Insane Stuck
Eridan Ampora

Author Note: Let me just start this off by saying I'm not some huge Eridan fan. Honestly, he normally annoys the bejeezus out of me. I just wanted to write a fanfic about him and the rest of the HS crew from a different perspective. If you were expecting the usual whiny annoying utterly obnoxious Eridan, you'll probably be almost as surprised as I was while writing this to find how different and yet the same he is. Also, fair warning, this does turning into an Eridan pairing later on, but since the main focus seems to be Eridan-not their budding relationship-I didn't select his partner. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy. And yes, this is a human!stuck. I wanted to keep them trolls initially but this seems to work better. I can't see trolls embracing a place for "weak-minded" trolls. Also, while this is a human stuck, this doesn't take place on Earth. They still have quadrants and blood ranks.

Eridan was ten when his father first took him to the family owned insane asylum, Sburb. His father, Dr. Orphaner Dualscar, was a surprisingly kind to his patients, despite his appearance. He was ruthless in his own way, of course. He'd grown up fighting on the streets, which led to the scars he took his name after. He was ruthless when defending against slander at his insane asylum and fought using any means to keep the real estate companies at bay. He would threaten to take any money-grubbing relatives to court if he even thought they didn't have his patient's best interest at heart. To his patients, though, he was as kind and lovable as a teddy bear.

"Most places won't even treat their patients like people, Eridan." He told his youngest son. Eridan hadn't understood at the time why his father had thought it so important to impress his love of the facility on him. Looking back now, he can't help but think his father probably knew that his older brother had no interest in taking over for him. "Most people don't treat their patients right, son. These patients deserve better than to be treated as furniture or something that just happens to bring in some money. They're people. They just happen to be a little more broken than most and that's why it's our job to fix them up as best as we can. Sometimes it will take months to fix them and sometimes it will take years, even decades before they get better. Sometimes we won't be able to ever fix them. They may never end up fully healed but even if that's the case, we're still going to treat them with the respect they deserve."

Eridan hadn't really paid much attention to what his father said about the institution. He hadn't really put much stock into it, honestly. That all changed when he first visited the insane asylum. Nothing drastic happened. It wasn't some huge event and yet it would be something he always remembered. All he really did was go around and meet the patients but-that first trip changed him in a way he never imagined. Unlike his older brother, Raedin, who didn't bother to give their father the time of day, Eridan invested everything he had into working hard to take over for his father. He was only ten but he spent every waking moment he could studying and helping out his father. He was proud of his father, not the least bit ashamed that they were working with crazy people. His hard work paid off in the end. When his father died, even though he was still a child, only sixteen at the time, Eridan was the one who inherited everything. Raedin offered to take over for him but the young teenager refused. Upset by the perceived snub, Raedin snapped that he wouldn't care if and when Eridan ran the place into the ground. Their relationship became strained ever since. His mother, Mrs. Ampora, tried to sweet talk and reason with with him but still Eridan refused to change his position. He was stubborn and by every right, he was the owner of the institution. He wouldn't give it up easily, not ever, and certainly not without a fight.

Dr. Eridan Ampora stirred from his place on the couch. He'd drifted off, reminiscing about the past. How very unprofessional of him. He got up slowly, glancing at the clock on the wall. Forty five minutes, that's how long he'd been asleep. Luckily, he was on break so he could get away with it this time but he would have to be more careful in the future. He couldn't afford for this to happen a second time. He the small office, getting ready to make his rounds. Eleven years after inheriting this place and he had hardly run it into the ground, as his brother predicted. It was doing very well for insane asylum. And why wouldn't it be? For six years, he'd spent every free moment he had not spent in school trailing after his father, learning everything there was to know. From the business aspect, including the mathematical aspects and the smart business decisions to basic psychology to how to treat the patients, he learned it all from his father. He spent a lot of time interacting with the patients as well. They were the main reason he was so eager to take over for his father, especially one in particular...

He was a doctor now, having completed his master's degree in in both psychology and pharmaceuticals. He'd go for his Ph.D. in both later but he was currently working on his B.A. in business. Helping his patients was important to him and he was frustrated having to just diagnose them. Once he had his Ph.D. in pharmaceuticals, he'd be able to prescribe medication as well. Before that, though, he had to make sure he could properly protect this institution. The real estate companies were still after the property and they weren't above using dirty or underhanded methods to snatch this place right from under him. There had already been a couple close calls and that worried him. With everything on his plate, he really didn't have the time to be interacting with the patients personally. Yet he still made time for them.

