King drops as though he's a puppet whose strings just got cut, crumpling to the floor, no longer conscious, no clue anything's even wrong. When he does wake up, he's in the bed that he'd literally helped Bing out of not an hour or two ago. There appears to be nobody around, no immediate threat, and just the thought of standing up is exhausting, so instead King settles with just dozing.
"King." the voice that drags him skyward again is that of Dark. The big man. That guy. King's least favorite. He grumbles, groaning, unwilling to deal with this ego's ass-ery. "King, this is important."
"Later." he manages to grumble, making what movements he can to turn his back on Dark. "Tired. Sleep now."
"Your forest isn't dead."
King freezes, his body tensing as he tries to process what Dark's saying. "….But you said-"
"I lied." Right. This is Dark. Not a good guy. King shuffles to sit up, moving so that he can lean back as he throws a death glare at the grey ego. "Some of your trees were taken down but most of them were relocated to other green spaces. I don't know how many there are, or where they were taken but once you're well enough, you should go and find them."
Dark had been so sure of himself when he'd found King way back when. Confident in his acquiring of the tree spirit, full of fake bravado, insisting that King wouldn't need his trees, insisted that there was no way left to save them. "Why are you suddenly okay with this?"
Dark is undisturbed by the accusation left unsaid in these words as he straightens his cuff. "I thought I could find a way to sustain you without them. I was wrong. I believe something happened to one of your trees and if we don't retrieve them you will fade with them."
King thinks about it, about the idea of having what remains of his forest back, being able to protect them, to show that he's not some damn kook who's a little overzealous about his squirrels, the only part of his forest that Dark had told him would remain.
The dryad is the only one who can locate the trees, Dark insists, but he promises that when King finds them, the grey ego will make arrangements for their safe removal and relocation to the building.
"I believe there's a suitable spot in the grounds." he says as he straightens his jacket and gives a small insincere smile before turning to leave. "You should leave as soon as Dr Iplier says you are well enough to."
Dark heads towards the exit and King shouts after him. "You're a lying asshole and I hate you!" Needing to make sure Dark knows that the years of lies were not going to be forgotten, and sure as hell weren't going to be forgiven.
Dark pauses on his way out and turns. King can't hear the words as he speaks quietly and frowns but then Dark is gone and from the space where Dark had just stopped, Bing steps out from where he'd been hiding. A distraught look on his face.
Without thinking, King throws off the cover that had been thrown over him and goes to stand, his legs protesting a little and his head reeling from the sudden change in elevation. Bing doesn't even think before running over, wrapping his arms around King's shoulders and squeezing him tightly.
"What did he say to you?" King asks, unashamedly leaning into the hug as he returns it.
"Nothing." Bing says. "It was nothing."