(A/N): Uh oh! Here it is! A very dramatic and angsty chapter. I had to balance my time this week writing this and obsessing over my favorite anime Gravitation. If you guys haven't heard of it, DEFINITELY check it out. It's the best shounen-ai anime out there. And Yuki's like...."omg-a-major-dream-boat". :P
Anyways, as I always do, I must thank EVERY SINGLE ONE of my reviewers. You guys are my lifeline!!! I always try to reply to your reviews to thank you individually as well if I can. Sorry if it's late sometimes. You ALL have a special place in my heart.
So there's quite a bit of drama in this chapter, although I did insert a bit of comic relief in the middle. You'll know when you see it, trust me. ;)
Disclaimer: Um...yeah. You know.
HERE IT IS!!! CHAPTER 9! ZOMG!
---
Life, Interrupted – Chapter 9
"You've gone too far this time, Axel! You know what the consequences are, and now you're going to have to face them."
Roxas could almost see the steam spouting out of Vexen's nostrils as he fumed down at them. Several nurses had now entered the room and were standing behind Dr. Vexen, staring at the two half-naked boys on the floor. Aerith gasped as she stepped into view next to Vexen. "Oh Axel…why?"
"'Why'?! What do you mean 'Why'?" Axel exclaimed, vehemence rising in his voice. He was sitting up now, Roxas still clinging to him silently. "What, so now I get punished for fucking?"
"Axel, there are quite a few reasons besides violating another human being that you need to be punished for," Vexen spat. "Drugging a member of our staff, breaking and entering into several rooms, meddling in the treatment of one of our patients…"
As Vexen went on, Roxas felt Axel tense the moment the blonde doctor began to speak. He was exhaling sharply like an enraged wild animal. Suddenly, he sprang from his position on the floor with Roxas and caught Dr. Vexen by the throat, throwing him into the wall and pinning him there. Weak choking sounds escaped Vexen's crushed throat as he pathetically attempted to pry Axel's stone grip. Axel brought his face close enough so that his hot breath blew against Vexen's cheek. "I. Didn't. Violate. Roxas," he seethed slowly, but angrily, a deadly tone in his voice and his upper lip curling into a wild snarl that bared his canines.
"He didn't violate me! I wanted it," Roxas exclaimed, clambering to his feet, but the room ignored him.
"Axel stop! Please!!" Aerith pleaded, afraid to step anywhere near the volatile redhead. Axel didn't move, only tightened his grip, the muscles in his bare back contracting even further as he squeezed. Aerith struggled with something for a moment before she spoke. "I'm sorry, Axel, but…" she turned to four male nurses behind her. "Grab him."
The nurses were immediately upon him, grasping him from his arms, waist and lower body, leaving Vexen to drop to the floor, gasping for air. Axel fought back against his restraints violently, trying desperately to free himself as Roxas leapt towards him.
"Leave him alone!" Roxas shouted at the nurses, tears rushing to his eyes. "Axel!!"
Axel managed to free his upper body in time to catch Roxas. Their lips met passionately as Roxas cupped Axel's face. As soon as they had begun their kiss, they were being pried apart. Two other nurses pulled Roxas away as the four male nurses took a strong hold on Axel's writhing body again.
"Let me go!" he cried as they carried him towards the door. His gaze never left Roxas. There was a terrified look in his eyes. At that moment, he seemed like a little helpless child. "Roxy! Help me!"
"Axel!" Roxas shouted, but to no avail. He could feel his heart shatter as he watched Axel disappear out the door.
--
The air in Dr. Vexen's office was beyond stifling. Roxas had been sitting in the dank atmosphere for almost half an hour, staring across a large desk at Vexen's expectant and infuriating face. It took everything Roxas had not to lunge across the desk at the blonde doctor and strangle him.
Since he'd sat down in the uncomfortable wooden chair, Roxas hadn't opened his mouth to speak once. It seemed that Dr. Vexen had chosen to play this childish game as well and was waiting with taunting eyes for Roxas to begin the conversation. The anger, frustration, and worry were causing what felt like a permanent baseball-sized lump to take residence in Roxas's throat. He tried swallowing against it many times, but ended up with tears in his eyes that he had to quickly choke back to keep Vexen from seeing them.
