"Danny! Danny! I need to speak with you; it's urgent!"
The constant banging on his door, along with the head doctor's desperate calls, was enough to wake him up from his slumber. Groggily, he opened his eyes, slowly taking in the familiar surroundings of the room as the sunlight filtering through the window illuminated his face.
Rubbing his eyes, he stood up from the uncomfortable floor, trying to shake off the remnants of his vivid dream. "What is it, Hansel?!" Danny asked loudly, his voice hoarse from sleep, "Did something happen?" Concern was etched on his features.
His first instinct was to approach the door and open it to see what Hansel wanted from him. Although Danny didn't want to do it despite still feeling the lingering effects of his dream, he couldn't ignore the urgency in the head doctor's voice.
"Coming!"
Walking towards the entrance, he reached the door knob, yawning and stretching his arms before turning it open. "What?" Irritation spew out from his mouth at the interruption of his sleep, expressing how much of a disturbance it is to him to wake up at a time like this.
However, what caught his attention was the worried expression he was getting from Hansel. A sign that something serious must have transpired when he was asleep: "What's wrong?" Asking cautiously, Danny felt an inexplicable sense of dread creeping up his spine, feeling growling concern for the impending ills that may befall his friends or himself.
Not knowing what to do, he looked at the man in front of him, trying to decipher the meaning behind his worried visage in this troubling situation.
Hansel hesitated, looking around nervously before sighing in defeat. "Unity...she vanished." Gulping hard, he spoke, "she's gone; she disappeared from my sight after I got distracted with my work." The words hung heavy in the air, as if each syllable was a weight pressing down on Danny's shoulders.
"We've searched everywhere, but she's nowhere to be found," he explained, cracking with emotion about what he had done. "I need your help, Danny; I need to know where she could have gone," pleading desperately for what he had done.
The news hit Danny like a lightning bolt: "What?!" His mind raced with disbelief. "She's right here." As he turned around, he was met with an empty bed, his eyes widening in horror at what he was seeing. "In this room," He finished, staring at the vacant mattress. "I had her right here, safe and sound, and now..." Trailing off, he couldn't finish his sentence.
"Oh god, oh god, what did you do?!" Panic rising in his throat, he quickly grabbed the doctor by the collar and asked, "What have you done?!" The horror of the situation is starting to sink in. "Where is she?!" Danny demanded, his grip tightening on the other man's shirt, "Tell me where she is, now!"
He doesn't understand why he's feeling like this, especially for someone he just met. So what if she is lost? Danny shouldn't be concerned about it, but he is deeply concerned. It shouldn't affect him, but for some reason, he still cares for her well-being.
And it bothers him to no end. "Where is she dammit?!" He repeated, the desperation in his voice was palpable, "Please, tell me," pleading again, his eyes searching for any hint or clue. "I have to find her," he said again, the determination in his tone unmistakable.
"I don't know," was the only answer Hansel could give. "I swear, I don't know what happened," his hands shaking from the terrible mess he has done, tears streaming down his face. "I took my eyes off her for just a moment, and then she was gone."
The anguish in his voice echoed in the chamber. "I'm so sorry, Danny; I'm so, so sorry." Babbling from his own words, he writhes in his own guilt and regret over the simple mistake of letting his guard down for a second, briefly causing his friend's anger to boil over his actions.
Slamming his fist against the wall near the man's side, Danny felt the pain shooting up his hand but quickly ignored it. "How could you let this happen?!" Gritting his teeth, he should have known better than to put the responsibility of anyone, including Licensed Doctor of all places.
"Why didn't you wake up me first?!" Good enough reason why he's angry at the doctor for not doing what he's supposed to do. "If you cared about her at all, you would have come to me first instead of leaving me to find out like this," accusing the man's ability to manage his work.
"I tried to wake you up you."
Danny's facial features softened, absorbing the guilt and shame that were written all over the doctor's face. "I'm sorry, Hansel; I didn't mean to yell at you; I just..." Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself down, the anger slowly dissipating from his body before letting the man go, allowing the doctor to properly adjust himself back to normalcy. "I apologize for hurting you." Disappointed at his own mistakes, he couldn't believe that he had lost control to the point of putting his hands on the very doctor who saved his life.
It wasn't anyone's fault but his, a truth he reluctantly acknowledged. "It's my fault," hanging his head in shame, "I should have been more vigilant, more aware of my surroundings," beating himself up over the incident, "but I'll find her, I promise," determined to make things right, "I'll find her until she is safe," vowing to do whatever it takes to reunite with Unity.
"I'll search every inch of this place, ask everyone, leave no stone unturned," declaring the fire in his belly as it continue to burn brighter with each passing second.
Smiling at this confession, Hansel gently placed his hand on the young man's shoulder. "I'm grateful for your good nature, Danny," he said softly. "I know we can count on you to find her," trusting in his friend's abilities.
