Hello! I drank this weekend...Went golfing (My idea of golfing is driving around in those golf carts and drinking) I also hit up a couple bars...And surprisingly, I'm not hungover! And that's good, cuz...I'm at work right now...
Chapter 8: Fool.
-Time has surprisingly, gone by and fast during Oz's stay inside the Pandora Heart's Hospital. He made two more friends, one being Vincent and the other being Alice…But just who is this rowdy teenager? And why does he hate Oz so?-
September 4th, 2013.
Wednesday.
It has been exactly 1 month since Oz was admitted into the hospital, and now came the day that he was to be "interviewed" by Break, and the rest of the Pandora Heart's Specialists.
Why was he being interviewed?
Because today was the day that he is finally going to find out whether or not he's crazy. In other words, what type of analysis the doctors and other specialists have made during his stay, what his diagnostic is while he was under surveillance and just what it was that is going on in his teenage, hormonal, adolescent mind.
He hasn't had a bout of hysteria or had a panic attack since the first day he got admitted into the hospital, that was a good sign…But Oz knew that there is something else behind the interview.
"Maybe I'm not crazy." Oz states bluntly. "Maybe it's just my teenage hormones driving me crazy." He announces with a smirk.
"Pfft!" Gilbert sputters, before he all but coughs out a lung trying to get his breath back from inhaling his coffee.
Oz rolls his eyes at the predictable reaction from Gilbert. "You're such a prude Gil, can't even talk about hormones and sex with someone you know." He states, pouting. "You're best friend might I add."
Gilbert's face goes beet red at that—surprisingly dead-ON—exclamation. "W-well! Who in their right mind would casually talk about sex and hormones with anyone? Personal things like those should be kept to themselves. A secret." Gilbert declares, sighing heavily when he only gets laughed at by Oz.
"Oh come ON Gil!" Oz exclaims, pointing a finger right at Gilbert's stern expression. "You can NOT just keep those things a secret! What if you need advice? What if you just need a boost in your spirits?" Oz asks, smirking slyly over to Gilbert.
Who only shakes his head with a light blush. "No one should talk to others about…Their…Sex lives…" Gilbert stammers out nervously, wondering whether or not he should be talking to Oz about this indecent subject longer. Especially since Oz was much younger than he was.
"But people should talk to other people about their problems! Because they just can't handle it alone sometimes! People need to talk about personal things like those, every once in a while, or they'll go insane with unanswered questions." Oz announces, smiling broadly when he manages to make Gilbert give him a suspicious look with a raised eyebrow.
Clearly, what Gilbert was saying with his eyes were the words, "and how exactly can you possibly know all that?"
"So when it comes to sexual frustrations and sexy encounters, people should always state what is on their minds and what they think is a problem! It's only for the good of their sex lives!" Oz grins. "Don't you think so Gil?" Oz presses slyly.
Just as Gilbert was about to furiously shake his head and deny the question entirely, a bystander finally made himself known.
"I couldn't have said it better myself Oz Vessalius."
Both Oz and Gilbert turn their heads in the direction of Break's voice and stop in the middle of the hallway.
Break stood behind them with a knowing smile stretched widely across his face, before he points to Oz with a smirk. "But what you left out in that surprisingly analytical—not to mention very blunt—statement was: 'And because Gilbert is such a prude, he wouldn't know heads or tails in the way of sex, so why should he keep his sex problems a secret?'" Break grins lecherously over to the blushing and scowling Gil.
"Hi Break!" Oz greets happily, smiling over to Break as he laces his hands behind his back. "So…Are you ready to 'interview' me for my monthly hospital assessment?" He asks casually.
Break nods his white head over to Oz as he digs in the pocket of his white smock and pulls out a candy wrapped in purple thin plastic paper and tosses it over to Gilbert. "I'm merely teasing you Gilbert, you don't need to get all embarrassed and portray a blushing virgin." Break teases ruthlessly. "Although, I must admit, you portray a blushing virgin precisely." Break remarks with surprise. "Are you in fact blushing, because you may possibly be a virgin Gilbert?" Break asks casually, his deep red eye narrowing in concentration.
