"We're not coming back." Shaggy had no time to debate with them. He walked back into the kitchen, packing a bag with sandwiches. He wasn't going to argue with them. Velma was right, if they went back someone was going to die. Their lives weren't worth it.

He heard knocking again. He tried to ignore it, feeling horrible for refusing someone help. But they could handle it, right? This was an actual haunting, what exactly could Mystery Inc do? They debunked cases. Proved it was a human. This wasn't human. For once they had a case above their pay grade.

He could vaguely hear them calling his name, trying to catch his attention. It really wasn't the professional way to handle it. He was midway through making a sandwich when he heard them rattling the glass door. He stepped back from the counter, taking a breath in.

'Just tell them how it is. The case is done.'

He came back into the dining room, pausing for a moment before reaching out and unlatching the door. He gestured for them to come inside.

"You can sit. If you like."

"We won't be long." Katrina was noticeably upset. "We need to discuss-"

Shaggy cut her off. "There is no case." Realizing how short he sounded, he sheepishly dug his hands into his pockets, head hung down. "At least, for us there isn't."

"We're mid-investigation-" Serg tried to interrupt.

"Like look. I was almost stabbed to death. Daphne…" He was trying to fight back tears. He rarely cried. And if he did, he was always alone. "We nearly lost her. This isn't worth it."

"But Mrs. Berkshire hired us."

Shaggy's mouth hung open. He was hesitant about disclosing the truth about their client. He picked his head up. "I don't care." He hadn't meant for it to sound as angry as it did.

Katrina scoffed. "How can you not care?"

"Daphne fucking miscarried. Because of whatever the hell is in that house." He felt his cheeks flushing. "Right now, she's in the goddamn ICU. I was covered in her blood. How can you expect us to just… Forget that for the sake of a paycheck."

"Do you have any idea how unethical it is to subject a pregnant woman to these conditions?" Serg was becoming annoyed.

"Do you hear yourself?" Shaggy could feel his fists balling up. He'd never had a reaction like this. But then again, he'd never experienced such pain before. "We already lost someone. Daphne may not recover." He felt his stomach go cold. How could he have admitted that?

Katrina dropped her hands to her sides. It was obvious the entirety of Mystery Inc was suffering. "We didn't come to fight, or to upset you. We can't finish this one on our own. We need you."

His voice was cracking. "What can we do? We don't do paranormal. We deal with criminals."

"Mrs. Berkshire's home is a warzone. We can't just give up."

"You might want to take another look at Mrs. Berkshire." His voice grew quiet. "I have to get back to the hospital." He stood up a bit. "Daphne might be awake."

Katrina took Serg by the sweater and gently led him to the door. "Call us if you change your mind."

He felt himself beginning to break. He began to choke on his breath as he locked the door. Now was not the time to break down. The gang needed him. It was his turn to lead, to be the provider. And it scared him. He was sleep deprived and anxious.

He felt a crack. He was suddenly alert. Glancing down, he noticed the wall in front of him was dented, flakes of drywall fluttering down to the floor. He reached out to see the damage when he saw his own. There were streaks of paint across his knuckles and blood beginning to bubble up in several spots.

He had never struck anything. He felt vulnerable. He felt separated from his own self. He stepped back, his breathing attempting to return to normal. He slowly went to the kitchen and packed the sandwiches into a bag. He ventured back upstairs to grab the backpack with the clothes in it. He made his way to the bathroom, grabbing a few of Velma's things. He could only imagine they wouldn't be leaving the hospital soon. He had packed his own to give Fred. He didn't feel right spending too much time in Fred and Daphne's rooms. It was like visiting a graveyard. He gave Scooby a hug, and to Shaggy's relief Scooby was too tired to even stir.

As he made his way out, he wondered how long it would be until he saw the inside of his own house again. He locked he door behind him, slightly jealous of the world around him. It was completely unaware of the pain he was in, that the entire gang was in. That Daphne was in, that she would go through to recover.

She would recover.

The pain in his hand was beginning to set in. He was aware of it, and slightly afraid it might be broken, but was still so spaced out he had no ability to be bothered by it. He found his driving to be less erratic but he still didn't feel in control. It was a half hour's drive from home to the hospital. He prayed Daphne had remained stable. He hadn't gotten any calls, but if there was an emergency, calling him wouldn't be the first priority. He had come so close to his entire world falling around him. And if it had, he surely would have fallen with it.