Note: The second chapter might seem a bit unsettling to some, so I changed the archive warning. After all, it's about Medic and we know how he can be sometimes

April Fools' Day – one year later

Scout looks at his list with all the pranks he wants to play on his team today. Well, wanted to play. But he cannot. Because none of the team can be found. All are gone. For no reason! And that for days. He's all alone in the base, and if he's honest, it's a bit scary. Especially at night...
He lies in bed like a pancake. He had never noticed what eerie noises were heard at night in the base. A knock, almost rhythmic. A howl as if the wind were blowing through the base (but there were no doors or windows open! Scout had checked to be sure, well, just to make sure nothing came in - like a monster... or something...).
Then there were footsteps in the corridor, who came closer and had stopped at his door. Jeremy had been holding his breath, listening. But the steps were no longer heard. Did someone or something stand at his door all night? He couldn't sleep anymore. He kept sight of his bedroom door all night. Only when the sun finally rose and filled his room with brightness, he had the courage to stand up and look. Of course, only with his baseball bat. That one should have been there, but the corridor was empty.
Last night, he heard no footsteps, but a scream... At least Scout thinks he heard a scream. And the voice sounded exactly like Snipes'. But it was too far away and could only be heard briefly.
But he must have imagined that. As well as the steps, the knock and the howling of the wind. Because he remembered something that Medic had once said.
The human mind is highly complex and fear is irr… national?
Never mind! Somehow he had said something like that.
And now Jeremy is sitting here, on the sofa in the common room staring at his list. A list, with ingenious pranks that he had worked out cleanly over the year. He put the names of everyone on the list and what he wanted to do with them (Pyro he had crossed out).
But no victims, no pranks.

With a sigh, Scout leans back and remembers last year.
After Sniper's shits he had searched for Jeremy and always had his machete at the ready. Apparently he really wanted to fillet him. But Scout was just too fast for him. Well, maybe Scout would be also pissed off when, after such an incident, he no longer had a natural relationship with a toilet.
Pfft! Toilet. Yeah. Snipes is an outdoorsman. Nature is his toilet. So why the fuss?

Spy had ignored him for days. Had always wrinkled his nose when Scout had entered the room. He knew he was waiting for an apology. He had always said sorry. But apparently that was not enough. This guy really thinks he's something better. What does his mother just see in him?

Demoman. In a brief moment of carelessness, Jeremy got caught by him (it's not always easy to guard against eight people at the same time). And before he knew it, he was naked from the waist down and lies over Demos knee. Never before had someone spanked his ass. And it had hurt. After the spanking Jeremy had rubbed his sore bottom and huffy made Demoman the accusation that he probably likes to spank children. But Tavish had just answered that Jeremy's puppy license had long ago expired.
Sober Demo is a stuffy old man and boring. Just like everyone else.

Soldier returned safely to the base. But only days later, without Engie's truck and with a different look. Merasmus was probably so angry about his intrusion into his territory and the accusations that he had turned him into a raccoon (when Scout saw him for the first time, he inevitably had to think of the run over raccoon he found on the street - was that maybe a soldier, too?). Everyone had tried to change him back (except for Engie, who had not spoken to Soldier for weeks), but Solly didn't seem to mind his new life as a raccoon. He even seemed quite unconcerned. Nevertheless, he insisted on putting on his beloved helmet. And Jeremy had actually believed that the glue in the helmet had long since dried. As if. Everyone had to help pull the helmet off his head, tearing his fur hair off. They literally had flay him alive (his screams had been heard throughout the base). With his bald head Soldier had no desire to be a raccoon anymore and he had no choice but to be healed by the respawn. Since then, Soldier carried his whip around with him, banging on Scout's bottom with it whenever he crossed his path (not least because Jeremy had fumbled around with his maggot farm). A Disciplinary Action, as he always said. And Scout believes that the whip even bears this name.

Pyro... was as usual. Three April Fools' jokes and the guy had not checked that he was fooled. But on the contrary. Scout felt more fooled by Pyro.

Engineer was angry with Scout, too. But he was even more angry at Soldier. He had explained him why he had taken his truck, but the Texan didn't want to hear about it. He and Sniper drove the van to search for the truck and found him in Ghost Fort, where a small, stubborn ghost with a gibus hat had settled down on the back load.
Even after Engineer had to take a shower three times a day to wash off the black paint and not be able to wear his helmet for a while, due to the thick bump (Engineer the prettiest unicorn), he had forgiven Scout relatively quickly. Engie is not resentful.

