No need, this is an acute Panic Attack, it should be caused by claustrophobia." Dr. Thomas shook his head. "Although this kind of attack is intense, it will gradually subside as the emotions settle. Finn's breathing is already returning to normal; as long as we continue to soothe him and ensure he feels safe, he will be fine in a little while.
Thomas looked at Catherine, whose face was pale and who was still in a state of severe anxiety, said in a gentle tone, "Mrs. Wilson, please go prepare a cup of warm water first. Once Finn has recovered a little, give him a few sips. Don't be too nervous; he is fine now."
"Okay, okay, I'll go pour some water." Catherine nodded repeatedly, while Joseph supported his wife as they went downstairs to pour the water.
Peter's eyes were bloodshot; he never imagined that simply locking the door would cause something so terrifying. Peter carefully carried the still limp Finn to the bed, reaching out to massage the joints of Finn's hands. He could still clearly feel that Finn's fingers were still in a state of stiffness, completely unable to move. "I'm sorry, Finn, I shouldn't have locked the door.."
Finn took a long time to recover before he slowly came back to his senses.
When he looked up, he realized that everyone was gathered around the bed, staring at him with looks of tension, fear, worry.
I'm fine." A subconscious smile stretched across Finn's handsome face, which was soaked in cold sweat, his voice sounded weak and powerless, "I just had a nightmare, don't be nervous.
No one's expression improved because of the young man's consolation at this moment.
I'm really fine, you guys should go to sleep." Finn smiled again; he himself hadn't expected that his sleepwalking could actually trigger a panic attack caused by claustrophobia. With guilt hidden in his eyes, the young man said softly, "I'm sorry for disturbing your rest tonight.
“You're fine? You think this is being fine?” Harry's voice suddenly dropped, his tone heavy with surging anger. He lunged toward Finn's bedside, his cold eyes staring intently, the agitation in his gaze fully revealed. “Finn, look at me! You were almost suffocating just now, your whole body was so stiff you couldn't even move. You think this is being fine? Disturbing someone's rest? Do you honestly think that after saying that, I can just go back to my room and get a good night's sleep!”
“It's just.. just a Panic Attack. Dr. Thomas also said that I'll recover once the episode passes.” Finn said hesitantly.
"Just a panic attack?" Harry's fury erupted instantly, his voice suddenly rising.
Harry's emotions had long been pushed to the breaking point by Finn's recurring illness, his outburst at this moment contained both suppressed frustration and a long-overdue loss of control.
"Scenes from his past flashed through his mind in an instant—" and
Finn woke up in the hospital, his arms covered in self-inflicted wounds, yet he was the first to apologize to them. He didn't care about his condition at all; to him, it was just a manic phase. He kept it a secret from everyone, secretly planning to move into a mental hospital, even had the nerve to say that he didn't think staying in a mental hospital was something to be ashamed of. He was so emotionally broken that he shut himself off, suffering so much that he loudly confronted unknown voices in his bed, only to ask them later if they were going to the mental hospital. He had been deeply mired in depression for a long time, completely lacking his former vitality and passion, yet he just kept insisting that he would be better in a while..
"“In a while”? Just how much longer is that supposed to be?" and
This endless, indefinite cycle of suffering made Harry feel like he was being driven mad by Finn Osborn.
Finn Osborn, you've been treating your illness like a joke this whole time, haven't you? Are we the only ones who care?" Harry clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, unable to restrain himself as he demanded, "You never take yourself seriously, you never take our concerns seriously either, do you?
It was always like this; in everyone's eyes, the young man was clearly like glass that would shatter at the slightest touch.
But Finn could still pretend nothing was wrong every single time, using the excuse that he was [just having an episode] to cover it up.
You're not saying anything!" Harry continued to question him restlessly, "Why won't you say anything?
"Say what?" Finn stared blankly at Harry, he almost didn't even know what Harry was asking him.
Everything! Do I need to remind you one by one just how much you've been hiding from me? The distribution of Father's inheritance, your various illnesses, your plan to go to the mental hospital, your true thoughts!!" Harry's cold green eyes stared intensely at Finn, his tone filled with manic pressure. "Perhaps you used to think that because I didn't care about you, you didn't need to tell me. But what about now? Finn, look at me! Do you still think I don't care about you?
Harry, of course, knew exactly how much his current expression betrayed him, looking so disheveled, wretched, filled with distorted rage.
"But I don't know.. what exactly do you want me to say?" Finn stared at Harry, his voice hoarse, his mind nearly a complete blank.
"I want you to tell me exactly what you are afraid of." Harry said in a low voice, his gaze pressing in on Finn with an intensity that was impossible to avoid.
"I'm not afraid of anything.. I have claustrophobia, don't you know that too?" Finn was stumped by Harry's question.
