The week felt like it was going too slowly for Brooklyn, who once again felt confined to his bed. Hudson did his best to keep the red male's spirit up but it only happened when the elder was about. After he left, Brooklyn would instantly return to his depressed mood, hugging his knees under the blankets, tears wetting his cheeks, nuzzling his face into the blankets, wishing those terrible humans hadn't done all those horrible things to him. But sadly, life wasn't a fantasy dream. His near-death experience with the poison really happened. No amount of wishing could cure the depression lingering in his soul.

Sato, on his last day of being in the medic ward, said Brooklyn was deemed well enough to leave after Hudson helped him regain some strength with Broadway's soup, but not to go on patrols for a time since his PTSD for humans was still present. This was a relief for the red gargoyle, who now longed for the privacy of his room and didn't want his family hovering over him anymore. He could finally get away from them for a while.

Hudson helped Brooklyn walk to his room, while Brooklyn's eyes darted around if any humans came along. The elder noticed.

"None of our human friends here ain't those Quarrymen, Lad. They will never harm ye." Brooklyn nodded, but his eyes were still clouded over with his sorrow as if he barely registered Hudson's words. "M hm..." he mumbled wearily. All Brooklyn wanted right now was to lie down. Elisa had visited him to read once or twice during the first days of his healing. He enjoyed the stories but it didn't completely erase his memories of being tortured and poisoned by the most evil human in the universe. Hudson would be near him to make sure he didn't panic.

The clan did their best around Brooklyn too, upset to see this shell that had replaced their Second's brave and strong spirit. Now he wouldn't even talk to them, only once or twice would he do so, mostly to Hudson and Goliath and Bronx. Thankfully during the week he didn't have any PTSD attacks yet.

Finally, the two reached Brooklyn's room, Hudson opening the door and guiding the young one inside. Brooklyn had one hand holding Hudson while his wings were kept around his shoulders. He sighed a little at seeing his old room again, feeling safe here.

Hudson put Brooklyn into bed, ensuring he was kept warm. Brooklyn just lay there, eyes shining with sadness and pain. The elder gave an upset sound, stroking the back of his hand along Brooklyn's forehead. He knew this was going to be quite a tedious recovery for Brooklyn, who despite being able to eat for a bit was still thin, almost like a skeleton.

"Ye need anythin, Laddie?" Hudson asked with a gentle smile. Brooklyn merely shook his head, curling under his blankets. All he wanted was to be left alone. Hudson nodded, standing up.

"Alright but remember that any of yer clan will be here for ye," he said calmly, stepping out and closing the door, praying the lad will be relaxed with the quiet of his room. Once the door shut, Brook gave a little shaky sigh of relief when Hudson was gone, hoping nobody else would disturb him, happy that he was back in his room and away from that terrible human.

Brook lay there, staring blankly up at the ceiling, exhausted from all this pain he suffered in, beginning to pant just a little, headache building.

His heart kept up with thumping several miles a minute, as even further images of him being tortured constantly berated his brain. Brooklyn's talons dug into the mattress, panting badly from the PTSD attacking his heart again even after only a couple hours when Hudson left. A small scream escaped his mouth, a terrible memory of his loincloth stripped away by Castaway creating fear in Brook's broken heart.

"No, no!" Brooklyn wailed, eventually even going to hit his head on the wall, pain shooting through it as though trying to push it out of his brain.

Broadway was walking by Brooklyn's room when he heard crying and a loud thump. Startled and nervous, Broadway opened the door. He saw Brooklyn lying in the bed, curled up, and shivering as if from cold, eyes popped. "B-bro?" Broadway asked in nerves, reaching out. Brooklyn though didn't see his brother. All he could see was Castaway. He hissed, eyes flashing, backing away to the wall. Broadway flinched from Brooklyn's defensive tone. Brooklyn fell off his bed. It had only been a couple hours since Hudson left him alone.

"Get... back!" Brooklyn cried in a scared tone, holding his belly. Broadway swallowed a lump in his throat. This was pretty terrible to watch, for Brooklyn was behaving at how a terrified animal would. Broadway tried again. There had to be a way to reach his red comrade.

"Calm down, Brook. It's just me, please, you can't let your PTSD strain your body so much," he attempted, kneeling down but making sure not to come too close. He had to find a way to break the fear spell that had a hold on his red brother's soul.

Brooklyn whimpered, hugging his body tight around himself, feeling frozen, breathing hoarsely as if that evil shackle still had a hold on his tummy. He couldn't let Castaway trick him, hence him sounding like his aqua brother. Why doesn't he just stop already? He'd had enough!

Broadway knew this was beyond his knowledge of healing terrible stress, he needed more help. Brooklyn continued on to sniffle and pant fast, Broadway carefully backing up and stepping out.

"It'll be ok, I'm getting help, bro. Hang in there," Broadway pleaded to his brother, who just buried his head tight into his legs, wanting Castaway to stay away. Broadway ventured out, hoping Lex or anybody can help settle his brother's nerves.

He ran as fast as he could to find the olive gargoyle, whom he found babysitting Alex with Fox there. Fox glanced up in surprise.

"Broadway, what is it?" She asked in surprise. Tears were present when he spoke. Lex stood up, too, handing Alex to Fox.

"H-he had another PTSD attack, out of nowhere. Seeing Castaway everywhere, even on me, I couldn't calm him down. Brooklyn needs help!" Broadway begged, chest moving fast. Lex narrowed his eyes, before calling out for Goliath and Hudson. Hudson said to Goliath to get Sato.

