Chapter 25

Every day, Henry came as soon as he was allowed to into hospital, he was often forced to leave by guards when he would repeatedly swear to them he saw Ennard twitch at the end of the day.

Henry didn't return home after he fell into the habit of wanting to be as close as possible. He was practically living with Baby at the Circus Troop's home and main business hub. He slept on the sofa in the living room and neglected a few habits like shaving, showering and having lunch in favour of being as close to his son as long as he could be.

Without Ennard, the Troop was incomplete, all their future dates they had set for tours across the states had been cancelled until further notice. The whole rhythm of the place felt out of order too, Baby remembered when she and Bonnebell were both sick and Ennard steadily brought them back to proper health. She had nightmares based on the events in 1983, she barely remembered the event well but she kept having the repetitive nightmare of being locked inside that room with Ennard and Elizabeth, all huddled together frighten and shivering, staring into the white lifeless eyes of the awful man that lured them.

Baby would alike that situation now to a hungry lion closing in on its prey. The bile would rise in her throat, she knew it was a dream, but there was a part of her that believed she still was the five year old red pigtailed haired girl standing beside her peculiar silver haired eight year old friend. In those last moments which her memories allowed her to cling onto all these years...

Those were the last moments she saw Elizabeth alive.

She never regarded those memories again but they had been brought back to life in this new tragedy.

He attempted to kill them all. Only Elizabeth died. Baby didn't remember when she was actually attacked but she knew the man attacked her with an axe, she heard that she tried to run away after Ennard was struck three times in the chest and two times in each leg, then on his shoulder and on his left hand. But she couldn't get away, her crying was what alarmed a factory worker, who located them all and contacted their parents. Ennard didn't speak of the accident much but even he did, he often thought about to Elizabeth, whose father worked at the factory, so he was usually close with her.

She did have a faint red, white line near her left kidney where she had been hit. That scar made her wonder if she would ever get a boyfriend.

Scars were always a reminder, the only differences is that Ennard could hide the scars from the attack, but this...

It was forever carved into his face.

Ballora sluggishly arose from bed, the fat braids she tied her hair into lazily smacked against her back as she walked. She did a double take as she walked pass the open door way to her left across from the bathroom, Henry had walked into rehearsal room as they referred to it, where they kept most of their equipment. Their hula hoops, juggle props, their costumes hung up on the metal bar above the floor with labels that distinguished the star patterned skirts belonged to Ballora, anything with stripes usually was Baby's, the slim pink and white suits belonged to Tiffany and the colourful vests where Fernando's. They had sound boards that they used to manipulate the volume of some instruments they kept in the room like electric guitars, and keyboards. There was enough open space in the middle of the room to rehearse dancing routines and acrobat stunts with a blue safety mat they used for tumbles and performing backflips was securely anchored to the floor with velcro straps.

Henry however was seated in front of the big classic black piano that was shoved into the corner, it was where Ennard did most of his song creation, for hours he'd experiment with tunes, scales put together and mindless messing around with the keys with his book laid out in front of him above the keys, a pen kept behind his ear as he recorded down notes into previously perfectly measured lines to represent the music's tune. It was like a science experiment, maybe an artist's habit, it was the way the Ennard they knew was.

The keys had been covered since Ennard left that piano to go to the concert, almost untouched, it was like it portrayed a different time period all together, something that had been lost and ignored, gathering dust.

God if they didn't go, Ennard would have been okay.

Ballora recalled when Ennard first saw that piano as a gift from his father and he absolutely fell in love with it, complete disbelief as he ran around it to inspect and view each detail of it. He played the first tune and it was the first time Fernando danced with Tiffany and everyone joked the piano player brought them together, Ennard always said it was never his intention.

Everyone pitied Henry, but what Ballora thought he really wanted was for them to pray and hope Ennard would recover.

"He's suppose to be here..." Henry spoke, tears swelling up in his already puffy eyelids, "He's suppose to be playing... He's meant to be here."

Another month passed, Henry kept coming, each day, he came with some one different to attempt a wake up. Bonnie strummed his guitar next to him sometimes, other times, Teddy would lightly sing his favourite songs, Marionette played his music box and sang along, Billy even came at one time and actually grabbed his hand to try and get him awake.

It was cold and miserable, everything was eating him alive and the hospital kept barking down his throat. They seemed to wait for Ennard to completely go downhill, Henry refused to have any private conversations at this point with anyone at the hospital.

Finally at three in the morning one night, they were contacted, Baby woke up Henry as soon as she heard the woman on the phone saying she was from the hospital, Henry dreaded the worse as he took the phone from her and Baby instantly held his hand.

"He's... He's awake...?" Henry asked slowly, Baby couldn't believe it herself, it had taken three months, It was like Ennard was already dead, and now suddenly he had woken up, it was like the time he went away to spend time with his mother for Halloween, Thanksgiving,Christmas and the New Year.

