The room was spinning.

His heart was pounding.

His hands and arms and legs were shaking.

Things were ceasing to make any sense.

Dex clawed his hands through his hair, pulling out a few strands with the harsh motion as he made his way through the confusing halls of Foxfire.

It'd started in his alchemy session when he'd gotten a brief flashback of the kidnapping from when he was eleven - but that's all it was: a flashback.  However it left an impression, a horrible feeling, all the way through lunch.  And by the time his universe session hit, he had to leave.

Thankfully, his universe teacher was more than willing to send him to Elwin's office.

Sadly, he'd failed to take in the account of the fact that when an anxiety attack hits, it's hard to read your directions if your feet don't know exactly where they're going.

Dex hiccuped a sob as he threw his hand over his mouth and looked down, hoping there'd be no one in the halls to see him as his body shook with each step he took.

It was just a dumb flashback.  Why was it affecting him so much?

Sure, he got them often after he'd been saved by Mr. Forkle and Sophie, and they'd faded more and more over time.  So why was this one so vivid?

Dex bit his lip as he looked up and realized he must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.  Instead of being in the green hall, where he'd started, the walls and floor were white.

Turning around, he began his way through more halls.

And more halls.

And more halls.

But despite whatever he did, he just couldn't remember the way to Elwin's office.  Let alone the way out of the white halls.

Of course his dumb feet had to forget where they were going at a time like this.

Dex moved both his hands over his face as he broke down.  He had no idea where he was going and it felt like his emotions were eating at his heart.  And it hurt.  It hurt so badly.  All he wanted to do was curl up in a tight ball and sleep until the world was at peace again and he didn't have to worry about what he'd do if the Neverseen decided to take one of his siblings or if they killed one of his friends or if they kidnapped him again.

Dex was brought out his thoughts when he felt a hand gently rubbing patterns into his back.

He was all too tired to find out who was behind him.  Shaking his head, he pulled away from the touch.

However, the hand began soothing him again, as did a gentle voice.  "Hey, it's gonna be okay.  Why don't I take you to Elwin?"

Yes.  Elwin was where he needed to go.

Deciding that it couldn't hurt, Dex gently moved his fingers covering his eyes so he could get a good look at the person trying to calm him down.

It took a moment for him to recognize the boy, but it was Keefe.

"Hey," the empath said quietly.  "Did you get lost?"

Dex hiccuped a soft sob into his hands as he nodded.

"Okay, come here."  Keefe spoke quietly as he began to walk him down the halls.

Dex felt like burden.  He shouldn't be having to drag Keefe into his mess.

"I'll be fine."  Dex said in a high, squeaky, whiny voice as they walked.

"I know, but I've certainly got nowhere else to be right now - well except my universe session, but let me tell you.  Lady Sereen just can't keep her eyes off of me!  I mean, I know I'm good looking, but it's still super weird."

Dex gave a quiet laugh at the joke.

The two walked slowly down the halls in silence.

However, their silence was broken by the bell.

And Dex remembered every single reason he had to begin panicking again.

Keefe seemed to take notice, being an empath, and gently pulled him to the wall, continuing their walk.  His grip around Dex's shoulders tightened as prodigies filled the space they were in, all headed to study hall.

Dex pressed harder against his skin with his hands that were still covering his nose and mouth as he breathed deep to keep calm.

"It's okay."  Keefe whispered gently as they were passed.  "They're not looking."

But it wasn't the random people Dex was concerned about.  It was the idea that Sophie, or Biana, or Fitz, Tam, Linh, or even Mr. Forkle could find the boys and make a fuss.

He really didn't want that.  All he wanted was to get to Elwin, curl up on a cot and sleep the day away.

Dex was beginning to realize how tired he was.

After a few minutes, all the others were gone and the two boys were left in an empty hall again.

Dex yawned through his hiccups.  The crying had finally come to a stop.

"Do you want me to carry you?"  Keefe offered.

No.  Not really.  But Dex was so tired.  Hiccuping, he nodded with a small, "Sorry."

"Don't apologize, Dizznee."  Keefe said, bending his knees so Dex could get onto his back.

Dex jumped on, wrapping his arms around Keefe's neck as the older boy continued the march towards Elwin's office.

"Wanna hear a story?"  Keefe asked.

Dex nodded once more, still not fully trusting his voice.

"Okay, so, this one time I was sitting in lunch - this was before I met you and Sophie - and there was this guy sitting a few tables away from me.  He just had one of those annoying faces, you know? So, being the person that I was then, and still am, I threw an apple at him.  I made sure he didn't see me though.  And I continued to do that for a few weeks.  Until one day, I didn't pick up an apple. I grabbed an orange.  Nonetheless, though I threw it at him.  And do you know what he said?"  When Dex shook his head Keefe gave a small laugh.  "He said, 'WHERE THE HELL IS THE APPLE MAN?  I WAS WAITING FOR THAT AS MY LUNCH!'  He still doesn't know it was me."

Dex gave a quiet laugh.  

By the time the story was over, they'd finally reached Elwin's office.  Keefe opened the door gently, and Dex was glad to find that Sophie wasn't in there with one of her incidents.  In fact, the space was empty if you didn't count Elwin and Bullhorn.

"Hey Elwin."  Keefe greeted, voice still quiet as he closed the door behind him.

"Hey you two."  The physician greeted.  He got up off of his chair and walked over to Dex as Keefe set him down.  Elwin seemed to take note of Dex's puffed up eyes as his voice lowered.  "What's up?"

Dex shrugged.  "Sorry.  I think I just had a bit of an anxiety attack or something.  I'm fine now.  Sorry."

"The translation is," Keefe halfheartedly joked, "that he had an attack and the mean attack made him tired and feeling very apologetic even though he doesn't need to be apologizing."

When Keefe put it like that it made Dex sound like a baby.

Elwin gave a smile that lit up his whole face.  "Why don't you sleep on one of the cots then, Dex?  The school day's almost over and it's study hall right now, so you won't have any extra work to deal with."

Dex was about to protest when yet another yawn cut him off and he found himself being pushed towards the cot by Keefe.  He lied down and felt like he was ready to drift off within seconds, especially when Elwin put a warm blanket over him.

He expected Keefe to leave, but the empath instead sat at the edge of Dex's bed, his legs criss-crossed.  And Elwin didn't tell him to leave, which was even weirder.

"What are you," Dex yawned, "doing?"

"Making sure my baby boy gets some sleep.  And I'll be here when you wake up too."

"I'm not your baby boy."

"Uh, huh.  Now start those snores or else I'll curl up next to you and put my cold feet on you."

Dex huffed out a laugh as he closed his eyes.

.-.

He didn't wake up until an hour had passed, and as Keefe had promised, he was still at the edge of the bed, a book on one leg and a paper in another.