Author's Note: Sorry I didn't put this up earlier. I was a little busy. Also, an announcement: the next 2 chapters will be uploaded on the same day. I won't be doing this often, though. The titles for the upcoming two chapters are Abhorrent and Shock.

sss

The fifteen minutes it took for Scratchensniff to get to the water felt like hours. The wait was grueling for Dot and Wakko. When the doctor came in, they had to control themselves not to bombard him with questions. The man brought along as much equipment as he could and he raced to the fallen Warner, laying on his back on the table.

Although he rarely did health inspections, he had some knowledge of the field thanks to Hello Nurse, and worked with what he knew. He examined Yakko from head to toe, trying to find any clues as to what happened to him.

Dot and Wakko watched, trying not to let their impatience get the better of them. As Scratchensniff made one sad shake of the head after another, the two started chewing their fingernails. They didn't know if the shaking meant he didn't find anything, or found something bad. They didn't know which one was worse.

Finally, Scratchensniff set his stuff down, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. "I'm zorry but I don't know what'z wrong with him. I don't have all the proper equipment with me. He needs to go to zee hospital. It might be internal."

"What does that mean?" Wakko asked carefully.

"Zat meanz that something might be going on inside of Yakko's body."

"Infection?" Dot asked, her voice filled with fear.

Scratchensniff looked at Yakko's still body. He sighed softly and shook his head. "I don't know, Dot. He needz to be examined in the hospital." He put his glasses back on and scooped the unconscious Warner into his arms. "There's no time to waste. Come along, you two."

sss

News of what happened to Yakko Warner spread like wildfire throughout the studios. Even those that hated Yakko were appalled by the actions against him that were described. Many workers demanded the culprit be found and killed, while others wanted him to suffer for what he did.

The most effected were the other Animaniacs. Although they generally kept to themselves, there was a sense of family among them, since they all worked together on the same show and even entered each other's toons quite frequently, which wasn't something common in other multi-show cartoons. Even grumpy Slappy and arrogant Brain were concerned about Yakko.

A couple of the other Animaniacs joined Wakko and Dot in the waiting room while Yakko was being thoroughly examined. Without any other alternative, the doctors had to examine him via exploratory surgery. In a rare act of kindness, Brain was leading the charge. He had his moments of stupidity, but if there was one thing he understood well, it was anatomy. Under his guidance, the doctors examined every body part, hoping to find the cause of his misery.

Dr. Scratchensniff had left the office about two hours earlier. He had told Plotz about Yakko's collapse. Plotz didn't take it well and demanded Scratchensniff come into his office immediately to talk about the next course of action.

The thought of Yakko going through surgery made his siblings cringe. There was the possibility of something going wrong, even with Brain's help. Yes something always went wrong in his toons, but that was only because it was scripted; his success percentage rate was much greater than what his toons would lead others to believe. Still, the fear gripped the Animaniac's hearts. One wrong move and it would be all over for the boy.

Finally, after three long hours, the doors swung open. Dot and Wakko, along with Pinky, Slappy, Rita, and Runt, sat up and awaited the news. Hello Nurse, with Brain perched on her shoulder, walked up to them. Brain's arms were clutched behind his back and Hello Nurse held some paper work in the crook of her arm.

Brain hopped off of the nurse's shoulders. Pinky ran up to him. "Gee Brain, how did it go?"

Brain took a moment to look at the others, staring at him as if doing so could suck the answer right out of him. "It took us a while to find out what was wrong with him. It turns out that he suffered massive internal bleeding."

"What?!" The other Animaniacs cried.

Pinky's ears lowered and he brought his hands to his face. "I-Internal bleeding?"

Nodding grimly, Brain replied, "Yes. We found open sores inside of him that broke open...how they did we don't know. This caused the internal bleeding." He turned his head to Dot. "This would explain his tiredness you described. The bleeding must have started hours earlier in order to effect him at that time. The bleeding wasn't heavy; it was slow and steady."

"Did ya fix him up?" Runt asked, licking his chops nervously.

Brain nodded his head. "Yes we managed to stop the bleeding. He's on a blood transfusion right now to replenish the blood he's lost." Brain walked up to Dot and Wakko. "After he comes to, I recommend you two talk to him about his assailant. From what has happened, I suspect this...monster...did more than just stab him in the face."

Dot looked over towards the room where Yakko was wheeled into hours earlier. Hands against her face, she let the tears come down. "Yakko..."

sss

It took an hour before the doctors would let anyone see Yakko. They were worried about how critically weak he was from the blood loss. They wanted to make sure he was stable before he got any visitors. They kept him on the blood transfusion and hooked him up to an IV to help keep him hydrated during his visit.

Before they were allowed in, the doctors warned them to keep their voices low and not to raise up any excitement. Yakko still needed his rest and it may take several hours before he can be discharged safely. They would only permit three in at a time. It was agreed Dot and Wakko should be the first ones in. Without asking permission, Slappy volunteered herself, brushing passed the others and joining the two Warners to see Yakko.

Wakko and Dot had to do their best not to cry when they saw their big brother laying down on the hospital bed. He had one needle in his left arm, transferring blood into his body. His other arm had an IV hooked to it, giving him vital nutrients to sustain him for however long it was going to take. An oxygen mask was placed on his face, pumping oxygen-rich air into his body to keep his lungs filled with air.

Dot and Wakko stood close by Yakko's bedside. Seeing their brother like this, so pale and sickly, it caused their stomachs to wrench. They tried hard not to let their nausaea get the best of them. They wanted to fling themselves on their brother and cry. They wanted to make the hurt go away. Right now, all they could do is wait and hope the doctors can help him feel better.

