Chapter 17: A Hard Day's Night

SEBASTIAN

After the news Ella had been keeping was revealed, a hazy tension hung in the air. Sebastian and Griffin had remained silent on the matter, as neither of them knew enough about the current climate of McKinley to contribute, and nobody wanted to anger anyone further by taking one sibling's side over the other's. Even Tina seemed somewhat sorry for looking at Ella's phone and prying as to why she had been texting Santana, which was what had gotten them all into this mess in the first place.

Sebastian had never been too fond of Tina, and this was a perfect example of why. She was too nosy for her own good and didn't seem to have any sort of shame stopping her from crossing any and all boundaries. Now, Sebastian wasn't delusional enough to think that he was exempt from these same allegations, but he was mostly sure that he could handle these kinds of situations better than she could. And, truthfully, he just found her to be irritating.

But Sebastian also knew that Tina would be around for the long haul, wherever Artie was concerned. Those two were best friends– no ifs, ands, or buts about it– so Sebastian figured that the sooner he grew accustomed to her (very attention-seeking) presence, the better off he'd be. Maybe they'd even be able to form a friendship of their own… but he wasn't holding his breath.

"So… How's the weekend been going so far?" Tina asked just then, breaking the silence by changing the subject. "You said your parents are, like, forcing you to hang out all weekend? With just each other?"

"Just us four all weekend long," Griffin confirmed, appearing grateful for the new topic of conversation. Hopefully, that would ease the level of sibling conflict in the room back down to baseline. "As soon as Mom and Harrison caught wind of what Artie and Seb had been up to– with the underground feud that transcended that of a healthy show choir rivalry– they set this up."

"Is it… working?"

Normally, Sebastian would have directed one of his trademark snarky comments Tina's way ("How does it look like it's been working, Tina Blowin'-Wang?! Look around!"). But, in the spirit of accepting Tina Cohen-Crazy's new presence in his life and all that jazz, he decided to remain civil.

"It had actually been going pretty smoothly up until about twenty minutes ago," Sebastian shared brightly. "And I'm sure if anyone had placed a bet on who out of the four of us would be the one to start an argument, all of the votes would have been in my favor. But, surprisingly, I had nothing to do with it this time!"

His demeanor was cheery as he said that, but Artie and Ella still weren't having it. Both of them were sitting with their arms crossed, scowling. Tough crowd.

"I feel like it's been helping, though, don't you all? Getting to spend time together just us?" Sebastian asked the others, keeping up with his uncharacteristic positivity, even when he received half-hearted shrugs from Ella and Artie.

Griffin seemed to recognize that his brother and sister were not in the mood to contribute to the conversation anymore, so he took it upon himself to back Sebastian up.

"For sure. We were all just kind of thrown into this living arrangement without much warning. Getting to know each other more throughout this weekend has helped, I think."

"What kinds of things have you been doing?" Tina asked, leaning forward with interest, resting her elbows on her knees.

"Friday we went bowling," Artie said, finally speaking up. "Because it seems like that's all there ever is to do in this town."

"Then, yesterday morning, Ella and I got breakfast together," Sebastian added.

"And after that, we headed to the batting cages and mini golf course," Griffin said, contributing to the moment-by-moment rundown they were giving Tina.

"Yeah, then we got frozen yogurt and watched a movie," Sebastian finished. "I've been learning a lot about how this family works. I kind of feel like we've just been co-existing with one another all winter. You know, when we weren't fighting." He glanced at Artie at that, of course, and the other guy's expression wasn't immediately readable to Sebastian. "But I'm actually starting to… feel like part of the family for real. Like the other night, for example. I wouldn't have known what to do, but you guys are all pros and showed me the ropes."

"What do you mean? What happened the other night?" Ella wanted to know, knitting her eyebrows together.

"You know. When we got back from bowling?"

And immediately, all three Abrams kids exchanged a glance. Because, yes, they all remembered what had happened the other night.

Lima, Ohio

March 2012

Two nights earlier

When they returned home from their night spent at the bowling alley, it was nearly nine-thirty. Late by some standards, but still relatively early for the four of them, being teenagers and young adults. On the drive home– hopped up on sugar from the slushies they'd gotten on their way out the door– the kids had decided that this was the perfect night for a movie night, so that's what they planned to do when they went inside.