Oz hides a teasing smile behind a mask of attentiveness and cups his chin in his hand. "His body language does say that he is Break, and the obvious blush on his face too. I would clearly think so." Oz replies, a concerned look written on his face. "How old did you say you were again? 30?"
"24!" Gilbert snaps. "And it's none of your guys' business! So shut it!" Gilbert growls, blush still stained on his cheeks as he quickly turns his head away and storms down the hallway. Leaving behind a laughing and teasing duo.
"So how did your interview go with the specialists?" Gilbert asks the blonde-haired teen at his side.
Oz shrugs and laces his hands behind his head as they continue down the hallway of the hospital. "They all went alright; they think I should continue to stay here though. So I guess they found a problem with me and with the way I'm interacting with the other patients." Another shrug and a carefree smile.
Gilbert raises an eyebrow. "And how exactly are you interacting with the other patients?"
Oz sighs. "I keep my distance from them."
"Why? You know they'll only question you about it." Gilbert states.
"I know that…It's just that, I don't really feel like I should get to know everyone here. If I continue to stay by myself, and work things out on my own, I'll get better faster, it's none of the other patients business to know what exactly is wrong with me." Oz states with complete honesty in his tone of voice as they stop in the middle of the hallway facing two large wooden doors.
Gilbert shakes his head. "I don't think that that's a good reason to avoid others Oz, maybe everyone here wants to help you."
"But I don't need their help." Oz argues. "It's my problem to deal with, not yours and definitely not anyone else's. I don't need anyone's help." Oz states stubbornly, eyes hard and face serious.
Gilbert felt displeased at that little statement. Wasn't he Oz's best friend? So why can't Oz confide in his problems and talk about them with him? He wasn't useless, or stupid, he only wanted to help.
"You know Oz…" Gilbert trails off, unsure as he wrings his hands together nervously. "If you want to talk about…Your problems or anything…I can—"
"—No Gil." Oz cuts Gilbert off in his sentence, facing Gilbert with a stern expression and glaring emerald eyes. "I don't want you to see me as a burden. I don't want you to worry about the problems I have, they are mine to deal with and shoulder myself." Oz exclaims, voice rising in volume. "I don't need your help…!"
Gilbert visibly flinches back at the harsh tone of voice from Oz, and before he could say anything else, the small teenager abruptly turns around and opens one of the wooden doors with vigor.
"I'm going to read…Walk around, or check up on the other patients." Oz states, voice hard as he keeps his back turned from his bodyguard. "I'll see you later." He states, a little more calmly over his shoulder, still not meeting Gilbert's golden eyes.
Gilbert nods as he quickly ducks his head, says nothing, and leaves without another word.
Oz continues to stand in the middle of the doorway, holding the Library door open with his left hand as he sighs under his breath and walks through the threshold of the doorway with calm steady steps. He shakes his head a minute after once he walks by three large bookshelves to the right of him.
The large Library consisted of many old, and new books, 15 huge bookshelves were situated on either side of the large expanded room, which was decorated quite beautifully might Oz add. Such unique details within the walls, beautiful intricate designs in the wall pattern with a cream coloured back ground, as the floor was covered over with plush deep red carpet, and the giant chandelier overhead, made you think back to the old 1800's, what with the candles inside the chandelier instead of actual light-bulbs as the rest was decorated with bright red rubies and white silver chains. The Library was just tasteful and sophisticated with an excellent interior decorator who had a keen eye for fashion and atmosphere.
But Oz couldn't fully enjoy the atmosphere that the library was willing to portray, instead, he was still mulling over the fact that he practically yelled in Gilbert's face for trying to help him in a time of need.
Gilbert was only trying to help lift the load off his shoulders, but Oz told him not to deal with the burdens that he has to deal with on his own.
They were his problems, they were his to deal with.
