Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dark… Could he not see the light anymore? Was he blind? No, he would have known that he went blind by now, but he couldn’t tell. Could he be blinded by the last experiment that was seized on him unexpectedly by them? It could have, however, he wasn’t too sure. He may need to ask them when they come back from whatever they were doing now. Maybe his eyes were closed? Maybe they are now, although he couldn’t feel them. He can’t move them either.

All he wants to know right now is to see light. He just wants the light to appear, even if it comes directly at his sight and blinds him for a few seconds. He had not seen light in such a long time, and maybe he's starting to forget what it looks like. Why couldn't he see it? Why couldn't he feel its warmth? He wants to know so badly. Those questions still bother him, but not much as earlier. What happened to the light? He may never know until he finds it once again, touch it with his own hands, and feel its warmth over himself like it did before.

A sign... He needs a sign so that he knows what was there, what was near him, what he knew that never moved its place from its origin within his residence. Since he couldn't see, he has to feel around. He found something small, square shaped; hard with little softness, a thin, but somewhat wide, object on top of it, and five, flat surfaces all around him. The surfaces were hard, kind of rough to the tough against his hands. He didn't mind if they were like that. He was used to the roughness of things that have been inflicted on him. That is all he knew of as of now.

He felt his hands, which were feeling like the rough walls around him, and the patches of scabs from where he used to claw what he possibly knew the back wall. Or was it the wall to his right? He shook his head, growling quietly to rework his memory. He scratched the back wall the last time he checked. Okay, he remembers that, so next was the right wall's turn. He might as well do that while he's bored out of his mind. Just sitting in a corner and blankly staring into darkness wasn't doing him any good exercise. Besides, he needs to move around so that his limbs won't be sore when he uses them. With that in mind, he crawled on his hands and knees and moved slowly towards the middle of the right wall.

When he reached the middle, he checked to see if it wasn't the back wall with the multitude of scratches on its surface. So far, he feels the wall having much less scratches on it than the back wall. Satisfied, he raked his hands like a puppy would do when it wanted back inside of its home. The sound of metal scraping was what he liked to hear. Other than his small breathing, and the usual calling of when they come to get him to do his usual schedule, scratching the metal walls were kind of soothing to him, taking some heavy emotions away with each graze after he was done doing whatever they wanted him to do.

Though, even if he likes to scratch the walls one by one, after doing that, what would he do next? It wasn't like he had other surfaces to scrape his fingers on, and he wouldn't want to scrape the two objects he earned from one of them. Unless... His eyes widen and he stops grazing the wall. That's it! That's what he forgot! He'll do that once he's done covering every wall with marks. A small smile formed on his face when the idea popped in.

A soft knock bounced off the glowing, green metal door and he turned his head towards it. Who was it? Was it one of those rough handling men again? That couldn't be right. They were done with him an hour ago, unless one of the people on his schedule forgot to do something to him. Or... It could be that nice lady at the door that sometimes visits him during her breaks. The resident smiled. He will have to check the door just in case.

If the woman is here right now, this would be a good time to start to get to know her more instead of addressing her as ‘Pretty Lady.’ If not and the person behind the door was one of the men, or someone he doesn’t distinguish apart from the others, then the chance of getting to know the pretty lady wouldn’t happen today. Hopefully the figure will be the woman.

He stood up slowly off the floor, his thin legs wobbling as he stumbled towards the metal door. Another soft knock came, and he was sure that it was the nice lady. She would make those soft knocks, not like the others that visit him to do his daily schedule. The rough man that comes to his residence had a hard rapping sound, and the other man that does his experiments makes quick, tapping knocks. How could he almost forget what kind of knocks each person made?

The resident came up to the door, but wasn't happy that he kept the nice lady waiting for him. Damn the slowness in his legs. He knocked at the same pace as she did, signaling her that she can come in. He moved himself a bit away from the metal door and watched as the nice lady came in, a warm smile drawn on her pretty, apricot face.

She had on a green sweater and a forest green skirt that reached her knees caps, along with a pair of black high heels. Covering over the sweater was her white lab coat that looks similar to the rest of the other people she works with, with an addition of her name tag poking out of the pocket attached on her coat. Her auburn hair was down this time, not like in its usual ponytail customization, and it waved down her back and shoulders like a waterfall.

