Turbo knew what sleeping was like, and this was definitely not sleeping. He found himself in a place devoid of light, with the only sounds muffled. It almost sounded like people screaming while someone else roared at them.
"Hello?" he called. He tried to take a step forward, but the place didn't have any gravity either. It was like the code room. He moved himself around but still couldn't see a damn thing. Instead he swam forward, looking for some kind of a wall to anchor himself. Who knew how long he could float around, or how far?
Some uncountable amount of time later, Turbo heard a rumbling voice. He recognised that voice- it was the huge oaf who hung around with Vanellope.
"It was Gene," the big voice said. Whatever the reply was was muffled. How come Ralph's voice broke through the fog? Probably, he reasoned, because it was so much bigger.
He caught his name, and felt... something. Was it a kiss on his forehead? And then Ralph laughed. The sound was strangely distorted. And then the place moved.
It almost felt like the place around him was being carried by someone running. He was beginning to figure out the gist of what was happening now- clearly, whatever the poison had done to him had sent him within himself. This dark place was his body, or his head. He couldn't decide which one.
After some time of this running, another sound reached Turbo through the darkness- a familiar song. Turbo laughed sarcastically.
"Of all the sounds to come through, this is the one that works." And then the world shifted and he found himself in brightness once more. It was too bright. He closed his eyes and groaned.
The strange place wasn't dark anymore, but it wasn't overly bright either. It was kind of pinkish. And he could hear better. Of course, he could only hear that damn annoying song. But then he heard another voice, one that made him confused again.
"Why'd you bring him here?" the voice of Vanellope seemed to screech. "This is my game, my castle."
"He's you father, Vanellope, and he's hurt," Felix tried to reason. "You have to let him stay. It's the only way he'll heal."
"Says who?" she huffed. He could just picture her crossing her arms over her chest. It was just what he would do. He turned away from that thought, and the place turned with him.
"It's the universal law of the games," Felix reminded her. "Any gamer, if brought to their game when they're injured or ill, will heal within their game."
"Okay," she relented. "But as soon as he's better, he has to leave. C'mon, Ralph." There was the thumping sound of large footsteps, and then all was quiet save for the sound of the game.
Turbo decided to test the new limits of the place. "Where am I?" A hologram flickered to life in front of him, and he jumped back. He felt his fingers twitch, although he hadn't told them to. He also felt a hand squeezing his hand, though there was no hand there. His heart raced, and he heard a beeping sound.
"Calm down," the hologram of King Candy cautioned him. "You'll only help the poison spread if you panic."
"Fine, alright, I'm calm," Turbo promised. "Just tell me where the hell I am."
"Language," the king tutted. Turbo rolled his eyes. They'd turned him into a goody two shoes. "As for where you are, you're inside your head."
"I figured that," Turbo scoffed. "I mean where's my body?"
"Can't you feel it?" Turbo concentrated. He could feel that he was on a bed.
"On a bed," he reported. "In Sugar Rush, right?"
"That is correct," the hologram confirmed. "You are on your old bed in your room of the castle. It took some time for our daughter to agree to the arrangement, but she came around." He tittered.
"And what's happened?" he asked. Although he knew that he probably shouldn't move his body, given the strange new state of it, he crossed his legs in a sitting position. His fingers twitched again.
"You were poisoned," the hologram responded, mirroring his position, "By the bartender in Felix's game. The poison almost killed you. It was the quick thinking of your friend that saved you."
"That's my Felix," Turbo smiled. "He always knows how to fix things."
"We really did love him, didn't we?" the hologram smiled back. Turbo nodded. He was really getting tired of his fingers twitching in response to a movement.
"So how long will we have to be here for?" he wondered. "I was just starting to get somewhere with Felix."
"I know. But you will awaken only when your body is ready. I cannot tell when that will be. But, if you like, you can alter this place. I could be a hologram of Felix." He turned into him. "Or your daughter." Turbo immediately shied away from the image of Vanellope.
"No. King Candy is fine," he shuddered. "Him I can deal with."
"Good choice," his hologram nodded, and returned to being the King again.
"So what are you, my spirit guide or something?" Turbo guessed. "I've heard some games have those in the backstory."
"I'm merely a projection of yourself," the hologram revealed. "I can't tell you what you don't already know on some subconscious level. In fact, all of this is manufactured by your mind. Try thinking of something that you really want." So Turbo thought and his old car appeared in front of him. He made a noise of glee and jumped into it. He hadn't realised just how much he'd missed it- the leather seats, the smooth paint finish, and the controls that were as familiar as his own face. He was even in his old racing outfit, he realised, complete with helmet. Almost without any thought, the forms of the other racers in their cars appeared on either side of him. The strange space had become his old track.
Turbo giggled in glee, turned his car on, and began to race.
Felix sat by Turbo's bedside, still squeezing his hand. From time to time, the racer's fingers twitched. Every time they did, his heart leaped.
"Please get better," he pleaded quietly. "I don't know why Gene hurt you or how he got that poison. Surely Surge would've stopped him from bringing it in from another game." He looked at the peaceful form of his friend. He was smiling. So Felix hugged him.
In the game, Turbo nearly spun out from the feeling of Felix's arms around him.
"Even Ralph thinks it was a low blow," Felix continued. "Although, he doesn't like Gene much either. I'd ask him to leave the game but he is the mayor."
"You should be mayor," Turbo muttered as he sped toward the finish line to win another race. "You'd make a better mayor than that little sh- dammit, Flash!"
"Maybe I'd make a better mayor," Felix agreed without realising it. "But no. The game needs its handyman, and I can't be that if I'm the mayor."
"Why not?" Turbo scoffed. "Be handyman during game time and then mayor when the arcade closes." It made sense to him, at least. He wasn't quite sure whether or not Felix would come to the same realisation, though. But he was smart. He'd figure something out. Just like he'd figure out how to fix Turbo's current situation.
"I can fix this," Felix said, laying a gentle hand on Turbo's chest. "I promise." And then he kissed his forehead and left, leaving Turbo feeling suddenly cold and alone again. He waved away the images of his friends but left the race track there so he could sit. He'd sit there and wait for Felix or someone else to come and entertain him again.