"I don't understand?"
"You heard what the doctor said didn't you?"
"Well yea, but that doesn't mean I get it."
Survey squeezed Spam's hand gently from where he sat, right beside his younger brother's hospital bed.
Spam was sitting there quietly, looking down at his lap without really seeing anything…
"Spam doesn't have a… Permanent colour." Click said slowly.
"Yea, I got that." Popup huffed.
"Well then what don't you get?" Click asked.
"How… Why?" Popup stressed, "I mean, I'm not sure about you, but this is the first time I've ever heard of something like this." The Pink Addison mused.
"I knew that an Addison could come in ombre… But not colour morphing."
Spam's hand squeezed Surver's tightly at that…
"It's pretty cool though, right?" The Blue brother piped up softly as he squeezed his baby brother's hand back.
"Oh absolutely." Popup replied without hesitation, Survey sighed as Spam's grip on his hand loosened.
"I'm probably worrying over nothing anyways. The doctor said that Spammy's in perfect health which is what's important… Only difference now is that he… sort of has a colour?"
"Did the doctor say what the reason behind his colour morphing might be?" Survey asked softly.
"They had a hunch or two." Click admitted, "But nothing concrete, they want to run a few more tests to try and figure some things out… But the best guess they have right now is that Spam is just an Undecided Addison."
"And… Do you have any idea what that means?" Popup asked.
"Well… The doctor made it out like… You all know how Spam is really good at a lot of different things?" Click began slowly; "Well apparently, part of the reason why he's stayed Snowy for so long is because there wasn't a single colour that would fit him best, because he could fit into any colour." Click explained as best he could.
"And now?" Survey asked from Spam's side.
"Now they're guessing that… Spam's body has just given up waiting for him to fit into a specific colour… So he's slipping between all of them."
"Makes sense." Popup piped with a cheeky grin as they moved to Spam's other side, reaching out to casually fuffle the youngest Addison's crest affectionately.
"Who would have figured that Mr. busy-body, all odds and ends, 'You got a problem, I'm your solution' wouldn't be able to settle for anything."
Spam groaned, annoyed, as he swatted at the Pink Addison's hand.
"I told you I hate that slogan!" He whined.
"Oh c'mon Spammy!" Popup laughed, "That slogan was a masterpiece! I wept when you rebranded!"
"It was atrocious." Spam deadpanned.
"You take that back!" Popup seethed heatlessly, "It was beautiful!" The Pink Addison hissed as they did their very best to keep a straight face.
Eventually however, a small snort wormed its way up their throat and before long the four siblings, Click included, were having a laugh in the middle of the hospital room.
"You're the worst." Spam snickered as he lightly shoved at Popup's arm, his older sibling grinning widely, "Well then where's my award?"
"I'll mail it to you." Spam quipped with a wink, "Expect it to arrive in one to three business days."
By that point, all the siblings were seated around Spam's bed, Survey at his left, Popup at his right and Click by his feet. It was comforting, seeing them all there, knowing that they were there for him.
But as the saying goes… Speak… Or in this case, think of the devil and he shall come.
A knock at the door had the four falling quiet, expecting it to be a doctor… But when a second, quieter series of knocks came instead of a doctor, the four siblings looked among themselves before Click finally stood and walked to the door.
His posture immediately stiffened upon catching sight of whoever stood there, and it didn't take a genius to realize who he was talking to when the first thing out of his mouth was'
"What are you doing here?"
Upon hearing Click's tone drop like that, Popup and Survey immediately fell into what could be described as defensible positions, with Popup rising from their seat to situate themself between Spam and the door while Survey moved himself closer to Spam's side.
Boost's reply was quiet, barely making it past Click who stood guard at the door, hands going as far as to grip the doorframe, preventing Boost from shoving his way past if he decided to try his luck.
"Oh spare me the guilt trip." Click hissed as he forced himself forward, closing the door behind him, not that it did much good for privacy, Click was riled, his voice sharp and clear through the door.
"You have no legs to stand on, you know that."
"I know… I know I just… I came to apologize…"
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."
"I know… I need to talk to Spam."
"I'm not going to let you waltz in."
"Come on Click… I'm here to make things right, or at least try to… You keeping me from apologizing doesn't help anybody."
"Tough."
"Why are you being so-... Why… Are you icing me out here Click?"
"You're not that stupid Boost, you know why."
"Look, I'm sorry, alright. I'm sorry for everything…"
"And you know what Boost? You're five years too late to just be sorry."
"I know Click… I know… And I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you and Spam and Survey and Popup… But I can't do that if you're always trying to ice me out."
"I'm not icing you out Boost! You walked away!"
"And who's fault was that!"
"Don't you dare pin your shitty choices on me Boost, you know what you did!"
"You put me between a rock and a hard place!"
"I told you to stop treating Spam's lack of colour as a problem! And when you couldn't promise me that I told you to come back when you could! And you!... You just never did…"
The hallway grew quiet, and the three siblings waited in the room with baited breath.
"Next thing I hear is that you offered to take Spam to a specialist of all things…"
"I thought he needed help."
"No, you thought that he needed fixing. You thought that him being colourless was something that needed correcting… You thought that being related to someone colourless was something to be ashamed about and I can't even begin to fathom where you got such a stupid idea from."
"I'm sorry…"
"Why are you even here Boost."
"I told you, I came to apologies."
"Why now? It's been five fucking years, Survey and Popup have given you too many chances in my books…"
"I know."
"And Spam came to you crying tears of fucking joy when he first got a hint of colour, begging you to come home."
"I know…"
"Ads damn it Boost… If… If you're only here because Span finally got his colours I'm going to kill you."
"It's not like that!"
"It fucking better not be like that!"
"It's not, I swear!"
"You already came close e-fucking-nough to ruining Spam, Boost. I'm not going to let you again, do you understand me?"
"Yes."
"Good. Wait here."
Click walked back into the hospital room, visibly tense, his jaw clenched and knuckles white at his side as he slammed the door hard enough to have the whole room shaking.
He took a deep, shuddering breath before turning to Spam.
"Boost is in the hallway."
"I… I heard…" Spam replied softly, nervously. Click merely nodded.
"You don't have to see him." The oldest Addison said gently as he returned to Spam's bedside.
"I can send him away…"
"Oh please do." Popup sneered coldly as they glowered at the door, luckily, Boost wasn't in the window… Spam didn't know what he would have done if his brother was…
"No… Don't do that…" Spam mumbled as he wrung his hands nervously.
"You don't need to see him, you know." Survey said reassuringly, "You don't need to indulge him. You can just cut him out and not bother with him again…"
"I… Know…" Spam whispered as his hands tangled with the thin blankets of the hospital bed he was sitting on…
"I…" Spam swallowed thickly, already feeling his eyes beginning to burn as he looked over to Click.
"Send him away…" He sniffled.
"I… I can't see him now, I can't…"
Survey cooed something soft as he pulled Spam into a hug, the youngest brother turning to cling to the Blue Addison at his side.
"You're alright…" Survey whispered softly.
"Get his number!" Spam cried into his brother's shoulder, hands clinging to Survey's shirt.
"I-I need to talk to him- I just can't see him."
Spam peered over at Click who was facing the door, his back to the rest of them.
"Tell him I'll text him when I'm ready…"