'Honestly, she looks better with her hair down instead of being tied back.' He thought as she closed the door and turned around to face him. She had a clipboard in her left hand, he noticed with curiosity. Was she doing something with the clipboard during her visit? He'll find out somewhat.

"Hi, Subject DP-15!" She greeted him sweetly like a mother would to her child, her crystal, hazel eyes gazing into dull, cloudy blue ones. "How are you doing today?"

He gave her a thumb up and a small, weak grin, indicating he was having a good day so far. His voice wasn't doing well since earlier when he was with the man that was doing the experiments giving him a few patch-ups on the outside. He can try speaking right now, though it could sound differently to the both of them.

"That's good. Feeling well right now?" She asked as she got out her clipboard and wrote on it with a pen that was attached by a chain.

He nodded a yes.

She hummed approvingly and scribbled on the clipboard. “Any problems from earlier? Like pain, weakness in movements, dizziness, those sort of effects?”

He nodded a no, then slowly moved his right arm, the action making it shudder, and he dropped it by his side ungracefully. The resident then slid his finger across his throat, an indication that his voice wasn't working properly at the moment. Other than that, he shrugged.

She shook her head in understanding and scribbled more. "So weakness in movements and no voice is notable, yet there's no pain and dizziness. Any other side effects that you've noticed recently?"

He pointed to his eyes, which were drooping halfway.

The pretty lady smiled gently and chuckled. "Tiredness; I know the feeling, especially when taking medication that has that effect and puts you out in a snap." She makes a snap with her thumb and middle finger.

The other chuckled also, but it came out as a croaky sound and he fitfully coughed into his hand next, hunching forward a bit due to the strain in his chest. When he pulled it away, his hand was covered in specks of red, some dripping off onto the floor, and he noticed his throat was starting to burn irritably. That can't be a good sign. He frowned worriedly and looked at the pretty lady, who had her hazel eyes widen in alarm by the sight of the red specks. Her smile was also gone, replaced with a similar frown.

"Oh no." She said in a concerning tone, "Don't fret; I'll come back and sneak some cough drops, herbal tea, and a book from my office."

As she was about to go to the metal door, footsteps could be heard. She stopped suddenly at the clapping sounds and froze in place, making sure her breathing wasn't loud enough to be heard. The footsteps came louder and after a few seconds, they passed by it. They grew quieter and quieter until it sounds like it took a turn and became no more. Now silence permeated the room and the hallway outside, letting the pretty woman to let out a breath she held back.

She sighed in relief and looked at the subject behind her, smiling happily. "That was kind of a close call. I wasn't expecting someone to come by the hallway at this hour. They usually don't until a certain amount of hours in the day come and go." The woman turned and grabbed the handle, opening it half way before switching her view to the subject once more. "Anyway, I'll get the stuff and come back as quickly as possible. See you in a few, quick minutes."

He watches her as the pretty woman began to walk out of the residence. Now would be the right time to know her name before it's too late. He was very sure he trusts her completely now, if not slightly doubting himself to trust anyone in this place, but the closest being that was sweet enough to not do anything bad to him was the pretty lady. She never did any harm, and he was grateful about that. At least there was one person who is nice. He doesn’t trust the rest of the building, not one bit.

The resident sighed silently. Here goes nothing. With his head bowed, his ruffed up, black hair hiding his face, he shoots himself forward. He snatches the sleeve of her lab coat, tugging it a bit.

"Please w-wait." He croaked out quietly and cringed a little at the sound of his voice not being used in a long time. It sounded sort of hollow with a croak at the beginning.

The woman was caught by surprise from both of the sudden motion and him speaking out for the first time in months. It wasn't to be expected. She looked at him questioningly. "Is there something wrong, Subject DP-15? Are you starting to feel pain?"

His eyes widened. “N-N-No! I w-want t-to ask y-you something…”

“And I got your answer. Ask away.”

“C-Could you t-tell me your n-name please b-before you l-leave?” He cocked his head, the expression given off from him being curiosity.

The pretty lady nodded her head. “If we are introducing ourselves now, I would like to know your name as well, if you may?”

