Chapter Text
The computer screen glowed brightly, too bright. Too bright for a mind that was decaying. Derek's finger trembled as he hit send, his final letter was complete.
He was sorry. Sorry about pushing Avery off the cliff. Sorry for getting the slime block in this mess. And sorry for not getting to spend more time with Avery. How D3rlord3 would do anything just to actually get to have a normal conversation with the green slime, to talk about their lives and get to know one another without worrying about a king infiltrating one of their minds and potentially taking over the world.
Derek's head was throbbing, a sharp pain splitting from his crown to his neck as if someone was trying to pry his head in half. His top half landed onto his desk with a thud, rattling the empty glasses that once contained smoothies. A soft grunt escaped his lips, nothing in his life hurt so bad. What made it worse were the tears prickling at his eyes from both the pain, and how guilty he felt. He dragged Avery into this mess, what's wrong with him? Seriously!
Derek heard a notification come from his computer, and even with his head pounding, he lifted it upwards just the tiniest bit. A YouTube notification from none other than AveryTheMayo. It was a comment on the video he just posted as his final goodbye.
A whine broke past his trembling lips as his finger moved to click it before he could stop himself. He wanted to see Avery one last time. To hear his words even if it was through text. All that read was a discord profile ID and even in his state, Derek's brain got the better of him and added that friend. Muscle memory or something because Derek didn't know why he would possibly consider doing that in this state. The infinite knowledge in his head just mushed together like a worm under someone's shoe.
Rather instantly, loud ringing filled the room and D3rlord had to process for a second, wincing at the loud sound that worsened the ache, before realizing he was getting called...by Avery. Derek used his last amount of strength to pick up the call.
Listen, his head might hurt like hell and the life might be slowly slipping out of him, but don't think he's about to NOT answer a call. That's an asshole move in his eyes.
"Hello?! Derek?!" The green slimes panicked voice sounded out. His panic only worsened when the thing he got in response was a muffled cry. Unknown to Derek, but this was FaceTime. Avery's face was on the monitor but with D3rlords face planted on his desk, all the other could see was an empty room.
"Derek! Can you hear me?!" Avery cried out, and Derek could hear by the shake in his tone, that he was either crying, or holding back cries.
"Loud... be quiet... please..." the dying man muttered. His voice raspy and ill. His head hurt so bad he didn't notice anything beside it and Avery's voice.
"Derek! What's your address, I need to get a doctor over there!" Avery asked worriedly, his voice barely any lower. The knight let out a pathetic "no", his voice sounding more like a child when they don't want to go to the dentist. "Dude! Tell me! There's no way I- you can't-!" The other stumbled and that's when D3rlord heard it.
If he wasn't sure if Avery was crying he definitely was now, and somehow, and very slowly, that made him barf up the information.
After telling the slime his home address, he heard rustling. "You live close, I'll be there-!" Avery gasped as he got up, abandoning the call.
Derek laid still, his head on his desk, his body trembling. He's never been in such agony. Using his strength to do all that was taking a heavy toll on him. He could feel his eyelids getting heavier by the second, he couldn't go on like this.
After around 15 minutes, somewhere in Derek's small apartment, a door opened. He didn't reacted or feel anything, his body was made of mush and his brain was slowly frying.
Frantic footsteps echoed through the space, door opening and closing: the sounds drawing closer. Finally, D3rlord's bedroom door opened. Once again, Derek didn't react, too tired to do anything. A voice screamed something that sounded familiar.
"Derek!" A guy who D3rlord could tell was Avery yelled as he sprinted to the desk where Derek lay. The slime put his hands on the knight's shoulders. Avery crouched down next to the semi-unconscious person. "I've called the ambulance and they-! Never mind!" Avery decided against explaining. He just needed to get Derek out of this chair. Avery slid his hands under Derek's head, and lifted it slightly, his breath hitching at how his condition was. D3rlord whined softly, his head pounded and ached horribly, the movement only making it worse.
"Sorry sorry!" Avery apologized, keeping his voice down to prevent hurting the other man more. The slime pushed Derek's head against the headrest of his gaming chair, making it easier for him to potentially carry the other. The knight closed his eyes, his whole body trembling and tears still burning down his cheeks which reminded him, Avery himself was also crying, but he could tell that he was trying his best to hold it in. Putting a hand under the knights shoulders and the other under his knees, Avery lifted Derek into a bridal carry. His knees shook under the weight and his knees almost gave out but with the spike of adrenaline, Avery kept going. Fortunately, the bed was close by so after a few careful steps, Derek was lying on his back against the blankets.
Avery noticed how Derek's eyelids were slowly closing, and out of fear, he gripped the other's shoulders and shook him hard. "Don't fall asleep!" The slime said louder than intended.
Suddenly, Derek's shallow breathing stopped, his muscles twitched and spasmed. D3rlord3’s eyes shut halfway and left only the white sclera visible. Avery gasped and stepped backwards for a second before rolling Derek on his side. He wasn’t educated on what was happening but after seeing a few seizures in movies, he was pretty sure you were supposed to do this. Derek’s body jerked a few more times before slowing to a stop. A few more tears spilled from his eyes: he didn’t move, didn’t speak, and was just beginning to finally breathe again. “Derek are you-? Are you okay now?” Avery asked, his eyes frightful: where was the ambulance!?
He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do, nor did he think he would be able to do it even if he did! The slime rested his hands on his face was he wept. He felt utterly useless and only when he could hear sirens did he move from his spot. He checked Derek’s pulse, something he gladly did know how to do, before running to the hallway, he needed the paramedics hear now!
The next minutes were a blur. The paramedics took Derek away on a stretcher and while Avery begged to go in the back of the ambulance with him, he wasn’t allowed. Jumping in his car, he sped after the red and white car. Tears started to spill from his eyes at a faster rate, his vision blurry (not a good thing for when you’re driving) but he wiped them away with his sleeve.
Avery ran into the hospital sobbing, he just wanted to see Derek okay. After a hour, the slime was sitting in the waiting room. His eyes red and puffy. He had stopped crying for now but every so often, he would just start bawling again, unable to control it.
Hours passed and Avery sat right where he was the whole time, hoping for a doctor to come out and say that Derek was okay and that he could go see him. That didn’t come. The slimes eyes felt heavy and before he could fight off the incoming sleep, it had already over taken him. Avery’s elbow was resting on his chairs armrest and his head was rested in his palm. Calm washed over the sleeping body, exhausted from everything that had happened.
He was woken by his name being called
Derek was awake