7 Deadly Sins of Joseph Anza
Joseph Anza has been a naughty boy. A collection of fanfics showing the 7 Deadly Capital Sins.
Wow. You guys made me very happy with the reviews. (: Thank you very much!
Another dark chapter. Gluttony is defined as the excessive consumption of any food or drink. I can't see Anza being a food glutton, and since alcohol is a drink, here it is.
Oh, and remember:
I do not own Fillmore! and any of its characters. What I'm writing is merely a time passer and a medium of entertainment for the readers. I will not be responsible for people that read content that they are not to read, because I will state directly what things you can expect from the fanfic.
GLUTTONY
"Gluttony is an emotional escape, a sign something is eating us."
Alcohol. Mind-numbing. A remedy to forget. A drink closer to your death. A drink you'll regret. A thing you turn to when everything goes wrong. The wrong thing you turn to when everything's wrong. Too little makes you want you more. It allures you, that beautifully crafted bottle. The sound of the liquid sloshing inside, a growing thirst developing within you. A ticket to forget the harsh reality you're in.
More. Yes. More. Continue. Finish it. You can't stop, now can you? That's it, have another. You're forgetting your problems now, aren't you. Drink, and keep doing so. Soon, you'll forget everything.
Joseph Anza slammed the glass down. A small crack had formed on it, but he didn't care. He was home alone, drinking shot after shot. How he managed not to break anything more than the glass, he didn't know. It was bad, he knew it. But he couldn't help but turn back to it. It was his only escape.
He'd overconsumed alcohol for several days already, and no one but fellow officer Cornelius Fillmore and his brother, Jared, had bothered to check on him. But the two girls were eying him suspiciously, though they never questioned his appearance or his lazier, more distant self. Even Vallejo and O'Farrell noticed his aloofness. He'd always say he was fine, however, and try to move away as fast as he could. He requested desk duty most of the time, because at times, he just couldn't bear to stand.
He gulped down his third glass of scotch. It tasted harsh, but he couldn't stop drinking it. He poured another one, and took a long drink.
"So it's you." said a soft voice. Jared. He didn't leave with everyone else. He turned. Jared appeared... lachrymose? Why would he? Why was he worrying about him, when he had more important matters to fret about? "It's you who's been drinking all these nights."
Jared took the glass from his hands, sighing. "Bro, please stop it. I know you don't want this. I know you have problems. It's difficult to manage, Joseph. But please, don't... abuse yourself. I can't bear to see you like this. I just can't."
Joseph was mortified. He couldn't say anything. His brother was never one to take matters very seriously, except when it came to the line of work. This wasn't work. This was his brother he was upset about. He laid a hand on Joseph's shoulder.
"Is it me? Have I done something that affected you personally? Hey. Joe, I didn't mean anything bad with anything. I guess I should be more careful--"
"No, Jared. It's not your fault." he said, turning his head away from Jared. It was different seeing him in such a serious mood. "I... think I'm just stressed."
"Joseph, this is more than stress. You're getting Cs, for Christ's sake." he said, turning his brother's head. Joseph was the most insecure of the three of them. Typical middle child behavior. "And you've requested desk duty the whole week, and when you're not busy doing work, you're sitting at the docks looking wistful. Don't waste your life like this. What's wrong?"
"I don't need your help." he said, coldly. With that, he left and started for his room. Jared grabbed his arm.
"You do." he retorted. Joseph glared at him, and pulled his arm, and hastily made his way to his room. Jared knew better than to bother him any further. He stared at the remaining liquid, and drank the strong liquid. He let the harsh aftertaste linger in his throat. But what should he do? He certainly was not going to tell his parents yet. They were stressed out as it was.
Their mother was in Milan attending a fashion thing he knew about, yet forgot right now, and then his father spent the whole day out working. He returned home around eight at the earliest, and two in the morning at the latest. He couldn't tell Asceline either, since she probably wouldn't know what to do either. It was probably best to leave it at this first.
A few weeks later proved him wrong.
He'd watched Joseph, he really did, but it wasn't enough to stop him.
He found his brother collapsed in his room. His face was pale, eyes glazed, and was barely breathing. Heart pounding, he yelled as loud as he could.
