Disclaimer: This chapter was writtenbefore I knew who Kate, the child who messes with the Eddsworld characters in Trick or Threat and is actually from Crash Zoom, was. Therefore, she is severely OOC. This chapter was written before I found out who she was, so any fans of Kate please don't yell. Thank you, and sorry.

Tom considered himself a deep sleeper. He had refused to awaken even as the house had undergone a siege by furious, cursed mummies(long story), and that one time a horde of rats had overtaken their hotel in the North Pole(even longer story).

Even now, he barely registered the sounds of a struggle just outside his door. The distant exclamations went unnoticed even as it pitched louder and louder until it went suddenly silent.

It wasn't until a single word, uttered through a strangled throat, barely audible from the distance through the closed door, did he shift, cracking open an eye.

"Tom!"

That was...Matt? With a groan, Tom sat up in bed grinding the heel of his hand into his eye in an attempt to rub the sleep from them. He glared at the digital clock on his bedside table through sleep hazed eyes.

11 p.m.

He nearly flopped back into his pillow, whatever Matt wanted could likely wait 'till morning. Particularly, when he didn't feel like one of the zombies from Fun Dead land.

Tom allowed his body to lean back into the warm confines of his bed, but something stopped him from closing his eyes and allowing sleep to reclaim him.

His tone, usually calm and chipper and occasionally pitching in one of his rare fits of anger, was punctuated with desperate horror.

Tom sighed through his nose, the air hissing softly in the silent room, before flinging the covers to the side and freeing his legs.

He navigated the room easily, the soft glow emanating from the clock illuminated his path slightly. Reaching the door he glanced ruefully at his bed, before wrenching it open , revealing the dark hall.

There were two figures at the end of the hall, their forms outlined against the glow radiating from the television screen.. The unmistakable lanky figure of Matt, and a tiny...floating...one.

Okay.

"Matt he called from his doorway, irritation clear in his tone. "Knock it off, would you? Some people are trying to sleep y'know."

Matt remained immobile, seemingly ignoring him, choosing instead to keep his gaze fixated forward. The second figure, however, snapped their hooded head up. Tom felt a curious gaze boring into his form causing him to shift uncomfortably.

He swallowed and glared.

"Who the hell did you let into the house?" he stepped towards the prone form leaving the dark room behind him. He chose to ignore the creepy floating one.

"We agreed-no more supernatural beings in the house." he began striding towards Matt's still form. "You remember what happened last time. It took weeks to get rid of all those ghosts."

He was nearly beside the ginger now when he stopped suddenly. Lifting his bare foot up with a sound of disgust. "What did you spill?"

The man continued to ignore Tom, much to his irritation. "Matt." he reached forward, intending to turn him around and force him to face him, when something stopped him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tom noticed the knife's blade glinting dully in Matt's tight grip. He glanced back up and withdrew his hand. There was something very wrong here.

Tom peeked over Matt's shoulder, following his gaze to the immobile dark mass not far from where they stood. The sight that met him caused his heart to stutter momentarily; the mop of brown hair was recognizable, even in the near darkness.

Edd was curled tightly in on himself, a painful grimace etched into his features. The front of his nightshirt was looking more red than it's usual light green.

xxxxxxxxx

He was stuck. Again. As soon as Tom had stepped out of his room Matt's tormentor had paralyzed him once again, restricting all movements.

Tom was saying something about the supernatural, something about messes on the floor, but Matt couldn't focus on any of it.

Edd.

He's bleeding out. He needs help. Help. 911. Hospital. They needed to get to a hospital. Tom needed to call 911. Tom was...was…

Right behind him.

Shock emanated in waves off Toms form, as he took in the sight of their fallen friend. He'd finally noticed Edd, he could get help.

Matt gave a jolt as the poltergeist, nearly forgotten on the edge of his vision, suddenly flickered out of existence. She wasn't gone, Matt could still feel her fingers of influence firmly rooted in his mind. She had moved, but where?

He could feel her delight through their shared conscious, and a plan bubbling on the edge of her mind, shielded from his own.

Behind him, Tom inhaled sharply.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tom tensed; they needed to move. They needed to move now.

