Chapter Text
When Michael wakes up he feels wrong. There is a silence that makes him feel uncomfortable. The twins are silently sleeping. His uncle is curled up in the corner, he looks like he just woke up. He’s still silent though, staring at Dream.
His uncle is usually a talker though. Michael feels his uneasy-ness grow when he sees Dream shift to look at him instead of his uncle. The mask glowing eerily due to the lava.
Michael glares at Dream. Dream seems to smile back. Michael doesn't speak, but he does mouth these three words. I. HATE. YOU.
Michael crawls over to his uncle. Again, he doesn't say anything. But he hugs his uncle in comfort.
“Hey Mike, what's up Bud?”
Michael just shrugged. He honestly could be better or worse.
“Ah, having a nonverbal episode?”
Michael nods, smiling that his uncle caught on so quickly.
This isn't the first time he had a nonverbal episode. The first was years ago. He was ten and it was the first time he was locked in that damn closet.
When he left it, he was shaking. He couldn't write in straight lines for weeks. When he tried talking, nothing came out. Not even a whisper. He panicked, eyes widening as he started to claw at his neck.
He was at his uncle's at the time. Michael knocked something over, though he really can't remember what. His uncle ran over and immediately took Michael’s hands off of his neck.
“Hey, Mike, don't do that!” His uncle says panicking.
Michael drops his hands from his throat.
“What's wrong? Are you hurt? Did someone else get hurt? Are you feeling sick?”
Michael shakes his head at every one of his uncle's questions.
“Why aren't you responding? Can you not talk?”
Michael nods his head, his uncle takes a sigh in relief. Then his uncle smiled. His uncle started explaining some reasons why this was happening, and Michael listened with care.
He found out that he was having a nonverbal episode, which means he at points can't talk. When he could though, he thanked his uncle profusely.
But, now Michael just curled up next to his uncle. He hears a drip on the obsidian, damnit, he's crying again.
The twins woke up and walked to their dad. They talked a bit, Michael wasn't paying attention. He stared at the lava, noting the yellow, orange, and red hues.
At lunch, Dream threw over a couple potatoes, making his uncle flinch. After picking them up, they all ate in silence. There was no conversation afterwards either.
It's only been two days since Michael's uncle came, but it feels like it's been an eternity. But they'll survive. They have to.