Burning Ice & Freezing Fire

Awakening?!

"Hmm..." Robbie's eyelids feel too heavy to open.

But that's not that unusual.

His throat is dry.

Not too special either.

This happens when he falls asleep after a day of building and inventing and forgetting to drink.

And the rest of his body...feels strangely numb...

Okay, even that happens from time to time...

But what puzzles him is that all this occurs together this time.

And...there was something that happened before he fell asleep...

Whenever this has been.

But what was it?

He only remembers his strange dream...

And the word 'felf' suddenly feels far too real to be just out of that dream...

Maybe...

A hand on his cheek interrupts his thoughts and his body knee jerky reacts with a whimper and an unsuccessful attempt to shuffle away from the touch.

"Shush... Sh, sh, sh... It's okay, Robbie. It's me..." the hand is pulled back even before the soft voice starts to assure him.

Robbie stops whimpering and raises a brow with still closed eyes.

He knows this voice.

This awfully wonderful soft voice...

"...Spo-" he coughs and the sudden burning in his throat forces tears into his eyes.

But when he tries to blink his eyes open, everything is a wild blur and he whimpers again. "Hush," the hand now takes Robbie's very carefully and squeezes it reassuringly "Don't talk. Breathe, Robbie. It's okay. Everything is okay."

Is it?

Robbie isn't so sure about that...

"...Wh-Where..." he breaks into another coughing fit and tries to sit up.

"Easy," Sportacus carefully slips an arm under his back and helps him to sit up, still holding on to his hand, his voice is low and soothing "We're at the hospital. Everything is fine. You still need rest, but..."

"H-Hos...pital?" rasps the inventor and blinks a few more times to finally clear his vision and look at the hero at his side "Why..."

But then it hits him with full force.

This was no dream.

This was real!

He's a felf!

He, Sportacus and the citizens of LazyTown are in the land of elves!

They saved his life!

He met his father!

And he and Sportacus...

"Robbie! Breathe!"

He winces when Sportacus suddenly puts a respiratory mask over his face and realizes only now that he's started to hyperventilate.

"Hm!" he reflexively shakes his head and breaks into a cold sweat.

He doesn't want this mask!

He wants it off!

"Robbie," Sportacus carefully cups his cheek again and looks him deep into the eyes, his own soft and warm "Please, try to calm down. Breathe. I'll take it off again then, but first you have to calm your breathing," his hand moves down to Robbie's chest and very gently starts to push down on it rhythmically to guide him through several minutes of hectic breathing...