Chapter Text
Everything feels... rather fuzzy to Slate when he regains consciousness again. His body is numb and his mind is hazy as he struggles to recall what happened prior to falling asleep. His grogginess mixed in with the fact that the floor beneath him just feels so warm and cozy at the moment threatens to lull him back to sleep again. The idea of opening his eye sockets right now doesn’t seem very appealing when he’s so exhausted that he could do with another few hours of rest...
But... something feels off... enough that it keeps him from falling asleep again.
Is he... forgetting something important?
But what could he be forgetting? He’s currently stuck in his owner’s basement right? So then... why does the floor of his cage feel so different today?
Slate tries to remember what took place before he fell unconscious as he snuggles deeper into the soft material on his cage floor. He can sort of recall being in loads of pain and... he was panicked from being trapped in a dark box before other humans came and-
Wait... the other humans! They apparently wanted to take him to an adoption center, but he was too frightened to go because he didn’t want to be alone again... The last thing he can remember is that Mia had been carrying him when he fell asleep.
So... that means he isn’t locked up in the basement anymore? It wasn’t just some dream his mind made up? Where is he now then? The adoption center maybe? Is Mia nearby, waiting for him to wake up?
It takes all of Slate’s effort to open his eye sockets so he can take a look at his surroundings. He winces at the blinding light that comes flooding into his eyes, not used to waking up in such a bright room when he’s gotten accustomed to doing so in a dimly lit basement.
The first thing he notices is that he’s lying curled up in the center of a soft, bitty pillow and that a star-patterned blanket has been gently draped over the rest of his body so that only his skull remains uncovered. It’s no wonder he feels so snug and warm at the moment.
Slate doesn’t feel like he could get up even if he wanted to as he’s still quite disoriented, so he instead chooses to scan as much of the room in front of him as possible without having to move at all.
It appears as though he’s been placed inside a spacious clear glass rectangular enclosure positioned on a table in the middle of the room. Although he’d rather not be in any type of pen at all, Slate finds he prefers this to his old cage by a wide margin. At least his view isn’t being obscured by mesh in here, so it doesn’t make him feel as trapped as before.... when sometimes it felt like the walls might close in on him... There are also plenty of air holes in the glass, which Slate is grateful for.
Looking outside the glass walls, Slate is able to see a number of filing cabinets in the corner of the room. All of them appear to have been labeled, though he can’t make out what any of them say from his position. A number of chairs seem to have been randomly placed nearby the table he’s on, as if few this room is supposed to occasionally be used for meetings between different humans. Lastly, he can see an open door a few feet away from the table that exits out into some kind of hallway.
Perhaps this is a meeting room of some sort within the center, a place where multiple humans might come to privately discuss bitties they might want to adopt, or to talk to their potential choice of bitty in a more quiet secluded area of the building? It sort of reminds him of the one he and Rust were in ... just before... their adoption...
Probably best if he doesn’t think about that right now...
He wonders why he’s been put in here. Mia was holding him when he fell asleep, but... now it doesn’t look like she’s with him anymore. He thought she’d stay with him and would be there when he woke up... Perhaps he had been a little too optimistic that she wouldn’t leave him alone here...
Slate wipes away the tears that form in his eye sockets before they can fall down his cheeks. He doesn’t want to believe that Mia would abandon him entirely after all she did for him. She’ll come back for him, right?
“OH! YOU’RE FINALLY AWAKE OTHER BABY BLUE!”
Slate lets out a cry in both surprise and fear when he hears a voice yelling from somewhere nearby. Twisting his skull a bit to try and find the source, he spots another Baby Blue bitty walking towards his enclosure from a nearby corner of the table.
Panicking a little in case the other bitty decides to hurt him, Slate tries to scramble away from the newcomer. His tired body apparently doesn’t want to cooperate though as he struggles to break himself free from the blanket covering him and somehow, he ends up getting himself further tangled up in it.
The other bitty winces when he sees how Slate reacts to his presence. He comes to a halt a few inches away from his enclosure and holds his hands up in the air placatingly. “Oh Dear! I’m So Sorry For Startling You! I Was So Excited To See You Finally Awake That I Forgot To Use My Quiet Voice.”
His apology doesn’t help to calm Slate down very much as he continues to stare anxiously at the other bitty, afraid he’ll attack at any moment.
“Um... I Guess I Should Introduce Myself Then!” The new bitty says awkwardly after getting no response from Slate. “My Name Is Sky And I Work Here At This Adoption Centre That You’ve Been Brought To, Either Helping My Human At The Store Front Or Working Back Here To Help Out Rescued Bitties Like You! I’m Here To Assure You That The Previous Bad Human You Lived With Isn’t Going To Hurt You Anymore And You’re Safe Here Now. You’ll Most Likely Be Recovering Here For Some Time So Feel Free To Ask Me Any Questions You May Have.”
Slate cautiously studies the bitty outside his enclosure. At least the others presence has confirmed he’s definitely at an adoption center. He hasn’t seen another Baby Blue in so long that he’d almost forgotten there are other bitties that look and act like him... or at least, bitties that he used to act like anyways. Although he’s wary of the other, Slate decides it can’t hurt too much to ask this bitty some questions.
“I-Is... is my owner seriously gone?” Slate inquires first, since that’s the question weighing the most on his mind at the moment. He can’t help but shudder at the thought of the human coming here for him. What if there’s a chance he’ll try to take him back so he can go through with his plan to sell him?
“Yes, He Is.” Sky confirms with a nod, suddenly looking solemn. “Right Now He’s In Custody For Multiple Charges Of Bitty Cruelty And Abuse Amongst A Few Other Things While He Awaits Trial. However, He’s Already Been Blacklisted From Adopting Bitties In This Center And Many More Around The Country, So There’s Absolutely No Way He’ll Be Able To Get Another Bitty Again.”
