Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As Mike slid out of bed on a dreary Sunday morning- he wonders with tired vindictiveness just what is so special about today and why he had to get up so damned early just to accompany his father to work. He dressed in his Fredbear's Family Diner uniform and yawned widely, snatching his watermelon gum from his dresser as he walked past it on the way out of his door. He pops a stick of gum into his mouth before shuffling downstairs and rubbing at his eye with the heel of his hand, pushing his glasses up onto his forehead as he does so. His father is there, in the kitchen, also in his uniform and looking equally as bedraggled as Mike felt.

"Good morning, Father..."

"Morning, Mike..."

The pair of them shared a look and sighed in tandem, Mike placing his glasses back down on his nose before following his father out of the house and to the man's car. He waited until his father unlocked the car before opening the door and ducking inside, shutting the door and buckling himself in. He leaned against the window as his father got into the vehicle, his eyes closing as the car started and they pulled out of the driveway. The drive to the diner was a reasonable 10-minute one and by that time, Mike and William had both woken up properly. 

They pulled into the parking lot of the Diner and the car shut off- making Mike open his eyes and reach for his seatbelt. He unclipped it and slid it back into place before opening the car door and stepping out of the vehicle. He closed the door behind him and waited for his father to lock up the car before the duo made their way into the building- being greeted by an overexcited Henry who was in the middle of positioning a selection of fake grass pieces by the stage. The whole place looked like a strange mixture of a cheesy, cheap-looking diner and an Easter-themed wonderland. The teen sighed and left the adults to talk whilst he went into the backrooms.

A few hours later, the place was fully Easter-themed and the 20-strong staff was there- positioned in various places around the diner as Henry and William gave them a rundown of the day's events. Mike only really paid attention to anything concerning the SpringBonnie costume; as he'd be the star of the show for today. He hated Easter for this reason; he was much more inclined to stay behind the scenes during large events like this. However, the costume was designed with him in mind and he was the only one trained enough to wear the costume for hours on end as was needed for Easter. He chewed on his gum as he scanned his eyes over the assembled crowd of staff members. Henry and William wrapped up the staff meeting with a few words to encourage the staff to be as cheerful as possible to the kids. Mike shoved himself off the counter he'd been perched on to head backstage and to start getting ready for the day to begin. There was an ominous rumble as kids and parents alike began to flood into the diner to begin the Easter experience- some kids crying out in outrage at the absence of SpringBonnie on the stage next to an idle Fredbear. With that, Mike spat out his gum into the trashcan before emptying his pockets of his house keys, his gum, cigarettes and a lighter and placing them in a box labelled with his name. 

He stepped up to the costume just as Henry and William walked in to help him; the former stepping around the back of the suit to use the crank on it whilst the latter tied Mike's shoulder-length hair back into a ponytail before pinning it up to the back of his head to prevent it getting stuck. Once the prep was done, Mike removed his glasses and handed them to his father before stepping into the lower half of the SpringBonnie costume and exhaling slowly. He raised his arms to accept the upper half of the costume- a few adjustments needing to be made to the fingers so they sat comfortably on his hands. He glanced at the two men before having the head of the costume shoved on his head which immediately obscured his peripheral vision. Mike mentally huffed in mild annoyance as the pair decorated the costume with elaborate pastel flowers, hooking a wicker basket full of eggs onto his forearm. He sent the two the driest look he possibly could through the eyeholes before turning slowly to walk out the door to the main room. 

"Hey there, kiddos! Happy Easter!" 

His voice had a lot of forced cheer in it but it was loud enough to catch the attention of all the children in the diner who immediately cheered at seeing SpringBonnie. He walked to the middle of the room and tilted his head at the crowd of kids that flooded his personal space in seconds, the ears on his costume head flopping with the movement. The kids all began talking at once and Mike felt incredibly overwhelmed but regardless answered any questions he could understand. Amongst the crowd; he could pick out the familiar faces of Elizabeth and Evan. 

He didn't play favourites and spent as much time as he could talking and even playing with the other children who sought out his attention. He noticed his siblings vying for his attention and he granted them that; reaching into his basket to present them with a couple of Easter Eggs. They cheered happily and the other kids immediately picked up the noise; though the teen shushed them quietly and knelt slowly. He held a finger to the mouth of the costume before looking conspiratorially at the idle bear on the stage. He glanced back at the children who seemed intrigued by his theatrics.

"Shhh, kiddos... Fredbears sleepin'. We can't be too loud or we'll wake him up! Then he'll come after us and ruin all the fun! We don't want that, now do we?"

"Nuh-uh!"

"So we have to be super, duper quiet. My little helpers have hidden a bunch of eggs all around the diner and you all need to find them... The catch is that you can't wake Fredbear! So you have to be quiet, okay?"

"Ok!"

"3... 2... 1... Go!"

