This chap is 2D's POV from a bit before Noodle ran out in the last chapter, and then his side of the story as opposed to Noodle's in the last chapter.

Stuart Pot*

This is the most excruciatin sound I ever 'eard. A secon' ago, we were awl 'appy an' I wos singin Feel Good Inc, and t'en Noodle started screamin 'er head off. I knew summfink wos wrong when she sat down. I sawr her do it in te corner o' me eye. She shivered an' t'en tha laughter played from te song. Nex' fink I see is Noodle's face go slack an' she started screamin' bloody murder.

Now I wos runnin fo' her. Murdoc an' Russel looked pretty well lost, like, jus' setting there, but summink wos wrong. Noodle wos 'avin a fit. I ran toward 'er as fast as me legs cou' get me, but I tripped ovah me feet. I fell forward an' landed on me face, which wos 'ardly any fun.

At tis point I sawr Murdoc an' Russ pluggin their ears, an' their eyes looked like they would fall ou' o' their sockets any momen'. I started pullin meself up as fast as I could.

"Noodle-girl," I yelled as loud as I could over 'er own heartbreakin shriek. She didn' respond, so I took meself a deep breath an' tried again, "Whot is it? Whot's te matter?"

I ran toward 'er again once I wos on me feet, but I felt summfink wrap aroun' me legs an' I fell down again. Awl of a sudden, everyfink got awl quiet. I looked towards Noodle, an' even though I could see 'er standin' t'ere, I could see she wos gone. Her face was even mo' blank t'en usual, an 'er eyes were awl glazed over. Her arms dropped, from holdin 'er head, down to 'er side like t'ey were dead.

While she wos quiet, I untangled meself as fast as me fingers could get through the cords an' I ran to Noodle again, this time I reached 'er. I put me 'ands on 'er shoulders an' shook 'er gently, tryin' ta get her attention. When she didn' respond, I bent down so I wos eye-level wiff her an' I placed me 'and on 'er face, lifting her face slightly so I could see inta her eyes better. I wos even rubbin under her eyes wiff me thumb, but she wos still awl quiet.

"Noodle? Whot's te matter? Yew need to tell me… Are yew awright? Please, Noodle-girl, answer me..." Wiff every second t'at passed I felt my eyes getting' hotter an' wetter. What if she didn' come back? When I blinked an' felt a warm tear run down me cheek, I saw her blink too.

I could see 'er eyes becomin' less foggy buh she wos still lifeless, so I tried talkin to 'er, trying ta lead 'er out of 'er body. "Noodle," I called. "Whot's wrong? Please! Jus' talk to me! Say summink…. anyfink…" I felt my voice crack. I wos nervous t'at ih wosn' workin'.

T'en I saw her eyes focus on me own, and I sighed, "Noodle, please… talk ta me." I heard her gasp lightly. "T'as it, Noodle. Jus' tell me wot's wrong." I don' fink she 'eard t'at las' part.

The next look she gave me wos scary. She looked at me like I wos a whale or summfink. "Dai... mata na no! Hottoi te kure!" She shook free from me and pushed away, but I jus' grabbed her again. I didn' want 'er ta hurt 'erself. She tried struggling out o' me grasp again. "No, go a-way," she screamed in a thick Jap'nese accent. She kneed me in te gut an' I yelped, suckin in a painful breath. I sawr as she jumped ovah me an' Russel tried ta grab 'er, but she manuevered out o' the way real fas', like a ninja, an' ran out o' te studio.

"Man, 'D. What the hell was that? Why'd she go all nuts an attack you," Russel yelled at me like it wos my fault.

I moaned, my gut still 'urt pretty badly, an' on top, me 'ead wos 'urtin like 'ell now. "Uh, I don' know. Happened to 'er tis mornin', too. She 'ad a nightmare and it set'er off… I don' know whot 'appened'is time." I took a deep breath an' ignored te pain in me gut, setting up quickly and running out after her wiffout another word to Russ or Muds.

I ran toward the loo firs, hopin' she would be in there, but it wos wide open an empty. Nex' I looked in te kitchen, but didn' find anyfink. I ran to the lift and pressed te button, jumping as I waited impatiently fo' it t'come. I felt a large hand drop onto my shoulder and I yelped, looking at the dark skin that wos now on me shoulder.

"Yo, 'D," it wos Russel. I looked at 'im standin' next te me. "If baby-girl isn' in yo room, maybe you should give 'er n'hour to cool off, y'know? I think it would help her a lot." I was tapping me fingers against each other. "Alright, 'D?"