Slate feels himself calming a little hearing that. Even though he’s only just met this bitty, he feels as though he can trust his words for some reason. Perhaps it’s because it seems that he’s being really honest with him? It’s a huge relief knowing that his now former owner won’t be coming back for him.
But... what’s going to happen to him now then?
“So How Are You Feeling, Slate?” The other Baby Blue asks after a moment’s silence, making Slate’s eye sockets go wide.
“H-How do you know my n-name?” He stutters out fearfully.
“Oh, The Young Girl That Brought You Here And Has Visited You Everyday Since Told Me What It Was. I Think She said Her Name Is Mia? I’m Sure She’ll Be So Glad To Hear You’re Awake Now. She’s Been Really Worried About You...”
So Mia didn’t just leave him here? That’s a relief for Slate to hear.
“Oh... I-I was a l-little scared she... wasn’t coming back...” Slate admits to the other rather reluctantly, feeling guilty that he doubted her. “... H-Has she r-really been visiting me h-here everyday s-since I arrived?”
Sky responds by giving him a big smile and nodding several times in succession. “Yep! She Definitely Cares About You Lots, You Know. She Even Bought You The Bitty Blanket You’re Cuddling From The Store With Her Own Money, Because She Thought It Would Help You Get Better.”
Slate pulls the warm blanket even closer to himself hearing that news. She... really bought this for him? His last two humans never spent a single cent on him, meaning he never really had anything of value that he could call his own. But now he can say that someone actually cared enough to buy something nice for him. This blanket is a gift from Mia and is his now, so Slate is going to keep it close by at all times. He won’t allow anyone to take it from him now that he knows it’s his.
“D-Do you know w-when she’ll be b-back today?” Slate queries, really hoping he won’t have to wait hours for her arrival.
Sky thinks for a bit before answering. “I’d Say She’ll Get Here Soon. I Believe She’s Normally Let Out Of School Around This Time And She Always Comes Straight Here Afterwards, So You Shouldn’t Have Too Long To Wait.”
“A-Alright...” Slate decides to also ask another question that’s been nagging his mind since he woke up in order to keep their conversation going. He’d rather not then both fall into an uncomfortable silence if he can help it. “Um... May I also ask... H-How long was I out f-for?”
“... Six Days...” Sky confesses after a moment’s hesitation, giving him a sympathetic look.
“S-Six?!” Slate can hardly believe what he’s hearing. “I... Wh-Why was I out for that long?!”
“... You... Were In Quite A Poor Condition When You First Arrived Here... Pretty Close To Dusting Entirely In Fact.” Sky states, making a shocked Slate’s breath hitch momentarily in response. “Thankfully The Contact Mia Was Able To Give You Was Enough To Keep You Stable Until You Got To The Adoption Center... But...”
Sky pauses and his eye lights dim a little, making Slate very nervous about what he’s going to say next. He’s clearly distressed about something that happened while he was out, but why would he be? What could possibly cause this kind of reaction from another bitty?
Sky gets the courage to continue after taking a deep breath, seemingly forcing himself to go on as he meets Slate’s eye lights again. “... When Our Center’s Healer Took You Back Here And Began To Try To Fix The Damages Your... Previous Human Did To You, You Got Much Worse... Your Soul Even Stopped Beating For A Minute And The Healer Wasn’t Sure You Were Going To Make It. It Took A While, But She Finally Got You Stable Again... Though...”
Another pause. Now Slate is really concerned. Why is Sky finding it so hard to recap this story? Waiting for him to start speaking again on his own is excruciating.
“Wh-What is it?” Slate can’t help but ask as he loses his patience with the other. Just tell him already please.
Sky looks torn, eventually letting out a sigh as he relents. “... I... I Don’t Know If I’m Really The Right Bitty To Be Telling You This... But I’ll Try To...”
Sky chooses to sit on the floor before continuing, so he’s now closer to Slate’s level. “Due To The Stress Of Everything You Went Through... Your Soul Has Been Dealt Some Serious Damage Both Psychologically... And Physically... When The Healer Tried To Fix Up Your Right Fibula It... Dusted Upon Contact As Soon As She Tried To Get The Tape Off Of It.”
Slate lets out a horrified gasp. So parts of him had dusted? Just how narrowly did he escape death? He looks to Sky to continue after letting that first piece of news sink in.
“After That, You... Took A Turn For The Worse. You Started Dusting Even More As Your Soul Cracked and Threatened To Shatter Entirely... The Healer Did Her Best To Keep You Alive, But... She Couldn’t Save All Of You. Somehow She Managed To Heal Up Your Broken Ulna And Fixed It, Despite How Bad The Injury Was.” Sky starts to wring his hands as he goes on. “However, After Your Right Fibula Dusted, Your Magic Was No Longer Flowing Correctly Through Your Tibia Or Any Of The Bones In Your Foot Anymore. It’s Like... Your Soul Simply Gave Up Trying To Keep That Part Of Your Body Alive With Your Magic So It Could Be Used To Keep The Rest Of You Intact. Those Bones Soon Turned Gray And... Also Dusted As A Result.”
“Does that mean...?” Slate’s words fail him, too shocked by what he’s just learnt to finish his sentence.
Sky winces a little, clearly pained to be the one telling him this. “Unfortunately, It’s Permanent Because Of The Damage Done To Your Soul, Meaning You’ve Lost Every Bone Underneath Your Patella In Your Right Leg... For Good. Magic Won’t Ever Flow Through That Part Of Your Leg Again... I’m So Sorry...”
Slate feels nauseous. Not only did he nearly die at the hands of his human, but he also permanently lost the lower half of his right leg because of him. He’s immediately overcome with emotion as tears begin to fill his eye sockets and he has to hold back sobs in front of the other bitty.
