It was now a little after one in the afternoon. Gamzee had been taken out of the OR around seven. He came to for a bit once the anesthesia wore off, but conked out soon after from lack of sleep. The altercation in the ally resulted in a few bruised ribs, several lacerations that would heal on their own and a shattered wrist and small hairline fracture in the radius. Surgery was only required to put his wrist back together with a couple small pins that would be removed at a later date.
Once they moved him to a regular hospital room, Karkat was allowed to stay and visit. Surprisingly, Gamzee had him listed as emergency contact and the like. Letting out a long yawn, he shifted in the uncomfortable plastic chair that he had pulled closer to the bed. Karkat had been up all night, waiting for his close friend to finally wake up again. "I know it's been only five hours but, man if you were allowed to you'd probably sleep all day every day." A small smile tugged at the edges of his mouth as he suppressed a light giggle at how cute his soft snoring was. It would be another four hours before he'd wake.
Not able to bear it much longer, Karkat left the room to stretch his cramping legs and use the bathroom. The familiar goofy smile greeted him when he returned. "Hey bro. You didn't have to stay all night man, or even stay awake."
"Don't worry Gam. I had nothing better to do." Returning the smile, Karkat carefully placed the cup of coffee he returned with on the bedside stand. Without another thought he turned and pulled Gamzee into a light hug. "Christ, you had me worried fuckass. D-don't do something this stupid ever again. I'm tired of it!" His body trembled slightly as he held back the urge to break out in sobs. "And fuck. I-I saw those needles! When were you going to tell me about that, huh? W-when I find you overdosed on the fucking floor or something?! FUCK!" As he got worked up, his fists clenched at the back of his hospital gown.
Gamzee frowned and stared at the sheets. The now sobbing Karkat only made him a bit tense and uncomfortable. "Bro, no need to be all worked up like a motherfuck. I'm sorry, just stop yelling." He spoke in a soft tone and gently rubbed his back a bit. "I'm fine, see?" A toothy grin spread across his face as he looked down at Karkat. "Besides, look at this motherfucking purple cast. I even sweet talked that hot nurse into getting me a silver sharpie. It'll look kick ass. Wanna sign it?" He grabbed the marker that was on his stand and offered it to him.
Hiccupping a few times, Karkat sniffled and wiped his face with a tissue. "I'm having a serious argument and all you care about is signing a fucking cast?" Sitting up he rubbed his eyes a bit before scowling at Gamzee. After a moment of silence he let out a sigh and took the sharpie from him. Karkat couldn't stay angry with him for long. It was impossible. However, he was still concerned with his lifestyle choices. "Fine, let me see the stupid thing."
Gamzee moved the supportive pillow to his abdomen and happily offered his new cast to him. Karkat took a moment to think before scrawling something across the colored plaster. 'My assbutt. No one else's.' With a small smile and light blush he signed his name. He proceeded to draw a small crab and goat next to it. "There, happy now?" He muttered, turning to face the stand as he put the marker back in attempt to hide the blush.
With a raised eyebrow Gamzee looked over what was written on his cast. "Aw, those motherfuckers are kind of cute." He chuckled lightly before glancing over at Karkat. "But, what do you mean by that?" Blinking, he pointed a finger to the line of text.
His face darkened to a deep red as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Er…Fuck, I don't know. Maybe once you get any legal stuff straightened and your shit together, we could discuss it." Looking away he grabbed his coffee and plopped back down into the chair.
"How do you feel about me, Karkat?" Gamzee asked softly, turning his head to try and lock eyes with him.
"Man, I'm not even sure anymore. I…It would be fucking great if you were able to keep your punk ass around long enough for us to find out." It was hard for him to keep eye contact without his face turning crimson. "In all honesty, I'd prefer it if you at least sought out some sort of help man. I-I'm genuinely worried about your ass and every time you call me at odd hours in the night, I fear you've gone and fucked up big time. I-it's not funny." He pouted and stared at the floor before glancing at the door. "Whatever, just… forget about it for now. It looks like the cop's here to talk with you." Cradling his coffee in his hands, he stood up and left the room knowing the man would want to probably talk in private. "I'll be back once he leaves."
