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septic-dr-schneep · 6 years

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JSE Fanfiction - In Time of Grief (Part 5: Contagion)

Summary: With the others left helplessly behind in Anti’s clutches, the good doctor despairs. Chase struggles to keep hope for the both of them.

This is necessary. This is…She doesn’t mind us being here. She wants to help us.

No matter how many times Chase told himself that, he was honestly surprised that Stacy had let him and Schneep beyond the front porch as he watched her scramble to gather her things so she could drive them to the hospital. Naturally her first suggestion had been to call for an ambulance to get them there faster, but Schneep had been quick to shoot that down.

“No! No,” he choked out as he pressed a hand against his chest, wavering. Chase had latched onto his elbow as he dangerously swayed, but the doctor had shaken his head, shrugging away. “We cannot take risk. There are p—people we cannot afford to see, who cannot afford to see us. I know a way—”

His hoarse voice finally cracked and gave way to a barking cough, followed by an awful wheezing that made it sound like his throat was caving in. He didn’t bother to pull away when Chase latched onto him then and once his fit had subsided in its intensity Stacy had gingerly suggested they come inside and sit.

They were on the couch to the left side of the living room now, Schneep slumped against the armrest and Chase curled up close to his side. After everything that had happened, he didn’t want to stray too far. Every so often he glanced over at him, assessing. Even though he’d been conscious and breathing for a while now, he didn’t look good at all.

Shouldn’t he be demanding to know more about Jack, Anti, the fight? Jack was his everything, their everything. He hadn’t asked a single question about what had happened to Jack since Chase had told him he was awake. Why was he being so quiet about it?

Chase couldn’t expect so much of him, he reminded himself numbly. Right now, Schneep was just focused on struggling to breathe; that was all he should be focused on—and from the violent crashing he had heard during their frenzied escape, he should be grateful that Schneep wasn’t asking how it had all turned out. Even he didn’t know.

Not for the first time, Jameson’s pained, terrified eyes blinked open in his mind, staring into him—staring through him. The deep ache in Chase’s head and chest flared hotly, dizzying him at the thought of what he might be enduring right now if Jack hadn’t won that fight.

I…I left him there. I left him with Anti. If I had been faster, I could’ve…

“So you’re the infamous Chase, huh?” Tom broke through his agonizing, hovering over them. “Heard a lot about you. And who’s this?”

Wordlessly Chase tilted his head back, blinking heavily up at him. Something in his face must have told Tom that he wasn’t in the mood for introductions, so he glanced sideways and cleared his throat, changing the subject with a bit more authority.

“You know I have to ask: what exactly is it that you’re getting us involved in? Are you in trouble with the law? Drugs? Gambling? Something illegal? Who are these people you’re trying to avoid seeing?” he questioned, waving an expansive hand. “I just want to make sure you’re not dragging Stacy and I into anything you could be getting out of yourself.”

At that Schneep shifted suddenly, pushing the startled Chase sideways with his forward motion as he sat up, his glazed eyes cold.

“If is something we can get out of ourselves, do you think in your tiny brain that we would c-come to you?” he growled raspingly. “We come because we need help, not idiotic questions! Du weißt gar nichts! If you do not want to help us, you talk to your precious Stacy about it!” Another chain of coughing rattled through him, breaking up his words, but they were no less fierce. “We do not need you. We—hh—we only need S-Stacy and her car.”

“Schneep,” Chase muttered, warningly tugging on his arm, but he didn’t have the time to say anything to smooth over the situation before Stacy arrived from the kitchen, keys in hand.

“Alright, let’s go,” she urged, brushing her free fingers over Tom’s arm. “Honey, help them to the car?”

“…Yeah,” Tom acquiesced tightly, gripping Chase’s arm and helping him to his feet. Schneep refused the hand he was offered, barely even looking up as he wound an arm around Chase and they were guided to the van.

It was amazing how something so mundane could stirred as much emotion in Chase as it did, but when they slipped into the backseats he was forced to swallow hard as his eyes panned over the crumbs, wrappers and toys scattered across the car mats.

These seats…His babies sat in these seats every day.

Bending gradually down, wincing deeply as the change in pressure spiked in his head, he snatched up one of the action figures. It was a red and silver robot, well worn—well loved.

“Hey, buddy, you wanna go to the toy aisle?” he questioned hopefully, relishing in the feeling of Connor’s small, warm fingers wrapped up in his own. The answer he received wasn’t the eager yes he’d expected, however. “Connor?”

“Yeah…” the little boy admitted, glancing up at him uncertainly. “But…d-do we have enough money, Daddy?”

Something in Chase’s stomach turned at the question and he stilled, coming to a stop and shifting to kneel in front of him. “What d’you mean by that?”

“Well…” Fidgeting, tugging restlessly on the hem of his shirt, Connor lowered his head, staring down at Chase’s knees and mumbling. “S’just that Mama says not to get toys when we’re with you cos you don’t have enough money and it’ll make you feel bad later.”

Chase dearly hoped that Connor didn’t notice the hot flush coming into his cheeks at these words. Tightening his hands on his boy’s shoulders, he forced a light smile. “Is that so? Your mom and I need to talk about that, but y’know what? I’ve been doing really well lately, no matter what she thinks! I’ve got a little surprise money that I’ve been saving just for you, and you can pick any toy you want.”

That finally drew the light into Connor’s eyes that Chase had longed for. “A robot?” he exclaimed. “Can I get a robot?!”

