For DannyMay Day 8- Lost, Day 10- Corruption, and Day 11-Doctor
Summary: Danny didn't even notice how much he was growing to care about Phantom, until he suddenly did. A continuation of the Haunted.
Note: This takes place after my Dannyversary story, The Haunted, but can be read alone. In this au, Phantom is Danny Fenton's ghost, a spectral double created by the portal accident. The two started as enemies before deciding to work together. This story focuses on their growing friendship and the moment Danny realizes how much the ghost means to him.
Warning: Angst, Gore, Lots of ectoplasm, One field surgery performed without anesthetic, Near destabilization
Danny Fenton's friendship with Phantom grew slowly, while the human wasn't even thinking about it. It started with a thermos and a suggestion to patrol together. For Danny, the plan was logical; Phantom was not a bad ghost and working with each other was better than working against each other. So the two patrolled, Phantom in the sky and Danny on the ground using his scooter. The boy shared hunting equipment with the ghost and the ghost offered information about the other ghosts haunting the town. Yes, it was logical…
When Phantom kept bandaging Danny's injuries,
When they stargazed on slow nights,
When Phantom flew Danny home after a tiring patrol,
When Danny let Phantom try some of his favorite snacks,
When the two talked and laughed and shared stories.
Yes, it was logical and Danny didn't even notice how much he was growing to care about Phantom, until he suddenly did.
Leaves and sticks crunched under Danny's feet as he limped through the forest, his path dimly lit by the full moon and a ghost's ethereal glow. His ghostly companion leaned into his side, an arm wrapped around the human's shoulders so the boy was supporting Phantom's minimal weight.
Worry balled in Danny's gut. "Come on Phantom. Stay awake." The boy chastised the ghost.
"Uhhhh awake...uhh...yeah.." Strugglingly, Phantom lifted his head before it flopped onto his chest.
The human's heart pounded at seeing the active ghost so incoherent. "Phantom. Talk to me."
The ghost seemed to register the word, glancing down at his body. "Hurts… stom.. Stomache… stupid..Skullker.."
"I know it hurts. I know." Danny's expression softened. His eyes fixed at the gaping wound on Phantom's stomach, a 'present' left by Skulker, who unfortunately had started taking interest in the pair of 'dimensional twins'. "But you need to help me find the clearing."
Phantom groaned in pain, causing Danny to wince. After a moment, he whispered, confusedly.
"Clearing?"
"Yes." Danny shivered, glancing side to side. "I have no idea where we are."
Neon green eyes met his unfocusedly. "We...we're..lost?" Phantom blinked.
"Yes." The human tried to push down his panic, staying calm for his companion. "Do you remember what happened?"
"Stars...stars...really pretty." Phantom shook his head. "Then Skulker...Danny run...flying...pew, pew...hurts."
"Yeah. That's right." Danny stumbled forward. "You wanted to go stargazing. Said they were really clear out here, in the middle of nowhere. So we flew out here." His heart clenched remembering Phantom's excited face as the ghost told him about the wonderful stargazing spot he found, a spot he promised Danny would love. And he had until... "Skulker showed up, started shooting. You told me to run when the stupid ghost started chasing you."
The ghost nodded, lazily. Then his nose wrinkled in thought. After a moment, he started laughing."We...we caught...the frog?"
"Phantom!" Danny shouted, startled by the sudden mood swing.
Phantom snorted. "Under….suit….heee'ss...he's...frog."
"Phantom! That's not funny." The boy's heart rate increased. The ghost was getting really out of it. Not good, not good. "Focus!"
"But...but…" Phantom bit his lip, pouting like a rebuked child. "Skulker'sss so lil'... n'... greeen….he's..a frog!" It reminded Danny way too much of himself as a little kid.
"We can laugh about it later. But we need to find the road or the clearing you took me too. Which way?" The boy looked side to side. Come on! Come on, something familiar.
Beside him, Phantom giggled. "Go up! We need ta go up!"
Danny shrieked as the ghost attempted to fly, canceling out gravity for both of them for a second. His aura flickered rapidly as both lifted off the forest floor before weight returned. With a jolt, the pair fell heavily towards the ground. Instead of landing on his feet, Danny lost his balance, tipping forward. He fell onto his stomach, pulling Phantom with him. The fall knocked the air out of his lungs.
Splayed on the floor, Danny laid there for a few seconds, trying to convince himself to breath. With a groan, he rolled over. Then the human remembered his companion.
"Phantom!" Danny was on his knees in an instant, pushing the ghost onto his back. His glowing face was scrunched up in pain, his eyes closed. Danny gently shook him. "Phantom! Come on!"
No response, not even a facial tick. The human shook Phantom more vigorously. "Phantom! Can you hear me?"
