The next night all the gargoyles awoke, yawning then instantly going over to the infirmary to see how their red comrade was doing.

Elisa and Fox had been able to finish work on Brooklyn's new loincloth during the day and gave it to Angela. She accepted it, hoping now Brooklyn would still remember his rescue and that he didn't become too frightened and feral during his capture.

The rest of the clan, except Goliath and Hudson, were told to wait outside until Brooklyn was fully ready to see them. Lex paced anxiously, scared about seeing his brother awake now, but wanting to at the same time, and to help him feel happy and honorable again.

Goliath, Angela, and Hudson were in with Sato and Sevarius, who was looking at another blood sample from Brooklyn. What they saw was good; the blood was cleaner than before, meaning the poison was practically gone, as well as his broken ribs and wing healed from stone sleep.

"I have good news; the blood system in his body seems to have been cleared of that terrible poison, and he should be coming around any time now. But I have to have you all be patient and gentle. He probably won't remember being saved, hence them beating him so into passing out. Is his loincloth done?"

Hudson nodded. "Angela got it from Elisa earlier." Angela held it out, looking ready to be worn. There was even a new shiny belt buckle on it. Sato and Goliath seemed to approve of it. Sevarius had stayed silent during this conversation, and looked at the red one once or twice, hoping the creature wouldn't think he was with the enemy. But it looked doubtful. He had tried to harm the gargoyles one too many times. And this was strange for him to heal one.

Then the three of them sat, waiting for Brooklyn to come out of his sleep. But at the moment, he was trapped in a bad dream, making mumbling noises in his slumber. Goliath felt concerned from what his Second could be dreaming about.

....

"Coward..."

"Coward..."

Brooklyn was trying to escape the red mist that was inside his damaged mind, sometimes coming face to face with the angry glowing eyes of his brothers.

"Such a humiliation! Never thought you'd be reduced to such a mess by our enemies. And Goliath thought you could be leader..." snarled Broadway. Brooklyn backed away, slipping, and falling. He wasn't wearing a loincloth in his dream, either. Lex hissed behind him.

"Still feel ashamed to be your brother, after seeing you exposed in such a way from Castaway. It makes me sick. You make me sick." Lex spat heartlessly. Tears stung his face, as Brooklyn tried to cover himself, but his wings were tied behind his back with invisible bonds.

"Oh, stop! Can't... take it!" He cried in sorrow. But his clan wouldn't stop their ruthless taunting. It echoed everywhere around him. Brooklyn whimpered, curling up on the floor. He thought they had been worried for him. But it must've been just a stupid lie.

"I myself don't think I want to be your sister anymore after what has transpired..." Angela said in a sad but angry voice.

Brooklyn next saw Coldsteel again, looking even more terrible than ever, an ugly grin on his face when he tried to reach for him. He ran the other way, before suddenly being entangled in invisible chains that began to weigh him into the ground. Brooklyn screeched, trying to get up, but it was hard, as if all of his sadness and fears were keeping him there.

"Brooklyn... wake up Brooklyn...," said another voice. It sounded like Hudson. Brooklyn scratched out at the thin air, tears soaking his face.

"No! You're gonna hurt me! Like the humans! Stay back!" He whined, as his vision began to go black, then changing to the waking world...

....

"Gonna... hurt... stay... back..." Hudson saw Brooklyn toss about, looking a bit pale, despite the poison being gone. Hudson touched him gently.

"Yer ok, lad. Wake up," he pleaded. Brook gave another whimper, eyes beginning to flicker open just a little. Brooklyn's vision slowly began to return to normal, seeing three of the members before him, memories of his humiliation rising inside.

A small sob came from his throat, trying to shield his body as much as he could, feeling those blankets covering him, but still no loincloth yet. What was Castaway's game this time? To make him feel he is rescued then humiliate him again until the poison kills him? He won't let it happen! He won't!

Goliath frowned a little in worry. He tried to reassure his red Second, who was trembling. "Castaway is gone, Child. You don't need to fear him anymore." Brooklyn just glared back in his tears, his emotions threatening him into lashing out at his family.

"Please don't hurt me! If you're going to kill me, just do it already!" Brooklyn thought that some Quarrymen were still around him as he also saw the humans in the room.

"They aren't going to hurt you, Lad," Hudson said. He took the scared young one into his arms, where he squirmed for a moment, then gave in and hugged Hudson with all his might. Tears were pouring out of his eyes. "Hudson! The poison... it could... finish me... anytime..." he sobbed.

"No." Hudson said.

Brooklyn was shocked to hear him say that. Was this still his dream? He suddenly looked up at the elder gargoyle. "What?" he said.

