Chapter 5: Hospital Visits
Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, but I had Writer's Block. This is the best I could come up with. I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro or anything. The only thing I do own is the cast and crew of the "Real Thing" TV show from chapter 1 and the doctor from this upcoming chapter.
Bijou couldn't sleep that night. If it wasn't one thing bothering her, it was surely another. She was worried about Oxnard, and the well being of all her friends. She could hear her owner, Maria's, parents arguing downstairs. Some would say that divorce was near for them; while the others would that there would surely be a change. She blinked twice, hoping it wasn't another one of those threats to move back to Europe. She had faced it a couple times before. But perhaps now, it wouldn't be such a bad thing, if it was to happen. She wouldn't be an outcast there.
But she'd most defiantly miss her friends.
Paris probably wouldn't have a Ham-Ham club. She was thankful for their little hideaway. It was a place for her to have a life as well, rather than being stuck in a cage all day. She was glad to have made such good friends, even if all their lives had become screwed up. Things would get better. Hopefully...
Some problems were solved. She saw Pashmina and Sandy's come to a close right before her. There was hope. She just had to believe in it. She sighed. She couldn't sleep knowing one of her close friends was at the hospital. She was sure Oxnard's owner would be worried too. Or...maybe not.
None of their owners seemed to care much anymore. It was as if something had replaced the hamsters' roles in their lives. Was it the start of dating? Hamtaro's owner, Laura, was pretty interested in guys. She had been pretty steady with some boy named Travis for a while, and it was still going strong between them. Maybe that was why Hamtaro went goth. Maybe it was because he was feeling neglected.
Bijou pondered over the thought a little longer, until she finally fell asleep.
The morning sun poured right into the white hamster's window, as Bijou would of easily claimed it "blinding" her. She awoke rather quickly; glad to see her owner was gone. She made her way out of her cage and out of the house, to the hospital where Oxnard was.
She wasn't surprised to see when she arrived there that some others had come too. There was Pashmina there, holding a "Get Well Soon" balloon, along with Sandy, twirling her pink ribbon around impatiently.
As Bijou's eyes trailed along the waiting room she caught onto some other familiar hamsters. There was Stan, Maxwell, and surprisingly Hamtaro there too.
She smiled, as she took a seat next to Pashmina. Maxwell sighed, looking over at Sandy, who was clearly ignoring him out of discomfort. He looked down. "So like," Sandy started, placing her ribbon aside. "The doctors haven't said anything yet. We're all like real worried."
"Not a word?" Bijou asked a bit surprise.
"Not a single word at all," Pashmina answered.
"Like I give a damn," Hamtaro said. "That Oxnard is just a damn pile of shit. He's nothing."
"Hamtaro!" the three girls exclaimed, in shock.
"He's gonna need some major help when he's out," Stan commented about Oxnard, shaking his maracas once again.
"Well err..." Maxwell hesitated. "Let's think positive, shall we? I'm sure Oxnard's alright."
"Hopefully," Bijou said.
Sandy nodded. "Yeah, hopefully." She grabbed her coffee from the table and took a sip.
For about an hour more the gang was silent. A white and orange hamster that looked a bit like Hamtaro stepped forward. He looked up at the other waiting hamsters and smiled. "Oxnard's doing fine," he said, obviously being the doctor. "You're welcome to visit him, but come two at a time. I think a big crowd would overwhelm him."
Stan smirked. "Alright. Who wants to go see him first?"
"I don't wanna see that asshole at all," Hamtaro remarked.
"Then why are you here?" Bijou asked.
Hamtaro couldn't answer that one. He looked away.
"I like wanna see him," Sandy said. "I've been like waiting since 5 in the morning."
"Tell us how bad it is," Pashmina said. "If he's really doing that bad I don't think I wanna see him either."
Sandy nodded. "Okay!"
Maxwell stood up. "I'll go with you,"
"Err..." Sandy hesitated. "I think I'd rather go on my own."
"I've read up about eating disorders," Maxwell remarked, insightfully. "I'd really like to see if I can use my knowledge to help Oxnard in any way."
"Fine then," Sandy said. "I'll wait."
"Why don't we just go together?" Maxwell asked. "The doctor said two at a time. You don't have to wait, sweetie."
"I'd prefer to," Sandy said firmly, sitting back down.
There was silence for a minute as Maxwell frowned and sat back down as well.
"Aren't you like going Maxwell?" Sandy asked, crossing her arms. She looked away, still a bit upset, along with embarrassed at yesterday's events.
"I'm waiting for you to go," Maxwell said, eyeing the orange tiger stripped hamster.
"Well I'm not going with you," Sandy said, looking towards the blank wall.
"Well I'm not going without you," Maxwell replied, looking towards the opposite side of the room.
Bijou stood up, getting tired of Sandy and Maxwell's stubbornness. "I'm going to check on Oxnard." She said.
Sandy got up. "Then I'm going with you," she said. She stuck her tongue out quickly at Maxwell.
Maxwell just sighed.
The two hamsters walked off towards Oxnard's hospital room, a bit worried at what they'd see inside.
They took a deep breath and turned the door knob. Inside there was a thin hamster, with dull grey spots laying on a hospital bed. There were all kinds of tubes going into him, some providing him with oxygen, others providing him with glucose. He looked extremely weak, as it almost was a more depressing sight than before.
Bijou walked over to a chair near the bed. "Bonjour Oxnard," she said softly and gently. She took one of his paws and held it. "How are you feeling?"
Oxnard could just barely answer, as Sandy walked to the other side of him. "Is everything like okay?" Sandy asked, just as softly as Bijou.
Meanwhile, back in the waiting room, a conversation started.
"I don't get it," Maxwell said. "Sandy would always want to go places with me before. Why all of a sudden is she avoiding me? She's been ignoring me, and neglecting spending time with me privately. Do any of you know what's going on?"
Stan frowned. "Well, she's a bit embarrassed about yesterday I think," he said. "I mean, girls get like that. They're all over emotional."
"Why thanks," Pashmina muttered sarcastically, eyeing Stan.
"Well I'm sorry cutie," Stan said, putting his usual habit of flirting to use. "But sometimes the truth hurts, doll."
"Stan, you're the clear definition of a Casanova," Maxwell commented. "I don't think any girl would feel comfortable dating you because of it."
Pashmina nodded. "Yeah," she replied. "I mean, you flirt with every girl you meet."
"I do not!" Stan said. "I'm your ham, Pashmina."
Pashmina rolled her eyes. "I believe you there," she sarcastically remarked.
"What?" Stan asked. "Am I that unbelievable?"
"Let's just say that we have gotten to know how you are," Pashmina said, with a smirk.
Stan sighed. "Whatever."
Hamtaro frowned. "You are such idiots," he plainly said.
"Why thanks," Pashmina sarcastically replied.
Sandy and Bijou walked back over to the gang, with a frown on both their faces. "He looked horrible," Sandy whispered. She walked over to a chair, rather far from Maxwell's, as she looked down at her dance ribbon.
Bijou nodded. "Yeah," she said, softly. "The doctor made us go out because we were uncomforting him too much."
Maxwell's eyes widen. "Oh." He said, letting out a sigh.
They remained silent once more as the morning slowly drifted by. They headed back to the clubhouse, just to eat lunch and reflect once more.
Final Notes: Thanks for the reviews and ideas. I'll be sure to add Jingle in the later chapters. He just didn't fit in this one. Actually I sort of forgot about him and Snoozer...
