Chapter 7
A/R: I probably should do one of those disclaimer thingys where I say I know nothing about how sign language works, except for a little bit (alphabet, a couple words) and yeah.
==Be Nepeta
Nepeta raced back upstairs after Meulin left to find an even grumpier than normal Karkat muttering something about John.
"Karkitty? Are you ok?" She cautiously crept into the room.
"No! I thought you understood internet privacy!"
"What?" She cocked her head to one side, confused.
"You told John my f***ing name!"
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I was going to tell you about it, but I kinda forgot." Nepeta smiled apologetically.
"Why did you tell him!?"
"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to. We were talking about something, and somehow you came up. I accidentally called you Karkat instead of Cancer or Mr. Grumpy Pants."
"I knew I couldn't f***ing trust you! I'm leaving." Karkat turned his back to her and ran out the door to the room.
"Karkitty! Please don't leave! It was an accident, I promise! Karkitty!"
She raced after him and stopped at the balcony. He had paused at the door. He looked up at her, face softening for a moment. But then he shook his head and left.
"Karkat…" She said softly. She sat down, staring at the door, hoping he would come back. That he would realize that he could still trust her. But it didn't re-open.
Nepeta began to softly weep right there. She would always be a terrible friend; she knew this for a fact. She should've just stuck with Equius, he understood her better than anyone else. Her crying grew in strength until she was full out sobbing. She should've never invited him over. She knew it would only end in tragedy. Everything she did ended up failing.
Everything except shipping, a small voice in the back of her head said. Yes, everything to do with fictional characters, she was the expert at those kind of things. This thought made her sob even harder, what could she ever accomplish with fictional characters? She was worthless. Everything that had happened in the past few years weighed her down. She was in some much pain, she wanted to kill herself.
Wait, where did that thought come from? She didn't really want to kill herself…did she? She sat up, sniffling and thinking. It wouldn't be that hard to do… no! She wouldn't do it. Couldn't. She still had to keep living for Equius, for Meulin. They depended on her.
She went back to her room, trying to avoid her depressing thoughts. She picked up her phone to text Equius, and her spirits lifted slowly. He always helped whenever she needed something. He really was her best friend. She smiled, sniffling a bit.
== Attempt the ultimate mid-chapter character switch!
I don't know… are you sure you want to do this? It can be pretty dangerous.
== Yes, be Kurloz
Kurloz is really angry right now. Maybe Meulin would be a better choice?
== I don't care! Either one is fine.
Meulin cowered back in fear.
"Where have you been?" He signed slowly, as if she wouldn't understand if he went fast.
"I went for a walk." It came out just as slow as her hands were shaking so much from fear.
"Where?" He glared at her.
"Nowhere, really. just around."
"I don't think I believe you." His face was cold and calculating. "Where did you really go?" He raised one hand slightly higher, while the other signed. She understood the threat.
"Only to my old house! I didn't talk to Nepeta, I swear!"Meulin lied. Technically though, she didn't talk with her. No words were spoken.
"Yeah, right. I know you talked to her." He raised the hand back a bit, with a vicious look on his face.
"Ok, yes I did. I'm sorry!"
Kurloz brought his hand down across her face heavily. She winced at the sudden hot pain that flared on her cheek. He slapped her again, on the other cheek. It left an equally burning sensation.
"Please don't do this." she looked up at him pleadingly.
He scoffed and began hitting her vigorously all over. He hadn't done this before, only slapped her around. She had brought this upon herself, she knew. She shouldn't have left, or at least should've left a note. And she shouldn't have prolonged the wait and just told him the truth.
She deserved this, for abandoning her sister, for killing her mother, for driving away her father. It was all her fault. But she would not break down crying, that would only give Kurloz what he wanted..
He paused for a second, seeing as how she wasn't crying out, only moaning and groaning in pain. She took advantage of his hesitation, and backed away hurriedly from him.
"I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm not going to live with you anymore. I won't take anymore of this bulls***. I'm breaking up with you."
He stepped back in surprise. An expression of absolute anger took over his face and hit her again across the face.
"No you will not. I order you not to."
