Work Text:
Greta knew that her brother was struggling, she'd be a poor sister if she hadn't noticed, but that didn't make it any easier to watch Adler try and destroy himself in his grief for a world long gone. She did her best to try and help him by being there whenever she could—to the point where she had a room of her own in Laplace next to his so she didn't have to travel far in case she was needed. Which was… a lot, and never by Adler himself. It was always his fellow researchers that required assistance, often falling on the wrong side of his drunken anger, and Greta spent most of her free time just smoothing things over with people.
But as much as she was needed, she still had to work, and it hurt to leave her little brother alone, not knowing what he might do next.
She was grateful for Lucy in those times, who promised her that she and Simone would check in on Adler every day whenever she was gone for work and make sure that he was, well in Lucy's words, functioning, and that was all Greta could ask for. Adler had made it clear he wanted no help, and pushed away everyone that attempted to—even Greta. Yet she still tried, still held out a hand to keep her little brother from drowning completely, even as he tried so hard to push her away with cruel actions and even crueler words.
Then she'd been called away for another job, only minutes after being screamed at by Adler, words not worth repeating because he was drunk and probably didn't even know what he was saying. Which didn't make the words hurt any less, but Greta just quietly promised Adler she'd be back soon, and went to track down Lucy, asking Laplace's director to please check in on him more than once a day while I'm gone.
Lucy promised she would, and Greta had gone.
Two days later, she got an urgent call, telling her she was needed at Laplace and that the Foundation was sending someone to take over the job.
Greta's blood turned cold.
"He was very lucky to not fall over the railing," Lucy tells her when she arrives at the rehab centre, her tone calm but gentle, which is exactly what Greta needs right now.
She nods and takes a moment to stare at her little brother, hooked up to a monitor that's beating just a little too slow for her liking. Adler is far too pale, all colour washed from his face except for the eyebags that are so dark against his skin, she can almost convince herself they're drawn on with pen. But she knows better, because she knows what kind of state Adler was in when she left and she regrets not pushing back to stay. He's her brother, and he'd needed her.
It's too late for regrets, she's here now.
"But he'll be alright?" Greta asks, moving to sit in a chair that's been placed beside the bed.
"He is still unstable, but the staff believe he will make a full recovery," Lucy says, crossing her arms, "food poisoning and alcohol poisoning is not a safe combination for humans, I believe, but I think we can both agree that it is Adler's mental state that is the main concern."
Greta locks her hands together and rests her elbows on the bed to lean her head against them and sighs, "thank you for helping him, Madam Lucy."
The Awakened nods and unfolds her arms, "it was Ulrich who found him, I believe he had something he wanted to ask of Adler, so he may drop by later to discuss it."
"I'll handle it," Greta says and leans back in the chair and then asks the question she's always been too afraid to ask, "are you going to fire him?"
Lucy considers the question before she shakes her head, "firing him would do more harm than good. Despite his troubles, he is still an excellent researcher. I believe the term you humans use is hit a rough patch?"
Greta nods, "he certainly has hit rock bottom," she drags her hands down her face, wondering how she let it get this bad, "can you arrange time off for him?"
"Adler will be on medical leave until further notice," Lucy says, "you will take care of him until he is fit to return to work, I assume?"
"Yes," the answer comes quick, without hesitation, "I'll stay with him for a time and try to get him some help… if he'll even accept it."
Lucy hums and steps up to place a hand on Greta's shoulder, a comforting gesture that Greta appreciates. "Even just getting him stabilised is a step forward, Miss Hoffman. Your brother has a pain in his heart that we cannot see or fix, but we can guide him along the path that will help it heal."
"Thank you again, Madam Lucy," Greta says and the Awakened nods once more before leaving the room—before leaving Greta alone with Adler's unconscious form. She lets the silence drag on for some time before she reaches for his hand, being mindful of the IV that's keeping him hydrated, and just feels the warmth of his calloused palm. After some time, she lets out a slow breath and murmurs, "the sixth floor? Really Adler?"
Ulrich shows up the next day, once word spreads about her brother's condition and how he's now stable, and she nods a greeting at the younger Awakened who's shifting uneasily in the doorway. Greta's hasn't interacted with Ulrich as much, mostly acting as a buffer between him and Adler whenever they rub each other the wrong way. But now there almost seems to be a… hesitance, to how Ulrich stands, like he's not sure if he's actually welcome.
Greta makes the decision for him, "come in, Ulrich."
The Awakened steps into the room, closing the door behind him and holding a small stack of folders in his arms. It's hard to gauge what the Awakened is thinking when he lacks the facial expressions to convey his feelings, but Greta likes to think he's concerned for the man in the bed.
"How is he?" Ulrich asks after a moment.
"He's alive, and stable."
"They're saying he fell from the sixth floor."
Greta sucks in a breath before she shakes her head, "no, he didn't. He nearly did, though. He's got alcohol and food poisoning, collapsed before he could fall."
"I see." Ulrich says quietly and shifts the folders from one arm to the other. "I had been hoping to speak with him about work, but I see now is not the time."
"No," Greta sighs, "and he won't be working for a while, I think. I ask that you refrain from antagonising him, Ulrich, at least for now."
She watches the ferrofluid change shape rapidly before settling, anger and outrage before falling calm. "I understand. Do you know when he will be returning to work? The matter on hand is not urgent, but only he can solve it."
