Chapter Twelve: Still Dazed and Confused

"I'm so full of cake. I'm, like, one with the cake." - Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Jazz

Mom and Dad were kind enough to let us kids (well, I'm an adult, but whatever) have our time with Danny before they came in. Frostbite said they would be more lax with visitors now, but we don't want to crowd the room.

One adult and four teenagers is probably already pushing it.

Sam, Tucker, Dash, Paulina, and I have been chomping at the bit for our classes to let out so we could see Danny. Valerie, too, though she has to video chat using one of our ghost phones.

I let everyone else cluster around Danny since they haven't had the chance to yet. Like with me and Mom and Dad, there are hugs and tears all around. Cujo, meanwhile, sits in the corner, content to let everyone have their moment.

After the initial excitement is over, Sam points a stern finger at Danny and snaps, "Danny Fenton, don't ever scare us like that again!"

"Hi, Sam," Danny says with a grin.

Sam lowers her finger. "Oh, right." She adds to no one in particular. "Remind me to yell at this guy when he comes to."

Now it's Paulina's turn to point at Sam. "Don't you dare yell at him!"

Sam scoffs. "I said I'll yell at him when he comes to. Do you ever listen?"

"Save the cat fight for later, you two," Tucker says. He leans over to wrap his arm around Danny's shoulders. "All that matters is that our pal here is on the mend." Danny grins wider and wraps his arms around Tucker, who makes a startled noise but hugs him back. "And, he is very happy to see us."

"Hey!" Dash whines. "I want a bro hug!" He marches around the bed and pushes Tucker to the floor. "Scoot over, Foley!"

Dash throws his arms around Danny while I help a very irritated Tucker to his feet.

Danny doesn't return the "bro hug" and instead looks up at Dash and says in bemusement, "Where'd Tucker go?"

The rest of us start cracking up, and Dash stares open-mouthed at Danny.

While Tucker isn't strong enough to knock over someone as burly as Dash, he is more than happy to push Dash out of the way and say, "Scoot over, Baxter!"

Tucker returns to his position in Danny's arms, and peace is restored. Aside from Dash glaring daggers at Tucker.

"Alright, Tucker," I chuckle. "Save some Danny for the rest of us."

Sam pulls out her ghost phone. "I'll call Val. Hopefully, she can sneak in a few minutes. You wanna talk to Valerie, Danny?"

Danny looks around as if expecting Valerie to appear out of thin air.

"I'll take that as a yes," Sam says.

Moments later, Danny has Sam's phone in his hands and is video-chatting with Valerie. "My man!" Valerie exclaims. "You scared the shit out of us!"

Danny puts the phone down in his lap and says cheerfully, "Valerie's in a box!"

I hear Valerie ask, "How many drugs did they put him on?"

Maddie

"Hold still!" Jack laughs. "I can't shave you if you keep wiggling like that!"

Danny doesn't stop moving. Jack managed to get the shaving cream on our son's face, but any time the razor gets near, Danny starts giggling and flailing around like he's being tickled. Cujo barks merrily from his spot on the floor, responding to Danny's joy, and I think that's making my son laugh more.

The whole scene is absolutely precious! I know that Danny's only acting like this because of his core's healing process, but this is a far cry from that violent episode he had last night. As long as that doesn't happen again, his delirium, however long it lasts, might not be so bad. It might even be kind of fun, like when Jazz got her wisdom teeth out and kept telling Danny to go ghost and fly us home.

Jack and I didn't know about Danny's secret identity then, and looking back, Danny's amusement did seem a little forced.

"I love you, Dad," Danny says randomly.

Jack grins wider. "I love you too, son. Now please hold still."

Cujo barks louder and props his front paws on the side of the bed. He pants happily with his tail waving behind him.

Much to Jack's less concealed annoyance, Danny rolls to his side and says, "I love you, Cujo."

Jack rolls Danny on to his back. "Come on, son. Let's get you shaved."

"Try to hold still for your father, sweetie," I say.

Danny looks at me and…doesn't say anything. His smile drops, as does mine.

"I don't feel like your son anymore."

I was so excited about him waking up from his coma that I'd put that incident out of my mind.

Jack pastes on a smile. "Take it with a grain of salt, Mads. He's so out of it, he's forgetting that razors are sharp." He turns back to Danny. "Which means you need to hold still so I don't accidentally hurt you, okay?"