Just like Heavy. He couldn't eat a sandwich for a while, but he didn't blame Scout for too long. But he will never make a sandwich himself again. He had asked Medic to keep the sandwiches for Heavy separately. The Russian is probably afraid that Scout could steal the sandwich from him again, but Jeremy never plays the same pranks. For example, this year he wanted to notch the legs of his bed. Jeremy wanted to know if, when the bed breaks away under his big butt, Heavy crashes through the floor. He has so much fat on his ribs, he probably wouldn't notice the impact.

And Medic... Medic surprised him the most. Or rather made him unsure. After his reaction to Scout's prank, the runner had thought he would quarter him with his saw. But quite the contrary. The next day Medic was as usual. As if nothing had happened at all. Of course Scout had kept away from him anyway. Because maybe he only wanted to lull him into a false sense of security to catch him when he least expected it. But nothing happened.
Maybe the Doc is suffering from Alzheimer's? This glance…
Jeremy hadn't forgotten his look. So hateful. Scout almost wet his pants. The old man can sometimes be so scary.
"Maybe I should also delete Medic from the list…"
Despite the April Fools' Day, there are still rules. Jeremy had learned that now. Never lay hands on the sanctuaries of the others.

Medic – Doves
Heavy – Sasha/Sandwich
Demoman – Alcohol
Soldier – Maggots/ Helmets
Spy – Suit/Cigarettes
Sniper – Van/ Coffee Cup (Scout had actually glue the cup together, but had Mundy thanked for that? No. He's such so ungrateful…)
Engineer – Truck/Toolbox/Toys
Pyro - ?

There is not much left for pranks. But Jeremy is not for nothing the master of pranks. But if there is no one to be kidding, it makes no sense. And on top of that, the camera is gone. He had spent half a year looking for it. But it just disappeared. He cannot remember where he left it.
"Everything's shit..."

The silence rolls over the boy. Again. He cannot stand it anymore. Of course he can make noise for 9, but if all except him is gone, then he just don't feel like it. He feels pretty bad. Jeremy dread to think when he must spend a whole night in this big base all alone again. Where are all of them?
Almost be out of his mind, he jumps up and screams.
"Damn it, guys! Wheerreee aaaarrrreee yoooooouuuuuu!?"
But stop! Scout suddenly has a thought. What if the team wants to play a trick on him? After all, today is the April Fools' Day. However, they had never done that before. And why they spend days hiding from him? It doesn't make any sense anyway... But suppose they really want to play a trick on him, then Jeremy will go in search of them to forestall them.
"You won't get me, old farts."

Scout stuffs the list in his pocket and storms out of the common room. When he runs around the corner, he bumps into someone.
"What the…?"
After Scout had recovered from the shock, he recognizes the person standing in front of him.
"Doc? Where the heck were you?"
Medic doesn't answer, breathing hard instead. He has to lean against the wall to hold himself. Only then does Jeremy realize that he is carrying blood on his clothes. And his head seems to be wounded.
"What happened?!"
"Scout… Finally I found you…" Medic falls down on his knees. "You have to help me. The others…"
"What? What is with the others? What happened?" Scout kneels down to Medic, looks at him worriedly.
"They are badly injured… You have to help me to take care of them… otherwise they will die…"
"Yes! Yes, of course I will help! Come!"
Scout helps Medic to get up and together they go down the corridor. He has to help the doctor while walking. He limps while walking.
"Now tell me what happened."
"I wanted… to work on an experiment... And for that, I needed the help of others. But something went wrong..."
"Why didn't you ask me if I help?"
"For the simple reason that you never take my work seriously."

"There was an explosion… The ceiling collapsed and the others were buried under the rubble. The exit was also blocked. It took me days to get out of this room…"
"You were locked up and I didn't know... Why didn't I hear the explosion?"
"To experiment, I use the basement room. As you know, this is soundproof."
"And the others...?"
"They are… badly injured… If we do not hurry, they will die."
"Wait a sec! That's not too bad, isn't it? I mean, we have the respawn."
"The machine has been damaged by the explosion and... has failed."
"W-what's that supposed to mean failed?"
"When we die, we cannot be brought back."
After Medic said that, it rattled in Scout's head. And then he stops, looks at Medic skeptically.
"Is this…a joke? I mean, today is April Fools' Day and…"
"Do you have only your stupid jokes in mind?" Medic suddenly yells at him.
He looks at him with exactly the same angry look as a year ago. Scout almost jumps out of his skin. He hadn't expected such an outburst.
"Finally grow up! Lives are at stake! In addition, you should finally understand that we do not stoop to your childlike level!"

