Monachopsis

Chapter 17

CW: Mentioned abuse, drug and alcohol abuse mentioned, depersonalization of others, non-con mentioned briefly

A/N: This is a longer chapter, and I'm proud of it. I haven't proofread, so there might be mistakes. I'll re-read later, and then it'll be posted to Ao3, but I need some sleep <3

Schlatt woke up in a haze. 'Where...?' He opened his eyes as best he could, which was barely a squint. The haze of the room was a light green. He felt someone squeeze his knee. 'Joe?'

Papa J squeezed Schlatt's knee. "He'll be awake soon?" Tubbo asked Lani who was showing Tommy how to fill a syringe.

"Should." She turned back to the syringe and Tommy. Ranboo rubbed Tubbo's back. Niki paced behind them, biting her nails.

"Um..." Tommy hesitantly asked, "should we, maybe, get a bottle of beer for when he wakes up? Just in case he's mad or something?"

'No. No no no!' Schlatt screamed, but nothing came from his mouth. "Yeah, I guess." Lani looked up to her sister. "Niki, you need to chill out. Stop pacing."

"Don't tell me what to do, it's not hurting anyone."

"Don't be hostile." Tubbo put a hand on her shoulder.

"Whatever," she muttered.

Papa J slowly rubbed his old friend's leg. "Maybe we shouldn't get the beer? Y'know, see if he can lay off for a bit? He is hurt."

'Yeah...yeah.' Schlatt tried to nod, but failed.

"No point, he'll yell at us for not getting one." Tommy tapped the needle on the rim of the glass a few times before handing it to Lani. "Thanks." She smiled in Tommy's general direction. "Anyways, he's already started killing himself due the sheer amount of alcohol he consumes on average. He's made it clear he doesn't care."

Schlatt looked at his youngest daughter's downcast face. 'No, no no no no-'

"No!" He croaked. Everyone's attention snapped to him, and Papa J's hand stopped in its tracks. He even surprised himself.

"What...?" Lani squeaked.

"Just..." he struggled, "help me sit...sit up please." Papa J stood and walked to his friend's side, propping up his head and back.

"Ok, now explain. What do you mean 'no'?" Niki tilted her head condescendingly. Papa J sat back down at the end of Schlatt's bed, and continued to rub his leg.

"I...I don't want alco....alcoh..." he coughed up air. He took some deep breaths before trying again. "No beer. I...stopped drink...stopped drinking." He took deep breaths. "Haven't drank-" he spit out some blood into the trash can Tommy placed next to him. "No beer...1 week."

Niki stopped in her tracks. "What?! Liar!" She shook her head vigorously.

"Not liar!" He yelled best he could, and caused himself to cough up more blood. Tubbo stiffened. Ranboo continued to rub his back in a circular motion. Tubbo leaned into Ranboo's side.

"Even if you aren't lying asshole, why? Why now?" Niki seethed.

"Trying...to get better." He smiled as best as he could muster, and that made Tubbo angry.

He shouted, "Well, isn't a bit to late for that?!" His voice cracked as he screamed louder. "Isn't it?!" Tubbo just about fell over, but Ranboo caught him. They stood right behind the boy, their hands crossed across his chest. The two intertwined hands. His left, their right. Tubbo, in anger, Ranboo, in comfort.

"Hey, Ranboo..." Schlatt smiled as best as he could.

"Hey...did you actually stop drinking?"

Schlatt nodded. Before any of the three Schlatt children could speak, Tommy understood Ranboo's plan. "I'll go get some drug and alcohol test started." Tommy shuffled out of the room.