The child flinched from every attempt to help him. He screamed when the medics bandaged him up. He bit Ivan hard, drawing blood and forcing him to release the boy. Arthur scooped up the boy without thinking, whispering soft assurances and holding the boy in a protective hug. The boy went completely limp, his face buried in Arthur's chest. Ivan managed to inject a sedative into the boy. Arthur carried Alfred to the ambulance and stayed by his side in the hospital. Once the sedatives and pain killers wore off enough that Alfred was aware of his surroundings, he became panicky and begged Arthur to protect him. Alfred thought it was a dream.
"Hello, puppet. How are you feeling today? I brought a coloring book and crayons to play with." Arthur pulled out a superhero coloring book and showed it to the little boy who was shaking in fear. "I promise I will never hurt you. You are strong. I'll be with you until a family adopts you." Alfred calmed down and Arthur taught the boy how to color.
"What's th, that color? Is it like my eyes?" The small voice from the beaten boy almost startled Arthur. He didn't understand why the boy would ask a question like that but he would answer. He looked to the crayon the child was shyly pointing to.
"That color is called sky blue, just like your eyes. That one is forest green like my eyes. This one right here is called lilac. It was your father's eye color."
Alfred wished this was the real world and not the dreamworld.