The gargoyles raced to Brooklyn's room, opening it gently. Brook heard, seeing them come in, eyes rounding in terrible fright, for he couldn't see his clan there, only Quarrymen and Castaway. Brooklyn screamed, an arm over his head, racing over to his bed and crawling under it to hide.

Hudson frowned, knowing now that he should have stayed until Brook was relaxed during his nap, kneeling down, and peeking under the bed. Brooklyn's eyes were wide, glowing white, shaking.

"Take it easy, lad. Help is here," Hudson first tried, holding out his hand. Brooklyn knew he wouldn't fall for flattery from Castaway, though it was strange for the man to call him lad. Only Hudson did. Angela now gave a little smile.

"It's only your family, Brooklyn. You're ok," she said. Brooklyn just huffed in sorrow.

"No... the Quarrymen aren't my family! You're all lying bastards!" croaked Brook, scraping the floor. "Get away!" This hurt Angela deeply. What was he talking about? Doesn't he see that they aren't Quarrymen at all? How can they fix him?

Goliath came then with Dr. Sato, who looked about for his patient. From what Sato could tell, Brooklyn seemed in a daze of fear, eyes glazed with it and unable to focus well.

"Well? How can we fix him?" demanded Broadway, glaring at the doctor. Brooklyn whimpered from Broadway's voice, covering his face with his hands.

"It is hard to calm him down the normal way when he is in such a state as this. Whenever I see people act this way from a PTSD attack, they usually need medicine. But one of you has to try and encourage Brooklyn to come out from the bed to take it with his food." Sato instructed him.

Lex frowned. "How when he is seeing Castaway instead of his family?"

"Keep telling Brooklyn that what he's seeing isn't real, and he is home, it should work," Sato said. Goliath nodded. "Hudson, maybe you should do it." Bronx had crawled near the bed, whining at Brooklyn to come out, but Brooklyn even flinched from when the gar dog called to him. Hudson smiled in his fatherly way, still looking like Castaway from Brooklyn's POV, but Brook could slowly see that this time Castaway wasn't evil.

He quivered, backing further in. "Don't- torture me..." the young male pleaded desperately, eyes nearly coming out of his head. Hudson shook his head.

"No, Laddie. You must see that ye visions are false, it's Cas-" Brooklyn flinched again from the mention of the man's name. "The Quarrymen's abuse causing you to have this panic attack. But trust me, I'll keep ye safe. We'll calm ye down." He murmured in the softest voice he could. Brooklyn at first didn't believe it. But then, the Castaway image flickered to show Hudson instead. Tears flooded down his face, giving a little nod. He took Hudson's hand, letting the elder take him out from under the bed.

Brooklyn instantly wanted to go back upon seeing more Quarrymen in his distorted vision, but a hug from Hudson stopped him. Bronx even came in to support Brooklyn as if to keep him from hiding again. Brooklyn tensed from the gar dog's body against his leg, but then settled a little, Hudson putting him under the covers and propping him to sit up so he can take the medicine. Broadway went to get the leftover soup he kept on saving, returning with a bowlful of it.

His brother at the moment was still in a bad state; he was constantly jerking about, reacting to anyone who looked at him, covering his body with his arms and wings to avoid eyes drawing to his body after having those Quarrymen show his humiliation.

Sato too came back with the medicine, handing it to Hudson. Hudson did his best to try to get Brooklyn to eat, but the Second was acting stubborn, shaking his head.

"Come on, Lad. Ye'll get sick if ye don't eat, and ye need that medicine," Hudson said. Brooklyn's eyes glowed again, tears streaming down.

"I won't eat it! I'll get poisoned again!" Brook sobbed, body having convulses. Goliath stepped in to help, taking a gentle hold of Brooklyn, who squirmed. "Let me go! Let me go!"

"Take slow breaths, Brooklyn. This isn't poison, I promise you. Close your eyes and breathe," he murmured in an almost hypnotic way to reach the panicked young male, who slowly registered the gentle voice of his leader, crying and struggling to breathe slowly, feeling the heartbeat of Goliath against him, closing his eyes and eventually being able to get his breathing to match the slow heartbeat, his panic beginning to go away.

After a bit, Brooklyn opened his eyes again, feeling a bit more relaxed, nodding at Hudson to let him feed him, the warmth of the soup going down his throat, then swallowing the medicine afterward. Goliath placed Brooklyn's head gently onto his pillow once done eating, Brooklyn staring up at him in grief, but still holding back in his feelings of what happened back in Castaway's custody, drifting off to sleep.

The rest of the clan sighed in relief now that their saddened clan member was a bit more relaxed. Hudson rubbed his arm, allowing Bronx to watch over Brooklyn when they all left.

Broadway though was nervous about the next time Brooklyn could have another attack, even with the medicine. "Lex, will he ever recover from his PTSD?" He asked in a soft, scared voice. The olive gargoyle shrugged, looking sad too. "Some of those articles I read... There have been some cases where most people never do, and only that kind of medicine can keep it at bay. Brook may end up being on this medicine for nearly his whole life, right?" The doctor nodded. "It might be that case. But all of you do your best to show Brooklyn that he is still a brave gargoyle." he said. Angela cried a bit, hugging her mate's arm. Broadway comforted her gently.

The clan all felt sad that Brooklyn was now having a possible lifetime illness, but they prayed that somewhere deep inside is Brooklyn's fighting spirit waiting to break free from the shell that had imprisoned him.

.....

I know, it's sad watching Brooklyn to have to go through more sorrow even after being cured of his poison. We'll see if he recovers completely in the end. But it makes me hug my new Brooklyn plushie a lot when writing this story.