Once Karkat left the room the police officer stepped in, a notepad and pen in hand. "Mr. Makara."
"Officer Cooper."
The mustachioed fellow looked like your stereotypical cop, beer belly and all. It wouldn't be surprising if he had come in to interrogate after visiting the nearby doughnut shop. Giving Gamzee a warm smile, he walked over and stood at the bedside. "I was hoping the last time I'd see you, was when you got into a drunken fist fight six months ago. Now, I'm not here to be the bad guy, put you down or anything. I just want the truth about what happened and maybe we'll be able to work things out." He looked Gamzee in the eyes and flipped open his notebook.
"I was called to a scene last night around three forty five a.m. After speaking with the bar owner and a few patrons, I discovered that you were apparently in an altercation with a couple males. I just want to hear your side of the story before working out what might need to be done."
Reluctant to speak at first, Gamzee eventually let out a sigh. He knew he'd only get in more trouble if he didn't cooperate. "Well, I started my Friday night at my favorite bar up on good ol' Birch Street. You know, Hannover's owned by Oliver and Pablo." He shifted a bit to get more comfortable before continuing. "I don't remember how many I had to drink, but I'm sure I would've fared better with a few less. Anyway, it was raining hard and I wanted to get home fast. Sooooo, I took a shortcut through some alleyways. Probably not the brightest idea I've had." He shrugged and let the officer catch up with his notes.
"Alright, when did you get into the altercation?"
"Right…Hmm, I'd say halfway through the second ally. It took me a moment to hear them as I stumbled over the scattered trash and such. They were collectors I believe, working for my dealer. Must've been a rough week since I didn't even realize I owed the motherfucker money. I don't really remember much, except that I lost a good pair of jeans and my favorite hoody in that ally. As I wailed on them, I probably hit the brick wall several times. I think I broke their noses, or came close to it and er…pulled a knife on them. Didn't use it though, they ran after that."
Officer cooper nodded as he listened and jotted down the details. "Okay. Sounds like you had one hell of a night Mr. Makara. You've been handed your share of second chances already. Now, you're going to have two choices. Either, I'll arrest you once you're discharged and you'll be serving time for battery, assault and drug and alcohol related charges or you can strike a deal. Mind you, this would be the last time you'd be able to evade jail time." He waited for a sign that Gamzee understood before continuing. "You'd have to give up your dealer, stash of drugs and attend court ordered rehab with possible community service afterwards. If you miss any of it, it's straight to prison with you. You're a good man Gamzee. I know you can get back on the right path with the right support and help. So, what would you like to do?"
As he put the notepad away, the officer let Gamzee sit there to mull things over for a few minutes. Eventually he spoke. "If I turn them in, how do I know I'll be safe from some sort of fucking revenge? I don't want to spend the rest of my life paranoid as all hell man."
"Watch your tongue. It would be an 'anonymous tip'. If anyone arrested were to ask, they wouldn't be able to find out who ratted on them."
Gamzee sighed and ran a hand through his hair. After a moment he nodded. "Fine, sounds better than rotting away in a jail cell I suppose." Officer cooper smiled and took out his pen and paper once more. The next six minutes were spent describing where he stashed his drugs, who his provider was and where he operated things. "That's all I know man. I never really got it directly from him."
"Alright, that's fine. We should be able to charge him with this once we find him." He smiled at Gamzee. "I'll get the paperwork and such done so we can get you into the rehab facility after you're discharged. The community service bit will be worked out once they see you fit to be released from the program."
"Understood, thanks officer."
"I'll let you be now. If we need anything else, we know where to get you. I wish you a fast recovery and hopefully you'll get things sorted out and such." With a nod, the officer left. Karkat would return soon after with his dinner tray.
