Chapter 3: Misery Loves Company

Vlad found himself incredibly tired as if the sandman himself had beaten him over the head with a baton. It was his own fault, of course, having worked himself into the ground lately with business and schemes alike. Not that that matter. It still didn't answer why he was in this situation. Maybe he couldn't take the squeak of shoes or the silent stares of people passing by. Maybe the lights were too bright out there in the hall. Or maybe… he didn't want people to see him weep over a lost love and a life unlived. The cationic boy was unable to mock his misery.

So, he had spent the whole night next to the ailing boy, tears streaming from his cheeks despite not making a noise except for a soft sob here or there. And when he was too exhausted to weep, he would stare at the papers that damn lawyer had given him. In fact, the older halfa was still clutching the pen tightly in his hand, the pen threatening to snap. Half of him wanted to punish Danny right now for being useless to Maddie while the other half wanted … what did he want?

He wanted Maddie.

She may have rejected him, but he wanted her so badly. She was the life left unlived. Now, he had nothing currently. Just a boy with a hero complex that had finally failed him.

Vlad wanted to be angry, enraged. He wanted to shake the boy for not saving her or maybe just smother the child with a pillow. A useless action, he knew. The child irritated him but was hardly worth such pains. Masters had never truly tried to kill the kid, so why start now? Especially if the fire wasn't an accident. Many shifty characters came through the Fenton's ghost portal ... and if that was the case, there would be blood.

Turning away from such thoughts, Vlad looked down at the teenager asleep in the bed. Yes, Danny would tell him if someone had done this, and while he was on thoughts of the boy… what of the papers? Once upon a time, he had wanted the teenager as an apprentice, but after the younger halfa had denied him he hadn't given it much thought. It was like he had that same opportunity, but now the boy had no option in the matter. The real question though was not if the teenager would react badly, but if Vlad even wanted to try and deal with the boy.

Vlad didn't get very far in his self-exploration though when suddenly his thoughts were intruded by soft footsteps. He looked up, angry at whoever had interloped on his emotional sanctuary.

"Hello?" said one of the attending, male nurses as he peered around the corner of the doorway and into the room like a disembodied head. "Is someone in here?"

Vlad immediately tried to wash away the sneer on his lips. He had an image to uphold after all.

The nurse finally entered when Vlad waved him in, his starched-stiff scrubs singing as he walked across the room and over to the side of Danny's bed. The name 'Thomas' was on his nametag. The man loved his job ... you could tell by the way he basically skipped across the room and his smiling-fish scrubs, a soft hum echoing from him as he opened a cluster of drawers on the far wall.

The bachelor already hated the man ... no one should be that happy while Vlad was this miserable.

Thomas, completely oblivious, when to work placing his collection of tools onto a nearby rolling tray, pushing it towards Danny's bed a second later. The happy nurse looked at the youth's chart quickly to make sure he had the right patient, and then stated calmly to Vlad, "I'll be changing his bandages. You can leave if you want. A burn isn't the most pleasant thing to look at."

The billionaire made no attempt to move so Thomas grabbed the tube belonging to Danny's IV and injected the necessary medication. Vlad flinched as the needle sparkled menacingly in the artificial light. How he hated needles! Years in the hospital had taught him that much.

Thomas paid no mind to Vlad's twitch as he gently pushed aside Danny's sheets revealing his damaged arm, the bandages red-tinged as they were removed.

The skin that wasn't burned was badly bruised before it moved downward becoming something akin to burnt steak. The nurse sighed, treating the arm like a crystal vase. Vlad could only swallow as he stared at the gruesome sight. The skin in some places looked as if it had been scratched off with a cookie cutter, while the rest was blackened and swelling… fluids seemed to be oozing everywhere. There was also a delicate row of black stitches running down the arm, giving the skin an even more freakish look. Vlad quickly looked away in disgust; a part of him was getting ill at the sight alone.

Finally noticing the magnitude of Vlad's distress, the nurse decided to distract him. In a calm manner, the nurse spoke, a sad smile etched on his face, "So, I heard you're taking Danny in. Its good to know he's not going to end up in the system."

The billionaire forgot his queasiness and looked up at the nurse in surprise.

"Who told you that?" asked Vlad as he was overcome with vexation. He was a man that valued his privacy so there was no viable reason that this nurse should know about such a personal affair.