Subject DP-15 shook his head, accepting the deal without hesitation. Finally, the chance he was waiting for.

"My name is April. It’s a pleasure to meet you." She introduced herself as her hand came forward.

He smiled fondly, a perfect name for such a pretty lady. It fits her nicely. Subject DP-15 took her hand and shook it firmly.

"M-Mine's..." He trails off, the sudden realization hitting him.

What… What was his name? Did he even have a name in the first place other than Subject DP-15 like what they call him now? He could have at one point in his life, but why can’t he remember it now? It felt weird having no name for starters, a regular one that wasn’t an experimental one.

He searches through his memories, some of them flashing of his previous years, and others drawing a blank the further he went forward. He felt awfully confused once the memories stop at three, unknown figures, a black background over his head, and something bright and white flashing around all of them before turning to black. Yet, there was a hint of sorrow and fear laced around the confusion. Why were those there? He would need to find out sometime other than now.

“I… I-I d-don’t know w-what my n-name is.” He looked down, finding the floor interesting.

April looked saddened at the fact he didn’t know his name. She puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. “It’s fine if you don’t remember your name.” The woman smiled, “We can find it together one of these days by researching.”

He made a small smile. That made him perk up some, but he still felt dismayed.

She puts her hands on her hips, a smirk made on her lips, "Well, I gotta get going if we're going to take care of that sore throat of yours. I'll also grab some disinfecting wipes on my way out to let you get rid of the blood off your hands."

He shakes his head as thanks, his throat still burning from the amount of talking he went through in their conversation. It feels like a few pieces of red hots candy wrapped in sandpaper have been shoved inside his throat now, the sensation of both heat and roughness starting to annoy him. Subject DP-15 wasn't sure if he should inform her before she leaves, to tell her that his throat was burning worse and she should get a bottle of ice water to make it stop.

However, as soon as Danny opens his mouth to ask, April was quickly getting out of the room. The door closes without a slam behind her, leaving the subject standing there with his mouth gaping open like an idiot. No sound wormed its way in or out, just silence crawling in as he stood still.

'Okay, that could've gone better...' He thought as he sighed and slumps his shoulders in defeat. Too late to ask her that now; when April gets back with the required items, he will ask her.

Another cough erupted in his throat, expelling the silence for a moment. Danny covered his mouth swiftly; he feels the harsh pounding in his chest and something, whether or not the substance coming through his throat was saliva, blood, or another slimy liquid, was coming through his esophagus. In his weakened state, his mind went fuzzy and his legs gave out. He hits the floor hard, letting out a short gasp and a groan from the impact. His fitful coughing didn't seem to stop and when that liquid came up, it wasn't a pretty sight.

Crimson splattered the floor next to him as his coughing finally ceases to end, to which he was glad it stopped. The coppery smell wafted his nose and he gagged at the pungent odor, weakly trying to get far enough away to not smell it and throw up another batch again. The taste was also foul in his mouth and he spits what remained in his mouth at the puddle, making a disgusted face in the process. Gross, really gross. He shuddered when he can still feel that pungent blood crawling through his throat. Subject DP-15 didn't know what to do to keep it down other than to not glance at the puddle and not think of the vile liquid coming out of him.

He crawled with what little strength he had left to the square shape and flat object that lay at the left corner of the room. Wrapping the second item around his frame, the resident laid his head down on the first, feeling exhausted from what happened. Sleep… Sleep would do some good to get rid of some things. Maybe with the exhaustion and the warmth from the flat item combined, he can take it easy so that he wouldn't throw up and easing the dizziness in his head. He felt darkness creeping up and nothing came after once it took hold of him, lending its help in reducing the awful effects that lingered through the poor soul.

Chapter Text

Dark... It's dark once again...

Why... Why does he see only darkness? Does the light not want to show itself to him like it used to? Did it grow bored and leave him to stay with the dark until it comes back from who-knows-where it went? Maybe it had business elsewhere and not want to keep an eye on him twenty-four seven. The light had stuck around him for a long time, yet leaves when growing tired and lets the darkness take its place next to him.

