Chapter Text
Jack was getting worried.
Things had always been a little strange at Joey Drew Studios, but this was… different. It felt like the ship was starting to sink. Paychecks were coming later and later, people were starting to quit, Grant always seemed stressed, and Joey was… Something was going on with Joey. Like the studio, Joey had always been a bit strange, but this was on a whole other level. He was acting… erratic. Dangerously so. In any case, Jack was starting to wonder if it maybe it was time to leave.
The only problem with that plan was Sammy.
Jack loved Sammy. They’d been friends for most of their lives, after all. But damned if that man wasn’t the most stubborn person Jack had ever met.
“I’m not going,” Sammy said when Jack brought up potentially leaving the studio.
Jack sighed, taking off his hat to run a hand his hair. “Sammy…”
“I’m not giving up,” Sammy snapped. “Everyone else can throw in the towel, but I’m not a quitter.” He was hunched over his desk, working on another composition that Joey had requested on short notice. He reeked of cigarette smoke and had such dark circles under his eyes that it almost looked like macabre makeup.
That was another reason Jack was worried. Sammy wasn’t doing well. He hadn’t been sleeping much lately. None of them had. They hadn’t been going home much either, sleeping in those pods Joey had set up when they got the chance. It was having an especially bad affect on Sammy’s mental state. He’d been more irritable and combative as of late and it was getting rather concerning.
“It’s not giving up,” Jack said, trying to keep his tone calm and casual. “You’re not going to be a quitter if you walk away.”
“I would be,” Sammy insisted, somewhat petulantly. “I’d be just like Henry. He couldn’t hack it, so he walked away. I refuse to be like that.”
Jack winced, turning away to hide his grimace. He should have expected it would come back to Henry. Henry had been coming up a lot lately. No one ever mentioned his name in front of Joey, but Henry was on a lot of people’s minds as the studio got worse. Particularly his exit and how they should likely do the same.
“Henry left ‘cause Joey wasn’t treating him right,” Jack said gently. “And Joey isn’t treating us right either.”
“It’s nothing I can’t handle,” Sammy said.
“Sammy, you haven’t slept in days,” Jack pointed out. “None of us have. We deserve better than this.”
Sammy was silent, avoiding looking at Jack as he chewed on his lip and tapped his pen on the desk.
“We won an award for our music!” Jack continued, spreading his arms wide. “Any studio’d be lucky to have us! We could finally get some recognition for all we do!”
“I just want to write my songs,” Sammy muttered, continuing to avoid Jack’s gaze.
“You’d be able to do that in another studio,” Jack said. “And you wouldn’t have to be in charge of a whole department either. You could write your songs and no one would bother you.”
Jack had seen how much running a department had affected Sammy for the worst. All Sammy wanted was to write his music in peace, and he couldn’t do that if he was expected to be in charge of the entire department. Jack had always wanted to suggest to Joey that maybe he should appoint someone else to the position, but there was always the possibility of retaliation on Joey’s part, so he’d kept his mouth shut. Another good reason to leave.
Sammy remained quiet, still tapping his pen on the desk.
“Sammy, please,” Jack begged. “Staying here is bad for both of us.”
For a moment, it seemed like Sammy was considering what Jack had said. Then, his expression hardened.
“I’m not leaving,” he repeated, turning back to his composition. “End of discussion.”
Jack’s heart sank. He’d really thought maybe he’d gotten through this time.
“…Alright,” he said. “I’ll… get back to work, I guess.”
Sammy didn’t answer.
Jack sighed and put his hat back on, leaving the room to head back to the sewers. He’d try again later, he vowed. He wasn’t going to give up on getting Sammy out of this place.
But, for now… He’d remain. For Sammy.
.
Sometimes, when lucidity struck Sammy, he regretted not taking Jack up on his offer to leave. Jack hadn’t known the dangers lurking behind the scenes, but he’d known things were getting bad. And Sammy hadn’t listened. He’d been too stubborn, too determined not to let all his years working in that hellhole be a waste.
“I’m sorry, Jack,” he murmured as he sat on the steps to the sewer. “I should have listened to you.”
Jack didn’t answer. He never did. Sammy didn’t even know how much of Jack still remained in the Searcher that wore his friend’s hat.
Had Sammy still been able to cry, he probably would have been crying at this moment. He’d been so stupid. And now he was trapped in this damned place, in this inky shell that served as a body. He covered his face with his hands, letting a sob rip its way through his body. Jack made a concerned noise, oozing over to place a hand on Sammy’s leg.
“Thank you, Jack,” Sammy murmured. He could always count on Jack to be there for him, no matter what.
He took a moment to calm himself before standing. “I must attend to my flock,” he said, patting Jack on the head. “I will return when I have the time.”
Jack made a little noise of acknowledgement before ducking back into the ink of the sewers.
Sammy smiled slightly, then put his mask back on and exited the sewers. He should have walked away when he had the chance, he knew this now. But he hadn’t. And now he was here, with all the others who had remained.
But the Ink Demon would save them.
He would set them free.
And Joey would rue the day he trapped them in this place.