When the Dawn Breaks [TBAU]

☆ Chapter 20 ☆

TW: discussions of death (in an only half serious way)
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"We've got a problem!"

Impulse bit back a nervous gasp, Beef's wild tone feeling like a punch to the gut. What if something terrible had happened? What if someone was hurt? Maybe... maybe he was overthinking things...

Maybe Scar just fell in the sinkhole again?

"What is it? What's wrong?" Xisuma's voice mimicked the concern that Impulse felt. Beef sucked in another forced breath before responding.

"It's Zedaph." Beef fidgeted while he spoke, "H-he— he's real sick, like it's bad, X... he's in the infirmary now."

Xisuma stiffened, letting out a strangled gasp and holding his hands to his helmet. Impulse felt himself full with dread. He, like basically all of the other hermits, had noticed Zedaph's recent strange behavior, and he was already really worried about Zed.

"Stress, she said he'll be okay," Beef continued, "but she thought you'd want to know about it."

"Yes- yes... I," Xisuma stammered, looking like he was on the verge of hyperventilating. "The infirmary, you said?" Beef nodded rapidly in confirmation.

"I'm... I'm gonna go," Xisuma broke his gaze away from the rest of them, staring in the direction of the infirmary. "Ah, thank you, Beef... ahm..." he looked like he was waiting for Beef to follow.

"I'll catch up in a bit, sorry," Beef mumbled, a strange look in his eyes. Xisuma nodded, before spinning on his heel and fast walking off, kicking up gravel and dust behind him. Impulse trailed Xisuma with his eyes until the voidwalker turned a corner and he couldn't see him anymore.

"Beefers? Everything alright?" Keralis tipped his head to the side, staring with concerned eyes. Beef had a slight tremor, and a distant look in his eyes. "Ah, uhm, Yeah, Yeah just fine," the hybrid answered after an awkward pause.

"My vintage kebab, you don't look very fine, no no. I can taste your worry from here! Do you need to talk about it?" Keralis leaned over the counter, putting on a pouty face.

"I- I dunno, I just feel weird about everything..." Beef dropped his head into his hands, "I mean, Zed hadn't been doing well and I wasn't doing anything about it, and now he's sick and I feel like it's my fault."

"Oh, Beef..." Impulse muttered, reaching out and placing a comforting hand on the taller hybrid's shoulder. "It's not your fault he's sick... and- and I'm pretty sure a lot of us noticed there was something wrong... I wish I'd done something to help sooner too," he admitted.

"Do you fink you'd feel better if we went to see Zeddy?" Keralis offered optimistically. Beef looked down at his feet, sucking in a sharp breath. He studied his shoelaces with a wide eyed gaze, as if he were seeing something that the others weren't. "...Maybe? Not... not yet, I don't know if I'm... ready."

"Alrighty, take as long as you need Beefers! Would you like a coffee in the meantime?" asked Keralis, gesturing to the coffee machines behind him. Beef nodded with a tired smile. Impulse let out a soft laugh at Keralis' sudden change in tone, and he and Beef each took a spot at two side by side barstools.

They both gave Keralis their (completely opposite) requests, Beef mumbling for something decaf and sugary, and Impulse asking for way more caffeine in his than any doctor would recommend. Keralis flashed the a thumbs up as he turned around and started on their coffees. With the peaceful silence that followed, broken only by Keralis humming the tune of a song nobody knew, Impulse felt as if he finally had a moment just to think.