Chapter Text
8:24PM, BLACKROCK, LABORATORY, SUB T. MINE.
The nightmares of Blackrock were far from pleasant as Medkit woke in a quick, cold sweat. His hands trembling with the same fight-or-flight adrenaline that made his dark palms sweat and his whole body on edge. Medkit looked around his dark apartment; a cheap one he rented for the month so he could at least find some peace away from Lost Temple and what lay in the burning, desert region. His eye landed onto the dark skinned inphernal who laid by him, Ban Hammer’s chest rising softly as The Warden gently snored.
He hated thinking about it, thinking about what he got himself involved with after the incidents of Blackrock. Running away like a coward from what hurt him most–quite literally physically and worst of all, mentally. Subspace god damn T. Mine. Thinking about his name, even the rotting looks of the inphernal after the incident made Medkit sick to his stomach. Medkit got up from the creaky bed that the apartment provided, not an ideal sleeping place but it worked even if it gave him strains on his 30 year old back; plus Ban Hammer seems to like it himself. As he got up and walked across the dark hallway to the bathroom, he paused and looked down the dark hallway that led to the living room, shivering from god knows what; it was either the cold, ancient AC of the apartment or the thought of him lingering there.
He flicked the light switch on as he was walking in, his hooves hitting the cold tiles of the bathroom floor. He grabbed his gold lined glasses that rested by the sink; right by Ban Hammer's purple blindfold and his eyepatch. Once Medkit slid them on, he saw the face he was greeted with each time he looked at himself in the mirror–yet a sore thumb stuck out like a red poppy in a field of yellow sunflowers. Where his stitched left eyelid lay was covered with a cluster of teal crystal tips. The tips barely poked out of his dark flesh but the teal tips that slightly pierced the flesh looked like seeds on his face–sharp ones but also took resemblance to the same teal, octahedron crystal that floated and fluttered in between his horns.
What the actual hell… was this? Was it a chemical result years after Subspace decided to gouge his eyeball out over a small dispute over crystal usages? He wondered, it could be a chemical result years later because Medkit knew that that scalpel wasn't clean when Subspace decided to jam it into his damn eye socket. He ran his furry index finger pad over the rough stones, feeling the protruding jewels.
Medkit couldn’t help but think, how did he not notice this sooner? His head felt as if it were to pop with all his wondering and pondering questions. He groaned, pulling his dark hand away and turning around, resting his hips against the sink counter as he held his head in his clawed, slender fingers buried within his dark curls that were usually pulled back. He didn’t get it… he felt no pain, saw absolutely no signs, especially with how sensitive his fur and flesh were from bearing all the fumes of Blackrocks pollution production for all those years. It was baffling to the deer-like inphernal. Medkit was too deep into his theoretical and hypothetical thoughts to hear the loud creak from the master bedroom.
Ban Hammer was awoken by the light coming from the bathroom and the warmth that left the bed. The dragon-like inphernal could sense light changes even while sleeping, having four eyes made his sense of vision more than 20/20. He laid up, the bed creaking underneath The Warden's weight that was mostly pure muscle but Ban did have his fair share of chub on his form. He noticed his deer-like fiance was missing from the bed and immediately got a bit anxious, silently he was hoping Medkit wasn't having another PTSD episode; sometimes they happened though it was rare. Ban Hammer got up, his height making him have to slightly duck so his purple horns only grazed the ceiling; standing at 6’11” wasn’t all that of a smooth breeze. He walked, accidentally stomping, to the open door of the bedroom and also saw that the bathroom door was also open, seeing Medkit, who was still grasping his hair and holding his head. This was a red flag to Ban, who knew Medkit was thinking once more, Ban Hammer took action. Ban cleared his throat, it coming out more rougher than he wanted it too but as long as it got the deer’s attention, it didn’t matter.
Medkit looked up, his hand not covering his left eyelid, and he knew Ban Hammer acknowledged his eye. He could tell just about how the dragon-like demi-god’s eyes widened, especially his lower corner pair.
“ … Meds… you alright? “ The Warden asked, hesitant to even speak as if he would spook the other inphernal out of his thoughts
Medkit could barely register what Ban was saying, his deer-like ears turned down and ringing. “ Don’t look at it like that. “ Medkit snapped, although he wasn't really trying to snap, it came across as is. His tone was sharp, turning into sewing needle-like sharpness. He turned around to face the mirror, looking closer at his sewn eye. His hands escaped his curls, barely trembling as he rested his dark palms against the marbled counter. Never in Medkits 30 years of living in this forsaken inpherno has he seen a disease, virus whatever it is; like this. It was almost like… It was first attacking the ones who were bound with the crystal.
Ban Hammer was taken aback by his fiance's tone, a gruff and annoyed scoff left his dark lips, his lip line being broken by his tusks. How could he not look at Medkit’s face like that? You never see stones protruding out of your partner's face on a regular day.
“ You never see stones protruding out of your own partner's face on a regular day, Doc. You need to go get that checked out. “ Ban scolded, directing Medkit’s tone right back to the deer-like inphernal. Ban Hammer's tail slightly smacked the tiled floor in annoyance, the obsidian and dark purple scales brushing against the cold floor of the bathroom floor.
Medkit did not respond, he’ll rather deal with this himself than waste the little money he has. He turned around and pushed past Ban Hammer, who let out a dismissive growl. He headed down the hall, his hooves clacking against the wooden floor of the apartment. The air–that was already frosty seemed to get even colder, yet it did not bother him. Medkit went to the kitchen island and grabbed his teal case that was on the marble top, the moonlight through the window provided light as his claws popped it open. He dug the scalpel out, knowing where it was and knowing himself, it had to be sanitized already. Medkit headed back into the bathroom, where Ban Hammer was leaning against the counter.
Ban Hammer’s four eyes widened once he saw the scalpel, had Medkit gone mad?! Medkit leaned over the counter and began cutting the crystal tips out of his flesh, liquid crimson welled up in the cuts and eventually started to drop onto the white marbled countertop. Every cut–every sickening snick of the surgeon blade made Medkits ears flick and turn backwards. Ban Hammer wanted to just stop Medkit, yet it's hard to persist with the inphernal who's about to ruin his stitched eye.
“ Medkit, I swear to the greatest SFOTH you’re about to hack your whole damn face off–! “ Ban Hammer started, before trailing off when a clink of something dropping into the sink caught his attention. Medkit's other hand shot forward, grasping the rock before it could make it to the drain. In his dark-grey palm lay a bloodied teal crystal that Medkit pried out of his face–Ban Hammer couldn’t believe it. There laid a full octahedron crystal, teal like the one floating in between Medkit's horns. It pulsed quickly, matching with Medkit’s racing heartbeat.
This was no odd coincidence, it had to be something more.