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99redragons · 7 months

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Part of the Madness Ch.2 - Relic

There's some consequences to running around dimension-hopping with a wound.

Gen, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD, Altered Mental State, Hospitals, Injury

Read on AO3 Ch.1

His dreams were of Betty. He kept trying to find her, speak to her, but his mouth became full of snow and his feet were blocks of ice. “No, Betty, stay!” He tried to say. He heard the whispers of ice and snow, the secrets he’d known while insane, pulsing through his brain “NO ICE!” He shouted, while burning alive. He called for Marceline, apologizing, crying for his little girl to forgive him, fighting off oozers that never ended and his own brain slipping away from him. He felt crazy, his mouth dry, his arm burning, his head splitting in pain. He saw shadows where there were none, visions crowding him, the air thick with them. He whispered his own name to himself in the depths of his fever, for fear he would forget. Afraid he would forget her.

Eventually, the dreams faded.

He next woke up on a bed, not the couch, and the scent of candy in the air told him where he was.

“Dude.” The familiar tone of Finn’s voice sounded from next to him. Everything was fuzzy, and swirly, and he thinks he might throw up-

“You already did, dude. Marceline, he’s awake!” He called behind him, and Ice King smiled, wait, no, something was wrong with that, Ice King was gone, right?

“My little Marcy?” He croaked faintly, and his head hurt, his arm hurt, and he struggled to stop from fighting as suddenly Princess Bubblegum was there beside him, and he slurred, “Princess… a beautiful princess, by my bedside? Heh heh heh…”

“Dude, he’s really out of it, wow.”

“He has a very high fever, Finn, go get Marcy, I’m going to make sure he stays in bed this time- Simon! Stop wriggling, you’re going to open the wound again!” She chastised him, and he just kept laughing, and laughing, through the pain.

“Simon! Bonnie, is he okay- woah.” Marcy burst through the door, halting at the laughter, then hastily coming to help hold him still while PB slipped a sling over his head.

“There, now he shouldn’t move and damage his stitches- he’ll be okay, Marcy.”

She stopped, frowning at the look on Marceline’s face, and had he done that? Oh, no-

“I’m sorry Marcy, I didn’t mean to make you sad, Marcy, I’ll be good- no more crown-“ he stopped as she started tearing up, her face crumpling in that way he was so uncomfortably familiar with. “Woah, woah, what’d I say?”

She stopped, and scrubbed her face, PB coming up on that side of the bed to hold the hand that wasn’t holding Simon’s. It was nice, her cold hand in his. He felt very hot, and wasn’t that funny? Him, too hot! He tried and failed to keep down more giggles, eyes traveling around the room and seeing nothing clearly.

“You didn’t say anything, Simon, it’s okay.” She managed, and let PB guide her to sitting at the chair set beside him. “You have a fever, but it’s okay, PB and Doctor Ice Cream are here, you’re going to be okay. The infection isn’t that bad, Bonnie said.”

PB nodded. “I had to redo your stitches—did you do them yourself!?—But the fever’s not too dangerous. Now, if you two don’t mind, can I ask you some questions, Simon?” She brought up a clipboard.

“Sure, darling,” he murmured.

“Your full name?” He almost didn’t notice Marcy intake breath suddenly, she tried to hide it.

“Simon. Simon Petrikov,” he answered, and saw them both relax fractionally.

“Good. Do you know where you are?”

“The Candy Kingdom?” They relaxed more.

“Good. And who am I?”

“Princess Bubblegum.”

“How old are you?”

He snickered. “One thousand fifty-eight.”

The two women let out a barely audible sigh.

“I’m all jacked-up, huh?” He said, voice loopy.

Marceline managed a smile, her tears gone, “Heckin jacked, man,”

“How are you feeling? Besides jacked,” PB continued professionally. “Any pain?”

Simon nodded, the movement making his head bloom in pain- he tried harder to stay still after that. “My arm hurts, and my head, and I feel super duper loopy! Heh heh…” he trailed off in little chuckles again, unable to control his filter.

“Some of that is the pain meds we gave you. You’ve been down with a high fever for two days.” PB explained.

“Days!?” He exclaimed, sitting up more before he thought better of it and doubling over, “Fionna- I need to check- where’s my phone?” He blathered, realizing he was just in a simple gown under the sheet.