"ASCELINE! GET AN AMBULANCE!" he cried, turning his brother to the side. He checked for signs of consciousness. He grasped Joseph's hand and squeezed it. Joseph responded by doing the same, only weaker. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Don't worry. We'll get you to a hospital. Just stay awake."
Joseph briefly wondered if it was better to be dead. But somehow, his brother's pleading look altered his subconscious mind's decision. He held on.
Jared impatiently waited for the results of the BAC. Acronym for Blood Alcohol Content. He hoped it was under .30 at the most. He was scared to lose him. Asceline was home, since she had to study for a test. How she was able to manage to study with all this commotion, he didn't know, but he had to admire her for being able to do so.
Finally, after two cups of coffee from the machine down the hall, long heated speeches of self-responsibility, hair pulling instances, self-inflicted pain, and several calls from Joseph's friends and concerned Safety Patrol officers, a doctor appeared, holding a clipboard. He seemed exhausted, probably because he'd been administering and performing a lot of tests that day. This was the same doctor who nearly knocked him over when he entered the hospital.
His eyes widened upon seeing Jared. "Oh, it's you. I, ah... I'm sorry for almost hitting you earlier."
"Apology accepted, sir." he replied, nodding his head. "So what happened?"
He sighed. "As you know, alcohol overdose. BAC was measured as .22. Rather high. I'm surprised one at this age would drink this much. Might I suggest counseling and therapy, Mister... Anza."
He nodded. "We will. Is it all right to see him?"
"I suppose. But he's asleep right now." said the doctor.
"Doesn't matter. I'll stay the night if I have to." he replied, starting for room 703.
"Have his parents been notified?" asked the doctor, stopping him in his tracks.
"Yes. I've asked our sister to tell them." he said.
The doctor nodded, satisfied with the answer, and went back into the room he came from.
He pushed open the door, and saw Joseph, awake, and reading a newspaper. How he got it from the chair, he didn't know, but Joseph was strong. Especially at times you wouldn't expect. He didn't look up, though.
"Hey." he said, sitting down on the chair next to the bed. "Thought you were asleep."
"A minute ago." he said, putting down the paper. There Jared was. Except he looked like he was in bad shape himself. He looked outraged, and Joseph was ready for it.
"Do you realize what you've done?" blurted Jared. "Do you know the consequences of your actions? Joseph, you've nearly killed yourself. That could really bring down the family name, and yours. It's not going to look good anywhere. News of this got around faster than wildfire, and no doubt this will get to local news by tomorrow. And worst of all, you gave me the scare of my life." he sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. Joseph could only stare ahead of him. He was listening to his brother. He couldn't help it. He couldn't tone out his voice. Honestly, he was more of a father to him than his real father was.
"I told you, and I always am, that you can tell me anything, no matter how ridiculous or outrageous it is. Why couldn't you tell me what was wrong? You can't always keep to yourself, Joseph. I understand that we all have secrets. But when it comes to matters as serious as this, then they need to be revealed. Look at me." he said. Joseph could only oblige. What he saw surprised him. The sight of his own brother crying over him was difficult to bear. He broke down in his brother's arms, hiding nothing of what he'd been feeling these past, torturous weeks.
Drugs are no means escapes of reality. Drug abuse is considered gluttony, a more specific form of greed. Thus two sins are actually being performed. But, indeed, drugs are certainly ways to forget problems. Problems happen to everyone. And everyone makes mistakes. The only way to solve your problems is to learn from mistakes and take action, not to forget them, because there will be constant reminders of them if they remain unsolved. Think twice before picking up that bottle.
And an extra. Take the time to read this, too. I hope it will be of good use, perhaps to give a wake-up call.
Why does it take an incident to recognize a problem? Signs constantly show themselves, yet for some reason, it is typical for us humans to ignore these small things, choosing to say that it can always be fixed later, and that we can't do anything about it. As difficult as it is, the smallest of signs should never be ignored. If you're seeing someone troubled, talk to someone about it. It's best to take control of a situation as early as possible, to eliminate the possibility of any catastrophic events. Some people are lucky enough to survive, while some aren't. Help lessen the fatalities. If they resent you for telling others of their problem, it will be temporary, as they soon will realize that what you did was best. They may even see life in a new light, and thank you for it. However, not all people change, and that it's best to satisfy yourself with the fact that you helped save a life. What better deed could you do?