Trigger warnings: Mentions of eating disorders, substance abuse, suicide

How are you enjoying this current storyline? I think it's p interesting wbu?

Abigail is looking for a new job when her phone lights up with Remington's name. She picks it up, answers softly, like she always does, in case he's calling in a bad state.

"I've been thinking," the boy says, without greeting her first.

"What've you been thinking about?" Abigail asks, unsure of whether it'll be something completely ridiculous or not.

"Well," Remington begins, "oh wait, I need to plug my phone in." There's rustling noises as he finds the end of the wire and plugs the device in. "Okay, so, I'm gonna go vegan."

Abigail shakes her head. "And why are we thinking that?"

"'cause it's-like-it's healthy?"

"Tell me how it's healthy for you."

Remington makes a series of ums and ahs in place of a proper answer, feeling increasingly stupid.

"Okay, I need you to listen to me," Abigail says, "I know what you're doing. You want to find ways to eat less without specifically saying you're eating less. Veganism for you, Remington, is probably the most unhealthy thing, other than complete starvation, that you could do. You need calcium and vitamins and things that you can't get without eating animal products."

"But other people do it."

"Remington, other people aren't anything to do with you and your recovery, okay? I get what you're doing and I understand it, but I can't just let you do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I care about you and because I know going vegan is not something that'll be healthy for you."

"Well then fuck you," the boy says, upset because he wanted Abigail to tell him she was proud of him for trying to be healthy.

"What's really going on, huh? How're things going with Andy?"

Remington groans.

"How've you slept?"

"Well I won't sleep well now," he retorts, "because you've ruined my day."

Abigail sighs. "Remington, I understand you're dealing with a lot at the moment and that you're overwhelmed with what happened with Andy."

"So then why are you telling me how stupid I am?"

"You're not stupid, Remington."

"You just said I was!"

"We need to take a breath, okay."

Remington angrily hits his pillow.

"It's okay to feel like this and I get it, I do, but it's important to understand that sometimes what you think is easy is often the worst thing to do."

"But...but..."

"We need to take a minute to calm ourselves down. Let's take a nice deep breath."

"I don't want to take a breath," he complains, "I want to go vegan."

"That's not a good idea."

"You're supposed to be supportive!"

"Tell me why you want to go vegan."

Remington huffs loudly. "Because I do," he says.

"And why's that?"

"Because I do!" Remington says again, hanging up after and pressing his pillow to his face. He can hear Andy arguing with Martin. They do that a lot now, since Andy said he wouldn't take anymore heroin. Martin got him a new needle, makes him take it by forcing him down and injecting him whether he likes it or not. Andy hates it. He says he'd rather die than continue the tour, but Martin won't let them stop. He says the tour is too important for Andy's career, that it'd be too big of a loss to call it off. Remington hears Andy yelling at him before shows, trying to shove him away when Martin goes to shoot him up. It makes him cry and then he has to run away to the bus so no one sees him.

Just a few minutes after hanging up on Abigail, Remington calls her again. He doesn't like hearing his husband so upset and so angry all the time. "Sorry," he says sadly.

"It's okay, Remington, d'you need'a talk?"

"I just..." he turns onto his back. "I really just feel like all of this is my fault."

Abigail frowns. "It's not your fault," she assures, "things are not going great but that's not your fault."

"He keeps shouting."

"Andy?"

"Yeah. At his manager. 'cause he keeps-he keeps making Andy take more drugs. And Andy doesn't-he doesn't want to and he's being forced and that's not right."

"That's not right at all."

"But what can I do because I want to help?"

"D'you think you could have a little talk with him? I can't imagine he's got anyone to talk to about this."

"But I..."

"You're scared?"

Remington hums.

"That's okay. What's he doing now?"

"Crying."

"I'll tell you what, I'm gonna give him a call. He can talk to me if he likes. Would that make you feel a bit better?"

"Yes please."

"Okay. Is there anything you need to tell me before I go? How're you urges feeling?"

"Fine."

"Sure?"

Remington sighs. "Can I ask you something?"

"'course you can."

"Can I...can I call you-uh..."

"Mum? Can you call me mum?"

Remington says nothing.

"Of course you can, Remington. You know I love you and if you feel I'm that person for you, I'll be that person for you."

"Really?"

"Of course," she smiles, "get some sleep, okay? I'll call Andy."

"Okay, thank you."

When Abigail calls, Andy is lying in the spare bunk, since Remington took theirs, and answers. She says she's heard what's gone on, that she's here if he needs someone to talk to. Andy tells her he hopes Martin will give him too much and he'll overdose. He says he knows it's his fault and he never should have started but now he doesn't know how to make everything better. He tells her he misses Remington, that it feels like the boy doesn't know him anymore. Abigail assures him that Remington is worried, that he wanted her to call. She says he's just scared and Andy says he understands.

Remington can hear the man talking to her quietly. He can't make out everything he says, though hears the phrases, "life was never meant to be this hard," and, "why won't the world let me be fucking happy for one fucking day?" He cries into his pillow and his stomach asks for food which has been severely lacking recently and that makes him cry harder and then he's having a panic attack and he can't make it stop.