"You have no power over me anymore. In fact I'm leaving right now." Meulin stood up defiantly, despite her injuries. And she left, just like that.
She only looked back once, to see Kurloz's expression of fury and surprise.
"I'll send someone over to get my things." With that, she slammed the door and walked down the stairs and out of the building. Blood was dripping down her face, and bruises were already forming all over her body. The doorman tried to stop her, but she pushed him away. She was afraid if she stopped walking she would fall over and pass out.
Nearing her neighborhood, she saw a boy hunched over on the curb muttering to himself.
She nudged him and shakily sat next to him.
"Help," she mouthed to his surprised expression. He looked familiar, she'd seen him before somewhere… She wasn't sure where.
As spots invaded her vision she realized who he was, Nepeta's friend that she had over earlier that day. What his name again…? The darkness took over, and she was at peace, knowing that he would get her home safe.
When Meulin woke up, all she saw was an unbearably white ceiling with sickly green walls. She knew she must be in a hospital or something similar. What an awful color to paint the walls of a hospital.
She was wearing one of those weird hospital gowns without a back and was on an uncomfortable mattress. She looked to her left and saw a tube coming out of her arm and leading to a bag. An IV, she thought sluggishly. She looked further to her left and saw another girl lying down in a different bed, fast asleep.
A doctor came in through a door to her right and she attempted to sit up, her brain still foggy. A nurse she hadn't noticed gently pushed her back down.
"Good you're awake. I'm going to ask you a few questions. What's your name?"
Meulin stared at him, and lifted her hands, signing it. He looked at her expectantly, and she tried to mime not being able to talk.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I think we have a sign language interpreter on hand."
Oh god, please let it not be Kurloz, she thought pleadingly.
To her relief, it wasn't. It was a young boy with short black hair and brilliant blue eyes. He had thick black square-rimmed glasses. He had slightly bucked front teeth, and was smiling widely. He wore a blue nurse uniform with little green smiling ghosts all over it.
"Hello! I'm John Egbert. The doctor's going to ask some questions and I'll interpret as needed. That okay?"
"Yes, it's fine."
"What's your name?"
"Meulin Leijon"
John repeated what she said out loud.
"What is your current address?"
"Well… technically it's in apartment building, but I just moved out."
"So what is it now?" John asked
"3333 Calle Road."
"Do you know what happened to you?"
"My boyfriend beat me up."
The doctor nodded. "We'll have to inform the police and an investigation will be done if what you say is true. I have other patients to attend to right now. You have a visitor waiting outside if you wish to meet him. He's the one that brought you in."
"Is my sister here?"
"No, not that I know of. A nurse will inform you if you get any more visitors. I'll send him in on my way out."
"Can you stay? I'm pretty sure he doesn't know sign language."
"Sure, I don't mind." John smiled brightly at her as Karkat slowly walked in.
"Um, I'm sorry I don't remember your name." He looked meek, as if someone yelled at him he would crumble up.
"It's Meulin. Did you know her before?" John asked.
"No, just her sister. By the way your sister basically just put my f***ing identity out there on the internet for all to see."
"I'm not surprised; she can be a little naive. I guess we both can, really."
"What happened to you, anyways?"
"My boyfriend is kind of… overprotective. He doesn't want me going on walks by myself. He beat me up all because I went back to my old house."
Karkat winced. "I shouldn't have been so hard on Nepeta. Even though she did tell this guy online who I was, it's not really that big of a deal. I'll probably never meet the guy anyways."
"Wait! You're Karkat?!" John suddenly exclaimed.
"Yeah…" he said cautiously.
"I'm John!" He had perked up excitedly, grinning widely. Karkat just stared at the boy, incredulous.
A/R: He he he. I love this ending. So things are slightly not-canon, sorry. John suddenly works at a hospital and he knows sign language apparently. I was going to make the interpreter be Kurloz, but that would just be awkward. Meulin blacked out for the entire night and woke up like mid-afternoon-ish. She's probably very hungry. Anyways, sorry for all the feels earlier. Edit2: Hmm, I seem to have a habit of making pain seem a lot worse than it should be… eh, oh well.