In fairness, Sky should've seen this coming.
The usual sludge weighing him down had only gotten heavier in the past few days, and somehow blades had crept into his crappy joints. He should drink more water, he knew, he'd been told enough times. But drinking water meant needing to pee, and needing to pee meant getting out of bed. And getting out of bed meant feeling the ground sway beneath him, watching black spots swarm his vision, and fighting to keep his heart in his chest and the meager contents of his stomach.
Cups of water gathered on the night stand. The med student's warnings of UTIs and blood clots went in one ear, got lost in the fog, and wandered out the other.
Sky's head hurt. Sky's everything hurt. Coarse gravel settled into his shoulder from the awkward angle his chest pinned it at, to keep strain off of his back. Not that it worked. Any position that lightened the load only led to a different ache later. Sky would cry. He'd scream if he had the energy to.
But that would only make it worse. Stakes would drive deeper behind his eyes and his chest would only ache.
Golden Goddesses, why couldn't he be normal? Continue his training? Hold a steady relationship with his beloved Sunny- no, no, no, don't think about her, don't think about what you've lost-
A quiet whimper slipped through his torn defenses.
He wanted to curl up and sleep forever. His foot twitched and an axe split open his shin. He sighed. His ribs crackled and wheezed. His head pounded in time with his heart.
Sky shouldn't be surprised when he's shoved back into his body on the bathroom floor. He's not surprised by the familiar basin before his face and bile rising up his throat.
How he got there eluded him. But there was a nice hand rubbing between his trembling shoulders and pillowing his head on a lap once he'd stopped retching. Garbled words swam through the air over his head, the hands gently brushed hair out of his face. A plastic straw poked through his slightly parted lips and he sucked instinctively.
Cool water flooded his parched mouth, flowing down his throat and settling heavily in his stomach. It should make him feel better. It makes him feel sick.
Sky groaned and pressed his forehead into his pillow. Something thunked on the floor and hands returned to his hair. Petting, detangling, smoothing. It was more soothing than Sky would ever admit, but the way tension leaked out of his shoulders probably ratted him out.
"Okay, okay, it's okay. You're okay, Sky, just breathe. Someone's on their way, we'll get you somewhere more comfortable, okay?"
Sky trusted them. Whoever it was, they... he...? The person was familiar.
He didn't know how much time passed until heavier footsteps approached them and knelt down beside him.
"Thank you, Hyrule. How is he?"
"He drank a little water, he hasn't reacted much but he seems to like me doing this. Not unresponsive, but I don't know how awake he is."
Tears welled in Sky's eyes, wet against the sticky crusts at the corners. He was right there. He wanted to scream. He wanted to open his eyes. He was so tired. He couldn't talk, even if he wanted to.
At least they didn't treat him like he was just an object, a tool they were sick of malfunctioning. They kept their voices low, the comfort consistent. Didn't make a big deal of his crying, just... soothed it.
Sky was still resting on... who was it again... Hyrule's lap, when his tears slowed and his eyes cracked open a little. They immediately shut again with a little whimper.
"There, it's okay, we've got you."
"Sky? I'm going to pick you up now, and take you to your bed. If you'd rather go to the couch, give me a sign."
Strong arms wound around the limp lump of his body. Slowly, he was lifted to rest against a shoulder he knew all too well.
Sky was already losing the battle with consciousness when Time stood up, and he hoped falling asleep in his arms was enough to say thank you.
So guess who's having a bit of a flare-up and bullying Sky
I don't have much to say other than I LOVE Time being soft and caring for these strays. It was important to me to add in like, Hyrule and Time being clear and calm and narrating what they were doing, if that makes sense. Even if Sky was unconscious, it's less scary when the people around you aren't freaking out and they're making an effort to keep you filled in and calm. They care so much about him, I love them-
I had half an idea to write a snippet where Legend offered Sky a little something to help, out of genuine pity, but realised he either wouldn't or Time wouldn't allow it. Or Wind would actually stab him if he got Sky into drugs, even if it was a genuine offer because Legend KNOWS it can help, even if not permanently. Legend's still young despite how jaded he is, maybe he thinks that if it's him who occasionally gives Sky stuff, he can stop Sky going down the same path of addiction, but idk. He'd know that desperation is the first step on the path to addiction. Plus, I can't imagine Sky being the one to ask him, so this idea is just a random idea
Also, your response to my last ask??? I can't tell you how many times I read your words and cried because nobody's been so sweet to me about this before- thank you, genuinely :")
Oh Brainrot - you and your big beautiful brain make me all so squishy and squealy! This was so damn GOOD! I Love Caretaking Time! And Hyrule my beloved! I love how he steps up to help!
And omg Legend offering Sky something to help is a fucking AMAZING idea! And with how bad Sky feels, he'd absolutely say yes. And Legend would do it with best intentions, true, but he's a mess and he's young and he'd fail to realize that Sky is in the most prime condition to fall into addiction. He'd just recognize that someone else has been let down by the system and institutionally want to help in the only way he knows how to. It "works" for him, so why not offer Sky the same relief?
Wow okay now I'm thinking about the implications of That and how big of a wench it would throw into the mix. Wind probably wouldn't care much at first. After all, he dealt to plenty of people. It's not like he should care about Sky anymore than those other people, right? WRONG! Experiencing someone with an addiction when you live with them is a completely different way of seeing the harm he was causing.
It would also draw an even deeper wedge between Hyrule and Legend. Because Hyrule would not stand for Legend giving Sky street drugs - not as a studying med student. You know those two would be straight up fist fighting over it if Legend even tried.
Time would be against it on principle, but also there might be a small voice in the back of his mind that considers it when Sky has a flare up and can barely keep water down. Maybe, if he monitors the dosage and gets something clean, it would help? He'd never actually allow it though. With how hard he's trying to get Legend clean, he wouldn't risk another addict in the house.
Brainrot thank you again for this! What an amazing ask to come back to <3 I'm happy I was able to brighten your day!