Mike watched as the kids scattered, chattering quietly amongst themselves as they hunted high and low for the hidden eggs. A few members of staff in bunny ears directed kids away from restricted areas whilst Mike padded backstage to cool off- the suit being heavy and hot. He pulled the head off and set it aside, letting out a slow and measured breath as he turned to look at Henry and William. The two men seemed happy with how the day was proceeding so far and they all turned to the door as Evan and Elizabeth burst in. They were followed by the angriest looking member of staff that Mike had seen yet- who shouted at the kids for going backstage when they weren't allowed to, even though they were clearly calling William 'dad' and hugging him. The disgruntled and overheating teen walked over and stood in front of his father and siblings; arms crossed over his chest as he glared down at the young woman who couldn't have been much older than him. 

She stared up at him and scowled, hands reaching up to shove the younger man aside. However, she shoved him hard enough that he stumbled back a step- body freezing as soon as he heard the ominous click of the springlocks on the verge of failure. The girl, seemingly pissed off that he didn't fall over, reached up and shoved him again with an angry scream. The sharp movement was all the suit needed to fail; the sound of the springlocks failing all at once echoed through the now silent room. Everyone was frozen in shock as the reality of what was happening suddenly dawned on them; Mike's tortured scream being the thing that broke the silence. He was unable to comprehend the sheer agony he was in; every inch of his body was being impaled by sharp, unforgiving metal. He fell, body shaking and spasming as he tried so hard to breathe through his panic and the pain. He felt his blood pour from his mouth, dribbling down his chin as his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out. 

Outside of Mike's little bubble, the room was in anarchy- William on the phone to the hospital as Henry fought the suit itself to free his godson. He was holding the sharp metal back as strongly as he could with the hand crank because if he slackened for even a second; Mike would be undoubtedly killed by the springlocks. As it were, it'd be a miracle if he wasn't permanently disabled by the horrific suit he was currently trapped in. Trying to remove the metal now would cause Mike more pain and would do more damage; it was safer to try and prevent Mike from suffering more due to the metal stabbing into his body in multiple places. Once William stepped away from the phone, he ran for his son and cradled his boy's head in his lap whilst trying to prevent the younger two from seeing their brother lying motionless on the floor while blood soaked the suit and pooled on the floor slowly. Every second seemed to last an hour for the terrified father as he wondered if his son would even survive this ordeal. Mike wasn't even 15 yet- he couldn't imagine the teen not being able to live to see his 15th birthday. The concept of losing the last remaining bit of Clara was so damned terrifying for him; Mike was all he had left of his beloved first wife and Terrence. 

"C'mon, Mike... Stay strong..."

"Bill..."

"God, Hen, I'm so damned scared..."

"I know, Bill, I know..." 

The sound of the ambulance stopped their conversation and William sent Elizabeth and Evan to guide the paramedics to them; stepping away when they ran into the room and dropped down beside the unconscious and dying teen. They instructed Henry to begin slowly pulling back the springlocks- hurrying to extract the bloody teen from the suit when it was safe to do so. The true extent of Mike's injuries was finally revealed and it didn't look good. He had gouge marks all over his body from the metal and he had at least 2 compound fractures- exposing snapped bones from where they weren't quite fast enough to stop it. Both were on his left leg- rendering it useless. The paramedics did their best to stem the bleeding; fighting Mike's body to keep the red liquid inside his body where it belongs. While one wrapped the wounds as best as they could, the other aligned Mike's leg and stabilised it- stopping it from moving around. They moved up the teen's body, assisting their partner in the wrapping of his wounds. While he was being wrapped up for transport to the hospital; William and Henry were ushering the patrons out and also trying to track down the member of staff who had attacked Mike and nearly killed him. William was shouted for and he dashed into the room- being informed that he'd be able to ride with Mike to the hospital. He followed them to the ambulance and climbed inside, clutching at Mike's hand while the paramedics kept him stable. Mike was cold to the touch and it terrified William to think that he could possibly lose his son; he should never have agreed to the springlock suits. They were less expensive, sure, but considering everything; William wished he'd never bought up the idea. Mike was always far more important to William that any stupid animatronic entertainer. 

Chapter Text

The sterile, white hospital corridors seemed to stretch for ages- twisting and turning to confuse anyone who walks within. At least, that's how it felt to William Afton as he hurried at a quick walking pace to locate the ICU which housed his eldest son. He must have looked like a right mess; his eyes most certainly red from his tears and his skin almost as pale as the walls that surrounded him. It took him a moment to realise that he'd finally made it to the location he'd been looking for, slowly pushing the doors to the waiting room open and stepping inside- scrambling across the empty room to the slumped-over form of his best friend. He sat down next to Henry and looked at his face, lower lip caught between his teeth as he anxiously chewed it.

"Henry?"

"Oh! Bill... You're here. Thank God."

"Is everything okay?"

"I don't know. Last I heard, Mike had gone into cardiac arrest again... Apparently, his heart stopped twice on the way over and stopped again when they got here... They barely got him back the last time. That was an hour ago, though. I haven't heard anything since then..."

"Oh, God... Oh no... My baby..."

"I know, Bill... I know..."

"Henry, that's my baby! My little boy! I shouldn't have let him wear the suit; that should be me in there, not my baby..."

"You couldn't have known this would happen, Bill, don't beat yourself up over it."

"My baby..." 

