Chapter XLIII: Dealing
Hi, again, dear readers. Again… it's Peach's fault. Her life has been crazy lately and she knows one thing for sure. Accounting is not her thing… Long story. Anyway, it's her fault when this stuff gets delayed. Anyhow, last time, Violet found out that she had bipolar disorder. That meant she would have some difficulties ahead. So what will happen next? Stay tuned.
Usual boring disclaimer: We already said it. We don't own the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise.
Humor warning: Ani and Peach advise you to please be cautious when reading this chapter. Make sure you are seated securely as you may laugh uncontrollably at some points. Not being seated securely may result in falling out of your seat and becoming injured. We are not responsible for any injuries you may experience while reading this chapter. Also, be careful when drinking while reading this story. Thank you.
Authors' serious note: The pill that is featured in this chapter is, as far as we know, not in development. We can only hope that someday, such a drug will exist so that people who have bipolar disorder will be able to live without debilitating symptoms. To those of you who have it, we hope that one day, there will be a cure.
It was another hour before Violet woke up again. "Hey, Violet... Here's some juice," Annie said brightly when the other girl sat up.
"Oh... juice?" Violet asked groggily, rubbing at her eyes with a pale hand.
"Yeah... I thought your mouth might be a little bit dry..."
"I mean, what kind of juice?"
"Some apple juice," Annie answered, holding out a juice box with a straw.
Violet took the box gladly, drinking down the only juice she could stand. She sighed after her long sip, smiling a little. "Thanks, Annie." Her smile faltered a bit as she looked down. "I... I'm sorry I've been making you worry so much over me..."
"It's all right," Annie soothed softly. "You're my best friend and that means I'm here at your side..."
"Yeah, but..." Violet met her eyes. "You're getting more worn out than I am... and that's not good."
Annie knew the past few days were draining her reserves, but she also knew she had to stay strong. "Violet... I'm going to be okay... Let's worry about you and Bastion and everybody else... We need to get you through the first part of this... You'll get on meds again and then you'll feel better..."
Violet frowned, gaze moving downward once more. "I know I will, Annie, but..." She sighed, remembering that little bottle that had practically structured her life for over half a year. And this time it would play an even bigger role in her everyday life. 'Bipolar disorder... I never thought... it's just so sudden... The depression was obvious, but this... how,' she thought, unconsciously squeezing the juice box in her hands.
Unfortunately, as anyone with experience drinking a juice box would know, squeezing said box when it is over half full is unwise and Violet's box was three-quarters of the way full. The juice flew up through the straw and out in a gush, hitting Annie in the face. Violet gasped, clumsily setting the juice box aside, though she nearly dropped it in the process. "Oh, darn it, Annie! I'm sorry!!" she yelped, grabbing a wad of tissues from a box beside her bed and dabbing at her best friend's apple juice-covered face. Annie licked her lips, blinking. And then, she started laughing.
Violet blinked back, but for a different reason. Confusion was obvious on her face. "Um... Annie?"
"I got sprayed with apple juice!" Annie squealed. "It's funny! It's like getting hit with a whipped cream pie!"
Violet blinked again, and then managed a weak laugh. "I... I guess it is pretty funny..."
The dark-haired giggling girl calmed down and gladly took the tissues from her friend. "Violet, it's okay... Don't worry about it and I'll get you another juice, okay?"
"Okay. Sorry, again... I wasn't paying attention..."
Annie sighed, finished wiping her face and placed her hands on her best friend's shoulders. "Violet... it's really okay... Please don't be upset..."
"I'm not," Violet muttered, glancing away. "I just can't concentrate..."
"It's okay... just relax... I'll get you that juice, okay?"
"Okay..."
Annie got up and got another box of juice for Violet. "Here we are..."
"Thanks, Annie," the purple-haired teen murmured as she sipped the juice again.
"Just relax..." Annie knew Violet needed to be calm to get her thoughts together. And she called up the image of something that calmed her. "Hey, Violet? Do you remember our first year, and that night we went out at midnight, away from the dorms, just to see the stars?"
Violet looked up at her friend in surprise, but nodded as she stopped drinking. "Yeah... I remember that."
"Do you remember how we just stretched out on the grass and looked up?" Annie kept her voice calm and quiet. "Do you remember how you felt?"