"Yew fink she needs it?" I wos sorta worried she wos gonna get inta trouble. Russel nodded. I continued my thought, "Russ… she seemed really far away. I fink she might 'urt 'erself…"

"I wouldn' worry 'bout it right now. Baby-girl's tough. She jus' needs time to adjust t'all this –"

"Wos…" Russel looked at me, confused with my outburst. "She wos tough… but now… she just seems so fragile… Russel, she's not te same girl yew raised. She looks like 'er an' talks like 'er, but she isn't Noodle… not really… not anymore," I said in a low voice. Russel sighed heavily. "I mean… she is Noodle… a'course she is… but… not te' one we know. T'is is… she is an adult now," I choked out, not wanting to hear it.

Russel patted me shoulder again, "I know where yo' at 'D, but she is the same. I know my baby-girl. She may be olda n'have experienced way too much, but I know she's still th'same… She might not be right now, but I know she will be. She just needs time ta recover… we all do," He started te leave now.

"I really 'ope yo'right, Russel," I sighed. Once te lift opened, I stepped in an' pressed down on te button fo' me room, prolly a lil' too 'ard.

Once it got there, I walked ta me room. I tried ta calm down, like, but I wos still anxious an' awl. I couldn't 'elp but fink tha' Noodle wos in trouble, 'specially wiff 'ow she wos actin, but I knew Russel would be mad if I didn' let 'er be… Maybe she did need time to 'erself ta calm down.

When I sawr that me room wos empty, I went ta me dresser an' I pulled out me pill bottle an' swallowed a couple dry, hopin' tha' the numbness would come quickly. Nex' I picked up me box of fags and picked ou' one of 'em, stickin' it between me lips while I dug through me pockets ta find me lighter. Once I did find ih, I flicked ih a couple times until ih lit up brightly, t'en I lit me fag and took a long drag. I took a seat on me bed an' just set there, starin inta space an' awl. Later, when I finished te fag, I flicked ih inta te trash bin an' laid down on me bed, just starin' at te ceilin' an' not finkin about much of anythin again.

I figured a while 'ad passed when I started to become more aware of everyfin around me. Prolly me pills were starting te wear off now. Anyhow, I sat up an' wos awl dizzy, so I jus' sat until me 'ead cleared, I still felt really numb though. I wos goin te 'ave another smoke, but I decided two wos too many fo' today an' I just shoved te box in me trouser pocket in te back. Finally, I got up, an' almos' fell over cos I 'ad done ih so fast, but I wos able to walk to te lift wiffout fallin' over, but I wos real unsteady.

When I reached te floor I wanted, I walked out o' te beach entrance, yawning. I wos kinda confused by 'ow dark it wos outside, but I let ih go an' started towards te lighthouse te make sho Noodle wos okay. I wos 'appy t'at she trusted me still when she got back, but t'at look she gave me earlier 'ad me awl mixed up, like, I knew she wos havin a real 'ard time an' prolly seein' fings, so maybe she wosn't really lookin' ah me earlieh… but she seemed so aware of everyfin' when she ran out... Her memories were hauntin 'er. She's been through a lot, buh I know she could pull through ih. She wos responsible enuff te not 'urt 'erself –Russel said it 'imself. I wos nervous when I got to 'er door, though. I wos about te knock, but figured she wouldn't mind if I jus' walked in.

I froze when I got to te middle of te room below Noodle's bedroom. Ih sounded like someone or summfink wos hissin, like summfin' 'urt them. I started walkin up te stairs, an' reached the top quickly. When I stepped inta the room a bit, I was shocked, and I felt my jaw drop. I couldn't speak for whot felt like ages. I felt myself getting hot. Why would she do this? Russel said she'd be fine. I thought she would never…

She wos decorated in cuts an' soaked wiff blood, coming from awl of 'er scars. She had me flick knife in 'er hand, her fingers curled around it awl gently. I knew I wos angry, and I tried t' not lose it completely, but I still yelled anyway.

"Noodle!!" I saw her jump up, startled, from where she wos setting on the ground, onta her feet an' ready fo' a fight, and she 'ad dropped the knife she wos using. "Whot te hell did yew do ta yoself! Whot were yew finkin?" I took quick, long strides toward 'er, and she started ta back away from me. I sawr her knees connect wiff te edge of 'er bed an' she started falling down, so I lurched forward ta grab 'er hands and pull her upright. I felt my face fall into a scowl. "Noodle," I reached her face wiff me hand ta get her ta look at me. "Why te hell did yew do tis to yoself?" I saw her swallow, becoming fearful of me outburst, and she pulled my hand away.

"Iie, no. Leave me alone! Go away," she pushed me back, but I took her hand again, in both of mine, very gently and I felt me face drop.

