Work Text:
Oddly enough when Puss wakes up he's laying down somewhere. Panic immediately erupts in him as he shoots up. Memories flooding back. He looks around, equipment lines the grey tile walls everywhere, he feels trapped again,instinctively he yanks his arm, thinking he would still be chained. Was it all a dream? Was he stuck again? What was gonna happen next? Who would arrive now?
Puss's head snapped around as he heard a voice. It was a man, brown hair with yellow looking glasses. This wasn't the Perro. No, it was someone different. It didn't matter anyway In the end. First thing Puss did was back up, too close. Surprisingly, it shocked Puss himself. Last time he got up bravely, what happened? What now? Shame was everywhere.
"Woah! Don't worry! Someone dropped you off here! I'm just gonna check up on you!"
Oh. It was a Doctor. Okay...
Relief didn't come any time soon because when Puss tried to sit down for the doctor so they could examine the injuries they flinched harshly the minute a hand tried to touch their arm.
They tried again, a hand held their arm now firmly and the more they examined the arm the more anxiety that rose from the pressure. Then the doctor took a look at his ankles and that's when Puss flinched really badly, he hated it so much. It was so foolish. Guilt washed over again, he's just trying to help, just stop flinching like an idiot.
Nothing was listening when he started to back up again when the doctor left to get supplies. coward. Puss had took a look at his arm, the arm wasn't "gushing out" like it did a few hours ago. The only thing left was a fat line of where the chains used to be, wrapped around his wrist, and ankles too if he looked maybe.
It was gonna scar, he knew that, and Puss hated that, he didn't want the reminder, he wished he could laugh this one off. Puss had curled up into a ball as he tried to be patient. Everything was blurry in his vision because of the tears in his eyes that he wouldn't dare to let them fall.
Then he heard steps, he backed to the wall a little more, then the man came back. Carrying a few rolls of bandages, and maybe Puss was a liar when he said he wouldn't let his tears fall, when the doctor took his arm again to bandage it he felt pain shoot up that he just gave up trying not to. Puss tried to stay silent, it was stupid anyway.
"Oh dear, what happened to you?"
The quiet sobs became louder. He tried to shut up, he still had to give an answer.
Taking a breath to try to calm down, he said
"A-Almost r-r-"
He couldn't finish his sentence. Why couldn't he?!? He was fine but then it felt like his voice vanished. Like Puss used to be a doll with a voicebox and it got taken away. Even if the sentence wasn't completed he could see the doctor trying to figure out what his soon-to-be scars had to do with what Puss said. Then he could see the light bulb go off in his head. Then sadness was on his face. It only made Puss embarrassed, embarrassed that he was being pitied like this. He shouldn't have to have other people feel pity for him, it was so stupid.
The doctor became more slower with their movements, and kept their grip soft. They also narrated what they would do beforehand.It helped a few of his nerves calm down but he was still "irked" in a way. In a way where sometimes during the silence a phantom feeling of hands would start to touch him everywhere. He always gave a bit of extra trouble to the doctor when he had to shake his body for a second to make it feel like the hands were gone.
After a bit the wrists were done with their bandages,His tears had then dried too.It was funny, really, all the trouble and Puss got a funny looking wrap of a dog in a green field playing with a frisbee for decoration.The colors were all bright too. It definitely made him laugh, even if it sounded like it could be fake. He felt the bandages, scratchy-like.As much as this was to only catch the bleeding Puss made a small promise to try to keep the blood from bleeding through it,and to touch the dog drawing on his bandages. When did he get this soft?
While he was busy with his wrist bandages his ankle bandages were done too. As much as he would love to look down to see more of the cool puppy drawings he was sure he would get memories if he looked at it at the same time. Puss didn't want to ruin the moment just yet just to cry again. Maybe he can get by from this.
When the examination was done he hopped off the doctors bed. He got to keep two treats from the treat jar too. He said his goodbyes to his doctor and went off to meet his friends. Where would they be now? Then a clock chimed, ah, it was the town clock.It hit midnight. They most likely could be at the cottage. So he headed there. The house was nice, suitable for the 3 of them.It was very small but it was home for whenever they visited.
As much as the comfort from the doctors office was nice he still had an odd sense of alertness, to every little thing. This would be normal but old Puss in boots could actually relax, this Puss couldn't.His whole body was shaking with anxiety. Then he spotted the house and he could've not been happier than now. When he entered Kitty looked like they were distressed, while Perrito napped on the couch. Once Kitty saw Puss she started bombing questions on him.