"I hope that went well." He walked over and set the tray onto the over bed table, pulling it over Gamzee's bed once he was sitting upright. "They were passing out dinner, so I grabbed yours after asking if I could bring it to you. I bet you're starving."
"Thanks bro, it smells good." A smile appeared as his mood brightened a bit at the sight of his friend and dinner. "I think they went well…I sort of struck a deal I guess you could say. There will be no jail for me, but I had to give up my dealer, drugs and now I have to attend fucking rehab." He shook his head and lifted the lid off his plate. There was a serving of tater-tot casserole, steamed peas and carrots, a banana, milk and a plastic cup of orange juice. Karkat took his seat and smiled, glad to hear that his friend would finally get some help. Hopefully it would do him some good.
"Well, that's great Gam. I'm pretty sure you don't want to be in jail anyway. You might run into Eridan. Word on the street is they discovered his rumored secret lab. From what I heard, there was some fucked up experimentation shit with animals going on in there. That little fuckass is finally serving time. I know it's not for what he did to you when we were younger, but it's something." Gamzee looked up and smiled at him as he peeled his banana.
"Oh really? About time that freaky motherfucker got in trouble for something. Those poor fish and other critters can rest in peace now." He let out a light giggle and bit into his fruit. Karkat only nodded and leaned back into his chair. As Gamzee ate he kept up some light conversation until he finished and decided to see what was on the television.
Three days passed while Gamzee recovered in the hospital. He still had his pins and cast; they'd be there for a while. They released him at ten o'clock that morning once Officer Cooper arrived to oversee that he was transported to the rehab facility which was two towns over. Karkat had brought over a small duffle bag of clothes and such for Gamzee to bring with him. After talking with the cop, he was allowed to follow and see his friend off at the clinic.
After the twenty minute drive Karkat walked his friend into the building and to the front desk. Officer Cooper stood off to the side to make sure he didn't pull any funny business. "Mr. Vantas? You're listed as his only emergency contact, correct?" The blonde woman at the desk asked, looking up at the two males. "What is your relationship?"
"Oh, I'm his close friend…for now. Look, I'm the only one he has to even really contact alright?" Karkat's hand clenched around the duffle bag's straps.
"Alright, I understand. It's just protocol. You'll be escorted to his room where he can get settled for the day. Then you'll have to leave since he won't be allowed visitors for a few days while he gets accustomed to things."
Karkat nodded and placed a hand on Gamzee's shoulder. "Okay. Thank you ma'am." The two friends turned and followed the officer and orderly to his room. Once he was settled and unpacked, Karkat gave him a tight hug. "I'm going to miss you man. Keep your fucking nose clean and let them help you. I-if not for me, do it for yourself…You deserve better." With that, he leaned forward and kissed his forehead lightly. "Goodbye for now. I'll be sure to visit whenever I can." Blushing, he turned around and left the facility with the officer to head to their cars.
Five more days would pass before Gamzee would start with actual sessions. It was now Monday of the following week. The previous days were spent with various interview-like sessions to get to know his situation better, a mandatory physical and time to get used to the building and the now lacking presence of drugs in his system. After eating breakfast he would attend his first meeting. It was those typical AA like ones where several people sat in a circle sharing their stories. His councilor figured it'd be good for him to at least admit his problem and be alright with that fact, understanding that he needs to tackle it in order to make progress towards getting back home.
"This will be loads of fun." Gamzee rolled his eyes as he walked down to where the meeting was being held. It was one of the day rooms with the door closed. Sitting in the middle was the circle of people, about six of them with their councilor at the head of the circle. They were spaced out a bit on the blue shag carpet. Nodding to the other people, he walked in grumbling to himself and took a seat in the empty green bean bag.
"Why, good morning Gamzee. What a unique name. Anywhoo, welcome to our little weekly group, it's a pleasure to have you with us. Feel free to get started any way you wish. There's no rush. Everyone else had a go this morning." The short, pudgy man with rosy cheeks, glasses and a yellow sweater vest was a little too cheery.