Dr. Eridan, of course, had his favorites that he liked to visit. There was Equius Zahhak, here to get rehabilitated from frequent PCP use. He had taken it for a boost of strength even though he was already insanely strong without it. He was polite, if a bit sweaty, when he wasn't having withdrawal episodes. Then there was Vriska Serket who was deemed a threat to society and herself by the courts. The other patients had no clue what terrible things she had been involved in that she had to go to court and be sentenced here. The rumors as to why she might be here quickly spread, growing out of hand. Dr. Eridan was half-tempted to quell them by telling them the truth but he knew that wouldn't change much. She's fairly new to the facility so her treatment is still being worked out.

There's also Gamzee Makara, who wound up in here after going on a mass killing spree in a drugged out rage. Dr. Eridan has been forced to keep him sedated on a cocktail of drugs. He doesn't think Gamzee will ever be let out because of the drugs he's on. They're much too potent and have too many dangerous side effects for them to let him take them on his own. It's a shame, in his opinion because in a way, Gamzee is his favorite patient. He finds Gamzee amusing and utterly harmlessly in his sedated state. He wishes he could help him but there's not much he can do. Aradia Megido has multiple personality disorder, but strangely enough, she's aware of all her personalities and often sits by a window, talking to the other personalities. It's a bit weird when she starts answering herself in a different tone of voice. Terezi Pyrope has PTA and PTSD, both of which were caused in the explosion that killed her family and blinded her. She has severe PTA, or post-traumatic amnesia, and for a while couldn't even remember who she was. She now remembers her name and bits and pieces of her life but she's still putting her life back together. She's been in the hospital for three years, although she was in a different facility before. Nepeta Leijon has a dissociative disorder and has convinced herself she's a cat. She's rathe adorable, actually, at least in Eridan's opinion. Equius has taken a bit of a protective stance over her.

Finally, there's Sollux. Sollux Captor, their most special patient. Sollux witnessed his father's murder at seven. Already showing signs of early onset-schizophrenia, this pushed him over the edge. He ended up in a near-catatonic state. Since his admittance to the hospital as a child, he has remained in that state. He doesn't talk, doesn't interact, doesn't move. He has to be carried and almost forced to walk or move in the slightest bit. Dr. Eridan keeps hoping to find some way to reach him but he has yet to find one. The only one who he responds to his Eridan's associate, Dr. Karkat Vantas. He'll interact with Dr. Karkat occasionally and even say a few soft words in that lisp of his but that's it. It's progress, but he'll only do with it Karkat. Eridan keeps hoping he'll open up to him as well but he never does.
Dr. Eridan stops by to see the girls first. They're kept in a separate wing than the boys until 11AM. After that, both sexes can interact with each other until lights out, usually around 5PM regardless of whether the sun is still up. Nurse Kanaya Maryam is with them today. Vriska is the first to greet him. She sashays across the room with a teasing grin on her face, draping herself on his arm. She cuddles up to him, trying to be cute. She's pretty in her own way, with her dark blue eyes and hair. It's a shame she's missing an eye. She loves to pretend to flirt with Eridan, hoping to get a reaction from him. Seeing the purple blush spreading across his face, she seems pretty happy to have gotten one. She does it to almost all his staff but Dr. Eridan is still the one that seems to give her the most satisfying response. Nepeta is licking her hand as if grooming herself when he walks in. However, when she spots him she scurries over to him and rubs her head against his leg, purring exactly like a cat. Aradia acknowledges his presence with a slight nod before going back to talking to herself, staring at her reflection in the glass of the window as if it's a dear friend. Terezi barely acknowledges him at all, content to build blocks. He's just glad that her habit of licking things doesn't seem to apply to the building blocks. After giving Nepeta an indulging pet, he wiggles free from Vriska's grasp. He leaves Nurse Kanaya to try and calm her as he leaves, he laughter echoing after him.

