I don't even Smoke (a Stardew Valley Shane x Reader)

Chapter Two

As soon as Shane opened his eyes, he knew that he wasn't in his room. The bright lights that flickered away around him gave that away even before he'd opened his eyes. Even though his eyes were closed, the light pierced his eyelids like knives,  disturbing his hungover brain. He snapped his eyes open as he began to heave, sitting up and leaning over the bed to empty the contents of his stomach into the bin below. He clutched on the bars at the side of the hospital bed as the curtain moved slightly to reveal the figure of the resident doctor, who sighed and moved to hold the bin under the younger man's chin. Shane moved back when he was finished, laying back down and throwing an arm over his eyes to try and block them  from the light that seemed to be invited the majority of his senses. Even though he'd been attempting to throw up into the bin, small strings of beer coated vomit stuck to his chin as he propped himself up.

By this point, he had become absolutely shameless in his appearance when he talked to the doctor.

The silence was deafening before Harvey opened his mouth to speak. "Shane, you've got to stop doing this." he said, moving backwards to stand at the bottom of the hospital bed. If Shane's eyes had been open, he knew that he would have seen the worry swell up in Harvey's eyes - a common occurrence when he looked at the drunk in front of him.

And Shane also knew that he couldn't deal with that today.

"Wha?" he slurred, his brain struggling to connect the words together, "Turn off the lights and pish--piss off."

The doctor tutted at his words, silently making his way over to the only window in the room and pulling back the curtains, much to the purple haired man's dismay. "Seriously, Shane, we need to talk. This is getting out of hand! Last night was the third time that I have had to pump your stomach since you got back here, Shane -! If you were anybody else, then you would have been on a one way journey to Zuzu City Rehab Centre a long time ago, but I don't want you to have to go to a place that might do more harm than good. I want to give you something to hang onto." He said in an almost desperate tone, moving to sit on the bed next to the bedbound man, grabbing his hand and clutching it, scared he would disappear. Shane looked at the doctor and sank deeper into the bed - hoping that he would disappear as the earth swallowed him whole. It was safe to say that he was not used to this kind of care or physical contact from anyone, let alone his doctor, and he squirmed under the intense gaze of Harvey.

"Shane, both you and I know that you need help."

At those words, Shane felt like he instantly sobered up. But even then, he didn't say anything.

Harvey sighed and stood up, picking up his clipboard from the tray by the foot of the bed, and turned away from the bed-bound man. "You know I want to help you, Shane. And I know its my responsibility to make sure you seek help, but you're an adult and I can't force you to- I can only suggest it. Your vitals seem alright, but I recommend that you take it easy for the next few days, okay? That means no work, and certainly no drinking. Please just take my advice this once." With those final words said, the village doctor turned and walked through the curtain, leaving Shane to get ready with his own thoughts.

The purple haired male slipped out of the hospital bed, putting both feet down at the same time to steady his shaking body. Pulling the ever familiar hospital gown over his head, he picked up his t-shirt and slipped it on, before beginning to pull his joja mart trousers over his legs. As he bent down, he groaned and clutched his head, successfully bending  over the bin to throw up in it, his trousers around his ankles as he dry heaved into the bin. He was being so loud that he didn't even notice the figure that was standing in the small gap between the two curtains that shielded him from the outside world. In fact, she didn't even speak until he had finished, clearing her throat when he had. He turned around to look at the figure in the entrance, rubbing his face and looking up at her with a desperate expression on his face. She simply didn't acknowledge his sorry state with any disgust, instead looking at him with pity before she finally spoke, "You okay?"

He snapped his eyes up to look at the farmer, a face full of shame and shock. He had expected her to mock him - to take a picture to show Haley later. To laugh at him in such a sorry state, face red and puffy, pants around his ankles. He simply nodded in confusion, blinking dopily. He was glad he had sobered up a little, glad that he wasn't as confrontational as he was that night. Even then, he wasn't prepared for her response.

"Good. You should look after yourself more. Drunk isn't a look that suits you."

And with that, she went as quickly as she had arrived, leaving Shane once more alone with his thoughts.

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Shane really hadn't intended to go the Saloon that night, but once more he found himself tracing those familiar steps as soon as 5pm hit. In fact, he had been staring into space in Marnie's kitchen until that point, waiting for the clock to hit five. That was a time that he knew was late enough in the afternoon that it was socially acceptable to drink. It was sad really, knowing that he was constantly waiting for it to be late enough to have his first drink. When he had got up to leave the kitchen Marnie had jumped, but he payed her no mind as he pulled his slightly muddy joja mart jacket on and left the house. He didn't say anything to her.

He kept his head down as he walked, shame settling in the pit of his stomach as he passed the small Doctor's practice on the way to the saloon. His pace quickened and he almost rushed to the rustic door of the Stardrop Saloon, pausing before opening it. Immediately, he was enveloped by the warmth that leaked through the door - surrounded by the sound of the Saloon. He kept his head down as he entered, moving to sit as far away from the door -and her- as possible. He had never felt as ashamed as he did when he walked across the wooden floor of the saloon.

Ashamed because she was watching him from her own little corner of the saloon, hand threaded into Haley's hair as the blonde looked up at her in awe. In fact, she was absentmindedly running her hand through the taller girl's hair while she stared at the back of the head of the oddly sober man. Hayley followed her eyes, making a protest of disgust when she realised who the farmer was looking at, using a perfectly manicured hand to move (Y/n)'s face back towards her own. At this, Shane scoffed. Alex wasn't here, so Haley thought that she could act any way she wanted with the new farmer. Abruptly, the new farmer stood up as he walked past her table to go towards the bar, hissing in his ear as he passed. So quiet, he almost didn't catch it.

"Disgusting."

He paled as she began walking away, Haley nipping at her heels like a lost puppy, both exiting as quickly as Shane had entered.

She was right in his eyes. He really was disgusting. So many people had offered him help, and yet he still went back to his old ways without a second thought. He looked up towards the bar and Emily slid a drink towards him, giving him reassuring smile and a quick squeeze of his hand. Before he could look back to see the retreating forms of the two women holding hands through the window he stopped himself, opening the can of cheap joja beer, and taking a long drink, like his life depended on it.

It was bitter.

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Harvey was still filling the new farmer's paperwork in when he heard the frantic knocking on the practice's door. He sighed and pushed back his chair, leaving the backroom to hurry though the hall. The sound of rain slamming against the roof unnerved him, and the furious knocking did nothing to calm him. Unlocking and opening the door, he did a double take when he saw an incredibly damp Shane propped up against the door, stepping back as the purple haired man stepped in. The smell of cheap beer seeped from his pores, filling the room. As the door closed, Shane slid down it and began weeping, scratching at his face and pulling at his hair. All Harvey could do is sit next to the man and rub his back as he sobbed into the darkness for help.