John and Bella Chapter 7 Part 3
John tried to get some shut eye. it was only the middle of the afternoon, but it felt like it had been a full day already. He knew Bella was surely going to act out every once and a while, but this? It was ridiculous to him.
He couldn’t sleep. He decided he needed to go clean up the mess in the living room and give Kori a call. He isn’t dealing with your average fluffy, so he figured he shouldn’t treat the situation as such.
He gets all his cleaning supplies and heads to the living room. he grabs bella’s bedding and sets it in the laundry room, and then goes back to the living room to start scrubbing the walls. Then, the floor and back to the bedding.
He throws it in he machine, and realizes that this… This where his pet spends all her time. Every day, all day.
Damn.
That’s gotta be kind rough, you think? And to spend all day there, alone… Yeah, yeah that is kinda rough. Come to think of it, John is really the ultimate source of happiness in bella’s life, maybe her only source.
Hey, she overreacted, sure. But maybe, just maybe, John did too.
John decided he needed to apologize. He throws the bedding in the washer, starts it up, and makes way to Bella’s sorry box.
He hears her mumbling something, he listens in to hear something that made his heart sink.
“wan… wan die. nu wan sketties. nu wan housie. daddeh nu wub. daddeh nu care. cheep fwuffy am chirp bad babbeh.”
“FUCK.” John thought.
He raced over to the sorry box, Bella didn’t even bother looking up at him. She felt unworthy, and she also felt done for. Even more than anything, she just felt apathetic.
He lifted her up, saying
“Hey, hey, lets not say that.”
“chirp wan die chirp”
“Fuck, she’s reverting back to being a baby. That’s why she was saying all that weird shit earlier…” John thought.
“Bella” John said
“Daddy loves you, very very much. I’m not going anywhere. Please don’t talk like that, it’s making me so sad.” John said to her, giving her a big hug.
“Nu twue. Babbeh chirp am bad babbeh.”
This is serious. John decided to call Kori immediately. John was panicking. At first, Bella was a pure curiosity, almost a hobby. But now, she was family, a responsibility. A stupid hugboxer move? Sure. But the fact of the matter was, she was his only true companion, and loved him selflessly. He didn’t wanna let the only thing that’s ever depended on him in his life down.
“YELLED?!” Kori screamed into the phone.
“Dude i need you over here now.”
“Prynhawn da draig. Yn well? Dim diolch. Haha, Gwych. Dw i’n hoffi cwrw.” Kori said, then hung up. He always starts speaking in broken welsh for some reason when he’s drunk. He… He doesn’t even really normally speak welsh.
Regardless, Kori was over quickly. He tried joking around with John, but John quickly directed his attention to the broken pillowfluff in his arms.
A quick glance and a peak at Johns face told enough to Kori about what was going on.
“Let me take her.” Kori said, realizing it was serious.
“You go get some rest, you look horrible. I’ll come get you when I’m done.”
“What’re your gonna do with her?”
“I’m gonna figure out the fuck is wrong, okay? It’s psychology, not brain surgery. I’ll just be asking some questions is all. But first, tell me what’s happened to get her like this.”
John explained everything from the time he got home. Kori listened carefully and thoroughly.
“Okay, yeah. Just a forewarning, this already isn’t looking good. Go lay down. I’ll let you know when i’m done.”
John went and laid down. God, How long has he had Bella now? Like, three days? Jesus christ, things have been rough.
But it’s okay. At least John thought it was. Bella was damaged, as damaged as they can come. But she also showed so much promise. When she was comfortable, she was empathetic, understanding, even downright adorable at times. She was work, but something about her made John think that the work would pay off.
If she could just stay alive.
about 30 minutes pass, and Kori is finished with his examination of Bella.
“Hey.” Kori said, peaking his head into Johns bedroom.
“How’d it go?” John said, sitting up.
Kori leaned up against the doorframe.
“So… okay. a few things, buckle up buster.” Kori said.
“Is it fixable? Yes, theoretically. The problem is, and excuse some of my jargon here, is that her model programming that every fluffy has, has been complete and utterly warped beyond anything i’ve seen in my years of being in this field. Normally, fluffies in the loop don’t revert back to being a chirpy. while reverting essentially does the same thing, they’re both caused by different sorts of trauma. Foals don’t have the loop. Hasbio didn’t expect foals to be abused upon launch. That’s the tricky part. She’s doing both, which is almost a paradox which is why i’m so perplexed. I think i could save her, but John… Let it go.”
“… What the fuck did you say?”
“I said let it go. If there was any hope at her being happy before, it’s been crushed. I can bring her out of the loop, but this, to her, is just another trauma on top of the others. She’ll still be capable of loving you, sure. But it’s just another memory of her not being good enough for someone she loves.”
“Oh…”
“Look, i’ll take her with me. I’ll do everything i can to bring her back, if you want. But one day, for some reason, she will have to be put down. I’m telling you.”
“Shut the fuck up and fix her.” John said, standing up, looking Kori dead in the eyes.
“Just. Fucking. Fix her.”
Kori backed out of the doorway, and made his way to pick up a sleeping Bella.
Kori walked back to Johns room, bella in hand.
“Don’t ever talk to me like that again.”
Kori left Johns house, and John laid in bed.
“This isn’t good…” He said to himself.
“But maybe it will be.”