TRIGGER WARNING - There are big mentions of self harm, suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide. Also elements of abuse throughout the story. Please read with caution.
Lucy groaned in annoyance into her pillow as someone banged relentlessly on her door. She released squeak of frustration as she threw her covers from herself and stormed to the door, rubbing the back of her bed mussed head. She swung the door open angrily; her eyes still squinted with sleep.
"What the hel-"
She was cut short as a hand was thrust towards her, carrying paper medicine bag. Lucy looked at the bag in confusion before looking up at the person who was offering it. Her eyes, still very heavy with sleep, narrowed as she took in the form at her door.
It was a man. He had this brown, auburn hair and very faint scars decorating ever visible bit of skin on his body. He was tall and looked very strong. Lucy had to hang her head back just to look up at him. He shook the bag in his hand which drew her attention back to that. Lucy frowned before looking back up at the man.
"Why are you pointing them at me?"
"They're for you." The man rumbled.
"I don't need any medicine."
The man barked a laugh.
"All evidence to the contrary. Look, I just whip up the stuff and deliver. So, be a good little patient and take your medicine, okay?"
Lucy scoffed before crossing her arms.
"I don't want to. This is ridiculous."
The man laughed again and raised his hands, palm up as if in surrender.
"Don't shoot the messenger."
Lucy narrowed her eyes as she took in his form again. They wouldn't just send anyone to hand out the medicine, and something about this man just screamed evil genius.
"You're the one who prescribes them, right? That's you."
He paused and tilted his head at the blonde. He looked impressed.
"You're quick." He complimented. "Look, these are what you need. You're not a stupid girl, I see. You wanna get out of here?"
Lucy nodded slowly and the man offered the medicine bag once more.
"Then you need to take your medicine when you're told, or you never will. You don't get any points for defiance."
Lucy fought a smile. She liked this man. He was smart. He started shaking the bag when she didn't reply.
"Will you take them already? My arms getting tired." The blonde rolled her eyes and took the bag.
"I'll take them later," she told him, but the man laughed and shook his head.
"Nope," was all he said before pulling out a clear bottle of water, offering to the girl. "This is a requirement. Some patients store the medicine or throw it away if it isn't taken right in front of us. I need to be sure you take them."
Lucy grumbled before taking the tablets from the bag and placing them in her hand. There were four of them, all different shapes, and colours. Figures, since she did have about four diagnoses. Hah. Lucy smiled at her own internal joke.
She placed them all in her mouth at once and feigned swallowing them. She even stuck out her tongue out to try and sate the guy. The doctor's eyes narrowed, and he sighed.
"You know how I said you were a smart girl?" he drawled, offering the bottle of water again. "I take it back."
Lucy scowled before pushing the tablets out from under her tongue and washed the tablets down with the water.
"How did you know?" She asked as she wiped her mouth clean of any water.
"I've been doing this job for a long time, kid. I know the difference between the look of saliva going down someone's throat and a handful of tablets."
She gave him a dark look before folding her arms.
"Good one. Can I get changed now?"
"Yeah, I have more deliveries to make. I'll see you again at 1:00 pm. For you, you get your medicine every six hours. So, I'll be here at 7:00 am, I'll find you at 1:00 pm before group or whatever it is you have and then come to my office at 7:00 pm during free time because I may not be able to find you. Got it?"
"Yeah. Where is your office?"
"Just ask one of the kids, I'm too busy to give you directions right now."
"No need to be rude. Who the hell are you anyway?"
The man smiled cockily.
"Gildarts. I'll see you at one, don't forget." He waved over his shoulder as he sauntered out of the ward. Lucy shook her head before re-entering her room.
"Figures that even the employees are crazy here…" She muttered as she dressed. According to her schedule, there was an optional shower time right now. She had seen the showers and it seems that she would have to shower with the other girls.
Lucy physically winced. Not only would she have to stand naked with a bunch of other girls, but they'd see her scars. She gagged audibly before she sat on back down on her bed.
"No, thank you," She muttered as her mind wandered. She was pulled from her thoughts when someone knocked on her door. Again. Two people and it wasn't even eight in the morning - It just wasn't her day.
"Come in," she said in an exasperated voice and the door opened to reveal Natsu standing in the doorway with an uncomfortable expression.
Well, this was interesting. The blonde had expected to be avoided due to last night's events.
"…Need something?" Lucy asked when the silence went on too long.
The man sighed at her before rubbing the back of his neck and making his way into the room, leaving the door open. Patients had to do that if they entered another patient's room.