The light returns to Danny's face. "Okay, Dad."

Our son finally lets his father shave his face, and I try not to let Danny's blank reaction get to me.

Try…and fail.

Danielle

It's great to see Danny conscious, but seeing him act like a like senile old man is kind of freaking me out. At least it's only temporary. The doctor who let me in said that this should wear off in a few days when Danny's core finishes healing.

If nothing else, it's comforting to know that Danny is in better shape than I was when my core was screwed up.

Speaking of which…

"How's your form?" Danny asks, worriedly poking my arm.

I push his hand away and beat my fists against my chest. "Solid as a rock."

He assesses me for a moment before suddenly exclaiming, "Hey!"

I flinch. "What?"

Danny stares at me and…stares at me. Then he lies back in his raised bed.

Okay then.

The door opening is a welcome diversion. Until I see one of Danny's enemies walk in. Cujo is curled up by Danny's feet, and he and I watch Ember walk up to the bed.

She rubs Cujo's head and says to me, "'Sup. I'm Ember."

"Danielle," I say.

Cujo is wary but calm, so it's…probably okay for Ember to be here?

Ember nods at Danny in greeting. "Hey, babypop. Heard you were delusional."

"Delirious," I correct firmly.

Ember shrugs and pulls up a chair next to me, moving her guitar from behind her back to rest it in her lap. "Whatever. So, Danielle, how do you know the dipstick?"

I squeeze the armrests on the chair to keep myself from smacking her. "We're cousins."

Ember takes this in with an acknowledging hum. "I can see the resemblance. At least to his old ghost-form." She scans me up and down. "Say, is there any chance you're…"

"A halfa? I am."

Ember chuckles and shakes her head in disbelief. "First Plasmius shows up. Then Phantom. Now you? How many halfas are roaming around?"

I shrug. "Just us three, as far as I know."

Ember rolls her eyes. "I know we're in the Far Frozen, kid, but you don't have to be so cold. If I wanted to cause trouble, I would have done it already. I'm here to visit your cousin just like you are."

"Why?" I ask, not quite ready to let my guard down. "I thought you didn't like Danny."

"I wouldn't pal around with him," Ember says, "but he's alright when he's not messing up my gigs."

I raise an eyebrow. "You mean causing trouble."

Ember nonchalantly fiddles with one of the pegs on her guitar. "Potato, potahto. You care if I play?"

I've heard Ember's music and, I'll admit, I do like it. And, it's true that she could have easily trashed the place by now if she wanted to. "Knock yourself out," I say.

Ember smiles in thanks then turns to Danny, who had been watching us half-comprehendingly. "Any requests, Phantom? Assuming you're with it enough to make requests?"

"Um…" Danny drawls. He squeezes his imprint's stuffed mouse against his chest while he thinks. Then, he asks eagerly, "Do you know any songs by Ember McLain?"

Ember throws her head back in laughter. "I know a few…"

Walker

I've been in law enforcement a long time, even before I died. I've been in hospitals for all sorts of reasons.

Having a casual visit with a regular thorn in my side is a new one.

But, if I'm being honest with myself, this visit isn't too strange. Phantom and I have a mutual - albeit, grudging - respect for one another. I even told him how I died, though there were extenuating circumstances. And, we both want to see justice served, even if we have different ways of going about it.

Besides, the kid's an angel. Those guys are rare enough that you could call them critically endangered. (Or, does that only apply to animals?) And, a halfa on top of it?

Regardless of how I feel about him, anyone who tries to do away with Danny Phantom is going to have to tango with me. I've already given Skulker a fair warning. We'll see if it sticks.

Phantom - technically, "Fenton," as he is in human-form - only gave me a polite smile when I came in and sat down with him. That dog of his is on his lap, and there's a yellow plush mouse - a get-well-soon gift, I assume - tucked under his arm. I can't tell if the kid's with it enough to know who I am or not. I'll probably just stick around for a few minutes, longer if I can get a word or two out of him.

On second thought, it will be longer because I need to keep an eye on the yahoos who just barged in.

"Ghost child!" Technus squeals. He rushes to Phantom's bedside and pulls the kid into an embrace that I can actually hear. "You are awake!"