"It's just an episode. Do you think mental illness is some kind of universal excuse? Do you explain everything away with just that one phrase? Are you brushing me off? Or are you just comforting yourself?" Harry felt like he was being driven mad by Finn. Every time he thought things were finally looking up, a sudden shadow would inevitably crash down upon him.
Why on earth do you have claustrophobia? Why on earth do you have hemophobia? Do I need to make it even clearer for you? What exactly are you running away from?" Harry's gaze pressed hard against Finn. Finn had been depressed for a long time, Harry had no choice but to endure a great deal of negative emotion. After enduring the torment of bipolar disorder through Finn's latest episode, he also lost control and exploded, "You repeat this over and over, pretending nothing is wrong time and time again. Just how long are you going to keep running away?
"I don't—" Finn's eyes widened as he instinctively retorted.
[This is just the debuff selection at the start of the mission; it's just because I chose Schizophrenia..]
Finn was also explaining in his heart these secrets that he simply had no way of speaking aloud.
[So, this is beyond my control.]
Don't lie to me!" Harry roared at Finn in anger, "What exactly are you afraid of? What is it that you can't say? If you're having nightmares, tell me, what exactly is happening in them? Is someone locking you up? What is it that terrifies you? Every time, you pretend everything is fine, pretend that everything is okay, but that's not the truth at all! You clearly know, yet you pretend not to! Are you driving yourself crazy, or are you driving me crazy?
Peter, who had originally intended to help Finn persuade Harry, was also stunned after hearing these questions.
—That's right..
—Why was the voice in Finn's nightmare calling out "Save me" over and over again?
—Was that really caused by the effects of the debuff?
"Tell me, what exactly are you afraid of? If you don't say it, how am I supposed to know how to help you!" Harry's voice carried a hint of a sob. His bipolar disorder caused his emotions to pull back and forth between anger and vulnerability; he hated Finn's secrecy, but he hated this feeling of helplessness even more.
Finn raised his head, his eyes hollow and empty.
He opened his mouth slightly, but no sound came out.
Everyone, we are all revolving around you!
“Can't you feel it? Or do you just love, just enjoy this feeling of being carefully held at the center by everyone!” Seeing Finn remain silent, Harry grew even more furious. His emotions were on the verge of total loss of control, he even continued to escalate the conflict with a sharp and caustic tone, deliberately using hurtful words to provoke his most cherished younger brother, "Finn, just how long are you going to keep running away?"
"Stop talking!" Andrew suddenly raised his hand, a powerful burst of telekinesis instantly slammed Harry violently against the wall.
"Andrew!" Peter was shocked and rushed over to try to stop him, but even he was knocked back by the telekinetic force emanating from Andrew.
“Peter Parker, why on earth are you locking the door!” Andrew's anger began to lash out indiscriminately at everyone.
“Harry Osborn, what right do you have to say that? Are you accusing Young Master Finn?” Andrew's face was extremely grim, his eyes staring at Harry with swirling, paranoid rage, while his powerful telekinesis continued to pin Harry firmly against the wall, rendering him unable to move. “Young Master Finn's condition is uncontrollable, we all know this very well, he doesn't want this either! He is in more pain than anyone! As his brother, how can you say such hurtful things to him when he is at his most vulnerable?”
That's because Finn has never taken his illness seriously, he has never truly wanted to get better." Even while pinned to the wall, Harry continued to sneer, his voice full of mockery, "That's just how he is, always pretending that nothing has happened, that everything is fine, but what is the reality?
"Andrew, is it because you feel that you yourself are already rotten, that you can't see others rotting as well?" Harry continued to provoke him in a cold voice.
“You!” Andrew, filled with hatred, lunged forward with a fist, intending to strike Harry.
Max's eyes were also flashing with electricity as he charged straight toward Andrew and knocked him aside.
Andrew was also slammed into the wall with a dull thud.
Andrew! Calm down!" Max roared, equally agitated, but the electricity surrounding the man grew stronger. Then, Max looked coldly at Harry as he slid down the wall. "Mr. Osborn! Please stop saying things that provoke Young Master Finn, or I will use electricity to shut you up.
But Max himself couldn't calm down either. His loss of control caused violent fluctuations in the electricity surrounding him, causing the glass, desk lamps, photo frames in the room to shatter under the electrical impact. The shards were scattered everywhere, leaving a total mess. Finn's kitten had somehow already fled the room in terror.
Dr. Thomas: ".." A mental illness blind box has been opened, only to find a hidden supernatural ability inside.
This high salary is truly not easy to earn.
In all his years of practice, Dr. Thomas had never seen such an intense battle between psychiatric patients.
—What was even more terrifying than the fact that everyone on this battlefield was a mental patient was that he was the only psychiatrist present.