"Gut. If you do not want to help me, I will save them alone. But I already tell you that it will be difficult for you in the future with the knowledge of having human lives on your conscience. People with whom you spent years and who was your second family."
"Okay, okay. I'm so sorry. You are right."
Scout catches up with Medic and helps him walk.
"Listen, Doc… Last year with your dove… It was really just a prank."
Medic sighs beaten.
"I'm not resentful, Scout. And now listen carefully, so that we can finally check off this topic. You have acted in your childish levity. As so often. You will be grown up."

"But not in this life anymore…"
"What?"
"I did not say anything. Come on, we have to hurry."
"Y-yes, okay!"

They reach the basement. The entrance is located in the rear part of the base. A scary place and quite lonely. Had Scout perhaps not imagined Sniper's scream? Maybe he was buried by the collapsing ceiling just then.
But the basement is soundproof…
I don't understand anything.
"Come on, Scout! Go inside and pull them out from under the rubble. I can not do that with my injuries."
"Leave it to me!"
Scout storms into the basement. He's so obsessed by the thought with saving his people that he doesn't notice that there are no pieces of debris at all. And no injured team members. Everything is as usual.
Perplexed, Jeremy stops and looks around in confusion. He needs a moment to check that something is wrong with Medics story.
"Hey… There is nothing here – Aaahhh!"
Suddenly Medic stands behind him and a syringe is in his arm. He only sees how a white liquid disappears under his skin, before he breaks free from him.
With scared eyes Scout moves away from Medic, who gives him a wide, eerie smile.
"Doc…?!"
The boy is completely taken by surprise.
"You are really a good boy, Scout. Childish and cheeky, but if we really need your help, we can count on you."
"Where… where are the others?"
"Do not worry. You will be able to see them one last time."
"What… what have you…?" The strengths disappear from Scout's legs and he falls down to his knees.
"Is that a joke?" he screams desperately.
"A joke? Does it feel like a joke? Does it looks like a joke?" Medic kneels down to Scout. No sign of a limp anymore. "How many times do I have to tell you that I never make jokes."

Jeremy doesn't know what to answer. There is no time for that anyway, because the world becomes black.

When Scout wakes up, the first thing he sees is a white ceiling, and the first thing he hears, cooing doves. The infirmary. Medic's infirmary.
Instinctively, Jeremy tries to sit up, but his body doesn't want to obey him. He cannot even move his head. The disobedience of his body washes away the last remnant of sleep drunkenness in one fell swoop. He's so panicked that he doesn't notice that a scream escapes from his mouth.
He remembers. Medic had lured him into a trap and then drugged him. For a brief moment, just a moment, Scout hopes that it's just a joke from Medic. A ribald joke. That would suit to a crazy doctor like the doc. But before he fainted, he had assured him that it was no joke, that he never makes jokes. And the runner believes him.
The heart beats painfully against his chest. It doesn't even do that after a day of racing. It pumps so hard that Jeremy can clearly feel the thickened veins on the back of his hand and his forehead. But he also feels something else. Solid straps that span his torso and legs.
He's breathing heavily in and out.
Stay cool. Stay cool. It doesn't matter what Medic is up to. It will not be too bad. We are a team. And even if he should… kill me. We have the respawn. Maybe that's just his way of spanking my ass, giving me a lesson. Yes… Yes, that must be it.
Scout is reluctant to admit that he's doubting his own thoughts.