He lifted a foot preparing to duck around Matt when the tiny form that had been silently observing Tom suddenly disappeared, flickering out of existence, only to appear directly in front of him.

Now that they were closer, Tom confirmed that they was actually a she, and nothing more than a child. A very wicked looking child.

He jerked back as a malicious grin spread across her face, eyes widening as her razor sharp fangs flashed in the dim lighting.

Raising her tiny hand she called her magic forward probing his mind, searching for a foothold. She was surprised to find herself locked out, the tendrils of magic expelling itself almost immediately.

Raising a brow, Tom shook his head. Whatever she was doing it felt...weird. The dark magic roaming across his mind was quite an unwelcome feeling.

He nearly pushed past her, there was no time for this stupidity, when her words, spoken directly in his mind, forced him to pause.

Play with us. The voice snickered. These two were fun, but now one's broken, and it's only fun when there are two.

Tom froze and clenched his fists tightly, nails digging into his palm. Eyes narrowing he turned to glare darkly at her.

"Scram." he growled.

She snatched her hand back quickly, the magic playing across her fingers evaporating. For the first time that night her grin dropped into a frown. Why wasn't it working? Nobody should be able to resist her. She considered setting her other toy on him, but the dangerous look in his inky eyes suggested she take her leave. Besides, with the other toy constantly fighting against her, she was exhausted.

With barely a sigh the hooded figure disappeared, leaving not a trace behind.

Matt felt her absence immediately and sagged, nearly toppling over as her presence suddenly left his mind empty. He caught himself and straightened, allowing the knife he had been clutching so tightly to slip from his grip.

He barely registered the blue clad man pushing past him and falling to his knees beside the frighteningly still figure. Gently, far more gently than he'd ever seen Tom act, he pried Edd's blood soaked hands from their death grip on his nightshirt.

With unexpected strength, Edd suddenly shoved Tom back knocking his hands away.

"Edd," Tom muttered through clenched teeth, "We need to stop the bleeding." If any of their previous adventures had taught him anything, it was basic first aid. Right? Right?

Edd groaned weakly as Tom rolled him onto his back. The ragged tear in the thin fabric of his shirt gave away the wounds location. Center of the chest. Shit.

Applying pressure Tom muttered "Just hold on, alright? Helps…" not on the way.

Fuck.

Rocking back without removing his hands from Edds torso Tom snapped his head up searching for their other roommate

"Matt, we need an ambulance now."

The ginger had remained in the same position since Tom had exited his room, even now he remained rigid. Frozen.

"Matt!"

Tom wanted something, but he just couldn't force his numb limbs to move. Blood was caking his hands, sticky and cold. His friend was dying in front of him, and he just. Couldn't. Move.

Cursing silently, Tom ceased his efforts to staunch the incessant flow and instead grabbed Matt's wrist, gripping it he pulled him down to his knees and placed Matt's hands down on the wound.

"Just press down, okay? I'll be right back."

Tom dashed off, presumably to call for much needed help, and Matt was left with a dying Edd.

He was numb, unfeeling, as he pressed down as hard as he dared onto the wound. Edd's face was twisted into an ugly grimace, his too pale face clenching in pain as Matt pressed down too harshly.

Matt blinked hard, once, twice. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to.

Edd responded with a breath painfully sucked in through struggling lungs. A gurgle sounded wetly from his throat and he choked, a bright red liquid spluttered up his throat and dripped down his cheek.

Matt clenched his teeth and forced Edd back onto his side, hand still clamped tight over the wound, hoping to allow the crimson liquid to flow and clear his clogged throat.

"Tom, where are they?! He's starting to choke"

There was a slam and crash as Tom reappeared, and upon reaching the two placed his hands directly on Matt's increasing the pressure.

"They're on their way, just...just..." Tom stuttered , "keep his throat clear."

Oh, yeah, that's easy. Matt thought in annoyance.

He extracted a hand and placed two fingers on Edd's neck, searching for the telltale thumping of a heartbeat. He found it with difficulty, the thumping reduced to a weak fluttering under his fingertips. He kept them there hoping, praying, that the weak heartbeat wouldn't stutter out.

Hurry up, hurry up…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tom was on the verge of a breakdown.