"No, I wanted to talk to you about something," he said as he stopped in front on her position sat on the bed. Lucy raised her brows expectantly.
She sighed for what must have been the umpteenth time when he didn't continue.
"If it's about last night then I won't do it again," she said, which made Natsu look down at her. She shrugged. "I was tired and didn't really know what was going on. I get that it was kinda an invasion of your privacy so - I'm sorry."
Natsu laughed gruffly and shook his head. "No, no… I was going to ask that you do that every time I have a terror."
Oh. Oh, wow. Well, she did not expect that. "Wait, what?"
"You heard. They either leave me to it or drug me to shut me up. Now, the drugs help at the time but afterwards the de- Afterwards I get a killer headache. And if they leave me to it…" he shuddered visibly. Lucy narrowed her eyes. Natsu looked like he was going to say something else when his eyes landed on Lucy's shoulder. His eyes narrowed.
"Oh…"
She frowned before following his gaze. Her jacket had fallen slightly to expose a purple-ish bruise that was obviously developing on her shoulder. It was nasty looking, but it didn't hurt - She hadn't even noticed. And she'd certainly had worse.
"Oh." she said softly and poked it. Natsu heaved a sigh and dragged a hand over his face. Lucy looked up to see him nod to himself.
"Did I do that?" he asked in a stained voice. Who else would it have been?
"Yes, but it was partially my fault," She admitted. "I did kind of barge in. I would've whacked anyone who did that, so I should've known better. It's fine, it doesn't hurt."
Natsu went quiet and his expression made her feel something that she hadn't felt in a long time - Not even when she tried to kill herself, which she supposed could have hurt her parent's feelings a little now that she thought about it. Why she was feeling it now was beyond her.
Lucy felt guilty.
Natsu just looked so... sad. And angry. He had obviously hurt people before; She'd been told about that last night. But it obviously hurt him that he did that. He thought he had done better, and now he was finding out that he was wrong. She supposed that could be upsetting.
"Hey," She stood up to stand in front of him with a frown. "Hey, look at me."
He lifted his chin to meet her eyes. He looked disappointed.
"I'm not mad," she said, slowly and precisely. "I helped, didn't I? It was a tiny hit to calm you down and it did. Did you have another nightmare after that?"
"I don't think so." Natsu began warily. "I don't remember. I thought it was all a shitty dream if I'm honest. It's just kinda fucked up that I can't stop it, yanno? Like I have no control of my own… mind."
He trailed off - It was obvious he was getting frustrated. Lucy sighed and did something she couldn't recall ever having done to anyone.
She hugged him.
Lucy felt him stiffen in her arms. She squeezed her eyes shut at her own idiotic ministrations. What the fuck was she doing? He was making her feel like shit, and she had to make him stop making her feel this way. Lucy didn't think he was going to hug her back and that was fine. She pat his back awkwardly before trying to pull away.
Before she could, Natsu's own arms slowly wrapped around her torso. Lucy felt a wave of discomfort and then a strange surge of excitement. She guessed it wasn't horribly unpleasant. And judging how stiff Natsu was in her arms, it could be assumed that this was new to him too. It was oddly reassuring that he was as confused as she might be.
Lucy shook away these thoughts and cleared her throat. His arms dropped as hers did and they took a step back in sync. His eyes were cautious, but she could see some surprise lingering. Pleasure coursed through her.
"So, yeah. Don't feel guilty anymore, kay? There's no issue." Lucy said and he barked a laugh and buried his hands in his pockets and relaxing into his regular slouch.
"M'kay, I get it."
"And... I'll help. If I hear you having a nightmare, I'll try and do whatever I did last night."
Natsu blinked again and then scrunched up his face. "It's not fair. I shouldn't have asked; you need sleep and - "
"I wasn't asleep," She lied. She was not fighting him on a matter he fucking brought up. "It's not a problem."
Natsu said nothing, before he could she nodded and took a step towards him.
"It's about eight, right?" She said as she began to walk out of the room. Natsu followed automatically. "I'm starved."
"You eat a lot for someone so small," he commented dryly from a few steps behind her. Lucy whipped around to shove him.
"Oi!" He yelled.
"Like you're one to talk! And you don't say that to a girl," Lucy hissed, but she felt light. "Especially one who's stuck in a mental hospital! What if I was in here for an eating disorder or something?"
"You look as if that might be the case." He responded. Lucy huffed and stormed ahead of him, secretly cheerful at the fact she just had a semi-normal, friend like conversation for the first time in her life.