"Hallo!"
"Aaahh!"
Suddenly, Medic stands over him and smiles good-humouredly.
"You woke up on time. Very good."
"D-doc?! What is that?"
"Do not shout like that. You scare my babies."
"I can't move!"
"Of course. I injected you with a paralyzing drug, so you do not fidget."
"What?!"
"You are paralyzed from head to toe. Permanently."
"What do you…mean?"
"You will never be able to move again."
The blue eyes with the frightened look are moving panicking in their caves back and forth.
"Do not worry. You can also feel no pain. Promised."
"What are you planning with me?"
Medic crosses his arms and leans casually against the operating table Scout is lying on.
"Well, I have decided to take a close look at your brain. And I do not mean that I will X-ray your head. Hehehe…"
Medic pulls out his bone saw and holds it in front of his face to view the sharp teeth.
"You sick bastard!"
"As I said before - lower your voice. I know you are scared. Or do you want to gainsay that?"
"What do you want with my…?" Scout can hardly pronounce it.
"Well, after what you did last year, I became curious as to whether your brain has normal size. Because all the stupid things you do every day can not fit in there. Unless everything else is missing."
"You do this all… because of this little prank? It was just a joke! Just a joke, just a joke, just a joke! It's not my fault that you cannot handle it!"
Angrily, Medic slams his hands on the table to the right and left of Scout's head and bends down to the boy, his face wrinkled with anger.
"You still do not seem to understand it! What was just fun for you, was pure horror for me! I did not even get an apology from you! Nobody - nobody! - lays hands on my börds!"
The doves flutter violently with their wings as Medic's loud voice echoes through the room. Feathers sail through the air.
"You played a trick on the wrong guy." The German stands up again. "And you still have not learned your lesson." He takes out a piece of paper. "I found that in your pocket. A nice little list of pranks that you wanted to play on us again this year. Oh, this time you wanted to replace Demoman's eye patch with a cork, replace Heavy's weights with stuffed animals, and paint Engineers Sentry in the opposing team color. And what else do I have to see? Even my name is on it."
"I-I wanted to cross it out! For real!"
"Hmm… If that is really true, maybe you have learned something. It is just a pity that it is too late now. To be honest, I do not really care if you play jokes on the others. They are always lenient with you anyway. These fools..."
"What do you mean by that?"
Medic crumples the note and drops it to the ground. Then he bends back down to Scout.
"You wanted to see them, did not you?"
Scout doesn't answer. He has a bad feeling in his stomach when Medic said that.
"Do not worry. I fasten you, so you do not slip down."
"W-what?"
Medic grabs the operating table and turns it diagonally to a sharp angle. Jeremy's stomach tingles as he moves, and in fact he fears he'll fall. But the straps actually hold him. But he wished they wouldn't do it, as he sees the rest of the team. The world crashes over Scout. His eyes see the horror, but the mind hangs.
They are on the other side of the room. Dead. Every single one of them. Blood everywhere.
Demoman's body sits on the floor, leaning against the wall. The head hangs over. The skullcap is missing and thus gives a good view of the brain. Pyro is sitting next to him. Where once his mask was, there is now a skeletonized skull. Sniper hangs upside down on the wall, his stomach is cut open and parts of his innards hang out and lie partially on the ground beneath him. His dead, cold eyes seem to be staring at Scout.
Engineer's and Soldier's torso were nailed to the wall, their lower abdomen is missing. They were sewn together on the sides. Their blood had left a dark trail on the white wall on the way down. And just a little further on a shelf, the heads of Spy and Heavy were placed. Underneath are their bodies.
Scouts mouth and eyes are wide open. No sound escapes from his throat.
"Well, what do you say? Beautiful, right?"
"You…killed them…" whispers Jeremy, filled with sheer horror.
"Obviously."
"Respawn…" Scout cannot even complete a sentence anymore.
"What? Oh! The respawn? I had said that the respawn machine had been damaged by an explosion. Ha! That you really believed that" laughs Medic. "Of course I manipulated the machine. They will never come back. Not even if the machine is reset."
"Aaaaaahhhhhhrrggggghhh! Why? Why did you do that, you sick bastard! They didn't harm you!"
"...they did not harm me, no. But before I explain it, let us watch a short movie."
Medic turns the operating table to the left. On the wall hangs a canvas. The doctor pushes the prepared projector out of the corner and positions it next to Scout.
"What's that supposed to be?" Scout has a hoarse voice.
"You will see."
The projector is turned on and a moment later it throws pictures to the canvas. Sniper is seen, drinking from his coffee cup. A little later it shatters in his hand and the contents spill over his legs.
"You still know that, do you?"
Of course Scout knows this scene.
"You had the camera all the time?"
"Of course. You left it in my infirmary. Actually, I wanted to delete the recordings. But I decided to show it to the others. I wanted to make them understand that they can not just let you get away with it. But do you know what they said? You are still a child. A big kid and you will grow up someday. We just have to be patient with you. All this they said, after seeing once again with their own eyes how you humbled them. For the third time. All year long, I've spent convincing them to keep a tighter rein on you. But they always said the same thing, remained stubborn. And the today's April Fools' Day was getting closer. So I made a decision."
While Scout stares at the canvas, Medic leans over him, whispering in his ear.
"They are dead because of you, Scout. It is your fault."
"No…"
"Yes~"
"You…killed them…for that…"
"I was angry with them and I could not allow them to get in my way when I take care of you."
"The administrator will find out!"
"Of course I will hardly be able to hide it. But I have already come up with a pretty story. I will just say we were attacked by the BLUs. Middle of the night. Quite simple. And why should not she believe me? There are many mercenaries who violate the contract. And the BLUs really hate us. And I... I hate the BLUs and you all. I really hope that my new team will be made up of people who will not stab me in the back and who respect my work. God, how I hated all of you."
"B-but we had always got along well."
"I just played it to you. You really ought to know how well I can do that. All year long, I had a tremendous anger in my stomach because of your stupid prank, but I pretended that nothing had ever happened between us. You never meant anything to me."

