Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck! Not again! Not again! Fuck! Fuck!

Luis had been on his way to the security room, as he wanted to see if the daycare was currently in sleep-mode (Moon was said to not allow caregivers to pick up their children while they were sleeping), when he came across his best friend passed out in front of the doors.

And all he could think was a string of curses and half-garbled thoughts.

He made sure she was breathing and her pulse seemed to be steady enough. The skin on her face and hands was slightly dry and cool to the touch. Mixed with her occasional complaints in the past about headaches, he hoped it was just dehydration (serious but not as serious as what they had to deal with four months back).

Management was sure to have a fit if they saw her passed out. Whether it was her fault or not, the company would try to paint her as the villain and toss her out like yesterday's newspaper. It was for the best that he put her into the security room and kept an eye on her until she woke up.

It helps that the daycare was indeed having their naptime, so it wasn't like he could go anywhere for another hour or two.

He set an alarm. He'd wake Vanessa up when it went off, and if she didn't respond he'd call 9-1-1.

-x-x-x-

The office smelled strongly of cinnamon and disinfectants. Bookshelves surrounded the room, boxing them in, save for the wooden door off to the side. A child-sized table sits towards the back. A board game with worn edges laid haphazardly forgotten on the table's top.

"So…want…issues…" The person in front of her said, their voice muffled.

Vanessa thought it must be a person, but with how blurred they were, it could be anything. Unless this was a dream, in which case perhaps animals could-

"Vanny!" A woman's voice cuts off her train of thought. Her voice was clearer than it had ever been. It was firm, commanding in a way that was expected from someone who'd been teaching for many years, but also comforting like a mother.

Vanessa didn't so much as react. She never does. She can't.

"Yes?" She heard herself ask.

The woman inhaled deeply. "Are you…are you feeling alright?"

"Fine, why do you ask?"

The woman was quiet for a good minute. The clock hanging over the door was the loudest thing in the room. Each tick was another second less on the countdown to ending the session.

"No reason. As your therapist, I worry about you, is all."

Vanessa felt something in her boil in pure, unadulterated rage. Thoughts that were definitely not hers bubble up to the surface.

Weak! If I'm weak he'll get rid of me! How dare she insinuate I'm weak! Not weak! Not weak!

Vanessa was overwhelmed with the oscillating emotions. Still, she couldn't move a muscle to show this. The corners of her mouth uptick into a smile.

"I'm alright, Dr…" Her voice trailed off, everything becoming blurry around the edges like a watercolor painting.

Vanessa felt herself sink into the couch, being sucked in and in and in, until she was falling through an open void. She squeezed her eyes shut, heart dropping into her stomach.

"Vanessa…?"

Suddenly, she wasn't falling anymore. Someone was shaking her. "Vanessa?" They ask.

Vanessa took a second to open her eyes, relishing in the feeling of being awake and in control of her own actions. She sighed, deeply.

When she finally opens her eyes, Luis is seated next to her. Concern is written all across his face. She hasn't seen him look so worried since….

"I'm fine," she said, sitting up before she froze in horror upon realizing she was in a completely different place than where she was last. Judging by the large monitors taking up the entire room, they were in the main security room. But…she didn't remember moving here herself.

"Luis… How did I get here?" Vanessa nervously asked.

"I found you passed out in the hallway. I carried you in here so management wouldn't write you up."

"Oh… Phew," Vanessa sighed in relief. "Why didn't you call an ambulance?"

"You want to pay for a ride in the whee whoo wagon?"

Vanessa looked down, shaking her head. "No." She cracked a smile. "You don't think Faz Entertainment would foot the bill, do you?"

"No, absolutely not. They're allergic to the words: accountability and lawsuit. You'd be fired before the ambulance even arrived." He laughed, not at her but at the corrupt company that employed them both.

"Right, right. Well, thank you for not leaving me to die out there. I must have been dehydrated or something."

"Anytime. And, considering the last time I saw you drink any water was…" he hummed, tapping a finger to his chin, "Never. I would say you're probably right on the money. Here." He tossed her a water bottle.

She fumbled with it, casting Luis a (pretend) annoyed look.

"Drink up, and call me if you start feeling off ."

"Yeah, yeah." She unscrewed the cap.

"I'm going to pick up Gregory. Don't die."

"No promises. And Luis?"

He poked his head back into the room, holding onto the doorframe. "Yes?"

"Thank you. Really, thank you."

"Like I said, anytime," he smiled brightly at her before leaving for real.

-x-x-x-

Gregory laid curled up. His cot was situated between Sarah and Xander. The two got in trouble with Mr. Moon, so they had to be spaced further apart. They still talked in loud whispers anyways. He ignored his new friends, focusing on the twinkling stars over their heads and the soft music playing from some unknown place in the daycare.

The next thing he knew, Mr. Sun was kneeling next to his cot. The lights were back on and his new friends are no longer next to him, nor are their cots.

"Friend, it's time to wake up."

"Nuh, uh," he groaned, pulling up the blanket Mr. Sun let him borrow for naptime over his head. The material is soft and keeps him warm. He started to fall back asleep.

"Friend, it's time for you to go home."

That woke him up.

He pulled the blanket away, hopping up. As fun as the daycare was, and he hoped Mama Nessa and Papa Luis let him come back tomorrow, he really wanted to leave. His new friends are really loud and kind of messy.

He helped Mr. Sun take care of his blanket, pillow, and cot. And then he was led to the daycare's door.

"Papa Luis!" He shouted, racing the rest of the way there.

He was scooped up, and he leaned into the warm hold. It reminded him of…..

Gregory shook his head, removing the thought before it could lead anywhere. He hated thinking about that. Hated thinking about his life before this. Hates, hates thinking about her.

It hurted his head anyways, and sometimes he can pretend it was all a bad dream. Mama Nessa and Papa Luis were taking really good care of him anyways, even if they thought he was a tiny little baby and not a toddler. They were really nice, and he had no doubts that they'll learn.

He closed his eyes, putting his head on Papa's shoulder.