"You're the best chance we have; just be careful out there, okay?" Said the doctor with a warm smile, "The world outside these walls can be cruel, especially for someone as innocent as Unity," cautioning him of the ills of the world, "Keep your wits about you, and don't hesitate to come back if you need help," reassuring him of the support system he has.
Taking a step back in response, Danny forced a smile of his own, one that shows remorse for losing control. "I don't deserve your forgiveness," looking down with visible shame on his face, "but I appreciate your understanding," accepting the head doctor's acceptance.
"I'll be careful when I am out there, I promise," giving his word to the man who has been his ally ever since he woke up in this strange world where robots, Espers, and other ills are present wherever he goes, resolute in finding the innocent girl.
"Don't bet yourself on it," Hansel advised. "You were just upset after finding out Unity's gone; it's what anyone caring sibling or parent would feel when they placed their trust in a professional caretaker like myself." accepting the faults of his own.
"It's not your fault, Danny; it's mine," putting the blame on himself, "I failed in my duties, so I will take responsibility for it," showing his accountability in the situation, "We'll search for her together if that is fine with you?" He suggested, offering to help in any way he could.
"My knowledge of this place makes it easier for us to track her down," sharing his expertise with Danny, "or perhaps you have some idea where she might have wandered off to?"
Averting his eyes, Danny didn't say a word or even nod; instead, he just kept staring at the floor, nothing to think about but the heavy burden of his failure weighing upon his shoulders.
After having regained his sense of composure, he still could not fathom his own drastic actions in being overly worried about her disappearance.
He finds it stupid to have to lash out at his only friend, making himself feel stupid in the process. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that; it was uncalled for," he said, repeatedly apologizing for his behavior once more.
"Do you like her?" The head doctor's sudden question made Danny jump in surprise: "Do you have feelings for her?" Hansel asked, his curiosity getting the better of him, "Because if you do, then it's natural to feel protective, to want to keep her safe," explaining the rational behind his friend's overreaction, "and I understand that, really, I do," showing his empathy for Danny's plight, "because I have seen some of my patients act the way you have when they discovered something terrific that transpired to those they are close with."
In response, he quickly shook his head with pure denial on his face.
"What?! No, not that I think so," dismissing the very notion the doctor is suggesting to him, "She... reminds me of someone from my past, I think," revealing a glimpse of his history, "someone I lost, and I guess, in my mind, she became a substitute for that." Confessing his own complicated emotions about Unity. "I know it sounds silly, even selfish, but for some reason, I couldn't help but feel a connection to her," he said, admitting the truth behind his feelings as a look of worry crosses his face.
Studying long and hard, Hansel eyed the young man's face for any signs of something bigger than what it lets on. "Whether it's a substitute or not, the fact remains that you care deeply for someone else," he pointed out, "and that's something to be cherished, so let's focus on finding her, shall we?"
The young doctor iced his expression, showing his resolve to help in the situation. "Are you ready?" Showing another beam of smile iced on his lips, he said, "I've got a few ideas on where to start looking," suggesting some of the places he knows Unity might have ventured to.
Instead, Danny shook his head much to the doctor's surprise: "We are going separate to find her faster; I'll cover more ground on my own," explaining another alternative to the head doctor:. "I know Unity well enough to know where she likes to go, and I'll be able to ask around and see if anyone sees her."
Outlining his plan with a show of confidence that tells him he can do it on his own. "I'll check the usual spots first, then expand my search," he said, detailing his strategy to find the lost girl and assuring the doctor of his intentions.
Frowning, "Are you sure?" Hansel questioned, concerned for his friend's safety, "It could be dangerous out there for someone as inexperienced as you," warning his friend of the potential dangers lurking beyond the sanctuary of the facility. "Maybe I should come with you?" Stating his willingness to accompany Danny on his quest to find someone as vulnerable as Unity, "for her sake, at least," he added a tinge of guilt to his words.
At first, Danny was hesitant to agree with the doctor's suggestion of accompanying him in the search, but with his own guilt and shame growing on him, the responsibility of owing up to it has made him remain in his initial decision.
"I can't, I'm sorry, but I think it is still better if we look for her on our own," refusing to choose anything other than sticking to his original plan as he was confident like he always is, feeling better about making the choices for himself and his companion.
"If you say so," he isn't still sure if he should go along with it, but the head doctor knows there is no convincing him otherwise. "Just be careful out there, okay?" Wanting nothing more than to not lose anyone anymore, as losing one more under his care will drive him into the brink of madness.
"I'll do my best to find her too; maybe we'll cross paths somewhere," hoping for the best even though the doctor is unsure of the outcome, "keep your eyes open and your wits sharp," final words of caution before letting the young man go off on his own.
"Don't worry about me; I'm sure we will find her without much trouble."