The ghost's head lauded to the side but his expression did not change. Danny felt panic mounting. Had he passed out?! Could ghosts even do that? He shook Phantom again. "Come on! That's not funny!"
Nothing. Oh god, this was really happening. Phantom had passed out. He was injured. Danny's hands shook but he tried to force it down. He looked side to side. He was lost; they were lost in the middle of nowhere and his ride out of here passed out.
Suddenly, something rustled behind him, a stick breaking with a crack. Danny whipped around. "Who's there?!"
He turned in time to see something small and furry scurrying through the moon-lit leaves. Danny took a breath, trying to calm himself. It was just a rabbit, or squirrel, or groundhog. It was fine. They were fine. Phantom had caught Skulker; the ghost was not going to sneak up on them. The only people out here were Danny and Phantom.
The boy swiveled back, facing the ghost again. He was still passed out, deathly (ha!) still expect for soft slow breathing (a strange habit he possessed because he….wasn't exactly a conventional ghost). Somehow his face was even paler than usual. Danny paled himself. That was not good. They needed to get moving. The boy looked around again. But where was the clearing they'd been stargazing in?
Another pained groan sounded from Phantom, his eyes shifting under closed lids. Danny looked down, clenching his fists to steady them. He could do this. He was a ghost hunter, damnit! They'd been in tight spots before and Danny was competent. He knew what to do in emergency situations! He could do this.
Slowly putting his feet under him and thanking the heavens he hadn't hurt himself in that fall, Danny slowly lifted the ghost. Carefully but awkwardly, he adjusted Phantom in his arms, holding him bridal style. Luckily, the ghost weighed next to nothing.
Danny put one foot in front of the other, going back the way he'd come. He couldn't have run that far, right? Definitely not. The clearing couldn't be that far; they already stumbled a while before Phantom passed out.
Carefully Danny stepped over a log, wincing as Phantom groaned again. But once they got to the clearing, what then? Phantom was out. Why? How? How did the ghost even pass out? Danny pushed down the panicked thoughts.
"Focus Fenton!" He quietly growled to himself.
He'd find the clearing. And...he swallowed….he'd find his cell phone and call Sam and Tucker. Dread dropped in his stomach. Or god forbid, his sister. He'd….he'd have to tell them about the ghost hunting and Phantom. But….but he had no choice. There was no other way out and Phantom needed help.
Phantom. Danny's heart rate increased, noticing the faster breathing of the ghost in his arms. Though Phantom did breathe, it was never this fast. This was...definitely not good. And was he warmer? Danny paused for a second, focusing on Phantom's temperature where his suit was contacting Danny's bare arms. The boy frowned; the normally comfortably cold ghost was almost room temperature. This was bad. Bad! Bad! Bad! Why was the ghost feeling warmer?!
Danny glanced at the wound on Phantom's abdomen again. It was….bubbling oddly, the neon green ectoplasm churning and evaporating. The boy's eyes widened and he felt sick. What the hell had Skulker shot Phantom with?!
Suddenly, Danny was moving, stumbling across the leaves before he realized what he was doing. Now that he was listening, he could hear the wicked sizzling of Phantom's ectoplasm. He glanced down. Oh god, it was spreading, the wound...darkening in a strange contrast to Phantom's pale skin.
Now Danny was practically running, his heart beating pounding in his ears. The clearing! He needed to get there now! And...and….what?
His mind sputtered as the boy passed a familiar boulder. That looked familiar, a distant part of him realized. But it brought no relief. The sizzling increased as Danny registered ectoplasm spreading. Something cold dripped onto his arm. No, please, no. He glanced down. The thick green liquid was dripping from Phantom stomach.
No. NOT green. It was darkening, almost black. Corrupting, the blackness spreading through tainted veins. No. No. No! What the hell was happening?!
Phantom! Hang on! The boy mentally screamed, his lungs burning.
He stumbled through the treeline, nearly face planting but stayed up right. He was here. He was here.
Running to his bookbag, the boy careened to a stop. As gently as he could with shaking arms, Danny lowered Phantom to the ground. The ghost groaned again, a low and pain filled sound. His eyes fluttered open and then closed, before he passed out again.
Danny threw open his bag, dumping everything on the ground. What could he do?! What could he do?! The hideous blacked ectoplasm continued spreading onto Phantom chest. What was it? What would it do?! His mind stumbled into panic, imagining the black spread and overtaking Phantom. The corruption twisting, melting, destroying the ghost. No No! NO! That was not acceptable. He was not losing Phantom! The black needed to be gone!
With a spare shirt to use as a rag, Danny grabbed a water bottle. He poured the contents onto the shirt and vigorously, desperately wiped away the corrupted ectoplasm.
"Come on! Come on!" The boy begged, his eyes starting to water.
That seemed to do it….for a few seconds. From the middle of the wound, the blackness spread, invading Phantom's veins again.