Maybe it's tired now? The light didn't tell him it went to sleep like it usually did. At least, he knew the light didn't. It didn't look tired at all in his eyes; the light looked very plentiful in complexion. Its beauty was unquenched by hideous phenomenon that the darkness brings, a shining example of an eternal fire blazing brightly. Tiredness may not have an effect on the light anyhow.

Now that he thought about keeping the light safe and keep its beauty pure, not let it be harmed by the darkness's grasp, he shouldn't leave the light alone for too long. When he sees the light again, his guard would be up and running, taking on the job as a guardian. If the darkness should try to get the light, it will have to get through him first, even if his life would be on the line. He'll gladly defend the light very necessary.

Wait, what was that in the distance? His eyes squint at the long distance, but his sight wasn't that efficient to see extensive stretches. That small glow looked like a bright pinpoint, the only opposite color throughout wherever he is in. Kind of like a star in the vastness of outer space.

Should he go forward and try to interact with it?

Could it be the light he's searching for?

He'll take the chance if he has to, for the light's safety. His legs start to move to the direction of the dot, building up speed slowly per foot. The area around him hung in such silence that it was deafening his ears, but he paid no attention to the white noise. All he wanted was to get to the speck of white. Stretching his hand towards the white circle, the vast area began to shrink steadily while he ran. He paid no mind to the shrinkage either. He felt he was getting closer and closer, his breaths coming out as pants and heart hammering to keep up the speed.

Just get closer... Closer...

His right leg felt a tugging force. It pulled him down suddenly, allowing him to fall fast unto the floor and slamming his front body hard. A knock to the head and a hit to his chest was what he felt. The forces made him lose his breath out of his lungs, the pants becoming more like soft gasps, and blackening out his vision in seconds. He laid there stiff as a board as his head cocked to the spot where the speck of white has been waiting, still there in its exact spot, waiting for him to get to it. Both arms start to drag him to it, but he felt whatever force is clinging to his leg tighten its grip with each drag.

He tries to shake it off roughly, hopefully to get the force off and allow him to get to the dot quicker. That didn't work in the slightest and he growled angrily, shaking his leg harder, but was making the holder's grasp increase in pressure that would make blood nearly stop pumping through the area.

His face showed anxiety and alarm by the result of his attempt to escape, his heart quickening through his chest when the force starts to drag him in the opposite direction. His fingernails scrape the floor in an effort to stop the pulling; however, the surface was smooth like glass, and it did not make it very easy for him to cling onto.

This began to be bad, so very bad!

He swallowed some air to get his heart to stop beating fast, to calm himself to think of a way out of the vice grip. Okay... No panic... No panicking required, as it leads to foolish thinking and no escaping. He knows that he desperately needs to get away, get to the white spot he hopes that is the light finally returning to him, and escape this space of nothing. That will be the only thought lingering in his mind in this moment.

He will not let this happen to him…

His arm felt a tugging sensation, the pull more lessening in pressure than the one on his leg. He lit up in alarm about another force pulling him more away from the dot, but his assumption deflated entirely as the other pull was combating the first towards the front, making effort to make him pull away from the hard tug. The two forces then stretched him like when two little children were fighting for a toy to play, he being the unfortunate toy and the two forces being the children, and it quite felt painful to his joints. The feeling of being torn off the sockets was enough for him to scream out in anguish, yelling at the two to stop pulling him with harsh comments, but his words went to deaf ears.

The force on his leg wasn’t having enough patience, getting tired of not getting its way, and a flurry of wrath wavered off from it, hitting the subject's skin. The wave made him shiver out of fear and got ready to kick the force. It pulled hard and he felt his hip and knee jerk roughly along with it, still trying to resist being teared apart by the likes of a furious tug. Instead of a kick, he jerked and wiggled against the restraints, helping out the other on his arm, until he felt his leg dislocate out of his hip socket. He grunted loudly, a yelp slipping out of his throat through his clenched teeth, the sound of his socket giving a 'pop' letting his heart go into his esophagus.

His patience was also gone. He gave a hard glare to the force on his leg, his eyes turning to dull, glowing, neon green. “Enough!” He bellows viciously, the yell resonating throughout the neutral area.

