Chase pushed through the rest of the year with his head down. And still, into the new year - happy 2018! - he drowned out his worries from Christmas by burying his head in the work of maintaining Jack's channel.
He didn't really mean to stop texting Jackie... it was just too painful after he had shouted at him on the phone. What would they say? What could they talk about... besides Anti, the one thing Chase wouldn't, couldn't force himself to think of. And Jackie never reached out, either.
No, it was enough for Chase to do his YouTube work, see his kids every other weekend, and pay the bills.
...and Jack's bills.
...and Jackie's bills, since he didn't have a traditional job either.
And, as January rolled into February and the days blurred together, so what if Chase missed an appointment or two with his therapist? It was already pricey taking care of his friends back in London. Tacking on another expenditure wasn't really ideal. And he felt fine, right? Yeah!
When March swung around, Chase started picking up a bottle of whiskey at the grocery store when he went shopping. He had forgotten how much he liked whiskey.
And then, oh, gee, had it been four months into the year already? Seeing his children was always the highlight of Chase's week. Stacey dropped them off at his house in her minivan - usually he liked to go down and say hi, to meet her beautiful eyes and see her smile, even if just for a moment. But recently, he had taken to waiting at his front door, or inside. He tried his best to be energetic and cheerful for his kids, but somehow - because of work, probably - it was getting harder and harder. Eventually, his worst fears were realized.
Hey, the little one said you were acting weird this weekend, Stacey sent, in a text. Chase didn't respond. He knew what was coming. I'm taking them to visit my parents upstate at the end of the month. Can you miss a weekend?
Yeah, he typed, feeling numb.
By the end of April, Chase was picking up a few bottles of whiskey a week. He often sat up at night in his kitchen, watching the clock tick past twelve and back around again through an orange-colored haze.
The hours felt like days, the days felt like weeks, the weeks felt like months... and the months felt like minutes.
And then it was May...
YOU ARE READING
He's Probably Fine - Jacksepticeye Egos Fanfic
FanficWhat's going on with Chase Brody? Everyone's favorite trick-shotting YouTuber has been under a lot of stress recently. His friends are scattered to the winds; one's in a coma, one's lost in time, and one took a surprise vacation. But Chase can hand...
