Chapter 7

I slowly woke up to the feeling of someone's head nuzzling my chest.

My eyes fluttered open and saw it was Fef. I buried my face in her hair and fell asleep again.

I woke up later to the sound of my phone ringing.

Groaning, I rolled over and answered it, "Hello?"

"Hey chief it's me."

"W-What the fuck do you w-want Cronus?" anger seized me when I remembered that he had gone through my stuff.

"Hey hey hey calm down I called to apologize for searching your stuff. I was drunk and being stupid," he sounded sober.

"Yeah w-well you still shouldn't hav-ve done it! And how-w dare you take what you found to Father! Are you tryin' ta get me killed!"

"No chief I'm not, like I said I was drunk I didn't know what I was doing!" he sighed. "I called for another reason, not just to fight with you."

"W-Well w-what is it?"

"I'm going into rehab, for my drinking problem. I recognize I have a problem, and Father is forcing me to go instead of letting me deal with it myself," he was quiet, which was unlike him.

I sat up, much to Feferi's confusion, no longer angry, "What?"

"You heard me Eridan."

I sighed, "Do you need me ta come back there? I can take a week off from school. Family emergency and such."

"I'd really appreciate it chief if you did."

"Alright, I'll call Father an arrange for me to come back as soon as possible."

"Thanks Eridan, means a lot."

"You're welcome Cro. You actually sound sober for once."

"Don't remind me. I'm literally sick right now from withdrawal."

"Sorry Cro."

"It's fine, call Father, I'm going to go lay down."

"Alright, goodnight Cro," I hung up, called my father, arranged for him to pick me up tonight, and I hung up.

Feferi put a hand on my shoulder, "What's going on Erifin?"

"My brother is going into rehab. He finally recognized his drinking problem."

She nodded, "That's great Erifin! I take it you're going to visit him?"

I nodded, "Just for a week back in Derse."

She hugged me, "I hope things go well, do you think your dad will do anyfin regarding what your brother told him?"

I paled, I hadn't thought of that, "I hope not…"

A few hours later, I stood in front of the residence hall with Fef as Father pulled up in his car.

She held my hand, and I could see the approval on my father's face when he stepped out of the car and I pressed my lips Fef's head.

"Hello Eridan, hello Feferi. You did not inform me of this development Eridan," he shook her hand before turning to me.

"I didn't? Oh, I thought I did Father," don't stutter, don't stutter, don't stutter…

He shook his head, "Well we must be off. Cronus is with your mother right now Feferi so he doesn't get into my alcohol cabinet. Eridan, he goes to rehab tomorrow morning."

We nodded. Everyone knew that Feferi's mom did not have any alcohol at all in her house.

"Time to go, say your goodbyes Eridan. You'll see her again in a week."

I nodded and turned to hug Fef. She clung to me, "I hope that your brother will get better. It'd be best for the both of you if he does."

I nodded, burying my face in her hair. After a moment I kissed her goodbye and stepped into my father's car.

~====3====~

Several hours later we were pulling into the Pexies driveway to pick up Cronus.

We walked up to the front door and knocked. Feferi's sister Meenah answered.

"Oh look who it is!" she sneered. She never liked me.

"Just let us in Meenah," Father said curtly.

She nodded and stepped aside to let us in.

Cronus, who was laying face first on the couch, looked up as we walked in. He was a mess. His hair wasn't slicked back like it always was, his eyes were red and his skin was pale.

"Hey there chief, glad you could come," his voice sounded more raspy than it had over the phone.

"Hello Cro, both me and Fef are glad you're gettin' help," I walked over and sat next to him, sitting on the edge of the couch by his waist. Cronus may be a scumbag, but that was only when he was drunk. Which for the last five years was a constant. Right now, he didn't look like a scumbag, he just looked really sick and sad.

He buried his face back into the couch as Meenah and her mom walked in. Meenah and Cronus had been friends since birth practically, as had me and Fef. They were best friends to the point where they insulted each other's very existence on a daily basis but they knew the other didn't mean it. They'd kill someone for the other.

Meenah sat by Cro's head and ran her hand through his hair. This was the first time I have actually seen her look concerned for someone. I didn't like Meenah, but I knew she made a great friend to my misled brother.

I heard patient knocking on the front door. Kankri was here.

Ms. Peixies answered it and sure enough the shorter male with the red turtleneck was standing there with his hands in his pockets.

"Hello Ms. Peixies. I was informed that Cronus was here and he was ill. Is he alright?" he said in his patient and matter-of-factly tone.

She shook her head, "He's on the couch, you can see for yourself."

Kankri walked over by us and kneeled by my brother's head, "Hello Cronus, how are you feeling?"

"Horrible doll, I've been sick to my stomach all day, my head is killing me, I can't sleep…" he looked miserable, and even turning his head to the side to talk appeared to take a lot of effort looking at the sweat that beaded on his forehead.

Kankri put his hand on one of his, "It will be alright Cronus."

Cro's eyes widened at something past Kankri's head, "Oh fuck not this again."

"Cronus language, and what is it?"

"Hallucinating again?" Meenah asked.

He nodded and buried his face into the couch again, mumbling to himself.