Finn, wandering back in. heard him and frowned. “Fionna… from your fanfiction?” He ventured awkwardly.

Simon felt shame and desperation twist in his gut “I know how it sounds, but they’re real now- they always were, and now they’re authorized!” He begged for him to believe him.

“Authorized?” Finn asked, confused.

“It’s true, LSP confirmed it,” PB said. “Simon, lay back down. Your phone is here with your things.”

“Wait, hold up, what did LSP tell you?” Finn held a hand up, mild suspicion in his gaze.

“That a new hero with a singing cat showed up and trashed the market in the woods,” PB explained. “It was the talk of Ooo, you know how LSP is. The kid who helped them said they were the Fionna and Cake, and very insistent about it. Then everyone saw them vanish.”

“Not the first time we’ve had alternate universe adventures, I’ll believe it,” Finn shrugged, and it was that simple with him.

“He told me everything, Finn, I believe him too. They’re real.” Marcy added.

“Girl me is real!” Finn tightened his fists, eyes glittering in excitement. “I bet she’s awesome!”

Simon chuckled at Finn’s excitement. “That she is,” he murmured. He gratefully took his phone with his one hand not in a sling, hand still shaky. “My glasses- where-“ PB handed him those too, but they didn’t help that much, and looking at the tiny screen made his head hurt. Everything was all swimmy.

“Let me,” Marcy offered.

“Okay,” he gave in, handing her the phone. “Call her.”

She did, and soon a voice came over the phone. “Simon, are you okay? It’s been days!”

“I’m fine, Fionna,” he rasped.

“Woah, you sound rough, are you su-“

“He is not fine!” Marcy burst out. “He has an infected wound that he left untreated for days, and he’s in the hospital now!”

“Geez, Simon! ...Who is that?”

“That’s Marcy, my ward.” He answered.

“Girl Marshall!! I bet she’s super pretty!!” She blasted through the little speaker.

“She is,” he answered simply, while Marcy blushed a little. PB held her hand over her mouth, amused.

“Fionna?” Finn ventured.

“Woah, how many people are there? Yep, it’s Fionna!”

“And Cake!!” Could be heard faintly. Finn rubbed his chest where his Jake tattoo was briefly.

“I’m Finn, nice to meet you,” he said, a bit in wonder.

“Oh! Boy version of me! Awesome!!” She shouted.

“Are you alright over there, Fionna? How is everyone?” Simon cut in.

“Everyone’s getting there, all in all, the damage could have been worse, a lot worse. We’re all working together on clearing rubble away and the injured are getting treated. Me and Cake mostly hanging with Marshall and Gary and Hunter. And Ellis P is here too, I guess. Everyone’s fine. Everything is okay, thanks to you, Simon.” She said warmly.

He let out a huge sigh of relief he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Fionna and Fionna-world was alright, still. “I’m glad.” He croaked.

“Now Simon, you get some rest, mister! I’ve gotta go, but nice meeting everyone! I’ll text you with my new phone, Simon! Bye!” She called, and hung up. Marcy returned him the phone and he lay back finally.

“She’s right, he needs to rest. Everyone else out!” PB called, ushering Finn out of the room, letting Marcy stay.

They sat in the quiet of the hospital room for a monment, then Marcy said, “You were really weird with a fever,” half amused half somber.

“I bet I was,” he murmured, and spotted the glass of water on the table beside them.

“Here, let me help you, Marcy offered.

She gently moved the glass to where he could take hold of it, head propped up on pillows for him to drink.

“Reminds me of the time I was sick and you got me chicken soup. Do… do you remember that?” She asked, the most Marceline would ever hesitate.

“Of course I do,” he said, an echo of a hundred times he’d said it before, heavy on his throat, but warm, and reassuring.

She smiled back, full-teeth, a smile he’d only ever seen after he became him again for the first time due to Bella Noche. A smile not shy about her teeth. Actually happy. He really liked that smile.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she said, instead of you worried me, what the heck, Simon, you left an open wound untreated for days, Simon!

He appreciates what he can get. “I’m okay,” he says, a bit petulant. He didn’t like a big fuss being made over him.

“I- it suppose this wasn’t on purpose, so it’s fine,” she says after a long moment. “But what the hell.” Oh, there it was. She was still chill, at least.

