Chapter Text
Now that Jimmy was part of the crew again, everyone expected things to change radically—at least, they hoped it would. The monotony was starting to get to everyone. Before the incident, their repetitive existence on the Tuplar was bearable. Now, it felt like everyone was walking on eggshells all the time. A shift in this unbearable dynamic would be much welcomed.
The first day was rather uneventful. Jimmy got accustomed to not being locked up, and their first meal together was also extremely uncomfortable. Anya accidentally set out three plates and, out of habit, an additional plate for Curly. When Jimmy arrived at the dinner table, he saw the extra plate but also noticed it laid on Curly's informally assigned spot. It took about five seconds for Anya to notice and shift the tableware to his spot instead. Jimmy didn't comment on it but also didn't join the crew for dinner that night.
He spent most of his time in the lounge. Nobody wanted him to roam the vessel freely anyway. Every time he moved, someone would notice and stare. Either it was Daisuke, who was doing self-study at the dining table; Anya, from the kitchen, as she put the clean dishes away; or Swansea, who was glancing over his magazine. Someone was always watching.
This sudden freedom felt less and less like actual freedom and more like confinement 2.0.
Ah, whatever.
Being watched by these losers was better than being stuck in a room with the person you hate most in the world.
"What are you reading?" Jimmy asked, pulling a chair to sit next to Daisuke, who almost jumped a hole through the roof.
"Um." The intern mumbled, covering his notes with his hand.
Jimmy sat down, giving Daisuke an expectant look. After a moment, it became obvious he wasn't going to tell him anything, so he simply looked at what was on the table. Jimmy recognized the sprawled book immediately. He had to study it cover to cover when Curly was coaching him for the co-captain exam.
What a shit show that was.
"I hate to say it, but it might be too late to take the Pony Express exam." Jimmy pointed out, snatching the book to take a closer look.
"I'm not taking the exam." Daisuke said carefully.
"Yeah? Then why are you reading this godawful word vomit someone wrote down?" Jimmy chuckled, turning a few pages.
"I... am..." Daisuke slowly said as he looked around to see if anyone could get him out of this situation. "… Helping Captain out with… stuff." He said carefully with a nervous smile.
"So you're co-pilot now?" Jimmy asked bluntly.
"…Some would put it that way, yes."
"That's hilarious. This book will be of no use to you, co-pi." Jimmy said, pointing at the instruction manual. "It didn't help me at all. Only helped me to pass the applicant's exam, and then I forgot all about it. True story, I have no idea what half of the buttons on the command deck do."
"You don't?!"
"Hey, hey! Easy. We never crashed." Jimmy waved him off. "…Intentionally." He added after a moment. "Well, actually, we never crashed, full stop." He corrected himself, folding his arms and leaning back.
"…Right. You're so right." Daisuke anxiously agreed. He half-expected to be chewed out by now, but Jimmy was oddly calm about being replaced. That was a major surprise. Maybe everything was going to be fine after all.
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"He replaced me with Daisuke." Jimmy slowly said, getting more and more nauseous the longer he thought about it.
"I'm assuming you heard the news then." Anya sighed.
This was their first official, mandatory therapy session together. It felt weird being able to see Jimmy as he ranted. Usually, there was a metal door between the two of them. This was the fifth time he told her about how he got replaced by Daisuke.
Anya was surprised when Daisuke walked up to her and said he had a good feeling about Jimmy and that he wasn't going to cause much trouble. In a sense, he was right. Jimmy contained himself when he heard something that devastated him and was now actively talking about it.
Maybe a bit too much.
"I can't believe he replaced me with Daisuke," Jimmy mumbled, his head falling into his hands.
Sixth.
"Jimmy, you have to put yourself in our shoes. Who else would assist Curly? Both Swansea and I need to be available in case of emergencies. You are not fit to steer a vessel. That only leaves our intern." She explained, clicking her pen a couple of times as she rotated in her chair from left to right.
"Anya, I trained a full year to sit in that chair. And that's not including all the years I worked my ass off at Pony Express." He complained, rubbing his face.
She rolled her eyes ever so slightly when he wasn't looking.
"I saw that." Jimmy grumbled through his hands.
"Saw what?" Anya asked, writing down some gibberish on her form. "How are you feeling right now?" She asked, changing the subject.
Jimmy let out an exasperated sigh.
"I don't know? Sad?"
"Can you be more specific?"
"I feel like I could slam my head against that wall right there until I pass out."
"Too specific." She mumbled, writing a few things down. "Also, that's not what sad people do when they're sad." She pointed out. "That's what frustrated people do when they're... well, frustrated."
"Nah, frustration implies I care about what Curly does." Jimmy immediately said. "I actually don't care what he does." He smiled with a shrug.
Anya looked up at Jimmy for a second before writing down:
Heavily in denial.
"Jimmy, you need to work on labeling your feelings as accurately as you can, even if you don't like it." Anya sighed, scratching her head. "You also need to think about what Curly means to you." She added, putting her pen down.
"Didn't I give you a detailed explanation?" Jimmy asked, tilting his head.
"No, you described to me a vague, one-sided concept of a relationship." She said, shaking her head. "You have all these conflicting ideas. I need you to pin them down to something concrete." She explained, putting her records in a folder. "Talk to me about it next session." She said, closing the folder with her notes.
"Are you seriously giving me homework?" Jimmy asked with a raised eyebrow after watching her stow away the folder.
"Yeah. Our time is up."
"…Time? Anya, I know you don't have anything to do."
"Sure do. See you at dinner." She said, motioning toward the door with her extended arm.
"Unbelievable." He grumbled, getting up from his seat.
"Off you go."
Jimmy got out of the infirmary and headed back to the lounge where Swansea was napping on the couch. He was hunched over, arms folded, snoring up a storm. On the other side of the couch sat Daisuke, who was playing on some sort of mini brick. They noticed each other, and right as Jimmy was about to walk toward the kitchen to awkwardly stand there instead, Daisuke waved him over.
Hesitantly, Jimmy approached the intern, who started talking to him as if nothing had ever happened. He spoke in a hushed tone to not wake the older man, but by god, did he ramble away. Daisuke briefly talked about pulling an 'incredibly epic prank' on Swansea involving a permanent marker and four party hats. All the while he kept playing his video game.
"I wouldn't do it." Jimmy advised.
"Yeah, you're right. He'd get mad and yell at me." Daisuke mumbled.
"No, he'd assume it was me and put my head on a spike."