Disclaimer: Standard still applies.
A/N: -dances- New Chapter.
Review please and thank you.

Don walked in and saw his brother fidgeting in his sleep. Charlie's brow was furrowed in fear. He moved slightly, twitching once in a while. His face had gone paler than it had been before and Don didn't know that was physically possible. Charlie's hair was matted to his head with sweat as his head turned from side to side.

Don took a step back when he heard a word come from Charlie's lips, "Mom."

"Mom. No ..." Charlie said fearfully as his mother appeared from the darkness.

"Charlie, honey. I'm so sorry." She walked towards him.

"No. No. No." He backed away from her, into more darkness.

"Charlie." Margaret said forcefully, causing Charlie to stop. She walked up to him and looked at him with sad eyes. "Oh. Charlie."

He heard the pity in her voice. It was not something he liked to hear from anyone, especially his mother. He raised his hands up to his ears. Charlie didn't want to hear what she had to say, "No. No. No."

Don watched as Charlie's free hand went up to his ear, covering it up. Don walked slowly up to his brother, he needed to calm him down. So, Don started to run his finger's through his brother's hair, calming him down.

Charlie felt someone relaxing him, he looked up and saw that his mom was running her finger's through his hair. He brought his hands down.

Don had to take a slight step back, so that when Charlie's hand returned to his side, he didn't get hit by it.

"Mom?"

Margaret smiled at her son, "Charlie. You need to forget what all those people told you when you were in dark."

Charlie knew what people and what darkness she was talking about. She was talking about his hallucinations in the basement. "I-It was so real."

Margaret nodded, hugging him, "I know, baby. But it wasn't real."

"Is this real?" He asked into her shoulder.

She pulled him back and brushed some of his hair out of his face, "Oh, Charlie. You know that answer." Charlie was quiet, so she spoke up again, "You know that I love you. And your dad and brother do too. No matter what you thought they told you. They love you."

Charlie nodded as tears threatened to spill. "I-I know."

"You do?" She pulled him back, but kept her hands on his shoulders. "Do you believe it?"

He smiled slightly. "I-I don't know."

She grinned at him, "You'll know soon enough. Trust me." She sighed, "I've got to be going."

"What?" He looked up at her, fear in his eyes again, "No. I don't want you to go."

"I know, baby. I know. But I have to. It will be alright."

"You promise?"

"I promise." She let go of him and smiled, "I'm so proud of you, Charlie."

"I love you, mom."

"I love you too, sweetie." She bent in and kissed him on the forehead, "Now, I need you to promise me something." Charlie looked up her, expectantly, "Promise me that when you wake up, don't start to panic."

"Why would I-?"

"Promise me."

"I promise."

Don jumped back when his brother's eyes shot open. Don put his hand over his heart, "Jeez, Buddy! You scared the shit out of me!" He got his breathing under control.

Charlie looked around the room and saw Don. Only Don. Not Megan. How could she break the promise? He could feel himself have trouble breathing. She broke her promise. Her promise. Promise. He made a promise to Margaret. He had to keep that promise, even if Megan broke hers.

Don was trying to calm Charlie down, but was having trouble doing so. Until he heard Charlie whisper something.

"I made a promise."

And then Charlie started to breath normally, his eyes started to focus on Don's face.

"Charlie? Buddy?"

Charlie looked around the room and saw Don. Only Don. Not Megan. He nodded to his brother. "Don." His voice was rough. "Hi."

"Hi." Don smiled at his brother, "You alright?"

Charlie blinked. Was he alright? No, far from it. But he was better. "I guess."

Don sat down on the bed next to Charlie. "You guess?" Charlie nodded. "Hm. Okay then. You going to stay alright?"

Good question. Was he? "I might."

"Going to try?"

"Yeah."

"Good." Don ruffled Charlie's hair, "You know, I'm really glad to have you back."

"Good to be back, Donnie."

Dr. Harry Roland looked down at his patient lying in a hospital bed. Roland was glad at the progress Charlie was doing physically. He was probably going to be released in the next 24 hours. "Are you sure?"

Charlie sighed, thinking about it again. "Yes. I think so."

Roland nodded, "Alright. But we'll do that later. Maybe next week?"

"Alright. Sounds good, Doctor." Charlie agreed.

"And how has your medication I gave you been working?"

He swallowed, thinking again. "Pretty good, I guess."

Roland made a note on his clip board, "You guess?"

"Yeah." Charlie leaned back in his bed, closing his eyes.

Roland chuckled, "I bet some of the side-effects are showing up." Charlie nodded slowly, "It only makes sense. You had been off them for a while, and then you are also taking some medications for your wounds." He paused, "Are you drowsy?" A slow shake of the head, "No? Then why are your eyes closed, Charlie?"

