Rimnerel: Okay, finally I get back to this one. Sissy and I had a hard
time making time to write this one together, so sorry for being so late.
Sissy couldn't be here today cause she's asleep.
Johnny: It took you both forever, so it better be good.
Rimnerel: Shut up! I don't like you either! Okay, since I don't have much to say about this one. I will just get to the reviews. Max, kindly do them for me.
Max: Okay! Rim would like to thank B. Tiamat Atardecer, russle, and FREAK014 for all your reviews.
Rimnerel: And FREAK I don't plan on changing what I write just adding more to it, so don't worry. Now let's get on with the story that I've taken a lot of time to write.
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Why?
Kenny kept repeating and asking himself over and over again. Why had he stopped to think about things? Why hadn't he just done it? Why had he allowed himself to be so easily dissuaded from ending his life? The young man was in his bed curled into a fetal ball. His breaths ragged, heavy with the nightmare that still washed over him, the fear coating his tongue, mocking him at the weakness stilled into his being. He was so sure when he got back to the hotel sleep would be easy. That proved completely false.
The nightmares grew stronger, coming in one wave after another. Refusing to release him from its trap until moments ago. That voice in Kenny's head, the same voice that's mocked him for three years now, cackled now at his failure. Enjoying all the torment upon the young man's spirit.
'And you thought it would be that easy? You were better off using the knife when you had the opportunity, you foolish boy,' the voice sneered.
"Shut up, leave me alone," Kenny muttered, clasping his hands over his ears.
'You're nothing but a child still. Lost, afraid, alone, and need someone to hold your hand.'
"Shut up!" Kenny squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the voice into the darkness. Silence did not ease him though, as a ragged sob tore from his lips, hurting his chest with its bitterness. "Why can't you just leave me alone? Why!"
What use was it for him to do this? To continue to hurt if nothing changed? Kenny lay in bed for a long time, crying, hurting, and suffering from the scars bleeding throughout his body. After a while, the sobs stopped, leaving a dull ache in his chest. Finally making up his mind, Kenny got up from his bed, making his way to the bathroom. The other Bladebreakers were still sleep; it was only six in the morning. No one would be up for another hour or so, giving him plenty of time to die.
Finding his way to his destination in his downtrodden state, Kenny cut on the light, looking in the mirror. His eyes red from the tears, and lost as a lamb. This would be the last time he would have to look at this depressing image. Opening the medicine cabinet, Kenny's eyes scanned over the contents until those distraught orbs rested on two particular objects: a bottle full bottle of 325mg aspirin and one for 200mg that was halfway empty.
Grabbing both bottles from the cabinet, Kenny walked into the little kitchen area that the Bladebreakers' hotel suite had. Setting the two items down on the counter, Kenny went to the cabinet getting out a glass. Walking to the sink, he cut on the tap filling the glass with water then turned it off. Reaching into a drawer, Kenny found a small wooden rolling pin, which would indeed come in handy. Before going back over to his other items, Kenny pulled a clean towel from another drawer. With this done, Kenny went back to his bottles of aspirin.
Setting the other items down, Kenny set to work open the towel and pour the entire bottle of 200mg aspirin in, adding a quarter of bottle of the 325mg strength in for good measure. He once read that the estimated amount required for an overdose was between 10 to 30 grams. (A/N: Which is true, I actually had a pharmacist print me out the information on aspirin! Meaning that if you take thirty-seven, 325mg aspirin, you have enough to OD...okay, don't you guys get any ideas on killing people.)
Wrapping the towel in half, Kenny set to work turning the aspirins into a fine powder he put in his water when he was done. Getting out a spoon, he stirred everything up, making sure that it dissolved into the water.
Walking into the living room once finished, Kenny sighed, taking in the sight of the slightly dark sky. The sun would be coming up strong soon. He wanted to watch the sun come up before he died. Seating himself on the couch facing the window, Kenny reflected on what the others would think. He wanted to die it wasn't their fault for it, so he hoped they didn't blame themselves. They would probably feel the pain worst because they never saw it.