On the canvas, Engineer is seen, spilled with the black paint and how his tools dropping on his exposed head. Medic shakes his head.
"Scout, Scout, Scout. You was not thinking anything of it, did you?"

"Now when you see that all, do you realize that you have made a mistake?"
Jeremy doesn't answer. But Medic hadn't expected an answer anyway. He turns off the projector before he's seen on the film.
He moves the operating table back to its original position.
"It is time now."
"Doc… please…"
"I'm sorry, my boy. But it is too late."
Medic picks up his bone saw. He pauses and looks down at Scout.
"When was the last time you tell your mother that you love her?"
And then it breaks out of Scout. Big tears trickle down his cheeks. A sob escapes his trembling lips.
"I hope you take this experience with you to make it better in the next life. I will start now. I will extract your brain. As I said, you will not feel any pain. I took care of that. After all, I am not a monster... When your brain is removed, your personality is erased and everything that makes you the person you are. You will die. Your heart, however, will continue to beat and all other organs remain a little active, which are not dependent on the brain. Do not worry. I will stay with you until it is over."
Scout doesn't answer anymore. With burning, watery eyes he stares at the ceiling.
Medic opens the straps and gives him an injection.
"Just for safety."
But it is as if Scout is not there. He lies there, waiting for his end while thinking of his Ma.
"Here we go. And do not forget what I have told you before. Fear is irrational."
He doesn't know if Medic had already started sawing his skull. He does move his head, but he doesn't feel pain. Is it really happening right now? Will his head just opened?