A bright, toxic green glow came to life above his head and side. The force on his arm lets go, him not giving any thought to it going away. Not holding back, no mercy shown, the subject pushes his hands in front of him, the glow growing bigger, and an ecto-ray shot from them. He was blinded by the light at the time he released the energy beam, but can hear a loud screech at the opposite side of him. It rattled his ears and the gritty, animalistic scream pierced into the darkness, vibrating the space. The glow recedes its brightness as he felt his ability was decreasing in power, ebbing away until it left glittering green sparkles from his palms.

When the black shadows crawl their way around him, he was left lying on his left side, breathing heavily softly. Both hands were leaving a thin stream of smoke, the aftermath of the beam. The subject focused what was in front of him, his eyes now reverting back to their dull, icy blue. He didn’t feel the tug on his leg and arm anymore, both leaving him to lay there to recover from his menacing attack. He smiled weakly at the success of being freed from the force on his leg. Now he can be with the dot without anything holding him back.

Shifting his hands under him, he pushed his upper body off the floor, the strength in his limbs wobbling in labor, not having a longer break after the attack. Getting to sitting level and sprawling his legs out, the subject looked at his leg. His foot was lying on its side and he tries to move his toes, now being weirded out that they can still function. Would a dislocated appendage not let the rest of his ligaments access to movement? That’s another thought to think about for another day. Right now, he needs to get to the white speck.

The tug on his arm returns, a gentle touch to his weakened limb. It was pulling him towards the white circle, but not in a hurried fashion, rather, in a motioning manner. He nodded to it, even though he couldn’t see what it was, and begins to get on his feet. He felt his leg go limp beside the other, making him teeter to keep balance on only one leg. The force noticed this action. It lets go of him, only to return to the other arm. He nods in thanks now that his balance was stable with the help of the force and starts hobbling to the dot.

Wait... He feels tired... Maybe from the exhaustion, perhaps... That won't stop him.

His balance starts to sway as he inches towards the dot, the grip on his other arm feeling faint. Vision going hazy, the resident unknowingly tumbles down to the floor again, this time exhaustion not letting up. It coiled him like a person putting a blanket around him, keeping in its grasp to make their prey fall under their influence. He wants to get rid of it, not let it capture him like the tug on his leg did, but with a weakened energy level, the subject was slipping into it without arguing.

Dull eyes fluttering to a close, the last he sees is the dot fading and a hand moving to his face until it goes completely dark.

By the time April had gotten everything that was needed, it took her a little longer than she wanted to get back because a couple of agents had wanted her to go to the doctor and file back some samples that he had missed a while ago on him. When she got to the office, the doctor asked her to get a couple blood samples to examine for foreign specimens and handed three viles to her with a needle and tube attached to one. She nodded and pocketed the objects in her lab coat, then went back into her office to see if she forgotten something. April finally hustled back to the containment room when she found nothing left to find.

When she had opened the metal door, opening her mouth so that she can greet the boy and to say she has the items, April was cut off by the sight of him. He was curled in himself, facing the wall, looking smaller than he did when the test subject usually lies down while the blanket covered up every part of him, except for the head.

He twitched for a bit as she came closer to him and knelt down behind him, letting her hand pet the boy on the head. The pretty lady saw Subject DP-15 shivering under her hand, feeling him quiver out of fear. She could pick up faint whimpers that were nearly impossible to hear escaping into the silent room. He curled in more, possibly trying to get warmer or huddle into it for safety. It may look cute at first glance, but the pretty lady took it as a saddening scene, to which a frown appeared on her lips. April knew that he was dreaming about something horrible and with the twitching action, it may be the beginning of a nightmare conjuring up.

He has them when he's put out after the experiments or when she visits him during the very late hours into the night while the woman had to stay to do her work to get extra cash, not out of greed, but for bill payments and gifts. Sometimes as she goes across the door, she can hear him wail and scream, even hear a name being called, but it wasn't who she knew. So far, April had heard him call out to a 'Mom', a 'Dad', a 'Jazz', a 'Sam', and a 'Tucker'. She didn't know anyone by those names, except the 'Mom' and 'Dad' parts, and was curious to ask him who they were, if he is willing to tell her about them. She knows the outcome of what that will turn out if he does comply, almost.

