Sheldon finished his tale, still staring at the wall in front of him. Leonard tried to ignore his own teary eyes as he walked towards Sheldon again.
"Sheldon...may I?" He whispered, nodding at Sheldon's wrists. The gauze was wet with blood now. Sheldon didn't answer, but only blinked. Leonard gingerly took Sheldon's boney arms in his own, feeling a little woozy at the sight of all the blood.
"Oh God!" Penny let out a strangled sob as she too, saw the bands of red all over her friend.9 Howard, standing behind her, went pale.
"We need to take him to the hospital." His muttered, gently detaching himself from Raj's grip and crouching down next to Sheldon again. Raj nodded vigorously. Sheldon winced and scooted away when Howard came close.
"Y'all, I'm fyne. The bleedin' has staunched by now." He straightened up, still not looking at anyone. "Besides, I've had lots wirse." He murmured. Penny, who had just started to wipe her eyes and sit up, was sent into back to the floor, weeping. Amy stalked over and dropped to the floor next to her, mechanically stroking her hair.
Leonard pulled his legs under him and sat crossed-legged on the floor. "But Sheldon, why did you keep...doing this?" He couldn't making himself say 'cutting' He began rocking back and forth, a nervous tic. "You left for college the next year."
Sheldon closed his eyes and laughed. Penny stopped sniffling at once. Raj's eyes went as wide as plates. Leonard lost his balance and fell onto his side.
Sheldon's laugh was loud and deep. It was lightyears away from his usual wheezy snorts. It was short and barking, and Leonard realized it was the first time he'd ever known his roommate to really laugh.
It was also the most bitter thing he'd ever heard.
"Lenird, I wus eleven years old." Sheldon stated, his voice still full of that dark amusement that, frankly, was scaring everyone. "Yuh cain't letta a teenager live alone." He closed his eyes. "I wus home evree weekend. An' so were the rest of 'em."
. . .
November 19th, 1996
"Missy, get yir daddy and brother! Shelly's home!" Mary yelled as she drove her truck down the street. She glanced at her son, sitting straight and tall in the passengers seat.
"Baby, when are ya lookin' tuh get your lisence?" She asked. Sheldon shifted in his seat.
"I have more 'portant things tug occupy mah time then learin' the simpleton task of drivin'" He said softly. Mary chuckled a little, looking sideways at her son.
"Ain't that right. My son, college graduate at fourteen."
Sheldon allowed himself a self satisfied smirk.
"It is rather 'mazing, innit? Although I wish I had more time-"
"SHELLY!"
Sheldon jumped in surprise as he saw they had pulled into the driveway of his home.
Missy kept yelling as she came running down the front steps, her dark hair billowing behind her. She didn't even wait for Sheldon to get all the way out of the car before hugging him. He sat stock still, twitching uncomfortably. After a few awkward seconds, Missy backed away, brushing her hair from her face to hide any discomfort.
"Nice to see ya!" She smiled nervously. "C'mon in, Georgie's cookin' up the chicken."
"All righ'." Sheldon said pleasantly, following his sister into the kitchen. He only had a moment, however, to enjoy the pungent smell of fried poultry before he saw his father, and his heart started beating faster.
Mr. Cooper was sitting at the end of the table, a glass of bourbon clutched in his hand. A seventeen-year-old Georgie was nervously setting plates full of mashed patatos on the table. His eyes only slighted relaxed when he saw Sheldon standing in the doorway.
"Hey bro." He said softly. Sheldon frowned.
"Why are ya whisperin'? Nobodies sleepin'." He said in a normal voice. Georgie flinched. George raised his head slowly. His eyes were red.
"Stop with yer yellin', you son of a bitch." He wailed. Sheldon took a step back, alarmed. Mary shook her head and walked through the kitchen threshold.
"Yer daddy's jus' hangover."
Sheldon blinked.
"Bein' hungover requires alcohol. You tol' me three weeks, two dayes, and sixteen hours 'go tha' he stopped drinkin'."
Missy bit her lip. Mary and Georgie exchanged a guilty look. Sheldon's face grew red. He crossed his long boney arms in front of him.
"I take yer silence as an awakird cover up of some sort of untol' truth." He said said, his voice rising. "Are you implyin' that you lied tuh me?"
Mary reached for her son.
