[Haha this chapter is way too tl;dr, hope you can manage through it.]
The next day, John ventured the hospital in his usual morning pattern, using the restroom and taking care of his hygiene, and then he decided to make his way to Kevin's room. He had only a vague recollection of the way they had gotten there yesterday, having been more focused on other things at the time, but John still trudged up the stairs, briefly shaking his head to try and jar his hazy mind into focus. Kevin's room was 2 floors above John's, and near the end of the hallway. John came up to the door with the name plate "Vargas, Kevin", and knocked softly. It took a few moments, but he heard shuffles coming to the door, and the click of it opening. Kevin was standing there, in nothing but plain black boxers, and he looked particularly disgruntled. "...Way too fuckin' early to be gett'n a house call, don't y... Oh, it's you." Kevin's aggravated voice didn't bother John, who smiled and said brightly, "Mornin'! Well, hardly, it's almost noon!" Kevin grunted, "Exactly, way too fuckin' early." John chuckled and said, "That's not good for you to sleep so late. Can I come in?" Kevin yawned widely, making some kind of growl at the end of it that John perceived as an invitation.
After shutting the door behind him, John turned around to see Kevin flop face-down into his bed again, and frowned disapprovingly. "Hey, what'd I just tell you?" he said, walking over to Kevin's bed with his hands on his hips. Kevin glared up at John from a gap between his hair and the pillow, then turned onto his side to growl, "Shut up, I'm used to going to bed in the morning." John looked confused, saying, "Even as a human?" Kevin grunted, "Always felt natural. I mean, when I do sleep." John sighed and said, "Well that's not gonna happen anymore. You don't need to fear the sun here!" He smiled as Kevin grunted and muttered, "Well... Lemme at least sleep a little longer..." John gave Kevin a bemused expression, saying, "Alright, but I'll be by to wake you up again." Kevin growled, "No you're not, because you're gonna nap with me." Confusion crossed John's face again, and Kevin's hand reached up and pulled John to him. John stumbled forward by the smaller boy's surprising strength, his shins meeting the mattress, causing him to stumble into the bed. Kevin moved closer to the wall in time for John to fall next to him, who was laughing with his glasses askew. Kevin couldn't help but crack a grin at John's goofy, snorting laughter, finding the boy to be oddly charming in his own gangly, awkward way. Kevin soon yawned and muttered, "Don't hog the blankets, that's for me to do," and flipped over, his back to John. John smiled over at Kevin, then pulled his glasses off and set them on the bedside table. He scooted into the bed more comfortably, and turned away from Kevin, wordlessly suggesting they be each others' back support as he gently nudged his back against the other boy's. Kevin was about to speak up against the body contact, but found that their two bodies against each other like that really was comfortable, and so he said nothing and pushed up against John a little more. With both boys soundlessly enjoying each others' company, they both fell into a serene midday sleep.
John woke much later to a brisk rapping on Kevin's door, sitting up in alarm as he looked at it. Beside him, the warm little lump that was Kevin didn't stir, even as the door was opened. A nurse walked in, and he looked between the two boys, deciding not to say anything about that. Instead, he said, "Kevin, you're wanted in the doctor's office." At the mention of his name, Kevin gave a sudden snort as he awoke as well, the boy stretching and growling in a sleepy voice, "Whut you say...?" John repeated, "You're wanted at the doctor's office. I guess he wants to talk to you." Kevin sat up, rubbing his eyes and grumbling, "No, John, he wants to give me flowers and propose to me." Kevin climbed over John and wearily made his way over to the wardrobe, where he pulled out a similar outfit to all his other clothes, tugging it on and running his fingers through his hair. John got up and put his glasses on, stretching and yawning as well. He followed the nurse and Kevin out of the room, heading to the doctor's , they were in front of Doc Scratch's office, and Kevin looked nervous. John asked him with some concern, "You want me to go in with you?" Kevin looked up at John for a second, and said, "Okay." John smiled as Kevin pulled the door open, and they both entered.
Sitting at his desk and expressionless as usual, Scratch looked up from his documents and noticed the two boys had entered. "Kevin Vargas and John Egbert. Please do sit down," he said, motioning to the space in front of his desk. John looked at the spot in front of his desk where there was normally one chair, and he couldn't help but feel a little creeped out that there were now two chairs there, like he had known Kevin would be joined by a friend. The two sat down, and Scratch said, "You two have become good friends, I see. Such a bond is beneficial for both of you." Kevin looked nonplussed, his arms crossed as he said flatly, "What did you want me for?" Scratch gazed over to Kevin, and replied plainly, "You had a panic attack yesterday. You voiced claims of seeing a 'Green Sun', that being the cause of your attack. May I ask what you mean by this green sun?" Kevin frowned and looked away, growling, "It's nothing, just a stupid dream caused by these stupid meds that keep me tired all the time." John bit his lip, hoping Kevin would behave in front of the doctor.