She hated that he had nightmares, especially about this place, what they do to him to make them happen frequently, and possibly his life before he ended up in the facility. Her thoughts about them were they were sort of cruel when they experiment on the boy, dissecting parts of him, taking samples, making him do procedures that involve physical combat in the testing chamber. She has seen him once or twice in the chamber, getting shot and nearly cut by lasers and circular blades, and not to mention ecto-guns. They also had him go up against other, more or less powerful ghosts that were captured in the facility. He would knock out some, but when he reaches his limit, he goes down hard until he falls into unconsciousness.

They then send in a group of guards to retrieve the ghosts and take them back to their chambers, where they would spend the rest of their time living in solitude. The experiments and physical procedures made her want to gag and quit her job, but she couldn't do that. Not when the boy needs help getting out of this place. They had taken him away from his life, his family, his friends, and killed the light that was once held in his icy blue eyes, leaving them cloudy and dim, no life left but a very faint light of hope. They had made him give up of ever getting out of this place and into a safe haven just so they can handle him easier, turning him into a mindless weapon.

Even though ghosts were dangerous to be around, whether or not they were contained, April was not surprised that she came to terms of befriending at least one or two during her job experience. They would be nice or sort of irritated to have someone near them, but they will get used to her, and it would take April a while to gain their trust, even if it was a little. Already she's got Subject DP-15's trust since she was assigned to be his inspector and most of her time was either in the office doing papers or checking up on how he was doing after his experiments, then report back the results to the higher-ups. It was boring for the most part; however, what April likes about her job was to spend time with Subject DP-15.

At one point as April was going to check up on him to see how he was doing after he had gone into the testing chamber, she heard a shriek coming from the metal door, nearly popping her ear drums out. She opened the door quickly, setting down whatever she had for the moment. Her heart became quickened in its beats, the subtle panic of what was going on taking her on a joy ride. She had asked him if he was okay when she opened the door, and the answer to her question came out as a whimper. Her eyes fell upon Subject DP-15, who had currently curled up in a corner. He shook aggressively in a tightly huddled position, his head wedged between his knees, hands clamped on his head.

In situations like these, she will go towards the subject calmly if he was panicking and not in the right state of mind. If the nightmare gets worse, she will have to wake him up or let him wake himself up, which it could end up in three ways: getting shot by an ecto-ray, him sobbing into her, or getting scratched and hit. Often it would be the third way or the first way, and if lucky, none of those but the second way. She would then try to calm him down to a reasonable rate so her reassuring words get through him, promising him he was going to be alright. They may be sweet nothings to someone, but it was better to use it than use nothing to calm down a panicking person.

As she was reminiscing about past events, Subject DP-15 whimpered a bit louder and breathed in and out quickly, as if he was suffocating from the lack of oxygen. April snapped out to reality and calmly, yet quickly came to the boy's curled up form. Without taking off the blanket, she lifts him off his side and turns him around so that he lies on his other side. The woman then wraps her arms around his shaken body gently, letting him lay his head on her shoulder. She began to lull him with reassuring words like a mother would to calm her little child from a bad dream. Even if he doesn't know what was happening to him, she was sure that by going through the same process, it will calm him to a steady rate.

Over the next several minutes, which to April, they felt like an hour or two, the boy became a little calmer, but was still shaking. His breathing turned into quiet pants in her hearing, allowing her to relax, but she wasn't going to let her guard down completely in case the boy made a sudden action. She waited for him to settle himself, not wanting to rush him into questioning what happened to cause him trouble again. April smiled in accomplishment that it had worked once again when she saw the same result, albeit quicker than the previous. Her calming techniques went usually longer, with her having the subject in her arms and swaying side to side to help ease him into a calmer demeanor.

Subject DP-15 shifted in the blanket's soft hold; his head that was bowed to where his chin had rested on his chest now shaking side to side. After getting much of the fog in his mind cleared, he opens his eyes, the dark floor greeting him. He let out a quiet groan, followed by a yawn, and felt someone next to him with their arms in a comfort holding position. The resident made a confused face, wondering why he was sitting up and being hugged by someone since he remembered he was laying down to ward off the dizziness and nausea. He turned his head and his bleary eyes met April, who was smiling at him.

