Keep Me Safe (Dadvid AU)[Camp Camp]

It Hurts

Max's POV

It hurts. All of it hurts. I want to let go again. I want to disappear. I've been trying to change for the better, but all that's happening is that I'm better at hiding my pain. It all sounds cliché, and even acknowledging the cliché has turned cliché.
I shake my head, and run from my tent to the docks, and I jump. The water sloshes everywhere, but I don't care. I'm making a big scene, but I don't care. I just want to go to the bottom. But I can't. I struggle, but instinct kicks in, and I swim upwards. Just before I get up myself, someone pulls me up with a lot of force.
  It's David. The LAST person I want to see right now just saved me."WHAT THE HELL, DAVID!!" I scream with all my might, but he ignores me, and carries me to the Cabin.
  Soon enough, I'm wrapped up in blankets, in new clothes, and now in David's bed. I'm struggling to get out, but it's wrapped too tight. I want to scream and fight, but someone keeps their hand over my mouth. All I can hear, is someone's on the phone... Soon the world goes dark, and I can't move, see, or hear. I scream in my head, and try to escape whatever fresh Hell this nightmare is, but I can't find a way out. I can't wake up, but I want out.

No one's POV

David reluctantly lets the unconscious Max be, and paces outside the building. Gwen, however, is watching over the child, looking over his reports, seeing if this behaviour has happened before. But according to the pages before her, this is brand new. Neither wants to tell the other campers about this, but it might be needed. Gwen calls David back in, and pauses.
"You... you need to tell the kids. Tell them to watch him over, cuz we both know that we can't do this alone. Tell them to be careful around him when he wakes up. We need to figure out what triggered this, David. Ask the kids if they've seen Max act like this before."
They hug for a small moment, then part. David groans sadly, before leaving. He finds the kids surrounding the lake, and they find Max's hoodie pinned underwater.
Ered: "I mean...., like, what if he was just trying to get his hoodie. He wears that thing all the time..."
Nikki paces around Ered, and tells her," No! I hate to rebel against you , Ered. But that doesn't sound like him... He wouldn't almost kill himself for his hoodie."
This causes Neil to motor to the tent and look around. After a thorough search, he finds a small paper stuffed inside Mr. HoneyNuts. He then takes the note and bear to David.
"She's right. Look, I found something that might help. The note was in the bear."
David takes the bear and then, reluctantly, the note, and bring both to Gwen.
"Heyyy, Gwen?? The kids found some things that help piece this together..."
They both look at the still asleep 10-year-old, and Gwen closes her eyes. She starts to tear up, but David, being the gentleman he is, wipes her tears away.
"It's kinda ironic.... cuz I started out practically hating that shithead. But.... but now, it's like he's our son we never had." She starts full on crying, and David holds her in a hug.
"Don't forget, Gwennie. All through this, I'll still love both you and Max. We'll protect him, right?" His voice is soft, and quiet.
Gwen nods along, and gives the bear to the sleeping child.
She takes the note, and reads it. Throughout the whole note, she gasps at certain points, and is once at the point of crying again. Gwen reluctantly takes it to the kids and rounds them up to read it to them.

It reads:

  "Shitty Camp Campbell,
I can't keep going. I been trying to be better, I really have!! But I don't have the strength to keep going. I know, it seems like I legit have been changing, but I hoped you guys were smarter than this. I thought you guys were picking up on how much I've been trying to smile. Especially you, Neil and Nikki. And David. You, too, fucker. I thought you'd try to get me out of my head. Get rid of my past, get rid of all that worthless shit. But, it looks like I have to take matter into my own hands. And I'm sorry, cuz this is the only path I see. I'll miss you guys, and I think y'all have all made something out of me. You've all made memories with me. But it'd be best if you forgot me. If ya wanna see me again...

Look into the bottom of the lake. If you see my hoodie, I want you guys to keep it in the Councilors' Cabin. If you find Mr. HoneyNuts, DON'T FUCKING TOUCH HIM!!!

I'll miss all you. I never wanted to leave, like this, but. It's all I can see. I'm sorry.

DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE SHOW THIS TO MY GODDAMN SHITTY PARENTS OR I'LL HAUNT YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAYS!!"

  Obviously, Gwen didn't read that last part. And by the time it was done, all the campers were either crying or on the verge. Some of them were even repeating the words, "I'm sorry." And it then occurred to Gwen that she should probably tell them, that he's not dead. "Hey! Hey, it's okay. He's not gone... But don't go bothering him. He's still asleep." But, immediately, all the kids hurry over to the Cabin and almost knock David over.