"Sweetums, you were awful busy wit yer doctor stuff. We dinnit wanna upset yuh."
She tried to take his hand. He jerked away.
"Don' touch me!" Sheldon practically shrieked. Georgie shot him a glare.
"Shelly, be quiet."
George groaned in the corner.
"Somebody shut tha' boy up!" He slurred. Sheldon started to hyperventilate. Georgie sighed, giving Sheldon an even sterner look.
"Shelly, calm down."
George leaned forward across the table and made a swat at the side of Sheldon's head.
"I tol' you tuh SHUT UP!" He slurred.
Sheldon crouched onto the floor, opening his mouth to scream.
But suddenly, there was a loud /smash/ Everyone whipped around to see Georgie standing over the smashed remains of Sheldon's blue plate. He slowly looked up at his brother, blue eyes full of malice. His big, white hands balled into fists.
"STOP ACTIN' LIKE SUCH A FUCKIN' BABY!" Georgie roared, his glare on Sheldon intensifying. Sheldon's hyperventilation only got worse as he shrunk under Georgie's angry gaze. Mary Cooper ran forward to her eldest son and raised her hand threateningly.
"George Michael Cooper, you do not curse in mah house."
Georgie pushed her hand aside, and strode across the kitchen, advancing on Sheldon, who was starting to get lightheaded.
"EVERYBODY TREATS YUH LIKE YER GOD'S GIFT TUH HUMANITY!" He yelled as his father groaned and stood up behind him. Georgie didn't even notice. He just waved his arms in Sheldon's face. "BUT Y'ALL ARE IS SOME FREAK WHO ACTS LIKE A DAMN FOUR YEAR OLD AND RUNS AWAY AS SOON AS HE CAN!" He pushed Sheldon backward and sent him tumbling back through the kitchen threshold.
Mary and Missy gasped, horrified. Sheldon slowly rose, propping himself up on his elbows. He looked into the kitchen, and saw Georgie looking down at him, his arms hanging limply at his side. His eyes were wide and blank. A deep, rumbling sound filled the house. Pushing by his older son, George Cooper shook his head, a sick smirk on his face.
He crouched down and shoved Sheldon back to the ground so hard, it cracked the floor beneath him.
"Damn righ'. Stop actin' like a faggot." He chuckled, swaying slightly.
Mary screamed. Georgie stood expressionless over her as the deep roar of his father filled the house.
Sheldon didn't wince at the pain. He just closed his eyes, and tried to pretend his father wasn't laughing at him.
"Tha's jus' thundir." He murmured to himself. Mary pushed past Georgie and George, who were still standing in the door, staring at Sheldon.
"Shelly, don' you pay 'em any mind..." she said tearfully, squatting down next to him.
Sheldon didn't look at her, just shrugged.
"I don' listen. It's jus' thundir." He said, his voice higher than normal. Mary furrowed her brow in confusion. George was still chuckling to himself.
"Shelly, what are yoo talkin' about..."
Sheldon abruptly thrust his arms in the air, towards her.
"It's jus' a weather phenomenon, that noise. Jus' thundir." He waved his arms. "Can yuh carry me tuh mah room?" His eyes were huge and filling with tears.
Mary hesitated, looking from her older son, frozen in the doorway, to her demonic husband laughing right next to it, to her little boy, her fourteen year old with his arms outstretched, tears dancing in his eyes.
She bit her lip and looked away.
"Shelly, you're almost fifteen. Besydes, you don' want me touchin' yoo."
Sheldon deflated.
He let his arms fall to his sides. His eyes lost any light they'd been carrying. He slowly stood up, and let out a shuddering breath that turned into a sob. He wavered, then fell against the wall, the sob becoming a torrent of crying and wailing and gasps, while the rest of his family just stood, looking down on him. Mary felt her heart ache to see her son in so much pain.
"Shelly..." She started, her voice tired and broken. Sheldon stood up suddenly and turned away.
"No! I get to cry! Tha's wha fuckin' babies do!" The last word came out a screech. Sheldon turned and stumbled up the stairs, tears running down his face.
When Mary came to check on him a few hours later, he was passed out on his bed.
There were three new cuts on his shoulder.
But she couldn't see that.
Even in the heat of Texas,
long sleeve shirts are good for something.
Even smart babies can get a little stuck.