New message from: Yuri.

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Yuri: everyone My friends, I apologize for interrupting your evening, but I believe I am in serious need of your assistance. Roughly thirty minutes ago MC arrived at my place, seemingly in high spirits. However, as we partook in lighthearted conversation, a rather displeasing occurrence happened, utterly unforeseen by the both of us, causing him to collapse into my arms. Since then, I have done all that I believe myself capable of doing for him, but I am by no means an expert on the matter, and thus require help.

Sayonnaise: is mc dead yuri yes or no

Yuri: No.

Sayonnaise: is he dying

Yuri: His vitals and breathing both appear to be stable, so that seems unlikely. Like I said however, please bear in my mind that I am not an expert on medical matters.

Sayonnaise: ok good im coming over

Lilmonix3: Yuri, can you please describe his current condition?

Lilmonix3: Sayonnaise, please stay put. It's dark and it just started snowing again, you could get lost. I'll drive by your place and pick you up so we can both get there safely.

Sayonnaise: no. i cant wait, need to make sure husbando is ok, sorry not sorry

Yuri: Lilmonix3 I certainly can. At the moment he is unconscious, completely unresponsive to any stimuli I've attempted to awaken him. These include light shaking of his body, yelling his name, smelling salts and splashing water on his face. I am uncertain of what else to try. Would you suggest calling an ambulance? I must confess to feeling an intense amount of stress at the moment.

Yuri: Sayonnaise Husbando?

Nat: yo wtf is going on here?

Lilmonix3: Yuri thanks for the info. Don't bother calling an ambulance, I'll get someone qualified to come by. Remember to breathe, I'll be there in just a bit to help you get through this.

Lilmonix3: Nice of you to join us, Natsuki.

Nat: can someone give me a ty;dr summary of this mess?

Yuri: Did you mean to write "tl;dr?"

Nat: no the y was intentional, as in "too yuri, didn't read." your texts are way too needlessly detailed for me to bother scrolling up.

Yuri: Oh.

Lilmonix3: That was completely unnecessary, Natsuki.

Sayonnaise: Nat MC Got hurt when he Was at Yuri's place, now He's possibly dying And we need To go Help him

Nat: HWAT

Yuri: Sayonnaise That was not how I described the situation at all!

Nat: Yuri what the fuck happened to him?! i swear to god, if he injured himself on one of those fucking knives you have on display everywhere, you are getting rid of every single one of them!

Yuri: He didn't even enter my home before it happened! Why do you always assume the worst about my collection?!

Nat: in case you hadn't noticed, normal people don't have dangerous murder weapons strewn about on every available surface!

Lilmonix3: Nat Yuri enough, attacking each other won't help MC. Let's stay constructive.

Lilmonix3: Nat According to Yuri, it doesn't seem like MC's condition is critical, but he is unconscious. We don't know how it happened, but we're all going to Yuri's to try and help. I'm picking up Sayori, do you need a ride too?

Sayonnaise: No don't pick Me up money I'm already Biking

Sayonnaise: Add Lily Lane now

Sayonnaise: roads Are Really slippery

Lilmonix3: Damn it Sayori, don't text while you're biking!

Sayonnaise: Lilmonix3 don't worry I'm using text To speech

Sayonnaise: Wait No

Sayonnaise: I mean speech Two text. He isn't It weird How On natural that sounds? It's Like Your mouth Just automatically wants To See text To speech but not The other Way around.

Yuri: Wait. Sayonnaise how are you already at Lily Lane?!

Sayonnaise: Yuri I'm fast as fog boy

Sayonnaise: Fog

Sayonnaise: Dam It Siri I meant Fog not Fog, let Me swear!

Lilmonix3: I propose we stop tagging Sayori, it's dangerous enough for her to be biking in this weather, let's not give her even more reasons to crash into something.

Yuri: Agreed.

Sayonnaise: I'm Fine

Nat: Lilmonix3 no, don't pick me up. i'll walk over to yuri myself after I finish baking some cookies. you get over there and make sure mc is taken care of.

Yuri: Why would you think NOW would be an appropriate time for baking?!

Lilmonix3: Nat Gotcha. I'll get in the car now and see if I can find Sayori on the way before she crashes her bike. Be careful though.

