Taking the Pain Away

Chapter 8

Words: 2,500+

Rated: M

tumblr; thefluffyrenegade

Quick index of the medication mentioned for your convienience! .
Tramadol: A non-narcotic pain reliever, used to aid in the treatment of withdrawals from opiates.
Vicodin: Hydrocodone and acetominophen. Strong pain reliever for moderate to sever pain. Extremely addictive.
Hydrocodone: A narcotic pain reliever. It is extremely addictive, and hard to treat addiction for.
Tylonol: An non-narcotic pain reliever, which compared to the priar is weak. For someone on either, Tylonol and Ibuprofin won't treat pain.

A/N: I was really disapointed with the last chapter so I hope this one makes up for it for all ofyou. Also, did you know we reached 3500 views and 1000 readers in two weeks for both of my fanfics on ? Holy cow! You guys are great. This fanfic has a ways to go so I hope you'll stick around and enjoy the ride. Also, if you follow my Tumblr you know that the reason updates have been slow is that we are moving (well, unpacking now!) and I had to get my finger stitched up at the ER. ^^; Long story! -Blizzy

The stitches on Cry's forehead from hitting the edge of the counter had to stay in for at least three weeks, as the cut was much deeper than the ones on his arm. However, after a long nine days in the hospital on suicide watch and recovering from the harmful effects of the handful of various pills he had ingested, Cry was able to have the stitches in his arm taken out, and was permitted yo go home.

"I hate needles." Cry tried to sound humorous but instead the statement came out as a shaky, horrified whimper, his eyes following the nurse as she shuffled about beside his bed, preparing everything she would need. He was shaking like a leaf and his eyes were wide, a soft, terrified noise escaping his throat every so often. Jund wasn't so convinced that Cry even realized he was doing that, but he felt awful. The tray was quickling filling with needles, tweezers, scissors, as well as a few other tools he didn't quite recognize. "Can one of us at least hold his hand?" he asked, to save Cry the embarassment of doing so himself.

Cry gave his friend and appreciative glance. Scott just nodded and smiled in return.

"Actually, it'll be really helpful if one of you could hold his hand, and one of you hold down his arm, just so he and I both don't get an accidental poke with the numbing medicine..." She tried to joke but Cry paled, suddenly ligtheaded. "Why does someone have to hold my arm down?" He squeaked, looking desperately at Pewds.

"I'm not going to lie, Mr. Terry...the numbing agent hurts, a lot. But after it takes effect, it will hurt a lot less than if you could feel me taking out your stitches."

The nurse appointed to Cry was young, fresh out of college and finicky as a mouse. She looked nervous herself, but her hands were steady and she was quite skilled for her age. Througout the stay, Cry had gotten to know her well. They had picked each other's brains for hours one evening...he was cerain she was truly destined to be a counselor, with a mind like hers. But at the moment, his thoughts were on other things, including the small needle of almost-white liquid she brandished, waiting. "Okay, who wants to volunteer?"

Cry lookd over at his friends and swallowed hard. Red was sitting a few feet away, behind everyone else, playing on her laptop. "...Red, I need you..." The girl blinked and looked up. Cry's blue eyes were soft, pleading and desperate...not having expected this Red looked confused. She musn't have been listening to what was going on, because she looked around the room, blank faced. "What?"

"I have to have my stitches out. I need someone, Red. Please." He swallowed hard, bracing for rejection. After what he had done, he didn't doubt that he deserved it.

Instead, the red head nodded, placing her laptop on the small coffee table, and walked over to Cry's bed, sitting down beside him and wrapping her arm around his shoulder. Pewds went to the other side of the bed and leaned against it, taking Cry's left arm, and held it gently in place, a pillow propping up the injured appendage.

"Okay, here we go." The girl warned, his voice warm yet apologetic.

Cry closed his eyes and pressed his nose into Red's shoulde, his breathing rapid with fear.

The 'numbing agent' felt like acid being injected into Cry's arm and he cried out, tears springing to his eyes, and curled his fingers into Red's sleeve, sobbing. Everyone cringed and shuffled awkwardly, feeling pity for their friend. He had jerked so hard that the needle had slid from his arm and the nurse had to start over. Red felt herself draw ina shaky breath and softly pet down Cry's messy brunette hair. "It's okay, shhh..." she whispered against his ear, feeling him shake, hearing him cry against her shoulder. Resentment and anger over their fight forgotten, she consoled him as best as she could.