"No, lad. The poison is not going to end ye. There was an antidote given and the doctor here said that your blood is clean." Hudson explained as he pointed to Sevarius.

Seeing Sevarius made Brooklyn's eyes widen in fear. "No! Don't let him hurt me! Just because I ran away doesn't mean I deserve to be dissected!" he screeched, clinging to Hudson even more.

"I'm not here to dissect you, Red One. I had come to assist in the part of your recovery when no one else could even come up with a cure for you. I saved your life." Sevarius explained, though he had wanted to say pathetic life for not getting the gratitude he thought he deserved.

Then Angela stepped in. "Brooklyn, it's me, Angela. We aren't mad at you. We just want you to get better. And I also brought you a new loincloth. Here, look." She offered the new piece of garment to him to see.

Brooklyn still clung to Hudson for comfort, but he managed to turn his head to let the loincloth into his vision.

"Where... did it come from?" He asked, still crying.

Elisa and Fox and even I helped to make it for you. Of course, I was asleep while they finished it up for you." Angela explained.

"Perhaps the rest of you better step out so Brooklyn doesn't feel so distressed." Goliath suggested.

Angela laid the new loincloth down on the bed next to Brooklyn before she and the two doctors left the room.

Once outside the room and the door closed, Sevarius complained, "And that's the thanks I get for saving his life!"

"He's gone through a terrible trauma, Dr. Sevarius. We can't expect him to just say thanks when he's still so terrified. We look like the ones who traumatized him and gave him the poison in the first place!" Sato exclaimed at the evil doctor.

For being a doctor, Sevarius sure didn't understand emotions very well. He just wanted to leave. "If my services are no longer needed now that his poison is cured, can I leave now?" Sevarius declared.

"Yes, Anton." David replied from behind them.

"Thank goodness, it's only you." Anton stated, a little startled. "And the last part of my fee?"

"Yes, I'll get it to you now that we know Brooklyn is cured."

The two business partners went to settle their agreement in cash while Sato would still stay for tonight.

Angela went out to join Lex, Broadway, and Bronx.

"Angela?" Broadway said as he saw her coming. Lex and Bronx turned to her. "How is Brooklyn?"

"He's terrified of us, thinking we're going to harm him. I guess it's going to take some time for him to heal at least mentally from what happened to him." Angela explained.

"I've read these articles on people being traumatized really badly from incidents like his. They called it um... what's it again?" Lex was explaining, thinking, then he remembered. "PTSD."

"What's that?" Broadway asked.

"It stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder." Lex replied.

"It does explain a lot." Angela said. She got the words.

...

In the medic ward, Hudson helped Brooklyn to stand up so Goliath could help put the new loincloth on his waist. Brooklyn felt so embarrassed that his leader was dressing him like he would a hatchling, but his mentally was so damaged at this point, he was like a hatchling.

Goliath and Hudson never thought they would see one of their proud warriors act like this, being so scared of nearly everything.

Now that he had his new loincloth on him, Brooklyn didn't feel so exposed anymore. The bandages were also taken off of his ribs where they were still a little tender to the touch.

Brooklyn was allowed to get back in bed.

"Dr. Sato needs to see you. Will you let him see you?" Goliath asked.

"I don't want to see any humans right now, Goliath." Brook replied sadly.

"Just let Sato see you to see how you are doing, Lad." Hudson encouraged him.

Brooklyn clung to Hudson. "Ok, but only him. Not Sevarius."

"Agreed."

Goliath went and told Sato he could come in and see Brooklyn. The doc came in again and slowly approached the scared Second.

"I just need to examine your ribs, Brooklyn. Will you let me? You had a cracked rib on the x-ray last night." Sato explained.

"He needs to feel your ribs, lad." Hudson rubbed his back.

Brooklyn nodded while he still held on to Hudson. "Ye can, Doctor." Hudson stated.

Sato approached gently. Hudson helped Brooklyn lay down on his back so the doc could gently feel his ribcage. Brooklyn automatically flinched when the man's cold fingers touched his upper belly.

"It's alright. I'm sorry if I hurt you." Sato said. He pressed a little. "Does this hurt?"

Brooklyn's breath hitched with a grimace of pain on his face. "Yes!" He managed weakly.

"The ribs might be tender for a few nights until the rib heals up entirely. But I need a new x-ray too, to see how much it mended during the day." Sato explained.

A portable x-ray was brought in to see Brooklyn and it took an x-ray of the red male's ribcage. It was aimed well above the new loincloth so he didn't have to take it off.

Sato looked at the new picture and saw the rib was looking better, but it still needed another day of stone sleep for it to heal fully. He also looked at the wing that had been damaged and it was healed, of course.