"No! No! Goddamn it Skulker!" Danny wiped again, his hands burning from contact with the corrupted ectoplasm but he didn't care.
Again, the blackness receded, crawling back down Phantom's veins and towards the epicenter, before radiating out.
"It's not working! It's not working!" Danny cried, fighting tears that wanted to fall. He shook Phantom, who groaned in pain. "Please Wake up! I don't know what to do!"
The ghost's eyes lids struggled to open, before pinching shut. Danny shook him again. "Phantom! Please!"
Face wrinkled in pain, Phantom whimpered but didn't try to open his eyes again. The human pleaded. "Phantom! I need you! Please!"
With a groan, the ghost's eyes popped open. "Danny?" He whispered.
"Phantom! Phantom!" Shaking hands reached for one of Phantom's "I...I don't….Skulker shot you with something. I...I don't know what it's doing."
Slowly, Phantom moved his head from the ground, glancing at his stomach. His eyes widened, in fearful alarm. "Wipe….wipe it." He motioned weakly.
"I did!" Danny shook his head. "It just spreads after."
"Show...show me." The ghost whimpered.
The human did, wiping away the corruption. With fearful green eyes, the ghost watched at the black receded and then spread from the center of his wound again.
"See! It just spreads. It just...I don't…"
Phantom squeezed Danny's hand. "You'll...you'll have to….cut...cut it out." He weazed out each word, like he was struggling to breath.
"What?!" Danny gasped.
"Wipe and...cut the middle." Somehow the ghost paled at the demand. "'Ll stop the black."
The human shook his head. "No. No. I...I can't."
"It's...only option." Phantom whispered, nose wrinkling in pain.
Only option? Not would work, only option. "I...I can't." He couldn't. No. Phantom, Phantom was the one who did this, patched up injuries. Not him. He always got hurt, not Phantom. "We don't even have…"
"Danny." Phantom cut him off, reaching for the small, luckily ecto-proof knife the human packed. Weakly, he grabbed the sheathed blade and held it out to Danny, hilt towards him. "I trust you."
The words were clear and confident. They both broke Danny's heart and lifted his spirits. After all he'd done, how badly they'd started out, Phantom really trusted him? Shakily, Danny grabbed the knife. "Okay. I'll...I'll…." He couldn't say the words.
The ghost motioned to the wet, ectoplasm stained shirt. "Wipe... then cut…. Quick."
"Okay." Danny took a deep breath, preparing himself (Preparing himself?! How the heck was he supposed to…). His eyes fell on a spare pair of socks on the grass. He reached shakily and presented the pair to Phantom. "You might want to...bite this."
The ghost's eyes widened in understanding. He took the fabric with ectoplasm covered hands and stuffed it into his mouth. Phantom breathed heavily through his nose before nodding to Danny, a watery eyed 'do it."
Danny breathed heavily too, unsheathing the knife. He glanced at the wound and steeled himself. Then he wiped...and...wiped...and...wiped.
Another breath. He threw the cloth to the side and cut. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Phantom screamed, muffled by the sock. He flayed and kicked, in pain but weak from ectoplasm loss.
Danny cut. "I'm sorry." He felt like a civil war era doctor, performing a battlefield surgery.
More screams and tears running down Phantom's face. The ghost flickered intangible, but luckily the knife kept slicing.
"I'm sorry. Phantom. I'm sorry." Danny felt sick, his hands digging into the ghost's flesh. Ectoplasm seeped through his fingers as he sliced, separating the dark corruption from the pale, greenish flesh. He gagged. Don't think about it, don't think about it. He wasn't cutting into his best friend's stomach (wait…). It was ecto contaminated ham, like last Easter.
Phantom squirmed, still screaming, before he suddenly went silent. Danny's heart almost stopped, but he finished, removing the last bit of infected flesh from the ghost's abdomen. He flung the hazardous waste away. With ectoplasm stained hands, Danny ripped his shirt over his head and pressed it to the wound.
"I'm sorry, Phantom. I'm…" His voice broke as he glanced at the ghost's face. Completely blank, with closed eyes. His face twitched ever so slightly, giving Danny some small relief. He'd just passed out.
Danny pressed down on the wound, gushing ectoplasm. "Please. Please. Please stop." He begged as the shirt soaked through. "No!"
It had to stop. Please! Danny finally let the tears fall. He couldn't do this. He could not have done that to Phantom just to lose him from ectoplasm loss. "Please, Phantom. Stay with me." He was unconscious but maybe he could hear. "Hang on! Don't die on me."
Danny frowned. Could Phantom die? He was a ghost. Ghosts can't die. But...but.. "I don't want to lose you! Stop bleeding!"