The nurse apologized and Pewdie had to take a greater grip on the other's arm tighter to prevent him from jerking away again, unable to take his eyes away fromthe nurse working on his arm. The needle again breached Cry's skin and he shrieked once more, anger at his weakness and resentment for the position he had put himself in flaring up as he sobbed against his friend's neck, unable to stop shaking and crying. His throat had since healed from the various tubes and masks he had been subjected to but suddenly his voice was hoarse and broken. "O-o-ow..." he shivered, inhaling sharply.

Because the row of deeper scars were so long, the nurse had to inject the medicine into several locations. It never got any easier for Cry. Each time, he felt the acid-like medication eating away at his flesh, as he imagined it was, and burn through his entire arm like liquid fire. With a final sob she removed the needle and threw it into a redbiohazard trash can nearby. "We're all done with that," she apologized. "You won't even be able to feel the stitches, okay?" She tried to console him but Cry was still hiding in Red's embrace, crying softly. That was one of the top three most painful experiences of his entire life.

Red continued to stroke Cry's hair as the nurse proceeded to remove all of the stitches in his arm, aside from one particularly deep row, and clean, then bandage up to just above his elbow. Covered with an ace bandage to protect the now clean amd sterilized wound, she alerted him that he was finished, and removed his IV from his right arm. "There, all finished!" she assured, smiling slightly.

She handed Jund a sheet and some prescription papers as she heared him and Pewdie to the doorway, glancing over her shoulder before back up at the men. "I can't in my right mind send him home without something for pain. I've included some Tramodol. Have him take this when the pain isn't severe, or if he has withdawals. It will help, but might make him tired. There is also a low dose Hydrocodone. Give this to him only when the pain is so severe that he can't stand." Her tone was serious. "There is also an antibiotic to be taken twice a day for two weeks, and some ointment for his stitches, forehead and arm. Try to keep that bandaged as long as you can. Throw away everything but one shaving razor, and hold onto that unless you can supervise him. If you notice any signs that he might do that again, or if he starts to fall ill, please, don't hesitate to bring him back."

The girl poked her head in the room and bid adeiu to her new friend, Cry, "It was nice having you, Cry. You made it easy to come to work."

"You made it easy to be here, friend." He replied, requesting to Pewds that she be given his phone number. "Please, i'd love it if you text me."

"Of course." She smiled and walked out of the door and down the hallways.

Cry sank back into the pillows when she left. "I'm so tired...can we go home?" He asked, hopeful. "I miss my pooch." He looked relieved to be rid of the stitches, and excited to be on his way home, and with good reason. He wasn't even sure what day it was anymore, he'd been in the hopsital for so long.

Battlestar and Snake had left two days before, so it was just Pewds, Red, Russ, Scott and Cry on their way back to the apartment. Pewdie and Scott had been designated Cry's gaurdians, as Russ and Red had to leave the next morning, and as soon as Jund left, Pewds was taking Cry back to Sweden. Although Cry didn't complain much about the arrangements, everyone culd tell being treated like an infant had put him on edge and he sat silently in the back seat, chewing on his nail and dozing in and out of sleep.

After stopping for food, they went back to his place.

To no ones suprise, his dog was quite excited to see him. But in Cry's condition, Russ had to hold him back and let Cry lightly pet him before he went back to his kennel. It broke Cry's heart, and guilt overcame him like cold water. He'd done this to himself. He'd put everyone in an awkward position, actually, and many of his friends had missed a week or more of work or spending time with their families just to baby him while he was recovering.

Cry slumped down on the couch and yawned, having a hard time sitting upright. "Fuck, everything hurts..." he laughed, but the statement carried with it a heavy cloud. Jund looked over at Pewds. Red and Russ were in the kitchen and therefor didn't here, which was probably a good thing. Red had her first hard emotional onslaught this week, at least around them, and Jund didn't want her upset anymore.

"Try this, the nurse said it should help."

Cry looked at the small white pill as Scott offered it and raised his eyebrow. "...What is that?"

"It's a pain killer. It should help you sleep."

Jund hadn't expected the surge of emotion from Cry, who shook his head and threw himself off of the couch. "Going to the bathroom." He muttered.

"There's nothing in there, Ryan."

Cry stopped dead in his tracks, but did't turn around. There wasn't...

"What?"

