Author's Note: Thank you, HikariCruz and HiroAngelLight, for your reviews. Thank you to all who favorited and are following so far, including superkoola. I promise that this isn't a Dark Fic. My love for psychology and realism just begged me to write this.
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Fred was the first to respond. He was there when Hiro needed to get Baymax's endoskeleton back from Yama, he was there during Granville's chat about balance – whatever that had to do with anything – and he wanted to be there for the little guy during that painful month and hug him and tell him that he was not alone.
He knew loneliness like an old friend, but never let it into his home. Loneliness was a toxic influence. He was already at the comic book store when he got the message. Heathcliff – awesome Heathcliff – drove him down and Fred doesn't even pay attention to the stares he got. A friend needed him.
Emergency at the Lucky Cat Café. Please respond. Baymax.
By the time he got over there, there was an ambulance, and Hiro was on a gurney, Aunt Cass rushing into the back with Baymax and –
Fred stopped, feeling cold. Little Dude! He climbed into the back, frantic shouts and level voices inside. Fred made it into the back of the ambulance before the doors were closed, barely taking note of the additional person on his left.
"He's family," Aunt Cass told one of the paramedics in a voice that left no room for arguing. Fred looked at Hiro, so vulnerable, seeing the panting and the tube going up both nostrils, wrapped up like a burrito and pale as a ghost.
"Baby, please…" Aunt Cass held one of Hiro's hands and pressed it against her lips. Fred was stuck between taking ahold of Hiro's other hand and imitating the action or hiding away in the corner of the vehicle. If he had one superpower right now, it would be to make Hiro feel better right now.
He didn't want to see this; Hiro was tough, he never went to the hospital. But they were on their way right now, and at the moment, Fred looked at the family, wondering where the heck Baymax was, then saw him in the back with some guy he barely spared a glanced at, chest lit up as he confirmed Hiro was stable at the moment.
The minutes passed in silence. Fred would usually try cracking a joke, but he knew it would get him thrown out of the van. He took Hiro's other hand and squeezed it gently. Wasabi and Gogo would be better at this right now, but Fred has dealt with kids. He knew what it was like to take on a sibling-like position.
He just never had to deal with something this drastic before.
The van began to slow down, the doors were opened, and the gurney was pushed out. Aunt Cass ran and stayed as close as she could to it while Fred limply got out of the car.
"I didn't want this to happen," Fred yelped as he heard the voice behind him. He turned around and blinked a few times, realizing for the first time how the hat made him stand out. Seeing Tadashi without him was the same with seeing him without hair.
"Dude?" For a moment, Fred found himself pleasantly surprised, arms held out for a hug. But then, he remembered Hiro on the gurney and the state they found him in…that night.
"He just ran in…"
His voice, so dead and dull, as the building burned. Hoarse from screaming his lungs out.
Fred's arms dropped to his sides and his face went numb.
What...how?
"You're..." Fred closed his mouth, bit his lip, and looked away. His face felt hot and his fingers dug into his palms.
Hiro came first.
"Later," he said in a quiet voice. Tadashi mumbled weakly and walked in the direction the gurney went.
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Fred read comics with heroes dying – he still had a hard time getting over Death in the Family before Jason Todd became the Red Hood – and with his origin story accomplished in all ways that are expected within such a tale, he did have the hope that the world would be like the stories he read.
But as Go Go told him several months ago as he argued in vain towards more crime-fighting, this was the real world. Some things went as you would expect them to in the real world and others went in directions that made you wish that comics weren't real. The one thing he did hope for was just a that; a hope.
In comics, heroes never stay dead. They come back to life and happy reunions all around. But in the real world…when heroes don't stay dead – because Fred always considered Tadashi to be a hero, just like his little brother did – things just feel more complicated.
Where's the happy reunion? Where's the love? The tears and initial shock slowly fading away?
Where's the happy ending?
No.
There will be a happy ending. Fred wouldn't give up, this was just something that needed time taking in. They were heroes now; they would find a way to resolve this problem. Was it a problem?
Review: One; Tadashi was alive, something that they were not expecting and therefore, was highly unlikely to know about Big Hero 6 or Callaghan. Two; Hiro did not take the revelation that well and will need all the support he can get. Three; the others most likely got the same message from Baymax and were on their way over.
Which lead to four; damage control was going to be needed. Aunt Cass needed space and adjusting. Hiro needed rest. Tadashi needed some place to hide while Go Go ranted. And Baymax had to be brought to Hiro…unless that would make things worse!
Would it? Baymax was Hiro's best friend, his confidant, his protector, his…nephew? Tadashi did technically make him, so that would mean he was the dad and Hiro was the uncle. Right?
Getting off track now…the gang needed to be contained in a careful manner. The last thing needed was an explosion right now...
His phone buzzed in his back pocket, and Fred picked it up. Oh, great. Here come the fireworks...
Is everything alright? Honey Lemon's text said. Go Go and I were just at the Lucky Cat and there was a crowd. Something about an emergency...?
Meanwhile, Go Go's text read:
Who hurt Hiro?
Fred could hear Go Go's voice taking an icy tone. He shivered.
"Hey Baymax," he called over his shoulder.
"Yes?"
Fred turned around and watched Baymax walk over – slowly – towards him, "On a scale of one to ten, how badly do you think the gang's gonna take Tadashi pulling a death Houdini?"
Baymax's chest brightened, showing a chart with several facial expressions, each face looking more pained than the last.
"I do not have the proper data regarding such a scenario," Baymax stated, "However, I will ask them when they arrive at the –"
"Woah, woah, woah!" Fred waved his hands frantically, "I don't want think that would be appropriate."
"But I cannot evaluate their reactions properly if I do not ask them."
"Let's just…" Fred sighed, "Heads are gonna roll tonight…"
"Is that when you wish to tell them, Fred?"
"I don't know, Baymax...I really don't know..."
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Author's Note: I did my homework on shock treatment – it was a little tricky – and it is good to play it safe and be sure that the patient is breathing. It isn't officially confirmed to be hyperventilation until a blood sample is taken, though, since it could very well be a panic attack instead.
Funny thing is that Go Go was the one that would react first, but I couldn't help but think of Fred being there for Hiro during Baymax Returns and wrote him in this chapter. Plus, I think Go Go would be too harsh too soon, unless that is just fandom interpretation.
As for Tadashi's presence, I looked up information on grief with children and I would think his actual presence – you know, not being dead – would be a bit much for Hiro.