If he didn't…And if his father found out that he had help from the inside, his father would only think of him un-worthy and weak.
His father taught him to always depend on yourself, trust no one, they will only betray and stab you in the back.
But Oz always thought differently…But now that he's been inside the Pandora Hearts Hospital for a whole month, Oz was beginning to think that maybe his father's words have always been true. And that he should stop doubting his father's words, and stop doubting himself and be strong. For himself.
'But what exactly do I do if someone actually only wants to help me…? Like Gil…?' Oz shakes his head with a defeated sigh and drags his back down against the bookshelf to stare up into the beautiful crystal chandelier.
'I gotta stop thinking about it…I came here to read, I probably only have 10 minutes now.' Oz thought with sudden determination to get a hold of his favorite novel series and finish reading the long awaited chapter that he's been searching for, for well over a month.
He gets up from the floor of the library with determination blazing in his emerald eyes as he all but tramples over a pile of books to get towards the Fiction section of the library. As he hops over another pile of books, he stops dead in his tracks once he sees a fellow patient, and teenager, with short and light beige coloured hair, with his back to him, standing directly in front of the shelf that Oz was hurriedly striding towards.
With up-lifted eyebrows, Oz calmly walks over to the same shelf and looks at the novel series he's been so waiting patiently to read. The "Holy Knight" series. Just as Oz was looking over the book numbers, and trying to remember just what book number he was on, he lifts a timid hand towards the book, and touches finger tips with the boy.
"Sorry." They say in unison.
They both look towards each other and they share knowing looks.
"You like these series too?" The teenager with the short beige coloured hair says with light surprise in his voice.
Oz all but gushes as he hurriedly nods his head in agreement. "Oh yes! I love these series!" He enthuses happily.
"Huh." The teen huffs. "I thought I was the only one that ever sets foot inside the library." He admits bluntly, his voice monotone and hard. "So who's your favorite character?"
Oz giggles with excitement and announces with delight. "Oh! It has to be Edgar!" He declares.
The teenager standing beside Oz snorts loudly and scowls in disdain. "I absolutely hate that useless piece of shit." He deadpans.
Oz visibly fumbles with the book he held inside his hands as it drops to the floor. "What?" Oz all but shouts in disbelief. "Why? He's the second most beloved and important character in the series!" Oz defends, bending over to retrieve the book he has let fallen to the floor. "Who are you anyways to judge an important character such as him?" Oz argues.
"It's none of your business who I am! And it's only logical that the most beloved and important character is Edward! The lead and starring character of the entire series!"
"Wait just a damn second!" Oz interjects, holding out a hand towards the scowling teenager beside him. "If Edgar is such a downer to you, Edward was the one that made Edgar go through all the stress and—"
"—Well no one told that idiot, Edgar, to sacrifice himself for the sake of Edward, who was only trying to protect him from—"
"—WHAAAAT!?" Oz openingly whines, and loudly at that as he all but cries in the middle of the book shelves. "What do you mean 'sacrifice'?"
"He dies." The teenager states, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't you read the eleventh book? The part where Edgar jumps in front of the blade of the sorcerer?"
"No!" Oz cries. "How can they just kill him off like thaaaat?" Oz shrieks in dismay.
The teenager beside him points a finger at Oz's suddenly depressed looking face, replacing the evident scowl with a terrified expression. "How can you not read that book yet? It was only the most read chapter in all of the Holy Knight series!"
"Well I didn't! I was looking for these books for a whole month now!" Oz complains, hugging the book to his chest as he fake sniffles and whimpers into the hard cover book. "How can you just spoil it for me? Haven't you heard of spoiler alert?" Oz hollers.
"Well what kind of an idiot doesn't keep up-to-date with the books?" The teenager snaps. "It's your fault for not reading for a whole month!"
"Shaddap!" Oz shouts. "Who just prances around spoiling the ending to their favorite series anyways? Book spoiling brat!" Oz argues, sticking his tongue out immaturely at the—taller—scowling teenager beside him.