Greta sighs, "I don't know Ulrich, right now it'll just be getting him through this."
Ulrich nods and without a word, turns and leaves, and Greta watches him go before she turns her attention back towards her brother and focuses on watching his chest rise and fall. It's a reminder that despite his current state that he's still alive and breathing, but it also reminds her how very close to not being he was too. Greta sighs and moves to sit on the edge of the bed, contemplating what she should do next. The obvious answer is to get Adler to stop drinking, but she's not sure how successful she'll be on that front. The bottle seems to be his new best friend these days, but she can only try. The worst that can happen is that he refuses her help again.
A sudden shifting catches her attention and Greta's gaze snaps towards Adler's form and despite everything, she can't help but smile softly as she sees his eyes start to flutter. She waits patiently as he fights to open his eyes and remains silent when he does. Adler's gaze flicks about the room; the ceiling, the machines monitoring him, the window, before they finally landed on her.
"Greta…?" Adler's voice is hoarse and he blinks tiredly at her.
"I'm here," Greta says gently and reaches forward to place her hand on top of his. She's glad when he doesn't pull away from her. "Do you remember what happened?"
"Nein." Adler turns his head away from her, a sign that he does remember, he just doesn't want to acknowledge it.
Greta bites back the sigh, not when it wouldn't help the situation, and just continues to sit there. She doesn't know what to say to her brother in that moment, doesn't remember when they drifted so far apart that she can see the chasm that lies between them now. But she's a practical person, so if there's a chasm then all she needs to do is build the bridge that will allow her to cross it. It takes her a moment, but she eventually speaks, "they're keeping you in for a couple of days while the alcohol works its way through. Madam Lucy has put you on medical leave for now, until you're able to return to work."
Adler gives a dry laugh at that, still refusing to look at her. "What's the point when it all leads to nothing? Nothing, Greta."
"There's always something." Greta says, mostly because she doesn't know what else to say.
"Yeah, right, tell me that when the Storm fucks off and we can get back to actual science instead of all this arcane bullshit," Adler's words take on a manic tone, "even Zhizhi's abandoned science to become a politician for the fucking Foundation. Did you know that, Greta?"
She did know, having seen the woman around the Foundation when delivering her reports but she knows Adler's not looking for an actual answer to his question. Instead she focuses on his words, the pain behind them that she wishes she could soothe and mend, but so long as the Storm continues to wreak havoc upon their lives, there's not much she can do to fix this. She, like many others, always hope that the last Storm is actually the last; so far, it hasn't worked. This time she does sigh, "what were you doing on the sixth floor, Adler?"
"Mountain climbing."
Greta almost smiles. "So you weren't trying to kill yourself?"
Adler looks at her then and her heart clenches at the misery in his eyes. It's answer enough to her question and she feels her heart break to see her once enthusiastic little brother reduced to someone who'd rather die than try to solve the problem in front of him.
"I understand," she continues so he doesn't have to voice the words and he swallows gratefully. "It's okay to be uncertain and afraid, bruderherz, but the drinking? That has to stop."
Her brother looks away from her again and she squeezes his hand until he turns back to her.
"I'll take some time off and… climb back down the mountain to help you get back to the top with me." She says, knowing how much he likes his analogies.
Adler is silent a moment before he laughs, actually laughs—and then he's crying. The speed at which the tears come surprises Greta and she's stunned, unable to recall the last time that Adler had openly cried in front of her. Even so, she doesn't hesitate to reach down and haul him into her arms, holding him tight against her as he cries into her shoulder. She clings to him, firm and steady, but he does not cling to her; no Adler slumps against her like a puppet who's string has been cut. It tugs at her heart with each sob she hears dragged from his throat and she goes very still when Adler lifts his arms and wraps them around her, trembling as he embraces her for the first time in a long time.
After a couple of minutes Adler goes quiet, but doesn't move, and if it weren't for the shaking grip he had on her, Greta would've assumed he'd passed out. She waits patiently, but he doesn't say anything, and after a moment, she lifts a hand and runs her fingers through greasy unkempt hair. Her nose crinkles slightly, and she decides the first thing she's doing when Adler is finally discharged is shoving him in the nearest shower.
"Do you think there is still a place for science in this world, Greta?"
"I don't know," Greta says honestly and glances down to see Adler has turned his head and is looking up at her. She gives him a pat on the head, "but I know that if there's anyone that can find its place, it's my genius little brother."
"Your genius little brother isn't much of a genius anymore."
Greta tugs at the ponytail, "yes you are, you've just hit a rough patch is all."
"Rough patch," Adler scoffs and pulls away from her, "yeah right. I don't need your pity, Greta."
"It's not pity, it's concern," Greta says and watches her brother lay back down and turn his back on her. She sighs, "I'm going to step out for a bit, do you want anything?"
She moves slowly, waiting for an answer but when it doesn't come, she starts to leave. She gets to the door before she hears Adler's quiet voice call out to her.
"…today's crossword would be nice."
Greta smiles, the simple request reassuring her that despite the depression that Adler had found himself in, that his love for puzzles was still there. "Sure. I won't be gone long."
It might take some time, she reasons as she walks to hunt down a crossword, but she believes that with time and guiding hands, that Adler will be able to pick himself up and return to being the researcher he once was.
Even if it takes years for him to get there.