Alone With Them

Chapter 26

I think I'm technically posting this on time. Also late Merry Christmas!

It's Friday, Cathryn thought to herself as she sat in Chance's temporary bedroom helping him color a picture of a large dog. Payday. The last day before the weekend, and the one she'd considered being her last to return to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. At least, that'd been an idea before talking to Freddy and being signed up to fix the haunting animatronics that lived there. Not to mention learning all sorts of confusing things about Bonnie.

The robots weren't right. They were violent and large and sadistic and manipulative . . . but Bonnie had at least waited until the end of her shift to leave her alone, taking Chica's body with him. Even after hours of tidying up all the fallen papers and files, the chicken had still been rebooting.

Was it bad to admit Cathryn's life was falling apart if these were the thoughts filling her head?

It didn't help that Sam had ignored her again.

And Markus still wouldn't respond when she used the walkie.

Now all she had left was Chance, who thought she was a tooth fairy and was unaware of all the aches and pains constantly rushing through her body. She had too many bruises for any normal person. Plus, she was drained in every meaning of the word. She'd returned home to find her younger cousin wide awake and ready to play, and had been too tired to say no, which meant there was no one she could blame her exhaustion on but herself.

Just like everything else.

She sighed, making Chance stare up at her and cock his head.

"Do you like our puppy?"

"Yeah," Cathryn grimaced with fake enthusiasm.

"You should color his leg blue." He handed her a dark crayon before pointing at an empty spot beneath the dog's green belly and brown tail. Then he continued coloring half of a different paw pink.

Cathryn let out a loud yawn. She surprised herself when her new crayon actually came out an indigo color rather than a dark blue, and the image of Bonnie filling her mind jostled her awake. When Chance handed her a second, yellow crayon a few minutes later, she let out a bitter laugh. The universe played sick jokes.

"You are very tired," Chance observed a while after, one of few problems he'd actually managed to pick up on.

"I've been working a lot."

"Oh!" His eyes sparkled with childish wonder until they caught something else. He laughed and pointed at her hand, "I want a band-aid!"

Her hand automatically moved to hide behind her. She actually managed to make her voice whimsical as her eyes widened, "A band-aid?" Cathryn glanced eagerly from side to side. "Where?"

"Right there!" Chance gestured towards her hidden hand.

Cathryn purposely looked around it. "Where? I can't see it."

"It has racing cars on it!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" he insisted.

"But what if it's a fake band-aid?"

"It's not. You have it right–" he grunted, his attention completely diverted and the crayons falling from his hands. He tugged at her stiffened arm. "It's right there! You saw it!"

"No I didn't." Her lips cracked a smile.

"Yes you did."

"No–"

"Please! Please Cathryn, pwease?"

"Ugh fine," she gave in, letting herself slouch as she chuckled. It was harder to stand than she expected, her bones protesting. "I can get you one band-aid." Although she probably shouldn't let him waste one. A small voice in the back of her head warned that she may need it later.