Author's Note: Warning, this chapter is pretty dark. Uses themes that may unsettle or disturb some people, viewer discretion is advised.
Remember when you were little, and in school. And there was always that one kid that had to ruin it for everybody? That one kid that made substitute teachers cry and put a bad reputation on the entire class even though it was only that one kid that caused it all. That kid was me. I guess it was true when people said, "It only takes one to screw it up for everybody else." I had screwed up by flushing that coin down the toilet. I hadn't known what heinous events lay ahead of me. Shockingly, this was the worse alternate reality I had created, when it was meant to be the best...and I couldn't change it.
I clutched 2D's frail and weak body in my arms. His head lolled to one side. Hot tears ran down my face as I hugged him saying, "No, you're not leaving me, face-ache!" My heart lurched violently as I watched my friend, (which I would never admit to anybody), 2D, as the life faded from his eyes... I had caused this, I had caused all of this.
Earlier that day...
I woke up with a catch in my neck. I rubbed my sore neck as I tried to dismiss the pain I had received from sleeping in a hospital chair all night. I had stayed the night in the hospital with Jeiel. She lay unconscious, breathing shallowly as I stared at her battered body. I felt my heart swell up with pain, as I remembered the drunk driver.
Suddenly a nurse entered. She seemed to be an older woman with silvery hair and gentle eyes.
"You really care about her, don't you?" The nurse asked me. I nodded my head. She then took a syringe and was about to inject something into Jeiel's bloodstream.
"Whoa, mate, what is that?" I asked alarmed, remembering the lethal injection I had gotten in a different reality.
"Calm down, just her meds. Since right now she can't ingest them, I'll have to inject them." The nurse reassured me and chuckled to herself at the rhyme she hadn't meant to create. I scuffed my black hair as I buried my face in my hands with dismay at everything I had experienced. No matter what, Jeiel can never be mine... I thought with agony.
Suddenly a warm hand was laid on my shoulder. I looked up to see the nurse looking down at me. Her face seemed to portray an understanding to my issues, even though she didn't know me or know what I had been through.
"You should probably go eat something. It may be awhile until she wakes." The nurse told me. I sighed then heaved myself out of the hospital bedroom, I had a feeling she was right.
I decided to go home, desperately wanting to believe everything was going to be alright. Upon entering the house, I was swarmed with Russel and Noodle looking like they had seen a ghost.
"Have you seen Dee? He hasn't come home, was he at the hospital?" Russel asked me. I only blinked.
"Murdoc?" Noodle said with fear in her eyes.
"No, I don't know where 'lil face-ache is." I answered, sounding more exasperated than worried.
"Where could he be?" Noodle asked indirectly with clenched fists. Suddenly the door popped open slightly. I turned around to see 2D. He looked like he hadn't slept all night, dried tears stained his cheeks. Noodle ran up to him and hugged him as he entered the house.
"Where were you?" Noodle asked 2D. 2D only stared to the floor expressionless.
"Dee, you had us all worried 'bout you!" Russel stated coming up to the still 2D.
"I just came back from the hospital." I told them. 2D's eyes lit up at my statement.
"How is she?" 2D asked, walking up to me. I put my hand on his shoulder.
"No change, mate." I informed him. Anger returned to his eyes as he looked at me. He expression seemed to scream, "It should have been you!" Without a word, 2D stomped to his room. I sighed, Noodle and Russel looking at the enraged 2D with disbelief.
"Look, Mudz, we are all devastated 'bout Jeiel's condition and we desperately hope she will miraculously recover, but we all know that 2D was always jealous of you." Russel said matter-of-factually.
"What?" I questioned.
"We all know how 2D feels about Jeiel, and we all know that when he sees you and Jeiel together, something in him dies." Noodle said softly with concern.
Russel then picked up from there saying, "You need to go check up on him, Mudz. He's a hazard to himself right now in his suffering and pain." I sighed and glared at both of them.
"Ever think that I was jealous of him? That ever cross your goddamn minds?! Jeiel was the only thing I have that he doesn't!" I bellowed with rage.
Russel and Noodle gasped with shock.