Kenny looked down at the grayish water for a long second before raising the glass to his lips. Tilting his head back, he allowed the water to wash across his tongue before sliding down his throat. Kenny wondered as he drained the entire glass of its contents whether or not his mother could watch over him while he burned in hell.
The glass dropped to the carpet, Kenny rest on the length of the couch, closing his eyes slight, still watching the sky, until he drifted away from things. He hoped the others could understand things had to be this way. That was the only way it would end. The only way he could finally be free.
----------------
Rei was the first one to wake up that morning, which was a surprise since it was only 7:30 and the sounds of Kai watching TV or walking around usually were heard. It must have had something to do with Tyson saying something to him the previous night at the victory party. With a knowing smile, he looked down at his own lover, curled up against his chest with a content smile on his lips. Moving ever so slightly not to wake up the blonde, Rei retrieved his boxers from the floor, putting them on as he headed for the bathroom.
To discover not only the light on, but the medicine cabinet open. Looking around, he realized that Kenny's room door was open also. Going to the male's room, he didn't find the brunette. The next logical place he could think of was the kitchen. On his way though, the neko-jin discovered his teammate on the couch.
"Kenny, were you in the bathroom earlier?" Rei asked, walking up to the male. Kenny didn't answer him. Figuring the male was asleep, Rei reached down to lightly shake him when he felt the violent tremors emitting from the male. "Kenny?" The male still didn't answer his friend. As Rei leaned in closer, he realized something that scared him witless. "KAI! TYSON! MAX! HELP!"
That was enough to get a very alert Kai Hiwatari up and moving along with a certain blonde. "What's wrong, Rei?" Kai was the one to ask.
"There's something wrong with Kenny, he...he's shaking really bad," Rei said fearfully.
"What?" Kai rushed over to the brunette on the couch, kneeling beside Kenny's body. With a quick check over also noticing the glass on the carpet with the white substance crusted around the rim. Dipping his finger into the edge of the glass, he licked at the substance, realizing what it was. Kai looked at Max and Rei, his eyes full of concern. "Max get me some blankets and wake Tyson up, Rei call for an ambulance immediately."
"Why? What's wrong with Kenny?" Max inquired.
"He's ingested some aspirin, I have no idea how many, but right now he's going into a shock. We're lucky he hasn't bitten off or swallowed his tongue, depending on how long he's been like this. Now get going, we don't have time to waste," Kai said to his two teammates.
"Right!"
Kai turned his attention back to Kenny with a frown. 'Why the hell did you do something as stupid as this? What is that you would want to get away from so much that you would do something like this?'
---------------{Flashback}
The little boy sat at the table pushing around the food on his plate. His eyes occasionally glancing up at the man that was sitting across the table from him eating, silence filled the empty, tense space. The four year old didn't know how the man could be so normal after... His momma had just died only days ago, and five hours ago those men put his momma in the ground, covering her with dirt. She looked so pretty, as if she was sleeping, but the little boy knew she wouldn't have woken up if he called to her.
She was gone. Everyone that told him that as they hugged him, telling him that everything would be all right. That he would grow up strong and that he still had his papa to watch over him. Half of what they said he didn't understand, nor cared about. His momma wasn't coming back, that's all he understood. The gentle, smiling lady, who use to read him stories before tucking him in for the night. That sang him lullabies, who held him with he was afraid, assured him with small prayers, and loved him more than anyone else in the world.
He missed her a lot. There would be no more smiles, or laughter, or songs. When he found her on the bathroom floor days ago, a wave of fear shot through him. It stayed with him until he learned that she wouldn't come back. He heard the doctor say something about bleeding on the inside, explaining to his father about this thing called hemorrhage, whatever that was.
"Kenny, you aren't eating." The little boy's father spoke up, bringing the four-year-old Kenny back to the present. The boy looked up, seeing his papa watching him, a strange look in his eyes.
"Not hungry," the four year old said.
"Kenny, eat," ordered his father.
"Not hungry," Kenny continued to protest.
"Kenny." The man's voice changed from its usual tone. "I don't feel like going through this with you right now. Eat, boy."