Henry quickly got into a jacket, Baby followed him in her pyjamas, driving him to the hospital, they made a special exception for them and allowed them into Ennard's intensive care room.

It was different now. He was awake, his eyes were open, they were looking around as if he was surveying where he was, it was like he didn't recall the accident and the doctors said it would be likely he wouldn't be able to recall it for sometime, he would be aware something happened but he wouldn't know what, they also discussed PTSD playing a role in this.

"Son..." Henry spoke, Ennard looked at him, "I'm here now... Everything's okay..."

He slowly slid his hand to Ennard's bandaged one, he actually felt Ennard trying to curl his fingers around him but it was obvious it was causing him discomfort.

Henry kept spending much more time and money, everyday, he would wake up Ennard from his heavy drug induced sleeps, he had always requested to be there whenever the nurses had to clean his burn wounds. The first time he witness it, it was unbearable. His son was completely stripped clean of his bandages, his skin was still trying to heal but it would obviously have imperfections. He was throughly cleaned, he couldn't make extremely loud sounds but Ennard was making throaty raspy groans of pain, with tears in his eyes, Henry only stayed strong because at some point Ennard actually managed to grab his hand and hold onto it to deal with the extreme pain.

The first time Ennard had his feeding tube taken out was the first time he had eaten, he had to cover his legs, arms, torso, neck in a thick black one piece suit that provided him comfort and kept his bandages in place. Henry helped him to take off the mask he kept on his face and saw his face still looked red and blistered, his hair had grown an inch then fell out, it had now grown back a bit thicker, at a length of two and a half inches, Henry helped him to eat a full bowl of mashed potatoes with butter before he dosed off.

Ennard had the first real conversation about his condition when he was speaking again, everything had set it by this point. No pictures were taken but everyone remembered when he was lifeless, it was hard to forget.

Six months after the accident was the first time Ennard was allowed home, and even still, he spent more time in his room and Henry was always there. Henry learnt how to change his bandages, motioner for infections and to help him track the mediations he had to take, he did all the research he could and made sure Ennard was finishing everything he was given at breakfast, lunch, dinner and eating at lease two snacks in between with plenty of fluids, Ennard always had to be dressed to stay in the perfect temperature zone. In an instant sometimes, jumpers would have be exchanged for sleeveless shirts. It took Henry back to after the accident in his childhood, he had to dress him, feed him and always be there.

Ennard went away for a while to visit his mother, during that time, discussions took place and in the end, Tiffany made the biggest choice, since her room was next to Ennard's, she decided to move across the hall to sleep with Fernando, a big step for her relationship but also in the name of being selfless to extend Ennard's room. Tiffany moved all her items out and Felix came in to knock down the walls with Nigel, Marionette, Foxy and Goldie.

It took two weeks to complete his new room, when Ennard returned, it was near double the size, he now had a queen size bed with a big wooden closet in the corner with all his clothes sorted and labelled what would be appropriate for the weather. Over time, a few more things were put in there, like a vanity mirror set where Ennard would keep his makeup in a basket and his gloves folded neatly so he could apply makeup to his face to cover up as much as he could. A sewing machine had also been placed in so Ennard would do repairs to costumes.

However it was sensed Ennard had fallen into a depression. Everyone was worried about him.

Now, Ballora was standing in the doorway silently listening and watching Ennard actually teach his son to play the piano. Stephan was sitting in his lap as Ennard guided his fingers to keys and said he could teach him to play any song he wanted.

Stephan truly brought Ennard to a new point, Ennard was smiling.

He also seemed happier that Yenndo was near, but Ballora knew something had happened. She saw it with her own eyes, she wouldn't dare speak it aloud but she knew that Yenndo had kissed him. Yenndo was feeling god awfully guilty about it, he refused to look at Ennard.

Knowing Ennard for as long as she had, she knew he never had romances, if he did, he kept a very good secret from her and his father.

Still that image of Ennard in hospital never left her memory, it haunted her and sometimes she did wonder if this was a mad dream or a hallucination and Ennard was really gone. Fernando kinda laughed at her when she said that.

The only other time he had seen him like that was her childhood.

She perfectly remembered that and wished she hadn't.

Thankfully, William Afton was gone from their lives.

Right?

A day out from the second anniversary of this story. Can't believe it's been two years... I have a feeling this story will have a third anniversary... there's still a lot that needs to happen.

At the moment, I'd like to thank all the current followers of this story and those who have decided to favourite this story or even review it! It's really sweet people would give me encouragement to continue this story by a few small kind words. I've been through a lot and everyone I've seen on fanfiction is amazing, kind and incredibly welcoming to anyone. I look forward to continuing this story, especially all you here now!

I dunno when I can release the next chapter, because for now I'd like to update a few stories like Infection, I'd Give Anything, Brother that Brought me Laughter, and I'd even like to finish Knocking out the Sweet tooth within a few days. Rough estimate... maybe next month... mid next month quiet possibly.