I had done a little research on alcohol withdrawal on the ride here from my phone. Hallucinations sometimes occurred 12 to 24 hours after the last drink.

"Cro, I did some research and ta' hallucinations should be gone within tw-wo days," I told him, hoping he could hear me. "Ta' w-withdrawal however can last w-weeks."

"Cronus, are you aware that what you are seeing is not real?" Father asked.

"Yes Father, I know they aren't real," he said, not lifting his head.

"Then you are not in as much danger as I thought, but I think we should bring you to the hospital to be safe. Even mild alcohol withdrawal can prove fatal," Father said matter-of-factly.

Kankri nodded, "I did my own research before I came here. I request that I come with him when you take him. It would do him well to have a close friend with him."

"I'd go, but I got homework to do," Meenah shrugged.

"And I know you hate hospitals Meenah," Cronus said through the couch.

Father nodded, "Kankri and Eridan help him get up and out to the car."

Cronus slowly sat up, looking like a total mess, and I helped him stand. Kankri put an arm around his waist and I put an arm around his shoulder on the other side and we helped him walk to Father's car.

Twenty minutes later we helped him walk into the Emergency Room at Derse Hospital.

We sat there in tense silence in the waiting room before they came to take him back, instructing Kankri and I to stay put until they stabilize him.

Kankri looked almost distressed when he rose to follow him back and they told us to sit down and wait. I was mildly irritated because he was my brother and I should be able to go back there, but Father just nodded and didn't fight them.

We sat there in silence for about fifteen minutes, which was unusual because usually Kankri was talking my ear off about something or another. Mostly about social issues I had no care for.

I looked at Kankri, and he had his head in his hands.

"Hey Kan? You alright?" I asked.

He shook his head and lowered his hands, oh my cod he was crying, "I knew he had a problem years ago, and I kept telling him to get help for it but he would not listen to me. He told me I was being overly concerned for his safety and that he would be fine. I thought I would be prepared to see him like this now that he was finally heeding my wishes to seek rehabilitation, but seeing him like that honestly really hurts."

I tilted my head to one side, "Do you have feelings for my brother Kan?"

He jumped, "I was hoping you would not notice."

I shrugged, "You've been my brother's best friend since I don't even know how long and you don't think I didn't have my suspicions on how you look at and talk about him?"

He stared at the floor, "Don't tell anyone, especially your father, but I should not have let him start drinking excessively like he did. If I had been any sort of decent partner then I would have ended it before it began. Instead I watched him self destruct despite all my best efforts."

I froze for a moment before a grin spread on my face, "So that's why he hasn't had a girlfriend, he's not into girls he's into you Kan. And it's not your fault, I tried to get him to stop too you know. It's neither of our faults."

He nodded, "I guess it's not. I just feel as if it was my fault because I knew he had a problem before anyone else did."

I shook my head, "I knew when he started drinking in secret, believe me I knew." I still had the scarring to prove that I knew.

He turned to me, "If you do not mind me asking, how did you know?"

"I'd find him drinking in his room, and ta' keep me quiet he'd, well, ta' put it bluntly he would hit me upside the head or somethin'."

Kankri looked sad and tired, "He feels really bad about that you know. He told me once while he was actually sober that he was hitting you and he felt so guilty about it."

I stared at him, "He did?"

Kankri nodded, "He also feels great remorse for going through your room. He was looking for more alcohol and was hoping that you had some stashed in your room and he found your razor blades instead."

I paled and he continued, "He was going to just take them and hide them so you could not use them anymore, but in a drunken logical fallacy during an argument with your father he handed them over."

I sighed, "Just between you and me, I'm gettin' better from that. Feferi is helping me… and also between you and me I was in a mental health unit for a month and didn't tell my family."

He nodded, "It is my understanding that you did not tell your family to avoid the repercussions?"

I nodded, "Yeah. Father called me before hand about the blades and then Feferi's ex attacked me and I almost bled out. I woke up in the mental health unit."

His eyes widened in horror, "Why did Feferi's ex attack you?"

"Because I quote 'stole his woman" from him. I was confidin' in Fef and he came in and attacked me, which made her leave him. Not long after he knocked me out while I was walkin' to class and I woke up in our old bathroom from when we were roommates. He then did this," I looked around to make sure Father wasn't there, and rolled up my sleeves.

Kankri covered his mouth with one hand at the darker scars that lined my arm from Sollux. His eyes widened further when he saw the lighter scars that I had done myself on my left arm.

"Oh my gosh Eridan, what prompted you to…" he was at a loss for words, which amazed me.

I pulled my sleeves down, "I started because a' Cronus hitting me and Father treatin' me like I wasn't human and from everyone at school treatin' me like I wasn't human. I stopped for awhile because Fef asked me ta'. I started again when she moved. I haven't recently because of her."

Kankri nodded, "I am so sorry Eridan. I was not aware that the things Cronus did was affecting you in such a way. I was also not aware that your father was also treating you badly."

I nodded, "He never laid a hand on me, but that doesn't mean that he wasn't cruel."

As the last word came out of my mouth Father walked out from the back, his face pale.

