Chapter 52- Scout's Therapy

It was a long night. Scout kept waking up screaming and Sam had to sleep with her. Even when Sam tried to sneak to the bathroom, Scout would wake up and freak out. Willow and Danny ended up playing chess and Crazy 8's most of the night. Drew kept running up from downstairs to check on Scout.

By morning time, Willow got dressed and ready to go back to work. Sam and Scout came out for breakfast, but Scout was quiet. Danny yawned while they ate and when he went to his room to get dressed, he ended up lying down. His eyes quickly drooped, and he drifted off to sleep.

The water was refreshing after being out in the hot sun. Summer. Danny's favourite time of year. He kicked and backstroked through the lake. When he looked up, there was Angelica. Her brown hair flowed freely over her shoulders, untouched by the water. He swam closer to her. As he leaned forward to press his lips to hers, lightning struck, and she disappeared.

Danny's heart sped as dark clouds covered the sun.

"Slave! Help me, slave!"

He whipped around and saw Matteo dunk Angelica's head underwater.

He zoomed towards her when he heard Scout's voice. "Danny! I want Mommy!" She was standing on thin ice and fell through.

"Scout!" Danny shouted and swam after her.

"Danny, you're putting all of us in danger," Drew called out where Francesco Marchesi was pulling him under.

"How could you put your sisters in danger?" Sam asked, as Alessandro pulled her under.

"No! Stop!" Willow shouted as Shiloh grabbed her and tried to kiss her, then dunked her head under.

Danny's breathing sped up and he dove under water where the Marchesis, Peter August, V-Guards, and Shiloh were drowning Angelica and all his family, including cousins, aunts, uncles, Grandpa, and Grandma Monica.

Nelle swam over and took over for Alessandro in drowning Sam. "You could have been my mom and brother!" she shouted clearly through the water.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Danny cradled his head in his hands. "I can't save everyone!"

"Yes, you can," he heard his grandma's voice. "Follow the light."

Danny turned around and saw Alexis floating in front of the hole in the wall, light beaming through on her.

He swam over to her. "But this can't be the only way?"

Alexis nodded. "It is. You must save us. You must bring down the mob and the Almighty V."

Danny looked back at his suffering family and his eyes filled with tears. Then at his beautiful Gel. "Okay, I'll do it. I'll do it for them."

Danny swam towards the hole, then the Almighty V appeared in Alexis' place grinning. "There is no way out. V-Town is everywhere. The Almighty V and the little Mighty V will rule over all."

Danny bolted awake, sweating and heart pounding past. Was dream Grandma right? Is that hole the only way? He couldn't let the Incompetent V win… he just couldn't.

He rolled out of bed and made his way to the hallway but stopped when he saw Kevin Collins sitting in the living room talking to Sam and Scout.

"How are you today, Scout?" Kevin asked.

Scout leaned against Sam and placed her hand on her knee. "Scared."

"Why are you scared?"

Scout shrugged.

"Would it help to draw what makes you scared?" Kevin suggested, handing her a piece of paper and a pencil.

Sam handed Scout a book to draw on. After a few minutes she handed her drawing to Kevin.

"I see." Kevin looked at it. "Can you tell us about your picture?"

"I'm in the water wearing a fancy dress…" Scout started crying and Sam wrapped her arm around her.

"And is this a special dress?" Kevin asked.

Scout shrugged. "I don't know. Dresses scare me."

"Why do dresses scare you?"

"I don't know," Scout said with a little whine to her voice. "They're just really scary. And I don't want to wear one."

"Sometimes when objects or dresses seem scary it's because they remind us of something that scared us before," Kevin explained. "Do dresses make you think of something bad?"

Scout scrunched her face, then shook her head. "No. Dresses are just bad."

"Okay. And who are the other people in your picture?"

She pointed to the picture. "That's Mommy and Daddy leaving me."

Sam frowned.

Kevin sat back in his chair and rubbed his chin. "And why are they leaving you?"

"Because the Almighty V says parents don't love us and don't understand the rules of V-Town."

"Scout…" Sam started to say, but Kevin lifted his hand and smiled sadly at her, indicating that Scout needs to get this out.

"And do you know the rules of V-Town, Scout?" Kevin asked.

Scout swallowed hard. "The Almighty V is everywhere. He saved us from a bad world that mommys and daddys left us in. He's everywhere and will flush us when he finds out we left."

"And do you know what flushing means?"

She clung tightly to Sam she started crying harder.

"It's okay, Scout," Kevin said. "You're safe here. You can tell us."

"It's something really really bad. They didn't tell us, but it happened to me."

Sam's eyes grew wide. "They flushed you in V-Town!?"

Scout shook her head. "Here. Down at the docks. It was really really cold, and I couldn't breathe."

"Oh, honey…" Sam rubbed her back.

"And the Almighty V did that to you?" Kevin asked.

"It's because I was bad and left V-Town. Mommy and Daddy said I wouldn't get flushed, but I did."

"And why do you think they flushed you this week?" Kevin asked. "Why didn't they do it when you first arrived on this island?"

"Because I left Mommy and Daddy and walked out in the dark," Scout said.

"And are you afraid if you're away from your mommy that it will happen again?"

Scout nodded. "I don't like being flushed."

"That night when you went down to the docks, did you see the Almighty V or anyone that works for him?" Kevin asked.

"No. Just Danny and Willow."

Kevin nodded and pointed to the picture. "And who's this?"

"That's Grandma wearing a crown because she's the queen and trying to protect us from the Almighty V."

"And who is this?"

Scout frowned and buried her face into Sam's chest. She mumbled, "The Almighty V…"

"And what is the Almighty V doing in the picture?" Kevin asked.

"He's trying to hurt Grandma."

"Why is he trying to hurt Grandma?" Kevin asked

"Because she's most wanted and there's a bounty for her," Scout said.

"Why is she most wanted?"

"Because there's posters and all my teachers say she's bad. Willow doesn't though, she says she's good."

"And do you think she's bad?" Kevin asked.

Scout shook her head.

"Now Scout, I want to ask you something," Kevin said. "Were you happy at V-Town?"

"In my bathroom."

"Just your bathroom? Did you like the rest of V-Town?"

"No…" she whimpered a little.

"Do you like it here with your family? On this island?"

She nodded.

"And do you feel safe here, Scout?"

Scout clung to Sam again. "With Mommy."

Kevin smiled. "That's good. I'm glad you feel safe with Mommy. Can you tell me what all these X's are?"

"The Almighty V and all the bad guys coming to this island and hurting everyone."

"And you're afraid that's going to happen?" Kevin asked.

She nodded. "And he'll take me away from Mommy."

Danny frowned and retreated to his room, plopping down on his bed again. He couldn't let that happen to his sweet little sister again, he just couldn't. He had to come up with a plan. He had to listen to dream Grandma.