Why... He thought he’d finally gotten out, that things would start improving since he escaped the human’s clutches. Yet it seems as though he’s fated to be physically and mentally scarred for the rest of his life because of everything he went through. He should have known he would end up paying a price for his freedom...
Slate looks down at the blanket still covering the lower half of his body. He’s terrified of lifting it and seeing nothing where the lower half of his right leg was previously. He’s not sure he’ll ever be ready to see that...
Why are the humans here even keeping him around if he’s so damaged? Surely there’s no use for a bitty like him when he’s like this? After all, who would ever want someone like him when he’s clearly broken?
“So what’s going to happen to me now...” Slate queries after a minute’s silence, desperately needing an answer.
Sky gives him a sympathetic look, seeing how devastated Slate is and clearly feeling for him right now. “Well The Healer Is Currently Working On Making You A Prosthesis Of The Combination Of The Bones You Lost That She Should Be Finished Soon If You Want To Try Using That To Walk On? You May Have To Wait Another Day To Try It Out Though Depending On How Well You’re Healing. Other Than That, You’re Supposed To Get Plenty Of Rest And Take A Little Bit Of Monster Candy Daily Over The Next Week Or So To Heal The Rest Of Your Injuries. Hopefully Then We Can Fully Begin Your Journey Towards Recovery And You’ll Be Able To Walk Around Again In Time!”
Sky makes it sound like his future looks optimistic, but Slate can’t figure out how it could be. He’s lost so much and yet he’s supposed to believe things are going to get better now?
“I... I don’t understand... Why would anyone want to help me when I’m like this?” Slate tearfully gazes down at his scarred hands as his body trembles. “I’m completely b-broken, so w-why waste time and money t-trying to fix me? What c-could I p-possibly have to give anyone now? I... H-How am I ever supposed t-to recover from everything t-that happened?”
He knows he’s asking these questions more to himself than to the other bitty in the room, but Sky does his best to answer them for him regardless.
“Slate... Trust Me When I Say You’re Not Broken. Things Might Look Bad Now, But I Promise They’ll Get Better. I’ve Seen Other Bitties Go Through What You’re Going Through And They’re Doing Very Well Now, Living With People Who Care About Them Despite Their Difficult Pasts. It’ll Be Tough, But I’m Sure You Can Learn To Cope With Your Injury. We’ll Take Care Of You Here At The Center... And Mia Has Also Said She’d Help With Your Recovery Too If That Makes You Feel Better. Close Contact With Her Should Help You To Regain The Strength You’ve Lost, So It Would Be Really Good For You If Do Want Her To Keep Visiting.”
Slate is taken aback by his words, especially by the part about Mia wanting to help him recover. “M-Mia knows... and she still wants to see me?!”
“Yep.” Sky assures him confidently. “She’s Known About Your Leg For A Few Days Now And She’s Seen The Lower Half Of It Missing Too, Yet It Hasn’t Put Her Off Seeing You In The Slightest. If Anything, It’s Just Made Her More Determined To Help And Care For You. She Doesn’t See You As A Broken Bitty At All You Know. In Her Eyes, I’d Say She Sees You As The Best Bitty In The World, Someone Who She Really Adores And Is Determined To Help Recover With All Her Soul.”
Really? Even now... she still cares? Slate finds a small part of himself feeling hopeful that she really does, but he’s too afraid of being let down to fully believe it to be true yet.
“H-How can you be so sure?” Slate questions the other, wondering how he knows Mia’s thoughts about him.
Sky’s mood seems to brighten at the mention of the young girl before explaining. “She Wouldn’t Stop Talking About How Much She Loves Spending Time With You In Her Garden Whenever You Came Over And How Happy It Made Her Feel When You Agreed To Be Her Friend, Since She Doesn’t Have Many Others Apparently.”
Slate smiles a little as he remembers that moment in his mind. It wasn’t all that long ago, but Slate knows it’s still made a huge difference in his life so far. Who knows if he’d even still be alive if it wasn’t for her. He owes her so much...
“Being her friend makes me happy too...” He admits to Sky, who seems delighted to hear that.
It looks as though Sky’s about to open his mouth to say something else when he’s suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door.
Slate flinches at the noise coming out of nowhere and can’t help but tremble a little when he looks over towards the door and sees a human standing there, a female by the looks of it and one he’s never seen before.
She looks over to where Sky is still sitting a few inches away from his enclosure on the table. “Hey Sky. Any sign of the Baby Blue you’re looking after waking up?” Walking closer, she notices Slate fearfully staring at her approaching form, his eye sockets wide. “Oh... I guess that answers my question...”
Sky stands up and boldly approaches the other human, which Slate observes with a mix of fear, admiration and concern for the other. He can’t tell if she’s mad at Sky for not answering her question properly and if she’s about to lash out at him for it. But if she is, Sky doesn’t look bothered about this at all as he approaches her, stopping once he reaches the end of the desk to deliver his report to the human.
“He Woke Up Fully About Five Minutes Ago. We’ve Just Been Chatting Since Then About What Happened While He Was Out And What His Recovery Process Will Involve. I’ve Already Explained What Happened To The Lower Half Of His Leg...”
Slate watches in amazement and curiosity as the human gives the other bitty what could only be described as a sympathetic look.
“Thank you for doing that Sky. I know you hate delivering bad news like that, but I’m grateful that you did so. Great job buddy!”
Sky seems to stand taller and beams with pride, overjoyed at the praise.
The human turns to Slate then, who’d been watching their exchange thoughtfully. He grips the blanket tighter under his phalanges when she turns to look at him, unable to hold back a whimper of distress that makes it’s way out of his throat.
She crouches down near the table so she’s at his eye level and speaks in a calm, soft voice. “Hey there new Baby Blue. My name is Ava and I’m the healer that’s been taking care of you and your health for the past few days and I’ll be continuing to do so for the foreseeable future while you stay in the center with us. I know you don’t have the best experiences with humans, so I won’t come any closer if you don’t want me to right now. Can I ask how you’re feeling?”