We both stood. "Father what is it?"

"He starting showing signs that things will go fatal. He is in the ICU right now."

Kankri's hands flew to his face in horror and my jaw dropped. I didn't think he was doing that badly.

He nodded, "We can go back to see him now."

We followed him back into his room. Cronus stared at the ceiling with all sorts of monitors and tubes hooked up to him.

Kankri tried to appear calm, but when he saw Cronus his hand came up to his mouth and the facade was lost. I smiled sadly at him when he turned his head to look at us.

"Hey guys…" he tried smiling.

Kankri walked over and kneeled by his bedside, his hand never leaving his mouth.

"Hey doll it's okay, I'll be fine," Cronus said reassuringly.

Kankri had stopped crying earlier, but he broke into fresh tears from the scratchiness of his voice. I felt a pang of sympathy. If I saw Feferi in the same place, I'd lost my mind. I admire his strength and restraint not to just wrap his arms around my brother and not let go.

I walked over and sat on the side of the bed at my brother's side. He looked over, "Hey chief, you looking out for Kankri for me? It's a bit difficult for me to do it right now."

I nodded, "Yeah Cro, I'll keep an eye out for him."

Kankri had rested his head on Cronus' shoulder, and I heard a grunt from Father, "Visitation is only for another hour or so."

Kankri lifted his head and we all nodded.

Cronus lifted an arm and turned Kankri's head toward him, "I'll be fine doll, okay?"

Kankri, dried his eyes with the arm of his sweater, "I believe you Cronus, but…"

"No but's Kankri, I'll be fine."

I couldn't help but notice how they looked at each other, how lightly Cronus held his hand to the shorter man's face. I didn't know exactly how long they have been together but it's been since before Cronus started drinking, which five years ago.

I felt myself pale for my brother's sake when I heard Father grunt again, "You sound like you're calming a girlfriend you've never had Cronus."

I saw the color drain out of Kankri's face, and I hadn't realized there was any color left in Cronus' until it faded away.

They exchanged a look that I couldn't read and then Cronus cleared his throat, "About that Father…"

"Don't tell me you're gay Cronus."

Silence met Father's words. I looked back and forth between all three of them, unsure of what to do.

"Well?" Father said, irritation lining his words.

Cronus looked and Kankri, grabbed his hand, and spoke clearer then I had heard him speak since this morning, "Yeah Father, I am."

It didn't register on our father's face for a few moments, but when it did he took a step forward and spoke through gritted teeth, "You better not be, I did not raise a pansy."

Kankri's eyes narrowed, "Being gay does not make you a 'pansy'" he used air quotes with his free hand. "It just means you happen to like someone with the same gender as you. He is still the same person that you raised, terrorized, and drove into a hole that led him here!"

Father took another step forward and rage enveloped his words, "How dare you criticize my parenting with him! How dare you brainwash him into thinking this is okay. I assume you're his partner, and if that is the case then I will have to ask you to leave and to never come back."

This is when I felt the need to say something, "That's like asking Fef ta' leave my side w-when I w-was unconscious from blood loss in ta' hospital a month ago! Don't make Kan leav-we, he's not doing anythin' w-wrong but defendin' w-what he cares about most and hav-ve you ever known Kan to not defend w-what he cares about?"

"How dare you- what? Why did you not say you were in the hospital? What happened?" Father struggled with his words for the first time since Mother died.

I rose to my feet, "Feferi's ex boyfriend attacked me and cut my arms ta' ribbons. I almost died. As to why I didn't say anything, that is my business."

Rage retook his features, "Fine. Kankri you can stay with Cronus, but he is no longer my son. Eridan let's go." He turned to leave.

Kankri started to rise to his feet but Cronus wrapped his arm around his waist and said, "Don't bother, that's a blessing not a curse doll."

I stood there, unsure of what to do. Father turned again when he didn't hear me walking toward him, "Let's go Eridan."

In a fit of either bravery or insanity, I'm not sure which, I tore my left sleeve up and said quietly, "If he's not your son for being gay then I'm not your son for being a cow-ward."

He turned the rest of the way around, took two steps toward me, and grabbed my by the throat, "We're leaving, now."

Panic enveloped my chest. Cronus never treated me well, but I know now that he at least felt guilty about it, and he only choked me once.

His hand left my throat, grabbed my left wrist, and dragged me out of the room. I turned my head to my brother and his boyfriend and shot them a pleading look.

"Help me!" I mouthed.

Kankri got up without Cronus restraining him and rushed to grab my right wrist, "Let him go!"

Father turned and unhooked Kankri's hands from my wrist with ease, "This is not your problem Kankri, I will take care of it."

Kankri tried to grab me again but Father yanked me forward and I barely kept my balance to avoid ending up face first on the ground. Kankri, who was always like a big brother to me despite Cronus' drunken fights with me, ended up on his knees on the floor.

Cronus yelled after him, his voice hoarse, "Let him go!" and Kankri stared after me from the floor.

Nurses stared as he dragged me out of the ICU, out of the waiting room, and to his car. He opened the door and practically threw me into the back seat. Fear and panic pounded through my veins.

He got in the drivers side seat and started driving home.