The ectoplasm kept oozing. Danny's hands kept shaking. He could not do this! No! He couldn't lose his best friend. His ghost, because he'd been a coward and ran away from Skulker. The boy cursed himself. He should have listened to his instincts and stayed!
Under his hands, Phantom twitched, knocking Danny back into awareness. He had to do something. Danny's eyes fell on one of his ectoguns. The battery pack! Ectoplasm. Phantom had consumed ectoplasm before, after a long and tiring fight.
With one hand pressed on the wound, the boy grabbed his gun. Fumbling, he slid the ectoplasm-filled cell out of the gun and popped off the cap. Awkwardly, he shuffled to Phantom's head and pulled the now wet socks from his mouth. He stared at the open mouth and before he could really think about it, he poured the ectoplasm in. The ghost's nose wrinkled, probably at the taste, but he didn't swallow. (Did he need to for the ectoplasm to heal him?) Casting a cautious glance at Phantom's wound, he lifted his hand. Using one hand, the boy lifted Phantom's head back and with the other pinched his nose closed. After a moment, Phantom swallowed.
Panicedly, Danny glanced at the wound again. It was still bleeding profusely. No! No! No! It didn't work! He grabbed his other gun, opened the battery cell, and poured it down Phantom's throat again. The wound still bled.
"Come on! Come on!" Danny cried. "That was supposed to work!"
Ectoplasm poured through his hands. Maybe he could stitch it but….Danny didn't know how! Could he ever sew together ectoplasmic flesh? Could he bandage the wound, disinfect it? Would disinfectant ever help a ghost? He had no idea. Phantom always played doctor to his injuries, not the other way around! Phantom wasn't supposed to get hurt.
Another pain-filled groan. The boy realized with shock, the green wasn't spreading because Phantom was bleeding. He was destabilizing, his hands and feet melting.
"No!" Danny screamed, his anguished cry ringing through the trees. "Damn it Phantom! Wake up!" The green spread but the ghost's face remained blank, unresponsive. "You have to wake up! Hold it together!"
The human cursed, shaking Phantom. He'd been too late. The corruption did too much damage. But….. No, his mind screamed. He wasn't losing Phantom. "Phantom! Wake up!"
Nothing. So Danny shouted his heart out. "Come on you stupid ghost! Keep it together!" He gripped the melting hand like he could hold it together. "You're Danny freaking Phantom! You can't let Skulker" he spit the ugly word. "take you out!"
Still nothing, the ectoplasm spreading to Phantom's shoulder's Danny moved to lean over Phantom, gripping his face in his hands. "I freaking made you! You're here because of me!" Because of Danny's accident, Because Danny walked into the portal. "You don't get to freaking die unless I say so." He shook Phantom's head, the ghost's aura flickering. "And I'm not losing my best friend tonight!"
One of Danny's anger-fueled tears fell on Phantom's face, the green just appearing on his neck. The human felt a twinge, a clench in his heart. "I'm not losing you!"
He could feel the pulse of Phantom's core where he was touching the ghost, hearing his own heart pounding in his chest. Some many emotions surged, almost physically, through his veins under his skin. Anger, fear, sorrow, despair. It all hurt, trying to rip him apart, like he was melting too. But desperate love poured from Danny's heart. Another tear. "Please, Phantom. I can't…."
He couldn't lose him. Losing Phantom would be like dying again, like losing a part of himself. Danny shivered, remembering. He used to hate, dread, and fear Phantom. The ghost was nothing, less than a person, a twisted reflection, a sick reminder of Danny's mistakes.
But now….he couldn't bear the thought of losing his ghost. Of not patrolling with Phantom and going stargazing and sharing snacks. Of not bantering back and forth and practicing puns. Of not talking about school and movies and friends. Of not sneaking into the movies with Phantom and watching the ghost try popcorn for the first time. He hadn't seen it happening but Phantom had grown into his best friend. Or…
Skulker called them dimensional twins. Look-a likes, one human and one ghost. So similar yet so different at the same time. Bonded at the level of the soul and belonging side-by-side.
"Please." Danny blinked, tears streaming down his face. "I can't lose my twin."
It was then that Danny finally noticed Phantom's strengthening glow. He blinked confusedly. "What...what's happening?"
He finally felt the energy flowing from and through him. Distantly, he felt recognized it as his emotions (Mom and Dad said ghosts could feed off that, right?). Or….maybe it was deeper, from the soul. Whatever it was, Danny could feel Phantom healing. His mouth dropped open in shock. Phantom was…
He glanced at the ghost's hands and feet. They were...resolidifying, the white gloved and boots reforming over pale skin. Eyes flitted to Phantom's stomach, the wound mending itself as the gash Danny cut closed up.
The boy's heart leapt for joy. It was...he was. "Phantom?" He breathed, voice ringing with hope.
After what felt like an eternity, neon green eyes flitted open.
To Be Continued