Expectations of Approval
Chapter Twenty-Five: Extreme Case, Times Two
A/N: Chapter title dedication to JtheChosen1. I have been planing this scene for a while don't blame JtheChosen1 for it, she just inspired the chapter tittle. I usually only name a chapter after I'm done writing it.
Oliver watches Percy fumble with the phone before Percy turns around to chock out orders to who ever was on the other end.
After the receptionist hangs up Percy continues to hold the phone up to his ears for a while longer, determined to buy himself more time to compose himself. Percy sighs and hangs up the phone. He turns and smiles at them, the unexpected surprise.
For Percy it seems an odd combination of people. Percy is sued to Anne showing up, her father is now his sponsor so she shows up now and then to visit, tell him things her father wants him to know or do. To Percy's surprise she has also become more friendly. Percy also knew that sooner or later Anne might show up with Oliver, for some reason or other. She might have gotten back together with him and she's her to goat or Oliver might ask to come and visit him with her. But Fred? Percy didn't understand why Fred might be there at all.
"Hey, this is an odd crowed" Bill tells Anne after the silence had gone on for too long.
"I know" Anne sighs. " I invited Oliver, to visit Percy before he goes to start his practice with the team but then he forced me to bring Fred."
Bill laughs "Why did he have to force you?"
"There is no other reason why I would have brought him along. His annoying, doesn't stop complaining and talk about thins he doesn't know, . . . and his slow" Anne tells Bill while she glares at Fred.
"Shut up!" Fred glares back.
"The flight was unbearable!"
Bills nods. "I see, too much like your old self then"
Before things could get any worse Percy steps in. " Anne, I would appreciate it is you wouldn't talk badly of my family, especially while they are here"
Anne waves his comment away. "Fine, but only because I know how uptight you are about them"
Percy shakes his head at Anne. Percy looks over at Oliver who's walking closer to Percy so they can talk. "I don't understand though? Why did you want Fred to come here to badly. I'm happy to see him again but this isn't the safest place."
Oliver shrugs. "I just thought it would be good from him to see you. I mean if he sees you as a healer, being yourself it would calm things down. Ron and George told me that thing between you guys aren't really going so well, and-"
Fred having been listening in on their conversation started yelling at them from across the room "As I said before. I don't want to be here. I don't need to see how fucking perfect perfect Percy any more than I already have? I don't care! I just don't want to have anything to do with him an-"
"That's enough Fred! You're going too far!" Bill interrupts Fred.
"I don't need to listen to you. Look at you!" Fred turn to yell at Bill walking over to Bill's bathtub-bed. Percy walks quickly towards Fred, Oliver follows.
"Fred stop, don't-"
"I'm so tired of you" Fred moves to punch Percy. Percy stops moving. Oliver stops Fred from hitting Percy by grabbing Fred's arm. Oliver moves in front of Percy to get a better look at him.
"Are you ok?"
"Oliver, be careful, there's-"
Fred pushes Oliver who wasn't playing him any attention, but looking at Percy.
"a spill"
Oliver had been stepping on the spill. Therefore when Fred pushes him, he slips. Oliver falls as he slips, his balance lost because of Fred pushing him. He hits Bill's bathtub-bed knocking water all over himself. The drains under Bill's bed stop the water from socking anyone else.
"Oliver get up"
"Merlin, NO!" sob.
"Shite, not again"
Fred looks at the commotion in front of him. Bill is covering his face in his hands being very still. In front of Bill's bathtub-bed Percy is telling Oliver to stand up, as he put on latex gloves. Oliver is disoriented but is getting up. Anne who is standing close to the door is crying now, hand clutching her heart.
"Take off your clothing"
"It's just water" Fred says was he moves to help Oliver get up. Seeing this Percy turns a dial Fred hadn't noticed on the wall before up to 10 and yells out to Anne. In an instant clear cold water comes raining down from a number of shower head on the ceiling. This makes pull away instantly, in surprise. Fred can see the water soak Bill, Oliver and Percy. Oliver is already standing and taking off this shirt and shoes.
"Anne! Get Fred out of here and press the red button on your way out!" Percy had yelled at her over the sound of newly falling water.
Anne grabs Fred, and tries to pull Fred towards the door. Fred struggles against her. "no-what's going on?!"
"SHUT UP!" Percy quickly turns to his brother. His look is of very thinly veiled rage. "Just leave!"
It feels like venom in Fred's ears. Fred stops struggling and lets Anne guide him. Anne press the red button Percy had told her to as they walked out the door. In no time the room is lit with red flashing lights, and a cold robotic sounding voice is heard. "Out break, possible infection in room . Out break, possible infection in room ."
As the door closes Fred hears Anne sob. "Maybe it's not too late . . . "
--
Fred's head is spinning. The red lights continue to flash even in the hallway and the robotic voice is even louder in the hallway, saying the same thing over and over again. As soon as the door had closed behind him Fred had felt Anne yanked him forward and slammed him against the opposite wall. She then began to pound at his chest. Fred had seen healers flood the hallway, and go into Bill's room. They had left only moments later with a soaked Percy and a bath-robed Oliver. Percy hadn't looked at him he was too busy giving out orders.
Anne's mistreatment had hurt, but now Fred can't feel anything, even though Anne is still weakly pounding at his chest. He can't even make out her mumbled words. Suddenly she stops, and just sobs into Fred's chest. Automatically Fred's arms come up to warp around Anne. In seconds she realizes what she's doing and pulls away violently.
"If he dies ... it's all your fault"
A/n: I know that the fact that this is a longer chapter than the usual and that I have been updating regularly doesn't make up for the fact that this chapter has a pretty cliffhanger-ish ending . . . but I'm going to try to make the next one just as long . . . R?R!