What It's Like
Chapter I: Chained Innocence
Previously:
"Alright, just be careful, oui?" Francis said as he placed a firm but gentle grip on Gilbert's shoulder. The albino nodded and made his way up towards the front door of his house. He heard giggling and laughing. Feliciana must be here already.
He so couldn't wait to tell his brother.
/
Gilbert barely had time to walk through the door before he was attacked by a hyper Italian girl. He smiled as he wrapped his arms around Feliciana. The girl was indeed loveable and fun. How his brother got so lucky, he'd never know.
"Welcome home, ve~!" The girl said as he kissed his cheeks and grinned at him. "I made pasta, Gil! You do like pasta, right?"
"Feliciana, I'm hurt! How could you think that the awesome me doesn't like pasta, especially your awesome pasta!" The albino said as he pet the brunette's head. The girl giggled and fled into the kitchen. Ludwig was leaning against the doorway to the kitchen with a smirk on his face.
"I take it you got your typical greeting?" The blonde asked
"As typical as Feliciana's greetings can get. But man, I got to tell you she's getting stronger or something! I think she knocked my organs around…" Gilbert rubbed his stomach.
"Ja, that sounds like her. So, mind telling me why I had to deal with Lovino today? I don't know how Antonio puts up with him! He's rude and obnoxious." The German complained with a slight scowl on his face. Being called a 'potato bastard' for the entire ride was NOT fun.
"Sorry about that, brüder. But one of my teachers wanted me to stay after. I got a job offer at an asylum." Gilbert said with a nonchalant smile.
"Oh that's wonder-…WHAT!" The yelled echoed through the house. Feliciana looked up from the pot of pasta and blinked. She walked through the door and saw Ludwig holding Gilbert against the wall.
/
Gilbert was standing in the shower. His fingers scrubbing pale white hair. Standing in a little bowl built into the shower was Gilbird. The little yellow fuzz was prissier about being clean than his owner.
"Yesterday could have gone a whole lot better, huh?" He asked as he poured a bit of bird shampoo into the bowl. The bird ruffled its feather. Suds gathered into feathers leaving him to be a ball of white. Gilbert couldn't hold back his laughter.
"Gilbird, wash off those suds! We have to look awesome for our first day of work!" Gilbert said as he splashed water at his awesome buddy. The yellow bird let out an unhappy chirp. It ruffled its feathers to clean off the suds. Gilbert suddenly felt little black eyes on him.
"Oh you know how to dry yourself off! Or are you looking to use the hair dryer?" The bird seemed to respond. "You'll be a ball of yellow fluff! But alright, I guess you can use it!"
The Prussian lifted Gilbird onto his head and turned the water off. Drops slipped down the contours of his body and into the tub. He was built but not like his brother, he much more lean than Ludwig.
"You know, Gilbird, I'll never understand how no girl or even guy can like me! You think my awesomeness is too much for them to handle?" He asked as he dried off his body. The little bird chirped happily as it shook the water of its feathers.
"Damn straight, awesome buddy!" The albino grabbed the hair dryer and turned it on. He aimed it at his hair and Gilbird, who was clinging to his scalp with his tiny claws. Gilbert couldn't help but laugh. When it was dry he turned the dryer off. He grabbed Gilbird and smiled at him.
"Feel better?" The bird shook and its feathers fluffed out. The bird looked like a plush or a cotton ball that belonged on a child's art piece. He laughed and set down his friend. He brushed his hair and wrapped a towel around his waist. Gilbird flew up and perched on Gilbert's head.
He dressed in a white long sleeved shirt and pulled a short sleeved black shirt over it. He reached into his dressed and grabbed a pair of black jeans. After tugging on a sweater and boots he heaved a bag onto his shoulder. Gilbird nestled into one of the pockets of the sweater. He closed the door and headed down the stairs.
/
He knew his brother wouldn't be up yet. Feliciana had a habit of being very energetic the first night. He left note so that would just have to suffice. As he walked down the streets he noticed that people were giving him some strange looks and even whispering.
"I hear he's taking care of that crazy kid…"
"Poor Gil…he was a good kid."
"I bet Braginski will rip him apart and eat his guts. I hear that's his thing."
