty experiencing positive emotions. The last kind of symptoms that can occur are changes in physical and emotional reactions. This may include things like being easily startled or frightened; always being on guard for danger; Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast; having trouble sleeping or concentrating; And feeling an overwhelming amount of guilt and shame.
     After reading the symptoms, you may recognize them in a friend, family member, or maybe even yourself. If this is true, I recommend that you or your friend, contacts a doctor or mental health professional to prevent the symptoms from getting worse and maybe you will even get rid of them.
     Some of you may already have realized, that some of the Hargreeves siblings are suffering from PTSD symptoms, both due to their father's treatment, the missions they went on and experiences from later in life. If you didn't know, and now do because I told you, you may also know that there was one sibling that has most of the symptoms, and of course I am talking about Number Four, a.k.a. Klaus Hargreeves. Klaus had been experiencing these symptoms since early childhood, after being locked up in a mausoleum with his biggest fear. So it was hard to tell the difference after the man had been fighting in the Vietnam War for the past ten months without any of his siblings knowing. Maybe you didn't know this either until I just told you and maybe you have no idea what I'm talking about. You may think it doesn't make sense since this story takes place around the year 2019, and the Vietnam War took place from 1954 until 1975. For all of you who don't understand, there's no need to worry. You didn't miss that part in this book and you also did not randomly forget about it. This chapter will contain that part of the story, or at least parts of it. So to find out, the only thing you'll have to do, is continue to read. 

Kiara woke up that morning alone on a bed she didn't recognize. Confused, she pushed herself up, only to feel the familiar shock of pain go through her stiff back. Groaning, she sat at the side of the bed, looking around herself. The woman still didn't recognize where she was even though it looked familiar and there was a smell hanging in the air that she vaguely knew. When Kiara's eyes fell on the framed embroidery that hang on one of the walls realization hit her, immediately remembering where she was. This was Diego's place. Only Diego wasn't here, and neither were Luther and Five. Kiara figured she must have fallen asleep against the wall last night and someone, probably Luther, must have placed her in Diego's bed. 
     Hungry and not feeling like running into her adoptive brother, she decided to leave. But not before she looked at herself in the mirror, fixed her hair and wrinkled clothes as much as she could. Not paying any attention to the people inside the gym, she walked out of there. Only to realize that she had come here in Diego's car, not with her motor. And of course, the car was gone, just like her three adopted brothers. With a deep sigh, Kiara searched her pockets for any money, but she had left all her stuff at the Academy, so she had no other choice than to walk back to the mansion.
     Her head still slightly hazy due to her concussion from less than two days ago, the blue haired woman walked through the streets. The small heels of her black boots echoing with every step, she hated that her siblings had let her sleep with her boots on, because now the normally comfortable fabric made her feet feel clammy and tight. Kiara turned a corner and immediately almost got run over by a guy that was in a hurry to get somewhere, a dark green suitcase on wheels dragging behind him. He yelled a 'sorry' at her without bothering to turn around or stop running. With a deep sigh, the woman looked up at the blue sky. Unlike the night before, there was no single cloud in sight, the sun shone down on her skin, warming her up rather quickly. A high pitched squeak from the breaks of a stopping bus got her attention. The white vehicle stood still on the road opposite from where she was walking. 4105 written on it in black letters, an advertisement for Miss Aggie's snackbar was stuck to it's side, the pictures of burger's and union rings that went along with it made Kiara's stomach rumble. It didn't take long before the bus drove away again, automatically drawing the woman's attention to a man that had gotten off it. He was slamming his black briefcase against the iron bench that stood behind the bus stop. To Kiara's surprise, sparks flew from the briefcase every time it hit the bench. Even from the distance between them, Kiara could feel the man's anger, his pain, guilt and grieve. Not able to just ignore it, she stopped walking and watched as he eventually threw the case away and screamed an agonizing scream. The moment the briefcase hit the stone ground, it exploded in flames. Just like Kiara, more people stopped in their way to look at the scene in front of them. The man let himself fall on his knees, desperately digging in the stones beneath him with his hands as if there was something there she couldn't see. Eventually, the man lay down and curled up in a fetus position. Kiara saw a little girl walk to the man, but her mother quickly took her by the arm and walked away. The blue haired woman considered doing the same, leaving the man there to deal with his grieve in his own way, but something inside of her couldn't just walk away. 
     "Here goes nothing," Kiara mumbled to herself through a deep sigh before she crossed the street. As she came closer to the man, she could see more details. He had short, dark hair and  was wearing a dark green army outfit. The man's emotions, which Kiara had already been able to feel from the other side of the street, were getting stronger. Just like the man's crying that she could hear clearly now.
     "Sir?" She addressed him with a gentle voice. "Sir, are you alright?" The man didn't seem to register her words, too lost in himself. So she knelt down beside him and lay a careful hand on his shoulder.
     Immediately the man stiffened, chocking back a sob. "Dave?" His voice cracked out, almost to soft to hear. At the same time, Kiara could feel the wave of hope and relive that went through him, but that disappeared again when he pushed himself up and slowly turned his head around. In that moment both of them looked at the other with a mixture of confusion and shock.
     "Klaus?" Kiara mumbled while placing one hand on her friend's cheek, wiping away some of the dirt and tears with her thump. Without saying anything, Klaus wrapped his arms around the woman's waist, pressing himself against her while he started to cry even louder. His head was resting on her chest, low enough for Kiara to place her chin on his curly hair. Without hesitation, the woman pulled Klaus closer to herself, one arm tightly on his back while the other stroked his hair.
      "Shhhh... It's okay. You're back now, you're save. Everything will be okay..." Kiara said in a soothing manner. She hated herself that she hadn't recognized one of her best friends sooner, but then again, he was wearing something completely different than he normally would and he was sober, which didn't happen that often. Kiara didn't know what was going on, maybe this was because of the torture and the withdraw he went through with Hazel and Cha-Cha, but the woman couldn't say for sure.  
     Klaus himself didn't react to her words, he just pressed her closer while sobbing in her shirt. "He's gone..." He said between sobs. "They- they killed him." 
     "What?"
     "Right i- in front of me." Klaus continued, still not answering her words. "The-y shot hi- him." 
     "Who, shot, who, Klaus?" Kiara asked again, still stroking her adopted brother's hair. 
     "D- Dave." Was all he said before his emotions got the better of him again and he couldn't speak anymore. Not knowing who Dave was, what had happened to him or what to do to comfort him, Kiara kissed the top of his head. 
     "It's going to be okay," she repeated herself. Hoping her words would make any difference, but actually already knowing it did not.