The doctor closes the door to Gumball's room with the entire family from behind him. The door snaps shut and the bandage doctor turns to face the family, specifically Richard and Nicole.
"Mr. and Mrs. Waterson, I know what you might have seen was just horrifying, but I assure you that there is help for your son." The parent's faces lit up with hope.
"Really?" said Richard, "That's incredible! But what is it exactly?" The doctor pulled out a slip of paper from out of his scrub pocket.
"If you children don't mind, might I have a moment with your mom and dad for a while?" Darwin and Anais looked at each other, knowing whatever he was about to tell them was not meant for them to hear. They both gave a silent nod of agreement and looked up at the doctor.
"If you want to, then sure," spoke Anais. "But where are we supposed to go?" Nicole decided to speak up.
"Why don't you two go keep an eye on your brother for me and your father while we figure this all out?"
"Ok, Mrs. Mom" said Darwin. There was a hint of sadness in the way he spoke that made her worry for him. I can't imagine how they must think of this she thought to herself as she watched them open the door and enter Gumball's sanctuary. The doctor didn't intend on leaving those children unattended however. Just before closing the door from behind them, the doctor held the door open just as a bandage nurse wearing a pink scrub uniform came by.
"Nurse," he called out to her with his free hand, "Would you mind keeping an eye on the children in this room for me while I speak with the parents?"
"Of course doctor, no problem" she said willful and sympathetically. She walked across the walkway and pushed the opened door out, allowing her to enter. She said nothing as she entered and left the adults to converse.
"Now what I'm about to tell you might seem a bit radical to you," he started out as caring as he could be, "but I need you to understand the seriousness of what is happening with your son." Their joy suddenly dropped to fear, completely terrified of where this was going.
"What do you mean?" Nicole said, grabbing hold of Richard's hand and clenching to it. Richard could feel her strength, but it was nowhere near as powerful as it could be. I hope she doesn't break my hand like she did that one guy back in jail he thought to himself, now worried about more than his own son's life.
"We've seen cases like this before where patients will…lose knowledge of who they once were. For patients who suffer under these kinds of conditions, we often recommend…a place. Where they will be able to get the necessary help to be better again." He held up the pamphlet to show the cover to them. The second they saw it, it sent a shiver down their spines and brows straight up in shock. "We call it the 'Helper House'" added the doctor, but on the pamphlet, it said something worse: Elmore Center for the Psychological and Physically disabled. The cover was half brown and half gold, cut obliquely down one side. The letters were in a bold white overlaying the brown coloring as a picture of the center, which resembled to that of an ordinary hospital, pasted over the gold. Nicole couldn't hold in her thoughts.
"You expect us to send our son to a…a…" she was at a loss for words, dreading having to say such an ugly thing. Richard, who had built up a shocking anger to him, blurted it out in haste for his wife, adding as much hatred as he could for her, and himself.
"An institute?!" he shouted, trying to hold back his full voice to not disturb his children on the other side. Nicole was relieved she didn't have to say the word, but looked at Richard with a face that showed how upset she was with his volume. She quickly diverted her attention back to the doctor, however as he tried to defend himself.
"You need to realize that your child needs professional help. He is in no condition for…well, you know…society". Nicole felt like wanting to punch the doctor right in his face, thinking he had just insulted her own son, but held herself back. Richard's anger transitioned into sadness.
"Isn't there anything we can do to help him, Doc?" he said trying to hold back the tears in his eyes best he could. The doctor pulled the packet down and let it hang near his hip. He held up his free right hand to his chin and stared up at the ceiling to think.
"Well there are some things you can try, but I should warn you…" he turned to face the two again. "They're pretty cliché."
"We don't care how typical it is," said Nicole courageously, "we'll do whatever it takes to get our son back." The doc smiled slightly, impressed with how determined he found the blue cat to be.
"Well in that case, one common trick is to try and help someone relive memories from the past, such as being around friends, going to common hang out spots, and family vacations. You can also try re-teaching to him some common things done in day-to-day life, like eating with silverware and playing games." The parents nodded with some happiness in his suggestions, believing they will be ok. "You should just know however that these do not always typically work. There are just times when the brain is far too gone to remember old memories, and if worse comes to worse, then-"
"AHHH!" There came a scream from beyond the wall to Gumball's room. It sounded like Anais, but before Nicole and Richard could open the door expecting the worse, she and Darwin bursted out. They slammed the door shut behind them and pressed against it with every bit of strength that fueled them. They looked horrible, having scratch marks all over their faces and limbs. Darwin even had a bit mark on the top of his head, only identifiable by the circles pressed into his scales.