Henry winced and pulled William into a hug, stroking slender fingers through the other man's hair comfortingly. He watched a nurse pad out, clipboard in hand, so he held up a hand to tell her to hold on whilst William had a breakdown into his beige shirt. He rubbed the man's back and shushed him softly, whispering comforting nonsense to him whilst he sobbed for his son. 

It took a few moments but William calmed down and sat up, wiping his eyes hastily with the heel of his hand. He turned and took in the sight of the nurse who smiled sympathetically at the bereaved father. She gestured the pair over and bought them to a small side room so they could discuss Michael's condition without any prying ears as other patients' families were arriving one by one now. The pair of men took a seat while she shut the door, walking around the room to sit opposite them; adjusting her skirt as she sat and laying the clipboard on her lap. Clasping her hands on top of it, she opened her mouth to begin.

"I assume that you're Michael Afton's father, sir?"

"Yes."

"And you're his godfather, Mr Emily?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Good to know."

"How is he, nurse?"

"Well, he is currently stable and the worst of the injuries have been taken care of. We've not had a case like his before so we were concerned about several things- though after talking with Mr Emily, we were able to properly treat the majority of his more serious injuries."

"I see."

"However, we have noticed he has fallen into a coma. Due to the severity of his wounds as well as the multiple cardiac arrests he suffered due to blood loss. Based solely on that, we can assume that he has likely developed minor brain damage that his body is trying to heal. He is currently on a ventilator and is being monitored pretty heavily by doctors to ensure he doesn't slip away again; though we're reasonably certain he won't go again. He's undergone multiple blood transfusions and had surgery to fix the compound fractures on his left leg since his arrival here."

"What injuries did he sustain?"

"Are you both sure you wish to know?"

"Yes."

"Definitely, please tell me..."

"Very well. Our scans and general investigations revealed multiple deep lacerations that have reached the bone, 2 compound fractures on the left tibia and femur, a severe dislocation of the left wrist, damage to the vocal cords, damage to the spinal column, a severe concussion and he appears to have an extreme bilateral clavicle fracture."

"My God..."

"It is a miracle that he survived- I will be honest. He is stable enough to have visitors for now; though he will be going into surgery in a few hours to fix the aforementioned clavicle fracture. After that, he'll be isolated to ensure that there are no infections and you will be able to come back in a few hours."

"Thank you, nurse. Can friends come to see him?"

"As long as you keep the groups to no more than three people, I can't see why not. Just be aware that he may be able to hear you and may respond better to familiar voices; should you choose to talk to him. Just be considerate of the other patients in the ward and you should be fine. The nurse on duty will give you a list of things you can and can't bring for him. If he gets transferred to a ward or room within the main hospital; then we will let you know and we'll ensure his belongings go with him."

"Okay..."

"We'll go see him now, thank you again."

"I'm just doing my job, sir. Take care now."

"You as well, dear."

The nurse stood up and left, taking her clipboard with her. The pair of men sat there for a moment in silence just processing what they'd been told. William turned to Henry with a stricken expression on his face before it slowly morphed into thundering rage. Henry was startled by the change and held his hands up defensively, though the other showed no signs of wanting to hit him. William stood and the other watched as he started pacing whilst clenching and unclenching his fists; trembling with usually carefully suppressed rage and fear.

"That stupid bitch..."

"Bill?"

"That little fucker that shoved Mike! She caused this! He'd be bloody fine if it wasn't for her!"

"You're right but getting angry here is not good for anyone; calm down. We can go see Mike and check on him- just don't do anything rash, Bill."

"I know. I know. I just can't help but get angry. My son almost died because of that stupid little bitch."

"I want to hurt her just as much as you do, trust me. We have to make sure that Mike's okay first though; then we can get angry."

"You're right... You're always right. God, I don't think I've ever been this angry about anything..."

"Heh."

"Alright, I'm calm... Let's go say hi to Mikey..."

Henry stood and they weaved their way out of the room; checking with the woman at the front desk to make sure they got to the right place before walking over to the doors to the ward. Hesitating just a moment, they breathed out a slow breath before slowly entering the room- through the sole occupant was laying on the other end of the room; shielded by a stark blue curtain. They walked forward slowly, gathering all the courage they could muster before turning at the end of the room and finally laying eyes on the figure in the bed. It stole their breath away all at once as they raked their eyes over the pale occupant of the bed; the only sounds being that of the ventilator and the heart monitor- regular, slow sounds that indicated that the figure in the bed was indeed a living person and not a corpse.

William let out a shaky gasp and slowly walked over, sinking into the chair on the right of the bed as he scanned his son; barely seeing a hint of flesh through the swathes of thick, bandages. The true extent of Mike's injuries lay in front of his eyes; covered by the dressings. Not a single part of Mike's body- from what William could see- was untouched. His skin was covered in enough bandages to cover a football field and what parts of him weren't covered in those were covered by a fibreglass cast or by the bed sheet or Hell even by the thing that kept him alive. He hesitantly reached out to run a hand down the length of Mike's forearm, letting out a small whimper as he felt how deathly cold his skin was even with the warmer temperature in the room. He clutched Mike's hand desperately, being careful of his wounds, before bending down to rest his forehead against his son's side. He couldn't help but weep for his eldest- letting out pained keening noises as he truly came to terms with the reality he was faced with. Michael didn't deserve this. 