"Nurses know everything around here, and Mr. Smith has been flirting with our female staff quite a lot," said Thomas with a shrug. He tried not to listen to the rumor mill too much, but Amity Park wasn't exactly a New York City emergency room. Sometimes it got slow around here.

A tiny tint of irritation rose in Vlad's throat, his private nature suddenly feeling invaded. He didn't care for that lawyer, and now he knew why. What kind of lawyer didn't know how to keep his mouth shut?

The kind that wants to make you feel guilty, quipped Vlad's inner thoughts. I wasn't exactly thrilled when he told me that I was Danny's godfather.

"Mr. Smith," grumbled Vlad as he resisted the urge to call the lawyer buffoon, "is … very perspicacious, I suppose."

"Yes, he is," chimed in Thomas as he finished rewrapping Danny's arm, throwing the used material into the biohazard trash. "Well, I'm all done here. I hope he wakes up soon so we can find out what happened. The whole situation is very perplexing. Poor Danny should be dead."

The nurse, checking Danny's temperature once more, offered one more sympathetic smile in Vlad's direction before leaving. And finally, Vlad was left all but alone once more.

The billionaire took in a deep breath, knowing not if he was grateful or regretful to be alone once more. He had nothing but his thoughts to entertain him now.

Despite himself, he turned his attention to his silent company and pulled his chair a little closer to the bed to better observe the teenager. Danny was motionless except for his shallow breaths that lifted and dropped his chest. Being this close also made Vlad finally noticed that Thomas had forgotten to cover Danny's arm back up. So, as carefully as possible, he covered the teenager's arm once more, hiding it from the world. The boy only took a shallow breath in answer.

"Now what should I do with you, little badger?" Vlad asked himself as he sat back down, half expecting to hear a reply. "But more importantly, what exactly happened to you and my dear Maddie?"

"Mom … Dad…"

The hairs on the back of Vlad's neck quickly rose as the listened to the boy whimper in his sleep. A deep sorrow suddenly washed over the billionaire once again as he watched Danny struggle against the sheets. Yet, this time, it wasn't for himself and his lost love. It was for the boy and his lost mother.

Sighing, the bachelor slowly picked up the black pen and wondered if he should start a new chapter to his life. He had everything he could ever want: fame, riches, and power. It was invigorating, yet at the same time, it all had felt empty. It all felt meaningless without someone there to share it with, without someone to give it to. He had crawled so high and now he was looking around realizing he was alone on the mountain top.

Swallowing at the deep ache in his chest, Vlad made a decision.

He was tired of being alone, and Daniel was now just as alone as he was. It's true that misery loves company and, besides, "Anything's better than a cat."

…

"Danny," said Jack as he waved to his son from across a lake. Casual jeans and a blue button-up shirt replaced his usual attire. The teenager blinked once in surprise until he caught sight of his mother and sister who were seated on a tablecloth in the manicured grass, getting ready for a picnic. It was truly an image of contentment. It was so odd yet wonderful that Danny allowed a smile to crack on his lips

Maddie looked up from her unpacking and tilted her sunhat so Danny could see her beaming face. She smiled as she cried out, "Come on, Danny! Come have some cake dear."

Her sun hat was suddenly caught by the wind, releasing her red hair to the breeze. Maddie looked so happy, especially since she was laughing because it had blown into Jack's face. "Come on Danny, before the wind blows us all away. I'll let you have the first piece of cake. Now come over here. We have all been waiting for you."

The birds sang softly as the clouds threw shade over the grassy park in patches. It was perfect. In fact, it felt like some terrible weight had been lifted from Danny's chest. It was like some terrible sorrow had been left behind and now he was running full tilt ahead, laughing at the thought of how ridiculous he must look. He was soon plopping down beside his family, glad to feel warmth in his heart once more. All he needed to be was happy was his family.

"Danny," said Jazz as she turned her judgmental stare on him. "Hurry up and eat. Do you want the ants to get to the cake before you?"

Danny rolled his eyes at her and picked up a knife. He greedily sunk the blade into the white frosting, asking, "Who wants the first piece?"

"Stop being modest, the first piece is yours," laughed Sam as she entered the scene with Tucker at her heels. They both looked to be overjoyed to see Danny, especially Sam. Her smile was from ear to ear and the very wind seemed to be entranced with her hair. His two best friends soon found their seats on the tablecloth beside his family.

Finally, they were all together.

