TOUCH | F. Hargreeves

09

TW!: Overdose - explicit

Beau knew as soon as he would stop taking those pills things would get worse and yet he also knew he was better off without them, a very contradicting notion for a fifteen-year-old to think about and a difficult one at that. Reginald had known he stopped taking them but let him figure it out for himself, he liked for his children to be independent anyway and Beau was as independent and unrestrained as they come.

With the pills came numb feelings, pain and increased anxiety. Without the pills came violent outbursts, spouts of mania and suicidal tendencies. And it only got worse as he went on.

When Beau went four months without his pills he finally realised that maybe taking them was doing more good than bad, even if his drug-induced actions scared his friends. Beau decided to open the orange bottle he had despised so much, staring down at the little tablets inside, rattling against the plastic.

Lucien stood silently behind him, watching and waiting.

Beau finally took his pills but as he poured the contents into his hands and swallowed them down with one gulp of water, he knew all along that it was a lethal dose.

"Beau," Hands softly grabbed onto his arms, "Come on." Lucien pulled him away from the desk and helped him lay on his bed, head comfortably laying on the pillow as his eyes drooped, "Sleep now."

Beau began to drift in and out of consciousness, every time he opened his eyes Lucien was sat or stood in a different place, sometimes not there at all, as he watched over Beau silently. His limbs grew numb and his mind felt light and fuzzy, somewhat like having a shot of vodka or a hit of a joint but ten times harder and stronger. Beau's head fell to the side, a groan leaving his lips as his eyes fell once again but this time it was for good.

Five entered the room minutes later, wanting to ask a question that seemed so unimportant the next moment. Though he was so happy he went up looking for him in the first place because as soon as he entered the room he found Lucien nowhere in sight, which was very abnormal, and the seemingly sleeping figure of Beau lying stiffly on the bed.

"Beau, are you sleeping?" It was only six in the afternoon after all which, unless he was exhausted, he would never sleep this early. Five knew of his troubling sleeping as well so it was odd. Beau didn't move. "Beau?" Five called, standing beside the bed wondering if he should wake him or leave him sleeping but as he eyed his chest he found it unmoving, this set off panic in Five as he gripping Beau's arms and shook him. "Beau?! Beau, wake up! Please, Beau!"

Tears slipped when Beau didn't move an inch, his eyes didn't snap open and he didn't start yelling at him or asking 'what the hell he was doing.' He was silent, he was still.

"Help! I need help! He's not waking up! DAD! MUM! ANYBODY!" Five's yells grew louder with each word as his panic heightened at the sight of Beau unresponsive body just laying there. "HELP!" Five pulled Beau's upper body up and into his arms, not sure what to do or how he could help, he just wanted Beau to be okay and breathing again.

Vanya, Klaus and Ben rushed in first, all wide-eyed and jaws dropped at what they were seeing.

"Where the fuck is dad!" Five almost screamed causing the trio to flinch away before the man in question pushed past them with frightening speed.

"Here. What's going on?" Reginald rushed over to the pair, one sobbing and the other completely still with his head limply lying on Five's shoulder and his arms sitting loosely at his sides, "Number Zero?"

Five whimpered, appearing completely broken and distraught, his hold on Beau tightening as he looked up at his father, "He's not breathing. He's not-what do we do?"