In the driveway, Sebastian watched as Griffin expertly assembled Artie's wheelchair in record time, setting the brake when it was below the passenger side door and Artie began the meticulous trek down from the pickup truck. It was an awkward transfer, but Sebastian didn't offer to help or anything. Over the last few months since moving in, he'd come to realize that Artie's wheelchair didn't prevent him from doing much. He was far more independent than Sebastian had realized, which went to show how Sebastian had let his assumptions about Artie's abilities overpower what little he actually knew about him.

Artie's siblings hadn't offered to help him either, even when he failed to suppress a groan during the process. The golden rule in the Abrams family, Sebastian had learned, was not to try and 'help Artie out' unless he explicitly asks you to do so.

It wasn't until Artie was back in his chair and the siblings were on their way inside that Sebastian first got the sense that something was wrong.

Usually, Artie used his wheels to his advantage, gleefully pushing ahead of everyone else and waiting for them to catch up to him. But he wasn't doing that tonight. Instead, he trailed behind the others, and it looked like it was taking great effort for him to push his wheels. As Seb held the front door open for him, he couldn't help but notice the fact he didn't look very good. His skin was pale, and the pinched expression on his face was a stark contrast from Artie's usual cheerful, animated self. He just looked– for lack of a better word– sick.

Once they were all inside, they took a moment to hang up their jackets, and Sebastian noticed Artie's stiff, almost robotic movements as he took off his coat, which was strange.

"Hey Artie, you good, man?" Sebastian dared to ask as they made their way through the kitchen and into the living room. He noticed again that Artie was moving slower than usual, almost as if he was sleepy.

In a moment where Artie would typically glance over his shoulder, he pulled his wheels to a stop before pivoting his entire body to face Sebastian.

All three sets of curious eyes were on Artie now, and Sebastian could make out the exact moment that he decided to brush off whatever it was that was bothering him.

"Yeah. Fine. Why?"

"You just look…" Sebastian hesitated then and took a moment to choose his words wisely, not wanting to set Artie off by offending him. "… Uncomfortable, is all."

Artie seemed to have something to prove just then, because he sat up a little straighter and made a show of transferring from his chair to the couch. That idea to demonstrate that he was fine backfired though, because his face immediately tightened and his skin turned whiter. When Artie tried to shift his position and struggled to do so, he winced again.

"It's nothing," Artie maintained, his frustration with all of the excess attention beginning to show. "It's just some nerve pain."

"That doesn't sound like nothing," Sebastian couldn't stop himself from saying before Artie glared in his direction to let him know just how unhelpful that comment was.

"Art, whatever's going on, you should say something," Griffin told him, catching on to the abnormalities that Sebastian had previously noticed. "We can help you."

"No, Griff, you can't," Artie replied, exasperated, as he tried to shift his position on the couch again, surprising himself and the others by crying out in pain in the process. "Agh!"

The sudden exclamation had Griffin and Ella by his side in an instant. They sprang into action, each taking on their own role in comforting him. It appeared that this wasn't the first time they'd dealt with a situation like this, and it seemed like they knew how to handle it. Sebastian, however, swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in his throat and hung back, frightened by the whole ordeal.

"You're in pain, Artie, that's not nothing," Ella patiently told him, kneeling beside the couch.

"Here, Art, lie back. I've got you. Just lean back. Slowly, slowly," Griffin advised, placing his hands on his younger brother's shoulders and guiding him until he was taking up the whole couch. "There. Is that better? El, can you put one of those pillows under his head?" Ella did as she was told, assisting Griffin in what everyone in the room hoped would ease Artie's pain. "Thanks. It's okay, Art, I've got you. I'm sorry. I know this hurts, I'm sorry. Just bear with me. I'm going to move your legs, is that okay?"

Artie made a sort of grunting-whimper noise as Griffin ever so gently lifted his legs and placed a second pillow underneath them. Griffin then picked up one of his legs and slipped his shoe off, beginning to massage the muscles in Artie's calf as his brother squeezed his eyes shut, writhing with discomfort. Sebastian assumed that Griffin's actions were meant to quiet whatever intrusive sensations Artie was experiencing, though he wasn't quite sure how.

