Cat Saves Dog {DSMP}

Trauma

Dream tensed slightly, but shook his head, "N-No, I'll be okay."

Karl smiled brightly, jumping up and giving the Inu a hug, "I'm proud of you Dream!"

George got up with a stretch, his tail flicking lazily. He followed Karl out the door, but not before giving Dream a small smile.

The door clicked closed and Dream turned to Puffy.

"Alright, I just have a couple questions." Puffy sighed, sitting on a chair, "just answer yes or no, okay?"

Dream nodded, "okay."

"Have you ever had a period where you felt down? Not just for a week or two but for many weeks or, perhaps, months?" Puffy asked.

Dream nodded, "yeah..."

Puffy marked something down, "Did you find you had no energy, had no interest in things, and overall had great difficulty functioning?"

Another yes.

"In the past, have you ever had a period where you felt not just good, but better than good?"

Dream shrugged, "yes? No? I don't know..."

That's okay." Puffy gave him a smile, "Did this feeling of unusually high energy and a decreased need for sleep go on not for hours or an evening, but for days and days at a time?"

"Yeah." Dream nodded.

"Would you describe yourself as a chronic worrier?" Puffy asked.

"Um, I guess?" Dream responded.

"Do you worry about anything and everything as opposed to just one or two things?" Puffy looked up from the papers, "If so, how long has this been going on?"

"As long as I remember." Dream told her, "there's not much else to do other than worry if I'm going to die or not."

"I'm so sorry" Puffy sighed, "Some people tell me that they are worriers but they can usually handle it. Other people tell me that they are such severe worriers that they find that worrying gets in the way of their life or paralyzes them. Is this the case for you?"

Dream fidgeted with his fingers, "I think I can handle it. I've made it this far."

Puffy nodded, "Do you have any unusual or repetitive thoughts that you know are silly but you simply cannot stop thinking about? For example, being contaminated by germs?"

Dream shook his head, "no, not really."

"Do you feel there are certain rituals you have to do, such as tap your hand a certain way or do things in sets of threes, which takes up a lot of time in the day?"

Another no.

"Do you have unusual experiences, such as hearing voices that other people cannot hear? What about seeing things that other people cannot see?"

The Inu shook his head.

"Do you have unusual ideas, such as feeling that the TV or radio has special messages for you?"

"No." Dream responded.

"Do you have unusual ideas that people you do not even know are plotting to harm or kill you?"

Dream shrugged, "um, sort of? E-everyone I've met has wanted to hurt me..."

Puffy gave him a sympathetic look, "Do you have unusual ideas, such as feeling that you have special powers that no one else has?"

"No." Dream shook his head.

"Do you have panic attacks or anxiety attacks?" Puffy asked, "By that I mean an attack of anxiety that comes fairly suddenly and is rather uncomfortable and involves feeling a certain number of physical sensations such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath or dizziness."

Dream nodded, letting out a shakey breath, "yeah."

"Do you find it hard to stop thinking about a very difficult event that has happened to you?"

Dream nodded again.

"Do you find that you have nightmares related to the event?"

"Yes." The Inu whimpered, closing his eyes.

"Do you find that you have flashbacks? By that I mean very vivid daydreams or what we may call a "daymare" about the event?"

Dream nodded again. He could almost see the nashing teeth of the dog fights, the walls of the breeding ring. The blood of both XD and Mexican Dream staining the floor red.

"Dream?" Puffy placed a hand on his arm.

The Inu's eyes snapped open. Puffy was watching him with a worried expression. He wasn't there. He was safe now. Nothing like that was going to happen to him again.

"Are you okay?" Puffy asked.

Dream nodded, taking a deep breath, "yeah. Yeah, I'm okay."

"Okay, I think I already know the answer to this, but I have to ask anyway." Puffy told him, "When something happens that reminds you of the event, does that trigger a very large response in you?"

Dream let out a small laugh, "yeah."

Puffy smiled, "Do you find that you avoid things that remind you of the event?"

Dream nodded.

"Generally, do you feel anxious since the event and have trouble sleeping or startle easily?"

Another yes.

"Do you feel that this event, and the way it has left you feeling, still gets in the way of your life?"

Dream shrugged, "I uh, I try not to let it affect me..."

"Does it?" Puffy asked.

Dream nodded.

Puffy nodded, "Do you have long-term feelings of sadness?"

"Yeah." Dream sighed softly.

"Do you have long-term feelings of anger?"

Dream shook his head, "no."

"Have you had thoughts of killing yourself on and off over the years?"

Dream paused, "I-... S-sometimes..."

"Have you tried to kill yourself in the past?"

Dream nodded slightly. Puffy squeezed his hand lightly

"Have you had episodes in the past where you tried to hurt yourself, not to kill yourself but simply to cause yourself pain or distract you from something?" The satyr asked.

Dream gulped, "y-yeah..."

"How do you feel after these episodes?" Puffy asked.

"Sort of lighter?" Dream shrugged, "relieved?"

Puffy nodded, "Do you often feel empty inside?"

"No..." Dream said slowly, "I don't think so."

"Okay." Puffy made a note, "Do you find that you can be feeling okay then suddenly feel angry, or you can be feeling okay and suddenly feel sad? Does this happen a lot during the course of a day?"

"No." Dream shook his head.

"Do you find that you do things on impulse and then regret it afterwards?" Puffy looked up.

"Um..." Dream shrugged, "sometimes."

"Alright." Puffy smiled, setting down her pen, "that's all the questions I have. You did great Dream."

The Inu managed a small smile. Puffy stood up with a sigh.

"Well, that's all for today. You're free to go home." Puffy told him, "George and Karl should be just outside."

Dream nodded, standing up, "thank you. This was, um, a lot better than I thought it would be."

Puffy gave him a smile, "I'm glad. I hope the next time we meet it'll be under better circumstances."

"Me too." Dream smiled softly.