“It’s okay, Marcy, I’m old, this stuff happens,” he said, as if that had anything to do with it.

“It can’t, Simon, not anymore.” She was serious. Uh oh.

“Uh oh.” He croaked.

“You will take care of yourself—I don’t care what Finn does.” She was nearly shaking with the effort to not hiss. “You’re human, Simon.”

“I know.” He said, and it was only a little bitter.

“You can’t be reckless anymore, I thought we’d been through this. Not after—“

“Not after I became not Ice King,” he said, and surprised himself he’d said it aloud.

“Y-yeah.” She said, taken aback. “I don’t run your life, and Ooo is just dangerous, I get it, but man.” She sighed with her eyes closing for a moment, tucking a stray lock of hair back.

“I know, Marcy.” He said again evenly.

“And I know you were running around from the Scarab and rarely resting, but dude!”

“We didn’t really have time in the Winter King dimension, and most of the other time we were running or fighting,” he said, not defensively.

“Yeah! But dude!” Her head fell in her hands. She’d floated up so she was looking down at him now, and she forced out a huge sigh.

“I wasn’t trying to hide it, Marcy, it just slipped my attention, really.” It wouldn’t’ve mattered if I’d put the Crown on, anyways, he thought guiltily.

“Simon. Simon this is important, please. You can do this,” she encouraged, because she wasn’t all mad, really she wasn’t mad at all, just frustrated with her weird, weird dad. He knew the look from every time he could recall through fuzzy, vision-filled memories. Barely a face, but he’d know it was hers, and it would be frowning, angry, sad. He hated making her frown.

“Okay,” he agreed with her, like he always did, though he didn’t always follow through with promises, they were both painfully aware. “What do you want me to say, Marcy?” He asked quietly, and he sounded so damn tired, showing his age for the rare occasion. He wasn’t even that old, damnit. He was trying, though.

“Just—I need you—Simon, you can’t regard yourself as disposable. Please.“

That was a tall order. Even the vague emotions and impressions he’d had while Ice King he’d always felt forgettable, the last thought, unlikeable. He just wanted someone to tell him what in hell he was supposed to do now. Instead he said,

“Aw, you don’ need me anymore, Marcy.”

She sniffed suddenly, hard, and he realized he’d mucked up. “Oh no. Marcy, I’m sorry, I just, you’ve outgrown me, the whole world has. I’m a relic of the past.” He murmured, “It’s how things are,” he added.

“I’m not a relic, and neither are you!” She insisted, hands fisting by her sides. “You’re more my dad than my real dad ever is, Simon, you know that. I do need you.”

He didn’t know how to respond, guilt and affection warring in his gut.

“Not just me either, man. Finn really needs your friendship after Jake… and Fionna-world needed you, you can’t think—“

“I understand, Marcy,” and he thinks he is starting to, truly.

She watched his expression carefully, searching his eyes, and seemed to find what she was looking for or gave up, because she collapsed back into the chair with a sigh and then let out a chuckle, “If you get it then don’t be such a dink donk, old man,” she said with deep affection. He smiled back.

They both chuckled for a while.

“Oh shoot, I almost forgot,” Marcy shot up.

“What?” He rasped.

“Uh, well, how is your head, Simon?”

“Achy. Achy all over, really, but my heads the worst.” He answered honestly.

“Bonnie asked me to see if we can get a cool cloth on your head, for the fever. They tried to give you an ice pack while you were out, but…”

He winced “I think I remember that it didn’t go well, did it?”

“No,” she confirmed, a similar expression on her face. “If I brought you a cool wet cloth, do you think you could…?”

He was already nodding, “Please,”

She nodded back, went and came back with one. “Ready?” She asked. He nodded, and she gently placed it on his forehead. He resisted letting out a hiss at the frigid-feeling water. He took a few deep breaths, and eventually relaxed into it—it did help with the pain. “Thank you, darling,” he murmured.

She smiled at him, and after saying if he needed anything he should call, she floated away to leave him to rest, and no doubt to check in with her girlfriend.

He sighed heavily into the pillows, and eventually, fitfully slept.

#simon petrikov #simon petrikov fanfic #fionna and cake #fionna and cake fanfic #angst #hurt/comfort #99redragons art #my writing #potm

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