Scratch merely thought silently, then stood up and looked out his window, with his hands behind his back. "Mr Vargas, there are many astronomical bodies in our universe, and there very well could be stars that have the chemical composition to appear green. On Earth, man has learned that fire can achieve various colors in reaction to certain elements. Now I ask you, Mr Vargas, why you have a fear of green celestial illuminations?" Kevin had been making the "bla bla bla" hand gesture the whole time Scratch was speaking, and John had to hold his own hands over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. However, when the question was posed on him, Kevin stopped and glared at the back of Scratch's head, muttering lamely, "I told you, it was just a stupid dream." Scratch turned around, looking between John and Kevin. "Mr Vargas, if you feel uncomfortable speaking about this matter in front of your friend, I could have him leave." Kevin heard that more as a threat than a suggestion, and said, "If John leaves, I do too." Scratch nodded and patiently said, "I still require honest input from you, Mr Vargas. Your lies are getting you nowhere." Kevin looked to John, then back at Scratch, sighing in defeat. "...It's something the past me I told you about saw... It was an- unfathomably huge sun that was as big as 2 regular universes... I don't even like this tiny Earth sun..." John reached over to Kevin and patted him on the shoulder as Scratch digested that information. "I see. Isn't it interesting that you two both seem to share quite a few similarities in your claims..." John finally spoke up, saying, "What do you mean by that?" Scratch took his seat again, saying, "I am merely implying that you two may be bouncing your delusions off of each other, thus strengthening each others' beliefs about this supposed game session." Kevin bared his teeth and said, "Or maybe, y'know, this is proof that it actually happened and we're not fucking insane?" Scratch calmly said, "Temper, Mr Vargas. Now, I have been working in this profession for quite some time-" John couldn't help but think, You mean since after you helped destroy both our game sessions? He balked as Scratch's eyes flickered in his direction, but the doctor continued calmly, "And I believe I may have some validation to my opinion when I say you two are mistaken when you insist that these memories are real. The mind can fabricate powerful delusions that appear as memories, Mr Vargas. Mr Egbert knows this, I am hoping..." John opened his mouth in objection, but didn't wish to argue with the man that held so much power over them, and so closed it and looked away in shame. causing Kevin to nearly lose it. "Don't try and get John to believe in your brainwashing! I'm so sick of you fucking telling me it's all in my head, it's not, and you fucking know it!" John whimpered much more quietly, "Kevin..." Kevin wasn't having any of it this time, though, as he continued, "You were part of the goddamn game too! YOU WERE PART OF IT, AND YOU'RE TRYING TO CONVINCE US YOU WEREN'T, BUT I FUCKING KNOW! I FUCKING KNOW!" He had slammed his hands onto Scratch's desk, his fingers angrily curling and wrinkling the documents, and John stood, trying to pull Kevin back, but Scratch had already pressed the silent alarm under his desk, paging the nurse outside his door. As the nurse came in and Kevin put two and two together, he snarled at Scratch, "Drug me up all you want, you stupid fucking hack, but I won't ever cave in!" The nurse pinned Kevin down over Scratch's table, uncapping the needle and pricking Kevin. The boy squirmed out of the man's grip and tried to lunge at Scratch, only to be held back. In his fit of anger, he took one last opportunity to scream, "I WON'T CAVE IN, EVER! I'LL MAKE SURE YOUR HEAD DOES, THOUGH, I'LL SPILL ALL THAT DISGUSTING, STAGNANT WATER OUT OF your... fucking... ugly..." John sighed sadly as Kevin's voice grew weaker, and he eventually fell limp in the nurse's arms, his angry snarl still etched onto his relaxing face.
As Kevin was carried out of his office, Scratch looked to John, who quite suddenly felt like an animal that got lured into a cage trap. Scratch said, "I must admit, I had a feeling your friendship with Mr Vargas would escalate to him becoming more defensive over his beliefs. I hope the same cannot be said about you." John faced that passive gaze that was somehow so discomforting, like he was reading his thoughts, but John steeled himself and said, "I've... been thinking it might be... a little imagined..." Scratch nodded with no indication of emotion, and said, "Regardless, I believe you two should be separated for a little while." John almost cried out, "What? Why?" Scratch continued, "I simply believe this arrangement will be for the best. It's common for two patients with similar conditions to bond, but Mr Vargas has proven to me that he needs closer examination." John gaped, then said with an edge to his voice, "I've been around him because we're friends, not because of... our conditions..." Scratch had no expression for amusement, but he said, "I see. I imagine you two believe you were friends in his supposed past life as well?" John's nerves were becoming grated, replying sharply, "It's not because of that, either! Jeez, can't I just want to be friends with someone who really needs it?" Scratch replied smoothly, "What he needs, Mr Egbert, is proper medical attention. I will ask that you resume your scheduled therapy visits and focus on your own mental well-being. as well. Mr Vargas will be returned to the normal ward when we see him fit to." John fought back tears now, feeling disgust well up in his stomach. He caused this, he was only making things worse for the both of them... After John sat there and said nothing for a moment, Scratch gently said, "You may leave now."
John resisted the urge to slam the door as he departed the office, wondering where they had taken Kevin... He stalked down the halls, deciding to see how long he could venture before either finding Kevin, or get told off for being where he wasn't supposed to. Worst comes to worst, he knew he could simply feign ignorance... John had figured out that the top several floors were exclusively to house patients, then below that was the rec room and cafeteria. The floor below that was for the doctors and counselors to evaluate patients, as well as dispense medicine, and the second lowest floor... was a mystery to John. The base floor was obviously the entrance, which was closed off to patients. There was a security checkpoint, and then a visiting lobby. The back of the base floor had an expansive, fenced backyard and patio for the patients. John decided to head for the second floor, descending down the stairwell until he reached the unknown wing.
The first thing John saw was a hallway with doors that were placed further apart than the residential section. Noticing there were no nurses, John cautiously made his way down the hall, feeling a sort of sense of foreboding just from going deeper down the wing. The first few doors on either side of the hall had no windows, and were locked. John expected nothing different, but as he ventured further, he noticed the approaching doors did have small eyebrow windows one could peer into. Coming up to one, John noticed the small rectangle of glass was cross-hatched with thin wire, a hairline fracture running across the glass. John cautiously peered into the room beyond the cracked glass, and felt his stomach turn as his eyes met a white, padded room with a man inside, the instantly recognizable straight jacket wrapped around his body.
John had arrived in the isolation ward.