The Lonely Rabbit and Broken Thief

Chapter Twenty

Cuddles had been staying with Shifty since the day of the break in. So far, nothing serious had happened between the two except for the fact they slept together in his room. After Shifty's low, all of the embarrassment and timid demeanor around Cuddles came back full force.

"I love you."

He hadn't heard those words in years. At least he hadn't heard them from Cuddles. He never replied to it. He couldn't understand why Cuddles sprung it on him all of a sudden. Shifty had no reason to reciprocate or even pick up dating him again. He didn't trust Cuddles like that anymore. He didn't trust him not to break his heart again. So he stayed silent.

"For now, take these twice a day for a month, then once a day when needed. You have enough for three months, and with the provider you're going through, it's an automatic refill."

Since his talk with B.M., Shifty decided to go see a therapist. Of course, that was only once Cuddles got a doctor to see him and give him a referral. He didn't want to go. But it was either that or he had to talk to someone who knew him personally.

"For these, take them once a day for a month and then as needed. Take these three hours after if you take these. You have to call to get a refill."

Red pills and yellow pills. One for bipolar disorder and the other for depression. Shifty stared at them. He only met with the doctor and psychologist a few times and they had already diagnosed him with these issues. 

I'm broken.

"These anxiety pills are for as needed as well. Carry these with you because they do not last long. One to two pills for your age and weight only. Take them if you really need them. If you experience any side effects or they aren't working as they should, schedule an appointment and we can get you a different medication. If you need any assistance once you leave, any questions, call this number. It's a twenty-four hour hotline."

Shifty swallowed as he grabbed his prescription and nodded, "Okay."

He walked out of the pharmacy and to the parking lot where he asked Cuddles to wait for him. He felt like shit. Cuddles was helping him detox the dependency on alcohol. He hadn't had a single drink in two weeks now. B.M. and Jingles also came over more and more for some reason. He assumed it was because they were offering him positive company or something.

He felt irritated. He was tired. There were nasty feelings rising up inside of him that he couldn't explain. The psychologist said it was because of the bipolar disorder he had developed from "childhood trauma," which apparently got worse with his bad habits and being undiagnosed for so long. Apparently, it also developed into severe depression and he had a mild case of anxiety. He hated every bit about it. He only told the psychiatrist very little about what Cuddles told him to tell.

He was abused by his foster father. He developed a dependency on alcohol and did some hard drugs a while back. He was dealing with a stalker. And he accidentally let it slip that he was still heartbroken over the breakup with Cuddles.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Shifty glared at Cuddles as he got into the car, "How do you think?"

Cuddles smiled and got in, "Hey, you're doing great. I'm proud of you."

Shifty glanced at him as he stared at the bag in his hands. Cuddles was being supportive. In fact, he had practically moved into his place since the break-in. It was... nice to have him around. Shifty didn't think he could do this without him.