A/N I refer to Harry's hair style here as "Dreadlocks". I know that this is controversial but I didn't know if people would get what I was going for if I used just "locs". If this is a problem please let me know and I will correct this.
‼️‼️MAJOR TW‼️‼️
•Allusions to: cannibalism and child abuse
•Mentions of: vomiting, alcohol, and canonical character "death".
•Description of a panic attack / traumatic flashbacks.
•The normal DHMIS toppings, but please stay safe! I would much rather you stay safe and leave this fic than potentially hurt yourself.
‼️ PLEASE READ THE NOTES FOR THIS CHAPTER ‼️
Once again, Manny awoke to Ray bustling around his roommate while he had been passed out.
"Hey Manny. You were out for a couple of hours." Manny tried to piece together what had happened, and it all came back.
"Where are Harry and Robin." Manny's voice was panicked. They weren't with him, but Ray had said that everyone in the simulation had gotten out safely, right? A small, sad smile crossed Ray's face before they replied.
"Well, they're still asleep. They're alive and safe, don't worry, but in comas. Their brains are still adjusting to the fact that they aren't dead." He was so close. He was so close.
"Please, I need to see them." He could feel tears starting to fall despite his brain screaming at them to stop, to stay strong. Ray grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and handed it to Manny.
"I can't make any decision on my own, but I'll go ask my supervisor if I can take you in and visit them, okay?" Manny gave a shaky nod and watched as they walked out of the room.
Time is a funny thing. When you want things to last they fly by; but if something is agonizing it stretches on for forever. That's exactly how the wait for Ray felt. Sitting in that bed was torture, but it gave him time to get a good look at himself. He was in a grey hospital gown with small white starts scattered across the fabric and his hair had grown out about the middle of his neck. The exact length that Robin had his for a few months before getting it up shorter again. The exact length Manny had always wanted it. Manny started to comb through his hair with his fingers, untangling it as best he could. His hair had never been long enough to brush or put up, but Harry's long dreadlocks were so fun to style with Robin-
He yanked his hair a little to hard and that jerked him out of his thoughts. Trying to set those thoughts aside, Manny tried observing the room.
There was the beeping of the machines. Colin screaming. The overwhelming information and colors. Being thrown back into his body only for them to realize that Harry was missing. Not being able to find him anywhere-
There was a round clock above the door. Famous faces swirling around him. The feeling of his flesh decaying. A spinning vortex. Words he didn't understand and a tub full of fish. The smell of-
There was some art on the wall next to his bed. Clouds. Pictures in the clouds. One of his best drawings being covered in black paint as he watched. Suddenly not having control over his body. Organs being dipped in glitter-
Stop.
Lilly disappearing a few days after she got out of the Love Cult. Not being able to find her, being scared that Shrignold had gotten her again.
Why couldn't his brain stop?
Crying with Robin when they couldn't find Harry. Looking through the photo album they had found when they first got there. Begging Colin for answers but only getting blank stares and incomprehensible beeps.
Why couldn't he breath?
Cans surrounding him in the empty kitchen. A sickening feeling in his stomach as he wiped the meat and blood off of his face. It tasted terrible but he had eaten it anyways, not having control of his body again. Seeing Robin's face on the side of the can. "Fresh Raw Meat! Canned Today!" Falling out of his chair and vomiting onto the bloody tile as he realized what he had done.
Stop.
Curled up in bed with the photo album, but no one with him this time. Silently crying so he wouldn't alert the Teachers. He could still taste the meat on his tongue even though it had been a week. The mear thought of what he had done enough to make him gag.
"Manny!"
Being tied down to the chair, Malcom's statue facing him down as Shrignold and the rest of the Cult sang behind him. Lilly begging them to stop.
"Manny can you hear me?"
Hiding inside a cabinet as He stormed around the house looking for him. The smell of alcohol permeating every inch of space.
"Manny."
The songs. The songs that would start whenever something horrendous was about to start. The songs that bashed against his skull. The songs that slowly made him loose control of his body and do things he hated.
"Manny it's me, Ray, breath."
R o y.
"Manny."
Him
"Manny!"
Alcoholic
"f#ck. Manny it's Ray!"
Dad
"Ray!"
Father
"Ray!"
Abuser
"R-a-y. Ray. Not Roy. He's not here"
...
"Manny if you can hear me nod your head or squeeze my hand, okay?"
There was something in his hand. He gave it a squeeze.
"Manny you're in the hospital room. Squeeze my hand again if you understand."
He squeezed the hand.
"Great. Okay, can you tell me five things you can see?"
Flashing lights from machines-
He was in the hospital room.
"Y-you. Wall. B-bed. Painting. D-door."
"Great. Four things you can feel?"
Hands holding him down-
He was in the hospital room.
"Your h-hand. The s-sheets. T-the hospital gown. And... wind?"
"It's the air conditioner. Three things you can hear?"
Music pounding on his ears-
He was in the hospital room.
"Your voice. M-my voice. The air conditioner."
"Two things you can smell?"
The kitchen-
He was in the hospital room.
"Perfume and hospital smell."
"And one thing you can taste."
Meat-
He was in the hospital room.
"Mint?" A small laugh came from Ray.
"We had to brush your teeth. You with me Manny?" He had missed breathing.
"Y-yeah."
"That's good. Okay. Will you be okay with me leaving to get you some water or do you want me to stay here are have someone else get it?" Not alone. Being alone meant Dad. Being alone meant Teachers. Being alone meant pain.
"Stay please." The thought of being left alone again was suffocating.