Chapter Text
“Rabbits like carrots, right?”
“Actually,” Piggy pushed his glasses up his nose, “Carrots have too high of a sugar content for rabbits to eat regularly. The idea that rabbits like carrots was only popularized by—“
“Now is not the time for a history lesson,” Ralph grumbled. Usually, he might have had the tact to at least tune out whatever Piggy was saying, but the day’s events had put him on edge.
Simon had not showed up at all to their study session. To be fair, Simon had a tendency to lose track of time— but he’d always been there, eventually.
Trying not to worry, Ralph had called everyone that he knew that might know Simon— even that insufferable redhead that would not be named, because even thinking his name made Ralph angry (yeah, that’s all it is).
That call had gone straight to voicemail, and Ralph didn’t even bother to leave a message.
Hours later, Simon had called, sheepishly telling him that he had passed out and landed himself in the hospital.
Now, Ralph stood with Piggy in Tesco’s produce section, staring aimlessly at the vegetables in the cooler. Simon was easy enough to shop for; Piggy held the bouquet of pink and yellow tulips that they’d chosen for him. That bloody rabbit, on the other hand, was a nightmare, but Simon loved that thing more than life itself. Despite the extra effort it may take, a gift for Marigold might cheer him up.
“So… what do rabbits like?”
“You do have a phone, you know.” Piggy sighed and rolled his eyes at Ralph’s halfhearted glare. “Try cabbage or celery.”
Ralph grabbed a decent looking stalk of celery and made to put it in the plastic bag. Piggy stopped him.
“Better just to hold it, I think. We don’t want Simon to start worrying about his plastic footprint now, of all times.”
Ralph nodded and tucked the celery into the crook of his arm like a baby.
“I suppose that’s good, then.” He looked over the flowers and the celery once more. “Let’s go.”
After feeding Marigold, Ralph and Piggy set off towards the hospital. Despite their pleas, rabbits were not allowed into the room due to allergies and disease potential. Ralph disagreed, but Piggy hung up on the minimum wage front desk worker before insults started flying.
Piggy stole glances at his friend as they waited for the bus. Ralph very pointedly avoided said glances and glared at the ground instead. From the choir cult to the disaster at the dance, he was already having a hard enough time before Simon fell.
“Are you feeling quite alright?”
“I’m fine, Piggy.”
“Are you sure? Because-”
“I’m fine, Piggy.”
They spent the bus ride in silence.
The chair was uncomfortable. The lights were too bright. The smell was nauseating.
Jack hated hospitals, but the boy in the bed next to him kept him there.
Simon’s heart rate and blood pressure were both normal, but his skin was clammy and pale. His shaky breathing was the only sound Jack could focus on.
He wanted to grip his shoulders and shake him awake, begging him to get up. Seeing Simon pass out was the most scared he had felt in a long time. He knew Simon had a tendency to faint, but he had never witnessed it in person. Seeing his friend hooked up to all these machines made him feel vulnerable.
However, his day was only going to get worse. As he sat at Simon’s bedside, he didn’t notice the two new figures enter the room.
Ralph and Piggy were silent as they opened the door. Ralph still hadn’t spoken a single word since he received the apologetic call from Simon. This entire day had set him on edge. It did every year.
Seeing a certain redhead hovering at Simon’s side was the cherry on top.
Jack immediately stood up when he saw Ralph enter the room. The pair glared at each other.
“Ralph.”
“Jack.”
Piggy stood awkwardly next to Ralph, holding a bag of what Jack assumed to be gifts for Simon once he woke up. “How nice to all be here supporting Simon together!” He said nervously, glancing quickly between the two men.
“Yes.”
“Indeed.”
The two continued to stay planted in their respective spots as Piggy set his bag down next to the bed.
Piggy straightened out with a clap. “Alright then, how are we going to go about this? Simon won’t be able to heal properly if we don’t work together to support him.”
Ralph scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I’m sure we don’t need him here. As Simon’s closest friends, we can handle this ourselves.”
Jack’s reaction was immediate. His temper flared. “Excuse me? Who do you think brought Simon here in the first place?”
Ralph looked at him unimpressed. “You’re probably the reason why he had to go here.”
“The choir was just eating in the dining hall and he fainted at the tray return. Don’t accuse me of hurting him!”
“All you and your stupid choir do is hurt him!” Ralph yelled. “He would be so much better off without you!”
Piggy quickly stepped between the two, who had been getting closer and closer together until their noses almost touched. “Let’s all just take a breath, yeah? This isn’t helping anyone, especially Simo-”
Jack and Ralph started to shout over each other. Insults and profanities flew. Nobody even noticed when Simon sat straight up on his cot, eyes rolled back into his head.
“THE BEAST IS WITHIN US!”
The three stared as Simon passed out again, slamming back down into the pillow below.