An unusual calm overcomes the runner all of a sudden. And he's happy about it. The thought of his head being hollowed out alive like a pumpkin robs his mind. But... he cannot change it. He cannot change his situation and he cannot change that the whole team is dead. That was his second family. He feels betrayed and deceived by Medic. But the worst part is that he actually blames himself for everything.
Something thick runs down his forehead between his eyes. It will not be either water nor sweat. Soon he will only be a shadow of himself. It's time to come to terms with himself.
Maybe... I really deserve that... I'm sorry, guys! And Ma... I love you, Ma! I don't know if I was always the son you could be proud of. But if I had the chance to go on living, I would hug you. I would always hug you and tell you how much I love you! I would help you in the household and buy you flowers regularly and... and... for you I would get along with Spy! Sometimes I thought you love him more than me, but it was wrong to think that. I'm so sorry!
"Ahah ... ahahahahahahahaaaaaahh! There it is! There it is! Oh my God! It is really small. Ahahahahahaaaa! Take a look, Scout!" Medic stands over him, holding the bloody, slimy organ in his face.
"Just look how small it is. Hmm... maybe you really was not your fault for your immature behavior. Oh, how cute~ Archimedes is just settling in your skull right now. I think I'll keep your head so he can nest in it. He seems to feel very comfortable in it."
"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"
For Jeremy it seems like a dream when he jumps off the operating table and takes refuge in a corner, at the same time packed with pure horror. He stands with the wall in his back and stares at Medic. When he sees him standing there with his brain in his hands, his shaky hands shoot up and scrabble over his head wildly. Everything still seems to be there.
Scout is terribly confused.
"What the hell…? What the hell!?"
Laughing softly, Medic leans over the operating table.
"Let me tell you something, Scout."
Jeremy holds his breath.
"April fool."
He's not sure if he had heard correctly. Therefore, he doesn't answer, continues staring at the Doc. Is this all maybe just imagination? Is he dreaming? But how is it supposed to work without a brain?
"What? You do not believe me? Well, maybe you believe them more."
Medic points to the dead team members who suddenly come to life.
"April fool!"
Scouts throat escapes a squeal.
Medic can no longer hold back and laughs at the top of his voice.
With horror, Jeremy watches as Demoman and Pyro pull off their masks, Engineer and Soldier emerge from behind a small canvas that hid their abdomen, painted like the wall of the infirmary. Spy and Heavy had also stood behind the same screen. Their supposed bodies were just headless puppets falling lifeless as the two emerge from behind the canvas. And of course Sniper comes to life too. He frees himself from the wrong organs, but he cannot free himself from the rope.
"Can somebody help me? I cannot feel my legs anymore. I think the whole blood ran into my head."
Very slowly Scout turns his head back to Medic. He is already convulsed with laughter.
"Um… Doc? Scout wets his pants."
Medic stops. And indeed. Jeremy is very wet between his legs. Just like his face, when the tears run down his cheeks.
"„….ahahahahahahahaha!"
Medic cannot hold himself anymore and rolls on the floor laughing.
Jeremy can finally free himself from his rigidity and flees without a word from the infirmary.
Except for Medic, the entire team seems to be plagued by remorse.
"I think we gone too far…"
"Did you see the boy? I've never seen Scout cry. I feel really bad."
"What is wrong with you? He needed this lesson." Medic straightens up and wipes the tears from his eyes. "Besides, it was just a joke."
"A pretty tough joke…"
"You knew what you were getting into."
The team members looks at each other.
"Yes, of course. But we didn't think he would react that way."
"What did you actually injected him?"
"A remedy for his paralysis."
"He was really paralyzed?!"
"Of course. What do you think why he did not move?"
"We thought because he was terrified."
"The brain looked really real. How did you do that, Doc?"
"What do you mean? The brain IS real."
The others look startled.
"What did you think? By the way, the organs were real too."
Sniper makes a disgusted face and wipes the blood off his clothes. But he just distributes it only more.
"Where did you…?"
"From a baboon. I do not just use the heart."
"That means the blood is no fake blood?"
"Of course not."

"Oh please. Do not be pathetic."
"I'm better going now. Have still a lot to do."
"Me too."
Everybody leaves (slightly disturbed) the infirmary. Medic stays alone. Sighing, he sits down at his desk. Archimedes sits on the table in front of him.
"They are so fussy, right? That was just a joke. Well, at least I can now be sure that Scout will no longer plays stupid pranks on me."
"Coo~"
"What? You would like to nest in a skull? I gave you an idea, huh?"
"Coo~"
"Na ja, let's see what can be done."
Medic strokes Archimedes little head.

One year later:

It's late evening when Medic leaves his infirmary and makes his way to the kitchen. He had not eaten all day yet. He had not thought until his stomach began to growl so loud that it reminded him that he must eat as well. Apart from this, that would have disturbed only the work. A small soup should be enough.
The base seems like abandoned. The others must already be in bed.
When Medic enters the kitchen, a bowl of semolina pudding stands on the dining table. Next to it a note.
"Hmm?"
Doctor has not eaten all day. Heavy made semolina pudding for doctor. Please eat up.
"Heavy…" He sighs. Actually, Medic doesn't like sweet meals, but today he will make an exception. First, he doesn't have to cook anything himself, and second, Heavy has taken the trouble to cook him something. It's really nice that he had thought about him. He will return the favor.
A spoon is already ready. It stucks in the semolina pudding. So Medic sits down, pulls out the spoon and –
Splat!
Just now on the table, now in the face. The bowl flew from the table in the moment as soon as he had moved the spoon. It slips off his face and falls to the floor with a clank. The semolina pudding, however, remains stick.
Medic was frozen in his motion, trying to explain what had happened. Does the bowl have a life of its own? Is it damned? Is Merasmus behind it?
Hardly likely…