Slate doesn’t give a response as he opts to look down at the bitty pillow he’s sitting on, too afraid of saying anything.
Ava doesn’t seem to mind this however as she offers to compromise. “If you don’t want to talk, would you be able to nod or shake your skull in response to questions I ask you instead? They shouldn’t be difficult to answer, promise. Are you alright with that?”
Slate peers back up at the human to see her giving him a reassuring smile. He supposes that answering a few of the humans questions won’t hurt him... right?
He gives her a slow nod of his skull, his eye lights meeting her gaze for a split second before he looks away again.
Her smile widens at his agreement. “Great! I’ll start off by asking you about your name. The girl who often visits you says your name is Slate... is that correct?”
He dips his skull in confirmation without too much hesitation, seeing no reason to hide it if she already knows it.
“That’s great. Lots of bitties that are rescued don’t have names that they choose to stick with once they arrive at the center, so I’m happy you seem satisfied with yours. Next question, does anything hurt anywhere?”
He shakes his skull no, since he’s barely been able to feel anything since he woke up.
“Do you feel numb by any chance?” She asks a second later as if she’s just read his mind.
He immediately nods in response.
“Well, at least we know the painkillers are doing their job. Hopefully you won’t be in too much pain when they wear off in a bit. If you are though, I can always give you more, so don’t be afraid to ask.” Ava tells him.
Well that would definitely explain why he isn’t in any pain at the moment. He remembers that Rust had been given special painkillers made for bitties once or twice when he was badly injured in the past from a fight and they did seem to help him for a few hours or so. Slate just hopes he won’t be in agony later when they wear off...
The healer seems to study his gaze carefully as she begins speaking again. “Finally, the girl who brought you in here, Mia... She’s been telling us her side of the story, like how you two met and the time you’ve spent together. She seems really fond of you, so we’ve been letting her visit and interact with you under supervision. But I just wanted to double check with you before we bring her in to see you today. Do you feel safe with her? Would you consider her a friend?”
Slate doesn’t hesitate for a second as he nods his skull in quick succession. Mia is the only human he feels he can trust at the moment so of course he’s going to answer yes to both of those questions.
The healer seems relieved at this information. “I’m glad. Thanks for answering those questions for me Slate. I’ll bring Mia in shortly to see you then, but I just wanted to ask you one more thing first... I want to give you a quick health check up now that you’re awake, but I understand that the thought of me getting close to you at this time while you’re rather weak is probably quite a frightening prospect. Would Mia being present in the room help you get through it? It’s alright if you still don’t want to today, you’ll still be able to meet with her if you say no, don’t worry. We can always leave it for another day or two so you’ll have more time to get used to my presence. Whatever you think you can handle for today.”
A health checkup? Slate doesn’t really want to have one, but if Mia is allowed to be with him, maybe it would be alright? Still though, he doesn’t think he should agree to it quite yet without Mia being here, just in case she doesn’t believe it’s a good idea. So what should he say in response. He decides it’ll be easier to answer her question by speaking aloud rather than just shaking or nodding his skull this time.
“I-I... I’m not sure... I just w-want to see Mia r-right now... c-can I decide in a moment once she’s h-here?” He timidly asks.
“Of course.” The healer agrees without any protest much to Slate’s relief. “I’ll go get her now. Sky will continue to keep you company for another bit until she arrives.” She walks towards the door, looking back at him with a smile before she exits. “I’ll be back in a minute.” With that, she leaves the room, leaving him alone with Sky once again.
“Don’t Worry. Ava Is Really Nice To All Of Us Bitties.” Sky tries to reassure him as soon as she’s gone. “I’m Sure She Won’t Do Anything In The Check Up That You’re Uncomfortable With. She’s Ok With You Telling Her To Stop It At Any Time, You Know.”
Slate looks at him skeptically. “She really won’t be m-mad if I t-tell her that I don’t w-want to go ahead with it after all?”
Sky shakes his skull. “No, She Definitely Won’t. She’s Very Patient After All, Since She Has To Work With All Kinds Of Us Bitties From Different Backgrounds. You’re Sadly Not The Only Bitty To Be Rescued From A Bad Situation After All. She’s Had Almost Every Type Of Bitty Hissing, Clawing And Biting Her At Some Stage And Yet She Hasn’t Raised A Finger To Hurt Any Of The Really Aggressive Ones Who Have Injured Her Quite Badly. So I Can Assure You She Won’t Be The Least Bit Angry If You Politely Tell Her You Don’t Want To Do A Check Up Today.”
Slate has never heard of a human having such patience with bitties before. Usually, most of the humans he’d dealt with got angry if even one word was spoken and absolutely furious if they got hurt at all. His leg is proof enough of that...
He doesn’t think Sky would be the type of bitty to lie about a human however, so maybe she really isn’t a bad person. Slate still wouldn’t be tempted to try her patience regardless...
“I’ll... keep th-that in mind.” Slate tells the other bitty gratefully. “Thank you.”
Once again, Sky seems absolutely thrilled hearing the praise. “No Problem! I’m Happy To Help Wherever I Can, So Feel Free To Ask Me About Any Queries Or Worries You May Have If You Wish. You’re Not Bothering Me By Asking.”
Slate ponders about this for a second before turning back to Sky.
“Um... I don’t think I have any other questions at the moment... but if I think of any I’ll be sure to ask you.” Slate adds, hoping it’ll get the other bitty on his good side.
It seems to work as Sky dips his skull in understanding, a wide smile on his face as he does so. “Ok! I’ll Be With You For Most Of The Day Anyway In Case You Think Of Something Later.” His gaze softens before he carries on talking. “I’m Sure Right Now You’re Just Looking Forward To Seeing Mia Again, Aren’t You?”
