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One would think a "man of science" wouldn't be so adverse to taking medication. No amount of begging or bribing or threatening worked with his son. It was always excuse after excuse to avoid what was necessary. It made him clumsy. It made his head foggy. It made him feel faint all the time. Once Quirin even lost his temper at the boy. It wasn't his finest moment. Varian had cringed and reluctantly taken the small pills with shaking hands, but Quirin found them the next day hidden in some dirty laundry.
So the man started making applesauce. He knew Varian enjoyed the treat with his breakfast. A sprinkling of cinnamon and a pinch of lemon juice masked the taste of crushed up pills. And for a while, there was peace. Sure, the boy still had wild ideas and missed sleep to work tirelessly until the inevitable disaster. And sure, Varian felt terrible after and moped in despair for days while Quirin cleaned up the mess and paid for the damages. Those moments were mild, passing, few and far in between now, thank goodness.
When the amber started inching its way up his arm, Quirin wasn't worried for himself. He was worried for Varian. As usual, the stupid boy wasn't thinking before he acted, ignoring his desperate pleas and running out into that blasted blizzard with barely any protection. There was nothing he could do for his son. He was stuck. The amber continued to crackle and grow. He couldn't move any further, his legs now caught in the substance. At this rate, Varian wouldn't be back until it was too late.
A table shifted closer with the expanding amber. He grabbed the pencil and parchment before it rolled off the surface, thanking the powers above for this opportunity to reach his son. He hoped Varian would read it and listen.
Son. I have a confession. I know you dislike the lithium, that is why I have been hiding it in your applesauce. You must have realized this is why you've been stable all these years. It pained me to deceive you, but it pained me more to watch you struggling without. Please, you must continue to take it. With it, I know you will prosper.
The amber was up to his chest now. If there were such things as dying wishes, his would be for Varian to obey just this one time. All he had ever wanted was for his child to flourish, and with the medication, there was a chance. His son was a brilliant and sweet boy, but once the illness takes hold of his mind... the brilliance becomes mania and his boy becomes a monster.