Who scowls deeper and raises a threatening fist in Oz's face. "Who're you calling 'brat' brat? You're shorter than me! You blonde whiny runt!"
The air around them suddenly goes cold with ferocity and rage as they both settle their argument with a steely game of a death glares. The once playful bickering turns sour in little over 20 seconds.
"Who are you?" Asks the beige-haired teenager, taking a step back to assess the blonde-haired shorter teen standing a foot away from him.
Oz glowers a while longer, until he narrows his eyes and raises his head in defiance. "I should be asking you that, book spoiler."
"It's Elliot. If you're allowed in this library, it must mean you're a patient here too." He reasons, voice serious, just as serious as his expression.
"Do you have the time?" Oz suddenly shouts, his eyes going wide in shock at realizing he spent his precious and much needed time of reading, with petty arguing.
The beige-haired teenager, Elliot, raises a light brown eyebrow and looks to the clock overhead of them. "It's exactly 8:25, another 5 minutes and it's 8:30." Elliot replies, glaring back down at the teenager in front of him. "So what's your name?" He asks again.
Oz shakes his head and quickly looks back to the shelf in front of him. "Which book was it that Edgar…" He sniffles. "Dies in?" He weakly finishes.
Elliot rolls his eyes and points to the eleventh book. "Eleven. It's the very last chapter." He answers easily.
Oz nods. "Thanks…What's next on the schedule for today?" He asks himself, trying to fish out the hand-made schedule from within his back pocket of his black knee length cargo shorts.
"It's Wednesday. That means at 8:30, we get to call our relatives at home until 9 o'clock." Elliot answers with a dark scowl.
Oz stops his frantic and nervous searching, with a breezy chuckle and calmly takes the book out of the shelf in front of him, looking at the hard cover book with sad eyes. "I don't need to hurry then…I have no one to call back home…" He states quietly, soft smile on his face.
Elliot arches an eyebrow and crosses his arms over his chest as he leans against the book shelf beside him. "That makes two of us." He states.
The atmosphere around them turns awkward and silent.
"So what're—" Elliot starts, before he gets cut off from his sentence when a shrill voice of a girl practically squealing loudly inside the library.
"Ooooooz…!"
Oz's eyes light up happily at the sound of her voice calling. "I'm over here!" He quickly shouts back with a bright smile, Oz remains silent and giddy on the spot.
Elliot raises an eyebrow. "Who's that…? Sounds…" 'Familiar…' His thought finishes.
Both of the teenagers standing in front of their favorite novel series, soon hear hurried footsteps on the floor. And soon, Oz's and Elliot's eyes go wide just as the person reveals herself from around the corner of the book shelf before them. Oz's expression were more along the lines of pure and utter relief and joy, while Elliot's expression turns from shocked, to a deep dark scowl.
"Ada!" Oz shouts with happiness, running over to his elder sister with his arms out stretched, ready for a hug.
Ada smiles brightly, her cheeks tinting with a light blush as she embraces her shorter brother, her poor brother, he was only three inches shorter than her, and yet, he just seemed so small. She could practically wrap her arms around him twice if she wanted to…She noticed right then and there that Oz has lost weight…And quite a bit from how skinny and small he felt inside her arms. She couldn't help but hold him a little while longer, her throat constricting with an over-whelming need to cry. Her baby brother, was inside a hospital for the mentally unstable. How could she have let this happen..?
"Ada..?" Oz whispers, eyes going wide in fear when he hears a soft whimper from over his shoulder. "Are you alright?" He asks quietly.
Ada shakes her bright blonde head, her long hair flowing gently down Oz's shoulder with the movement, her eyes glossy with unshed tears and throat so unbelievably sore from holding in her tiny whimpers. "No…Oz…I miss you so much…" She states quietly, her voice cracking with emotion.
