Chapter Text
“If everybody minded their own business,” the Duchess said, in a hoarse growl, “the world would go round a deal faster than it does.”
~~
Mom…
What can I do?
What can I do to make you proud, again?
“Riiiiiiiddle!!!!”
Riddle gasped while he sat up, jerking his entire body away from the hands on his arms and back. He tried to open his eyes but they stung strangely, and so he shut them tighter, head facing downwards as he tried to catch his breath.
“He’s back!”
“Oh thank the gods-“
Two voices spoke over each other, Riddle recognized them as the Ramshackle Prefect and Ace Trappola without having to check.
“Mr. Rosehearts, you’ve awakened.”
“Well it’s about time… we were just about losing our heads- er- poor choice of words, sorry- we were worried upside down trying to figure out if you’d wake up or not!”
Cater, Riddle shook his head as his hair stuck to his forehead by a mix of ink and sweat, slowly peeled off his skin and fell to hang under him.
“You… what…” Riddle's throat was so dry, he felt two hands return to his shoulders and backs and flinched but relaxed a bit when he registered Trey’s voice behind him. His entire body ached, and the touch felt like it burned as much as his eyes did at this moment, but he’d endure it, Trey sounded fairly scared when he spoke to another person asking them to get some water.
Riddle opened his mouth again despite the pain in his throat as he rasped, “What… happened?”
Trey’s voice seemed level as his friend tried to cover up any upset he had before Riddle had woken up, “Don’t worry, Riddle. Just try to rest.”
Riddle doubted he could do that, though at the same time he did feel like he was going to pass out.
“Hey- that’s just the coddling that led him to going nuts in the first place! Now the garden is shredded from the floor up, and we almost died!”
Riddle winced at Ace’s tone and words before he tried to open his eyes to look at his surroundings for a moment but they only started watering with tears and stinging worse so he shut them tight again on instinct.
“It was looking bad for a while there…” Deuce spoke in a soft manner as he crouched and handed Trey something - or at least Riddle assumed he did, as one hand was removed from Riddle’s back and there was a rustling behind him.
“For crying out loud- when you humans get stressed it is NOT a pretty result!” Grim’s voice is jarring to Riddle’s ears at the moment and he cringes right as Trey brings a cup with water to his mouth and tells him to drink, that cup must’ve been what Deuce handed to him, Riddle supposed.
Riddle took a few sips but eventually shook his head away as his memories of the day flooded his head.
“I…”
Riddle wanted to make eye contact with everyone but each time he tried to open his eyes the stinging got worse, tears began to fall and he grit his teeth.
“I wanted…”
The group stood quietly trying to let the prefect speak.
“I don’t…”
Riddle cursed quietly and he brought his hands up to wipe his eyes.
“Geez, what a bunch of crocodile tears, you know, you were the one that ruined the garden and the party right?”
“Cut him some slack, Ace, Geez…”
Riddle shook his head, “It’s not- It’s not the garden- I’m sorry- I am I just-“
They stung so bad, Riddle cursed a bit louder this time and after a few more moments of wiping his eyes he felt most of whatever was in his eyes was gone, he tried blinking a bunch while still having his hands over his eyes, waiting till he felt like his eyes could adjust to the light properly and didn’t sting as much to pull his eyes away.
He pulled his hands back and dropped them in his lap, blinking rapidly to get used to the light, before he registered that no colors or images had flooded his vision. It was dark- well, not quite dark- there was light- but no shapes… or people. Nothing.
Riddle blinked more in a last-ditch attempt before tears flooded his eyes again and he threw one arm back for his friend, “Trey?”
Trey grabbed the arm after a moment and then moved to hold his hand, “What’s… what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Riddle shook his head frantically as he tipped it upwards, though he wasn’t aware of where exactly he was looking, he heard a few noises of surprise. “No- no- I- Tre-“ he choked on his words and his voice cracked, “Trey I can't see-“
More coughs.
“I can’t… see.”
Riddle’s cries filled the silence provided by the rest of the group's shock.