Chapter Text
Usually after absorbing infinite knowledge and merging the King of Yellow himself you wouldn’t survive being in that position. What a miracle it was that my brain isn’t practically mush right now; that when I rest it isn’t 6 feet under. Even now I can barely grasp the situation, but I’d rather not think about it too much — thinking makes me nauseous. I’m in the hospital and have been for several months as of counting. Somehow doctors have managed to recover the little sanity left in my conscious, and ever since then I’ve refused to let such a malevolent being taunt me even as a memory.
Avery, He needs to know I’m alive. He needs to know that I’m okay. Whether he knows or not I have to be there. God it’s painful not being able to know, but oddly relieving. I’ve forgotten that feeling, thankfully.
Derek began to achingly reach for a large, grey backpack beside his hospital bed. Every movement felt as if his body cracked like porcelain. Like cloth tearing into two, gradually ripping as threads snap and separate; groaning until he eventually made it to his laptop. Not a second passed till he snapped the laptop open, the light from the screen causing him to squint. He had a plan, but this was the first where he needed to hope and pray it worked. No timeline to tell him where Avery figures out he isn’t dead, no predictions, no insight of what Avery is even doing this very moment. How could someone so smart feel so dumb after what he claimed to be a curse was lifted? Even so, he’d refuse to say he took his punishment for granted; no human deserves such a cruel fate.
Even as his fingers ached, he opened up his goodbye letter; rereading the false promise of death that he told, unreasonable worries he caused from a perspective where he thought even if he had died, Avery shouldn’t worry about a stranger that knew too much. Avery, the name crossed his mind like a shooting star. Additionally, he was as bright as one. He was the light that paved Derek’s path; so unhesitant to sacrifice himself for someone he hadn’t met but knew everything about. Of course not any more than he used to; after Derek’s surgery he was barely able to recall much before he defeated the king, snippets of what he actually focused on.
Derek brushed his fingers across his keyboard before typing, almost as if he was trying to remember where he left off, like a glissando to a piano. Thinking — no, guessing what Avery’s reaction would be. It shouldn’t matter, he was just assuring Avery that he was in fact alive. But he couldn’t help but think, hopefully he would be relieved. “Poor thing.” Derek managed to croak out. The idea popped into his head immediately; he knew exactly what to write.
Dear Avery,
If this manages to reach you, I’m alive. It’s obvious that this would be hard to believe, I can’t blame you for that. I’m in the hospital as of writing this but please don’t let my actions or my state cause you any worry, I hope you’re alright and well. In case this letter doesn’t assure you, contact me. Let me know what you’re up to, maybe we can still play Minecraft together without worrying about some eldritch evil looming over us. Maybe you’ll get to learn things about me that you didn’t get the chance to before, I appreciated the moments we had together even if they were cut short. You don’t owe me anything, you don’t have to respond to what I’ve written. All I want you to know is that I’m alive. I’m okay, and I hope that you remember that you are special. Sincerely, Derek.
P.S. kind of late to write this now but in case no one’s told you yet, happy new year Avery.