“...Y-yeah.” Slate acknowledges with his own smile that only lasts for a spilt second before turning into a slight frown. “But... I’m still nervous about meeting her again after hearing about my permanent injury. I know you said she’s aware of it... yet I’m still scared she won’t like me anymore because of what’s happened... After all, I doubt there’s many other Baby Blue bitties missing important limbs like I am...”
What if Mia sees one of the other Baby Blue bitties up for adoption and decides she’d rather be friends with them? He wouldn’t exactly blame her if she decides to go for a more normal type of bitty... one who’s more factory fresh and would be a better companion to her than he could ever be...
“You’ll Be Fine, Slate.” Sky reassures him. “She Really Does Care About you, I’d Swear It On My Job. Losing Part Of Your Leg Isn’t Going To Change That. You’ll See.”
Sky seems so confident in what he’s saying that Slate finds himself unable to argue and accepts his words. “A-Alright...”
A minute passes by in silence before there’s a knock at the door once again. Slate turns his skull to see the healer from earlier peeking her head in.
“Are we interrupting anything or can we come in?”
“Nope, We Were Just Talking A Minute Ago But We’re Finished Now.” Sky replies with a grin. “Come On In!”
Slate is quite surprised to see Mia almost pushing past the older woman in desperation to get into the room. She then pretty much speed walks over to his glass enclosure as if she’s afraid it’ll disappear off the table at any second.
As soon as her eyes meet his own, she lets out a massive sigh of relief, pressing a hand lightly on the glass of his enclosure.
“Oh Slate, thank goodness you’re awake! I-I was so afraid you might never wake up again... and that it was all my fault because I didn’t notice what you were going through earlier... You could have...” She shakes her head as if trying to get rid of her bad thoughts before managing to form a smile. “But you’re finally awake now... so that’s a big relief. H-How are you feeling?”
“I’m... t-tired...” Slate answers honestly, though he’s unable to meet Mia’s gaze anymore as he looks at the ground. “...and a little unsettled after l-learning about what h-happened when I-I was out. Sky told me th-that you know about my l-leg...”
“Yeah... I do...” Mia sounds upset at the mention of it. “But Slate-”
Slate interrupts her as he lifts his skull up in order to look directly into her eyes for what he’s about to say next. “Mia... Please be honest with me...” His eye lights dim a little, betraying his unease as he finally asks her the question that’s been bugging him since he learned about the injury. “Do you... s-see me as a horrific b-bitty b-because of it? D-Do you th-think I’m b-broken?”
Mia seems appalled at his questions as she appears to stare wide-eyed at the bitty in shock. However after a moment, she regains her composure and is quick to address his questions.
“Slate, of course I don’t... why would you even think that?” She asks, her voice full of emotion. “Leg or no leg, you’re still the same bitty that I made friends with in my garden, the one who listened to me talk non-stop for ages about random stuff, who never interrupted or lost patience with me and the bitty that happily kept coming back to my garden just to visit me, even though you put yourself in so much danger by doing so. I’m not going to see you any differently just because of your injury. I’d be a pretty terrible friend if I did. I could never be horrified or repulsed by someone like you, Slate. I don’t ever want to stop being your friend and I really want to help you recover through this... if you’ll let me that is?”
Slate feels fresh tears spring to his eyes at her words, though for once he’s emotional from feelings of relief and joy rather than fear or sadness. He’s deeply touched by how much she cares, but doesn’t know how to show that to her.
After a few seconds of silence, he manages to form a smile through his tears, before beginning to express his gratitude to the other as best as he can through his sniffles. “Th-Thank y-you so m-much Mia... I... I would r-really like th-that. I d-don’t t-think I’ll ever understand w-why y-you c-care s-so much about m-me, b-but I’m so g-grateful you d-do. I d-don’t d-deserve your k-kindness!”
Mia appears to be quite moved as she struggles not to cry herself. “Oh Slate, p-please don’t cry! You really do deserve kindness and affection, I just wish you could see that for yourself.“
Her saying that just causes him to become even more tearful, leading to Mia biting her lip as she wrings her hands nervously, clearly desperate to ask him something.
“Um... Can I hold you for a bit?” Mia queries, causing Slate’s eye sockets to widen in excitement as he nods quickly several times. She turns to the healer as soon as she’s gotten Slate’s permission. “Is that alright? I won’t accidentally hurt him further by holding him will I?”
Ava seems pleased at how considerate Mia’s being about handling him. “No you won’t, as long as you’re careful. Just keep the blanket wrapped loosely around Slate while you’re holding him and you’ll be fine. The enclosure he’s in is currently unlatched so you can just pull open the glass door to get to him when you’re ready.”
The door was open the whole time? Why would they leave it open and chance him escaping the enclosure? More questions he doesn’t know the answer to, but is too distracted at the prospect of being held to dwell on for long.
“K...” Mia responds to Ava before turning back to the bitty again. Ever so slowly, she moves her hand over to the enclosure’s door and opens it, glancing worriedly at Slate the entire time she does this. “I’ll pick you up now then. Let me know if I’m hurting you in anyway.”
Mia cautiously reaches in to the glass enclosure in order to pick him up. The sight of a human’s hand coming close to do what might be initially perceived as grabbing him threatens to give Slate a panic attack as he trembles in fear at the thought of being hurt that way again. Taking a couple of deep breaths to calm down, he reminds himself that Mia is the one about to pick him up and that she won’t hurt him on purpose. He knows that she’ll hold him in a completely different, non-suffocating way that will feel comfortable, not painful like before...
She helps to bundle him up in the blanket a bit more for extra comfort before finally lifting him into her arms.
Slate wastes no time lying his skull on her chest near her soul as he begins loudly sobbing, overwhelmed with emotion after everything that has happened to him. He really doesn’t want to burden Mia with any of this, but he just can’t help but desperately seek comfort from her at this time.
