Realizing my limits

[Monday Weeks]

Plot ID# 120289. TW: Mental breakdown, insomnia
Open to professors, friends, and family. PM me if you are not sure if you should post here!

Hazel eyes fluttered open, and the ceiling of the familiar hospital wing flooded his vision. It took him a few moments to remember what happened. Monday Weeks had not had a good night's sleep in months. It was hard to say when the last time he slept more than three hours a night. His spells started to falter. He felt that his essays and memory were slipping. His time with Aine Thompson was embarrassing to say the least. It made him feel like more of a failure than ever before. His thoughts went down a dangerously dark road. A road that could have ended with him six feet under had he not gotten help. And it was all thanks to Valerius Bianchi that he had realized that something was even wrong with him.

The night before, Monday had arrived to their dorm to find it in a disarray. After failing several spells, his experience before, his lack of sleep, all of it caused his mind to snap. He broke apart. And he was taken to the hospital wing to get treated. Monday had to talk to a psychiatrist to deal with his obsession on trying to be perfect, and learn to ask for help when he needed it - which he went years without wanting help, thinking he did not need help, and now, his mind and body suffered from it. He was slightly skinnier. He look absolutely sickly. He covered it up for months before, using clever make-up tricks. Now, his face was clean and bare.

Monday sat up in the bed, and immediately felt just so tired and exhausted. His body was screaming for him to rest, and relax. It was hard for him to even listen to it. He was curious whether or not his sisters or friends would know about what happened to him. Valerius would, certainly. He was the one that brought his friend over. Monday knew that with time, he would learn to take better care of himself, be stronger, and not try to shoulder literally everything on his shoulders. Monday needed to take a few steps back, and know his limits from here on out. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair, which had a bit of orange and pink in it, and felt that he really needed something sweet.​

 

[Aine Thompson]

Aine felt awful for having been so willfully ignorant. Of course she'd noticed that Monday was looking worse and worse as the year had gone on. But she had had no idea that it was this bad. She didn't even know all the details, just that Monday was in the Hospital Wing. She'd barely heard half the story before she was running down to go make sure he was okay. Which she should've done ages ago, she was the closest to him and she should have done something. She had no idea what she could have done, really, but surely she should have been able to help somehow.

She practically stomped through the Hospital Wing to where her closest companion was lying and was immediately struck with a fresh surge of guilt. And the fear about what could have been, or if it could be worse. "Christ," she eventually whispered, looking him over with a fresh sense of shock. She figured she should probably say something, anything. "You look like s**t." ...maybe not that. "Sorry."

 

[Valerius Bianchi]

Valerius wasn't sure how this could have played out differently. He'd tried not to boss Monday around, but maybe if he'd been more forceful... he'd tried to let Monday work it out, trust in his friends strength, tried to be content bringing more snacks to the dorm and stealing Monday away from things when he could. It hadn't been enough, and Valerius was at war with himself. Part of him kept saying he'd tried, and the other part was cussing himself out for not doing more.

He was outside the wing, getting some air while Monday rested, when suddenly Aine was flying by, not even noticing him against the wall. He gave it a few moments before he pushed himself off and followed her in, hands in his pockets. He relaxed- even if only slightly- as Monday was awake. "Poetic," He replied lightly, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Good to see your eyes open." He offered himself, looking from Monday to Aine to Monday again. "So... do I dare ask what happened?"

 

[Monday Weeks]

Monday should have known better than to not expect people to come along, especially those closest to him. He looked at Aine and could not help but laugh softly as she said that he looked like sh*t. "Make up really covered it up. I'm probably a pro at it now," Monday joked, which to him, it was a way to deal with some of the more serious matters. It was a trauma response. It was how he managed when his father vanished. He could think of several homework assignments where he made dark jokes involving the disappearance of his deadbeat dad. He knew that he looked bad, but at least he was recovering. That was the positive outcome out of all of this.

He shifted his attention over to Valerius and nodded. Monday thought about how to word what happened, before he just gestured with his hands, "I've not been sleeping all year. Add that to the stress of all the responsibilities I have, and the classes, and I just broke. I've not been taking care of myself, and need to learn to ask for help when I start to feel overwhelmed." Monday thought that was sufficient enough for an explanation. He did wish that he had been stronger, but he was only human, and without adequate sleep, his body was just breaking down.​

 

[Aine Thompson]

Aine raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the wall. It was easier to crack jokes and laugh at bad situations, she always felt, which she supposed was something she and Monday had in common. "Great, you can help me do my face for graduation, then. I still don't have a clue how to do mine," she responded, playing it off. She suspected the last thing he wanted to hear was too much misery and sympathy, or maybe Aine just didn't want to get bogged down in it herself. Often, it was easiest just to keep going like everything was fine.

Except it obviously wasn't fine. Aine sighed. "Don't know why they think we're some sort of superhumans. I do only half of what you do and I'm exhausted." Maybe she ought to say something, actually sympathetic. "Sorry. If, uh, there's anything I can do, like yell at professors on your behalf or something, I will." No, it was still easier to be at least somewhat light hearted about it. She nodded over at Valerius with a raised eyebrow. "Or, better yet, make him your lackey. You wouldn't mind, would you, Valerius?" Not even a tremble of her voice. Aine had a feeling she was getting better at this.

 

[Valerius Bianchi]

Valerius thought back as Monday spoke, recalling all the times Monday had been awake before him- and after him. He took a deep breath, and smacked his own knee, leaning back on one hand. He chuckled at Aine's commentary, giving his friends an easy smile. "Aw, what, you don't want me to buy a few interns? Maybe some eager first years?" He fell along with the teasing, looking between the two of them. "Or maybe we could have some sleepovers- Aine and I can take turns staying up and playing gaurd and Monday gets to lay down and behave, maybe remember what sleep is," He teased as well, trying to play it off. "Maybe start spiking his dinner with some sleeping potions."

 

[Monday Weeks]

Aine mentioned how he could help her do her face for graduation. He shook his head, and said, "You don't need to wear make up. You look perfect without it." Monday only wore it to cover up how ghostly he looked and how sunken in his face appeared. It was rough, but now, he would be able to heal and get some help. He chuckled as Aine mentioned that she only did half of what he had done, and she was exhausted. He knew that he overdid it, and hoped that Aine did not overdo it herself. "But you have special lessons with Professor Styx. I think that makes up for half of what I do, plus some. And no, no yelling at professors. They didn't do this to me." Anyone that would spend extra time with that professor needed some time to chill, and have extra credit or something. And now it started to feel more like an intervention but a lot more light hearted. He pointed out, "As long as I take some medicine, I should be able to sleep. There is no reason why either of you should lose sleep because of me, nor should people try to step in to do my bidding. Although, I'd kill for some Draft of Living Death." Monday paused for a moment. "Wait, I'd need a princess to wake me up. Or a prince. Or a book. True love right?"​