*Slightly more swearing present in this chapter. Just a quick forewarning.*

It was several hours before the receptionist finally called us back to see Anxiety. The kids had rushed in one by one giving a short explanation about Thomas's well-being. Our host was safe, just asleep. Yet his mind was plagued with worry. We had no ideas about what would happen now.

When we were finally pulled back to see Anxiety, my legs felt like gelatin as I moved. The kids were all asleep in the lobby and we didn't feel like waking them. Especially since the mean old receptionist announced that we would exceed the limit of people per room if we let them join us. Logan was at Morality's side.

A strap was around Anxiety's center, keeping him flat on the medical cot that he was sprawled out on. There was an IV in his arm and visible stitches along his body. One of his arms was in a cast along with one of his legs. His face was black and blue and his eyes had dark circles under them, darker than normal. The doctor came in shortly and stood at the far side of the room for several minutes.

"Well, he was hit by a news van..." the doctor announced.

"No shit sherlock." I growled over at the man, angry that this was happening in the first place.

"And he's sustained major injury..." the doctor continued as if I hadn't said anything. The doctor had a shrewd face that was tinged grey or green depending on how the light hits it. His face was stoic, but I could see a hint of wariness behind his eyes.

"Thank you captain obvious." I bit out my own retort, trying to get some emotion outta this guy; or better yet, an actual explanation of the situation at hand.

"Currently he is in what the humans would call a coma." The doctor glanced to me before he was cut off by another.

"We got that. Got anything of actual importance to tell us?" Logic dished out, just as hard as what I had been saying moments before. Morality elbowed Logic in the gut.

"Logan, let the man speak." Morality whined to the man beside him. The whine did not sound like his normal one though. Instead it was laced with worry as it's host tried to figure out what was going on.

"In our world however, it is not called a coma. It's called a trance, though I haven't seen one this deep in a long time." Morality's face lit up with recognition while Logic's face filled with confusion.

"So does that mean he's semi-conscious. That is the definition of a trance after all." Logic tried to figure out aloud.

"No. He is not semi-conscious. At least he's not in this world. This will take a while to explain, so I suggest you all sit down. We can talk close to him as he won't hear any of this." The doctor stated. I placed my hand on one of Anxiety's shoulders and pushed the hair away from his eyes. His sleeping face was so calm, very different than his normally brooding features.

"Here Princey, I manifested this chair for you." Morality pulled me out from my position of staring down at Anxiety for long enough for me to sit in the seat Morality had created for me. Once that was done, I looked up to the doctor.

"Now what are you talking about doctor?" I demanded, wanting a straight answer at this point. One I was unlikely to receive in the way I wanted any time soon.

"Our world is created inside the brain of our host. He is a human. Well, it is safe to assume that we have brains as well. Though our brains are connected slightly. We each have our own individual thoughts and feelings and emotions, but our brains are connected as far as our general health and healing procedures. In simple terms Anxiety's psyche has travelled into his shared brain. His brain that is normally not shared is within the shared brain right now while his body recovers. The good news is that his body will recover in about a week due to emotions naturally quick healing process. The bad news is that there is no safe way for us or others to get him out of his trance once his body has healed. That part will be completely up to him and it is difficult to leave that place."

"But why is it not called a coma here? Why is it called only a mere trance?" Logic cut the doctor off once more, posing his newly formulated questions.

"Because the patient is not fully unconscious. He is half-awake, just not here. He's half-awake within his own brain. Now I must ask you a question, what is Thomas up to this week?" How could the man ask such a dumb question at a time like this? Shouldn't our sole focus be Anxiety right now?

"He's making a couple video's and hanging out with Lilly, I think." Morality responded thoughtfully. It was as if he thought this information was just as important as dealing with Anxiety right now was.

"What does that matter? Anxiety is literally on his deathbed and all you can distract yourselfs with is what Thomas is doing over the next week? You're running a real shit show here doctor." I nearly shouted over at the doctor. His facial features finally snapped to show some emotion, though it wasn't one I wanted to see. Annoyance marred his face as he glared over at me.

"Oh, the nurses will really enjoy having you around for the next week, your highness." He mocked my princely status in a fake bow before he turned toward Morality, who quickly sent me an equally annoyed look.

"He's not asking it to distract us Prince. He's trying to find out if he needs to send a temporary replacement to take over Anxiety's job or not." Morality spoke like the reprimanding father that he didn't show all that often. He favored being the fun parent over the one who disciplines his children, which isn't to say that he had no clue how to discipline any of his kids or the other emotions if they deserved it. He's used it on all of us at least once in the past.

"But he's irreplaceable." I whined into the room, not even caring how much this showed about my feelings towards the vision induced boy on the cot.

"Not quite. Each emotion that stays in the common building has a weak duplicate stored in the hospital should one of them suffer great amounts of trauma. It's just supposed to feed the humans mind with the bare minimum of the experience portrayed by that emotion until the emotion has recovered. Once they have recovered, there is a short integration process where we extract the fake and replace them in here. Thus the emotion is placed back in their own world until or if they are needed again." the doctor spoke evenly, his voice trying to be calming in the room where I was clearly not.

"Thank you doctor. Is it correct to say that we can visit him whenever we like?" Morality asked.

"Yes. Now, I have to check on another patient. If you need help with anything, call for a nurse and they will come." The doctor bowed out and I'm sure that if he had a hat, he would have tipped it as he exited.

"Logic, I want you to check on Thomas." Morality turned to Logic and spoke to him. I turned back to face Anxiety full on once more. His eyes were shut but slowly he shivered under my gaze. He said nothing and made no indication of being awake in the slightest. His breathing hadn't changed and I wondered what was going on inside his head.

"What?! But what about Anxiety? Perhaps I can gain insight into a speedy recovery." Logic nearly shouted, his words filled with an odd sense of determination and something that said that he needed to do this, he needed to be here.

"Just trust me Logan, on this subject, you know nothing." Morality looked down his nose at the other and almost lethargically I could hear the footsteps trailing away. The room was filled with a silence for a moment before I decided to break that.

"That was rather harsh, don't you think Morality?" I asked slowly, glancing up to look at him.

"Not even remotely. I mean he's never been to the shared brain..." Morality trailed off, leaving the room in silence once more.

"Yeah, I wonder what it's like? I wonder what's all there? And who could even inhabit such a place?" I wondered aloud. I almost didn't expect a response but didn't mind the one I received.

"Trees and castles, villages and cities. Beauty and Pain, same as anywhere else. And the people are very much the same, even some that we never see." Morality responded in such an honest manner. At the back of my mind, I knew where this conversation would end, but in the forefront of my mind, I couldn't sort it out in time.

"But do you think they all are really the same? I mean, can they really be the same?" I asked softly, settling my fingers in the soft texture of Anxiety's hair.

"Not exactly. I mean, I've heard there's still a Prince Charming and a princess he's deeply in love with, not to mention some other characters from movies and things that have come to realize that they belong with each other...... Or so I've heard." That pause made me realize finally that Morality was definitely hiding something.

"Why do you seem so knowledgeable on this subject?" I asked in suspicion, he glanced over before he moved to look out the window of the hospital room. He was silent for so long that I wondered if he would ever say anything to answer my question. When he did, his whisper was so soft that I almost didn't catch the words he uttered.

"Because I've been there."

*Sorry, it's taking awhile to post. I'm trying to get better about it and I'm trying to figure out my exact schedule. As soon as I know what it is, you will be informed so don't worry. In the meantime, happy reading.*