Losing Our Battles- A Vikklan, Merome and Poofless Story

⋐Chapter 12 [Lachlan]⋑

Lachlan's P.O.V.

I must have slept for quite a while because when I did finally wake up, I felt rested. That was strange considering I almost never felt like I had gotten enough sleep but as I blinked my eyes open, stretched and looked around, I realised that as well as feeling rested, my mind was completely silent. No voices. No whispers.

Sitting bolt upright I looked around, panicking now. Where was I? What was going on? I was sleeping in a bed I didn't recognise, in a room I didn't know and- sleeping just opposite me- was a boy curled up on the dark leather couch, a blanket thrown over him. For a moment I stared at him, trying to figure out if I recognised him and although there was something there that told me I did, I had no memory of ever seeing him before that moment.

He began to stir a minute or two later, kicking the blanket off and rolling over, almost proceeding to fall off the couch. He caught himself just in time though, groaning and squinting a bit. When his eyes fell on me he sat up, several emotions flickering across his face.

"Oh! Hey, how long have you been awake?" He said, slipping from the couch and coming closer. I scrambled away from him and he frowned, confused. "You alright?"

"Where I am?" I whispered, my heart pounding. "What's going on?" The confusion changed to understanding.

"Ah, you don't remember, do you?" I shook my head. "I'm Vikk, I found you last night in the park down the road having an attack or something and the police weren't helpful. You weren't exactly talkative so I couldn't take you home or anything, so I brought you here. Lachlan, yeah?"

I nodded slowly, trying to process everything that had just been said which was difficult considering I remembered exactly none of it. I must have wandered out of my house during an episode without my phone or anything and ended up somewhere where Vikk had found me, which I was thankful for. If he hadn't found me, someone else might have.

I noticed Vikk's eyes were still on me, curious and kind, watching me. His nose was slightly wrinkled too which told me that he was in a little bit of pain- did I smell alcohol? Was it a hangover?

"Do you know your address or anything? I can get you home if you do." He asked gently, clearly trying to keep me calm.

I paused. My brain was going haywire and I didn't even have one coherent thought, let alone the ability to gather myself to think that much. I didn't know my address. I didn't know a lot of things actually. I was so unused to not hearing voices or constantly seeing things in the corner of my eyes that I was even more freaked out than when they were there and the fact I was in a strange house with a strange person didn't help the situation much either. I then shook my head.

"I- I don't know." I mumbled, flushing red with embarrassment. I hated feeling useless, like an idiot. "I don't remember. Everything's confusing."

Vikk paused for a moment, frowning slightly. He then looked up at me.

"Do you know what... why you were like that last night? You don't seem like the type of person to take drugs." I shook my head.

"I don't... I don't really know. I've never had anything pr-properly diagnosed but it's probably schizophrenia." I mumbled, bringing my knees up to my chin and closing my eyes. My shoulders were shaking now. "I want to go home. I want my brother."

"Oh, you've got a brother? I've got two, they're both older than me, they're off at Uni though." Vikk laughed, a little bitterly. "Their lives have gone great yet here I am, shitty part time job and drinking myself half to death every evening."

I blinked and looked at him up and down, confused. He didn't seem like the type of person to have problems like that but even from that sentence I could tell he was troubled and had a lot of difficulties, just like me I supposed. It seemed he felt inferior to his siblings too, as I did. My siblings were succeeding, getting through life and building their careers, or like Mitch and Steph, getting good grades in school. I was none of that, and he didn't seem to be either.

"I've got a little brother." I whispered. "And two sisters. Mitch makes me feel okay. He makes the voices disappear."

"Is Mitch your brother?" I nodded. "Okay. You're going to need to try really hard to remember, so then I can get you back to him." Vikk paused for a moment. "Do you know his mobile number? That might help you get back home."

"Yeah!" I cheered up quite a bit at that, I had memorised Mitch's number off by heart because of the number of times my phone had died while I was out and I needed to call someone, and Mitch was usually the only person home and able to come and get me. He wasn't meant to be driving alone, but he didn't listen to that unless I was able to take him somewhere. "It's 646-000-0000."

"Here, do you want to call him or should I?" He asked kindly.

"Can- can you?" I mumbled, again flushing red. I didn't really want to face Mitch after being missing for... how long? What was the time again? "What time is it?"

"Uhhh just past 10 I think. Hold up, I'm calling him now."

Vikk held his phone out just in front of him, on speaker, and Mitch picked up just a moment later.

"Hello?" His voice was hoarse.

"Hey, uhhhh, are you Mitch?"

"Yes?" His voice was skeptical.

"I've got your brother here at [address], he doesn't remember his address and I'm trying to get him ho-"

"LACHLAN!" He cried out, interrupting Vikk. "Oh my god! We've been looking for you everywhere."

"Hey Mitch." I sighed. "I-"

"Don't give me your excuses, please. We almost called the police!" He berated. "I swear Lachlan, why did you wander off! You didn't even take your phone!"

"Mitch, I don't remember leaving. I don't know why I left or even when I left."

I heard Mitch's sudden stutter on the other end of the phone and then a pause as he tried to find something to say.

"Lachlan, what on earth is going on?" He asked, sternly this time. "Something's very wrong right now, and Dad's trying to get you hospitalized."

"What!?" I yelped, panicking shooting through me again.

"They've noticed something's wrong and because of this they've decided that you're a danger to yourself. They've called up the psychiatric hospital and they're trying to get them to do an involuntary 72 hour psychiatric hold because they know you won't go." He sighed now. "I don't know what to think anymore Lachlan. What's going on? I'm coming to get you."

I switched my gaze to Vikk and I was crying now, panicked and scared and so, so confused. A psychiatric hold?

"Lachlan? Look at me." Vikk said sternly. "I know this is a shock, but maybe it's for the best. I'm assuming you're unmedicated, you're undiagnosed and you wandered off from home without remembering it. You don't remember your own address. It's not safe for you to continue like this."

"But-"

"It's okay." He whispered. "It's okay to be scared. I know you are." He pressed a piece of paper into my hand with his number written on it. "Keep in contact, alright? I'll want to know how you're going."

He stayed with me until Mitch pulled up and dragged me into a tight hug. He was crying, I think, but I was completely emotionless. I felt so betrayed by my family. A psychiatric hold? An involuntary one?

I wanted to go home and sleep, and not think about it. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to be possible.