What a great fucking turn of events. They were going to get that little shit. No matter what, she would pay.

For now, focus. Apply pressure, stop the bleeding." The paramedics had ordered. No shit. Tom had thought.

Matt had called out, demanding to know where the location of the ambulance, He choking!, and Tom hung up. They already had the address anyway.

Dammit Edd! Tom snarled in his head as he loped back to Matt's side. You're not allowed to die. Not after everything, not to this bullshit.

Where was the damn ambulance?!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Edd woke up in a haze only vaguely aware of Tom and Matt hovering over him.

Something in his chest hurt, but only just barely. He suspected it was Tom's doing, seeing as it was his hands pressed tight to his torso. He shoved him away, but they were immediately replaced. He really wished he would stop.

Surprisingly, he did, his hands disappearing, but only for a brief moment, someone, Matt most likely, replaced him.

He opened his mouth to get him off when he suddenly choked and the pain in his chest before seemed favorable to this. And he couldn't breathe.

One minute he's on his back, the next he's been forced onto his side and breathing became much easier than it had been before.

He attempted to move, to sit up, to do anything, but found his body stubbornly working against him, refusing any attempts at movement except at an annoyingly sluggish pace.

"Just hold on" someone whispered, "Just hold on they're almost here."

Edd felt himself slipping back into the bottomless oblivion, tendrils of sleep tugging insistently at his fuzzy mind.

I'll try.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He was getting increasingly frustrated.

He had no real reason to get angry with these people, they were just doing their job, They were just trying to help.

Unfortunately, he really didn't want their help.

Get some sleep. Eat. Change those clothes, this instant!

He didn't want their suggestions, Tom snorted at the word, Orders more like it. he thought bitterly.

For the record though, they had changed their clothes. Walking around the hospital in bloodied clothes earned a few stares and a few concerned nurses confronting them. Now, they sat in the waiting area, the doctor having already spoken to them.

Traumatic pneumothorax, a collapsed lung, the doctor had explained. He also suffered a severe case of hypovolemic shock. He's young and healthy though, he'll heal up fine, just might be unconscious for awhile. He's lucky, y'know. If it had been his heart or an artery that had been nicked his chances of survival would have dropped significantly.

Lucky.

Yeah, how lucky of him.

Tom tapped a foot impatiently, and took a swig from his flask, earning a glare from the receptionist. He ignored her and instead glanced at Matt who had sat silently beside him for the past few hours, silently being the key word.

Matt sat hunched forward, his elbows propped against knees as he gazed forlornly at the mirror he grasped loosely in his left hand. His right thumbed the reflection, leaving smudges across the polished surface.

Tom sighed, air exhaling through his nose silently as he re-screwed the cap onto the flask.

Tom sighed and finally broke the silence "You know it wasn't your fault." he said as he stuffed the flask into his hoodie pocket.

Matt remained silent, the only indication that he'd heard was the stilling of his hand against the mirror's surface.

"It was her." the last word come out in an unintended growl.

Matt closed his eyes and dropped his hands, the mirror hung limply by his thigh. "You know that's not true." he stated tiredly. He really needed to get some sleep. "I let her into the house, leave it up to stupid Matt to let the fucking demon into the house."

Tom frowned and knitted his eyebrows together. "A) It was a kid asking for candy on Halloween, there was no way to know what she was. B) You are an idiot, but for a different reason, the fact that you're blaming yourself for this mess for one."

Tom placed a hand on Matt's shoulder, "Besides, he's going to fine."

He became frustrated as Matt shrugged the hand off, "He wouldn't be here in the first place if it weren't for me." he muttered.

Tom ground his teeth and opened his mouth to retort when the sound of someone clearing their throat startled him and he turned. Dr. Melendez had returned and was standing a respectful distance from them.

Tom turned to face him and felt Matt shift beside him, perking his head up to listen.

"I'd like to inform you that your friend has been moved to a room, you may move there to sit with him if you'd please, but I have to ask you to be quiet, and refrain from jostling him." the doctor announced.

Matt stood, and without a word walked towards the nurse waiting to show them they way. Tom watched him go, and with a shake of his head, stood as well.

"Thanks doc."