Oz's expression turns from shocked, to hurt in seconds. "I'm sorry…" He whispers, hugging her tighter. "I miss you too…"
Just as Oz was about to let her go and wipe her tears away, they both hear a loud scoff come from behind them. Elliot stands behind them, eyes narrowing in disdain and hate as he stomps towards them, only to quickly pass them by without a second glance in their direction.
"Vessalius." Elliot spat.
Oz quickly lets go of Ada and glares heatedly at the back of Elliot's head. "What did you say?" He shouts.
"Oz…" Ada warns softly. "Don't do anything, me and Elliot know each other from school and—"
"Don't say my name like were friends!" Elliot snaps, quickly turning around to glare maliciously at Ada. "Don't even say my name Vessalius trash." He growls.
"Don't you dare talk to my sister that way you—" Oz yells.
"—Stop it Oz!" Ada shouts, grabbing onto her little brother's shaking shoulders and holding him back.
"Let go!" Oz shouts, struggling to release Ada's hold on his sleeves.
Elliot glares. "So you're her brother?" He spits. "Another piece of trash." He grumbles, turning around.
Oz's shoulders sag in defeat once Elliot advances to the door and quickly slams it shut behind him. Oz shakes his head furiously and falls to his knees on the floor. He should've hit him! Should've forced Elliot to apologize to his sister! How could someone just hate an innocent girl like Ada? What did she ever do to him? Why does Elliot hate Vessalius's?!
'Does that mean he hates me too…?' Oz thought, shaking his head once again with a long defeated sigh. "I'm sorry Ada…I couldn't make him apologize…I should've—"
"—Shh Oz…" Ada gently whispers, kneeling down behind her younger brother to lean her head on his back. "He's always hated me…Actually; he always hated Vessalius's." She announces with a sad sigh escaping her freshly glossed lips.
"Why?" Oz whispers. Voice struggling to keep calm.
"I don't know why.' Ada says gently. "I think it has something to do with his parents hating ours, it goes deeper into history than even I have the knowledge of." She states with a small breezy chuckle. "Let's go…Visiting hours are just starting." She announces, getting up from the spot behind her brother.
Oz nods his head and sighs again. "I feel bad…"
"Why?" Ada asks, tilting her head to the side.
"I…Already got into an argument with someone else today…" He admits sheepishly. "I'm not feeling myself right now…" He whispers, eyes looking at anything but at his most likely disappointed looking sister.
Ada only shakes her head with a soft smile on her face. "You probably just had a long month…I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit you as often as I would've liked…" She frowns.
Oz smiles and hugs her sister once again. "It's alright, you're here now. I'm happy." He announces, smiling brightly as he takes his sister slender hand in his. "Let's go for a walk, I'll show you around." He grins.
Ada smiles and nods her head. "I would love that Oz."
As Oz leads Ada out of the library, he couldn't help but smile faintly at their hand holding. She had always done this to him when he was much younger, but they haven't held hands in years because he over-grown that sweet tradition, and his father had never liked it, his father always told Ada to: "Stop letting the boy depend on you! He's much older now," when he was little over 9-years-old, but now just felt like the right time to hold his sisters much tinier hand in his. He hadn't notice that they had stopped by the doorway of the library until his sister looked down at him sadly as she wiped a single tear away from his cheek.
"I'm right here brother." She whispers with a small smile.
Oz shakes his head and looks down to the floor. "I'm sorry…" He whispers quietly, shoulders shaking. "I'm sorry…" He states again, voice trembling with emotion as he tightens the grip on his sister's hand.
Ada merely shakes her head, and embraces her brother. "Shh…It's okay…" She states soothingly, rubbing her brother's trembling back as she tried her hardest to hold back her own tears. "I'm always right here brother…" She soothes.
"I hate it in here…"
"I know." She nods her head.
"They…They all look a-at me…Like I-I'm a f-freak…" He whispers out, shoulders racking with emotion and heavy sniffling.
Ada sighs. "I'm sorry Oz…It isn't your fault you're in here."
