Work Text:
Your Footsteps Make Me Dizzy
“Hey mama. I’m home.” Jason announces as he shuts the door behind him. He doesn’t expect much of a response though, he’d had to walk himself home after all. If she forgot him, it has to be a bad day
He sets down the three books he brought home from the library and then goes to check on her. She’s still impaled on the needle in her vein, so he grabs one of the cotton pads from the pack he stole recently to put pressure on the puncture after removing it. He sets the used needle on the far side of the coffee table. It’s not best practice but he’s like nine and working with what he’s got.
Once he’s sure the bleeding is stopped, he applies one of the Batman bandaids she’d got for him at the grocery story last pay day. The final step is a kiss to the boo boo and then one to her forehead.
Then he carefully picks up the needle and takes it to the kitchen. Reusing needles is bad, Jason knows. He looked it up on the library school computer after he saw a politician campaigning to stop the free needle initiatives. The politician won though and they barely have money for rent and food. If he got rid of the needles, his mom would get more and he’s not sure that all of them would be clean.
So he has a very carefully labeled pot with a lid for the dirty needles and he boils them every night for his mom.
Once Jason’s taken care of that and put on the pot to boil, he crawls up on the couch to cuddle next to Momma. He’ll have to get up to make supper in a few minutes, but for a few minutes he can afford to relax. She’s cold and still. but when he rests his fingers underneath her nose, she’s still breathing.
So that’s something.
He pulls the tattered quilt, something made by a grandma who hates him on principle despite never meeting Jason, down around them and tucks his head against her chest. It lets him listen to her slow heartbeat.
It’s not until the door slams shut that he realizes he fell asleep. Momma doesn’t move, but her breathing’s deeper now so she’s probably not going to overdose tonight.
Jason turns from his examination of Momma to blink owlishly at Dad’s arrival. He wasn’t supposed to be back for a few more days. Something about a botched job that got Cobblepot locked up.
“Hey kiddo.” Dad’s voice is kind even though it’s rough as gravel. He’s whispering like it’ll keep Jason from waking up—they both know Momma’s gonna be out for a while no matter how much noise they make. “Didn’t mean to wake you up. Y’eat?”
“Not yet.” Jason relaxes back against his Momma’s side. Even when she’s bony like this, she makes for the best pillow. “Fell asleep.”
“That’s alright. I brought some grub.” Willis holds up a brown paper bag. It’s Wendy’s, the good stuff, so they must be hitting a good patch.
“Sweet.” Jason fist pumps the air and then scrambles to get dishes from the kitchen.
Dad drags the pillows off the chairs so they can sit criss cross applesauce at the coffee table. They always have picnic nights together when Dad’s home and Momma’s sick.
Dad got him a whole burger to himself and a fries and frosty to share. There’s a whole burger for Dad too, and one in the bag for when Momma wakes up.
It must have been a really good night.
“So sport,” Dad opens Jason’s ketchup packets onto the burger wrapper for him and Jason lets him because he really likes it when Dad has time for him, “What’cha learning about in school?”
That’s all the encouragement Jason needs to launch into a glowing review of Charlotte’s web and a scathing one for writing papers. He loves the writing part but he thinks grading is a scam.
Dad agrees with him, but Dad also thinks almost anything can be a scam.
Once suppers over and Jason’s cleared the table, he goes to set Momma’s needles to cool. Dad stops him though and moves it to the back burner for him.
Then Dad looks at him funny, like he might cry. Only, he never cries when he’s sober so his face just scrunches up a little as he pats Jason’s head. “You’re a good kid. Y’r Mom’s lucky to have you. Wanna help me get her to bed?”
“Yeah!” Jason nods and gives Dad a quick squeeze around the middle. It’s not too long because he doesn’t want Dad to think he’s a wimp, but enough to make sure he knows Jason cares about him as much as Momma.
Then he darts into the hallway as Dad scoops Mama up in a Princess carry. He’s got the pillows and blankets just right to help prop Momma on her side while Dad slides in behind her.
Last time she OD’d she’d aspirated her vomit and so they’re both pretty strict about keeping her on her side now.
Jason pulls her arm into the right position before snuggling down against her stomach.
Dad tucks them all in and lets his hand rest over Momma and Jason both. Jason can hear him give a quiet sigh before saying, “You go on ahead and sleep. I’ll keep an eye on her and get you up if I need to.”
Lifting his head just enough to squint at Dad suspiciously, he asks, “Promise?”
“Yeah I promise, squirt.” Dad bops his head lightly and nudges him back against Momma. “Get some rest.”
With a happy hum, Jason obeys and settles in. He has Momma and Dad at home, food he didn’t have to cook, and Momma’s gonna be safe with Dad watching.
It’s the best night they’ve had in weeks and he’s determined to savor it.