The next few weeks for Pearl was the emotional equivalent of watching paint dry. Almost nothing made her happy anymore.

Walks on the beach? She's sad now.

Icecream? Now she's miserable.

Missions? Absolute despair.

Garnet finally decided something had to be done.

"You need to tell me what's up."

Garnet and Pearl were sitting in Garnets room, both sitting on the floor. Pearl looked up in Garnets direction, and bit her lip. She was having a repeat of the argument in her head, debating back and forth.

Just tell her for fucks sake! One side yelled.

No way, this is our business. The other side stated.

If we don't she'll think we're stubborn!

Then let it be that way.

Pearl decided to listen to the first voice, but felt herself short of words. What was wrong? What was out of place? She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. Pearl shrugged, honestly not sure of that question herself. "I don't know." She spat out, looking down to the floor.

Garnet sighed. "Don't be stubborn. I can keep you here all day if I need to. You aren't yourself anymore. Just tell me what happened, and we can't an fix it." She looked over to Pearl, whose eyes were blubbery with tears.

"I don't know what's wrong. Everything feels repeated, like it's all happened before. Like the worlds in black and white." Pearl stammered, feeling her eyes water up. "I-It's just..." She stuttered and trailed off.

"Man..." Garnet said, her eyes not completely dry, but almost laughing. "Are you going to run out of tears anytime soon?" Pearl laughed, though still crying, for the first time in a long, long, time.


Appointment after appointment, doctors office after doctors office, they were able to diagnose her with MDD. Pearl wanted to rip her hair out after all the lectures she's gotten from physiatrists, and could recite doctors speeches about what medication would do.

Pearl reluctently hopped in the front seat of the van, bored of the bi-weekly trips to the hospital. She didn't even have the motivation to bother to get dressed, and just wore the same sweatpants and hoodie she's had on for the last week. There weren't a lot of missions, so she could get away with comfy Sunday chlothes. Garnet (who was also in a hoodie) sat down in the drivers seat, turning the keys in the ignition.

"Today's a short visit." Garnet said, adjusting the rear view mirror. Pearl raised an eyebrow and sighed, leaning her elbow against the arm rest, and slumping her head to rest in her hand. "That's what you said the last visit." She said sarcastically. "Which turned out to be 4 hours long."

Garnet rolled her eyes behind her glasses. "Today's not an appointment." She stated, pressing down on the gas and driving off the beach and onto the road. Pearl looked over at Garnet, and slumped down even further. "Then it must be worse than an appointment." She said, even though there was nothing worse than appointment.

Garet shook her head, and kept her eyes on the road. After an awkward 20 minute car drive, she pulled into a pharmacy. "Stay here." She told Pearl, unbuckling her seat belt and quickly walking into the store. Pearl was intrigued and confused. She leaned over, trying to see in the pharmacy, but couldn't.

Less than 2 minuets later, Garnet came walking out with a paper bag, that looked pretty full. She opened the car door, and sat down. Garnet had a smile plastered over her face, which Pearl found pretty suspicious.

Garnet opened the paper bag, and pulled out 3 bottles of pills. "Happy birthday!" She said, placing them in Pearls lap. Pearl was pretty confused, and read the label on one.

DATE ISSUED: NOV 24 16

SRR NUMBER: 724 993 541

TAKE 1 PILL DAILY

DO NOT OVERDOSE

835 7244 935 261

"What is it?" Pearl said, still confused. Garnet backed out of the parking lot, and starters to drive home. "Read the back out loud." She said, turning a corner.

Pearl turned the bottle around, looking at the other label. "734 9823 08, issued to Pearl Universe," Pearl stopped reading and turned to Garnet. "Pearl Universe?" She said confused. "They needed a last name." Garnet said shrugging.

Pearl rolled her eyes for the millionth time that day, and kept reading. "Allergen allert- contains grin-grub-gradtop... Contain something that starts with G, certified anti-depre-" Pearl stopped mid-word, and looked at Garnet, furious. "I don't need those." She said stubbornly, dropping the bottle of pills back in the paper bag.

"Well, the doctors say you do, so happy birthday, Merry Christmas, you get to take 3 pills every day." Garnet said, pulling into the beach house. Pearl glared at Garnet.

'Bitch I'm fine.' Pearl screamed in her head. 'You don't get to tell me what I need. I tell me what I need.'

She reluctantly carried the paper bag into the house, swearing to herself that she wasn't gonna touch them.

And so the battle began.