"Yes it is! Ada." Oz lightly pushes his sister away at arm's length to meet her bright green eyes—the same colour as his own. "I…I never told you why I'm in here…" He states, eyes quickly shooting down to the floor.
Ada shakes her head with a smile. "You don't need to tell me Oz. It was dad, wasn't it?"
Oz shakes his head. "Yes…But no…" He sighs heavily and hangs his head. "I…Did something…Pretty stupid Ada…" He announces quietly.
"How can you do something stupid Oz? You're perfect." Ada smiles.
"No I'm not!" Oz suddenly shouts, eyes hurt and face still streaming with tears. "I…I cut both of my wrists…I tried to commit suicide the day I got expelled from school!" He couldn't stop it, the truth…The word vomit.
It was all pouring out including his emotions, the truth that he hadn't told a soul, not even Break, his own therapist and counsellor.
"I was found by f-father…In my room, in my own puddle of blood. I…I tried Ada…" He whispers, tears hot as they only continue to pour down his flushed cheeks. "I tried to kill myself…And failed…I…I'm so sorry Ada!" He pleads, his emerald eyes searching for anything inside his sister's wide and shocked eyes. "Please…Please forgive me…" He says imploringly, his hands shaking as he wraps his arms around his own torso. "I didn't…Want you to…F-find out because…Because I was afraid you would hate me…Like father hates me…!" He desperately shouts, eye going wide in sudden fear as he grips his own shoulders with his hands.
Ada quickly closes the distance to wrap her arms tenderly around Oz as she lets out her own desperate cries and small tremors, her whole form shaking even while she tried hugging Oz hard into her body, her tears stream out of her tightly shut eyes and create a barely visible line of eye-liner and mascara to run and fall down her flushed cheeks.
"Don't blame yourself for what father made you go through; none of this is your fault but dads. He tries though Oz, he tries hard to keep us going and getting somewhere in life. So don't blame yourself for what father made you go through alone. I still love you. I can never hate you. Ever. You're the only one I have left…" She states truthfully, her brother ceased his tears, but he still sniffled and made tiny whimpering noises as he nods his head, the movement causes her to smile, because every time he nodded his head, his forehead would hit her breasts. "That hurt…" She states, smiling softly when she only receives a pitiful sounding chuckle from Oz.
"Wanna go outside now? Dry our pitiful tears?" Ada asks lightly.
Oz nods again. And he couldn't help but chuckle when Ada squeals in fright from when his forehead accidentally knocks against her boob once again.
"You have big boobs Ada, are they getting bigger too?" He asks finally looking up to meet his sisters red-rimmed and tear filled eyes.
And when he does, he laughs aloud, both of his sisters hands were atop and covered over her big assets with a dark blush across her face.
"Shut up Oz!" She shouts, smacking him playfully in the arm with her hand.
Oz merely chuckles and wipes away the rest of his tears from his face. "No more crying, if either one of us cries again either today, or for our next visit, we'll have to be dared something embarrassing."
"No Oz! You know I'll lose right away!" Ada argues, wiping her tears away as well. "I'm a—"
"—big cry baby?" Oz finishes, smirking up at his sister, who only knocks him in the forehead with a flick of her fingers. "Ow!" He whines, holding his now pink forehead.
"That's what you get." Ada pouts, only to smile brightly and take Oz's hand in her own again. "So, wanna show me around? And tell me about all the exciting stuff you get to do in here?"
"Pfft!" Oz sputters. "Exciting? Sorry Ada, I don't think these people know the meaning of 'excitement'." He says with a passionate roll of his eyes. "We're all on a strict hospital schedule, but I guess I can show you around and tell you about the people I've met. Some are nice, some are just weird but are very good people." He states, smiling happily as they both head down the hallway, hand in hand.
"And I also wanna tell you about the body guard I have." He states with a small shy smile.
Ada and Elliot, all in one chapter? Yet again, more characters are introduced! So anyways...Hope you liked this chapter! leave a comment and I'll answer your questions as fast as I can!