Goliath stood by. "When is he allowed to eat something?" he asked.

"He should be fed something right now, but he can't eat too fast. Given his state of looking poorly, he needs to start eating again. His organs are probably very weak from the lack of food. Those demons probably didn't feed him at all." Sato proclaimed.

Goliath went out to the waiting area. The others were wanting to know more.

"What's going on, Goliath? Is Brooklyn alright?" Lex asked in concern.

"Broadway, can you go make some soup for Brooklyn. He needs to start eating again if he's going to regain his strength." Goliath declared.

"I can do that." Broadway replied and went to go fix up some soup for him.

Then Goliath turned to Lexington. "Your brother is very weak, but he is a lot better physically, Lexington. He just needs food and rest. He's very scared of us."

"Lexington told us about an article he read, about a trauma disorder." Angela stated.

Goliath looked at Lex curiously and Lex explained it to his leader. Goliath said he understood.

It wasn't long before the food was done. Broadway had a big pot of soup. It was probably a bit much for what his red brother could stand to eat at first. He was just so happy to do something for him in his poor state.

"That might be a bit much for Brooklyn." Lex pointed out.

"I got a smaller bowl here for him." Broadway replied. "Hey, Angela, would you like to do the honors to tell him that I have some food for him?"

"I would love to, my Love." Angela kissed his cheek. Broadway blushed. He knew his mate loved him.

It might be better if Angela took the tray in this time. She knocked on the door.

Brooklyn jumped and held Hudson. He hoped it wasn't Sevarius again.

"Who is it?" Hudson asked.

"Angela. I've got some soup for Brooklyn." She replied. Then the door opened.

"Come in, Lass." Hudson said.

"Broadway made you some soup to start eating again, Brooklyn. I brought it in for you." Angela explained.

Brooklyn was still terrified. He could smell the soup. But was Castaway pulling another food trick on him? He looked away, fear and mistrust in his eyes. Angela did her best to encourage Brooklyn but it wasn't working.

"It'll be alright, Lad. It's just soup." Hudson tried to calm him, but Brooklyn wasn't assured, tensed up badly.

"Please, don't... throw it..." he mumbled in a sorrowful, timid voice, eyes round and begging. Angela frowned.

"No, I won't. Why would you think that?" She asked, handing the bowl to Hudson. Brooklyn didn't reply, gazing down at the bedsheets in his sadness. Hudson and Angela glanced at each other. Could Castaway have been mocking Brooklyn by wasting food in front of him? This made Angela angry, hating Castaway for doing such a horrid thing.

Hudson helped Brooklyn to sit up to eat. "Just take it slow, Lad. I'll help ye," he murmured gently. Brook sniffled but nodded, as Hudson took the spoon and began to feed Brooklyn like how one would feed a child, since Brooklyn was too afraid to even hold the spoon.

The soup tasted heavenly after not eating for so long. The warmth of it relaxed Brooklyn a little, leaning back into his pillow. Angela smiled at seeing Brooklyn being able to eat again, especially without that terrible poison hurting him anymore.

After a time Brooklyn couldn't eat anymore of it, feeling full, eyes drooping. He was relieved they didn't toss the food away like Castaway did, but was still scared of them.

"Feel tired, H-Hudson. W-want to s-sleep..." he said in a stuttering voice. Hudson nodded in understanding, handing the nearly empty bowl back to Angela. She wished Brooklyn to have a good nap when leaving with it. His PTSD took a lot out of him.

"Ye may sleep now, Laddie. I'll stay until you do." But Brooklyn seemed scared of something else now. He was still convinced this was just a trick illusion by Castaway to make his rescue feel real.

"Don't... want... loincloth... taken again..." Brook whispered softly as his eyes then closed. Hudson stroked his hair. "I promise it won't be," Hudson murmured, ensuring Brooklyn was settled in before going to see the others. He allowed Bronx to come in to stay with Brooklyn. The gar dog looked pretty sad at seeing his red master so unhappy, curling up near the bed.

Goliath looked in to see Brooklyn asleep again, sighing slightly as he hoped soon his Second will return to normal, and not be scared anymore. But who knows how long that would take.

"I was able to help him eat," Hudson informed Goliath, as Hudson closed the door gently. "But he was afraid of the food, too, at first. Figured Castaway had somethin' to do with it," he growled. Goliath felt rage in him, feeling that urge once more to break into the prison to get his revenge, but he remembered Elisa's words, settling him down again.

"We all just need to take it easy with Brooklyn, and help him get through his... PTSD," Goliath said, recalling what Lex had referred to Brook's symptoms as. Hudson nodded. No matter what, they will do everything they can to make Brooklyn happy once more.