Gilbert didn't know what they were talking about so he just kept walking to Antonio's house. When he saw the house in sight he practically ran. He was sick of the stares and the whispers. It was like he was a dead man walking. He burst through the door and slammed it shut. He looked up and saw Romano standing there holding a cup.
"You know, it's rude to just burst into peoples' homes." The Italian said with a slight scowl but Gilbert could see the smile. "Come on, the tomato fool and pervert are in the living room."
"Thanks, Roma." Gilbert said as he followed the elder Vargas twin into the living room. When he walked in he saw his two friends sitting in front of the television playing a video game. Gilbird chose this moment to pop out from his pocket and land on the tray of tomatoes that Antonio had out.
"Hey Toni…if you don't want all your precious tomatoes to be eaten I suggest you hide them!" Gilbert called out. The Spaniard looked over and screamed. He reached for a pillow and chased the yellow bird around the room. Francis laughed as his friend tripped over all the furniture screaming about how Gilbird was a "yellow abomination with wings".
"So Gil, I thought you were leaving for work." Francis pointed out as Matthew walked over and plopped onto his lap.
"I'm leaving for work but I wanted to stop by and see you guys before I left. Needed to remind you twits to be at my house before 8 o' clock, that's when I get out. I'm going to be spending the next six hours of my awesome time with a crazy patient." The trio laughed.
"But guys, before I leave I do have a question." Gilbert felt two sets of eyes staring at him. "Who is Braginski?"
/
"Braginski? I've heard of that name. A woman named Ivanna Braginski works for my mother." Matthew said with a smile. "She's widowed with two daughters. Her eldest is still in school for her medical degree. The other is in some prestige all girls' boarding school."
"Does she have a son?" Gilbert questioned.
"Not sure but I'm under the suspicion she might. I've seen pictures of a rather young male." Matthew said with a smile.
"How do you know it's not the husband from the early day?" Francis cocked an eyebrow.
"Well unless Ivanna is a pedophile. The kid looked to be about 13, maybe 14 years old and he looked exactly like her." Matthew admitted. "He had bright purple eyes with a big grin on his face. He looked like he couldn't even harm a fly!"
/
Gilbert couldn't believe what Matthew had said. Everyone made the Braginski in the asylum sound like a cannibal. But Matthew painted a picture of an innocent child! What was he to believe?
"What do you think Gilbird?" The yellow bird cheeped again and burrowed itself into its owner's sweater. "I understand. This is a dangerous but it'll be worth it in the end, right?"
The bird never answered. Gilbert found a pale white building looming over him.
/
Gilbert was walking down the halls with the man he spoke to at the school. He was going to grab the file of the patient he had been assigned to. He said Gilbird could stay as long as he didn't get out of control. Gilbert promised that the fuzz ball would be on his best behavior.
"So, Mr. Beilschmidt, we have chosen a special case for you. We tried giving this to numerous others but they right out refused once they heard the entire case. We were hoping you could be of some help to him." The doctor said with a smile as he walked into office and pulled a file off his desk. It was small. That meant they never had a real, opportune chance to speak with patient due to drug effects or uncooperative behavior.
Gilbert's eyes caught a glance at the file name. It was titled "Braginski". The first name was hidden by the doctor's hand. He knew this was his chance to find out if this Braginski kid was a cold, heartless murderer or an innocent child.
"Gilbert, this is the file on our patient. It's not very big but that is due to certain circumstances." He handed the folder over to the Prussian. Red eyes scanned over the name.
Braginski, Ivan Kalinin.
"So, what do I take notes in this?" Gilbert questioned. The doctor nodded and called over a nurse. He heard mentions of a cell and became confused.
'They put a patient in the cell? I'm only going to assume murderer now…' Gilbert concluded as his eyes kept glancing back down at the file in his hands. Gilbird was starting to become restless in his pocket.
"We rarely use this wing. Just for our more violent cases, you know?" The nurse explained with a smile. It was so sugary and fake. Gilbert wanted to vomit right on the spot.
'Right on those shoes of hers, the fake bitch…' He grinned. He nearly bumped into her before noticing they had stopped.
