Raising Anti

8

(I just wanted to point out that Chase does have mental/emotional disorders just as Anti does in this. He has depression, Bipolar disorder, ADHD, and Intermittent Explosive disorder [just like Anti]. Thought I would inform you all hehehe)

"Hello, Jack. Must be something serious if you video called me instead." Jack frowned as he looked up to see Henrik on his computer screen. "Is this about Chase?"

"No... No it's not. I take it he told you he was coming?" Henrik nodded as Jack sighed. That, of course, didn't go unnoticed by the doctor. 

"Jack, is everything well? Is this about Anti?"

"No. Well, yes... Well..." Jack groaned as he held his head in his hands and laughed. "Hen, I have some questions I need some help clearing up. It's really important."

"Alright..."

"I met this... kid, the other day." Henrik's eyes darkened as Jack started to fidget with his fingers. "He wouldn't talk to me. He wouldn't let anyone touch him. He didn't make eye contact. He was very withdrawn and... and I made the mistake of trying to push him. I tried to get him to look at me and when he wouldn't I touched his shoulder... He lashed out. Had a fit of sorts..." Henrik sighed making Jack's heart drop. "Chase said he was autistic."

"Is that a question?" Jack frowned as he nodded. "Yes, Jack. It would seem he may very well be. Without seeing him myself and being able to properly diagnose it... I can't exactly say without a doubt but... I trust Chase's judgment as it does sound to fit. Those are many common things that those with autism might do." Jack just deflated, eyes wide in shock, as Henrik frowned in concern. "Jack, what's going on?"

"He's autistic. He's..."

"Now hold on there, Jack. I didn't say it was definitive. I simply said..."

"No... It makes sense." Jack wiped his tears away as he leaned against the desk. "Shit. He's autistic and I... I didn't know. Hen?" Henrik nodded as Jack looked away. "Is there things like that that would... cause people to... let's just say, attack people." 

"Yes." Jack flinched hearing the growl in Henrik's voice as he clenched a pen on screen. "Case and point... Chase suffers from a few himself. It's the whole reason he did that driveby shit... and that thing with Stacy. He has issues with his anger and impulse control. Why?"

"Could something have made Anti do what he did?"

"Ich wusste es verdammt noch mal!" Henrik snapped the pen in half as he growled darkly. "I hope you aren't actually trying to forgive that glitch."

"Hey, you tell Chase all the time to forgive him!"

"Chase NEEDS to for his own mental and emotional well being. You on the hand should NEVER forgive him." Jack could see the anger in his doctor and he was honestly worried.

"But what if there was a reason?" Henrik's eyes flashed as Jack shook his head. "Hen, what if Anti had issued just like Chase? How could we forgive Chase for murder and not Anti who hasn't actually killed anybody?"

"He wrapped my own stethoscope around my neck and proceeded to choke me with it." Henrik's fingers brushed his neck making Jack cringe as the doctor just sat there. 

"Just answer the question please. Could Anti's action have been the cause of a disorder just like Chase's?" Silence spilled out as the clock in Henrik's office ticked away. Henrik frowned as he looked away and nodded.

"Yes. Anti could very well suffer from something similar to Chase in theory. Unfortunately for the glitch... I REFUSE to look into it. Chase is right, Jack. After all Anti has done to us we can't just ignore it and let him off the hook. I can't forgive him... and neither should you." Jack canceled the call as he let out a very strangled breath. He gripped his hair tightly as he tried to calm himself down.

"Jack? You ok in here?" The door creaked open a bit letting more light cascade through the room and Marvin just nodded as he walked in. "I uh... I thought you might need someone."

"Marv, what if we were wrong about everything?" Marvin just watched as his host broke down before him. He sat in a little chair off to the side waiting as Jack choked on his own tears. "What if Mark was right? He said... He said not to push Anti away. He said it wouldn't help anyone. What if... What if we were wrong about Anti?"

"I am worried, Jack, that... You might be right here." Jack frowned as he looked over to see Marvin's eyes just as puffed up as his were. "We never gave Anti a chance. We always just screamed at him. He would close off and shut down. I just thought it was him being uncaring... being a dick but... If he has a difficult time communicating... He might not have been able to give us an answer regardless of what it was. He just automatically assumed he just didn't care."

"Chase wanted me to erase him." Marvin's eyes fell as he nodded.

"Chase is also the only on who Anti has spoken to besides Dark. He's only been here a few hours and that man broke through Anti's walls." Marvin smiled lightly as he gestured towards the door. "There out there right now doing a fucking puzzle and Anti was actually smiling." Marvin's eyes darkened and Jack knew whatever he was going to say wasn't going to be good. "Jack... Chase was smiling. He had that shine back in his eyes. I haven't seen him look like that since long before Stacy left him. Being there with Anti... I think it's actually helping him... helping them both."

"Shit." Marvin nodded again as Jack curled back up again. "And he doesn't know it's Anti. If he finds out the boy he's already gotten so close to was really Anti..."

"We can't just not tell him, Jack." Marvin ran a hand through his pink hair and rolled his eyes. "What would we even call him? This is Anti we're talking about. We can't just randomly change his name. He won't respond..." Marvin froze up at the look Jack was giving him and his heart dropped. "No. NO! We can't call him that."

"It's the only other name he responds to." Marvin jumped up and started to pace as Jack watched with a sad look. "Think about it, Marv. Dark only EVER called him that. If we don't want Chase freaking out over Anti, we have to call him by his other name."

"WE CAN'T! Not that one! You know what will happen, Jack." Jack nodded as he looked away. he did. He did know what would happen but he also knew there wasn't a choice. "We can't do that to Chase. If we start calling him by that name... Chase will find out eventually. It will break him. I say we tell Chase now before the two get any closer and deal with the consequences."

"Please Marvin... Please listen to me this time." Marvin's heart dropped at the pain in his host's voice as he froze up in place. "There could be things about Anti we never thought to imagine. All those attacks... the... Just... I need to know and I can't risk Chase lashing out right now. He's the only one of us that truly got through to him. He can't know. And that's the only other name Anti responds to. We don't have a choice." Jack slowly got to his feet making Marvin cower slightly under his host's presence. "This is about Anti right now, Marv. Not Chase. I do care for all of you and it pains me to have to do this to him but right now my priority has to be Anti. If I'm right about this... this could change everything. We might finally get to understand your brother, Marv."

"While at the same time hurting another." Jack's eyes flashed as Marvin smiled sadly. "I know... I know and I understand. I just wish there was another way. This will hurt him, Jack. Calling Anti Sam... It will hurt him."

"But it might help them too."