"Here, Artie, squeeze my hand," Ella said as she took her older brother's hand in her own.

Artie didn't hesitate to take her at her word, and Sebastian watched Artie's knuckles turn white as he seemed to finally let his guard down, showing Griffin, Ella, and Sebastian just how much his own body was betraying him. How quickly Artie could progress from 'fine' to enduring unimaginable pain the second he gave up the façade he always tended to utilize to prevent others– even his siblings– from seeing him struggle, was jarring.

Sebastian continued to stand in the doorway of the living room and watched with wide eyes as everything went down. He didn't know what exactly was wrong with Artie, or what nerve pain felt like, but it sounded (and seemed, from what he was witnessing) like it was painful. Sebastian didn't want to overstep by offering to help; he and Artie weren't close yet by any means, and he didn't want to make Artie any more uncomfortable than he was already. And the absolute last thing he wanted to do was be in the way of the other two Abrams siblings as they worked to comfort their brother, so he stayed put a few yards away. His heart softened, though, and part of him wished that he and Artie were on better terms so that he could do whatever he could to make Artie comfortable too.

"Hey, Art? I'm going to go get you some painkillers," Griffin said, setting Artie's other leg that he'd been gently kneading back down.

"No, no–" Artie was quick to protest through the tears that had begun to trail down his cheeks, and Sebastian couldn't fathom a reason his soon-to-be step-brother would want to refuse the drugs that would dissipate the pain that was coursing through his body. Griffin, on the other hand, seemed to anticipate this response from him.

"I know, they make you tired. But it's fine. We'll just watch a movie tomorrow night, okay? It's not a big deal. I'd rather you be able to enjoy the movie with us, instead of being in so much pain the whole time," Griffin calmly-but-firmly assured him. "I'll be right back, I promise. Hang tight."

Griffin stood up to leave the room, heading through the kitchen and toward the corridor that led to Artie's bedroom. Ella stayed vigilantly at Artie's side, using the sleeve of her long-sleeved shirt to dab the sweat that was beginning to form on his forehead. With one more glance in Artie's direction, Sebastian followed Griff, close on his heels.

"What's happening?!" Sebastian wondered, the worry he was feeling raising his voice to a pitch that he wasn't accustomed to.

"He has nerve pain sometimes," Griffin explained. "It's a side effect that some people with spinal cord injuries like Artie's have to deal with. It's not pretty."

Sebastian continued to trail behind Griffin, who was walking with purpose like a man on a mission, and before Seb knew it, they were standing in the middle of Artie's bathroom.

Artie's bathroom was spacious with tile flooring, and everything was clearly custom-built with his needs in mind. Unlike the other showers in the house, Artie's didn't have a bathtub, which Sebastian correctly assumed was to make it easier for him to transfer onto the shower bench. His bathroom also had a handheld shower head and a few metal bars attached to the wall over by the toilet. The sink and countertop were lowered too, designed so that his chair could just roll under it.

Sebastian had never been in Artie's bathroom before. The other guy usually kept the door closed, like it held all of his closely guarded secrets. Every time Sebastian had barged into Artie's bedroom unannounced and uninvited, the door was shut. Sebastian felt somewhat guilty to be standing in here with Griffin now, unsure how Artie would feel about him in his private space.

Griffin began rifling through the bottom drawer on the left side of Artie's sink and counter space. The drawer contained prescription pill bottles– dozens of them– and Griffin picked up each one and read each label before moving on to the next. He'd picked up six or seven different containers before coming across the one he was looking for. Also in the drawer was a master list of the medications and what they were used to treat (for someone who may not be as well-versed in pharmacology, Sebastian guessed), but Griffin didn't even need to reference it. Sebastian felt like he deserved to earn some kind of degree for that skill.

"It usually doesn't get this bad this fast," Griffin explained. "I have a feeling he's been dealing with some kind of discomfort all night and just didn't say anything."

"Why didn't he?"

