He Doesn't Talk Much - Jacksepticeye Egos Fanfic

Chapter 9 - What Happened, Doc?

The smile and color faded from Henrik's face slowly, replaced by a look of blank, all-consuming horror.

"No," he breathed desperately, looking at the mass in his hand and then at Jameson, still asleep on the table with his throat split open like some terrible red flower. Henrik dropped the organ in his hand and rushed to Jameson's side. He nearly slipped on the sanguinary floor and stumbled as the pain in his stomach returned with a vengeance.

Tears came to the doctor's eyes as he scrambled to pick up his bloody tools. "Vhat have I done?" he whispered. He stared in horror at Jameson before setting to work stitching up his throat.

He couldn't replace the voice box, he realized. All I can do now is... Henrik thought despairingly. Damage control.

"Uh oh," an all too familiar voice whispered. "What happened, doc? What did you do?"

"I- I didn't," Henrik insisted fervently, though his hands trembled like glassware in an earthquake. "I didn't do this; I couldn't have. I wouldn't have. I... I..."

"You were so angry," Anti continued as if Henrik hadn't spoken. "I only suggested a little revenge. I hold down his arms, and you break his nose- that kind of thing. But this..." Anti appeared across the room, shuddering and glitching and grinning like a skull. "You're a monster, doc."

Tears fogged Henrik's glasses. He finished the sutures with an anguished gasp and dropped the needle back into its tray. "Anesthesia," he muttered. "And... and..."

Henrik stumbled away from the table and tore through the storage drawers, looking for something to numb the pain- as well as something else.

His hand wrapped around a little green vial, a treatment he had developed for Jack back on Halloween to prevent his throat from scarring. With this, it could look like nothing had ever happened.

It's the least I can do, he thought desperately.

Henrik injected the pain numbing medication first before lifting up the green vial. Suddenly, however, he felt his arm freeze, seemingly of its own volition.

"Just a moment," Anti tilted his head and held up his hand thoughtfully. "You know, I don't think that'll be necessary, doctor."

"Vh-vhat...?" Schneeplestein stammered.

"He wears dress shirts and bow ties anyway. Nobody'll ever see a thing," Anti shrugged with a giggle. "This is garbage."

Schneeplestein felt his arm jerk and the vial flew out of it, smashing against the far wall. "You- you!" he shouted at Anti as he regained control of his arms. He lifted his glasses just long enough to wipe the tears from his eyes, and he bared his teeth at the monster. "You can't guilt me. Zhis- all of it- is your doing, not mine. Get zhe fuck out of my clinic!"

Anti snickered, unbothered by the doctor's tirade. "Don't worry, I'll be out of your hair soon. But don't forget what I said. This isn't over," Anti hissed. His voice echoed inside Henrik's head, turning his blood to ice. "Good luck sleeping tonight, doctor." A low buzz filled the air, growing louder and higher incrementally until it was a screeching wail- and then Anti's image shattered into a million glitching pieces, and he disappeared.

Schneeplestein breathed out heavily and collapsed against the side of the operating table. He slumped to the ground, knees crumpling beneath him.

"Jameson..." he whimpered. "I'm so sorry..."

Jackieboy Man nearly crushed his cell phone in his hand as the call went to voicemail for the umpteenth time. It had been nearly 24 hours without any word- and though Jack had gone back to his regularly scheduled programming, Jackie hadn't heard from the doctor since his appearance on the channel.

Jackie had spent the night at Chase's apartment on the outside of London. Neither one slept much that night, and by morning, they were getting antsy.

"You really can't get a hold of him?" Chase asked, worry in his eyes.

"It's probably fine," Jackie lied. "It's been a long few days, and he forgets to charge his phone all the time. Besides, Jameson went to help him, too. They'll be okay."

"Bro, I could squish JJ in one hand. He's, like, tiny."

"We are literally all the same size."

Chase made a noncommittal little noise and shrugged. "I'm just saying, Anti could chew him up."

"Okay, okay," Jackie cut him off quickly. "We don't need to be negative. Let's just... go over there."

Chase's eyes widened. "You mean, split up?"

"No, you'd come with me," Jackie suggested.

Chase seemed very put off by this plan. "I- I thought I specifically was supposed to stay away from Anti. Because I have a- a predisposition, or whatever, for... you know..."

"Anti's gone by now. Right?" Jackie shrugged. "And if not, then, well..." Jackie ground his teeth. "If not, then they need our help anyway."

"Hhh," Chase whined nervously. "Fine, then. Let's go."

The two of them climbed into Chase's car and set off for Henrik's clinic. The ride was tense and quiet, interrupted only by the noises of the city outside their windows. When at last they reached Henrik's clinic, neither one seemed inclined to get out of the car.

"Okay," Jackie said finally. "Let's go."

They walked into the building slowly, flinching at every sound or creak of the staircase. At Henrik's floor, they stood beside the door and pressed their ears against it, calling out quietly at first before finally pushing their way in.

The clinic was dark; no lights were on in the waiting room. The door leading to the back hallway glowed around the edges, however, and like two children creeping through a sleeping house, Jackie and Chase picked their way through the chairs and listened again at the hallway door.

"I can't hear anything," Jackie breathed, pressing harder against the door.

"No, no! Shh!" Chase hissed quickly. "Wait, wait, I hear something!"

"Quit screwing around, Chase."

"No, I'm serious! It sounds like-"

Suddenly, the door swung forward beneath them. Chase and Jackie stumbled forward, pitching themselves unceremoniously at the feet of Henrik Schneeplestein.

"Doc!" Jackie shouted, practically bouncing off the ground. He scrambled to his feet, smiling hopefully. "Thank god you're okay! What happened- why haven't you been answering my calls?"

"Not cool, bro," Chase groaned from the ground.

Jackie lifted his head, getting a good look at Henrik for the first time. The doctor was covered in blood. It was dried in splatters across his face, smeared down the front of his labcoat, and smeared on his rubber gloves. Schneeplestein's eyes were the worst, though. They were glazed and bloodshot, as if he'd been crying. Heavy purple shadows hung beneath them.

Jackie's heart fell as he forced himself to meet Henrik's broken expression."Oh, no... Henrik... what happened?"

Schneeplestein swayed on his feet. "I am... I am afraid..." he said deliberately, in a voice like a funeral dirge, "I have done something horrible."