Wake Up

Part 1

Scar was the first one that hadn't opened their eyes.

Cub had been so worried about him, wondering if he was ill or if he was poisoned but nothing seemed out of the ordinary for him, no one could find a reason why he wouldn't wake up. They tried endlessly, doing all that they could, but nothing happened.

Then Cub hadn't woken up either.

Grian had taken in Jellie, who had been waiting at the foot of their bed, meowing and waiting for one of them to wake.

People started getting even more worried, constantly checking up on each other, agreeing to meet at the shopping district every morning to make sure everyone was okay.

Then the next person hadn't woken up.

Grian had been devastated when Mumbo was left still lying fast asleep in their bed. They had lost another that day.

And life went on, the remaining hermits still trying all they could to wake the others up and prevent themselves from falling to the same curse their friends had. None of it ever worked.

Ren had woken one morning in a warm embrace like every other morning. He didn't think anything of it at first, cuddling further into Doc's chest, tightening his hug around him. He lays in bed a bit more, enjoying the moment between them.

He always loved mornings. Those were times when they could just forget about lost friends for at least one moment and just enjoy their time together.

Ren forces himself up onto his arms, leaning over Doc. "Morning Doc," he mumbles, pressing a kiss against his lips, a hand on his face, fingers brushing against the metal of his cheek.

When Doc didn't move, Ren was immediately worried, heart clenching, fear growing inside him. He had a sneaking feeling about what was wrong. "Doc?" he says, voice shaking as he feared the worst.

Doc was both a light sleeper and a morning person, he would've been awake by now.

Ren watched Doc's still face, chest slowly rising up and down from his breaths. He didn't even twitch. "Doc," he said panicked, eyes starting to water as he gently shook him. The other hated being shook awake so he was gentle at first. "Doc," he said, starting to get more desperate, shaking him a little harder.

No reaction.

"Doc!" Tears started to form in his eyes, still trying to shake him awake. "No! Please no, Doc!" he sobbed out. He stops shaking him, realizing it wasn't working and he still wasn't awake. "Doc," he cried out, burying his head in his chest, wrapping his arms tight around him as he sobbed out, "Please don't leave me, please wake up."

Doc still doesn't move.

Ren doesn't know how long he's there crying, desperately clutching and hoping Doc would open his eyes. But when he finds himself back at the shopping district to see the others, they hug him out of relief.

"Ren! We thought we lost you too!" Stress said with tears in her eyes.

Almost half of the hermits were deep under. It was always a tearful realization when another is lost.

Despite their embrace and reassuring words, he felt dull. "Doc didn't wake up this morning," he muttered, tears still falling from his eyes.

"I'm so sorry," False says, staring at him with an empathetic look on her face.

"You still have us," Xisuma tells him softly.

It wasn't the same.

Ren didn't want to sleep, knowing Doc wouldn't be opening his eyes with him. But he didn't want Doc to be alone at night either, in case he did wake up one day and wondered where Ren had disappeared to.