Professor Asperger's Meeting

"Soooo," Nel walks aside Fein as the Dots push him down another hallway. Nel has his hands behind his back. "You should ask where they're taking us."

"Hey," Fein turns his head towards the formal Dot. "Can you tell me where you're taking us?"

"I'd suggest you ask in a much more well mannered way." The Dot forces a smile. "And who is this 'we'?"

"My bad," Fein scratches the back of his head as he thinks up an excuse. "I'm not good at talking to people without a script." This is partially true. Fein isn't great at talking in a formal manner without practicing beforehand.

"That's the problem." The informal Dot glares at Fein. "Now shut up, I'm not paid to listen to you yap your mouth."

"They're getting paid to do this?" Ethan ponders.

"Of course they did!" Nel tells Ethan. "Money makes man mad! Someone said that, I'm sure!"

"Okay," Ethan nods. "But this means we could possibly bribe them to help us break out. It's very important."

"Participating in the exploitative system of capitalism is what got us into this mess." Nel objects. "I have no doubt that Fein-"

"We're here." The informal Dot announces as the two stop pushing Fein. "Get out of the chair and get in the room."

"I was going to do that," Fein squinted at the Dot. "Thank you very much!"

The Dot mumbled something as Fein got up and headed to the door. The Dot nudged Fein's back as he entered the room, but he did not fall.

"Herschel," A somewhat familiar voice lightly denounces him. "That is not a great way to enter the room."

"It's Webster!" Nel exclaimed. "That BITCH!"

"I-" Fein tries to say something.

"Don't let it happen again," Dr Webster gets into view of Fein. She is sitting in a rather menacing way at a desk. There is a foldable chair on the Fein side of the desk. Webster motions to him to sit down on the chair. "You're surprisingly well behaved. Despite your failures."

Fein takes a seat on the foldable chair as Dr Webster continues.

"Now, I want to know more about the people in your head." Dr Webster rests her hands on the desk in between the two. "Are any of them here right now?"

"They're called-" Fein starts to object before he reads Webster's face. It really says "Don't correct me and answer the question" in Fein opinion. "I mean, I have two of them... maybe three with me right."

"Three for sure!" Fred says out of nowhere. His appearance confuses all of the friends, and Difemanim.

"Three for sure." Fein nods.

"Do they have names?" Dr Webster asks as she writes on something under the table. Fein can see what it is, but he assumes it's a clipboard.

"Fredrick, Nelson, and Eitan." Fein bluntly answers.

"Those are rather masculine names." Dr Webster notes. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"What the fuck does that mean?" Nel looms over.

"What do you mean by that?" Fein rephrases what Nel tried to communicate.

"I just wanted to know if there is a reason for this." Dr Webster explains. "I know you and patterns go well together."

Fein looks at his friends to see what they think of the answer. Ethan and Fred both shrug while Nel aggressively shakes his head no.

"None of that makes sense." Fein tells Dr Webster. "Can you explain it to me-"

"Hold on," Dr Webster interrupts Fein. "Can you communicate with them right now?"

"Tell her to suck a fat one!" Nel cups his hands over his mouth. Ethan elbows him to get him to stop.

"Yes," Fein nods. "One is being very rude right now."

"Oh," Dr Webster looks up from the desk. "And who is that?"

"Deez!" Nel desperately tries to force his influence onto Fein. Yet, the attempt fails due to Fred and Ethan overpowering him.

"It's Nel..." Fein says before correcting himself. "I mean Nelson."

"Could you tell him to try and be more polite?" Dr Webster requests. "This Nelson could cost you a lot in this facility."

"Can we get Joseph here?" Ethan asks Fein. "Nel can't shut up for the life of us."

"Fine!" Nel aggressively twitches. "But. I won't. Like. It."

"I know," Fein ignores the friends. "So, about my family. I thought you said I could meet up with them today?"

"You COULD." Dr Webster pseudo-confirms what Fein said. "You could also be a time traveler according to a document I've read about you."

"Document?" Ethan signals Fein to ask about it.

"You heard about the Sallow Theory?" Fein asks.

"We are getting off topic." Dr Webster tries to redirect the conversation. "Let's get back to your family. I think it would be a great idea to just let them get a grip on the situation you've fallen into. So your reunion could be a lot more... cleaner."

"Again," Nel demands.

"Um... you're getting off topic." Fein objects. "I asked you about the Sallow Theory. How much do you know about me? And if you even knew what you were talking about, you would call me by the name I prefer. Unless you simply have a hierarchical complex, which I'm sure you don't have... right?"

"There is no need for any of this aggression." Dr Webster talked down to Fein in a passive tone while writing on the clipboard underneath the table.