"The pills. They're gone. All of them." The shorter haired man swallowed and looked over at Pewdie, trying to build his resolve. Felix nodded and urged him on, stepping closer closer to Jund for support.

"..Why?" He growled. The answer was obvious but anger and addiction reined over logic and Scott could see the muscles of Cry's shulders tense as he looked behin him, at his friends, furious.

"Do you really need to ask that?" Scott asked, an attempt at humor that fell cold on the friends. Red and Russ had returned to the living room to see what was going on. "You OD'ed, Cry We can't exactly leave medication laying around the house," he started to growl, annoyed that Cry was acting like nothing had happened. "Or do you not remember, because you were high?"

Red placed her hand on Scott's shoulder but he shrugged her away. "You're irresponsible, is why, and this is all you can have. Until you can show us that you aren't going to be dumbass again, this is it. Take it or leave it."

He placed the small pill on the counter a stormed out of the apartment, grabbing his coat along the way. The door slammed shut behind him. Everyone but Cry was silent, as he was busy screaming in frustration at the door, though Jund couldn't hear him. "You can't control me like this, Scott! I'm a fucking adult!" As if he didn't believe Scott's claims, Cry went into the front and back bathroom, slamming the cabinet doors as he searched. Pewds looked over at Red and Russ. "He'll be okay, he's just..."

"Having a withdrawal. I know." She sighed, looking down at her feet. The solemn cloud that had overcome the room threatened to suffocate Pewds. As time passed, he grew frustrated and annoyed, with both Cry and Scott, with the situation... "You guys go on to bed. He'll be okay." He finally murmured, slipping off his coat and heading for the master bedroom, where Cry was probably tearing down the house.

As he had expected, he found Cry sobbing, voice hoarse, trying to find what Pewdie could only imagine was a razor blade and his pills.

Pewdie knew that the razors were gone and the pills were in Scott's bag, but he wasn't going to tell Cry that. Especially not now.

"Cry, come here."

"I can't." He whimpered, sliding down the cabinet door. His shoulders shook with silent sobs and hs head dropped forward, hiding the tears that threatened his pride. "I can't..." he repeated. He looked so broken, Pewds would have never imagined Cry-his Cry-in this position, ever. But here, it was happening, right now in front of him and he was sure that this was not a dream. Not unless he'd been asleep for almost two weeks, and if so, this was a fucking realistic dream.

"Cry, stop, please," he begged, taking a step forward.

"Leave me alone..." he whispered.

"No."

Felix kneeled down in front of Cry and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, resting his chin on the top of his head. "I will NOT leave you alone. Not like this." He sighed and tugged Cry into his embrace, feeling Cry's resistance crumble. His arms sank to Pewdie's neck and he began sobbing loudly, violntly, every sound filled with pain. Real pain.

"Pewds, everything hurts, my whole body does, and I feel sick, like I have the flu, a-and it hurts to walk! It hurts to breath, and stand, and talk..." He cried, clinging to the blonde. Felix just nodded, understanding, or at least trying to understand what Cry was going through, and it sounded horrible. He could tell that he wasn't lying, either, and it made Felix feel terrible. With a soft sigh, he pulled Cry back with him as he leaned against the wall, with his brunette friend now in his lap. He shyly moved his hand to Cry's hip.

"Cry, just try the other medicine, okay? If it doesn't help, we can try and give you a little pain medicine. But we can't, unless you try. Do you know how irresponsible of us it would be to start giving you those pills without trying to help you stop..?" He whispered, frowning. He gently nudged Cry back with his hands on his shoulders to meet his gaze. However, Cry's eyes were focused on Pewdie's jeans, watching his own tears fall and stain them with dark circles.

Without agreeding, or disagreeing, Cry just sat there, tears trailing down his pale skin.

Felix sighed. "Please, take one, for me. Just try, Cry." He pleaded.

"O-okay, okay, i'll try..." Cry reluctantly gave in. Felix felt bad for using the brunette's feelings towards Pewdie against him, but in this instance, it was for his own good. "Can I stay in your room? Like we used to?" The blonde asked, smiling. Cry looked a little startled. "Y-yeah, I guess, bro. You sure?"

Pewds helped Cry to his feet, kissing his cheek. It was a friendly geasture where he and Marzia lived, but to Cry it was special, even if it was just in his daydreamy little imagination. "Of course i'm sure. Come on. Let's go get you some medicine and a shower."

Pewds laughed. "You stink."