Mech X4 : Whump Within Oneshots {Discontinued}

Battle Fatigue

Summary : After fighting monster after monster after monster after monster after monster after monster after... you get the point. After fighting monster after monster in quick succession, Ryan collapses from battle fatigue.

"You can do it, Rye, just one more monster," Mark encouraged.

"Just... One more?" Ryan gasped out, tilting his head up from his kneeling position to shoot his brother an annoyed look, "There's three of them!"

Mark looked momentarily stunned, "Okay then, just three more."

Ryan lowered his head, shaking it no before standing, "Here goes... everything."

He stood, jumping for the first monster and landing a plasma punch to its side, knocking it back onto the horn of the monster behind it, turning it to ooze.

"One down, two to go," Ryan said, raising his fists, "Plasma axe!"

"On it," Spyder cheered, getting everything into position.

"On my go," Ryan ordered as the monster charged, the other close behind, "Ready... Go!"

The axe sliced downwards, cutting the monster in half.

The team cheered before the last monster jumped through the still falling ooze and Harris yelped, "Not the time, not the time!"

The monster clawed at Mech X4, trying to get to the pilots inside.

Ryan pushed the monster off, "Let's get this over with. Plasma punch!"

"Ready," Spyder yelled.

The monster lunged once again but this time they were ready. Ryan punched the monster straight through the middle, causing the monster to morph into ooze.

"Yay-yah!" Harris cheered, looking up towards Mark who was standing on the upper platform and doing a small victory dance.

"Woo!" Spyder yelled, throwing his arms up in the air.

"Awesome bro!" No answer, "Bro...? Ryan...? Ryan!" Mark shouted, jumping down from the platform and rushing to Ryan's side.

Ryan's breathing was raspy, his pulse racing, his hands were shaking and he couldn't move his legs.

"Ryan, what's wrong?" Mark asked, touching his brother's face, hands, and back, hoping to get some answer.

Ryan sputter but couldn't form any words.

His vision tunneled and he could feel himself falling.

Ryan, who would've collapsed if it wasn't for the belt suspending him, fell unconscious, his face slack and jaw hanging slightly open.

Harris and Spyder were by Mark's side in an instant.

"What happened?" Mark demanded, looking to a shocked Harris.

"I-I don't know. We'll have to take him to the lab."

"Then let's get him to the lab!" Mark said, his hands shaking as he unbuckled his baby brother from the harness.

Spyder led the way as the three rushed one unconscious Ryan to the lab. Mark, who was carrying Ryan, gently placed him on the lab table as Harris began his analysis.

Harris hummed as he read the scanner.

"What?" Mark and Spyder asked simultaneously.

"Nothing appear to be wrong. He's simply... exhausted." Harris explained, moving over to his computer, "I think I've hear of this before. It's called battle fatigue. A soldier, in this case Ryan, was fighting strong as his body tired out and eventually he collapsed. He body simply couldn't take it anymore. I have to say, it sounds right."

"Okay, so battle fatigue. What do we do?" Mark asked.

"Make him comfortable and wait for him to wake up? I don't know, I'm not exactly a doctor. But he'll probably sleep for quite some time before waking up perfectly fine."

"So that's it, we just wait?" Spyder stated more than questioned.

"Yeah, it's the only thing I can think to do. He needs the rest, obviously. He's been going on too long. I say let him sleep." Harris stated, moving to look up how to properly treat battle fatigue.

"It says here that there are a heck of a lot more psychological factors than physical factors when it comes to battle fatigue. We'll have to watch out for them from now on. Have either of you noticed Ryan being more depressed or anxious lately?" Harris asked.

"Well," Mark started, "He has been anxious a lot at home. Usually about the Mech and what could happen if he's not around to stop an attack."

"He's been depressed too," Spyder stated and the two look at him, "Hey I may not be a genius, but I know depression when I see it. Ever since Principal Gray he's been having down moments. I've been worried."

"It seems like battle fatigue works and operates similarly to PTSD, with only a few notable differences. We can get into those when we have less important matters to deal with.  Until then, we let Ryan rest and help him in any way whenever we can once he wakes."

"And when will that be?" Mark pressed, hoping to get some answers.

"I honestly have no clue. It says here that it can range in time. Each person is different. It may even be something as simple as physical fatigue. Still, I recommend leaving him here overnight so I can monitor him." Harris said.

"I'm staying," Mark stated.

"Well grab some popcorn and call this a sleepover because I'm not leaving either," Spyder confirmed.

"Alright then," Harris nodded his head, "You may want to get comfortable, it's going to be a long night."

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Sorry it's short, sorry it sucked, blah blah blah...

Well, I'll be adding a part titled PTSD to cover that and it may or may not be tied in with this story I just haven't decided yet. Let me know what you think and if I should continue. Thanks!

Live long and love PINEAPPLES!!!