"And another thing," Fein adds while looking at Nel grinning in the corner of his eye. "What exactly are you writing that you need to hide from me? I'm a man of science and I have a degree in psychology. If we're trying to get me more fit for the outside world, it would need to be a collaborative effort."

Dr Webster stares at Fein for a moment before speaking up. "You are dismissed." She simply states before pointing Fein towards the door.

"You are making a fatal error." Fein comments as he gets out of his seat.

"Death threats?!" Fred turns toward Nel. "NELSON, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

"I'm joking about it!" Nel defends himself.

"I would say the same to-" Webster says before Fein closes the door on her.

The informal guard is waiting in the hallway while eating something from a brown bag. They noticed that Fein had left the room and stumbled their food back into their bag.

"What the hell?" The informal dot hides their bag behind their back. "Wh-what are you doing out here! Get back in there!"

"The 'Doctor' told me to get out." Fein explains in a passive-aggressive tone. "So I did. I'm just following orders."

"Goddamnit," The informal dot taps their foot. "You couldn't just fucking listen, could you?" They pull out a walkie-talkie (or whatever they call it). "Herschel finished earlier! Head back here right fucking now!"

"She wasn't cooperative." Fein explains. "I like to work with my mental health doctors, I don't like having them just have a script every time I visit."

"You sound so annoying to hang out with." The informal dot turns off their walkie-talkie. "You never know when to just shut your mouth, do you?"

Fein just stares at the dot before changing it into a squint. He doesn't say anything.

"I'm back!" The formal dot brushes themself off. "Sorry about that, I got a call from management about a thing."

"What's so important-" The informal dot peers at the formal dot.

"That's not important to you, Rook." The formal dot says in a more defensive tone. "Let's get moving."

The informal dot aggressively points at the wheelchair they used earlier and Fein follows their orders. The dots walk Fein to a room he hadn't seen before. It's rather large and it has a bunch of randomly placed tables and chairs. Fein can also see some Dots and patients eating on the tables.

"This is just straight up torture." Ethan mubles to himself.

"What do you mean?!" Fred looks at Ethan in shock. "They're gonna feed us! That's the only thing that makes sense!"

"There's gotta be a catch, though." Nel paces around on the floor, then the wall. "There's always a catch with these monsters."

"How would you know?" Fred points at Nel.

"I just know." Nel crosses his arms.

"Alright," The informal dot slaps one of the seats. "It's breakfast time. You don't have all day, Herschel."

Fein takes a seat.

"No no no." The formal dot shakes their head. "I'm sure that Mr Herschel is supposed to get the meal first!"

"What?" The informal dot raises their eyebrow at the other dot. "Do you think we should just let him in the kitchen?!"

"No," The formal dot refrains from face palming. "Just let me take him to pick up his food."

"I guess I have no say in the matter." Fein jokes.

"You don't." The informal dot turns their vision towards Fein. "He's staying here with me. YOU go get the meal."

The formal dot shrugs before leaving the two alone at the table.

"Charlie has some nerve," The informal dot rants to Fein, partially speaking to themselves. "They might be technically 'higher rank' than me, but let me ask you this. Who do you think is getting paid?" The dot chuckles a bit to themselves.

"I'd assume it'd be the highest ranking person." Ethan estimates.

Lumo falls from the ceiling and instantly gets back up. "Don't you DARE answer that question!" He pants. "It's rhetorical!"

"ME!" The dot answers their own question. "So that idiot should listen to the one on PAYROLL! I won't let some fuckin' volunteer twat fuckin' boss me around!""

"Who exactly is Charlie?" Ethan asks.

"Yeah," Fein turns towards the dot. "I have no idea who this 'Charlie' is."

"Oh," The informal dot turns towards Fein. "I forgot you were here. Let me guess, your friends were having a little conversation, yeah?"

"That's right." Fein nods.

"Well then Herschel," The dot rested their arm on the table. "I guess we forgot to introduce ourselves. I'm Nurse Alex and that fucker getting you chili or something is goes by Doctor Charlie or Charlay or whatever."

"It's..." Fein hesitantly shakes Alex's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm still callin' them dots." Nel claims.

"Same." All the other friends speak simultaneously.

"I know what we're doing may seem..." Alex scratches their head. "A bit strange to you, but it's to help you. Once this is over with, you won't have to worry about your hallucinations. Despite this, it may hurt a bit, but just... trust us."

"Cap, that's sus as fuck." Nel points at Alex.

"I have no idea what that means," Ethan stares at Nel. "But I already don't trust them. I don't think starving people is a way to stop hallucinations. What you have is incurable."