Blinking, he nodded and thought for a moment. The only way he knew how to start was how AA groups apparently go about. "Hello everyone. As you've all heard, I'm Gamzee."
"Hi Gamzee." There were simultaneous nods and smiles.
"Well, it turns out I'm a bit of an alcoholic with a drug problem." He bit his lip, took in a deep breath and continued. "I had a somewhat normal childhood, if you could call it that. I never really saw much of my parents. We were well off and lived in a nice house on the shore. Anyway, I was left to be raised by my godfather. In all honesty, that wasn't really better. But, I did trust him and enjoyed his rare visits. He was a marine sergeant, so he was off to distant lands ninety percent of the time. I don't know how child services were never called for lack of child supervision." He shrugged and looked at everyone. They seemed interested enough.
"My troubles didn't start until middle school. It was the summer before eight grade. Eagerly awaiting my godfather's return for the week, I stayed up all night. After getting ready for the day, I ran out to meet him while he'd walk up the shoreline as he usually did. To my dismay, I…" He paused to keep a few tears from falling. Once they were in check, he continued.
"I found him nearly unconscious, face down in the sand. He had been stabbed multiple times, but the sick fuck left their knife in his back. I know who did it. It was this psychopathic nerd with some weird fish fetish or something. But, no one would have believed me. That motherfucker was an honor student rich kid with connections." Shaking his head he waited a moment. "That's when my downward spiral began. With the only family I had gone, I had no one left to trust or feel wanted by. In order to keep myself sane, I started smoking weed. I had my upperclassman connections."
The cheery man nodded. "Alright, care to tell us how that went? You're doing great so far." He smiled at him and let him move on with the story.
"Well, things were fine and dandy for a while. I was your typical stoner student. It was more of a casual thing, like twice a week or so. Then in tenth grade I confronted the fucker who killed my godfather. I called him out at a party and he slashed me with a large liquor bottle before running away. That's how I got these lovelies." Smiling, Gamzee pointed to the four jagged scars that ran diagonally across his face from his right eyebrow down to his chin.
"That's when shit picked up for me. I don't know why, I just started using more and picked up drinking. I had my fair share of fake IDs and used older friends when needed. Surprisingly I passed my classes, well, just barely. Fuck, I even graduated high. The teachers were indifferent. They just wanted me out of there. I stayed in my childhood home for a while, for as long as the money my parents left me lasted. I spent it mainly on weed and alcohol along with whatever munchies I wanted that week. I lasted nearly two years like that until the money ran out and I was forced to move into the cheapest place I could find. This brings me to almost present day. Here I am wallowing about, stoned out of my mind while hitting the bars every other day when I wasn't working my shit job at motherfucking Burger King. The only friend I have at this point is a grouch, but he means well I guess." He sighed and leaned back in the chair.
"Sounds like the more you got into the drug's grasp, the more your handle on life slipped."
Gamzee nodded once more. "Yeah, I suppose so. Two years ago I started shooting up the heroin. Man does that shit trip you the fuck out of your mind. Surprisingly, I managed to keep my friend from finding out about it…until now. My bro discovered the needles when he came to check on me this past month after I made it home from an altercation with some collectors who wanted my late payment." With a smile he gently knocked on his cast. "That left me with a smashed wrist and some bruises. I managed to make it through, but…if it weren't for Karkat I'd probably be in worse shape. He wasn't happy about those needles. I think I scared him more than usual this time…I don't mean to do it but, there was nothing else for me. I just want to get over this…for both of us man. I don't want to frighten him any longer or have him stay angry at me. I just want to move away from this and maybe…maybe create a better relationship with him."
"Sounds like you might be filling the gaps in your life with the high that these substances provide."
"Yeah, guess so." Gamzee sighed and stared at the carpet. "Maybe I can work on finding a substitute to provide a different sort of high."