"Don't wanna." Tears welled up in the little boy's eyes frustrated that his papa was going to make him do something he didn't want to. If his mother were still there, she would understand.
"Kenny, eat. I don't feel like dealing with your tantrum. It's already been a rough day for me. Do as you're told and eat your food."
"Don't wanna! Not hungry!" The boy pushed his plate away and got up from the table. Kenny's father got up from the table also, heading after the boy that was running upstairs to his room. It didn't take the man very long to catch up to the boy. Before Kenny knew what was going on, he was yanked up into his father's arms.
"I told you to eat, get back down stairs and eat," the male said in a very angry tone.
"I'm not hungry! I don't want to eat! I want momma!" Kenny cried as the male stared at the boy in his arms very angrily. "I want momma, I want momma, I want momma!!"
"Shut up! You know she's dead, she's not coming back, so deal with it!" Kenny continued to cry, not listening to his father. "Don't make me have to shut up myself Kenny." When the boy didn't show any signs that he was going to hush up, the male carried the boy into the room, tossing him on the bed as he pulled off his belt. Kenny didn't notice as he continued to cry, until something bit him sharply across his legs.
Looking up, he found his father had his belt in his hands, raising the object again to strike the boy. Kenny made the attempt to scramble away, but his father reached down, pinning him to the bed as he gave the boy another lashing. Screaming, Kenny tried to get away, catching another lash across his arm this time. When it was finally over, the only thing the little boy could do was curl into a ball, whimpering from the red marks covering his body. On his right cheek was the mark of the belt from when he moved and his father caught him across the face.
"That will teach you a lesson about disobeying me. Now go to bed." The man turned away from the little boy, heading out of the room. Kenny continued to shake, tears returning as he eventually went to sleep. That was the first time that his father had ever hit him, and it wouldn't be the last.
--------------{Flashback Ends}
The Bladebreakers waited in the waiting area in the hospital with Max's mom, Tyson's grandfather and father, and Mr. Dickenson. The other teams had yet to find out what happened until those closer to Kenny found out first. Everyone that was in the waiting room was tense. What compelled Kenny to do something as destructive as...as overdosing on aspirin?
"I don't understand it," Max said tearfully. He sat with Rei and his mother, both trying there best to comfort him. "He always seemed so happy. Why would he do something like this? Did we do something wrong?"
"It's hard to say what was going on in his head," Rei said, looking down at his hands. The neko-jin looked over at Tyson and Kai, Tyson's head was lowered his bangs hiding his eyes, even Kai seemed tense.
"Excuse me." A doctor walked up to the group, everyone's attention focusing on him, fearful of what he was going to say. "May I ask which of you are Mr. Shinoda's parents?"
"His parents aren't here, but I'm his guardian for the time being," Mr. Dickenson said. He wondered why he didn't see it the day before, the look that carved its way into the boy's face. Maybe he could have done something before it came to this. "How is he?"
The doctor frowned, opening the report in his hands, looking over it then closing it back. "From what we gathered so far, he's fighting with hyperthermia. We gave him two bags of fluid to take care of any dehydration that may occur and nausea that may arise. He's still breathing on his own, but we have him on respiratory support just in case."
"Just in case?" Rei questioned.
"Yes. In case Mr. Shinoda experiences any respiratory failure while he's here. You see, the salicylate level in the aspirin he manage to ingest was well over 10 grams."
"What does that mean exactly?" Mr. Dickenson asked.
"To put it simply, for most adults, the acute lethal dose that is required ranges from 10 to 30 grams. From what we managed to extract from his stomach and intestines was more than 13 grams. The toxins were ingested anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour. If he were left any longer in that condition, he would have surely died. But..."
"But what?"
"There's still a possibility that he won't be entirely the same when or if he comes around. There's a chance that he won't be able to get rid of all the toxins in his body and end up slipping into a coma. From the level of salicylate in his system, there's a good chance that will happen. And if he does come around, he's still looking at metabolic acidosis and hypoglycemia from the toxicity in his blood. Along with neurologic abnormalities such as disorientation, hallucinations, stupors, and seizures," the doctor said.