Phantom speaks for the first time, but it's to choke out, "Not…for much longer…"

I stand up and reach over the bed to grab Technus's coat and yank him away. "Watch it, brainiac. The kid's already in the hospital." I sit back down now that that's been dealt with.

"Yeah, Technus," Box Ghost, the other yahoo, says as he floats to Technus's side. "Go easy on him."

"So," I say, looking from one ghost to the other, "you two are friends?" I now have the mental image of them relaxing in a coffee shop, and it's a little unsettling.

Thankfully, Box Ghost waves dismissively. "Oh, heck, no. We just happened to show up here at the same time."

Technus points at me. "Same time as you too, apparently."

Box Ghost leans on the railing of Phantom's bed and gives the dog a scratch before saying, "Hey, Danny. How's it going?"

When Phantom only smiles at him, I say, "He ain't saying much. Supposedly, he's gonna be pretty out of it until his core finishes healing."

"That happened to me once," Technus says. "I was a little younger than Phantom, and I was showing my parents one of my inventions. I don't remember what happened after that. Luckily, both my parents are doctors."

"Doctors for ghosts?" Box Ghost asks skeptically.

Technus raises an eyebrow. "Duh. They started out as human doctors, then after they kicked it, they became ghost doctors. Is that so weird?"

That's not part we're questioning. "Your parents are spirits?" Ghosts who started out in the human realm. "You're a demon?" A Zone-born ghost.

Technus shrugs. "Well, yeah. I thought everyone knew that. Anyway," he says to Phantom, "you get better soon, okay, Phantom? Then," cue loud, obnoxious speech, "I! Technus! Will unveil my latest technological masterpiece! And, strike fear and awe into the hearts of-"

Not to be out stupid-ed, the Box Ghost throws his hands into the air. "And, I, the almighty Box Ghost, will-"

Some quiet, jagged breaths draw our attention. My stomach drops when I see that Phantom has lowered his head and is now crying while clutching that mouse to his chest. His dog tries to soothe him with licks, but the dog's efforts are futile.

I was warned that an emotional outburst was possible, but I wasn't expecting one to actually happen.

Technus cringes and grits his teeth, and the Box Ghost waves his hands in front of him in panic. "Oh no no no no no!" the latter shouts. He then glares at the former. "Nice going, Technus!"

"Me?" Technus snaps.

Box Ghost jabs his finger at Technus's chest. "You're the one who started screaming at him!"

Technus jabs him back. "Your screaming interrupted my screaming!"

"I'm gonna give both of you a reason to scream if you don't shut it," I warn.

While saying that, I hold up my hand to the doctor who pokes his head in the door, signaling that I've got it covered. He nods and leaves me to it.

I scooch my chair closer and rub Phantom's back. "That's it," I say gently. "Let it out, son. I've got you."

It takes a while, but Phantom's sobs eventually die off. I don't see any tissues, so I go grab a paper towel from the sink and start cleaning Phantom's face with it.

"Feeling better?" I ask when I'm done.

He nods, clutches the plush toy tighter, and mumbles what sounds like a thank you.

As I pull my hand back, the dog gives my sleeve a few grateful licks. I smile and scratch him under the chin.

Technus and Box Ghost are staring blankly at me.

"What?" I say. "Law enforcement isn't just about putting criminals behind bars. Sometimes I have to comfort the ones who have been through hell." When they keep gawking, I scowl. "I'm not all hard edges!"

They glance at each other like they don't believe me. Whatever. I don't give enough shits about them to care what they think.

Frostbite

We have been giving privacy to the Great One's visitors, but I am making an exception for his imprint. Bub is roughly fifteen months old, so I do not wish for him to be frightened if his father becomes suddenly agitated. Granted, since Bub has been a spirit almost since birth, he is accustomed to being around strange or dangerous things. But, this is his father we are talking about. And, Danny has already had two violent episodes and a crying fit in the three days he has been trapped in delirium.

Fortunately, Danny is…quite himself during Bub's visit. Bub sits on one side of his lap, and Cujo lays with his head on the other. I stand a short distance away while Bub describes everything that has happened to him in the time Danny has been here.

"And then a dragon roared at me like roooaaarrr! But-but, the dragon turned into a nice lady and it was okay. She said her name was, um…" Bub scrunches up his face. "It was, um…D-Dor…tha? I think?"