He wasn't crying at the pain he felt in his throat when he swallowed, or the fact that he felt that he could barely breath. His endless unshed tears kept rising as he imagined the horrific things they were going to do to Axel. Every possibility that flashed in his mind made him want to vomit. Then, the image of Axel's frightened eyes hit Roxas again sending him over the edge.
"What the fuck are you going to do to him? Where is he?!" he practically shrieked at Vexen.
The wiry thin man raised an amused eyebrow at Roxas, obviously intriguing by his outburst. He cocked his head to one side. "He's being dealt with accordingly. He is facing what he knew would happen if he broke the rules."
"He didn't do anything wrong!" Roxas protested, shooting forward in his seat. "We were only trying to help Saix and I wanted the sex that we had!"
The end of Roxas's statement caused a slight twitch in Vexen's facial expression, but he quickly replied. "Roxas…do you know what else he did last night? He managed to slip the powder from quite a few of the sleep aids he's been tonguing every night into Yuffie's drink so that she wouldn't see him sneak around causing the destruction and corruption he brings with him wherever he goes."
Roxas sat dumfounded for a moment. No, he didn't know this. So that must have been what Axel meant when he said he'd "gotten creative" in order to get past Yuffie. But, so fucking what?! That didn't earn him the torture Roxas knew they were going to inflict upon him.
"And," Vexen continued, taking advantage of Roxas's momentary astonishment. "To top it all off, he can now add assaulting a doctor to his list of deadly sins."
Roxas was fuming now. "And so what now? Are you going to torture him until he is half-dead? Or actually dead?! You'll be a murder. A sick—"
"AH!" Vexen shouted, abruptly cutting Roxas off. "I would suggest you shut that mouth of yours before you become as hopeless a case as that immoral human being you let violate you last night."
"HE DID NOT FUCKING VIOLATE ME!" Roxas bellowed, causing two male nurses to burst into the office.
Vexen sat staring at Roxas coldly. "That will be all for today."
"Come on, Roxas," one of the nurses said, approaching the young blonde's chair. "We will escort you back to the recreation room."
Roxas stood, but before he followed them out, he stalked up to the edge of Vexen's desk and slammed his palms down hard on the lacquered wood, causing Vexen to involuntarily jump in his seat. His eyes widened as Roxas leaned towards him and spit venom with each word he spoke. "Mark my words. Wherever it is that you've put him that you think you can keep him from me, I will find him. I promise you that."
Vexen remained motionless at Roxas's words, though there was a seething anger in his icy stare. The nurses now were dangerously close to Roxas, ready to grab him on a moment's notice.
"See to it that our Roxas here is escorted all the way back to the recreation room," Dr. Vexen commanded. "And keep a close eye on him. At all times."
--
The seconds ticked by painfully slow as Roxas sat in the recreation room wrought with worry. The eyes of the nurses made to watch him seemed to create some sort of invisible restraints on him. He was dying to tear out of there like a bat out of hell in search of Axel, but he knew he would be caught if he even breathed in the wrong direction. Luckily, the nurses were being "courteous" enough to keep themselves on the opposite side of the room.
Closing his eyes, he breathed out, attempting to calm himself, but ended up gripping the journal in his hands until his knuckles were white and his hands were shaking. Then, he felt distinct weights plop down on the couch on either side of him. He discovered Zexion, with Demyx in his lap, on one side, and Marluxia on the other upon opening his eyes. Marluxia and Demyx were both offering him half-smiles, while Zexion simple stared at him sympathetically.
"What do you guys want?" Roxas asked miserably, hoping he didn't sound too rude, but he couldn't exactly be a bubbling pot of fucking joy at the moment.
Demyx stuck his bottom lip out in a slight pout. "Aww, Rox…we heard about what happened with you and…Axel…this morning."
"And? There's nothing I can do about it because I'm being watched like a fucking lab rat," Roxas spat quietly and looked away, immediately regretting how hostile he sounded.
"We're worried about him," Demyx tried gently, despite Roxas's tone. "This is not good."
There was a moment where none of them spoke. Then, Roxas turned to Demyx, his eyes overflowing with tears. He whispered, his voice choking and barely audible through the sorrow in his heart, "I'm scared, Demyx. What are they going to do to him? I want to see him. I want to save him. I want to…"
He couldn't speak any longer without sobbing. Before Demyx could answer, a hand laid on top of Roxas's. Turning, he found Marluxia's comforting smile. "We are scared too. We want him back, the ward isn't the same without him."