"Will the symptoms go away?" Max asked, feeling himself growing sicker.
"The symptoms may go away after his levels have returned to normal. But then there's a good chance that he may have long-term effects," the doctor remarked. "Let's just take it one step at a time for now."
"Can we go see him?" Tyson lifted up his head, tears shining in his dark blue eyes.
"You can visit for a little while, but don't stay long, he hasn't awaken yet," the doctor said. "He's in room 232 on the third floor."
"Thank you." This time it was Kai that said something. Standing up, he pulled Tyson to his feet, nodding for Max and Rei to follow. The four boys walked down the hall to the elevator, silence present amongst them. What were they going to see when they got up to the room? How should they really expect to act? Their friend had just decided to try to off himself without so much as leaving a note saying why.
The four boys made it up to the third floor, walking down the hall until they found room 232. Walking into the room, they found Kenny, asleep in a hospital bed. An IV was hooked into each arm, allowing a clear fluid to run through the tubes into his veins. A tube was hooked up into his mouth. The monitor every now and then bleeped, the only sign that Kenny was alive right now. The boys gathered around the bed, staring at the smaller male that slept. It was like he had never tried to kill himself in the first place.
"Why?" Tyson asked. "Why would he do this?"
"I guess any reason that people do," Rei said.
"But he always seemed to smile no matter what."
"Sometimes, people smile just because it seems the only way that they can hide themselves," Kai said, looking down at Kenny. "No matter how much pain they suffer in life, they sometimes smile just because. It's just a reflex, security, a mask that he puts on. It's just that we never noticed it."
"Do you think...it's because of us that he did it?" Max asked, tears cascading down face in small rivets. Rei wrapped his arms around the blonde, murmuring comfort into his ear. Max leaned against Rei's weight, resting his head on the neko-jin's shoulder.
"Who knows," Kai said. "Only Kenny knows why Kenny did this. We'll have to wait until he wakes up to tell us his side...if he wants to, that is."
Downstairs with Tyson's father, grandfather, Judy, and Mr. Dickenson, the four adults stood with the doctor talking. The man looked at each one of them with a serious stare. They wondered why he would stop them from seeing the hospitalized boy with the children.
"You're probably wondering why I asked you to stay for a few minutes, right?" the doctor inquired with a frown.
"Yes, is there something you wanted to tell us without the children knowing?" Tyson's father inquired.
"More so a question. How long have you known that young man?" the doctor asked.
"Well...no more than a few months, why do you ask?" Mr. Dickenson said.
"Well...when we were removing his clothing to get him admitted into the hospital, we noticed...marks," the doctor was careful of the words he used. He didn't know if they knew or not.
"Marks? What kind of marks are you talking about?" Judy asked.
"Well...on his back...there are faint scars that must be years old. There must be one of two that seem to be made with a blunt object of some kind. On his chest...that one is most noticeable. A scar that runs jaggedly from his left nipple down to his navel, most likely done with a knife," the doctor said. "The scar seems maybe a two or three years old."
"His parents..." Judy's eyes widened, then looked at Mr. Dickenson who was equally shocked.
"You had no idea?"
"We haven't met his parents," Tyson's father said. "If we had known that his parents treated him like this, we would have done something about it already."
"That's understandable. I suppose that young man was trying to escape again because of them," the doctor sighed.
"Again?"
"On his wrists, though faint, you can see where he tried to slit his wrists open. There's signs from tests taken that he's been using other types of medicine to keep his body from resting. His body's been abused not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. That young man is a massive ball of pent up emotions. I doubt that unless we find out why he tried to do this, he's not going to last much longer in this world."
"I don't think the boys would be able to take it," Judy said to the other men. Each nodding with agreement, but would it really be so easy to get Kenny to open up to them? If he's gone this long with this kind of burden...what would make him tell them now? "I think for right now, we shouldn't tell the boys everything. It would really hurt them a lot."
"I agree. Let's hang off until we know everything," Tyson's father said. "Right now, that young man will need all the support that he can get."
--------------------------------
Rimnerel: Okay, I'm done now! Didn't my sissy and I do a great job! Okay, since I don't have much to say, see you guys next week sometime. I plan to have the next chapter out sooner than last time. Later.
