Searching For Time (book 2) ✔

Panic Attack

The gang all agreed and started thinking of places they could take Carlos to help spur his memory. Carlos on the other hand wasn't focusing on any of the others, but instead trying to recall memories of him and Harry but nothing would surface. He let out an annoyed sigh but relaxed when he felt a steady hand rub circles on his back.

Harry knew what his love was trying to do but didn't want him to overwork himself.

"How about the tourney field?" Jay suggested since it was the first place that popped into his head.

"Nothing really important has happened there." said Evie giving Jay a look.

"Hey we won our first match there! Maybe it'll help with positive memories." he defended. "He needs as many of them as possible." he added quietly.

Evie let out a sigh and went back to thinking. She had already decided on the Cathedral where they defeated Maleficent. The science labs where Carlos spent lots of his free time... and the dungeons. She felt vile thinking about taking Carlos there when he was still fragile but knew that going there would trigger something... good or bad she didn't know.

"At least Hell Hall isn't here but stuck on the Isle." said Mal dismissively not knowing what she had just triggered.

At the sound of that name something teared open in Carlos' head and clamped shut in his chest. He suddenly found the air was getting thicker and he was struggling to breathe. His vision blurred and he felt like he was falling down an endless pit. He could hear screams and feel pain all over his body, and it wasn't coming from his injuries. The office became fuzzy and he started shaking involuntarily. He ended up clenching his fists and wrapping his arms around his legs which he had brought to his chest as if he was subconsciously trying to protect himself. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to ignore all of the screaming but it wasn't working.

Carlos didn't know what was happening nor how long he was in that position until he could hear a concerned voice breaking through the cacophony of sound.

"Carlos!"

The voice change pitch and tone but never stopped. It became clearer and he latched onto it as if it was a lifeline.

"Carlos, love! Calm down and take deep breaths." said a deep toned and worried voice.

"Open your eyes. Please. It's okay, you're safe." the voice repeated.

Carlos felt that he could trust this voice so with immense strain he managed to open his eyes halfway. What he saw was a crowd of faces all staring back at him and he gasped before burrowing his head in his knees again.

"Stop." he managed to croak out through his ragged gasps. "Stop..."

The around him suddenly felt clearer and his breathing became slightly less painful. The sharp stabbing in his chest weakened.

"Carlos. Open your eyes. Trust me." the voice beckoned calmly.

With a trembling frame, he once again partly opened his eyes. This time he only say one face looking at him but it wasn't angry only worried. He could hear them asking him to breathe with them. Deciding to try, since he felt lightheaded from the lack of oxygen, he kept his eyes firmly on the icy pair of eyes in front of him. It was impossible at first but eventually his breaths evened out although they were raspy and weak.

"There you go. Just focus on me, alright love. I've got ya. No-one's gonna hurt you." Harry said quietly and slowly.

The two pairs of eyes never strayed from one another and the seconds passed painstakingly slow. However, soon enough, Carlos' huddled body stopped trembling and he relaxed slightly as his surroundings came back into focus. There was no screaming just weak breaths from the youngest.

He felt constricted so tried to stand up. But Carlos felt weak and tired and before he knew it his eyes slipped shut, his legs gave way and he collapsed onto the floor.

His last vision: the boy in front of him reaching out to catch him.