He feels her fingers brush the side of his skull just once and gazes up at her face afterwards to notice that she’s hesitant about continuing, unsure if Slate wants to be stroked or not. The bitty nods pleadingly, craving the gentle contact that he thought he might never get from her again.
Slate is able to fully relax as her finger begins to massage the back of his skull, soothed by both the contact and by the close proximity of her soul. He already feels more energized than before after only a minute of this.
Calmer now, Slate wipes the remaining tears from his eye sockets before peering up at Mia, who hasn’t spoken a word since his breakdown knowing he just needed a shoulder to cry on and was happy to provide it.
“I’m s-sorry for c-crying.” Slate stutters out between his sniffles. “I d-don’t w-w-want to b-burden y-you with m-my p-problems... and I d-definitely d-don’t want you to be upset b-because of m-me. I’m just... e-exhausted and anxious about t-the future. I know I’m b-being n-needy by asking this, b-but p-please... c-can y-you comfort m-me for a l-little wh-while l-longer?...”
Mia lifts him up so that she’s able to briefly nuzzle her head against his skull affectionately, before lowering him again, a caring smile on her face as she does so. “You’re not being needy Slate. You can cry into my shoulder if you want to, you’ve been through so much after all. Take as long as you need to just let it all out. I’m here for you, alright?”
Slate doesn’t wait a single second to settle back down into his previous position, this time closing his eye sockets in order to achieve as much contentment as possible.
“Th-Thank you...” He whispers at a volume that only Mia can hear. She responds by briefly rubbing the top of his skull for a moment with several of her fingers before returning to massaging his skull like she had done previously.
They stay like that for five minutes in almost complete silence, with Slate’s occasional sniffling the only thing that ever breaks the silence in the room. The blanket’s warmth and the feeling of being safe in Mia’s hold again is enough to lull him back to sleep, but Slate stays awake in fear of being left alone again should he doze off. Mia has left him here every other day just to come back the next day to visit him again apparently, so chances are she’ll do the same today and Slate doesn’t want to be asleep when that happens...
“Um... sorry to interrupt you two...” Slate jumps at the sound of a female voice disturbing his peaceful moment and looks towards the source with wide fearful eyes as he almost attempts to shrink into his blanket to hide. He’d almost forgotten that healer lady is still in the room along with Sky.
“... Slate. Would you be willing to do that health check up I mentioned earlier now? I really just want to see how a few of your scratches and scars are healing up, as well as to check your leg. I can do all of that while you’re being held, but we’ll have to take the blanket off of you for some parts, like for your leg... Are you feeling up to that?”
“I...” Slate looks up to Mia for guidance, hoping she’ll be able to help him make a decision. Should he trust this healer to get close to him or not?
“It’s up to you, Slate.” Mia lets him know right away. “If you’re scared, just know that Ava is really nice and she’s helped you with all your other injuries so far. She’s not a bad human like he was, so she won’t hurt you. I understand if you’re still hesitant though, so I’ll support whatever option you decide.”
The Baby Blue bitty finds himself a little lost at the choice, given that everything was always being decided for him without his consent before all this. In any other situation, he would’ve said no to the check up, but Mia seems to trust this human to look after him so he supposes he can try do the same... There’s also the small part of him that wants to know how badly he’s been injured by his former owner and how well he’s recovering. This might be the best option he’ll get to learn about them.
“I... I’ll d-do it.” He tells her, giving her his consent to go ahead with it. “But I... I don’t w-want to see how my right l-leg looks at the m-moment... I’m n-not quite r-ready to see it yet...”
“That’s fine, Slate.” The healer is quick to assure him. “I’ll start by examining your skull and I’ll make my way down from there. I’ll ask for your permission before I do anything like touching you, alright?”
Slate swallows anxiously, trying not to let the fear he’s feeling show. “O-Ok...”
“Great. I’ll grab a chair and we’ll get started then.”
The bitty observes her closely as she pulls a chair over to where Mia is standing and sits down so she’s at his current eye level. She also grabs a small notebook and pen out of her pocket to record his progress. Slate struggles to stay still when she leans forward to study him more closely, only being able to do so because of Mia’s reassuring contact.
Ava seems to check both sides of his skull carefully, writing notes down as she does so. “Hmm... to start off, most of the smaller nicks that were present on your skull when you arrived here have healed up, so that’s good, though some of the larger ones at the back are possibly going to scar I’m afraid. Were you... thrown around by your previous owner by any chance?”
Slate shudders a little at his memories of being flung across a room several times. “Y-Yeah...”
Ava sighs. “Thought so... some of these cracks go quite deep, though thankfully not enough that any of them are threatening to break through your skull. They shouldn’t cause you too much discomfort in the future.”
Slate nods in understanding, relieved to hear that.
Having finished examining his skull, Ava moves on with the check up. “Next we have your neck vertebrae... and the damage that collar did to them...”
Wait, his collar! How on earth did he forget about that?!
One of Slate’s hands shoots up to grip the collar as soon as it’s mentioned, terrified someone will activate it if they have the remote. But instead of feeling the leather he’s used to under his phalanges, Slate finds himself touching bone. Where-?!
“Slate, it’s ok!” Mia is able to get through to him as his panic turns to confusion. “The collar is gone now! They took it off as soon as you arrived and brought it somewhere far away from here to destroy it later.”
Slate’s eye lights dilate back to their normal size as Mia continues to reassure him. “It’s not there anymore... you’re ok...”
They... really took it off of him? Slate pokes around his neck vertebrae with his phalanges for a bit longer just to be sure, but it seems that it seriously is gone. Thank the stars no one will be able to use that against him anymore! Maybe after he recovers a little, he might even be able to use some of his magic again, though he doubts it’ll ever be as strong as before... Still, no more of that awful collar! If he wasn’t so worn out and shaken from hearing the news about his leg, Slate would have been overjoyed to learn that he’s no longer wearing his collar, but as things stand, he’s currently struggling to process it.