"What on earth happened to you guys?" cried Nicole in freight. She leaned down to her children, observing the terrifying damage done to their bodies. They were huffing and puffing breath like they had just ran a marathon, unable to answer instantly to the question.
"It's Gumball!" shouted Anais with panic, "He broke out of his bed and attacked us! He's still in there with the nurse!"
"He tried to chase us, attack us, and he even ate me! HE BIT MY HEAD!" cried Darwin. Nicole pushed her kids out of the way, trying not to be too forceful. She grabbed hold of the doorknob as she stood back up and opened the door. The room was nearly destroyed. Half the lights flickered with damage, the bed tilted over in its side as the ECG beeped continuously in monotone, and even the accessories all ruined. Books, flowers, the chairs, all spread out everywhere. Nicole saw an even scarier sight as she watched Gumball clawing at the nurse. She was shouted and crying out in pain and agony, taking every slashing by force. Had it not have been for Gumball being so young, his claws would probably have done less superficial damage. After the door was opened for a couple seconds, Gumball stopped his clawing. He pulled his head up from his attack stances, sensing the presence of another nearby. Nicole stood in the doorway where a bright white light illuminated behind her. Gumball, however, was shrouded in shadowy darkness as the lights above flickered menacingly. He twisted his head to face her, peering at her with those cat eyes of his. He didn't see her as his mom, but just another creature looking for a fight. He pulled himself off from the nurse and walked to the other blue cat on all fours. He approached her slowly, but fearless. Nicole knew she had to say something, but couldn't find it in her to stay calm. She figured there was only one way to stop him.
"Gumball Waterson," she said terrifyingly, looking down upon him from her height as he approached her, "I am your mother, and as your mom, I demand that you stay where you are!" She crossed her arms as she looked down at him and, almost suddenly, he stopped. Gumball's eyebrows were raised as his cat eyes started to raise. Something inside of him was telling him that he has seen this creature before. That height, that stance, and especially those eyes. The way the eyes made her anger transparent seemed too great.
Then, at a moment's notice, flashbacks started to come to him. He could remember every time this woman had gotten furious in such a manner. The scenes were almost too clear. He knew he had seen her before and, feeling powerless to her anger, he panicked. He let out a whine like that of any feline and shot himself up against the back of the wall behind him. The violated nurse scooted herself away from the child. Gumball crouched to the side of the wall, cheek pressed up against it in fear. His head and eyes turned away from his mother, too afraid to face her. Nicole raised her brows, surprised by his reaction.
My goodness she thought to herself. I can't believe that worked, but…he's so scared. Her face and ears drooped as she started to feel bad for scaring her child. She started to walk to him, slow and nonthreatening. He could feel her coming closer, but refused to face her. By time she approached him, she knelt down to his level. One knee to the floor, she faced her child as compassionately as she could.
"Gumball," she said softly, "please…don't be scared of me." He still refused to face her, shaking in fear with closed eyes. He could feel nothing but fear in this moment. Nicole felt horrible for making her son so worried. It's not his fault she thought. She looked down at herself in shame, but had an idea. She saw her paws and twisted them around, face up, then down again. She pulled her heard up to face her child and held out her paw to him. She hoped for the best as she smiled with sympathy.
