NO POV an hour later

Horror sits in the waiting space, staring at the doors to the operating room and just feeling....empty. Lost. At a loss for words. His boyfriend is inside, watching the operation through a window as doctors work on Killer. 

He couldn't hear anything but his thoughts screaming at him. What happened? Why was Farmer scared of him? What did he do to Killer?

He glances down at his hands still covered in blood. Killer's blood.

Why is his blood on his hands? Why was he using his axe on Killer? What the hell happened? Why won't anyone tell him and why can't he REMEMBER? 

Sure he was mad at Killer for breaking his trust, but he still sees him as a brother and would never WANT to hurt him. So how did this happen?

The doors burst open and he watches a tearful Outer run past him to the front desk, demanding answers. He watches his entire family and Blue march in, looking lost and concerned. 

Family. How could he hurt his family?

They see him and try to talk to him but he doesn't hear a word, just staring at them with an empty look in his eye. He doesn't even realize that he is crying. Error hugs him, rubbing his back gently. Horror buries his head in his father's chest, hugging him close but doesn't let his bloody hands touch him out of fear that he'd hurt Error next. He breaks down into tears, jolting when he feels his body getting lifted. Nightmare sets him in his lap as Error continues to soothe him, the rest taking sits around him as they prepare to wait things out.

Farmer returns, sitting beside Outer to comfort him....taking the furthest seat away from Horror. Everyone notices this, even Outer.

"Farmer, I'll be fine. Go help Horror. He is having a breakdown. You and I both know it isn't his fault."Outer says

Farmer glances at Horror and Horror could see how uneasy he is about that. His boyfriend, who has never seen him as freaky before, is too uneasy to come near him. 

Then out of nowhere, a knife appears and pokes Farmer repeatedly until he gets up, guiding him to Horror before plopping down on the empty chair he was once in. Farmer shakes his head while Outer recognizes the knife as Killer's and grows hopeful.

None of them know but Killer is currently having an out-of-body experience. Literally. While he is being operated on, he is floating around the hospital and has just caught Farmer disobeying what he told him only hours ago. So he summoned a knife and forced Farmer to do it. He won't let Horror cry. He can see Dust's brother floating as well, then gets spotted by said brother who tattles on him to Dust. Dust smirks, saying nothing but is reassured by this news. Killer then floats over, landing beside Outer and trying to wipe his tears, his hands going right through Outer.

"Can someone please explain to me what happened and how his blood got on my hands? I don't like his blood on my hands."Horror asks

Killer picks up the knife, twirling it where Farmer can see it as a warning. Farmer sighs, nodding to Killer as he puts it down again.

"Well, let's start with this. You all were hacked by some asshole that Paps and Buffer are working to locate and identify so this is on him, not you Horror. Killer apparently was targeted but got free which allowed Paps to become aware of the situation as well as get the materials to start working on the code. Then he ran off to help free the rest of you, which somehow got him to you. The reason you don't recall anything is because the virus had control of you and you were basically their zombie to act through whatever scenario it chooses without any choices or thought, just action."Nightmare says

Tears fill Horror's eyes, hearing this and making connections to what Killer said. Farmer and Outer look surprised to hear this, though smile.

"The reason that he was under your axe...was because...."Farmer says, starting to become hesitant.

"Do you have the answers, Killer?"Phantom asks

"The virus was making him go nuts and attack Farmer. I simply got in the way. Farm is supposed to be comforting him or do I have to haunt him to get him to do so? He knows I will and I don't want to wake up to my brother crying."Killer replies

Phantom repeats this to Dust, making him chuckle.

"What's so funny?"Dream asks

"Paps says that he just spoke with Killer and he is threatening to haunt Farmer if he doesn't comfort Horror. He ain't waking up to a brother in tears."Dust replies

Killer starts to see himself fade, his spirit going in a mist back to the operating room. He smiles, seeing that Farmer listened and is now in charge of hugging his boyfriend and cleaning his bloody hands with some tissues. Horror clings to him tightly, overjoyed that he isn't scared of him.