Equius is the first one he visits in the boy's wing. He's making a clay sculpture, putting so much concentration into it, Dr. Eridan is almost afraid he's going to pop a vein-or several. He has to be careful or else he'll crush the sculpture easily with his insane strength. Despite his obvious concentration on the sculpture, he still politely enquires after Dr. Eridan's health. They share some polite conversation before he moves on, leaving Equius to work on slowly cultivating his sculpture. Next to visit is his favorite patient, he repeatedly tells himself. Nurse Travos Nitram is busy trying to give Gamzee his medication when Dr. Eridan intrudes upon the scene. Gamzee is more interested in slouching all over the poor man and telling him about the "miracles" he used to experience. He perks up at the sight of his favorite doctor, or as much as he can perk up in his stupor. He ambles away from Nurse Travos's wheelchair, coming over to finger the purple streak in Dr. Eridan's hair. Eridan had gotten the streak when he was a teenager, his first act of rebellion and he'd kept it for sentimental reasons. He'd gotten into the expensive habit of dying it every day for the past twelve years just so it wouldn't fade.

Gamzee continues to finger the streak, not minding at all that he's dangerously up close in Dr. Eridan's personal space. Normally, someone would object, saying he was a bit close for comfort but Eridan welcomes the closeness. Outside of work, he was considered a nobody, a loser. It was only with his immediate coworkers and his patients that Dr. Eridan was loved. He was looked down upon by his colleges and associates in the field. His presence wasn't welcome outside of the facility, which is probably why he worked so hard and spent so little time outside of it. After several minutes, he managed to convince Gamzee to take the pills Nurse Travos was holding out before promising to be back in a little while. He left Nurse Travos to haggle with Gamzee over whether he was to be hand-fed them or take them himself, heading towards the observatory. The observatory wasn't actually an observatory-they couldn't afford one of those. No, they called it that because one of the walls was made entirely out of glass. Not normal glass, of course, since this was an insane asylum. It was reinforced glass with a steel frame. It provided a good view of several beautiful hills in the west. In the fall, heather would turn the hills a brilliant purple.

His heart pounding a little faster in his chest in anticipation, Dr. Eridan Ampora pushed the swinging door open, jamming it with a doorstop so that when the others arrived in twenty minutes, they wouldn't be afraid to come in. Just as he expected, Sollux was already sitting a couple feet away from the glass, staring absently outside. That was the only thing he could do on his own-Sollux always found his way over to the observatory every morning without fail. He wouldn't leave on his own, often times he had to be carried out of the room, but he could get there without a problem. He walked slowly over to Sollux and kneeled beside him-he had learned quickly early on that when it came to dealing with Sollux, it was best not to block or obscure his view. "Hello, Sollux. How are you today?" He waited a couple of minutes, not expecting an answering but hoping for one nonetheless. His hopes were crushed yet again as they had been the day before, and the day before that. He had little doubt they would probably be crushed again tomorrow as well, not that it would stop him from trying. Whether he was willing to openly admit it, Sollux was definitely special to him in a way that none of the other patients would ever be-after all, Sollux was his first patient.

After spending several more minutes talking to Sollux and trying to coax a response out of him, Dr. Eridan glanced at his watch, checking the time. Most would consider it an antiquated watch, as it still had hands, but it was necessary in the medical field. He gave a small, inaudible sigh as the second hand slowly ticked by, standing and stretching his legs. "I'll be back Sollux. Soon the others will be here and I need to check on Gamzee again." If he was expecting a reaction, which he would vehemently deny, he would be sadly disappointed. Despite Gamzee being the only one Dr. Eridan showed any obvious special treatment to, Sollux seemed to care little about what he did. Dr. Eridan turned and left the room without another word, going to find Gamzee.

He found Gamzee lounging happily in his room, staring blankly at the ceiling as if it contained the most interesting, abstract paintings in it's infinite cracks. Sometimes, he couldn't help but wonder about the world as Gamzee saw it. He let him stare at the ceiling for a couple minutes, just watching him with some vague fascination and envy at his carefree nature. Yet again, he couldn't help but picture the first day they brought him into this place. Kicking and thrashing, a bundle of rage and violence. Looking at him now, he couldn't see any trace of that character in him. He knew it was still there, lying underneath the surface. He seemed calm enough but every once in a while, when the meds weren't enough, he'd snap and go on a rampage. At first, they hadn't been able to calm him and were barely able to contain him so that he didn't hurt any one else or himself. Gradually, as time passed Dr. Eridan seemed to be able to have some effect on him, calming him down. It wasn't a perfect science, sometimes it worked and sometimes he continued to rage without a care but at least he was calming some. He wondered what had drove him to drugs in the first place and then quickly shied away from that train of thought. Oh he knew, he knew why everyone was here. He knew why each and every patient was sent here-they were the hopeless cases, the cases nobody else wanted to deal with. He knew why his staff stuck around as well-they had no where else they could go. They each had quirks that other facilities wouldn't accept.

