Control
Back at the hospital, Anne sits by Marcy's bedside. She's been sitting there for two hours while people come and go. Marcy's parents have been speaking to the doctors to make sure their daughter's getting the best care.
Anne's parents come into the room and sit next to her. She hasn't moved from that spot since she came into Marcy's room. Sasha's been trying to let Anne know it's okay to get up and take breaks, but she refuses to leave Marcy's side.
"Anne, we are here to support you, but we're worried. I know how much you care about Marcy, we all want her to make it through this. But, you need to take a break." Mrs. Boonchuy said.
"I agree. Let's go walk down to the cafeteria to get you some water and something to eat." Mr. Boonchuy said.
Anne snaps out of it and looks at her parents' concerned faces. She realizes she has been too focused on Marcy and, although she wants to be there when she wakes up, she knows she needs to make sure she's taking care of herself too.
"Yeah, I could use a break. Thanks for looking out for me Mom and Dad." Anne said.
Anne stands up and feels a bit stiff since she has been sitting for so long. She starts to feel better as soon as she starts walking, her parents by her side.
"Don't worry Anne, I'll text you if Marcy wakes up." Sasha said.
"Thank you Sasha." Anne replied.
Anne leaves the room with her parents and Sasha sits back down by Marcy's bedside. Sasha puts her hand on Marcy's. She knows the chances of Marcy living through this are low, but she's not going to give up on her.
"Marcy, please be okay." Sasha said.
Suddenly, Sasha feels Marcy gently squeeze her hand and smiles, tears of relief welling up in her eyes. Marcy's eyes are still closed, but the fact that she moved gives Sasha hope that she's still in there. She texts Anne right away to let her know and Anne responds immediately, letting Sasha know she's on her way back.
Once Anne's back, she runs to Marcy's bedside and sits there with Sasha. Both girls wait patiently, full of hope again.
"Marcy, it's Anne and Sasha. We're right here, please come back to us." Anne said.
Marcy can hear Anne, but she's afraid to open her eyes. She remembers her internal battle with Darcy vividly and can't tell if it was just in her mind while she was in a comatose state, or if Darcy's truly back. The lines between fantasy and reality are starting to blur and this terrifies Marcy. She's scared of what she, or Darcy, might do to Anne and Sasha.
Marcy tries hard to resist waking up, but after the horrific experience in her mind, she desperately wants support from Anne and Sasha. So, she slowly starts opening her eyes, adjusting to the bright hospital lights around her. She's exhausted and barely able to move, but also relieved to be in control of her mind and body at this moment.
Anne and Sasha are ecstatic to see Marcy awake. They both hug her gently as they know how weak and fragile she is at the moment. Marcy hugs them back with the little strength she has, happy to be in their arms again.
"Marcy, thank goodness you're awake. How are you feeling?" Anne asked.
"I feel exhausted. I'm sorry, I wish I could talk more but my head really hurts." Marcy replied.
Marcy closes her eyes to try and block out the bright and loud environment all around her. Her senses are heightened and it's painful for her to stay awake, so she tries her best to tune out the world around her.
"It's okay Marcy, take all the time you need. We'll get a doctor to make sure you're okay." Sasha said.
Marcy nods. Sasha gets up to find a doctor while Anne stays close by Marcy's side, holding her hand. Anne smiles, grateful Marcy survived this. She knows it's going to be a long recovery, but they'll be there for her every step of the way.
The doctor comes in to check on Marcy. They're surprised her vitals are looking much better and she seems to be doing well physically, besides having an intense headache. Eventually, the doctor decides she's safe to go home, but tells her parents to keep a close eye on her.
With that, Marcy gets ready to go home. She asked her parents if she can stay with Anne and Sasha for support and they agree that's just fine. So, the trio decides they'll ride with the Boonchuy's and go to Anne's house together.
