Chapter Text
It wasn't a sudden change, just a slowly creeping feeling of being... Off. Simon notice that, over time, his mind got fuzzy around the edges, so to speak. His thoughts became much more simple, of sentences about what he wanted, what he didn't want. It was a jarring contrast to his normal stream of consciousness. Where once was "Fuck this stupid fucking machine. Piece of shit metal garbage," was instead, "I don't like when it does that. I don't want it to do that. Stop doing that," a clear juxtaposition.
Simon couldn't be in his right mind. Was he going insane? Was he really that sleep deprived? He could've sworn he had the usual amount of sleep, of food, water. What could be wrong?
Soon, his worries began to soften around the edges, too. Why should he be so stressed about it? It was nice, wasn't it? A break from the anger and frustrations that seemed present in every day. Why should Simon be scared of the changes? It was... Almost pleasant.
Eventually, Grace picked up on clues.
"Simon?"
"Mm?"
"Are you, uh... Are you doing alright?"
"Hmm? Yeah. Why?"
Grace appeared hesitant, nervous.
"You seem... Comfortable," Grace tried.
"Maybe."
Okay, this was definitely weird. Why the cryptic response? It somehow added to Grace's growing worry that Simon seemed so casual about it. His behavior didn't seem to bother him, and he was suspiciously accepting of it. So, Grace began a mental checklist.
He'd seen Simon eat and drink enough today, from the same source as Grace did - so a contaminant was unlikely. He didn't seem to sleep any differently than usual. But Grace couldn't help but feel uneasy. He couldn't place any other time he had seen Simon so... Relaxed, maybe? He seemed content, not busy working on one project or another. And Grace hadn't even heard a curse word out of him for... A record amount of time, really.
"Are you feeling okay, Simon? Really?" Grace set a hand on him to reassure him, to emphasize that he was safe and Simon wouldn't be judged.
"Yeah," Simon shrugged, looking almost confused at the physical contact.
"You don't feel... Sick? Upset? Anything?"
"'Feel good," Simon replied, blank if not confused stare. His unusually wide eyes made him look almost childlike.
Wait.
"Simon..." Gracs began, cautious. "Um. How... old do you feel?"
He shrugged for the umpteenth time. "Big. Why?"
"...Big?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Okay..." Grace took a breath. "How old are you?"
Simon seemed to think for a second. "Not sure." He seemed confused by his own response. "I... I don't know."
His eyes began to well up.
"Oh- Simon-" Grace blurted, reaching out his arms to offer a hug.
Without hesitation, Simon all but flopped against him. He burst into tears, open mouthed sobs into Grace's shoulder.
"Hey- Hey, bud- It's okay," Grace murmured. "You're okay. It's alright not to know. You're okay, Simon."
The sobbing slowed with time, eventually coming to the few last drops.
"You let it all out? You good now?" Grace asked, gently.
Through sniffles, "Yeah. Good." Simon nodded against his shoulder. Then, a sudden yawn.
"Are you tired? Did that tucker you out, bud?"
A nod and a quiet, "Mm-hmm."
"Want to go take a nap?"
A mumbled, "Yeah."
"Okay. Let's get you to bed then. I can't carry you like this, though, you'll have to walk."
Simon huffed, but stepped out of the hug. "Okay."
"Good, now, right this way, " Grace gestured with an open hand, over the top.
Simon let out a giggle as he passed by, heading to the bed.
He fell asleep within minutes.