Griffin was able to laugh at that as she shook out the correct dosage of the medication. "Because he doesn't like being seen as 'different'. He'd rather deal with shooting pain in his legs than make others aware of what he's dealing with. He's stubborn. Will you fill him a cup of water?"

Sebastian obeyed Griffin's request, turning on the faucet and filling a small Dixie cup with tap water, but he was still confused at what Griffin had just told him. Pain in his legs?

"His legs? But I thought he couldn't feel below his waist."

"He can't, but listen," Griffin began, shutting Artie's drawer and catching Sebastian's eye. "I don't really know how it works or how to explain it, all I know is that it hurts him. And for Artie to admit that he's in pain means it hurts more than just a little. His pain threshold is, like, superhuman. I don't know how he does it. I'm guessing that everything probably pales in comparison to what it feels like to snap your back in half." The older guy shrugged. "But seriously, it's rare he ever breaks down like this. He's tough, but not nearly as tough as he pretends to be. So, we do what we can to try and help him get comfortable so that the pain subsides fast. I hate seeing him like this."

"Yeah…" Sebastian sighed. "Me too."

"Alright, that's enough," Artie interjected, avoiding eye contact with the others and busying himself by undoing the velcro of his fingerless gloves before tightening them again.

"Hey. Whoa. Who's telling the story here?" Sebastian reminded him. "Oh, that's right! Me."

"But it's about me! At my expense!"

"Come on, you're overreacting! I wasn't actually talking about you, I was talking about how it made me feel! Like… like I was an outsider! I had no idea what was happening, I was…" Sebastian's heart raced as he prepared to finish that sentence and dare to admit some vulnerability of his own. "I was scared! You guys are already a well-oiled machine, and I just felt like I was in your way!"

Tina had asked about the events of the weekend so far, and Sebastian had answered! After all, the whole reason why the parents had orchestrated this weekend in the first place was with the intention that the kids would learn more about one another's perspectives on the world so that they could live peacefully under one roof, right? All Sebastian had been doing was pointing out the way that the events of Friday night had brought to light the fact that he still had plenty to learn about being the brother of a paraplegic. How was that a bad thing to say?! Sebastian didn't get where Artie's outburst was coming from.

"You don't listen to me, do you? In every single conversation we've ever had, you look at me with your eyes glazed over and your mouth stops moving, but the entire time, you're just waiting until it's your turn to speak again!" Artie snapped.

"I do not–"

"You're doing it right now!"

"Am not."

"Are too! If you were really hearing me, you'd say, 'I'm sorry, Artie. That must suck not to be heard. I'll be better from now on.'"

The tension between the two boys seemed to have reached a level that was too much for Tina. She stood up from the couch then, muttering that she forgot that her mom had asked her to go run an errand for her and that she'd see Artie at school tomorrow. She retrieved her backpack from the kitchen, then couldn't have hurried out of the house faster if she'd tried.

"I was hoping that all that has happened recently– Watson auditioning for The Warblers, Karofsky, this weekend– would have some sort of impact on you. But I guess I was wrong to expect that," Artie continued. "You want to make it seem like this weekend has been so good for you. Like you've changed after, I don't know, learning a little bit about accessibility. But guess what? I know better. I know you're still just the same old conceited douchebag you've always been. You're still the same guy who slushie-assaulted Blaine and Santana. Hearing a few childhood stories or-or-or just, like, living here for a few months hasn't changed that!"

"Relax, Hot Wheels! Dial it down a notch, will you?!"

"No! And stop calling me that!" Artie yelled before forcefully unlocking his wheels in one swift motion and pivoting quickly, storming off toward his room.

Sebastian felt the blood rush to his face before he promptly got up to head to his room as well, running up the stairs two at a time before slamming his bedroom door hard enough to knock a framed picture of him and his mother off the wall. He hoped that Artie was able to hear the crash from downstairs.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

What would a season 3 Sebastian and Artie story be without a heaping of drama? You didn't think I'd let Sebastian outgrow his self-centered, douchey phase too quickly, did you?! ;)

Thank you for all of the reviews so far! Please keep them coming, and make sure that you follow the story and have your email notifications for on so that you never miss an update!