"Where were you?! I saw you with that fan of yours and then when i turned around for a second you left! I was so worried!-"
Puss decided to tell the half truth, maybe not what actually happened but maybe the truth about the Perro.
"Ah, well the dog wasn't a fan, really. I had to battle him and I had to go to the doctors office after,he definitely was a challenge!"
He could only hope he sounded convincing. He was still oddly shaking and Kitty felt way too close, he wanted to step back but he felt glued.
".. Okay.. Just rest easy. "
Puss took it as a sign as he headed straight towards their room. He laid down for a while, big mistake. He remembered what happened last time he laid down and he felt hand on his body again. He felt like someone was coming again. The bandages felt like chains. It felt like a treasure when he could actually get air through his lungs. He sat up. First thing he thought was "never again".
He was so tired, he wanted to sleep but he couldn't,that would mean laying down. Puss just put his head in his hands. He should've just paid attention. He just had to act so dumbly. He could've declined the dance. Maybe he should of never had talked to him at all. If he wasn't so blind and stayed with Kitty he wouldn't have to feel all of this. Maybe this was just extra payback for being so boastful. Puss started crying again.
Sadness turned to anger he wished he brought something in his belt, maybe he could of stabbed him in the leg and hear his cries, he thought about the cry of pain he heard from the Perro when Death killed him, it made him feel better. He fantasized about every way he could of murdered him. It felt like hours he was there only thinking about every small detail of pain he hoped or wished that Perro went through.
It felt like a continuous cycle, just like this. He would groan when the alarm would scare him from his thoughts while hating his lack of sleep, he would get up to have food, he would then go on an adventure with Perrito and Kitty for the afternoon, food again, and then "sleep" while he wallowed again in his sadness and then anger about the dog. The cycle was pityful,sure,but he just can't heal from it. Puss can't get away. He felt like an alien somehow, he felt like he stuck out, and not in the good way like he used to think. His fighting became messier too when they ended up having to fight he would have to use a hell ton of supplies for dumb jabs the bounty hunters got on him. He wasn't living up to his name.
He could see the looks that he would get from his friends when he got hurt, it hurt way more than any old wound,he's trying his best. Once after an adventure, they had went home. Perrito, tired, went to go to bed. Puss was gonna go follow to say good night but Kitty put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Flinching, he turned around, confused.
"We need to talk." she said.
He raised an eyebrow to that, going through in his head to figure out what they would need to talk about. Curse his tired mind. When they sat down on the couch Kitty felt too close, he could feel it as his nerves spiked, so he backed up a little, hoping she wouldn't notice.
"Are you alright?" Kitty asked.
This was the part where his brain fought. He so badly wanted to say what happened but the other part felt like he would be destroying his masculinity and to stay strong. That part took over.
"Yes?" Puss replied, with a hint of fake confusion.
"Don't lie to me Puss, I see the way you fight now, something is absolutely bothering you, after you dissapeared that one night you haven't been the same."
Puss was shocked, but he still needed to press he was fine, maybe he was convincing himself more then Kitty. What was that excuse he used last time?
"I'm telling you the only thing that happened was that he wasn't a fan and challenged a battle, I only had to go to the doctors after which took way longer."
This had to stick by now, surely it would.
"Quit lying to me Puss! I know your lying and it hurts to not know what's going on with you!" Kitty yelled
He hated how a fair distance from someone was the only thing that made him feel safe, because she got closer as she yelled and it made his breath hitch all over again.
"Just please say what's going on in your mind..." Kitty said quieter. Her outburst calming down.
Puss opened his mouth to deny anything going on but He paused. He had to say it by now, it was caught up in his throat as he tried to form what happened into words.It felt like it was stuck in cobweb. He was trying so hard to enable that stupid voicebox. Just talk, it's not that difficult!
"I-uh, a-after the dance, he spiked m-my drink and he-he almost raped me."
The last few words came out in a jumble, it didn't matter, he got it out. He got it out. Puss covered his mouth with his hands as he started to cry. Kitty was shocked, stuck trying to process it. She reached to hug, at first it was painful from his nerves screaming to get out of it, thinking it was dangerous, but he settled into the comforting warmth. It was something he couldn't enjoy in what felt like forever. He sobbed,hot tears, he hadn't cried in weeks as he tried to keep it all in. It hurt so bad with all his worries coming in tow. Even so, he was just happy enough that he was able to speak out his truth.