Henry made his way around the bed to Mike's left, staring down at slackened features of his godson; barely able to comprehend the whole situation even as the evidence lay in front of him. He reached forward to brush an unruly, untamed strand of hair away from Mike's forehead- knowing that the boy hadn't had time to style his downy soft hair this morning. It made him almost smile before the expression bled away as he too observed the sight of Mike's broken body underneath that sheet- unable to fully understand how this teenage boy had survived such a horrific incident. He felt tears rolling down his cheeks and he bit down on a knuckle to prevent any noise from escaping- if what the nurse said was true then Mike didn't need to hear them both have breakdowns. 

It took them almost an hour to calm down; sat on either side of Michael as they talked to him about all sorts of things. Henry told Mike about Charlie and Sammy's advancements and about how Tamara wished him a speedy recovery. William told Mike about how his siblings were terrified for him and that they wanted to come but weren't allowed to. He told him about how much he was sorry for letting the girl hit him twice and not intervening. How he loved him and hoped he'd wake up soon so that he could tell him all this stuff in person. 

Half an hour later, the doctors arrived to begin prepping Michael for the collarbone surgery- ushering the two men out into the waiting room while they took Mike away. The pair left the ICU and padded down to the cafeteria to grab some lunch and a coffee to soothe their nerves. It also allowed them to head to the payphones and call their families to update them on Mike's condition- telling them that the teen was in surgery. Once done with their break, they head back up to the ICU to wait for Mike's return and the verdict of his surgery. It would be a long, hard wait for them both.

Chapter Text

Almost a month had passed since the incident and the twins were nervously awaiting their father coming home from work so he could take them to see Michael for the first time since he'd been mutilated by the springlocks. According to their father, Michael had begun to show signs of waking up and he was healed enough for William to allow them to go and see him. They hadn't been permitted prior simply due to the worry that they would become distressed by the sight of Michael's injuries or would somehow hurt him further. Now, however, they were being allowed to go and see Michael. He'd missed their 6th birthday; it having been just over a week after he was admitted to the hospital in April, so they were looking forward to being able to show Michael what they got as gifts from Aria and William.

They heard William's car pull into the driveway and they stood, walking over to the coat rack to pull on their shoes and coats- ready for when opened the door and called their names. He seemed surprised that they were ready but shrugged off his surprise and motioned them to the car. Elizabeth noted how tired William looked, which wasn't surprising considering how much time he'd spent in the hospital at Mike's bedside. He was usually there from the end of his work day until at least 3 the next morning. It was problematic but understandable; which is why neither child suggested to him that he looked like death warmed up. They all got into the car and buckled in, William not pulling out of the driveway until they were appropriately secured. Once they were on the road, he spoke for the first time directly to them.

"I just wanted to tell you two now that I want you to be very gentle with your brother; so no clambering all over him or anything like that."

"Alright, daddy..."

"Okay..."

"Are you two happy to be seeing Mike?"

"Of course... It's just... We're scared..."

"Scared? Of what?"

"Him dying..."

"He's not going to die, darlings, he's completely safe now."

"B-But what if he never wakes up!?"

"He will, Evan. He'd never leave you two behind."

"Promise?"

"I promise, baby, your brother will wake up soon."

"Okay..."

The two children went quiet then; idly staring out the windows as the scenery passed them by outside. William was being oddly quiet and even the radio remained off- likely because the eldest child's favourite cassette was currently occupying it and turning it on would turn that on too. They were struggling enough without Mike, they didn't need a reminder that he wasn't there with them. The ride went by uneventfully and before they knew it, they were pulling into the car park of the hospital. The twins peered out at the building, gulping a bit at its immense size. They clambered from the car when instructed and took one of William's hands in their own after he locked the vehicle up.

He walked them into the building and through a series of twisting corridors; ending up in front of an elevator. Elizabeth pressed the button and they waited in comfortable silence for a moment before the doors opened and they stepped inside the empty elevator- William reaching out to press the appropriate button. The ride up to the floor was quiet and anxiety-filled as the youngest two attempted to neaten up just a bit more before meeting Mike again. Evan clutched at his plush and Elizabeth held onto her doll just a bit tighter as the doors slid open and a robotic voice intoned the floor level to them. They stepped out and immediately were guided down a few more twisting corridors before arriving at the correct room. They hesitated for a moment before looking up at William with determination in their eyes- he caught their message and pushed the door open.

Their eyes immediately welled up at the sight of their brother laying in the sterile white bed; his features slack and stress-free. He would look like he was just sleeping if it weren't for the plastic tube that started at his nose and led into a machine that helped him breathe comfortably. William approached and they watched their father lean down and press a soft kiss to Mike's forehead- which prompted them to walk forward and hesitantly clamber up onto the bed to better access their brother. He looked paler than normal; his skin was only just darker than the bedsheets. Elizabeth's lower lip trembled as she leaned forward to kiss her older brother on the cheek, laying down next to him and closing her eyes as she basks in the limited comfort that his still form gave her. Evan went next, copying his sister and laying on Mike's other side- being careful to not bump the cast around his brother's left wrist. William sat down on the chair beside the bed and crossed his arms, leaning back on the seat and closing his eyes. It didn't take long for them all to be dozing in the comforting presence of the eldest child. 