Sayonnaise: You're Two late, nearly there

Nat: Yuri because i'm freaking the fuck out about my boyfriend but i know i can't help with anything medical and will only get in the way if i try, so might as well do something i actually know to try and cope with my life falling apart around me while praying one of you idiots can actually help him get better. is that fucking alright with you, yuri?!

Lilmonix3: Let's keep a civil tone here.

Yuri: …yes, of course it is. I apologize, Natsuki.

Lilmonix3: Nat I'm sure he'll be okay. Remember to breathe.

Nat: i'm FINE. just need to bake these cookies. keep me posted about mc.

Sayonnaise: i am here. Yuri let me innnn

Yuri: …so you are. I'll come unlock the door.

Nat: Sayonnaise how the flying fuck did you make it all the way over to Yuri's already? It hasn't even been ten minutes since she first wrote!

Sayonnaise: am sonic

Nat: stfu

He opened up his eyes, starting to awaken ever so slowly.

It was a task that required a vast amount of willpower from him, as he really didn't feel like waking up. He felt more tired than he could remember ever being before, and this bed he was lying in felt so unbelievably soft and warm.

But that was exactly why he couldn't give in to the temptation and just go back to sleep. He was all too aware that his own bed wasn't this soft. Nor did it have this strong lavender scent he was currently breathing in.

Wait. A bed softer than clouds. A smell of lavender. The person he'd visited last…

Oh no.

Finally, the world around MC came into focus, and a groan of despair exited his lips as he immediately recognized his surroundings, confirming his suspicions.

Walls painted a deep, dark purple. Framed posters of classic horror movie monsters staring down at him. Black shelves filled with extravagant, sharpened knives on display.

Yuri's bedroom. He was inside Yuri's house, sleeping in her bed.

His heart started pounding, a million panicked thoughts starting to drift through his head at record speed. None of them being exactly helpful, since they failed to contain any details that could help him figure out HOW exactly he'd gotten into this situation.

The evening was a complete blur to him. He could recall getting to Yuri's house and standing in her doorway as she'd opened the door. He remembered her wearing a totally different outfit than usual and talking about a movie with Bruce Campbell, but beyond that… nothing. He was drawing a complete blank at how the rest of the night had gone.

Had he been drinking and blacked out? It didn't seem very plausible, but he had heard Monika tell him about one time Yuri had pulled out a bottle of wine at school before he'd joined the Club. Perhaps he had tried it despite his better judgment? He'd never had alcohol before, so he didn't exactly have any reference points to his present state.

He shook his head, attempting to clear his mind and focus on what he had to do. First, he needed to get out of this bed, find Yuri, and apologize for falling asleep. The girl was insecure enough already, so if he'd passed out while watching the flick he'd need to assure her that he didn't find their movie nights boring at all.

But how was he supposed to do that when he couldn't even remember having watched anything? How on earth had he managed to forget a movie starring Bruce fucking Campbell?!

He began leaning up in bed, wondering what time it was and hoping it wasn't too late for him to go home. If the others found out he'd spent the whole night at Yuri's place, he'd never hear the end of it. He supposed he should count himself lucky that none of his usual nightly incidents had taken place during this mess.

But as he tried moving into a more upright position, he suddenly noticed a heavy presence on his chest, weighing him down. Something heavy and… breathing?

He glanced downward, noticing the short mess of unkempt, strawberry-blonde hair spread out over his chest. From the faint, regular breathing he could barely hear, it seemed the owner of the hair had fallen asleep while resting her head upon him.

Even if he hadn't recognized her unique hair color, the familiar red bow placed on top of it certainly gave away the identity of his childhood bestie and current girlfriend, Sayori.

Wait just a minute… MC thought, feeling like these puzzle pieces didn't fit together at all. This is… Yuri's bedroom. So… why is Sayori here with me?

Then, before he had time to consider this conundrum further, something even stranger occured. He could hear Natsuki's muffled voice from somewhere outside this room, speaking in her usual commanding tone. He concentrated his listening to pick up her words.

"…that Doctor you called arriving?"

"Shouldn't be too long now." He heard Monika's voice reply. Apparently, all of them had gathered up in Yuri's house for some reason.

He kept listening, wanting some more context to perhaps figure out what was going on here.

"I still don't understand how the hell this happened." Natsuki continued. "Are you sure you didn't do anything, Yuri?"

"Like I already told you, I never even touched him." Yuri's soft voice said, sounding vaguely annoyed. "He showed up at my door, we exchanged pleasantries with each other and then it just… happened. There was no causation on my part."

