Chapter 151: How did you expect him to be soft?

There were a few people Kellen hoped it would be, and a few that he did not want it to be.

He did not want it to be his Mom or Dad. He did not want it to be Hill, any of the Guides, someone from outside of the Guild, or Miro. In Miro’s case, he just didn’t want the man to be involved in everything when he was one of the few members of the Guild who stayed focused on his work.

He wanted it to be Pamela, Taylor, or any other medical professional. He might even take Carlos if he showed up because he would be a little mean in telling Casper the truth. Kellen might get away without having to be the one who is the meanest.

He was iffy on if it would be a good thing if it was Gunther, and of course, that was who it was.

It was Gunther.

They could all see him through the little window into the room. Casper’s reaction was immediate.

Where he had been a resigned man before, slow to respond, if at all, his eyes glazed, his body weak, as soon as he saw Gunther it was like he was a different man.

Gunther’s expression was stressed, but concerned as he peered into the room. Rhys let out a huff, clearly upset that his friend had come by his own room. In fairness, neither Kellen nor Rhys had told him not to.

It was his own room, and he clearly cared deeply for Casper. He was the one who had encouraged this, and now he was worrying about Casper.

Kellen clicked his tongue. He should have brought him to a different room.

Gunther opened the door, or tried to. The door was locked so no one could just enter when Casper was naked and already afraid. Rhys was the one keeping Casper together so Kellen had to let Gunther in. He was scowling the whole time as he marched towards the door and turned the lock. Gunther tentatively stepped inside.

“Am I interrupting something?” Casper and Kellen spoke at the same time.

“Yes.”

“No.”

Kellen threw an angry look over his shoulder at the other Guide while Rhys knew better than to say anything. He was smiling to himself though.

“You are. We just finished force-feeding Casper and bathing him. We were just about to have a conversation with him.” Kellen told him and Gunther nodded. He still looked terrible, his eyes showing his exhaustion and Casper, the damn fool, looked more worried about Gunther than himself.

Kellen could feel the anger that he’d restrained until now bucking at the holds he had on it.

“I’m sorry, Kellen, Rhys.” Gunther apologised and Kellen nodded, glad that he had apologised. Casper looked a little torn up to hear him apologise.

“Why are you apologising? This is your room. You’re unwell. You should be resting. What were you doing out and about yesterday and today? You were severely hurt! You should be lying down. I’ll go get Taylor.” Casper was speaking clearly, concisely, and Kellen wanted to throttle the man.

So it truly didn’t matter if Casper wasn’t well, but if Gunther was it was unacceptable?

“You will do no such thing.” Kellen snapped, startling everyone in the room with the sharpness of his tone. “Taylor is too damn busy to have you bothering and pestering her over damn nonsense, and if you were thinking with your actual brain, you’d know that, Lieutenant Casper.” Casper visibly flinched at the use of his full title.

Kellen’s eye was narrow and direct. He was pissed at the man, and Gunther, a man who had seen Kellen raise his voice, hell, beat a few men up, should also have anticipated this moment. The only person who relaxed almost immediately was Rhys. In fact, he looked like he was fighting a smile.

Maybe he was just happy that Kellen was angry at someone else right now.

“Theodore is a-”

“He’s fine compared to literally everyone else in the Medical Bay, Casper, and if you were keeping up with your duties, you’d know that.” It was another dig, but each one was well deserved. Casper looked shocked that Kellen was doing this, that he wasn’t holding back.

“B-But he’s a Lieutenant.” Casper whispered, and that made Kellen’s face twist in disgust.

“Oh don’t even start that. Are you about to pull the same bullshit that the Guides I punished did? Are you serious, Casper? How far have you fallen?” Kellen asked and watched as Casper’s body trembled, his breath coming out ragged as he breathed.

“I-I’m sorry, I just-”

“You’re sorry?” Kellen repeated, then let out a harsh laugh. “You’re. Sorry?” Kellen could feel the control he had snap. “Only now? After we washed, fed and bathed you? You only began to show any damn remorse or hell, a fucking response as soon as Gunther showed his damn face! What the fuck is wrong with you, Casper? What the hell happened? Where did the competent, smart, capable man that I knew, go?” Kellen asked.

Kellen stood, near the door, Gunther at his side while Rhys stood near Casper. The man was sitting down in that fucking chair, his body shaking, making Kellen feel like an asshole for yelling at him, but someone had to!