"Hey." She whispered.

Subject DP-15 blinked and stared distantly at her for a moment. Sleep was already fogging up his mind again and the dizziness that had left him returned. He shook his head to get the fog out once more, blinking rapidly a few times before looking back at April. "W-Wha... W-What h-happened?" He asked in confusion.

"You had another nightmare, Subject DP-15. It looked pretty bad."

His eyes widened a bit. "Oh..."

He looked down, now seeing the floor in useless interest. His cheeks had a light dust of pink on them, the embarrassment making its turn in the trifling situation. She walked into another one of his nightmare fits again, didn't she? He inwardly groans that he wasn't going to live with this again like the other times she walked in unexpectedly. He glared lightly at the floor before changing it into a melancholy expression.

"Th-Thank you f-for w-waking m-me up a-again." He whispered in an almost inaudible voice.

April smiled lightly, the caring look in her eyes visible. "You're very welcome." She pats him on the back.

A comfortable silence has now spread itself in the room while they huddled by each other, the woman now keeping an arm around the boy in a comforting hold while the resident leaned against her. His legs were laying under him now, the blanket wrapped around his form, but leaving his feet out of the cover. He felt relaxed, his troubling mind welling down from the nightmare’s residue. Content lingered through him, letting the stress that surfaced earlier flow out in an inaudible sigh. Subject DP-15 shifted in his blanket, cuddling into it and holding both ends by one hand while the second lays on his lap limply.

April looked down at him, feeling the decrease of stiffness in his muscles and seeing the presence of him lying next to her without panic crossing his face. She was congratulating herself in her mind for getting him in a relaxed state without the hassle of getting hit by ecto-rays or flying limbs as he lets anxiety consume him. The poor boy needs this type of treatment after going through tough times dealing with scary moments. And it's taking a toll on him physically, emotionally, and mentally as she kept an eye on him. She can see the very pale complexion coating his skin, the dark circles under his gloomy eyes taking residence, the once dark hair now taking on a duller hue as it hanged droopily over part of his face.

The woman lets a sad smile cross her lips. Her hand then made an unconscious move towards his head, the appendage petting his dimmed hair lightly in slow strokes. She didn't know why she was doing this action, but it felt right to do so now. It relaxed her and Subject DP-15, and with the steady breathing coming from him, she was more than glad to exorcise the rush of fear out of him. The move reminded her of her mother doing it to her when she got scared of something, so maybe doing this at the moment to the boy would do the same reaction to him?

The response she got from him was a soft purr and movement planting itself against her palm. He then slipped forward from being against her side, curling in to lay his head on her right leg like a cushion while also putting the cover over his shoulder. April's hand had not left his head as he moved, continuing to pet him as if he was like a cat. He quietly let out a content sigh. In her opinion, the sight was cute. As her hand glided across his greasy hair, April had the option of asking a question, breaking the silence in the room once again.

"Are you okay, then?" April asked, making her voice soft like the gentle wind in the spring time.

He flickers his dull eyes at her. "Y-Yes, I'm f-fine. Y-You d-don't have t-to worry about m-me for n-now."

She smirked, doubt present in her features. "It's part of my job to worry about you, Subject DP-15. Who else would be worried about you other than me? Certainly not the facility members, that's for sure."

He chuckled. "Yeah... Y-You're right, but... I-I don't kn-know why, b-but I don't w-want s-someone to w-worry about m-me for s-some r-reason."

April smiled brightly. "Never heard you chuckle before."

He looked at her confused. "B-Because...?"

"It's the first time I heard you chuckle. I never would have thought you got a sense of humor left in you after... You know what."

Subject DP-15 just stared at her before smiling softly. "I-I guess s-so."

"Also, you do have the option of having someone to worry about you because without someone with that job, you don't have anyone to rely on to fix part of you." April shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly, "But it's your choice to take the offer if you feel like that person is trustworthy enough to you." She lets him process what she had said, seeing a look of understanding crossing the boy’s face once he finishes thinking over them.

He nods in understanding and agreement. “Yeah… Y-You’re right.”