“Slate?” He peers up at Mia when he hears her voice break through his thoughts to see her looking concerned about him. How long has she been calling him for? “Are you feeling alright? Do you need a minute or is it it ok for the check up to continue. I’d understand if you need a break...”
Honestly, he’d prefer to get this over and done with as quick as possible so he shakes his skull at Mia’s suggestion. “I-I’m fine. I was just lost in thought for a bit trying to process that information, but I’m ready to continue now.”
“Ok then... if you’re sure.” The healer responds before bending forward again to get a better view of him. “Well, the collar was obviously fastened extremely tightly around your neck, considering I can see the damage it left from where it dug into your bone. Also you have a few bad burns around your neck from...being shocked by the collar by what must have been quite a high voltage... but along with the monster candy that you can eat to help heal it, I can also give you a special cream that’ll help soothe any pains your bones feel as a result of those burns. I’ll start you on that tomorrow.”
Slate winces. He knew that his neck vertebrae were probably not in good shape, but to hear they’re that bad as a result of the abuse he’s suffered by that collar is still a big shock. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, he lowers himself into the blanket a little more, trying to hide those vertebrae from view. Mia helps by pulling the blanket up a little, which he blinks at her gratefully for. He wishes he had something better to cover up the damage that was done to them, but this will do for now.
If the healer notices him doing this, she chooses not to comment as she instead carries on with the. “We’ll skip your arms and ribs for the time being since I know you probably just want to get this check up over with by now, though I will need to examine them at some stage. I’ll just see how your leg is healing up and then I’ll leave you and Mia alone with Sky to enjoy each other’s company. Does that sound good?”
Right... his leg, the part of the check up he’d been dreading the most. He knows this is probably one of the most important parts to check however so he agrees with a semi reluctant nod.
“Y-Yeah... but please be quick!”
He doesn’t want his injury exposed for the whole world to see for too long...
“I promise I will be.” Ava pledges before looking up at the girl holding him. “Are you able to carefully lift up the end of the blanket for a bit so I can see how his leg is doing Mia?”
“S-Sure, no problem.” She glances down at the bitty bundled up in her arms, a nervous smile on her face as she does so. “Are you ready for me to do that Slate?”
The Baby Blue bitty responds by shutting his eye sockets as tightly as possible and hiding his skull by pushing it into her jacket to avoid seeing the injury. He... just needs more time to process the fact that this won’t ever heal... and courage to help him to accept that. Slate knows he’s not yet ready to face the truth about the permanence of his injury. Looking at it now will only make him feel miserable.
“Yes... you can l-look at it now.” He mumbles loudly from where his skull is positioned facing her chest.
While using one hand to support the bitty in her hold, she uses the other to slowly lift the blanket up from the lower half of his body. At this point, Slate doesn’t feel as numb anymore and is able to feel many of his bones that he couldn’t before. Because of this he’s afraid of moving even an inch, worried he might accidentally worsen an injury or cause himself pain by touching any of them off one another.
Finally, after what seems like an eternity to Slate but was probably only a few seconds, Mia has the blanket unwrapped from around his legs. Even though he’s purposely facing away from it, Slate doesn’t chance opening his eye sockets in case he somehow manages to catch a glimpse of what’s left of his right leg.
“Don’t worry, this’ll be very quick.” Ava reaffirms again, seeing how bothered Slate is. “Your left leg looks good, the scratches and scars are healing pretty well from what I can tell. Now for the other one...” She goes silent for about a minute, obviously examining the remainder of his right leg before speaking up again.
“Well, considering this part of your leg was also pretty close to dusting the other day, it’s doing quite impressively now. The bones aren’t gray anymore and have almost changed back to their usual white color already, which is great news. The cracks that were present on them before are also nearly completely gone, so they’re definitely doing much better. I’d say we’ll have to give it another two or three days before you start trying to put pressure on it if you want to try walking using the prosthetic that’s being made for you, but I’m still really pleased with your progress so far. You’re doing amazingly considering everything you’ve been through. I’m finished looking at his legs now, so we can cover them up again with the blanket if you want?”
“Please!” Slate whines, sounding a little more desperate than he would’ve liked. Mia quickly drops the blanket so it hangs over the lower half of his body again, allowing Slate to let out a relieved breath as he lifts his skull up from where it was resting. “...Th-Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Slate.” Mia replies, giving him a warm affectionate smile. “I’m proud of you for doing all that when I know how scared you were at first. You’re being so brave considering everything that’s happened and I’m thrilled that you’re doing better than when you first arrived.“
Slate feels himself blush a little at the praise, not used to receiving compliments of any kind. Her words make him feel like he’s doing a good job and he can finally understand Sky’s delight at being praised earlier. His eye lights brighten and flicker into the shapes of stars for a quick second before reverting back to their normal circular shape. Mia is actually proud of him and doesn’t think he’s a big coward like he feared!
He feels like he could take on the world!
... For a split second anyways, since his joyful moment is unintentionally ruined by the healer talking to him again.
“That was the final part of your check up Slate. Thanks for being so patient while I examined you. Unless you have any questions for me, I can leave you alone for a while with Mia and Sky?”
Slate racks his brain for a moment, trying to think of any quiet that he might have. Finding none, he shakes his skull.
“Um... n-no, you c-can leave.”
Ava nods, writing a few final notes before getting up off the chair she’d been sitting on and placing it back where she got it from originally. She turns to face them one last time before she leaves the room.
“I’ll come back later around closing time, but if you need anything beforehand just tell Sky and he’ll call me.”
“We will.” Mia is the one to answer her. She hugs the bitty in her hold a little closer to her chest as she adds. “Thank you for everything you’re doing to help Slate... and all the other bitties here too.”