He approached Gamzee before his emotions could get the better of him. He had to remain professional, he reminded himself. He wasn't allowed to get emotional. His emotional state wasn't important, it was never important, the patients were always more important. His father had drilled it into him for so long, he'd learned to suppress all his feelings, good and bad. He had to remain professional, always. Gamzee turned his head towards Dr. Eridan and smiled vaguely at him, an almost vacant glaze to his gaze. He spent a few minutes pointing out "constellations" out in the ceiling, which Eridan thought was actually pretty clever. Then he coaxed Gamzee out of the room, promising to do some arts and crafts with him if he spent some time in the common room with the others. When he led Gamzee into the observatory five minutes later, some of the other nurses were already settling the patients. Much to his chagrin, Dr. Karkat was already in the room. Of course he was.

He was surprisingly prompt when it came to patients. Paperwork, there were complaints almost shouted out as he did them at the last minute and they still ended up being turned in late. Responding to Eridan's offers to grab a bite to eat? He would wait until five minutes before saying no or would suddenly grab Eridan by the arm half an hour after they were supposed to go out, when Eridan had already given up, and drag him out somewhere. And meetings, he would be twenty minutes late and make a big entrance. When it came to patients he was just as prompt and caring as Dr. Eridan-if a little less professional. He wasn't afraid to show his emotions; in fact, he seemed incapable of hiding them. This meant, however, that he was already pulling Sollux somewhat out of his near catatonic state. Sollux roused enough to be led away. He was the only one left who hadn't eaten but since only Dr. Karkat could get a response from him, they had to wait until everyone was grouped together. They also gave him several small meals a day since he didn't seem capable of concentrating on his food for very long. Now that Dr. Karkat could slip away with Sollux to feed him, it was up to Dr. Eridan to work with the other patients. Luckily, he had Nurse Kanaya to help him keep them in line. He watched Sollux go out of the corner of his eye before returning his attention to the patients.

Everything was calm at first. It usually tended to start out that way. Things worked out calmly until the patients started giving into their childish sides. When Nepeta knocked over the glue in arts and crafts, Dr. Eridan had to clean it up while making sure she didn't try to sniff it or eat it. It was a bit of a struggle, especially when she got some of it on her. She was determined to lick herself clean, the same as a typical cat. He had to get Equius to distract her and Nurse Kanaya to hold her still while he cleaned her up. Much hissing and clawing later, she was finally cleaned up. She went to sulk in the corner, grooming herself and glaring at everyone every now and then. While Dr. Eridan was disposing of the wet dish rag in the bin to be washed, Vriska came up with a nasty prank. She talked Terezi into helping her and while she poured glue on Nurse Kanaya, Terezi through glitter up in the air, all around and on poor Kanaya, who was needless to say shocked and horrified. Eridan came back in just in time to see her trying to glower at Vriska but not looking very threatening considering she was covered in glitter. Vriska found this incredibly hilarious and Terezi, wanting to know what was so funny, thought the best way to find out was to try to lick Kanaya. This sent Vriska into new peels of laughter as Terezi first tried to lick her face, and when that was blocked by a hand to her face, instead licked her hand. Dr. Eridan tried not to laugh as he pulled Terezi off Kanaya and nodded to Kanaya that she could go clean herself up.

Of course, Dr. Karkat had to be bringing Sollux back just as Kanaya was darting out of the room. He took one look at Kanaya, who gave him a warning glance not to say anything, he gave a snort. "Honestly, it's so sad it's pathetic Eridan." He chided, his voice almost gentle, if not for the harsh edge that was naturally always there.

Eridan rolled his eyes. "What is, Karkat?"

"It's so sad it's pathetic that I leave you alone for two seconds and this place goes to hell. Do you honestly need me watching your ever minuscule move and scrutinizing all your actions? Can you not take a breath without me telling yes, it's alright and it won't make a mess of the place? I can't believe you're this helpless and still insist on trying to run this place. You will destroy this place, it's a miracle you haven't already, I'm surprised we've all survived under your rule this long." Eridan ignored his tirade. Karkat was just teasing him for now, not actually tearing him down so he'd let it pass. "Besides," Karkat suddenly did a one-eighty, a rare glint in his eyes. "Glitter does not suit Kanaya. You know she looks better in sequence." Eridan snorted, unable to help himself at the picture, and Vriska cackled saying she would definitely remember that.