Speechless

By: Spiritofdawolf

Chapter Three-Alvin the Catatonic

The school day had ended and Simon and Theodore hurried home to check on their brother. Alvin was lying on his bed looking sad. He heard his brothers come in through the front door. He rolled on his side, facing away from their bedroom door.

He didn't want them to see how depressed he was. Like he thought they would, small footsteps ran up the stairs and into his room. "Alvin?" Simon asked.

Alvin sighed. Theodore came around the bed and went to the side Alvin was facing. "Alvin, are you okay?" he asked concerned. Alvin didn't reply. He couldn't. All he could do is give his brother a sad gaze.

"Simon, Theodore!" Dave called to them from downstairs. Simon sighed. "We'll be right back, Alvin." he said. Theodore hesitated before leaving. He gave one last worried glance over his shoulder at his mute brother as he followed Simon.

Theodore caught up to Simon. Dave was sitting on the sofa. He looked down sadly. "What is it, Dave?" Simon asked, getting more worried just by looking at Dave's expression. "Is he okay?" Theodore asked.

Dave sighed and looked at them solemnly. He didn't want to tell them Alvin's condition, but he had to let them know. "Boys," he said heaving a sigh. "Your brother...is..a catatonic."

Theodore looked at Dave blankly and Simon looked a little perplexed. "How can he be a catatonic Dave?" Simon asked. "Catatonic means you're in a paralysed state and you can't move."

Dave nodded. "Yes, but there are different forms of it. It can also mean that you're unable to talk. According to the doctor, Alvin's in a catatonic shock. He analysed him and the analysis said that when you have this form of it, you can't talk because psychologically your function of speech is shut down."

"Why would it shut down?" Simon asked.

"For a number of reasons, one of which is when you encounter a really traumatic occurance, it can leave it's mark on you and haunt you. When you have this form of it, you linger in the memory that haunts you. If you were unable to talk during the occurance because of fright, then you won't be able to talk in reality because psychologically you're still living in the traumatic moment."

Dave got a blank look from his sons. "Well, that's what the doctor said anyways."

"& how would the doctor know this? Physicians don't normally master in psychology." Simon pressed. "He said he studied these cases in college and psycology was going to be his back up job if he didn't make it as a physician." Dave replied.

There was a pause.

"Anyways," Dave continued. "The doctor said that with catatonic shock, it's unpredictable how long it'll last. It could be hours, days or even years depending on how bad the trauma was. He said that if the case is severe enough, and there are cases that are, some people never talk again."

Dave said finishing rather grimly.

Theodore and Simon looked at each other, then towards Alvin's room, than at each other again and then back at Dave. Simon's shoulders slumped in defeat. He sighed. "How bad is Alvin's case?" he said not really wanting to hear the answer.

Dave hesitated for a moment. "Bad. Alvin must've encountered something horrific."

"How long before he can talk again?" Theodore asked. "They don't know. They are still debating on if he ever WILL talk again. But so far we're looking at a few weeks of silence from Alvin." Dave said and sighed.

"A few weeks? But we have another concert in 2 weeks." Simon noted.

"I know. We'll have to figure something out. If we're lucky he'll have come out of it by then." Dave sighed. He looked over at Alvin's room and shook his head sadly. "I just wish I knew what happened." "Us too, Dave." Simon sighed.

Alvin sighed as he listened to Dave and his brothers from upstairs. He laid down again, his head resting apon his pillow. He laid there for a minute before he reached for a book that was sitting on his bedside table. The doctor had given it to him. It was called. "How to cope with catatonics."

The doctor had figured that this would aid Alvin in dealing with his muteness until he's ready to "overcome" whatever happened. He flipped through a couple pages before giving a depressed sigh and puting it aside. Reaching under his pillow, he retrieved his harmonica.

He hadn't played it for a while. He hugged it and looked down at it. How he yearned to play it. So he shall, he decided.

Strains of harmonica music filled the room and drifted through the house. A sad, heartbreaking tune. Apon hearing it, Simon and Theodore hung their heads sorrowfully. Dave too looked down. He shook his head, emotion working on his face. "We'll just have to cope with this until he comes out of it." he said.

'Oh, Alvin...my poor son...What happened to you?' Dave thought. The three of them stood there for a while, giving a moment of silence for Alvin's sad song.

Alvin had an especially hard time accepting this. His song clearly interpreted how he felt about his condition. Indeed, the once lively chipmunk now laid in emotional shambles. Broken hearted... What was he good for now? He couldn't sing. The sad tune reached its peak and de-escalated as Alvin felt the emotional dismay about to spill out once more.

