"Now, hook your leg over - clench it between your thighs - and, gently, push off with your right foot, then lean back to stay in a hover."

Joey hooks his leg over, and clenches the broom between his thighs. He pushes off - and he's floating into the air.

Also, he's dissociating.

This is probably not a good time to dissociate.

He was supposed to pull back, right? He pulls back on his broomstick, which causes it to rise sharply.

"No no no - Reed, get down here -"

"Trying!"

He leans forward, which causes him to go forward. He pulls back, rises again. He pushes the handle down, straightens up, coasts into a hover. He is now forty feet or so above the ground, quite a ways away from the rest of the group, and completely disconnected from his body and experiences. His hands and thighs are continuing to grip the handle of the broom, which is good.

Coach Thomas is shouting something which he probably couldn't hear even if he could process sound right now.

Yeah he's going to stay where he is. Eyes wide, mouth slightly open, staring vacantly into the distance, that sort of thing.

After a few seconds, Coach Thomas rises up on his own broom.

"You alright, Reed? I just need you to keep your back straight and push down on the handle."

That does not appear to be happening, possibly because it requires having a functioning brain.

Coach Thomas removes his wand from his sleeve and taps on Joey's broom, which begins a controlled descent. He follows behind.

They reach the ground, and the coach asks "Can someone take Reed to the Hospital Wing? Needs a Recombobulating Draught, I think."

"I'll take him, I already know how to fly," Leo says immediately. "Come on, Joey, breathe, alright? Can you let go of the broom?"

Joey can eventually be induced to let go of the broom, and to take Leo's hand and stumble along toward the Hospital Wing.

"S-sor. Sorrrr. Sorry."

"...what?"

"Sorry?"

"I have no idea what you're apologizing for. Let's not have this conversation until we've gotten some potions into you."

"Sorry."

Joey continues stumbling along, occasionally trying to wipe drool and tears from his face.

"I'm p-probably fine," he says, eventually, as they approach the Hospital Wing. "You can - go back. If you want."

Leo does not dignify this with a response. He pushes open the doors to the Hospital Wing and pulls Joey through behind him, calling "Healer?"

A woman in a lilac robe emerges from behind some curtains. "Yes?"

"Healer, Joey was flying and he went too high up and he just sort of - froze, and couldn't move, and he's been crying a lot and trying to apologize for something."

The healer nods. "Sounds like a panic attack, but I'd like to be more sure... Hold still, Joey?" She takes out her wand and waves it in long, swooping gestures, murmuring incantations to herself. "Yes, looks like... got a lot of problems crammed into that little head, huh. I'll be seeing you around."

She turns and grabs a potion off a shelf. "Recombobulating Draught. Drink it. Then we'll start on some of the other stuff."

Joey drinks most of the Recombobulating Draught, though he spills a not inconsiderable amount of it down the front of his robes and makes an unhappy noise about it.

"Tergeo," the healer says, and siphons off the spilled potion. "Don't worry, it's designed so you only need about three-quarters of it. Feeling better?"

Joey considers the question.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better, actually. Sorry," he says to Leo.

"I still don't know what you keep apologizing for but I bet it's dumb."

"Um. Making you... miss class?"

"I was right," Leo diagnoses. "That's dumb. I already know how to fly, and if you somehow had a panic attack on purpose I'd expect you to be apologizing for that."

"Well. Alright."