Johnny: It took you both forever, so it better be good.
Rimnerel: Shut up! I don't like you either! Okay, since I don't have much to say about this one. I will just get to the reviews. Max, kindly do them for me.
Max: Okay! Rim would like to thank B. Tiamat Atardecer, russle, and FREAK014 for all your reviews.
Rimnerel: And FREAK I don't plan on changing what I write just adding more to it, so don't worry. Now let's get on with the story that I've taken a lot of time to write.
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Why?
Kenny kept repeating and asking himself over and over again. Why had he stopped to think about things? Why hadn't he just done it? Why had he allowed himself to be so easily dissuaded from ending his life? The young man was in his bed curled into a fetal ball. His breaths ragged, heavy with the nightmare that still washed over him, the fear coating his tongue, mocking him at the weakness stilled into his being. He was so sure when he got back to the hotel sleep would be easy. That proved completely false.
The nightmares grew stronger, coming in one wave after another. Refusing to release him from its trap until moments ago. That voice in Kenny's head, the same voice that's mocked him for three years now, cackled now at his failure. Enjoying all the torment upon the young man's spirit.
'And you thought it would be that easy? You were better off using the knife when you had the opportunity, you foolish boy,' the voice sneered.
"Shut up, leave me alone," Kenny muttered, clasping his hands over his ears.
'You're nothing but a child still. Lost, afraid, alone, and need someone to hold your hand.'
"Shut up!" Kenny squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the voice into the darkness. Silence did not ease him though, as a ragged sob tore from his lips, hurting his chest with its bitterness. "Why can't you just leave me alone? Why!"
What use was it for him to do this? To continue to hurt if nothing changed? Kenny lay in bed for a long time, crying, hurting, and suffering from the scars bleeding throughout his body. After a while, the sobs stopped, leaving a dull ache in his chest. Finally making up his mind, Kenny got up from his bed, making his way to the bathroom. The other Bladebreakers were still sleep; it was only six in the morning. No one would be up for another hour or so, giving him plenty of time to die.
Finding his way to his destination in his downtrodden state, Kenny cut on the light, looking in the mirror. His eyes red from the tears, and lost as a lamb. This would be the last time he would have to look at this depressing image. Opening the medicine cabinet, Kenny's eyes scanned over the contents until those distraught orbs rested on two particular objects: a bottle full bottle of 325mg aspirin and one for 200mg that was halfway empty.
Grabbing both bottles from the cabinet, Kenny walked into the little kitchen area that the Bladebreakers' hotel suite had. Setting the two items down on the counter, Kenny went to the cabinet getting out a glass. Walking to the sink, he cut on the tap filling the glass with water then turned it off. Reaching into a drawer, Kenny found a small wooden rolling pin, which would indeed come in handy. Before going back over to his other items, Kenny pulled a clean towel from another drawer. With this done, Kenny went back to his bottles of aspirin.
Setting the other items down, Kenny set to work open the towel and pour the entire bottle of 200mg aspirin in, adding a quarter of bottle of the 325mg strength in for good measure. He once read that the estimated amount required for an overdose was between 10 to 30 grams. (A/N: Which is true, I actually had a pharmacist print me out the information on aspirin! Meaning that if you take thirty-seven, 325mg aspirin, you have enough to OD...okay, don't you guys get any ideas on killing people.)
Wrapping the towel in half, Kenny set to work turning the aspirins into a fine powder he put in his water when he was done. Getting out a spoon, he stirred everything up, making sure that it dissolved into the water.
Walking into the living room once finished, Kenny sighed, taking in the sight of the slightly dark sky. The sun would be coming up strong soon. He wanted to watch the sun come up before he died. Seating himself on the couch facing the window, Kenny reflected on what the others would think. He wanted to die it wasn't their fault for it, so he hoped they didn't blame themselves. They would probably feel the pain worst because they never saw it.
Kenny looked down at the grayish water for a long second before raising the glass to his lips. Tilting his head back, he allowed the water to wash across his tongue before sliding down his throat. Kenny wondered as he drained the entire glass of its contents whether or not his mother could watch over him while he burned in hell.