"What are you looking at?!" Alex snaps their fingers in front of Fein. "Are you talking to those... things. You know, the fake people you make up or whatever it was."

"Just agree with them," Lumo calmly orders Fein. "I feel like Difemanim has a plan for us. Just make something up."

"Nah," Fein scoffs. "I was just zoning-out. It was sorta like a daydream where I was floating through a wormhole."

"Do tell me more." Alex says while taking something out of their pocket that Fein doesn't see. "Don't skip any details."

"I am back." Charlie unenthusiastically states from behind Fein, startling him. She drops a paper bag on the table Fein and Alex are sitting at. "You can stop antagonising the patient now."

"I wasn't 'antagonizing' it." Alex chuckles as they put away whatever they pulled out of their pocket earlier. "I'm just doing what I'm paid to do."

"I'm sure you were." Charlie rolls their eyes. "It doesn't matter now, I've got his food." They turn toward me. "Do you have any food allergies?"

"I'm allergic to peanuts." Fein swiftly answers.

"We haven't eaten in a while." Ethan twitches. "A little bit of inflammation in our stomach is nothing to worry about."

"Aren't you supposed to be the RATIONAL ONE!" Fred looks at Ethan in shock. "Don't lie for the sake of all of us."

"That's it?" Charlie tilts their head. "If so, then this meatloaf should be good for you... unless you're vegan."

"Doesn't matter." Alex taps their foot. "Just hurry up and-"

Suddenly, static noise could be heard coming from the upper part of the walls in the room. There must be some sort of recording/broadcasting device in the room that isn't easily visible that's creating said noise. That's a justification Fein thinks up.

"Doctors, be aware." A voice says from the walls as the static noise fades out quickly. "A patient has expressed violent behaviour that could possibly endanger staff and themselves in Hall I. Do what you need to do. Thank you!"

"Hell yeah," Alex pumps their fist as they get up and turn towards Charlie. "Watch the schizoid. This shouldn't take too long."

As Alex runs off alongside some other Dots, Charlie waves at them before quickly turning towards Fein.

"We should use our time wisely." Charlie says in a more serious tone. "You wouldn't happen to know about... this... this thing."

"What exactly are you talking about?" Fein adjusts himself in his seat.

"Abort!" Nel starts to panic.

"It..." Charlie whispers before thinking a bit. "It called itself something like Definitive. It told me that it wanted me to help you. I don't know if it actually happened or if I'm going crazy, but either way, I'd be in your position if any of this gets out."

"Difemanim?" Ethan requests Fein to say.

"Are you-" Fein tries to say before Charlie shushes him. Fein whispers what he was gonna say. "I mean, are you talking about Difemanim?"

"That's the name!" Charlie snaps their fingers. "They were like a fox, snake, goat thing made of gold?"

"I thought he just looked like a floating white guy in a suit?" Ethan scratches his head. "And I guess he is different from us if Charlie can see him."

"Stop reminding me of my non-existence," Fred holds his forehead. "It's gonna give me a panic attack."

"Yeah," Fein tries to focus on the conversation with Charlie. "So what was the 'thing' he told you?"

"Getting you out of here." Charlie leans in closer to make sure nobody is listening. "I don't care if I'm seeing things and if I'm letting a psychopath out into the world, I just don't what that Dife guy near me."

"Fear works." Difemanim chuckles from the ceiling.

"It's above us," Charlie says unflinchingly. "isn't it?"

"Yep," Fein whispers. "We'll plan my escape once I tell some other people... of interest."

"I understand, I understand." Charlie's eyes dart around in a paranoid way. "I'll listen to you and definamen as long as we stay friendly."

A bunch of Dots enter the room. They look somewhat dirty, having small stains all over their outfits. This group includes Alex, who instantly approaches Fein and Charlie.

"I'm-I'm back!" Alex raises their arms with a tired expression on their face. "Why... Why hasn't Herschel... eaten? Aten?"

"I'm not that hungry." Fein semi-lies.

"That doesn't fucking matter!" Alex points at him. "We're out of time now and you couldn't even fucking... fucking... fuck."

"You should take a break." Charlie suggests.

"I'LL TAKE A BREAK IF I NEED A DAMN BREAK!" Alex moves their finger towards Charlie. Alex stops before sagging their arms and talking again. "You know what, I'm gonna take a break. But not... not because of you! You fucking dick!"

"Okay!" Charlie smiles. "We'll meet up at the next session with Webster."

Charlie and Alex both exchange salutes before Alex slouches out of the room. Charlie turns back to Fein with a more serious look.

"Now," Charlie looks around the room before resuming. "Who are these people of interest you speak of?"