Marcy's quiet on the way home, staring out the window and thinking about the vivid nightmare she had of Darcy. She wants to tell Anne and Sasha, but decides to wait until they're back at Anne's house. She's tired now and wants to rest, so she lies back and closes her eyes.
Anne and Sasha let Marcy rest. She's been through a lot, and they know it's going to take time before she's fully recovered. Marcy falls asleep and rests her head on Anne's shoulder. Anne smiles and puts her arm around her, happy she's safe.
Once they arrive at the Boonchuy's house, Anne carries Marcy inside with Sasha walking close by. Marcy slowly starts to wake up and all three girls sit on the couch together. Marcy in the middle with Anne and Sasha on both sides of her. She smiles, feeling safe and protected by the people who care about her.
Suddenly, Marcy remembers her nightmare. The seemingly endless torture floods back into her memories and she can't help but feel terrified. She knows she needs to be honest with Anne and Sasha before things get scary again. The last thing she wants is for Darcy to take control again, and she knows asking for help is the best way to prevent that.
"I need to tell you both something." Marcy said.
"What is it, Marcy?" Anne asked.
Marcy looks at Anne and Sasha and begins to feel nervous. She takes a deep breath to calm herself, but suddenly starts to feel this eerie sense of panic inside. She wishes everything could go back to normal, so she didn't have to feel this constant sadness and hurt, but she knows that's not reality. Things will never be the same as they were before they were transported to Amphibia, and that thought keeps her trapped, frozen with fear in her past memories.
Anne and Sasha wait patiently for Marcy to tell them what's going on, but they start to worry. Marcy starts to feel disoriented and confused, like she's losing her sense of self. Her grip on reality is weakening. Her head starts pounding and her heart races. She sees a flashback of Darcy punching the orange glowing eye on her chest plate. Suddenly, she screams in pain as tears stream down her face.
Anne and Sasha panic. Anne hugs Marcy tight to try and calm her down, while Sasha stands in front of her. Sasha tries to get Marcy to look at her, but she keeps her eyes shut tight, desperately trying to stay in control.
"Marcy, look at me, it's Sasha. I'm right here." Sasha said.
"I'm here too, Marcy. You're going to be okay." Anne said.
Marcy can hear Anne and Sasha, and she tries so hard to stay strong but she's losing herself. She opens her eyes to look at Anne and Sasha and tries to use their presence to stay grounded, but she can't hold on. Everything around her begins to blur as she fades in and out of consciousness.
Suddenly, Marcy feels the electric shock from the helmet she wore when she was tortured and possessed. That zapping pain pulsing through her head like tiny knives trying to claw their way out of her skull. She grabs her head in pain while Anne holds onto her tight, desperate to make her pain go away.
"I've got you Marcy. I'm not letting you go." Anne said.
Marcy tries to hold on, but the pain gets to be too much for her to handle. The electric shock stops and everything around her slowly fades away as she blacks out. Her body goes limp, a sad and pained expression on her face.
Anne and Sasha stare, frozen in disbelief with horrified expressions. Sasha immediately feels Marcy's wrist for a pulse to make sure she's still alive. She feels it, but it's very faint and slow. She breathes a sigh of relief.
"Anne, stay here with Marcy. I'm going to get your parents for help." Sasha said.
Anne nods. She holds Marcy close as tears stream down her face. She can't believe this is happening. She sits there sad and despondent, wondering why these horrible things keep happening to someone as innocent and kind as Marcy. Sure she has made mistakes, but she's suffered enough and doesn't deserve this.
Suddenly, Anne feels Marcy move in her arms as she slowly starts to wake up. She hugs Marcy, relieved that she's okay. But, when she pulls out of their hug and looks her in the eyes, she immediately notices something's not right.
Marcy looks back at Anne with glassy eyes, dazed and confused. Anne's seen this look before, when Marcy gets lost in her own world, but this is different. This look is dark and emotionless, a ghost of her former self.
"Marcy, are you okay?" Anne asked worriedly.
"Who's Marcy?" Marcy replied despondent.