"Alright. In that case, it can only be Monika." Natsuki concluded.

"Pardon?" Monika said, indignantly.

"You were the last person to see MC after he left my place! What did you do to him?!"

"God, what didn't I do to him…" Monika mumbled in a considering tone of voice, before snapping back. "Uh, I mean, obviously that suggestion is ridiculous, Natsuki. Why would I ever do such a thing? And how would I even go about it?!"

"I don't know, I don't get why you do a lot of things. Maybe you decided to give him some kind of slow-acting poison that would kick in once he reached Yuri!"

"Poison?!" Monika exclaimed, anger seeping into her voice at the suggestion. "You actually think I would poison MC?!

"Wouldn't be the creepiest thing you've done." Natsuki argued. "Could be one of those weird kinks you do to each other. Remember 'breath play?'"

"Oh come on, how long are you going to hold that against me? He was completely fine after I applied some simple heart massage!"

"I'm sure you would never intentionally expose MC to any harm." Yuri interjected timidly. "But perhaps Natsuki could be onto something. Do you know if MC consumed anything unsavory at your place? Something past its expiration date, maybe?"

"Let me remind you both that he didn't stay at my place for that long." Monika said. "It was like, twenty, thirty minutes at most."

"And?" Natsuki asked. "Did he eat anything of yours during that time?"

There was a small pause before Monika spoke up again.

"…well, technically, yes... But I can assure you it wasn't poisonous."

"What was it?!" Natsuki demanded.

"Well… Y'know…" Monika hesitated, before lowering her voice to the point where MC couldn't hear what was said next.

"O- OH." Yuri suddenly exclaimed, followed by the distinct sound of Natsuki gagging.

"So yeah, I think it's pretty safe to say he wasn't poisoned by that." Monika said.

"GROSS, GROSS, GROSS!" Natsuki loudly exclaimed in disgust.

Feeling his face getting hot with embarrassment, he tuned out their conversation and focused instead on the girl in the room with him, still snoozing steadily on top of him.

He tried ignoring the similarities he was picking up between this situation and the plot of a certain messed up MHA fanfiction he'd read a while ago. He really hoped the same hadn't happened to him just now.

"Uh…" He started, noting how hoarse his voice sounded. "Sayori?"

She stirred slightly before raising her head to look up at him blearily. Her eyes widened in amazement, as blue as ever but with a faint red twinge as well, suggesting to him that she'd been crying very recently.

Before he could ask her what was going on however, she released a squeal of joy and threw herself at him, arms ensnaring his body tightly.

"You're awake, finally!" She yelled directly into his ear, tightening her grip. "I was so worried about you, don't ever do that again!"

"W- what do you mean?!" MC gasped, nearly choking as he endured Sayori's assault hug. "What's going on here? Why are you at Yuri's house?!"

"I came as soon as I heard what happened to you!" She replied, her voice muffled as she buried her face into his shoulder. "I was the first to arrive, even beating Monika in her car!"

She broke the hug and leaned back, smiling proudly at him. Despite the smile, he could see a few tears trickling down her cheeks. She must have seen him staring, as she immediately reached up to wipe them away.

"D- do you need anything?" She asked in a wobbly voice. "Are you hungry? There's some tea and takeout for you but I'm pretty sure it's gone cold."

"Slow down." MC said, wanting to get some answers. "You said something happened to me?"

"Here, drink this." Sayori said, grabbing a mug from the nightstand next to the bed and handed it to him. "I'll tell you what happened afterwards, you must be thirsty."

Now that she mentioned it, his throat did feel pretty dry. He reached up to accept the tea.

Or that's what he would have done anyway, if he'd been able to lift his arm. He tried again, with the same results.

"MC?" Sayori asked, still holding out the mug of tea for him.

"I…" He tried to speak, but his voice got caught in his throat. He tried rustling his arms, tried kicking his legs, tried to get out of this bed that was quickly starting to feel like a soft tomb.

Nothing happened.

As he struggled to move even the tiniest muscle, the memories started coming back to him. Memories of another time, earlier this evening, where he'd suddenly lost control of his body and collapsed into Yuri's arms.

Suddenly, he remembered everything again.

"I can't move." He whispered, the horror of the realization taking hold of him.

"MC?!"