"Well, here we are Mr. Beilschmidt! Enjoy!" The nurse left with such a speed Gilbert barely had time to thank her. He shrugged. He wouldn't have wanted to thank the bitch anyway. His red eyes looked at the metal door in front of him. He opened it and walked inside.
/
Ivan Kalinin Braginski was labeled as a cold, heartless murderer. His eyes were the definition of emotionless. His mind was always plotting up ways to kill someone. Sometimes even in the most sickest and twisted of ways.
As soon as he flicked on the lights he wanted to scream. He just couldn't see the cold, emotionless killer everyone was talking about. What he saw was something sick and disgusting. Something that no human, murderer or not, should ever endure.
Ivan was in a straight jacket that looked to be too tight on his small frame. His legs were bound together with what looked like leather material but he could have been wrong. Chains trailed from the straight jacket and kept him bound to the bed. It looked unkempt. This was definitely something Arthur would never stand for. But what really took the cake was the fact that there was a Plexiglas box around the bed. The only way in was a door that had a padlock on it. There were holes drilled into the box for, what Gilbert could only assume, air and communication.
He walked over to the box and placed a shaking hand on its surface. He wanted to bang on it and break it. Wanted to run out of the room and scream for someone to let him out. But he knew they'd just feed him excuse. He sank to his knees, both hands pressed against the barrier. His red eyes looked over the small form.
"You're…so small. Do they even take care of you?" Gilbert cried out. The Russian just stared at him. "This…this is inhumane!"
He rose to his feet and walked over to the door. With all the strength he could muster he started yanking at the padlock. The Russian watched with a certain fascination. Someone was actually trying to get in? Usually people would do pretty much anything to get away from him. But this one was trying to get closer? It was most odd.
Gilbert dropped to his knees, hands still clasped over the padlock. He was suddenly reminded he wasn't alone. His little yellow friend came up and nuzzling into his white hair. A grin came to his face.
"Awesome buddy, I need a favor." Gilbert grabbed his little fluffy friend and held him up to the little air hole. The bird chirped at it and slipped through. Spreading its wings it glided over to the bed and landed on Ivan's knees.
Ivan stared at the little bird.
"Ivan, this is one of my friends. His name is Gilbird and he's awesome. Gilbird, this is my awesome new patient, Ivan. We have to help him get better." Gilbert said with a sad smile. No matter how horrible, no matter how insane patients got they should never be treated this way.
/
Even with the barrier between them, Gilbert managed. He told Ivan all about his ambition to be the best psychologist. How he found his awesome buddy, Gilbird. The purple-eyed man seemed to enjoy the company of the little bird. Red eyes glanced at the clock and it hurt to see it was time for him to leave. He rose to his feet with a sad sigh.
"Well, Ivan…I've got to go home. But I will return! So don't worry!" Gilbert tried to grin but whenever he seemed to remember that Ivan was chained to the bed he grew a little sad. He noticed Ivan's eyes were watching him closely.
"Bye Ivan. C'mon Gilbird…" The yellow fuzz ball flew back through the hole and landed on its owner's head. "You want me to keep the light on?"
Ivan nodded his head and curled back up into a ball.
/
Gilbert walked down the halls of the asylum. All the nurses and staff seemed blissfully unaware of the fact that there was a patient that needed their help. He growled and balled his fists. He wanted to scream, he wanted to punch someone but he knew he couldn't.
"Gilbert! How was your first day?" It was the doctor from earlier. The albino looked down. "Well?"
"It was…alright. Doc, you didn't tell me Ivan was chained to a bed and caged!" Gilbert growled out. The doctor looked around until his eyes landed on the ground. Letting out a long sigh he stared back up at the Prussian.
"Gilbert, I want you take his file home. Look it over. Come back and talk to me tomorrow." The doctor excused himself and walked away. Gilbert sighed and walked out of the asylum.
"This isn't going to be easy, is it Gilbird?" The bird chirped and burrowed into the white hair. "I agree, awesome buddy. I agree…"
End Chapter I
Wow, thanks for the reviews you guys! They really did put a smile on my face. And I'd like to thank my beta, Madness. I do appreciate her guidance, a lot! *grins* Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^-^