I bent down a bit and pulled 'er hand up level wiff me chest, it wos covered in blood like te' rest of 'er. I spoke in a lower voice so I didn' scar 'er anymore. "Noodle-girl. Please… I need t'know… Why did yew do this?"

I watched as her eyes became swollen and red, then tears began ta stream down her face. She pulled 'er han' back again, and turned away from me slightly. She held her 'ands to 'er sides, her body hunched over slightly and I wos afraid she wos gonna fall over or summfin, but she just stood t'ere an' spoke in a whisper, "I… I do not know… It… I don't know… They left… when I did it…"

They left? Who's they? Wos sommeone in 'ere before I came to see her? "Who left?" I asked 'er.

"Them!" I jumped when she yelled, her voice cracked. "They left! The burning left!" She wos sobbing again. "The… the girl left! …the girl left," she whispered.

Seein' her in pain cut me like a machete. It wos so 'ard t'see her like that an' not break down meself. I just wonted t'hold her and comfort 'er and tell 'er it would be okay, but I knew she wosn't ready fo' that right now. She wos unstable.

"Noodle, please tell me wos going on," I could feel my voice wos real soft.

"I cannot," She mumbled, looking up at me again. She gasped when she looked inta my eyes. I turned to see if maybe there wos summfin scary behind me, but I wos te only one in 'ere, aside from 'er. She backed away from me, panicked an' started up yellin' again, "No! Get out! Go away!"

I put me 'ands up defensively, but 'er eyes were gone again. She wosn't 'ere. I tried te reach her again, "Noodle! Ih's jus' me! Please! I won' 'urt yew." She didn't even realize I 'ad spoken.

"Get out," She scooped up 'er suitcase and chucked it, then ih hit me hard in me 'ead. I yelped when ih connected wiff me skull an' she screamed for me te leave again, grabbin' me flick knife off t'e ground an aiming ih at me chest. Now I understood… I wos the enemy. But I thought she trusted me? She promised… I'm supposed te protect 'er, an' she promised… She wanted me 'urt. Wanted me killed, but why? I didn't do nuffink. She jerked ih toward me again and I 'ad no choice. I turned tail and got outta t'ere as fast as me legs could carry me wiffout trippin, an' I leaped through the door ta get outside. I leaned against te wall, tryin' te catch me breath. I wanted te go back in an' stop Noodle from doin' tha, an' then clean 'er so she wouldn' get sick, buh I couldn't risk 'er killin' me.

I dropped t'the ground and broke down, sobbing. I fink I've finally lost her. My Noodle-girl… She doesn't care about me anymore. She only wants me dead, like tha' bloody whale.

After a minute or so, I 'ad t'stop thinkin' so 'ard –me head wos killin' me. I reached up and felt summfin wet an' sticky. I wos bleedin. I pulled some of me hair to look at it, and me hair wos kinda purple now. I brushed the thought aside an' got up, headin fo' my room. I needed to get cleaned up. I reached inside me pocket fo' a fag, but te box wosn' there. Confused, I figured I 'ad only imgained puttin' them in me pocket earlier.

Maybe, tomorrow… no, maybe in a couple o' days, Noodle migh' be a bit mo' sane. Then I could see 'ow much o' whot we used to 'ave could be salvaged, but fo' now, I needed a break –we both do. I 'ad enuff scars an' cuts, I don' want one from 'er. I don' want ta associate Noodle wiff me pain or wiff te imperfections tha' mark me.

I took a shower ta rinse out te blood, wincing while ih stung me, but ih stopped bleedin' afteh a couple o' minutes. Ih wos shallow, I could see from te mirror. I changed inta me nightclothes an' crawled inta bed. I popped a couple mo' pills ta stop te poundin' in me head, an' t'en I curled up inta a tight ball while I felt me body go numb as I fell asleep.

What's happened to you?
It's obvious you've changed
Something deep inside you is probably to blame
Must be lonely up there with your head up in the clouds
Even though you got there, what does your conscience tell you now?

It's never the same on the way down
How does it feel when your feet finally hit the ground?
When all of your bridges aren't around
And the sandcastles you built are falling down

You had us all sitting right there in your hands
But you had to fall, because that's how this life is
Got your fingers burned by burning candles at both ends
Now the table's turned, and now your demons are your friends

It's never the same on the way down
How does it feel when your feet finally hit the ground?
When all of your bridges aren't around
And the sandcastles you built are falling down

So now I question what you're gonna do
Now that everything's caught up with you
You believe the shit you say is true
But everybody's onto you
Life remembers everything you do
Your karma has caught up with you

It's never the same on the way down
How does it feel when your feet finally hit the ground?
When all of your bridges aren't around
And the sandcastles you built are falling down

Staind – Falling Down