“You just keep protecting him like this, protecting him until his next panic attack, until he shuts himself off again, you just calmly listen to him say, 'It's fine, it's just an episode, you guys go to sleep.'" Harry's face was tense, showing absolutely no intention of stopping his attack. "By the time Finn self-harms again, you won't have any idea why he's doing it! How can he hurt himself and yet still act like the happiest, most carefree person in the world!"
“Stop saying things like that!” Andrew suddenly lunged up from the ground, his gaze dark and fierce. "Do you think I really wouldn't dare—"
"Andrew, Harry, both of you calm down!" Peter rushed forward and tightly restrained Andrew.
Immediately after, Catherine's uncontrolled screaming broke through the chaos: "Stop fighting! Everyone, stop fighting!"
Catherine rushed to the bedside in a panic, hugging the bewildered Finn tightly on the bed, her body shaking uncontrollably: "If you want to argue or fight, just get out! Finn has just gone through something so terrible; he can't handle any more stimulation!"
Joseph rushed forward and gently supported the emotionally distraught Catherine, comforting her while looking toward Finn on the bed with concern. The man's clenched fists were trembling, he carried a sense of calm madness.
Peter took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, walked quickly to Dr. Thomas's side. With a gaze like someone looking at the light of doomsday, he asked urgently and sincerely, "Dr. Thomas, what do we do now?"
Looking at Dr. Thomas, who was already a complete mess, he even felt a sense of relief that Noah wasn't staying here tonight, otherwise, things would have been even more chaotic.
Dr. Thomas: ".." Fine, I'd also like to hold a psychiatric consultation to ask what to do in this situation.
Working from home.
Is this even a home?
This is a mental hospital.
Oh, no, first of all—
"Peter, you must maintain your current state," Dr. Thomas said solemnly after taking a deep breath.
—I can't lose a normal person like you again!
Chapter 92: Rapid Cooling
Dr. Thomas rubbed the space between his eyebrows, feeling somewhat numb.
That irresistible, heart-stirring high-salary offer from a CEO felt like a surgical scalpel precisely stabbing into his chest, as if he had accidentally wandered into some extreme survival challenge designed by a psychiatrist specifically for him.
Is this what they call—the higher the salary, the greater the responsibility?
Everyone, calm down.
Dr. Thomas also strode quickly to the tense frontline between the most agitated Andrew and Harry, his tone firm yet gentle:
Stop for a moment and listen to me.
But before Dr. Thomas could continue, Catherine interrupted him and shouted:
Is it not chaotic enough already?
Does arguing like this have any meaning other than making Finn even more terrified!
Catherine's eyes grew red, tears welling up, yet her voice carried an unprecedented severity.
Mr. Osborn, I hope you know that while you were having your episode, your brother was trusting, supporting, encouraging you without reservation. It was because Finn didn't hesitate to set aside all of his own plans and take over all of the Osborn business from you that you could focus on your recovery without any worries." For the first time, Catherine looked at Harry with tears in her eyes and questioned him in such a serious tone, "Is it because Finn made it look too easy that you took it for granted? Did you just take his support for you for granted?
"Of course not," Harry retorted immediately.
“Then why is it that when you were sinking deep into an emotional quagmire, Finn could stand behind you and support you without reservation, yet you couldn't do the same for him? And why, at a time like this, do you say these words that are bound to sting and hurt him?” Catherine's voice was slightly distorted by anger and sobbing, losing its usual gentleness; it was a momentum that this woman, who usually spoke so softly and tenderly, had never possessed before.
Harry's pupils suddenly constricted, his gaze fixed intensely on Catherine, before shifting to Finn, who was being held tightly by the woman.
Many memories surged uncontrollably through his mind. No matter how many times he responded with indifference, how many times he was harsh with his words, or even how many times he pushed him away.. Finn was always like a soft cloud, appearing as if he could never be hurt by him, gently enveloping his sharpness and smoothing over the darkness in his heart.
And like a light that would never fade, shining upon him.
But it was precisely because of this—
That was why Harry could not tolerate the dimness of this light.
Harry clenched his fists tightly at this moment. He was anxious and guilty, yet he also felt he had every reason to be, because—
He could not bear to see the brightest, most radiant, most indispensable light in his life being extinguished.
He was constantly trapped by a gloom that he was unaware of and had no way of knowing.
Harry simply couldn't endure it, unable to repeatedly withstand this torment that Finn brought upon him.
You think you're justified, don't you? That all of this is for Finn's own good? Since you know the source of the fear—the memories that must be most painful for Finn—why do you insist on forcing him to speak of them?" Catherine continued to question him. "If Finn is unwilling to open up to you, have you ever reflected on this, Harry Osborn? To Finn, you might not be the kind of family who can make him truly open his heart.
Catherine's sharp and biting words made Harry feel a sense of intense and cold suffocation.