Rehabilitation.
A word Dave never wanted to hear. Not when referring to his friends. He had no idea what they were talking about. Seemed like a memory to them, but he didn't remember. Roxy just became very, very quiet, always writing. John seemed to have hallucinations, and Jade. Well… Jade. Dave loved Jade. Since the death of her grandfather, she's been placed in foster care, but she was the worse of his friends. Always waking up, having nightmarish episodes of hallucinations that came to her far to easily, and more often than John's. screaming and crying out, some times she acted as if she were trying to defend herself. It was her first day at high school, despite the fact it was over half way threw their senior year of high school. Everyone at staff at the school was prepared for her.
"This way." Dave lulled softly, leading the trembling, frightened young lady. She clung to his arm, shaking with fear.
Then it happened. What he feared.
She stopped in her tracks, tightening her grip on his arm. She stared at the hipster boy, walking into school. He pushes aside a boy in 3D glasses, who seemed to have been flirting with a rather popular swimmer girl. Jade's heart raced, she began to pant, whimpering as she did. Her whimpers started growing into whines, steadily getting louder.
"Jade." Dave said, putting his hands on her arms, facing her. Her whines grew louder.
"Jade?" Dave asked, holding her close. Tears streamed down her face, she was going to scream. He knew by the way she was shaking.
"Jade please." He whispered, pleading to her. She shrieked out loudly as she cried.
"Jade please, don't!" He pleaded once more. She shrieked out. People began to stare.
"THEY DIED! BOTH OF THEM! WHY ARE THEY HERE? MAKE THEM GO AWAY! DAVE, MAKE THEM GO!" She cried out, falling to her knees. Dave held her, trying to calm her down, but to no avail.
"Jade, please calm down, please." He tried to calm her.
"DAVE HE'S COMING! HE'S COMING FOR US!" She only screamed louder.
Sirens rang in the distance, an ambulance. The sound grew louder.
They were coming for her.
"Jade, please, listen to me." He tried to get threw to her.
"He's coming Dave. Don't you hear the growling, the flapping of his wings? He's coming! HE'S COMING!" She cried out.
The ambulance rolled in, as the doctors jumped out with a stretcher.
Jade looked back at them, then back at Dave.
"Don't let them take me." She told him, tears streaming down her face. She looked him dead in the eye.
Fear.
Thats all he could see.
"Don't let them take me away Dave." She mumbled then kissed him softly on the mouth. "I love you Dave, don't let them take me." She sobbed as the doctors took her by the arms, pulling her away from him.
"DONT LET THEM TAKE ME!" She shrieked louder and louder, over and over, struggling as they strapped her onto the stretcher, loaded her in the ambulance, and drove off. Even from inside the vehicle and as they drove off he could hear her cries to be saved.
Dave sat there, on the sidewalk, tears streaming down his face.
Not another word was said.
~
"She's right you know." John told Dave.
"No, she's not, she needs to recover because she's gone insane." Dave shot back.
"I see it too."
The two boys looked at Rose, who was continuing to write in her book. These four words were the first she had said in months. Dave chuckled, leaning back against the wall.
"I cant believe it, your all inane!" He laughed.
"They went away." John frowned.
"How long was that?" Dave asked rose.
" Four hours, twenty minuets, thirteen seconds." She cited.
"They're getting longer. John your going to end up in the nut house too." He scolded John.
"Mayor, you came back!" John greeted the imaginary person.
"Start the timer again Rose." He told her.
"Already done. Let me write." She stated.
"Fine, I wont expect you to speak for half a year again." Dave sighed as john laughed with the imaginary person. There was a long pause aside from John's babbling.
"Rose… you said you see them too… Do you still?" He asked. She shook her head no.
"Then how do you know you did?" Dave asked. She tapped her head as if saying she remembers. Dave watched John sadly.
"I don't remember… I don't remember anything… There's just this big black hole…." He mumbled to himself, feeling alone.
The bell rang.
Lunch was over.
~
"Hey guys, I'm off to see Jade, want me to take her anything?" Dave asked his two friends.
Rose reached into her messenger bag and pulled out a squiddle plush, handing it to Dave.
"Thanks, I'll be sure she gets it." He smiled and walked off.
After about 20 minuets of walking he arrived at he menial institution. The automatic doors opened for him to a white waiting room that smelled of medicine, and was only decorated with about six black chairs, two paintings, and the receptions desk. Dave walked up to the secretary.
"I'm here to see Jade Harley please." He asked politely.
"Visiting hours are over sir." She apologized.
"Then I'd like to explain some accommodations to help keep her calm." He said in an asking tone.
"Anything, she fell asleep so we just need to figure out what to do." She giggled fakery, Dave could tell she was difficult.
"Padded room, functioning sink, toilet, and a nice bed." He started to list. The secretary started to write it down.
"Okay."
"No noise from the out side, probably no windows." He continued, as she continued to write things down.
"Got it."
"Deliver her food, probably no music unless its soothing, she likes bass. Probably provide her with art supplies, and I get full visitation rights." He finished. The secretary looked up at him.
"Sir I-"
"She loves me, and I'm the only one she'll get close to. Call her Jade, princess Jade, or witch of space." He interrupted and added. The secretary nodded and stood up.
"Please wait out here as I go tell my staff." She smiled. Dave nodded and sat down as she scampered off. Ten minuets later, she returned.
"These are all now in place, here is a card that will allow you to come in any time, simply write your name on it. It will only allow you in, and you will only be allowed to visit mis- excuse me, Jade." She smiled. He looked into her eyes.
Honesty.
