Healing in a World of Hurt

As the studio lights dimmed and the cameras stopped rolling, Rhett let out a sigh of relief. He turned to Link, who was still making occasional vocalizations, and said, "You know, buddy, now that we're out of that crazy situation, I have to say, the term 'mythical' takes on a whole new meaning." Link responded with a series of high-pitched yips, and Rhett chuckled. "I know, right? I mean, we've always been a bit quirky, but this is on a whole different level." But as Rhett continued to talk, Link's demeanor suddenly shifted. His eyes dropped, and he let out a low, mournful whine. Rhett's expression turned concerned as he reached out to put a hand on Link's shoulder. "Hey, buddy, what's wrong? You're okay, it's just us, just like old times." Link's whine grew louder, and he began to rock back and forth in his chair, his eyes welling up with tears. Rhett's face fell as he realized Link was having a spontaneous bout of sadness. He tried to comfort his friend, speaking softly and trying to reassure him that everything would be okay. But Link's distress only seemed to intensify, and Rhett found himself feeling helpless. Just then, Rhett's phone buzzed with a notification. He glanced down to see that it was a comment from one of their viewers. He sighed, expecting to see another negative comment, but instead, his eyes widened in surprise. The comment from user "EternalOptimist" read: "Hey Rhett and Link, just wanted to say that I'm so glad you guys are okay. I can only imagine how tough this must be for both of you. Keep your heads up, and don't let the haters bring you down." Rhett's expression softened as he read the comment again, feeling a surge of gratitude towards this kind stranger. But as he scrolled through the other notifications, his heart sank. There were dozens of negative comments, many of them cruel and hurtful. "Link is a vegetable now," one user wrote. "Good Mythical Morning is ruined," another commenter said. Rhett felt a pang of frustration and sadness. Why did people have to be so cruel? He tried to focus on the positive comment from EternalOptimist, but it was hard to shake off the feeling of hurt. He put his phone down and turned his attention back to Link, who was still struggling with his emotions. "Hey, buddy, it's okay," Rhett said, trying to keep his voice calm. "We're in this together, okay?" Link let out a soft whimper, and Rhett could see the pain and confusion in his eyes. Rhett knew that he had to be strong for his friend, to help him through this difficult time. He took a deep breath and tried to think of a way to comfort Link, to bring him back from the edge of sadness. As he looked into Link's eyes, he knew that he would do whatever it took to help his friend heal.