It wasn't long before Elizabeth began to show signs of distress and terror as a nightmare about Mike surfaced in her mind; her being unable to help him as he bled to death in front of her eyes whilst begging her for the help she couldn't give. William was awoken by his daughter's crying; trapped in a nightmare. He was unsure how to proceed; as Mike was always the one to handle the night terrors that the youngest two faced regularly. 

He sat there, unable to comprehend how to help as he stared forlornly at her sobbing form. What he didn't expect to see was Mike's right arm moving slowly to wrap around her, his thumb rubbing a comforting pattern into her back. To his utter surprise and shock; she calms right now and is back to sleeping peacefully in a matter of 30 seconds. He looks up at Mike's face sharply, seeing his son's matching pair of purple-blue eyes looking back at him blearily. William gapes stupidly for a moment before smiling weakly at Mike who simply blinks at him. The teen's eyes droop closed again a minute later as he falls asleep. William is up and out of his chair the second the boy's eyes closed; calling the nurse and waiting impatiently for her arrival. When she arrived; he explained the events that just occurred and she smiled widely.

"That's wonderful to hear, Mr Afton!"

"Is it?"

"Indeed! It means that your son will start to come around very slowly over the next few hours; possibly being able to remain awake for a few hours by the end of the day. His brain is just trying to start functioning again so he may experience some aggression and confusion at first but he'll calm straight back down again when he realises who you all are."

"He didn't seem to recognise me..."

"Well, Mr Afton, you should see some changes in that over the next few hours."

"Thank God. Do you know what could have triggered him to wake up?"

"You said that your daughter was crying, correct?"

"Yes?"

"Well, I would assume that the sound of her crying roused the part of Michael that was driven by instinct. He wanted to protect her, to keep her safe, so he quite literally forced his body to obey him long enough to provide that comfort to her." 

"My son surely is something, isn't he?"

"He certainly is, sir. We rarely encounter someone so intent on waking up that they'd force themselves to wake from a coma."

"Thank you, nurse."

"Of course, sir. Call us if you need anything or if he remains awake for longer than 10 minutes."

"Right..."

With that, the nurse turned on her heel and left whilst noting things down on her clipboard. William smiled at his son's sleeping form and shook his head fondly; only Mike would manage to defy all medical professionals' expectations and wake himself up just to comfort his siblings. He wouldn't have his son any other way, however. He perched himself on the edge of the bed by his son's leg; rubbing his thumb in circles over his knee while smiling. He closed his eyes and bowed his head as he sent a quick mental thank you to Clara for keeping Mike safe throughout this whole ordeal; swearing that he could hear her respond affectionately to his thanks. It made him smile wider and he stood, leaning down to press another kiss to Mike's forehead. The boy shifted his head back and his lips curled into a small smile at the sensation. William sat back down next to the bed and leaned back to watch over Mike again. 

The next sign of Mike's waking came a few hours later, when all 3 were awake and enjoying something to eat. Fredbear nearly fell off the bed where he was perched and Evan made a distressed noise because he didn't want the bear to get hurt. No one expected Mike's hand to shoot out and snatch the plush from the air- presenting it in Evan's direction. The startled boy took the toy and they all looked at Mike's face. He was staring at them; eyes more alert though clearly all his brain functions weren't there yet as he took a moment to register them staring at him. He acknowledged their staring with a small smile and a tilt of his head. Though he didn't try to speak, he did lift his arm slowly to point it at his eye, then his heart and then at them. It took him doing it again with a slow eye roll for them to understand that he was telling them that he loved them. Once they responded in kind, he lowered his arm back down with a wince and a small grumbling sound. He'd disturbed the wounds littering his arms as well as the collarbone fracture on that side of his body. A small, grumpy pout settled on his face and the kids scrambled up onto the bed to chatter to Mike quickly. He didn't seem to quite follow but nodded at the appropriate times so they continued talking at him. William watched in amusement as Elizabeth mimed out how her day at school had gone whilst Evan timidly told Mike about homework that he couldn't do. They both then started on a wild story about their birthday which caused Mike to visibly wilt in his distress about being unable to take part; though he lightened up again when William patted his hand comfortingly. This time, he was awake for about 8 minutes before slowly drifting off again. William was so certain because he'd kept track of the time as asked of him by the nurse. It took almost a minute for the kids to notice that Mike had fallen asleep again; both of them pouting but nodding at their father when he told them to hop off so they could all go and stretch their legs for a while. 

His final awakening took place whilst the youngest two were colouring in pictures of cartoon characters; the colouring books and crayons having been provided by the nurse. William was reading the newspaper and scanning the news stories with not much interest when he felt a tap on his knee. Peering around his paper, he noticed that the youngest two were still colouring on the small table in the corner of Mike's room. With a frown, he looked over at Mike and was met with the amused face of his eldest son staring back at him. He startled and folded his paper up quickly, throwing it onto the small table used by patients before coming to sit on the side of Mike's bed within arms reach of the teenager. He reached down to slowly raise the bed so Mike was sat up, the boy smiling thankfully at his father before slowly gesturing to the cup of water that had been left for him. His father took the cup and gently pressed it against the boy's lips, tilting it up as Mike gratefully drank the cool liquid with a soft sighing noise of contentment. He drained the whole cup slowly; nodding at his father when he was done. Willaim set the cup down and leaned in to ever so gently hug Michael; who nuzzled into his father with a pleased sigh. He couldn't hug the man back but the comfort was very much appreciated. 

