Shane X Female Reader - Stardew Valley

Chapter 11: The Despair of the Drunk

🚩 CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of self-harm, suicide, alcoholism, and depression. Please read at your own discretion. 🚩

You saw him. Lying facedown on the cliff's edge, maybe thirty feet away, was Shane's body. Your heart stopped when your eyes took him in. He looked lifeless as the ocean's gusts battered his hair and hoodie. There were dozens of beer cans spread all around him. You sprinted over to him and knelt by his body.

"Shane?!" You nudged him, trying to be more forceful than the wind. "Shane please, please talk to me."

"(Y/N)..." His voice was gruff and husky as the salty wind muffled his words. He kept his eyes shut, but began to reach out his hand towards you. You grabbed it and set it in your lap as feelings of relief flooded over you, but a new concern set in. "I...I'm sorry." He hiccuped.

"Shane, it's okay!" You comforted him. "I'm so glad you're alive!"

He shook his head as he began to open his eyes. "M...my life..." He stuttered out. "It's a pathetic joke..." His voice trailed off into the wind. You tried to comfort him as you sat down and moved closer. He kept talking, "Look at me..."

You looked at him. He looked awful in the storm, as he laid inches from the cliff, obviously drunk. You took his head and propped him up gently in your lap. His intoxicated body shivered with the warmth of your touch. You refused to let go of his hand as the wind tried to pry it away.

"Why do I even try?" He started sobbing, the tears spilling from his face into your lap. "I'm too small and stupid to take control of my life...I'm just a p...piece of soiled garbage flittering in the wind." He stopped talking and burped, confirming that he was drunk. You had never seen him like this. It was terrifying.

He opened his eyes again and tried to sit up, to no avail. He locked eyes with you for a moment but quickly turned away to face the ocean. "I've been coming here often lately... looking down..." He sighed deeply. You could barely hear him over the ocean's powerful gusts. "Here's a chance to finally take control of my life... These cliffs... B... bu..." He let out another loud belch. "... But I'm too scared, too anxious. Just like always..."

He paused as you realized what he was saying. He didn't want to exist anymore. You felt every urge in your body to save him, to pull him far away from the cliffs. He was much too big for you to even budge, though, so you stayed put and let him use you as the comfort he clearly needed. It was all you knew to do.

"(Y/N)... All I do is work, sleep, and drink... t... to dull the feelings of self-hatred." He could barely iterate the words. Your heart broke for him. You had no idea he had been feeling this way and you felt awful that you hadn't been able to make it better. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Why should I even go on? Tell me... t... tell me why I shouldn't roll off this cliff right now..."

You thought about your words carefully. You wanted to tell him how much you needed him, but you knew it wasn't the time. You didn't want to make him feel guilty for leaving you. Plus, it had been so long since he wanted to see you, you doubted those words would be effective. You spoke slowly, choosing your words with caution. "The decision is your own. Just know that I'm here for you."

"Thanks... I appreciate that... I really do." He said, staring into the darkened skyline. He started to sit up, and you helped him crawl up to where he was perched next to you. He curled into your side. "(Y/N)...I think you should take me to the hospital now."

"I agree." You quickly stood up and helped Shane do the same. His legs wobbled and you wondered how long he had been in the wind. His skin was freezing and damp as he wrapped an arm around your neck, supporting himself. He was much heavier than you realized, and you tried your best to keep your balance. You quickly flipped out your phone and called the doctor, realizing you didn't have a way to contact Marnie. Your phone read the time as just past eight, and you hoped that Harvey would answer this late.