"Which is why we're going to help you," Demyx added. The dirty blonde received a nudge from his aqua-haired lover. "Oh right," he continued. "So the plan is…"
Zexion's sultry voice cut him off. "Commotion," he stated, indicating himself, Demyx and Marluxia. "Distraction." He pointed discreetly at the nurses. "Escape," he finished off, pointing directly in Roxas's face.
A soft chuckle came from Marluxia. "Leave it to Zexion to put things so fabulously succinct," he commented in his warm, balmy voice. "I would suggest looking for Axel on the floor above us. I made sure the door to the staircase was unlocked…"
Roxas looked from the two lovers to the rose-haired boy in surprise. "You'd do that for me?"
"For you and for Axel," Marluxia corrected.
"Because let's face it, without that asshole, we'd all be really fucking bored," Demyx added, eliciting a small giggle from Roxas. "Anyways, well, here goes. See you on the other side, comrades."
Before Roxas had anytime to think, Demyx let out a high-pitched, ear-piercing, blood-curdling scream. Roxas didn't have to act surprised. The shrill siren Demyx was emitting made him jump in his seat about a good foot in the air. Immediately, the two nurses made to watch Roxas were on their feet and heading towards Demyx. Demyx sprang from his seat in Zexion's lap and began darting around the recreation room climbing over tables and chairs, all the while screaming bloody murder.
Marluxia and Zexion were up on their feet as well. Roxas watched as they each targeted one of the nurses chasing Demyx. Marluxia stepped quickly in front of one of them and gave him a wide grin, catching the nurse off guard for a moment, then proceeded to place the back of one dainty hand to his forehead and fall against the nurse in one of the best damsel-like faints Roxas would ever likely see if he were to have seen many.
Zexion opted for a more covert approach. He silently dashed after the other nurse, slid down close to the floor and suddenly pounced, attaching his petite frame onto the nurse's leg and grasping on in a manner where the even the four horsemen of the apocalypse couldn't drag him off.
As the chaos persisted, Roxas managed to quietly slip out of the room and was now hurtling down the hallway at lightning speed. There was an odd feeling that came over him. He couldn't quite feel his body running. All he could hear was his heart pounding violently in his ears and knew that his legs couldn't carry him fast enough. Pushing the door to the staircase with all his might, Roxas shot up a flight of stairs, almost stumbling in the process and entered a hallway identical to the one on the lower floor.
He had to slow his pace down in order to look in the window of each room, but still sprinted from door to door as fast as he could. Most of the rooms, and the floor for that matter, were empty. Roxas almost gave up hope as he neared the end of the hallway, when he suddenly hear voices coming from a close by room that had its door ajar.
As quietly as he possible could, Roxas peered inside. There was a giant machine with numerous buttons and dials on one side of the room. Several wires ran from it to a bed that many doctors were standing in front of. From the space in between them, Roxas could tell someone was lying on the bed. He caught sight of an arm and part of a bare chest. The bile rose to his throat as he recognized who it was.
"Are we ready?" one of the doctors asked.
"Yes, as long as the setting is as high as we discussed," came Vexen's acidic voice.
The doctors cleared away from the bed to reveal Axel's lithe, prone body. A wire was attached to each of his temples as well as few to his slender pale chest that was exposed from his open hospital gown. His wrists and ankles were strapped down to the bed even though he was still, staring at the ceiling with glassy, unfocused eyes. His lips were moving slowly with silent whispers. They'd obviously drugged him within an inch of his life.
"Axel!" Roxas cried.
The redhead turned towards him slowly. "Roxy…you came," he murmured gently. Then one of the doctors turned on the machine.
Electricity shot into Axel's brain. He shut his eyes tightly as his fists clenched and his chest expanded in a sharp heave.
"What is he doing up here?!" Vexen exclaimed as Roxas burst into the room. Just as he lunged towards Axel, a nurse caught him. A small moan of pain escaped the redhead's throat and tears slid down him ghostly white cheeks, causing Roxas to burst into his own uncontrollable tears.
"Stop it!! You monsters!! You're killing him!" he screamed desperately through his tears, trying uselessly to fight against the strong arms holding him back. "Can't you see he's dying?!"
