Day 1: Birth/Creation
He had the best friends. He knew that, and he was always grateful. More grateful than he had ever been able to express to them. They had been with him through the really hard times. The hardest times of his life.
When he had lost his scholarship because of his own stupidity, they had helped him get a job so he didn't have to drop out and move back home. Working at the Packers Stadium could be hard, but he got free tickets! He would often drag his friends with him. All three of them decked out in green and gold, shouting their support until they were hoarse. They would all collapse in his apartment after the game,a big pile on the stained second-hand couch that would creak under their combined weight.
When he had struggled with picking a major, they had encouraged him to do what he was passionate about. It was his life to live. They gave him the courage to stand up to his dad, and change from the Business Course to Ectobiology. He had never been more happy or more terrified. Even through his father's scathing insults, he never felt more sure of himself.
When he had made the decision to get away from his family for good, they were there every step of the way. He would never be good enough in his mom's eyes, always second place to his younger brother. The outcast and loser. Nothing more than a mistake. But his friends helped him see that he didn't deserve to be treated like that. Even helped him pick out a new last name when he finally scrounged enough cash to get it changed legally. Masters . Maddie had said it was fitting for someone who had now become the master of his own life. Jack just pouted because Fenton had been thrown out so quickly.
Vlad wanted to laugh at the memory. All he could manage was a painful wheeze against the oxygen mask on his face. Every breath was a nightmare, like breathing in the fires of hell. He imagined he could feel each tongue of flame licking the inside of his chest. Consuming him. The liquid that filled his lungs did nothing to quench the burn. Only succeeding in making the once natural response so unbearably hard. He struggled to draw another breath. And another.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
He didn't know what had gone wrong with the proto-portal. He hadn't expected it to turn on when it did. He had merely been inspecting the hardware, making sure that there were no loose wires or misplaced panels. Then there was so much green light. And his face! The painful welts were the least of it. Ectoplasm was radioactive, even if only mildly. He couldn't put Jack and Maddie in danger, too. What if it spread? He couldn't do that.
He had gone straight to the hospital. Driving had been hard, as he was blinded by the constant water pouring from his eyes. He would like to lie to himself and say it was only because of the damage done to his eyes. That the ecto-burns had damaged the tearducts and were causing his eyes to water. That he was stronger than crying from pain. Maddie would say that was the sort of toxic foolishness his dad had drilled into him. She was usually right about that sort if thing.
He had lost his vision a week after the accident. Everything had faded, a red tint that grew darker and covered his whole field of vision before he could see nothing. He had cried, the salty tears stinging against the open sores on his face.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
He knew that he wasn't allowed guests. That the doctors and nurses had to wear specialized PPE, as no one was sure how the unknown substance would affect the people around him. Government mandated. But Vlad knew better. Rules would not stop Jack Fenton from coming to see him. Jack had helped Vlad break into his parents' house to retrieve some of his stuff. Jack was not a stealthy man, though, and they were caught immediately. It was a good thing Maddie's Grandad was a well-respected Officer, otherwise they would have ended up in jail. They needn't of bothered breaking in, anyway. His parents had already thrown away all of his stuff.
So he knew. He didn't have a single doubt. Any second, he would hear the booming voice of his best friend coming down the hallway. The door would slam open, the hinges nearly ripped from the wall. He probably wouldn't get to stay more than five minutes before he was kicked out, but the amount of life Jack could bring in a room was limitless. Vlad knew that when his friend got here, he would find the strength to pull through this. The pain would be like nothing.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Maddie would be more subtle. She might even get to stay for an hour before she was noticed. And Vlad would treasure it. He had hoped she would show up before he had completely lost his ability to speak, the radiation had completely fried his vocal chords after the first month. After a month and a half he had lost all muscle function in his face and had to be intubated.
But he would find a way to confess his feelings. He didn't know when his feelings of friendship and admiration had changed to romantic feelings, but he wanted her to know. He needed her to know. She was the one that always berated him for hiding his feelings from them. She had given more than one lecture about how friends should rely on each other, and that he didn't need to hide how he felt from them. She would always accept him, no matter what.
He hadn't been able to move his fingers for the past week, but he knew that when she walked in he would find the strength to write out his feelings. Even if he had to tap it in morse code. She had taught him how to do that. It would almost be poetic.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
He didn't know how he had survived without Jack and Maddie. The neglect he had suffered from his parents had seemed normal, had seemed like love before he had met his friends. It was like being raised on bread and water, and suddenly being presented a feast. With them, he could do anything. He was in control of his life. When they got here, everything would work out. He knew he would have a long recovery period. But they would help him every step of the way, just like they always had.
He missed them so much.
He was so tired.
He should rest a bit, for when they get here. He didn't want to sleep the whole time.
Breathe in.
Bre-