A few moments passed before he was released; William sat back down in the chair and turned to face the younger two, who had yet to notice that Mike was awake. The teen followed his gaze and smiled- stifling a laugh and leaning back on the bed so he could watch his siblings interact with interest and adoration in his eyes. 20 minutes passed as the two of them watched the twins playing and colouring; fighting occasionally about who is allowed what crayon at what time. When William checked his watch, his eyes widened as he realised how long Mike had been awake this time. He called the nurse in and she came walking in, taking note of Mike's wakefulness as well.

"Hello there, Michael. Nice to meet you. My name is Annabelle and I'm your nurse."

"..."

"Ah, I see. The vocal cord damage was worse than expected... I'll need you to blink once for yes and twice for no for me please, do you understand?"

Blink.

"Good. Can you feel any pain in your body?"

Blink. Blink.

"Good. Now, do you remember everyone in the room?"

Blink.

"Great! Do you remember what happened to land you here?"

Blink.

"Got it, so I don't need to explain anything?"

Blink. Blink.

"Awesome. Want me to leave you be now so you can spend time with your family?"

Blink.

"Haha, alright. Take care, Michael!"

The nurse left and Mike exhaled, sending William a dry look. It wasn't that he hated her; she was just a bit too much for Mike's recently awakened brain to handle all at once. William caught his look and laughed; finally catching the attention of the younger two who looked over and noticed that Mike was awake. A battle cry of Michael's name made the poor boy jump before he was pounced upon by a pair of overexcited siblings. He let out a startled noise before smiling widely and wrapping his mostly uninjured arm around them both; nosing into their hair and inhaling their familiar and comforting scents. He could hear them crying and William sent him a pitying look before leaving the room to go get a coffee and to leave the kids to their own devices for a little bit. Michael leans down and presses kisses to the twins' cheeks and foreheads; nuzzling them affectionately like a mother cat would her babies. 

"L-Love... Y-You..."

Mike's voice was breathy, broken and hoarse, so much so that the younger kids winced; feeling pity for the teen. Nevertheless; they smiled up at him and responded in kind. This was the happiest they had felt in almost a month, having Mike awake was the best thing that had ever happened to them. They snuggled into the teen, being careful as to not hurt him as they basked in the sound of his strongly thumping heartbeat and regular breathing. While they dozed, Michael watched over them with sadness and love in his eyes; stroking the slender fingers of his right hand through their soft locks. He was content now, surrounded by the ones he loves and on the way to healing.

Chapter Text

The next few days passed slowly for the occupant of the solitary hospital bed; Mike simply read whatever book the nurses would bring for him in between sleeping and his family visiting him. It was a boring existence but he knew that he couldn't do much else, so he simply dealt with whatever came his way. Even if it was in the form of horrible romance novels that made him want to rip his eyeballs out from how genuinely terrible the story and writing were. 

As he turned the page of the book that rested on his lap slowly, eyes scanning the last words on the page before they vanished underneath the next block of text, he was interrupted by the arrival of his friends and Erik. The quartet were chattering amongst themselves as they approached so he simply marked his page, closed the book and set it down on his bedside table before picking up his glass of water and sipping the cool liquid through the straw. He glanced over to the door just as it opened to reveal his friends outside; their eyes meeting his and immediately filling with tears. They darted inside and left Erik to close the door; carefully engulfing Mike in a hug just as he set down the glass. Erik approached and sat down in the seat that usually belonged to William when he visited. The others stepped back before seating themselves on various spots around the room; all facing their bedridden companion. 

"Enjoying hospital life, Mike?"

"You moron, he can't talk! Mr Afton told us that before we even came here!"

"No need to be rude, Ele!"

Mike quietly observed his friends bickering; languidly blinking at them before silently snickering when Eléa leant over his legs to hit Luis about the head with her fist. Ivan was perched on the windowsill; polishing his coloured shades whilst trying very hard to not crack up. Erik, meanwhile, was lounging in the chair beside Mike's bed with his feet up on the edge of the bed next to Luis. Mike lifts his hand and makes an idle gesture which silences the two quarrelling teens, their attention turning to him as he smiles sweetly and tilts his head with a small nod towards Luis. He'd answered the other boys' question the only way that he knew how to- given the circumstances. 

The next few hours were full of Eléa and Luis bickering like an old married couple, Ivan and Erik playing card games and Mike occasionally stepping in- figuratively of course- to settle the arguments between the two fighting teenagers. Ivan left around lunchtime to fetch some food; being tailed by Luis a few moments later after the boy got his ass kicked by Eléa. The girl had left to go freshen herself up which left Erik and Mike alone in the room. The ash-blonde set his feet down on the floor and leant forward, gently brushing Mike's hair away from his freckled face with a fond smile. That smile soon slipped away as the bedridden boy turned to look at him with an inquisitive look on his face. Tears soon formed in his eyes as he took in the face of the boy he could have lost all those months ago; his pale hand fell to cup Mike's cheek as his thumb brushed against the soft skin reverently. 

