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There was not enough time between when Juice's eyes finally closed and when his phone went off with a 7:10 alarm. Maybe three hours? He had been restless all night and hadn't gotten to sleep until maybe 4 AM, just doing random things that made him think in a vain attempt to exhaust himself. He rolled over, turned off the alarm and squinted at the forecast that popped up on the screen. He leaned over to the side and patted for his regular prescription glasses on the nightstand next to him, the ones he only wore at home because he said they made him look too nerdy compared to the secretly prescription sunglasses. He finally got them on his face and really the forecast should have just said “hot as fuck” in big letters instead of all the numbers. Though, it did say there was an Extreme Heat Warning in red at the bottom. What a shock. Juice put his phone aside and the room was spinning, giving him the old, familiar sign of an impending cuddle session with the carpet, but dammit, he was still gonna try to make it today, even if he whined about bleeding all day like a sad dog.
Here came the fun part. He sat up with a sigh, pressing his hands into his face before pushing himself up and his legs were already buckling. Now, what would happen first? The world's most violent cramp or giving the floor a nice big hug? Juice wobbled… He winced… And if you guessed the floor… You'd be correct! Juice's breathing got shallow and hasty before he even put on a binder and the vignette already creeping around his vision took over as he slowly crumpled down like a single dandelion in the yard of someone who loved weed killers more than their own family. His fingers were desperate to get some kind of purchase on any surface he could at least try to hold him up with, but it was no use when his useless legs fell out from underneath him and made him lose grip, his crumple becoming more of a fall. He hated when this happened. He completely lost his ability to see, something that came so naturally otherwise. His limbs uselessly trying to move only added to his shame. No one knew why this happened, why he couldn't see, but could still talk and hear.
Juice could talk when like this.
He could try and call for help from one of the two Pioneers he lived with.
He really should. But shame was a clingy partner that you can't get rid of. So he stayed there, uselessly trying to writhe around and regain some control, hoping to blink away the blindness but only making tears form that fogged up his temporarily useless glasses. The moment he heard footsteps approaching, Juice stopped his pointless squirming attempts. Two light knocks hit the wood of the door, followed by a worried voice, Nine's worried voice.
“Juice? Are you okay? I heard something heavy fall,” They called out through the closed door. Normally, Juice would have made a joke about them saying he was fat about the “something heavy falling” part, but right now, he just didn't want them seeing him like this.
Juice's attempts to get himself back together grew more desperate, screaming at his arms to just push up, get his upper body off the floor and his legs back under him, but they didn't listen. “I'm fine! I just slipped!”
“On carpet…?” Nine's skepticism could be felt through the door. Why did he say that?! Who slips on carpet?! “Juice, either come open the door or I'll come in and check on you. You don't sound alright.”
That only served to scare Juice more. He didn't want Nine to see him like this! He looked pathetic; blind, stuck on the floor, probably crying… When he didn't answer, he heard a sigh on the other side of the door before it creaked open.
“Oh, Juice…” Nine's voice softened and their face likely did too. Their footsteps approached before what sounded like them crouching as they took his lightly twitching hands into their own cold ones. They didn't seem disappointed… Just sad that Juice hadn't let them know that he was struggling. “Teeen? Juice collapsed. Juice, is it alright if I move you?” Juice winced slightly as Ten was called but reluctantly agreed when Nine asked to move him. Despite Nine's smaller size and Juice's softer build, they moved him easily. Nine got him turned onto his back and gently pulled him closer to their side until his head was resting on their lap, their chilly fingers causing him to shiver slightly when they got under his glasses to wipe away his tears. He could finally start to feel his limbs again and start to move again, yet still couldn't see.
“Your hands are cold…” Juice lightly complained as he shakily reached up and squeezed Nine's hands between his own.
The two sat there in silence for a moment before Ten came in and softly sighed, squatting down next to them with a ruffle to Juice's hair. “Juice… You really need to understand that you can call for help. We'd rather you call for help than you sit here, all upset and blaming yourself for something you don't know the cause of.”
Juice stayed silent for a moment, even as the darkness began to slowly clear. That much was a relief. His silence seemed to annoy Ten slightly, making her pinch his cheek, eliciting a grumble from the blond. She pulled it slightly she leaned over him. “Come on. Say you'll ask for help.”
“I will…” he mumbled, looking away from both Pioneers, which pulled annoyed looks that both said “really say it”. “Okay, okay, fine, I'll ask for help next time this happens.”
Ten finally let go of his cheek and faintly smiled as she ruffled his hair again. “That's better. Remember, we love you, Juice.” Nine agreed with a nod, joining their sister in ruffling up his already messy yellow hair.
Once Juice got himself steadied and his vision returned, they all got up off the floor with Nine going and making breakfast for all three of them, sure to put some Midol by Juice's plate while Juice was in the bathroom handling whatever most likely happened last night, Ten standing by the door just in case something happened and really, Juice has never felt so loved, looked out for by his family.