Chapter Text
Waking up was... a bit weird. Ok that was the understatement of the century. He expected to never wake up again and if he did it would not be in a hospital bed. He was thinking on the side of clouds or hell fire, but this? This came out if left field. I mean he died. Like if that weird sound he heard after breaking the astral pulse and trying to contain it's power enough so it would only kill him and Shroud was not a clue that he should be 100% dead? The explosion afterwards should clue you in.
So of course after thinking you have died and are 100% no one of SND should have healing powers that reach behind the veil of death, you can understand the bewilderment at opening your eyes again, coming back to the world of the living.
Looking up at the ceiling in shock, only to come to notice the pain that wracks his whole body. He sits up even at the protest of his own body and looks to the side to see a shocked nurse looking at him.
"What's the date."
God he could only hope it's only been a few weeks at least but with the nurse's expression it seems unlikely.
She says the date. He stills, he knows that date. That was the day he woke up from his coma after the crash, but that was in the past right? Was the past few months a coma fever dream? There was no way that was true but was the other option any better. I mean time travel is just impossible. There is just no way one can travel into the past without just exploding. But he was here now, existing.
Ok mental breakdown later he needed a glass of water.
…
After greedily gulping down a few glasses of water he went to the bathroom, just to get his mind sorted. After walking up to the mirror and splashing his face he looks at his face. He looks worse than he did at SND, but to be far according to this timeline he just got out of a coma. But something feels off about him, but what. He may be in a body that is a bit younger than him by a few months but that does not mean that he does not recognize it as his own. He feels like something foreign has invaded his body and has taken nest inside but he does not know what. Could it be what helped him into the past? Perhaps, but he needs to find where this oddity may be in him.
He checks all over himself for anything that he does not recognize as his own, but nothing stands out. Every freckle in place, every scar as deep and big as previously, he even checked to see if he somehow had grown a third nipple! But no dice. He stares into the mirror 2 pairs of eyes and has a staring contest that neither would win. He glares, getting frustrated at the prospect of knowing something was wrong with him but not knowing what. A flash of electric blue coats his eyes. He stumbles back, his chest glows and some close arteries as well.
He wants to scream in fear but he just stares at his chest that glows then stops, it almost looks like he shoved the astral pulse inside his chest. Ok now he has maybe confirmed one thing about this, that the astral pulse is probably connected to all of this.
Did absorbing all that energy from the astral pulse make him into a pseudo container rather than expelling it like what it did last time with the energy? Maybe. But right now he feels like shit and has too many thoughts in his head about the future.
All he needs right now is to go to sleep, get Beef, and some sort of way to write down his thoughts and plans for the future rather than keeping them locked up in his mind. His mental health will greatly improve after these changes and God forbid he needs as much sanity as he can get.
…
Ok never mind! The hospital seems to be forcing him to stay for a few more days for an “observation period” which is bullshit. They just want more money from me and I’m poor and cannot afford that. Plan B it is I guess. The great escape!
Well not really, you can sign a form that you are going against medical advice and they are not at fault if you die. After many years living in the hellscape called the United States while being poor I have learned all the tips and tricks on being frugal in this wasteland. One of my biggest money wasters was medical help so by just doing it myself and learning how to escape if somebody put me in a hospital if I was unconscious was a great help in my bills.
Anyway, after fighting like I was in court for custody of my children against the hospital staff “highly recommending that I stay a little longer” I made it out of much less medical debt than I did before. I guess being around the Z-team made me grow a better spine. I guess having some sort of support system that also bullies you helps you in many ways.
Ok first things first, Beef. If he was to keep any mental breakdowns from spiraling any further than a good cry session he would need his son. Bringing the paper work that he had owned Beef and the medical paper work that he was in a coma for good measure was easy enough.
God when he saw Beef for the first time since he woke up he could almost cry, never mind he did. He didn’t even notice until Beef was licking his tears away. Man whose balls did he fondle in his past life to get this angel of a dog.
Walking back to his apartment he walked into a pet friendly store to grab some pencils, pens, sticky notes, and a notebook. It was best to write important future information now while everything was still fresh… and any information about what the hell is going on with him that makes him glow.
He walked into his barren apartment. He cringed remembering how he would now miss the couch given to him during his house warming party. Alas it seems he’s back to the plastic chair again. It was also a lot darker, but that comes with the territory of missing the many lamps that he had before.
He sits in his sad chair making a list of what he needs to do first above all else. He also catalogs events that happen in the future that could be changed and events that he needs to prepare for.
“Ok Beef we have to make our money stretch for a little more than a month till Mandy comes with that job after that interview. Do you think we can do that?”
His baby boy may not understand a word he is saying but it’s nice to talk to somebody. Man he misses everyone. Should he call up Chase? Maybe let’s pin that though for now.
“We also need to get the mech up, that's going to be a pain but at least it's good weight training. I’ll have to be more careful this time so that I don't pull anything.”
He sighs, and starts petting Beef.
“God, I have way too much to think about right now. At least all the important or vaguely important events are cataloged. I hope that I can straighten everything out by the end of the month but by my track record I probably won't."
Beef cocks his head and Robert laughs at his confusion. He picks up the rotund dog and places him on his lap, and waits for sleep.