Not To Wedge A Disabled Element Into One Of My Fav Story Albums But Basing On Daniel's Dad Treating Him,

not to wedge a disabled element into one of my fav story albums but basing on Daniel's dad treating him, Daniel could have been hiding/masking a longtime disability (likely neurodivergence since he's said to be uncontrollable and withdrawn yet being based on Tommy Karevik he's a strapping young lad, so who knows)

and so maybe Daniel being so quickly fond of Abby grew deep after just that love at first sight

maybe within just the first few days Abby easily understood Daniel because they're both misfits; as it looked in the comic, Abby seemed to be the only young black woman among the housekeepers and thus her own workmates would have bullied her too

both of them would have struggled big time just to get to talk to each other but my gosh you could imagine the times she fixed his bed and cleaned his room on her own accord, Abby nursing Daniel when ill or injured, the hiding places they snuck in, the intimacy of conversations about what their late moms were like, Daniel's little envious appreciation for Abraham who was a better dad to Abby than his own to him, to hell with the divide between black and white

moments so slow they lasted forever when Daniel was with Abby and they liked it that way

when Daniel was kicked to the house at the graveyard he didn't hesitate to shed his rich kid upbringing, get his hands dirty as he helped Abby make a home for themselves of that old place

his heart raced to the flow of Abby's voice whenever she questioned him, “are you sure?” “do you need help?” out of force of habit

maybe that one fateful night he'd pulled a muscle or his body was really just fatigued from so much activity the day or so before (granted, Daniel had already been working harder since moving out of the manor)

when the fire spread, Daniel couldn't escape as quickly as he'd hoped

the last Daniel heard from Abby beyond the panels of the introduction might have been Abby promising to get help

but given everything: the distance she ran, the gossip she overheard, Abby collapsing under the weight of guilt at her dad's house, everything took its time and its toll and help arrived too late

Daniel thought Abby left him forever and spent his final breaths fighting that thought because how could she?

maybe that's why his last word was why? no, no

maybe just maybe

Ayreon really just makes my brain explode