"Remove him from here at once!" came Vexen's stern command from somewhere in the room. Roxas could barely see now with the tears overflowing.
The machine was switched off again. Axel's body collapsed, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He looked towards Roxas again. Tears filled his eyes as well. His bottom lip was quivering as he whimpered quietly to him. "Please…don't leave me, Roxy."
"Axel! Please! Don't give up!! Don't let them take you away from me!" Roxas called to the softly crying boy on the exam table as the nurses dragged him out. He was completely seeing red now. "FUCKING LET GO OF ME!!" he shrieked, causing one of the nurses to place a hand over his mouth.
"Shut it, kid!" the male nurse spat in a gruff tone.
Roxas opened his mouth and bit down hard on the nurse's fingers, eliciting a yelp of pain. "He fucking bit me!" the male nurse said to his comrade. "That's it, kid, you're out."
As Roxas continued to punch, kick, and bite whatever he could reach, he suddenly felt a sharp prick in his upper arm and everything soon faded to black.
--
Roxas felt as if he were fighting against clouds of cotton as he began to come around to consciousness. He recognized the feeling of his bed under his prone body as his eyes fluttered open. His head was pounding. Upon attempting to lift a hand to rub at his temple, something restricted this movement immediately. Looking down, he discovered he'd been strapped down to his own bed by his wrists and ankles. "What the fuck?" he stated aloud.
"Surprised?" an icy voice asked, followed by a sinister little chuckle.
Roxas's head jerked towards the source of the voice. Vexen was sitting on Demyx's empty bed watching Roxas with an annoyingly amused expression on his serpentine features. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Roxas spat at him.
"I should be the one to ask you such a question, Roxas," Vexen countered, trying to keep his voice even, but the anger was seeping into it like a virus. "What in the world were you doing upstairs? How dare you try to interfere with another patient's treatment? I told you before: do not let Axel's venom infect you, but apparently you didn't listen. Your behavior has been much affected by him and behavior like his can only lead to harsh consequences, as you've seen."
"Yeah, you mean like torture, right?" came Roxas's taunting retort. "I hope you know you're basically killing one of your so-called patients."
"I'm the doctor here, Roxas, not you. I think I know how to treat my patients without killing them."
Roxas was beyond livid now. He struggled violently against his restraints. "I don't think you do. No, you know what I think? I think you just don't care if Axel dies. In fact, I think you hope it'll happen one day. Then you won't have to deal with him anymore. Well, you know what? I won't let that happen."
Vexen was silent for a few moments. He watched Roxas with narrowed eyes. "And how do you propose to do that?"
"I'll give him something to fight for," Roxas concluded, his eyes staring back at Vexen defiantly.
A mocking burst of evil laughter escaped Vexen. He got to his feet and approached Roxas, producing a large syringe. "I can't take anymore of this pathetic chattering."
Roxas fought desperately against his restraints to edge as far away as he could from Vexen. "Get the fuck away from me!"
"Goodnight, Roxas…"
All it took was a stab of the needle, and Roxas was slipping back into unconsciousness.
--
There was pulsing heat against Roxas's face and a familiar weight hanging over his body as he opened his eyes. At first, all he could see was pitch darkness and he knew it was some time in the middle of the night. Then, a face came into focus…
Axel.
The last time he'd seen this untamed, half-crazed look on the older boy's face was when he first met him. Axel's wide, feral eyes were bloodshot and glassy with unshed tears. He had his hands on the pillow on either side of Roxas's face and held his own face within inches of Roxas's. His breathing came out in slow, ragged gasps. A surge of something wild flickered through his features when he saw that Roxas had awoken.
"Roxy…I can't take it anymore…" he breathed. "We're leaving."
---
(A/N): Oooooh! And so starts a change of pace in the story. Is Axel okay? Where does he plan to take Roxas? Will Roxas even go with him? This can't be good. But it definitely will be exciting as always, at least that's what I hope you all think. :P
Until we meet again, Anakin...
xoxo
P.S. - Since my lovely beta Jess was out of power today because of a tornado tearing through Ohio...O_O (Poor Jess! I love you! Stay safe!) My sister subbed as my beta because I just HAD to give this to you guys TODAY! Thank you sooooo much Gossip Girl, my eternal best friend!!