"Help me, please."
Fear was expected. Tears were expected, hell, maybe even anger for getting to him too late. But Caretaker didn't expect Whumpee to be recoiling out of absolute terror from his outstretched hand.
"Don't touch me! Get out of here!" Whumpee tossed a half-empty water bottle in Caretaker's direction. The fact that Whumpee was so scared of Caretaker hurt more than the actual impact of the water bottle.
"Whumpee, it's okay, I promise. I'd never, ever hurt you. Please, just come with me, okay?" Caretaker dared another step closer, grabbing ahold of the rope binding Whumpee's wrists to the floor.
Whumpee shrieked when Caretaker started to cut his bindings. "No... No, no, no, no, stop! Whumper! Please! Help me, please, Whumper help!"
Caretaker tried to block out Whumpee's screams, tried to ignore how much his heart twisted when Whumpee was calling for his captor as opposed to even recognizing his own friend. The person that Whumpee called for was dead in the hallway, and his team was also there listening to the cries leave Whumpee's mouth.
When his first arm was freed, Caretaker started to feel the tiny thumps of Whumpee's fist hitting his back. When his second arm was freed, Caretaker grabbed Whumpee by the shoulders and forced him to look at his face.
"Do you not remember me? It's Caretaker. Your...your best friend." Whumpee's breath stilled, shaking his head as his eyes roamed Caretaker's face. Caretaker waited for any sign of recognition to snap in Whumpee's face. But it never did. Instead, Whumpee's voice dropped down to the quietest octave it's been since Caretaker found him.
"Please, sir, just leave me...I don't know who you are. I don't want any trouble."