Just then, the door to the bedroom burst open with Monika, Natsuki and Yuri all tumbling in, looking at him wide eyes, filled with worry. Despite his current mental crisis, MC automatically noted how Yuri had seemingly redressed herself since he'd seen her at the doorstep, now sporting her usual white sweater and long pants once again.

"How long has he been awake?" Yuri quickly addressed Sayori.

"Only a few minutes at most." She replied.

"And you didn't call us?!" Natsuki yelled.

"I was too busy hugging him!"

"Hey there, sleepyhead. How are you feeling?" Monika asked calmly, smiling as she bent down by the side of the bed next to him. She was wearing a loose, bright green top that stopped just a bit over her navel, and a flowing, red skirt. Her long brown hair was in its usual style, separated into a long ponytail by her big, white bow at the back of her head.

"I can't move!" He repeated, not knowing what else to say as his breathing sped up. "W- why can't I move?! I need to be able to move!"

"Shhh." Sayori soothed, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. "Breeeathe. Everything's okay, we'll help you get through this, just relaaax."

He recognized her tone and words from the times where he'd been the one trying to calm her during a panic attack. Her soft voice was surprisingly helpful now that he found himself on the receiving end, and he felt his breathing slowing down again, just a little.

"Here, drink your tea." She said, positioning the mug directly at his lips. "I promise it'll make you feel better."

"Wait! Don't drink that!" Natsuki's sharp voice cut through the room, and she quickly made her way over to snatch the mug away from Sayori's hand. She started sniffing the liquid with a suspicious look on her face, before explaining.

"Need to check this for poison. I do not trust Yuri's culinary skills at all."

"Really now!" Yuri exclaimed, indignantly. "I would think that my skills of brewing a simple cup of tea without poisoning it has been well documented enough already!"

"I'm not taking any chances with MC's life." Natsuki retorted matter-of-factly, dipping her pinky finger in the tea and licked it as if she was an action movie hunter, tracking her prey.

"Well?" Yuri asked impatiently as Natsuki smacked her lips.

"This seems fine." Came Natsuki's verdict. "But I'm gonna need to check the takeout too, as well as any other edible items you decide to feed him."

"This can't be happening." MC said, tilting his head back to stare blankly into the ceiling, this being all he could do to keep his rapidly rising panic at bay.

This was a waking nightmare. He was too young to lose his bodily functions like this. He had so many other things he wanted to do in his life, things he needed to use his body for. Why was this happening to him? And why did something this embarrassing have to happen in full view of these four, perfect women?!

"Hey, don't worry." Monika said reassuringly, as if she'd just read his thoughts. He tilted his head to the side, seeing her unwavering, calm smile. "I've already called a Doctor, and she'll be here any minute now. Before you know it, you'll be back on your feet, ready to visit me again and have fun!"

He stared at her, wishing he could share her unwavering optimism.

"Monika… what if this is permanent?" He said, voicing his fear aloud. "What if I'll never move again?"

"Hmm, well in that case…" Monika said, her eyes glinting playfully. "…we'll have the perfect opportunity to act out this new scene I've written! It involves a sexy nurse, trying to cure her poor, immobilized patient through the power of love…"

"What is wrong with you, Monika?!" Natsuki piped up. "This is serious, MC could be in real danger! Now is not the time for your perpetual horniness!"

"I'm sorry, but I strongly disagree with that statement." Monika retorted, glancing her way. "And your bedside manners could really use some work!"

She returned her attention to MC, smiling apologetically.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to keep the mood light. I promise you, this won't be permanent."

"How do you know?" He asked.

"It's what my heart tells me." She simply said, as if that settled everything. "So don't you worry one bit, okay?"

There was a brief moment of silence where nobody spoke.

"…geez Yuri, how do you even sleep in this room?" Natsuki asked, frowning at a poster of Freddy Krueger reaching out towards her with his bladed glove.

Yuri was spared from replying as just that moment, a loud knocking came from somewhere in the house.

"It would appear the Doctor has arrived." Yuri said, looking relieved at the distraction.

"You hear that, MC?!" Sayori asked, excitedly. "The help is here!"

MC didn't respond, too afraid to say anything. It was as if voicing any kind of hope would be jinxing himself.

Please be able to fix me. He prayed silently.

Big thanks to remiboi and AWalkingMeme for their kind reviews on the previous chapter!

I'm happy to hear the prior story was still readable and yes, it's possible Sayori was talking about a game involving a certain irritating canine ;)