He wasn't a cryer. He had always been strong, that is...until last night. All strength seemed to flow out of him, leaving him easily vulnerable in having his feelings hurt. He couldn't handle the impending emotional storm. He had to let it out.

Burying his face in his pillow, he began to cry again. Simon and Theodore looked in on him from the doorway. "This is more serious than I thought it would ever be." Simon said. "Do you think he'll ever be the same again, Simon?" Theodore asked.

Simon sighed and looked down at his youngest brother sadly. "Somehow...I doubt it."

Dave came over and sighed when he saw Alvin crying. He stepped into the room and sat on the edge of Alvin's bed and attempted to embrace his distraught son. Alvin, however, jerked away and went under the covers too embarrised to be seen crying. Theodore gave the small heaving lump a questioning look. "Why did he do that?" he asked. "Why'd he pull away?"

Simon sighed, feeling he had an idea why. Alvin was always strong. To break down in front of his brothers, was all but unbelievably humiliating and unthinkable. He answered Theodore anyways. "I think he's embarrissed." Simon said.

"Oh.." Theodore said.

"After all It's not very often that we see him cry." Simon pointed out.

"You've got that right. But we've never seen him cry the way he did last night." Theodore said.

"That's true." Simon said. "We don't know WHAT happened, but it's completely understandable that he'd be shaken, humiliated and ashamed from it."

Alvin peeked out from under the sheets and stared at them pitifully. He gave them a dismal look and hesitantly nodded. Theodore grew a soft sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, Alvin. We're here for you." he said softly giving Alvin's hands a gentle pat. "You'll pull through." He hugged Alvin. Alvin laid his head against his little brother's chest.

Dave sat closer to them and rubbed Alvin's back in consolence. Alvin shivered slightly in content, however, he was still devastated. He had always been strong, but now he felt helpless. More helpless then he did that time Dr. Frankenstein had held him captive and experimented on him. He didn't want to feel helpless. Heck, no one does.

He accepted the comfort and sighed. There was a pause where no one said anything and continued to embrace and console Alvin, before Theodore stood up and looked at him. "I'll be back in a while, Alvin." he said. All Alvin could do was nod.

Theodore left the room. Simon was reluctant before standing up as well to leave. "I'll be in my lab." he said. "I have to fix the time machine." He looked at Alvin and sighed. "When it's fixed we could use it to find out what happened to you." Alvin shot his head up to look at Simon, eyes wide. He vigorously shook his head as if to say. 'No! Don't do it!' Simon looked confused by this reaction.

Then came to the conclusion that Alvin was still really ashamed and embarrised. He sat down beside Alvin and patted his back. "Everything will be fine. We'll find out what happened and help you. Don't worry." He patted Alvin on the back again lightly and left the room.

Alvin slumped back against his pillow. He couldn't stop them from figuring out eventually. But at the time being it would be best if they don't know. The most frusterating thing was that he couldn't do anything about it. He rolled on his side looking quite bereaved. He just had to lay back and hope everything would turn out okay in the end.

Dave patted Alvin's side lightly before he too got up. "I've got a few things to do, but if you need us, We'll be downstairs." he said softly. Alvin sighed as he was now alone in the room again. After a pause, he rolled onto his opposite side and facing the book he'd set aside. He picked it up and started to look through it again.

After a few minutes, Alvin was surprisingly engrossed in the book. It hurt to read it, but he couldn't pry his eyes off the book. He was so focused on what it said, that he almost wasn't aware when Theodore came back in. Alvin looked over and finally managed to pry himself away from the book as he set it down and turned to Theodore. "Hey, Alvin." Theodore greeted.

He held out a tray with tasty looking food on it. "I-I made it for you. I figured you might be hungry." Alvin looked at it and a small smile crept across his face. He nodded and took the tray from Theodore. "You're welcome." Theodore said knowing that since Alvin couldn't talk, the nod indicated 'Thank you'.

"Do you want anything else?" Theodore asked. Alvin thought a minute, then made a motion that symbolised someone taking a drink. Theodore smiled and headed out the door. He knew what Alvin's favorite beverage was and went to get it.

Alvin let out a small sigh, then turned his gaze to the food. He smiled again. He pushed the book aside and started to eat.

-I'm sorry to say, that this story is going to be put on hold for a while, since I lost the flow for it. I'll get it back again someday, and when I do I'll let you know. For the time being, check out my other story. "The Return of Dr. Frankenstein." Which to let you know ahead of time is completely AU of this story.