The glass dropped to the carpet, Kenny rest on the length of the couch, closing his eyes slight, still watching the sky, until he drifted away from things. He hoped the others could understand things had to be this way. That was the only way it would end. The only way he could finally be free.
----------------
Rei was the first one to wake up that morning, which was a surprise since it was only 7:30 and the sounds of Kai watching TV or walking around usually were heard. It must have had something to do with Tyson saying something to him the previous night at the victory party. With a knowing smile, he looked down at his own lover, curled up against his chest with a content smile on his lips. Moving ever so slightly not to wake up the blonde, Rei retrieved his boxers from the floor, putting them on as he headed for the bathroom.
To discover not only the light on, but the medicine cabinet open. Looking around, he realized that Kenny's room door was open also. Going to the male's room, he didn't find the brunette. The next logical place he could think of was the kitchen. On his way though, the neko-jin discovered his teammate on the couch.
"Kenny, were you in the bathroom earlier?" Rei asked, walking up to the male. Kenny didn't answer him. Figuring the male was asleep, Rei reached down to lightly shake him when he felt the violent tremors emitting from the male. "Kenny?" The male still didn't answer his friend. As Rei leaned in closer, he realized something that scared him witless. "KAI! TYSON! MAX! HELP!"
That was enough to get a very alert Kai Hiwatari up and moving along with a certain blonde. "What's wrong, Rei?" Kai was the one to ask.
"There's something wrong with Kenny, he...he's shaking really bad," Rei said fearfully.
"What?" Kai rushed over to the brunette on the couch, kneeling beside Kenny's body. With a quick check over also noticing the glass on the carpet with the white substance crusted around the rim. Dipping his finger into the edge of the glass, he licked at the substance, realizing what it was. Kai looked at Max and Rei, his eyes full of concern. "Max get me some blankets and wake Tyson up, Rei call for an ambulance immediately."
"Why? What's wrong with Kenny?" Max inquired.
"He's ingested some aspirin, I have no idea how many, but right now he's going into a shock. We're lucky he hasn't bitten off or swallowed his tongue, depending on how long he's been like this. Now get going, we don't have time to waste," Kai said to his two teammates.
"Right!"
Kai turned his attention back to Kenny with a frown. 'Why the hell did you do something as stupid as this? What is that you would want to get away from so much that you would do something like this?'
---------------{Flashback}
The little boy sat at the table pushing around the food on his plate. His eyes occasionally glancing up at the man that was sitting across the table from him eating, silence filled the empty, tense space. The four year old didn't know how the man could be so normal after... His momma had just died only days ago, and five hours ago those men put his momma in the ground, covering her with dirt. She looked so pretty, as if she was sleeping, but the little boy knew she wouldn't have woken up if he called to her.
She was gone. Everyone that told him that as they hugged him, telling him that everything would be all right. That he would grow up strong and that he still had his papa to watch over him. Half of what they said he didn't understand, nor cared about. His momma wasn't coming back, that's all he understood. The gentle, smiling lady, who use to read him stories before tucking him in for the night. That sang him lullabies, who held him with he was afraid, assured him with small prayers, and loved him more than anyone else in the world.
He missed her a lot. There would be no more smiles, or laughter, or songs. When he found her on the bathroom floor days ago, a wave of fear shot through him. It stayed with him until he learned that she wouldn't come back. He heard the doctor say something about bleeding on the inside, explaining to his father about this thing called hemorrhage, whatever that was.
"Kenny, you aren't eating." The little boy's father spoke up, bringing the four-year-old Kenny back to the present. The boy looked up, seeing his papa watching him, a strange look in his eyes.
"Not hungry," the four year old said.
"Kenny, eat," ordered his father.
"Not hungry," Kenny continued to protest.
"Kenny." The man's voice changed from its usual tone. "I don't feel like going through this with you right now. Eat, boy."
"Don't wanna." Tears welled up in the little boy's eyes frustrated that his papa was going to make him do something he didn't want to. If his mother were still there, she would understand.