"If you insist," chuckled Danny as he slowly pulled the cake apart, but instead of a sweet center, a cold red light came forward jumping up in a fiery wave. In surprise, all Danny could do was throw his hands up, howling in pain as the red light started to burn the flesh off the palms, consuming his perfect life. Danny wailed as the scenery was burned away, taking everyone with it. The ghost boy quickly felt breathless as he watched the same flaming figure from the basement rise from the ashes like a horrific, skeletal titan.

The demon could only smile with his shark-like teeth, and then the flames consumed Danny as well, the demon whispering down at his burning form, "I am the red rage of the world. No one and no land can forever escape me."

…

"No!" gasped Danny as we awoke, sweat dripping down his face and back. He quickly sat up only to be forced back down with a grunt. His arm was on fire!

The teenager laid there a moment taking panicked breaths as he gripped the sheets below him. After a few moments of acting like a fish on land, Danny finally managed to swallow his panic and throw off his sheets to see what was the matter. A whimper escaped him as he looked down at his left arm. It was wrapped in bandages, yet he could see the top part of his flesh was red and irritated. The bandages were also pink-tinged, hinting at the wound below.

Not knowing what else to do, the teenager sat up using his right arm to move his left arm into his lap. His injured arm exploded in agony causing the teenager to grind his teeth as he waited for the pain to be numbed. He would have never moved at all if he knew that was going to happen.

A few moments passed of practiced breathing until Danny's arm went semi-numb again. He opened his eyes and looked around the shadow encased room, antiseptic in the air.

"Where am I?" said the teenager to himself in a choked voice before he started coughing violently once the words passed through his chapped lips. Danny grabbed at his throat, wincing for a moment. His lungs seemed to be on fire. Where was he? What had happened? Was this a hospital room? How had he…

A loud snore suddenly ripped the boy from his thoughts, causing him to throw his head to the right ... Someone was sleeping in the bed next to him. Danny could just make out the silhouette of the other patient, but the face was hidden in dark shadows. He stared for a moment more, trying to distinguish some of the other figure's features, but his eyes just wouldn't focus on the other occupant. It was probably just an old man he had to share the room with.

Okay, he had an annoying roommate, but why was he even here? Certainly, he would remember…

It then hit him why he had woken up, a chilling wind seeming to flow over him like an arctic night. The dream about his family!

Danny hurriedly scanned the rest of the hospital room, but no one except the strange man was there. Where was his family?

Despite his injured form, Danny panicked and weakly pulled himself out of bed. His feet landed heavily on the cold floor, sending a chill through his entire body and nearly causing him to fall to the floor in a collected clump.

Trying to will away his dizziness, Danny stood there a moment panting as he leaned on the hospital bed for support. Standing there, breathing in slow deliberate breaths, he finally noticed he wasn't going anywhere until he pulled this IV out, which was now tugging at his arm.

The teenager swallowed. He had no love for needles or any of its medically painful cousins, but it had to come out. Ghosts couldn't stop him from rescuing his cherished ones so why would a simple needle?

Already regretting it, Danny pinched the top of the needle between his thumb and forefinger and then, while looking away, he gave it a tug. He felt the sting, but its bite didn't bother him as much as the oozing feeling now dripping down towards his elbow. Opening his eyes, the teenager stared at the small river of blood that was traveling downward. It was more blood than he thought, but he doubted he was going to bleed to death. So, he turned his attention to his feet and took a step forward.

"Ow, breezy," coughed Danny immodestly. The boy vaguely wondered why it was so drafty until he finally looked down only to notice that he was wearing nothing but a hospital gown. Great, I'm going commando. Plus, the gown's color wasn't very fetching on him. Not that his distaste mattered much when a sudden dizziness quickly overcame the teenager and he stumbled to the side, forced to grasp the stranger's bed for support.

Glaring at his white knuckles, Danny knew he was too weak to go ghost so he would need some clothes first. It seemed he would have to do this venture without his powers.

Lucky, it was the middle of the night or one of the nurses might have noticed a half-naked boy streaking into the laundry room. Once there, the halfa found himself a green intern uniform and a pair of scrub shoes.

Putting them on while minding his bruised and batter body, the boy was quickly ready to go. Surprisingly, he got outside without a hitch. Personally, Danny didn't understand why no one stopped him, because he doubted fourteen-year-old doctors worked there.

