A Freedom Story (Postponed)

Part 7 Sick

3rd POV

It had been a few days since Y/N had met Nathen and he was cool and fun to hang out with. When Y/N came home yesterday Lilac had told them that She and Milla would be in Shang Tu for most of the day tomorrow. With 

 Y/N woke up feeling terrible, with a pounding headache and a nauseous feeling in their stomach. They tried to get up, but the room spun around them, making them feel even more dizzy and disoriented. They groaned in pain and lay back down, closing their eyes and taking deep breaths to calm their racing heartbeat. As they drifted in and out of sleep, they realized they wouldn't be able to go to the park with Nathen today, which made them feel disappointed and frustrated.

Y/N had been looking forward to spending time with their new friend Nathen, exploring the outdoors, and experiencing new things. They had been to the park with Nathen before, and it had been a wonderful experience. Nathen had shown them around and tried to get Y/N out of their comfort zone but nothing had been working. But today, Y/N knew that they needed to take care of themselves and prioritize their health.Meanwhile, Carol was in the kitchen making toast. She had already noticed that Y/N was feeling under the weather and had been keeping an eye on them. When she heard the groaning sound coming from Y/N's bed, she immediately went to check on them.Carol paused as she looked inside the dog bed and saw Y/N lying down with their eyes closed. She furrowed her brows in concern and approached Y/N's bed. "Hey bud, you good?" she asked softly, placing a hand on Y/N's forehead to check for a fever.Y/N slowly opened their eyes and looked up at Carol with a sick expression. Y/N felt grateful for Carol's care and concern, but they were still feeling quite sick. Carol nodded sympathetically. "I'll go make you some tea and get you some medicine," she said, patting Y/N's hand gently. "Just rest for now, okay?"Y/N nodded weakly and closed their eyes again. They could hear Carol moving around in the kitchen, boiling water and preparing a cup of tea with honey. Y/N could smell the comforting aroma of the tea and felt their stomach settle a little. Carol returned to the room with the warm tea and the medicine, which Y/N gratefully accepted."Here you go," Carol said, handing Y/N the cup of warm tea and the medicine. "Drink this and take the medicine, and you should start feeling better soon."Y/N sipped the tea slowly, feeling the warmth spread through their body and easing their discomfort. They smiled weakly at Carol and mouthed a thank you for taking care of them. "Of course," Carol said, returning the smile. "That's what friends are for. Just let me know if you need anything else, okay?"Y/N nodded gratefully and settled back into their bed, feeling relieved that they had such a caring and supportive friend in Carol. They knew that they needed to rest and recover, but they were looking forward to spending time with Nathen and exploring the park again soon. 

As Y/N drifted back to sleep, Carol sat down in the living room with a book, taking deep breaths and trying to relax. She had been worrying about Y/N since she noticed they weren't feeling well, and now that she had taken care of them, Carol could finally take a moment to unwind. She sipped her cup of tea and lost herself in the pages of her book, enjoying the quiet of the house. Carol knew that Y/N would need some time to recover, but she was glad that she could be there for them and help them feel better. 

A few hours later...

Carol was suddenly jolted awake to hear whimpering coming from Y/N's dog bed, Carol quickly walks over to the dog bed a peeks inside to see Y/N whimpering while curled up into a ball shivering uncontrollably. Carol's heart sank as she watched Y/N's distress, unsure of how to comfort them. She gently reached out a hand, hoping to offer some solace in their moment of vulnerability. 

As soon as Carols hand touched Y/N's fur they woke up in a rush of blind panic and screaming, Y/N's heart raced as they stumbled out of the dog bed, their mind flooded with fear and confusion. They desperately searched for a safe place to hide, seeking solace from the sudden and terrifying awakening. Their vision was blurry so they couldn't see anything. Y/N's heart raced as they stumbled out of the dog bed, their mind flooded with fear and confusion. They desperately searched for a safe place to hide, seeking solace from the sudden and terrifying awakening. 

Carol panicked and looked around for something to stop them, they spotted a medium-sized box that looked like Y/N could fit inside.

Suddenly Y/N was surrounded by darkness. They could feel pressure on top of the box preventing them from escaping. This was one of their worst fears being stuck in confined spaces. Y/N's breathing became shallow as they struggled to control their rising panic. Each passing second felt like an eternity as they fought against the suffocating darkness, desperately yearning for a way out. Their mind raced with thoughts of escape, their heart pounding louder in their ears. Suddenly Carol's voice was heard outside the confines, "Hey buddy I need you to calm down in there alright?" Y/n then began trying to kick the box off as they could not hear Carol over their own blind panic.  Y/N's desperation grew as their attempts to free themselves became more frantic. With each failed kick, their hope dwindled and their panic intensified. They could feel the walls closing in on them, suffocating any sense of rationality. The fear of being trapped forever consumed their every thought, fueling their determination to break free at any cost. Y/N's eyes began to feel heavy as they had exhausted themselves. Soon they succumbed passing out. As Y/N drifted into unconsciousness, their body went limp, no longer able to fight against the confines of the box. In their unconscious state, their mind continued to replay the terrifying scenario on a loop, deepening their fear and anxiety. 

Carol had been holding the box in place for a few moments until Y/N's movements had stopped. They slowly took the box off of Y/N 's sleeping form. She heavily sighed as she picked up Y/N's sleeping form and set him on the couch. She then plopped onto the couch exhausted as keeping that box on top of Y/N was exhausting. She knew she had to find a better way to keep him still. 

Carol then drifted off to sleep wondering why Y/N reacted like that....