"Nausea."

"Oh. Right." Roland paused, "So, I'm guessing you don't want to talk about what all happened?"

"Not really. For different reasons." Roland raised an eyebrow, which Charlie of course could not see, "I don't think I'm ready to talk, and I'm also not sure what really happened."

Roland nodded, "And that is why you want to be hypnotized? So that you know the truth from all the lies?"

"Exactly."

Roland looked at his watch, "Well, Charlie. I have to go." He paused, "And you know that there is a trash can beside you're bed, right?"

"Yep."

"Alright then. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Charlie heard footsteps and the door closing.

He really did want to find out the truth from all the lies. He could guess as to what really happened, but he didn't want to guess anymore. He wanted facts.

Charlie opened his eyes when he heard the door come open. "Larry!"

"Charles." Larry said, closing the door behind him, "I hear you're going home?"

"That's right."

"I'm very glad to hear it."

"Larry? What's that?" Charlie asked, glancing at the large bag he was carrying.

"This? Oh, yes. Well, all of your students, most of the staff, custodians, and a few other people such as FBI Agents have made you a lot of "Get Well"-type cards for you're enjoyment. We have collected them all and I volunteered to take them to you." Larry smiled at his friend.

"Well, Larry? Don't you think it might have been a little better if you had given them to me at home? As I'm going to be there soon."

Larry's smile fell, "You make a good point."

Charlie laughed and shook his head. He groaned and leaned back again.

"Charles?"

"It's nothing, Larry. I shouldn't have shaken my head."

"Why? Should I call a doctor? Or a nurse?" Larry was moving closer to Charlie.

"It's nothing. Really, Larry. Nausea is a side-effect of all the many medications I'm on." His voice nonchalant.

"Oh. Yes. Of course." Larry paused, "You know, Charles, you are taking what happened to you much better than I would have thought."

Charlie raised an eyebrow, "I'm on medications for a reason, Larry."

"Yes, I know that. But, I know that If I had been what you have been ... I'm sure that I would be in more of a mess than you are currently in."

Charlie grinned sadly, "Well, right now, my head is a scary place to be in."

Larry's eyebrows went up, "So, you're putting on a brave face for us? Charles, that is not a good thing to do. Especially for someone like you."

Charlie sighed, "I don't know. I don't know if it's a brave face for you all, or if I really am coping that well." He paused, "And if it is that latter, I'm sure that once I know for sure as to what truly happened that I don't even be able to do the former."

"You still don't know what happened?"

"No." Charlie paused, "Don't get me wrong. I understand what happened, I just don't know the full extent. My mind was playing trick on me down there, Larry. I can't tell the real from the make-believe."

"Well, with work I'm sure that you will know."

Charlie nodded, causing his face to get a green tint to it. "Oh, God." he said, turning to the side of the bed. By the time Charlie was done retching, Larry was gone.

Don was carrying Charlie's bags as Alan was hovering over Charlie as he, himself, crutched to the SUV.

"Dad. I'm fine."

"I know." Alan sighed, still hovering, "But you've never been the greatest at crutches..."

"I was eight. And they were too tall for me." Charlie protested, getting in the SUV.

Don shook his head happily as he got behind the wheel. He started the vehicle as Alan got in the front seat, turning around and making sure that Charlie in back was comfortable.

"Sorry, guys." Don said, "We've got to make a stop at the gas station before we go home."

"That's fine, Donnie." Alan said, "We need some milk. So we can pick up two gallons while we're there."

"Alright. We can do that." Don agreed, getting onto the road, "But you know, I hate getting gas now days."

"Why?" Charlie asked.

Don sighed, "Because. The gas prices are so high, and you know that the SUV is a gas hog."

"Yeah, but how much money can it take to fill this up?"

Don snorted, "Lately it's been around $60."

"Shit, Don." Charlie said, shocked.

Alan turned back, "Son. Language."

"Sorry, dad."

Don laughed, at the two of them as he pulled into a gas station. He got up and started the fill up the vehicle.

"You going to be alright in here, Charlie?" Alan asked.

"Yeah. Don's just outside, and I am a grown man, Dad."

"I know. I just wanted to check." Alan sighed, "I'll go and get us some milk." He got out and made his way inside.

Charlie was glad that he was going home. He always hated hospitals. He missed his bed. Charlie yawned, thinking that the first thing he'd do was go and sleep in his bed. The dirt floor in the basement and the hospital bed was nothing like his bed. His bed was special to him. That was one of the reasons why he hated staying at the hospital - their beds. Other beds were never comfortable.

Charlie watched Don grab his wallet and head into the gas station to pay.

Charlie was curious as to how much gas was costing his brother. He looked out the window to see for himself.

"Oh. God." He whispered, everything falling away. "$57.64"

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