"Hey you," she said sweetly, "It's ok. I'm not gonna hurt you". Gumball could hear her calm maternal voice and stopped his trembling. He opened his one, unsquished eye to face her, slit narrowly as normal for him (now). He looked at her face open paw and found some symbolic offering of truce. He unpressed his face from the wall as he turned to face her, first looking at her paw, then up at her face. Nicole could tell that he was skeptical to just accept her kindness. Gumball faced his mother with a look of both sorrow and curiosity. It's like looking at the face of a newborn baby Nicole thought, so clueless and scared, but needy. Gumball set his sight back on her paw and took a step forward, front right first. He stepped towards her slowly on all four, each step looking like he was crossing through quicksand with such delicacy. When he made it, he tilts his head down to face her exposed paw. He stared, but only for a couple seconds. He proceeded to sniff it lightly with caution. Nicole couldn't figure out why he was doing it, but at least he was calm. She lifted her smile and tilted her paw slightly to face Gumball's cheek. Before he had a second to react, she pressed down against his fur and stroked the side of his neck. It startled Gumball, but he could not move. Her embrace had lowered his guard and weakened him. He relaxed as she continued to pet him, purring with love and nodding his head forward and back. He closed his eyes and let her motherly love take control of him, unable to do anything under her. Nicole was not sure whether to feel proud for calming him down, or awkward for the situation she was in now. I guess as long as no one's getting hurt, its ok I guess. Unknown to Nicole, her family stood behind her in the doorway of the room. The white light behind them created long shadows that stretched out into the middle of the half-lit area.
"See?" said Richard with his arms crossed. "Your mother can handle just about any situation, good or bad." Little did Richard know the doctor was zigzagging behind him.
"Would you PLEASE move out of the way already!" he cried out at him as he finally made his way forward. "I need to see how the nurse is." He pushed him away and propelled himself into the room, finding the nurse crouched in a corner in fear. He ran to her side and took her hand. "Are you alright?" She looked up at him; trying to wipe what little tears left on her.
"I'm *sniffle* fine doc. I just *sniffle* need some bandages please." He pulled her up and led her to the doorway, making his way past Richard and the kids as he spoke.
"It's ok. We'll get you some hydrogen peroxide and fix you right up…" He left the family alone at the doorway, with Nicole and Gumball on the other side across.
"I don't believe it," said Darwin with a white wrap around his head from the bite wound. "How did Mrs. Mom calm him down like that?" Anais raised a hand under her chin and came up with her guess.
"I guess since Gumball and Mom are both similar looking, he saw her as the dominant specie of his kind. He probably thought it was better to embrace her protection than to fight her for power." Richard looked at his daughter below to counter.
"I bet all he needed was a little love." He covered his hand over his chest and let out an aww at the scene. Nicole bent down a little more to pick Gumball up from around his body and pulled his head up over her shoulders. She wrapped her hands around him as he put his arms over her, tilting his head slightly with his eyes closed. He seemed happy to be with her, even if he did not know that she was his mom. None the less, it felt right to him. She turned to find her family waiting for her at the doorway and proceeded towards them.
"I know Gumball is still in there somewhere," she pronounced to her family. She looked down at him as he appeared to be sleeping. "I know my son is still here, and I'm not gonna rest until he's better." The doctor slide in from almost nowhere beside Richard and faced Nicole.
"Uh, Mrs. Waterson," he said, "I'm afraid that because one of my staff members was attacked by your son," He took a deep breath. "We're gonna have to de-claw him for other people's protection." Nicole gave the man the most dissatisfied look she could muster.
"You will not remove a single claw from my son." She said bitterly towards him in disgust.
"I figured you might say that, so here's the thing: Either you let us remove what makes him a danger to others or…" he pulled up the ECPP pamphlet for her to see. She darted her eyes at him in a similar manner to that of Gumball, but released a sigh of depression with her eyes closed and her head tilted down. She removed her grasp on her son and held him up to the doctor, still sound asleep.
"Just…please be careful with my baby" she said remorseful. He stepped forward and out into the open to retrieve Gumball.
"Thank You, Mrs. Waterson," he collectively spoke. "We just need fifteen minutes with your son, and then you may leave with him." Anais looked up at the doctor with confusion.
"But shouldn't he stay here until he gets better?" He looked at her and couldn't find the right words.
"Oh little girl, I'm afraid your brother isn't going to get better here." He turned and walked away from them, holding that one piece of fear with the family in such a distasteful and unforgiving manner. All except Richard for that matter; too ignorant to understand the insult. "Psst." He whispered behind Richard's head. He turned to face him, attentive and blank as usual. "If you can't help you son," he pulled the pamphlet out from around one of his hands wrapped around Gumball. "These people can. Take it, for your own sake."
"Ok." Richard said with obedience in a nonchalant manner. Neither Nicole nor the rest were any bit the wiser to his actions. They were all too scared of the uncertainty that would come with rehabilitating their kin.