"Dorathea?" Danny says.

Bub nods. "Yeah, that's it. She was nice and I liked her. I told her you were sick, and she said to tell you hi and get better. Something like that."

"Thanks for telling me," Danny says.

At that point, Bub decides that he's told his father enough tales and bids him and me goodbye. He says to the plush toy at his father's side, "Keep taking care of my daddy, okay, Mouse?" Before flying out of the room.

Bub is a delightful child, and I am relieved that there were no incidents during his visit.

Which makes me wonder if perhaps Danny's delirium has ended and his core has finished healing. He has been incredibly lucid this entire time-

Danny points to the door. "I don't know who that kid is, but I am going to adopt him."

Nevermind.

Vlad

Visiting with Daniel is bittersweet now that I know how frightened he is of my ghost-form. At least, in his current state. (And because, while Daniel convinced Cujo to leave me alone, the dog glares daggers at me throughout my visits.) But, Hutch is right. I would never forgive myself if I broke my promise to come every day.

Daniel has a luxury I didn't when the ecto-acne was slowly killing me. Even though I wouldn't be depriving him of visitors by not coming, I still want to be here for him.

On a more selfish note, I want to know what in blazes he's been talking about.

Every time he lays eyes on my human-form, he asks me if I've spoken to Clockwork about returning to the year 2005. I have been sprinkling in little comments in an attempt to get more information, but I haven't learned much. All I've gathered so far is that it is something to do with time travel, Clockwork (by extension, I assume), "the big football," and some vile man named "Dan." And, me, of course.

After four days of hearing similar forms of what I perceive as gibberish, you cannot convince me that it is actually gibberish. Except maybe the football part.

When Clockwork himself, in the form of a small child, enters the room, I suspect that today might be the day I get answers.

I rise from my seat but am unsure how to address the Master of Time. Formality is probably a safe bet, but I don't get to find out because Daniel greets the man first.

"Hey, Clockwork?" Daniel says urgently. He points at me. "Can Vlad come back to 2005 with me? I-I know it would probably be, like, a paradox. But, controlling time is your whole thing, isn't it? Is there any way you can make an exception? Please?"

I study Clockwork's reaction. The Ancient scratches Cujo's neck and smiles at Daniel in amusement, giving away nothing else. When he speaks, shifting into the form of a man around my age, his tone doesn't reveal anything either. Yet, the choice of words sends a chill up my spine. "I would like to speak with Vlad before I make any decisions." He floats toward the door then looks over his shoulder and beckons me with a wave of his hand. "Come."

What could the Master of Time possibly want with me? Does it involve whatever Daniel has been rambling about?

Daniel gives my hand a squeeze and flashes me an encouraging smile before I follow Clockwork into the hallway. He then leads me into an empty patient room and closes the door behind him.

"Vlad Masters," he begins. He shifts into the form of an elderly man. "It's about time we met in person."

"With all due respect," I say, "can we please cut to the chase? Since Daniel woke up, he's been babbling about timelines and footballs and you. It isn't as meaningless as it sounds, is it?"

That smirk on Clockwork's face says it all. "You are correct. However, the story is Danny's to tell."

"But, you were there."

"I played a role, yes." He returns to his child-like form, but his voice doesn't change. He retains the same deep baritone in all three forms, I notice. "But, Danny did most of the work and was the most affected by the events. Allow him to give you the details when he is ready."

I still have questions, but I acknowledge that I am not likely to get the answers I seek. Not from Clockwork, at any rate. "Why are you here, Clockwork?" I ask instead. "Simply to see Daniel? Or, is there more to it?"

Clockwork hears what I'm not saying. "Yes and yes." He switches to his middle-aged body. "You've piqued my interest recently, Vlad. I want you to know that I am keeping an eye on your progress."

That's…ominous… "My progress? Toward what?"

Clockwork only smiles. There is something oddly warm in his expression. "You'll see."

With that, he floats out the door. I mime strangling the man before following him back to Daniel's room.

Right as I'm stepping through the door, Daniel is asking Clockwork, "Are you gonna let Vlad come with me?"

Clockwork has the audacity to wink at me before replying, "I will consider it."

I don't know if I should be grateful or terrified.