"Welp, gotta go! Cya soon!"He says

Phantom repeats the message to Dust before he completely fades away, returning to his body.

Now all they could do was wait.

Slowly, everyone falls asleep. Except for Horror. He stays wide awake, Farmer asleep leaning on his shoulder. He watches the clock tick and doctors hustle around, working away. He's simply waiting for one of them, any of them, to approach him and give some good news. 

But nothing comes.

It isn't until around 5 AM, when the waiting room is mostly empty, that he finally hears something. And no, it isn't from a doctor. He gets up, curiously approaching the noise and nobody attempts to stop him. He even got into the kitchen which had the doors stuck open with a the end of a hospital bed on wheels. He glances in, seeing Killer sitting on the other end of the bed with his arm in a cast and sling as well as his leg put in a cast. He seems completely indifferent to this as he appears only focused on cooking something on the stove, plates lined on the nearby counter.

"...Killer...?"Horror chokes out.

Killer glances at him and smiles. He smiles at Horror. A large scar runs down the center of his skull, stopping just between his eyes and he smiles.

"What...What are you doing?"He asks

Killer starts dishing the food out onto plates, sliding them to where Horror can reach it.

"One I'm-Sorry Meal, an I-Love-You-Bro-Meal, and an Are-You-Okay Meal for you. I thought it would help things after yesterday."He says

Horror is silent, staring at him in shock.

"Okay, I know my cooking sucks. While you can probably do this with one hand and your eye closed, I'm an amateur with this. You could at least humor me by trying it."He says

"Why do you make these meals?"Horror asks

"Cuz unlike you, I actually have something to be sorry for. And it's called being an asshole to you. I'm sorry for taking your choices away. I don't ever mean to or want to do that to you, Horror. Especially if it makes me like that Probe asshole. I really do love you like a brother. I know it won't be easy to get your trust back and don't want forgiveness, I just want to get back on good terms with you."He says

He lays down so he can see Horror better without twisting himself.

"So, are you okay?"He asks Horror

"I should be asking you that."Horror says

"Nah, I'm fine. I wasn't the one turned into a lab rat and woke up to a truckload of trauma."He says

"....Ok is complicated right now. Who is Probe?"Horror asks

"The asshole that tried to hack us all for fun. Didn't get to see him but he found me on my search, explaining himself in a way. He offered me a helping hand since I'm the first and only victim to break his virus on my own...and he was curious about what I'd do. He'd take me to anyone I wanted and leave me to it. So...He took me to you, even though I knew that I was the last person you wanted to see. And then Farmer arrived with your pets that I heard from Phantom are being brought home and things went from there."He explains

Horror reaches out, trying one of the meals. Then he chuckles.

"Why is it the first thing that you do to announce that you're awake or alive is cause trouble and break into a kitchen?"Horror chuckles

Killer lifts his other arm to his head, posing dramatically with "pain".

"Horror, you hurt me so. By now you should know me well enough to know the answer to that."He says

"Uh-huh, riiight."He says, rolling his eye

Then they both start chuckling.

"So, how has your boyfriend been comforting you?"Killer asks

"I'm just glad that he isn't scared of me."He sighs

"He'd have no reason to be. He knows you weren't in control or at fault. You're a victim and he knows you wouldn't harm him. Though I have no promises on how I'd behave when haunting him."Killer says

"Pfft, haunting Farm?"

"I'd make his life a living hell if he didn't treat you right! Just imagine my potential as a phantom haunting him! And I did warn him earlier when he picked me up! I saw how his distance hurt you!"

"You're crazy, Killer."Horror chuckles

"Pfft, tell me something I don't know."Killer says, putting the plates on the tray attached to his rolling bed.

Horror pulls the bed out of the doorway, hugging him gently.

"I love you, Killer."He whispers

Tears swell in Killer's eyes and he smiles again, hugging Horror back. Those words meant the world to him. 

Then Horror pushes him into the elevator, following Killer's directions back to his assigned hospital room. He sits in a chair, taking the plates of food away and watching Killer doze off under the blankets.

He is so doomed when the others wake up.

TBC