Meko screamed and whimpered. Crying out as if receiving the pain all over again. He whined as he felt the knife in his face even though it wasn't really there. He screamed again completely unaware of the two males he had fought alongside. He whimpered and begged them to stop. His words sobs and whimpers. He heard his name but it sounded so, so, so far away. Like merely a whisper or a hope upon the mindscape that he was currently floating around in. He didn't really register Taylor was there. His mind replaying the words he had told himself over and over again. What was really happening was it was not being said in his head but said audibly in his breakdown state.<br/><br/>"No...fight it. Must fight. Push it away. Stuff it in the back of my mind. Fight it. Ignore the words. Man is stupid anyways. Ignore the taunts...he just wants to rile me up. It'll piss him off if I pretend he isn't even talking. It'll piss him off if I pretend what he said isn't annoying or worth making me angry. Yes...sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me. Wow...kid saying actually makes sense. Huh? Oh...I just heard they shift guards every eight hours. Now its been four guard shifts. One day...four shifts."<br/><br/>His body took a breath. "This is second day but I can keep going. I can keep fighting. I have to keep fighting. My word to old man Scino...means more than anything even my life. Ignore the pain. Stuff it into that box way way back of mind. Gotta be strong. Gotta be strong so I can make Captain proud. Gotta ignore the pain and stuff it away. Stuff it far in the back of my mind. There push it way back so it isn't there right now. Be strong and not break...fight like Captain. Need to make him proud. It isn't there. The pain isn't there...stuff it in the back. I am going to make Captain proud."<br/><br/>Another breath. "Third day I think...fight it. Fight it even if I am hungry. Ignore the hunger. Ignore the thirst. Figments of the mind. They want to play word games...wonder if they can be pissed off. They seem to like throwing words around but two can play that game. Hey...wow...they really are idiots. Shouldn't they be hard to piss off? What good is superior and military training if a teenager so easily pisses you off? Yes...keep talking. Keep taunting. Ignore the pain and keep talking. Don't focus on the pain. Stay strong. Be strong. I need to stay strong and push it away...so can make my captain proud. I want to make my captain proud..."<br/><br/>He said all of this as if it was in his head when really he was saying it out loud. The words faded away but the way it had been said was how he had been telling himself in his head.<br/><br/>His mind registered Taylor's voice. He whimpered and uncurled enough to move. An arm weakly moved until the hand clutched the shirt into its hand as it fisted. The words slowly registering as Meko whimpered and cried from the pain. Crying out but the screams began to slow down. His mind hearing the words and the genius brain that it was began to focus in on the words. Zone in on them. Process them. Toss them around. Analyze them. Toss them around some more. The screams began to slow. His mind seeming to search the central nerves system to see if there was touch. It registered there was. The screams faded away as Meko slipped out of his breakdown mind state.<br/><br/>His mind clawing towards the world where Taylor was. Shoving away and analyzing then dismissing the breakdown. The hard shaking began to slow to gentle trembling. His breathing even out after a few gasps for air. The hand tightened on Taylor but his head stayed in Taylor's lap. His body uncurling though. "C-captain...." He managed to groan out. The tears still slowly trickled down. "Ghost pains huh? All in my mnd?" He asked with slurred words. "My brain can process that...just ghost pains..." he said. His eyes closing and he didn't move. "Don't leave me right now though...please." Taylor was his strength and his mind had accidently said as much outloud.<br/><br/>"Captain...I don't want to be strong right now. I want to just be sixteen...is that okay Captain? Can I just be a teenager right now?" He stayed with his eyes closed. "I had a dream that Xander fell when a railing came undone. Then you saved him when Rune was tempted to let him fall unless you didn't. You pulled him up and then worked together to get out. Worked with Rune. It seemed so real." He said with a soft smile. "You guys looked like a family..." He stopped for a moment to breathe. "...family should stick together."