They truly did fallow these rules he had set.
He took the card, and took out a pen, signing his name on it.
"Thank you mister Strider." She smiled, and sat back at her desk. Dave smiled back and walked home from there. His phone chimed. John?
"Terezi wanted me to say hi and to tell you she misses you! Tavros wants to know if Jade is okay?" The text read.
"She's asleep in the nut house." Dave texted back and continued his walk. A few minuets later, his phone chimed again.
"He wants to know why she's there, is she okay?" The text read. Dave stopped. A tear fell onto his screen.
"She's there because she sees the things you see john and they scare her! They're not real!" He replied and turned his phone off. He felt like throwing it into the ground, but he knew he shouldn't. So with that he continued walking. He returned home to the apartment to find dinner waiting for him. Dave sat down on the couch with his plate, only to have it taken from him and be embraced in his brothers arms. Dave sat there, shocked for a moment, then hugged him back.
"She was on the news." Dirk mumbled to him. Dave hugged him tighter as tears began to escape his red eyes.
"I love her." He whispered, trying to choke back sobs.
"I know." Dirk shushed him softly, petting his hair.
"I know."
~
"Dave! Vriska likes me, what do i do?" John asked him, begging to know.
"How long has it been?" Dave asked Rose. She held up the timer.
20 hours, 30 minuets, 10 seconds.
"Holly shit that long!" Dave exclaimed.
"Dave come on you have to help me." John pleaded.
"I'll help you alright! Take you to the loony bin to go hang out with Jade!" He practically screamed.
"Jade?" John smiled brightly. "We're guna go see jade? Oh I'll tell Tavros and-"
"You dumb ass!" Dave yelled at him.
"Will Dave Strider, please come to the front of the school. Dave Strider, to the front of the school." The over head chimed then went out.
"We'll finish this later." Dave growled at him then stormed off.
Dave marched to the front of the school. He wanted nothing more than to drag John's sorry ass to the insane asylum. A nicely dressed man in a black suit stood outside of a black Jetta with tinted windows. He was alone. This couldn't have been who had called dave out.
"Mister Strider, I'm sorry to bring you bad news." He said to Dave.
Dave looked up at him, puzzled.
Dave sat in they asylum lobby, turning his brother's sunglasses in his hands. They had cracked, and had blood speckled on them. His brothers blood.
"Mister Strider this is Doctor White." The secretary introduced. A tall female doctor stood in front of him. She had a white bob haircut, and a very gentle face.
"I know it must be hard Dave. Seeing a loved one be put in a place like this, then having your guardian pass away." She said in a loving tone, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, tear stained cheeks revealing how he had been crying.
"But please, find some comfort in knowing we are taking every precaution we can. We have a doctor even who goes in and interacts with her, she seems to have taken a liking to us all." She reassured him. Dave nodded.
"Thats good." He mumbled.
"She wanted you to have this when you came by." The secretary smiled, handing him a drawing. It was of a beautiful golden kingdom, Jade was dressed in a regal amber gown, and next to her, holding hands with her, was him. Dressed in a royal purple outfit. King and queen. He bit his lip, trying to hold back tears.
"Thank you." He mumbled. And with that he got up, and walked home. He was greeted with silence upon entering the empty apartment. He set his bags down, when there was a knock on the door. Dave opened it. A rather tall man, waiting tan cargo pants, black boots, a white t-shirt and a green army jacket stood in front of him. He looked kinda like John if he were tan, tall, and muscular.
"I'm Jake." He stated, trying hard to smile.
"So?" Dave questioned, looking him over.
"Your brother and i were very close, he… He actually asked me to marry him just the other day…" He said, showing him the ring.
Dave looked at him, puzzled. Corse he supposed it wasn't a big shock he was gay, not really.
"They assigned me to be your caretaker." He stated. Dave sighed then nodded.
"Okay." he said and let him in.
"Do you need anything?" Jake asked. Dave quickly hugged him rather tightly and clanged to him, crying onto his chest.. Jake hugged him tight, tearing up himself.
"I know Dave… I know…" Jake tried to reassure him.
No. He didn't know. Not about what he's been threw. No one could understand.
Dave was awoken to the sound of ambulance sirens. He looked out the window. Wasn't that the direction John lived in? His phone buzzed. On of those rare texts from Rose.
"They wheeled off John. He wasn't coming out of the episode." It read. It was about time, though Dave still felt sad about it though, but he knew he would be safe there.
~
Dave walked to the asylum. He hadn't told Jake were he was going. Why should he? He wasn't bro. The automatic doors opened, and the secretary smiled brightly.
"She was wanting you to visit soon, she and Doctor Rockwell made a lovely model city and she seems to fancy drawing with chalk and colored pencils. Just brought her a new box yesterday!" She smiled brightly. Dave nodded with a smile as she led him down the hallway, and to the door of the padded room were Jade was staying.
"I have to ask… My friend was brought her, wasn't he?" Dave asked sadly.
"John? Yes he was brought in yesterday and given the same kind of quarters." She smiled and opened the door. Dave stepped inside, as the door was shut. Jade was dressed in a loos white gown, dusty multicolored chalk prints were patted all over it.
"Dave!" She greeted.
Dave sat down in front of her and she hugged him tightly.
"Here, this is from Rose, John, and I." He smiled and handed her the squiddle plushy.
"Oh Dave thanks! Your so sweet!" He giggled happily, hugging it.
"Oh Dave! The Prospittins are so nice to me!" She told him happily.
Dave hugged her tight, tearing up. Tears streamed down his cheeks.
"Yeah." He replied shakily