Noodle looked at me with some difficulty, "So Jeiel's just a prize you have that you can brag at 2D with? Do you even love her?" Noodle asked with disgust. I instantly recoiled. I really did love her, I guess my jealousy of 2D had poisoned my actions. Everything I did was in spite of 2D, and I was starting to regret it.
"No, I-I" I tried to answer but before I could, Russel brought his hands up to dismiss my speaking.
"I think the better question is, do you deserve Jeiel?" With that, both of them walked away from me.
I stood there alone and in silence. Mother fucker! I thought to myself with exasperation as I walked up to 2D's room. I had full intentions to apologize, to tell 2D of my time travel. To tell him that he was meant to be with Jeiel, not me. To tell him that he deserved Jeiel... not me...
I approached his door and knocked on it. No answer. I then knocked on it louder, nothing. I took my hand and wrapped it around the doorknob. I tried to open it, but it was locked.
"Oi, face-ache, open the fucking door!" I yelled through the door. Nothing. I began pounding on his door violently. I then decided to break in.
"I'm gonna knock down the bloody door if you don't unlock it!" I screamed. I waited a couple seconds, but still nothing! I rammed my entire body against the door. The door groaned but resisted my assault. I then kicked the door with so much force, that I successfully broke it from its hinges and it now lay on the floor in defeat.
I entered the room and was taken aback by 2D. He sat on the floor leaning against the wall. His wrists bleeding from newly made slits. His black eyes glazed over, foam spewed out of his mouth as blood ran out of his nose like a river. Fuck! I thought as I ran over to his side. Not only had he cut himself, but he had over-dosed.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, dullard?" I asked 2D as I ripped the sleeves off my sweater and wrapped his bleeding wrists.
"It's going to be okay." I told 2D, as I brushed his blue hair out of his eyes. Trying to reassure myself more than reassuring him.
2D moaned a bit then said, "I'm sorry..." I sighed with mixed emotions of anger, pain, sadness, and care.
"Damnnit face-ache! You deserve Jeiel, you were supposed to be with her. Oh fuck, I've messed everything up!" I wailed. Tears began forming in my eyes.
2D then whispered, "I always 'fought of you as my older brother." 2D whispered with a cough. More tears poured out of me uncontrollably as he said this.
"No matter how badly I've treated 'ya, Stu, I always considered you a close friend." I sobbed to him.
2D smiled slightly, then said in a final breath, "'Fanks, Mudz".
I clutched 2D's frail and weak body in my arms. His head lolled to one side. Hot tears ran down my face as I hugged him saying, "No, you're not leaving me, face-ache!" My heart lurched violently as I watched my friend, (which I would never admit to anybody), 2D, as the life faded from his eyes... I had caused this, I had caused all of this.
I shouldn't have gotten rid of the coin. I had made violent repercussions in this alternate reality. I had shaped it to be everything I had always wanted, but the outcomes of my desires had been plagued with corruption. First, I had killed Jeiel's mother and step-father, and her brother hadn't woken up from his coma. Second, Jeiel had been hit by that drunk driver. She was close to death and the doctors knew it, it would take a miracle for her to survive this. Third, was 2D. I had caused him so much pain. So much jealousy. He had become a druggy, with sleepless nights and suicidal intents due to my actions. I had taken Jeiel from him, Jeiel was like his one bit of medication that truly healed him. That one pain killer he only needed to take once, that was powerful enough to heal him fully so that he never required to take another one again. I realized it was their love that had kept 2D healthy in the original reality, the one we were all supposed to live in... And I had taken that from him, and rubbed it in his face. None of this was supposed to happen. NONE of it!
My selfishness had caused this, and I regretted it! I didn't want to live in this reality. I wanted to go back to the one I was meant to live in, even if it meant I couldn't ever be with Jeiel... I placed my hand on the motionless 2D, onto his neck trying to detect a pulse. I'm too late... I thought as I realized his pulse was no more. I began wailing even louder, rocking back and forth still holding 2D's lifeless body.
"No, I'm so sorry! I don't want this! I didn't want any of this! Please, take me back! TAKE ME BACK TO THE WAY THINGS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE!" I wailed to the coin, even though I had flushed it down the toilet and it was probably half-way to China by now. It could be anywhere...