How else was the damn fool going to get this through his damn mind?

“You didn’t cause my reaction.” Kellen said. Casper’s gaze flicked up to Kellen’s eye and then darted away.

“W-What?” Casper stuttered and Kellen gave a loud, bitter laugh. He had been taking a shot into the dark, but turns out, he was right.

“My last vision, the one where I saw Gunther? That wasn’t on you. We don’t know my triggers, you just so happened to be there when it happened.” Kellen told him. It could be the truth. It could be a lie. His first statement was correct.

He had no idea not only what his triggers were or if he even had them.

“So if that was the damn reason you’ve been avoiding me, beyond the shame you felt for abandoning your post, then you can stop it.” Kellen hissed. Casper stared at him, slack-jawed.

“I didn’t abandon my post.” Casper tried to say. He even sounded serious. Rhys was looking at the man in pity while Kellen? His rage boiled over.

“Are you serious? Or are you joking? It’s in poor taste if you’re joking, Casper.” Kellen warned and Casper at least had the decency to drop his head, staring at his lap.

“….I didn’t…” he muttered, but his second declaration wasn’t as believable. Even he didn’t put any weight behind it.

“You know that’s not true. You know that you’ve been relying on everyone else to pick up the slack during a time when we could have used your help. Instead, you shirked your duties, made everyone else worry and take up your responsibilities, especially when we’re already stretched thin. Not only that, you run away from anyone who could hold you accountable, are apparently abusing your authority, and to top it all off, you’re even making Gunther, who came back from a dangerous mission, confused and uncomfortable!”

It was a low blow, but Kellen wasn’t feeling particularly kind right now. Casper looked like he’d been punched in the gut.

“Is that-”

“If you are about to worry more about what you’re doing to Gunther than what you are doing to the Guild, damaged or not, I might deck you.” Kellen warned.

Gunther, who had been listening this whole time, grew even more uncomfortable. He reached out, placing a hand on Kellen’s shoulder. He gave it a squeeze.

“Kellen…” He started but Kellen would not hear it.

“Don’t fucking start, Gunther. While I appreciate you caring for him, you haven’t been here. You haven’t really seen what’s going on.” Kellen snapped before turning to Casper and glaring at him. “Do you even understand how worried everyone has been? How those who care about you have been defending you?” Casper looked upset. Good.

“I didn’t ask them to.” Casper muttered. It was such a brat thing to say. Gunther even gave a soft gasp. It was unlike Casper, or the version of Casper that everyone else knew, to say. This new Casper? Yeah, Kellen did not like him.

“Did you fucking join with the E.A.G. When I wasn’t watching? Are you a damn fool? Do not spit in the faces of those who only want the best for you. You’re a better person than that.” Kellen wasn’t so sure at the moment, but even in his anger he had faith in the man.

The Guide who had made sure to defend his Guild even at Kellen’s ridiculous words so quickly before couldn’t have been an illusion. The one who defended the honour of his people, his home. Who had been angry that those had been moving under his nose. The man who cared for others outside of Gunther.

“At this point, if you want to remain in the Guild, you need to get help. Even if you don’t want to remain in the Guild, you are getting help. We are forcing you. You can blame me, hate me, curse me out all you want, but whether you care about me anymore or not, I care about you. Even if you hate me, I still care for you, so I’m going to do this.” Kellen warned. “You’re getting help.” Kellen was dead serious.

Rhys stared at Kellen, his expression hard, before he swallowed and looked towards Casper. Then the man was collapsing again, but this time, it was because he was aware he couldn’t run anymore. He was aware enough he couldn’t avoid it. He had been caught, truly caught, and now? Now he had to face the consequences.

Gunther looked ill. It was clear he was against the idea of forcing care, but honestly, Kellen wasn’t going to take his advice or opinions into consideration. Both of these fools were fucked up from their previous environments. At this point, Kellen was of the mind to sit down with Lieutenant Fisher and watch him while he modified the program put in place for new Espers and Guides coming into the D.E.C.

Maybe that was something he could give to his Mom?

He’d discuss this with Rhys after he was finished with Casper.

For now, he stared at the man who looked more like his previous self on the outside, but was the shell of the man he had been inside, and hmphed.

He glared at him, Casper not meeting his gaze and staring at his lap still, and knew he was going to be the villain in this man’s story for a while.

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