Slate looks back and forth between the two humans, trying to figure out if he should be thanking the healer too. She did also help to save his life after all...
However, Ava speaks again before he gets a chance to do so. “No problem. I’m just doing my job after all.” She exits the room then, leaving the two Baby Blue bitties with Mia.
Obviously tired of standing up for so long, Mia traverses to the nearest chair and sits down, still holding the bitty in her arms the entire time.
“Did you want me to put you down now Slate?”
“No... n-not yet.” He’s not ready to be placed down quite at this moment. What if she leaves again then? He’ll be all alone once more...
Mia thankfully doesn’t seem to mind either way. “That’s ok. I don’t mind holding you as long as you want me to.”
She seems to contemplate something for a bit before cheerfully adding. “You know... I’m sure it’ll only be a matter of time before you’re walking around again by yourself! You’ll feel better soon and then you’ll be able to... hopefully move on with your life...”
Mia gives him a joyful smile that she clearly expects he’ll reciprocate, but Slate is only able to give her a small smile for a second before turning away.
Mia is suddenly anxious, detecting his mood shift. “Slate? Did I... say something wrong?”
“No, you d-didn’t... it’s just...” Slate looks over towards the other Baby Blue Bitty watching them interact from close by and decides to change what he was going to say. “I d-don’t want to m-move on without him...”
“Oh... your...?” Mia catches on that Slate is still trying to hide the fact he’s got a brother from others and stops herself from giving away anything else in front of Sky.
The other baby blue bitty studies the pair curiously as they talk for a bit, obviously wondering what they’re talking about. Sky chooses not to inquire any further though as he soon walks to the other side of the table, seemingly understanding that this is something that the other bitty and human wish to keep private and is attempting to give them space. He’ll have to thank Sky later.
Slate fiddles with the folds of the blanket as he explains to Mia what he was told about Rust. “M-My previous owner said h-he w-was taken away f-from the other h-human, b-but he said h-he d-didn’t know w-where they t-took him. What if h-he was t-taken somewhere f-far away, o-or if he’s badly h-hurt like me or if he’s...”
...Dead...?
“Hey... let’s try to stay positive about this Slate.” Mia tells him, delicately using two of her fingers to pull his hands down from where he was using them to fearfully grip his skull a second ago. Wait... when did he start doing that? “Do you remember if he was taken by the police like you were?”
The bitty tries to think about what exactly the human said about Rust that day.
Come to think of it... “He said he was...” Slate tells her, searching her gaze to determine if that’s a good thing or not.
It seems to be if the way her face brightens is to be taken into account. “That’s great news Slate. That means he could be in this very center right now! I was told most of the other rescues have a room where they’re all kept together until they’re more used to humans and are ready to move back to the store front again. Due to how hurt you were originally and because parts of you, well... dusted, you’re staying here in this room for the time being, since you need lots more care and it allows you to better looked after by the staff. It’s... also so I can easily visit you as no one but those that are working here are allowed into the back room where the other rescues are. Maybe he’s with the rest of them there?”
Really... could his brother be that close to him right now and he isn’t even aware of it? He hasn’t felt a strong tug on his soul indicating that he’s nearby, but maybe Rust is just a little too far away for him to feel it.
“Do you really think so? But... how can we possibly find out if he’s here if we can’t get into that room?” Slate questions, a little frustrated that his brother might now be in his reach and yet he still can’t get to him!
“Well... we can always ask him for help.” She nods her head in Sky’s direction, who’s back is turned to them. “I’m certain he’d be willing to help. He talks to some of the bitties in there on a regular basis so he’d know if a bitty matching his description was brought into the center. Otherwise we could try asking one of the other staff... or we can see if we overhear about him by chance from someone, but that could take awhile...”
She makes eye contact with him again before continuing. “I want you to decide what option you’ll pick yourself Slate, since it concerns someone very important to you. Do you think you’re able to trust anyone else with this information yet, or do you need more time to think about it? I’ve got your back no matter what you choose.”
Another decision? Slate scrunches his face up in deep thought, knowing this one is probably the most important one he’ll have to make.
Does he trust Sky enough to ask him for help in order to find his brother as quickly as possible, but risk getting them both hurt in the process...
Or does he wait it out a bit first, perhaps subtly inquiring about the other rescues at the center to see if he can learn Rust’s whereabouts in an indirect sort of way?
He also has to take into account that there is still a chance that Rust isn’t here at all, in which case both options would be all for naught...
So how should he choose...?
He looks back over at Sky as a thought hits him. Rust might’ve told someone to be on the lookout for him and that someone could be Sky! Of course... this is all just speculation on Slate’s part, since he has no idea if this is the case at all, but it’s something he can take into consideration.
Being honest with himself though, Slate knows he just wants to be able to trust Sky so he can attempt to reunite with his brother as quickly as possible. It’s probably selfish of him to be overlooking the risks of telling Sky information about his brother, but at this point, Slate is getting desperate. He just wants to see him again... to be comforted by him again. Sky hasn’t done anything to betray his trust so far and Mia seems to get along well with him, so... Slate supposes he’s willing to tell him about his brother.
If Sky really is able to help, he’ll be deeply indebted to him. If not, well... at least he knows he really tried his best to get his brother back the quickest he could. He can’t exactly try anything else until he’s recovered a little more anyway...
Slate finally turns back to Mia, a determined look on his face as he tells her. “I’m going to t-try to trust him with it.”
Mia doesn’t say anything, instead dipping her head in approval as she smiles in delight at his choice.
Having told the human his plan, Slate turns his skull towards the bitty still on the other side of the table, his back to them as he hums away to himself.
After taking a deep breath, Slate calls out to him.
“Sky?” The Baby Blue Bitty in question turns around as soon as his name is called, his eye lights flickering between both him and Mia as they both stare at him with unreadable expressions.
Here goes nothing...
“There’s something I-I need to ask y-you about...”