"April fool!"
Scout jumps out of his hiding, laughing at Medic's misery. And that's not all. The rest of the team is suddenly in the kitchen, laughing at him. Everyone, in their own way.
Spy on the quiet, Soldier and Demo loud. Engineer and Heavy smile almost apologetically.
And Pyro comes close to him and takes a closer look at Medic's semolina pudding face.
"Although I had hoped that you would finally learn your lesson, I should have seen it coming…"
"Aww! C'mon, Doc!"
Heavy hands Medic a cloth.
"I am sorry, doctor."
"Yes… I know, Heavy."
Hadn't the note been from Heavy, Medic might have become suspicious. Scout has learned. Unfortunately not what he should actually.
He wiped the semolina pudding from his face with the cloth. Then he notices the spring on the spot where the bowl had stood. It must have been so taut that it's triggered when you move the spoon.
Not that bad.
"Okay, you got me and laughed at your doctor, who cares about you every day! Now you can go to sleep."
Medic wants to get up, but his team stops him.
"Wait, wait, wait! Doc, I have something to tell you!"
Medic is surprised at Scout's words and remains seated, arms crossed over his chest.
"Well, I am curious about that."
"It's about… last year. You really scared me to death and in the first few days I was pretty disturbed, y'know?"

"He cried a lot."
"That's a lie! Shut up, cyclops!"
Scout sits down on the opposite side of the table. He looks as carefree and cheeky as ever. And Medic is happy about it. Because for him that was really just a joke back then. But maybe it was really a bit too much. The boy is quite sensitive, even if Scout doesn't admit that.
"Well, I was very depressed, but the old guys spoke to me a lot. And uh... Well, I finally realized that you are not responsible for your madness."
"…wat?"
"Yeah! You are crazy, loopy, just insane!"

"That's why I forgive you."
"…aha. Nice that you have realized that. And I thought, I must also justify myself for saying that I hate you all."
"Of course we know that you don't hate us."
"And now for sure" Soldier says. Demo gives him a bump in the side.
"I really hoped you would know that. I am neither a traitor nor a mindless killer who kills anyone who get smart with him. You are my only family. I... love you... if you want that way."
"Aww! We love you too, Doc."
"Huddah!"
Suddenly, Pyro hugs Medic and the rest of the team imitate him. Except for Scout.
"Sorry, I don't like group cuddling. That's too gay for me. Anyway... what I really wanted to say is that I will never play a trick on you again."
"Ach was? So my little prank did not failed to have the desired effect?"
"No no no! I took it like a man."
"Yes, with pissed pants."
"Go and hug a kangaroo, Blinky Bill! Where was I? Oh yes. I'm not going to play any pranks on you anymore because I've finally realized that you're just humorless old bags. It's a waste of effort to play my premium pranks on you. You don't appreciate them anyway. Either you yell at me, spank me, or the dark side of your soul comes out. No. I have much better things to do."
"I always thought that's exactly what you always loved so much about it?"
"Pfft! Naw! I was just bored. At least that was my last joke and so I say goodbye." Scout bows conspicuously and leaves the kitchen whistling.
"…you taught him the meaning of fear properly, Doc."
"Seems to be. But as the saying goes - The leopard cannot change his spots. Let us just wait for the next April Fools' Day. Then we will see how seriously he took his own words."
The team members looks at each other and breaks out into laughter.
"Scout, the paragon? Not in a thousand years!"
"Children love to play pranks and the elders to put them over their knees."
"Maybe we should now and then have fun with Scout. He has been begging for years."
"Agreed. Everyone comes up with something and next year we'll play a trick on Scout. Again. But this time something what doesn't make him cry. We all want to have our fun. Isn't it, Docteur?"
"I do not know what you mean. I had my fun."

After leaving the kitchen, Scout took a stand in the corridor to overhear the team. He was just curious about their reaction. After what he said in there, he was sure they would talk about it. And they did. What they said made his heart leap. They really wanted to play a trick on him! They did that out of pity, but Jeremy don't care about the reason.
Maybe the old bags are not that boring.
He laughs softly.
"Yes! Yes!"
Energized, Scout sneaks into his room to go to sleep. But he knows he will not sleep. Not with this thrill of anticipation in his stomach. Nevertheless, he closes his eyes after checking that the apple is in its place on the nightstand.