…

Vlad yawned loudly and rolled over, his mind restless as if trying to warn him of something. Slowly, he opened his eyes to gaze at the reason for his troubled mind: the bed right next to him. He was so mentally and physically exhausted that he hadn't even bothered going to a motel. So, instead, he just crashed in the empty hospital bed next to the kid. He had upgraded the boy's care to a private room with an extra bed. He wanted to be there in case the other halfa woke up.

Eyes adjusting to the dim lights, the billionaire immediately noticed there was defiantly something vitally wrong here. Something was missing, wasn't it? What was…

"Daniel!" barked the man as his sleepy mind ricocheted into full alert.

Alarm overcame the man and he quickly tried to jump out of the bed only to trip on the bed railing. His dry scream echoed out into the halls as the railing caused him to flip forward and to the floor, dragging the entire bed with him. The ruckus caused one of the female nurses to stall outside the room and glance at the closed door questionably.

She stood there a moment, her frown dragging heavily onto her plump face. Should she investigate? There was no alarm going off, but then again someone could have fallen and was unable to buzz for assistance. Then again… wasn't that the billionaire's room?

Shaking off her paranoia, her tan hands reached forward to open the door, but before she could even turn the handle a deranged-looking man suddenly threw open the door. His hair was wild and he was half dragging one of the bed railings on his foot, cursing under his breath as he struggled to kick off the contraption.

For a moment, the two just stared at each other: a frightened-looking nurse and a ruffled man that had all but dragged half of the bed out of the room with him.

Vlad struggled against the plastic bar clinging to his ankle for a moment more, before he cleared his throat, stood up straight, pushed back his stray hairs, and then straightened his collar. His tone seemed professional enough, but a tint of worry escaped his tensely held features, "The boy! … I mean Daniel Fenton. I closed my eyes for a moment and now he's gone. I think it's rather unprofessional to remove the child without informing me first. … The nurses did take him somewhere, didn't they?"

The nurse blinked once, still trying to collect herself.

Tilting her head in thought, eyes tired from working a double shifted, she stated almost dumbly, "It's the middle of the night. We wouldn't take him in for any tests unless he's critical."

The man's professional features almost cracked, whispering, "Then where is he?"

An expression of confused-worry replaced her tired eyes, and she peaked past the ruffled man and into the room. The one bed was tipped over and the other was most certainly empty… the bathroom was also dark.

Frown increasing, dismay settled in when she noticed that the IV was still in the room. There were also small droplets of blood on the floor.

She swallowed, following the trail with her brown eyes as the trickling stream of red led out into the hall and away from the room. She knew what had happened immediately, her lips becoming a tight line. The kid was gone.

Noticing the importance of the situation, the plump nurse nearly tripped over her own feet as she rushed to the nurses' station to inform hospital security and the rest of the night staff, yelling behind herself, "Sir, I need you to remain calm. From the look of things, the boy has wandered off, and he is in no condition to be out of bed. J-just stay here. I'll get security to the room to talk to you."

"Wait! Where are you going! What do you mean he wandered off," growled Vlad in a raised voice, still trying to kick off the clingy railing and chase after the nurse, but as he stared at his feet... he noticed the blood smear.

Quickly turning his head, he visually followed the small path. He couldn't help but note its retreat. Had the boy been running from him?

"Daniel, you young fool. You should have spoken to me first before running off,"

Cursing the boy's stupidity, Vlad quickly phased through the bed railing. He then straightened his hair once more, and proceeded down the hall with rushed footsteps, trying to keep a controlled air around him though a type of panic was setting in. Daniel was in no condition to be out and about. It was also obvious that the night staff had no idea where he had gone.

The boy was nothing if not predictable.

"If you want something done right, just as wells do it yourself," groused the billionaire as he followed the droplets, his gut sinking as they led him inevitably outside.

…

Danny, meanwhile, slowly stumbled past Casper High School. The windows were darkened, but Danny could still hear the laughter of his friends contained within the walls. The teenager quickened his pace to escape the looming eyes of the school, whispering to himself as he struggled not to stumble, his mind becoming clearer and clearer with every step.

"Please don't let this be true. It can't be true."

XXX

Paw07: I know I need more sleep.

Edit: Changed the last scene some with Vlad about Danny's disappearance. It just seemed too 'out there' so I rephrased it to seem a little serious for the situation.

(Revised August 2019)