Slappy watched them, her eyes filled with sympathy. She gave the siblings some space. Her eyes traveled to the unconscious Yakko. Slappy felt herself clench a fist. She wanted to find the sicko that did this and beat them senseless with her purse. No, she wanted to do more than that. Even the payback stunts she did on her shorts were tame compared to what she wanted to do to the culprit.

She may have been harsh, she may seem cold, but she had a good heart, and it was moments like these that she let that show. She planned on making some kind of remedy for Yakko after he was dismissed. She knew a home recipe, utilizing mostly walnuts, that she used to treat anxiety. She usually made it for herself. It should help Yakko out.

Wakko looked over at Slappy, his tears clouding his sight. He wiped them with his hand. "Slappy...where is Skippy?"

"I can't believe you didn't notice." Slappy said, before backtracking. "Sorry I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I left my nephew at home. Took some convincin' to get him to say." She turned her saddened eyes to Yakko. "Poor lad is too young to be seein' this. I don't want him to be scarred for life."

Wakko nodded slowly. He sniffled loudly. He wiped his nose. His snot was starting to clog up his nasal cavity. He pulled out a napkin out of nowhere and blew his nose. "I wish none of this happened."

Slappy walked up to him and placed a hand on his back. "Yeah, bucko. We all wish that. Sadly life isn't all happy and gumballs. Sometimes it can kick you where the sun dun't shine. Right now, you can be there for your brother."

"What about...that man...?" Wakko looked up at her with wide eyes. "What if he..."

"Don't sweat it. I'll make sure he doesn't get two feet to Yakko." Slappy pressed her thumb against her chest in a proud-like manner. "I'll personally organize the other Animaniacs and try to find this guy. Donchuu worry! We'll find him!"

Wakko managed a shaky smile. "Th-thank you..."

Slappy smiled back at him. She grabbed her purse and walked out of the room, leaving Wakko and Dot alone with their brother, at least until the next person came in. They heard someone coming up to the door, and then a crash and Slappy's scolding. She must be keeping the others out to give them space. Wakko and Dot couldn't help but smile at this, then they turned their attention back to their brother.

They couldn't imagine what he had done to deserve this. What scared them more is that more had happened to him. And they don't know what that 'more' is. Yakko had internal bleeding. What had that guy done to him? Poison him? Something worse they could not begin to fathom?

They remained silent. They didn't know what to say to Yakko. They prayed he would get better. They touched his hands, held them tight. It felt like hours passed before someone came into the room.

Brain didn't make a sound as he moved along the ground and jumped onto the desk next to Yakko. He looked up at Dot and Wakko. He had a forelorn expression.

"Did you get a chance to talk to him?" Brain asked carefully.

Dot shook her head. When she spoke, her voice was cracked. "N-No..he hasn't woken up yet."

Brain frowned at this. "I want to say I'm surprised...but I'm not. I was being too hopeful that he'd regain consciousness by now." He shook his head once. "It is crucial we find out exactly what happened. The internal bleeding...it suggests..." He stopped himself.

Dot and Wakko leaned in towards him.

"It suggests what?" They asked in unison.

Brain's ears lowered and he bit his lip. He gave a flustered sigh. "Just...talk to him. I don't want to dwell on the possibility until we get a full testimony from him."

Brain left the room.

Wakko stared after him. He didn't understand what he was talking about. But Dot, she was a different story. An idea came to her mind, and she began to tremble. Could it be true?

sss

Yakko was trapped in a black void. All around him, a blackness with dark gray clouds swirled around him. He didn't know where he was. He couldn't even tell if there was a ground at all.

His heart was racing. Where were his friends and family? Why was nobody here? Why was he alone? Being alone for too long, that was a fear of his. That was why he rarely went anywhere without his siblings. He wanted company, no he craved company.

"Hello?" He called out.

Nobody answered.

"Somebody! Please! Answer me!" He tried again.

Still, there was only silence. Yakko's body started to tremble. There had to be somebody left in this dark, twisted world. Anyone. He'd even settle for grumpy Plotz. Just somebody to keep him company, someone he could talk to.

He started to 'fly' through the bottomless pit of a void. He looked around, squinting his eyes. He tried to make out any shape of a living creature, any signs of life.

In desperation, he kept calling out names.

"Wakko? Dot? Scratchy? Plotz? Slappy? Brain? Anybody?!"

And still no one answered him. Falling into despair, Yakko started to cry.

Suddenly, he felt something hard slam against his back. His arms and legs became stiff, frozen. He couldn't move them. Eyes widened, he struggled to get free. He tried to speak. Something kept his mouth shut. He had no muzzle on, but his muscles wouldn't move. He looked around frantically, trying to find a means of escape.

Slowly, the blackness dissipated. He found himself in some kind of room. He couldn't make out what kind of room. It looked like a warehouse of some kind, but since did warehouses come with gym equipment and sold beds?

He heard footsteps. Someone was approaching. Yakko did his best to hide his fear as the figure came into view. Upon seeing his face and recognizing him, Yakko's heart began to beat faster. As he gave a few sharp yanks of struggle, he found his arms and legs were bound with rope. A couple loops of tight rope painfully kept his mouth shut.

The man stopped inches in front of him, a twisted smile on his face. Then he spoke, his voice so filled with vice that Yakko felt his heart pulling back in pain. "I told you that you were going to regret messing with me. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Yakko let out a few panic hmmphs. The man rolled his eyes and pulled the ropes off his muzzle. Yakko gave a few heavy pants and licked his dry lips. He looked at the man and pleaded with him.

"Please let me go..I-I don't want this..please!"

The man narrowed his eyes. He pulled out a pencil. "It is too late for apologies, kid." He steadied it, ready to strike.

Yakko's eyes widened in fear. He pulled his head back and let out a loud cry. "I don't want this!"

The man only laughed cruelly.