"Kenny, eat. I don't feel like dealing with your tantrum. It's already been a rough day for me. Do as you're told and eat your food."
"Don't wanna! Not hungry!" The boy pushed his plate away and got up from the table. Kenny's father got up from the table also, heading after the boy that was running upstairs to his room. It didn't take the man very long to catch up to the boy. Before Kenny knew what was going on, he was yanked up into his father's arms.
"I told you to eat, get back down stairs and eat," the male said in a very angry tone.
"I'm not hungry! I don't want to eat! I want momma!" Kenny cried as the male stared at the boy in his arms very angrily. "I want momma, I want momma, I want momma!!"
"Shut up! You know she's dead, she's not coming back, so deal with it!" Kenny continued to cry, not listening to his father. "Don't make me have to shut up myself Kenny." When the boy didn't show any signs that he was going to hush up, the male carried the boy into the room, tossing him on the bed as he pulled off his belt. Kenny didn't notice as he continued to cry, until something bit him sharply across his legs.
Looking up, he found his father had his belt in his hands, raising the object again to strike the boy. Kenny made the attempt to scramble away, but his father reached down, pinning him to the bed as he gave the boy another lashing. Screaming, Kenny tried to get away, catching another lash across his arm this time. When it was finally over, the only thing the little boy could do was curl into a ball, whimpering from the red marks covering his body. On his right cheek was the mark of the belt from when he moved and his father caught him across the face.
"That will teach you a lesson about disobeying me. Now go to bed." The man turned away from the little boy, heading out of the room. Kenny continued to shake, tears returning as he eventually went to sleep. That was the first time that his father had ever hit him, and it wouldn't be the last.
--------------{Flashback Ends}
The Bladebreakers waited in the waiting area in the hospital with Max's mom, Tyson's grandfather and father, and Mr. Dickenson. The other teams had yet to find out what happened until those closer to Kenny found out first. Everyone that was in the waiting room was tense. What compelled Kenny to do something as destructive as...as overdosing on aspirin?
"I don't understand it," Max said tearfully. He sat with Rei and his mother, both trying there best to comfort him. "He always seemed so happy. Why would he do something like this? Did we do something wrong?"
"It's hard to say what was going on in his head," Rei said, looking down at his hands. The neko-jin looked over at Tyson and Kai, Tyson's head was lowered his bangs hiding his eyes, even Kai seemed tense.
"Excuse me." A doctor walked up to the group, everyone's attention focusing on him, fearful of what he was going to say. "May I ask which of you are Mr. Shinoda's parents?"
"His parents aren't here, but I'm his guardian for the time being," Mr. Dickenson said. He wondered why he didn't see it the day before, the look that carved its way into the boy's face. Maybe he could have done something before it came to this. "How is he?"
The doctor frowned, opening the report in his hands, looking over it then closing it back. "From what we gathered so far, he's fighting with hyperthermia. We gave him two bags of fluid to take care of any dehydration that may occur and nausea that may arise. He's still breathing on his own, but we have him on respiratory support just in case."
"Just in case?" Rei questioned.
"Yes. In case Mr. Shinoda experiences any respiratory failure while he's here. You see, the salicylate level in the aspirin he manage to ingest was well over 10 grams."
"What does that mean exactly?" Mr. Dickenson asked.
"To put it simply, for most adults, the acute lethal dose that is required ranges from 10 to 30 grams. From what we managed to extract from his stomach and intestines was more than 13 grams. The toxins were ingested anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour. If he were left any longer in that condition, he would have surely died. But..."
"But what?"
"There's still a possibility that he won't be entirely the same when or if he comes around. There's a chance that he won't be able to get rid of all the toxins in his body and end up slipping into a coma. From the level of salicylate in his system, there's a good chance that will happen. And if he does come around, he's still looking at metabolic acidosis and hypoglycemia from the toxicity in his blood. Along with neurologic abnormalities such as disorientation, hallucinations, stupors, and seizures," the doctor said.
"Will the symptoms go away?" Max asked, feeling himself growing sicker.