"..."

He whimpers and leans forward further, tilting Mike's head back slowly and carefully so as not to hurt him any further. Purple-blue eyes were wide and following his every move even as his breathing quickened slightly and his cheeks coloured pink at the other boy's proximity. Erik stared down into that face and bit at his lip harshly before speaking; his voice barely above a whisper.

"C-Can I kiss you?"

Mike's eyes widened before he nodded once, quick and almost unnoticeable. Erik, emboldened by this, stood and leant over the bedridden boy, closing the gap between them. The kiss was short but delectably sweet; being sorely missed by both boys when they separated. Both of their cheeks were almost red now but they couldn't take their eyes off of one another; afraid that this was a beautiful but fleeting dream. When neither disappeared, they both blinked and pulled further away from each other. Mike lifts his hand and captured Erik's loose hand with tanned fingers; threading them together absently even as the other sat back in the chair whilst still leaning forward. He turned to look at Erik with a shy smile before lifting their conjoined hands to press a soft kiss to the back of Erik's hand which made the blonde duck his head with a sappy smile. It was amusing for Mike to see Erik be so bashful, seeing as he was normally so cold and closed-off. He tilts his head slightly when Erik lifts his head again with a slightly morose expression. 

"Mike... I was so scared. Scared that I'd never get to do that or tell you that... That... I love you. I couldn't imagine my life without you in it. If you had died that day... I'd have done anything to join you. Please, never do that again..."

Mike listened to his whispered confession with a relatively blank expression before sighing softly and shaking his head fondly. He patted Erik on the hand before sending him a look that told Erik that he'd try his best but there'd be no promises happening. The other merely smiled dryly and stood to sit on the bed beside the other; wrapping his arm around his shoulders before pressing another kiss onto his forehead just above his eyebrow. Mike smiled stupidly and tilted his head back to beam at Erik. 

"S-So... Uhm... What would you think about maybe going on a date once you're out of here?"

Mike gestured to a pad and pencil that he'd been using to give more complex answers to certain questions. He was handed it and he flipped to a new page. His elegant, flowing script soon was painted across the page with little to no hesitation. Erik looked confused as the other had angled the pad away from his view just enough to make reading the writing almost impossible. Eventually, Mike let out a breath and offered the pad to Erik to read with a bashful smile.

' I would love to. I know a diner that does great milkshakes and fries; if that's what you'd like. I know it isn't much but I'm not one to do anything extravagant.'

Erik beamed and nodded enthusiastically; just happy to not have been shunned by Mike. The pad was put back on the side table and the pair just sat whilst Mike read the book the nurse had left behind; Erik occasionally snickering at the nauseatingly detailed romance scenes that popped up in the pages that Mike would show him. It was a peaceful existence until Eléa returned and joined Mike's other side at the boy's request; bursting into howling laughter alongside Erik when Mike showed them some of the worst parts of the book he'd been left. The bedridden boy merely shook his head with a smile and closed the book- tossing it onto the table for the nurse to take back. He just couldn't stomach the book any longer.

Ivan and Luis soon joined them again and Mike simply ate the food given to him whilst Eléa and Erik showed the God-awful writing of the book he'd been reading to the pair. He gazed out the window and smiled at the bright sunlight that flooded the streets outside. He turned his gaze back to his friends and almost choked on his slice of pizza as he watched the quartet act out a few scenes from the book. His body shook with silent laughter as they continued to act in some rather stupid ways whilst now straying heavily from the original 'script'. He set his food down and let out a little gasping wheeze of laughter before wrapping his arms around himself whilst shaking harder due to his laughter. This made them look over with surprised smiles before continuing with somehow even worse acting.

He's glad they came; he doesn't know where he'd be without them all.

Chapter Text

It had been 2 months since that fateful Easter that had resulted in Mike being admitted to the hospital and today was the day that he was finally being released from the sterile environment. It had not been easy by any means; what with the constant nightmares about the incident and the pain his body had been in every day since the whole event had taken place. He was sat in the chair beside his hospital bed, book in hand whilst he waits for his father to come and pick him up. He was dressed in an oversized jumper, jeans and purple sneakers. Leant up against his chair was a single metal crutch that he'd have to suffer using until his leg no longer hurt when he applied pressure to it. At his feet lay a duffle bag that his friends had bought in on their last visit; which had several books as well as a few changes of clothes for him.

The door to his room bursts open and he looks up, puzzled, before his face softens as he sees his siblings standing there with massive grins on their faces. They'd been there for most of his recovery at the hospital; through every failed walking attempt and through many a scolding from his nurse for straining his clavicle so soon after it was broken. He set his book down on the table and held his arms out- bracing himself as they barrelled into him with loud giggles and screams. Smiling, he nuzzles their hair and simply inhales their scent as he usually did when they came to visit. 

