Grand Theft (The Umbrella Academy)

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE: Time

1970

Haddock set a plate of food and a water bottle in front of Connor. "Consy, this has gone on long enough. You need to eat," he demanded firmly.

"Go ahead... I'm not hungry," she exhaled in a raw voice.

"Psh. Connor, you haven't been hungry for fourteen days now. Talk to me. What's the matter? ...Please? I hate seeing you like this." She rasped a sigh and let him wrap his arms around her in a snug hug. Connor's puffy red eyes burned but they couldn't shed another tear. "Connor, you're scaring me."

"I'm fine, Fish. I'm just tired." Connor snuggled back under the covers.

"No. I'm sorry but all you've done is sleep for two weeks, Consy. You need to eat first. You look like a corpse."

"Well, I sure feel dead," she quietly exhaled. Connor closed her eyes and he flung the blanket off of her. She softly huffed.

"No. You're gonna eat and tell me what happened. Two weeks ago you were smiling and laughing and then all of a sudden it was like you were on autopilot... Did I do something wrong?"

"No, not at all. I just..." She let out a fragile breath. "I just miss them." I miss Five. "And it just... It just hit me like a truck feeling the weight of their loss for some reason. All I was doing was walking, found a bookstore. The Kennedy Nine it read. I opened it and there were all of our pictures... Simple pieces of paper, but they sure cut like a knife. After all of these years I'd never had a big problem with it. I don't regret my decision, I'd make it a thousand and one times over but... I'm just tired."

Haddock gently took the book and set it out of reach on the nightstand then took her into his arms. "We've got that spare case we took somewhere around here, you know... We could go back."

"No. I'm fine."

"No. No you ain't. Consy, please eat before you lose function and I have to take you to the hospital." She weakly half-rolled her eyes and looked at the plate in disgust, not because of the food, though he is terrible, just the thought of actually putting food into her system.

Connor looked into her husband's pleading eyes then tried to take a bite... and almost immediately gagged, having nothing to throw up, before the food could even touch her lips. Hadd sadly sighed then held her hair back, tucking the loose strands behind her ears, and rubbed her back.

"That's it," he said then took the plate from her hands and picked her up in his arms.

"What are you doing?" Connor questioned as he draped her arm around his neck.

"Connor, you're practically dead inside. Few more days of this 'n I could lose you. Your body can survive a long time not eating but not forever. You need substance. I'm takin' you to the hospital."

"Fish, I'm fine."

"You're not fine. You're lucky you're a shapeshifter or you would be dead. 'N once we get your body feelin' better we're gonna talk this through, alright? Consy, I adore you so much 'n it hurts watchin' you break away at yourself like this. I need to help. I need to do something 'n if I can't get you to keep food down then I'm goin' to people who can."

He brushed her hair behind her ears again and kissed her forehead. This was the first time she'd noticed his puffy red eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.