“Absolutely! Let’s get you the coolest robot!”

Schneep’s calloused fingers brushing his head brought him out of his trance-like stare with a painfully sharp flinch. The doctor didn’t embarrass him by mentioning it, merely pursing his lips as he leaned in and thumbed over stray trickles of blood sliding down his temple. Just that small gesture eased the pain’s razor edge and Chase instinctively leaned into it, searching for more relief, but after a few softer strokes Schneep stilled, exhaling huskily.

“Chase…Is my fault we are in this mess,” he murmured under the noise of the AC. “I should have seen signs in Marvin. I should’ve…”

“We both should’ve. If I hadn’t fallen asleep on the job, he wouldn’t’ve gotten the jump on me.” Fidgeting, the vlogger decided to take his chances and ask. “D’you think it was getting Anti out of Jameson’s head that opened Marv up to him?”

“Not all the way. Somewhat,” Schneep allowed, brows creasing. “But this…this new magic he ‘found’ somewhere, I think it was the start. He chose the corruption. He let it in. That one opening was enough for Anti to get through and turn him on us, Chase. And now we all pay for it, just because he wanted new magic.”

“No, no, hey, you can’t blame him for Anti taking him. He wasn’t getting new magic for the kicks. He just wanted to help Jem, bring Jackieboy back,” Chase protested, stomach churning tightly at the thought of the gleeful malice in his friend’s face. “It’s—it was a mistake, doc, a really bad mistake! Marv would never put us in that kind of danger on purpose. Somewhere in there he’s fighting Anti, I know it. Maybe now that Jack’s keeping Anti distracted on the outside, Marvin’ll be able to get some leverage on the inside!”

“Jack…” Schneep repeated softly, staring up at the car ceiling. Tufts blue eyes grew misty. “How could Jack be awake, Chase? He has not been awake for more than a year. There’s been no change, no improvement—if anything, he’s gotten worse and worse.”

“Okay, so I don’t know how he did it, but I saw him!” Chase insisted, latching onto his arm to keep his attention. “He fought to help us escape. We wouldn’t have without him!” When Schneep said nothing, Chase shook his head in dismay, jostling him a little to recapture his eyes. “Why don’t you want to believe me? Why aren’t you happy?”

“Because if he’s awake, Chase, he’s there with Anti. The monster is armed with Marvin’s magic and none of the others are able to help him. And I—I am not there for him. Again. He needs me and I’m taken away from him.”

“Well, you wouldn’t be doing him much good if you were still back there,” Chase pointed out, schooling his voice so as not to sound too demeaning. “You’d still be conked out at the bottom of your magic bubble. Now you’re awake, he’s awake, and we’ll figure out a way to get back to him. He’s fightin’ for us.”

“And what if he loses? Wh-What if Anti…?” Schneep coughed once more, though it didn’t sound the same as the others.

Chase didn’t have a chance to address his implied question as one cough led to another and another and another. Hugging his arms around his sides, he rocked forward, fruitlessly trying to catch his breath. He was going to give himself whiplash at this rate, Chase mused, wincing in sympathy as he patted his back.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, buddy. Just get it all out,” he soothed, worriedly glancing up to meet Stacy’s gaze in the rearview mirror. Get us there soon, his eyes said to hers.

By the time the fierce hacking eased, he was practically folded in half over his knees, whimpering exhaustedly. Gripping his shoulder, Chase murmured other meaningless assurances as he helped him sit back up.

“Easy does it, here we go…” Reaching up past his head, he hurriedly flicked the air vent away from his friend’s face. Doctors said that keeping the air still was a way to help with a cough, right? “Try not to talk for a bit,” he continued as he turned his eyes to the pockets sewn into the backs of the front seats. “Stacy, are there—I don’t know, some mints or cough drops or something in here? Something to help his throat?”

“Oh, here,” Tom spoke up first, shifting forward in his seat to rifle through the glove box for a few moments before leaning back and offering a pack of gum. “Gotta keep some of these in here for Bri; she’s always asking for some.”

Chase was promptly forced to bite the inside of his cheek against a surprisingly sharp retort that flew to his throat. Oh, is she? Is that something she “always does”? She never does that with me. I think I’d know her better than you do. The fresh bitterness on his tongue created a new lance of pain in his forehead and he took a steadying breath to help him swim beyond the dizziness as Tom stretched a little farther, shaking the pack expectantly.

“Well? You want it?”

It’s just gum.

Without a word he snatched it from him, taking note of the brand as he tore it open. “Here, Schneep, this’ll help.” As soon as he looked up to hand it to him, however, he froze, flinching back at the pallor that had come over his face. “Whoa—Schneep, bro, you okay?” He was so white he looked almost gray, his skin tight over the hollow of his cheekbones.

“I don’t think I feel well,” he slurred, glassy eyes flickering closed as he drooped back against the seat. “Wo bin ich hier?” One last weak cough forced its way out of him, loose and wet, and Chase’s heart jackhammered as strings of thick, dark fluid flew from his mouth, spattering the front of his shirt.

“What the—?! Schneep!” Chase gasped as his head lolled sideways and more of the bloodlike substance slithered down his chin in sticky rivulets. “Schneep! Henrik?!” As soon as the older Ego started to shake, Chase cursed in helpless terror, lunging to steady him as he yelped, “Stacy!”

“What’s happening, what’s happening?!” she burst out, swerving violently between lanes as she glanced over her shoulder in alarm. “What do I do? Should I pull over?!”

“Floor it!”

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