William leant in the doorway and watched his kids with a smile on his face; it widened when Mike looks up and meets his eyes. He crosses the room and leans down to press a kiss to his eldest's temple. The kids backed off of their brother so he could put his book away and stand up, grabbing the crutch so he wouldn't fall over. He nods when asked if he's ready to go home- eager to get out of this place that had been his prison for 2 months. 

He followed them out of the door and down the hallway, listening to Evan and Elizabeth chattering at hyperspeed about the fact that William had pulled them from school to come and get him. The family walked to the elevator, where they waited for a moment until the doors opened and they could enter the metal box. The kids continued to converse with one another and Mike as they rode the thing down to the ground floor; where they exited and began the trek through a maze of corridors to the exit. Mike was excited to finally be free. 

The first blast of fresh air that hit his nose had him inhaling and smiling; letting out a small, quiet laugh as he does. Evan takes his hand and clutches Fredbear close as they made their way across the parking lot to the car. He leans heavily on his crutch as he walks; trying to avoid putting too much pressure on his leg. The walk from the doors to the car is a long one- simply because Mike had to walk slowly. They finally got to the car and William helped Mike into the vehicle as the twins clambered into the back. Mike's bag was shoved into the back of the car by William before the man strode around the car to get into the driver's seat. Everyone put their seatbelts on and they began their final journey from the hospital- this time with Mike as opposed to without him.

Mike leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, smiling as the sun hit his face through the window. His siblings were quietly chatting amongst themselves behind him and his father had turned on the radio. The car was warm and even smelt familiar; it was incredibly comforting to him after spending so long in a place that smelt of antiseptic. It didn't take long for him to drift off whilst leaning against the window- the occupants of the car quietened down as they noticed their slumbering family member. 

The drive home took a while- traffic was a pain- but they got there eventually. William sent the younger two in with their brother's bag whilst he attempted to wake up his eldest. Gently, he shook Mike's shoulder and whispered his name ever so softly. It got little response so he spoke a bit louder; which eventually got Mike to sluggishly pull himself from the realm of sleep. William smiled and unbuckled his son's seatbelt, leaning over to pull him into a tight embrace. Mike lifts his hand to hold his father's arm, closing his eyes and nuzzling into him. They stayed this way for a few minutes before William released Mike and got out of the car, walking around the hood to open the door. He helped Mike out of the car, walking with him inside to the couch. Then, he turned and went back outside to close the door and lock up the car. 

Evan and Elizabeth had run upstairs whilst this had been happening to change into their onesies- bringing down a comfortable pair of pyjamas for Mike. They saw him on the couch and grinned ear-to-ear, sprinting over and throwing the pyjamas at Mike's face. He blinked, stunned, before turning his head to look at them in all their soft, fluffy glory. The teen smiled before pulling himself off the couch, gathering the clothes and his crutch so he could head to the bathroom to change.

The twins waited anxiously for their elder brother to return; squealing happily when he limped back into the room. His hair swished around, unbound, and Elizabeth gasped. He made his way back to the couch and sat down, Elizabeth immediately shuffled forward to ask if she could play with his hair. He nods and turns his back to her, offering her the hair tie that was on his wrist in case she wanted it. While she played with his hair happily, he pulled Evan into his lap and rested his chin on the top of his brother's head. He took a hold of Fredbear and mimed attacking Evan with him; which made his brother squeal and giggle. Mike smiled and handed the bear back- instead nosing into Evan's hair with a contented huff. 

William returned and kicked off his shoes, undoing his tie as he poked his head into the living room. He smiled as he saw his kids, shaking his head as he walked off upstairs to change into something more comfortable than his work uniform. It didn't take long and he was back. He lifts Elizabeth and rests her on his lap once he sits down in her spot. Mike had a messy braid in his hair and he couldn't help but chuckle at his son's misfortune of trying to get that out later. He grabbed the remote and switched on a random channel; sighing contently as he looks over at his kids. Unsurprisingly, they were getting tired. Evan was already asleep in Mike's lap and Elizabeth was leaning against his own chest whilst trying to fight off sleep. Mike leant back against his arm, shifting so that William could wrap his arm around him whilst he held onto Evan. 

William rubbed at Mike's shoulder, smiling down at his son when he looked up at him. Finally, he had his whole family back in his arms. While they may not be the same again, they were all still here and that was enough for him. He'd promised to call Henry when Mike got out of the hospital but he couldn't exactly move right now; not that he'd want to anyway. Glancing down at his kids again, he sees that Elizabeth had succumbed to sleep and that Mike was on his way out as well- if the way he was blinking slowly indicated anything. 

He rubbed at his son's shoulder and the teen simply sighed, leaning into him more as he finally gave in. He watches Mike fall asleep with a smile on his face before he tips his head back to look at the ceiling. He thanked whatever deity was out there for his son's survival- praying that Mike would make a speedy and full recovery. It was all he could hope for; knowing that his son was in for a rough few months. He yawns and looks down at his kids once more, smiling at the sight of them all curled around him and each other contently. His eyes begin to droop closed and he tips his head back again; giving in to his urge to sleep now that all of his children were at home again. 

Nothing would hurt his children again- he'd make sure of it.