"The symptoms may go away after his levels have returned to normal. But then there's a good chance that he may have long-term effects," the doctor remarked. "Let's just take it one step at a time for now."
"Can we go see him?" Tyson lifted up his head, tears shining in his dark blue eyes.
"You can visit for a little while, but don't stay long, he hasn't awaken yet," the doctor said. "He's in room 232 on the third floor."
"Thank you." This time it was Kai that said something. Standing up, he pulled Tyson to his feet, nodding for Max and Rei to follow. The four boys walked down the hall to the elevator, silence present amongst them. What were they going to see when they got up to the room? How should they really expect to act? Their friend had just decided to try to off himself without so much as leaving a note saying why.
The four boys made it up to the third floor, walking down the hall until they found room 232. Walking into the room, they found Kenny, asleep in a hospital bed. An IV was hooked into each arm, allowing a clear fluid to run through the tubes into his veins. A tube was hooked up into his mouth. The monitor every now and then bleeped, the only sign that Kenny was alive right now. The boys gathered around the bed, staring at the smaller male that slept. It was like he had never tried to kill himself in the first place.
"Why?" Tyson asked. "Why would he do this?"
"I guess any reason that people do," Rei said.
"But he always seemed to smile no matter what."
"Sometimes, people smile just because it seems the only way that they can hide themselves," Kai said, looking down at Kenny. "No matter how much pain they suffer in life, they sometimes smile just because. It's just a reflex, security, a mask that he puts on. It's just that we never noticed it."
"Do you think...it's because of us that he did it?" Max asked, tears cascading down face in small rivets. Rei wrapped his arms around the blonde, murmuring comfort into his ear. Max leaned against Rei's weight, resting his head on the neko-jin's shoulder.
"Who knows," Kai said. "Only Kenny knows why Kenny did this. We'll have to wait until he wakes up to tell us his side...if he wants to, that is."
Downstairs with Tyson's father, grandfather, Judy, and Mr. Dickenson, the four adults stood with the doctor talking. The man looked at each one of them with a serious stare. They wondered why he would stop them from seeing the hospitalized boy with the children.
"You're probably wondering why I asked you to stay for a few minutes, right?" the doctor inquired with a frown.
"Yes, is there something you wanted to tell us without the children knowing?" Tyson's father inquired.
"More so a question. How long have you known that young man?" the doctor asked.
"Well...no more than a few months, why do you ask?" Mr. Dickenson said.
"Well...when we were removing his clothing to get him admitted into the hospital, we noticed...marks," the doctor was careful of the words he used. He didn't know if they knew or not.
"Marks? What kind of marks are you talking about?" Judy asked.
"Well...on his back...there are faint scars that must be years old. There must be one of two that seem to be made with a blunt object of some kind. On his chest...that one is most noticeable. A scar that runs jaggedly from his left nipple down to his navel, most likely done with a knife," the doctor said. "The scar seems maybe a two or three years old."
"His parents..." Judy's eyes widened, then looked at Mr. Dickenson who was equally shocked.
"You had no idea?"
"We haven't met his parents," Tyson's father said. "If we had known that his parents treated him like this, we would have done something about it already."
"That's understandable. I suppose that young man was trying to escape again because of them," the doctor sighed.
"Again?"
"On his wrists, though faint, you can see where he tried to slit his wrists open. There's signs from tests taken that he's been using other types of medicine to keep his body from resting. His body's been abused not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. That young man is a massive ball of pent up emotions. I doubt that unless we find out why he tried to do this, he's not going to last much longer in this world."
"I don't think the boys would be able to take it," Judy said to the other men. Each nodding with agreement, but would it really be so easy to get Kenny to open up to them? If he's gone this long with this kind of burden...what would make him tell them now? "I think for right now, we shouldn't tell the boys everything. It would really hurt them a lot."
"I agree. Let's hang off until we know everything," Tyson's father said. "Right now, that young man will need all the support that he can get."
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Rimnerel: Okay, I'm done now! Didn't my sissy and I do a great job! Okay, since I don't have much to say, see you guys next week sometime. I plan to have the next chapter out sooner than last time. Later.