Violet's expression became thoughtful, eyes getting a glaze look as she thought back to that moment in time. Between two horrors, she now realized with some bemusement. After her own and before the horror that would nearly consume Duel Academy Island and the world. She and her friends were at peace, they had fun, the most they had to worry about was homework and dueling. "I felt... peaceful... calm... content..."
"Okay... think about that feeling... Focus on it... Let it take over you..."
"I'm trying, Annie..."
Annie's voice remained in that low warm tone. "Lie down and close your eyes..." She murmured, "Focus on that feeling... Picture us out on the hill... at midnight... looking out at all those stars..."
Violet sighed as she did as she was told, closing her eyes and trying to picture what she'd seen that night over two years ago. Two years... had it only been that long? It felt like decades had gone by. But she was losing focus again. "It's hard," she groaned.
Annie held her hand as she had on that night. "I'm right here... just like I was before..."
Violet tried hard to concentrate, knowing that Annie was trying just as hard to help her. Slowly, she could picture the pinpricks of lights in the darkness of her closed lids, forming stars and constellations before her very eyes. She could feel the cool grass again and hear the night sounds of crickets and owls. "I... I see it, Annie..."
"Remember those shooting stars that we saw?"
"Yeah..."
"What did you wish for?"
"I... I wished that my new friends wouldn't leave me..."
Annie squeezed her hand again. "Your wish came true..." She remembered her wish. "And... I wished the same thing..."
Violet opened her eyes in surprise, the vision disappearing in a flash. "You... you did?"
Annie nodded. "Yeah, I did... I couldn't believe I actually had real friends... I kept wondering when you guys would ditch me..."
Violet frowned and looked away. "Me too..."
"But then... you didn't ditch me..."
"And... you didn't ditch me..."
Annie smiled, remembering exactly what had happened on that night. "Do you remember that night and what happened after we made our wishes?"
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It had been a cool night in October 2016 when Violet and Annie had gone stargazing. And now they were heading back to the dorms. "We had permission to do this, but still... Dr. Crowler might be looking for an excuse to nail us!" the dark-haired girl groaned, hating to jog.
Violet, used to running around, barely took notice of the pace as she sighed. "Sometimes I just wanna pull out my bazooka on him."
"Well, we did dye his hair a couple of weeks ago... He deserved that after what he did to Chazz," Annie growled, feeling a bit tired already.
"If he bothers us tonight, we'll think up something else to do to him, that's all," Violet reassured, grinning maniacally.
"Yeah... I've got something planned," Annie puffed, also smiling.
"Oh? Do tell," Violet replied eagerly.
"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you..."
"....Ah, you wouldn't. I know you. You're not like those roc-" As if on cue, Violet's heel caught on a stone in the path and she did a flying belly-flop into the dirt. "Ergh..."
Annie stopped jogging and knelt quickly. "Violet! Are you okay?!" She was used to her friend making face plants by now, but still worried.
Violet yanked her face out of the dirt, shaking most of the stuff off with ease. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit bruised; nothing I'm not used to," she answered, sitting up.
Annie checked her over carefully. "You still took a bit of a fall... Let me help you up..." She got a grip on her friend and then the world started to spin.
Violet felt her friend yank on her arm, and looked over to see her body tilting back. "Annie!!"
Annie managed to stay sitting, placing her palms behind her. 'No... can't faint...' she told herself sternly, steadying her body with her hands, eyes closed. "Just... just give me a second..." Violet frowned, but nodded, placing a strong, steady hand on Annie's shoulder. She began wiping the remaining dirt from her face, body, and clothes with the other.
And then there was the sound of a few pairs of feet hitting the dirt. "Violet? Is everything all right?" Bastion Misawa's clipped British voice floated through the air as he, Syrus, Chumley and Jaden came up to them.
Violet, having been totally off-guard in the surrounding darkness, shrieked at the sudden footsteps and voice. Before it could register in her brain just who it was that spoke, she'd grabbed the rock that had tripped her and thrown it in the voice's general direction.
Fortunately, Violet didn't hit the owner of the voice. However, she hit Chumley in his gut. "Whoa! Hold your fire!" Jaden shouted as they came into view.
Violet blinked a few times, then put on a sheepish grin. "Ooooh, it's just you guys. Don't scare me like that! Sheesh!" she scolded.
"Sorry about that! We were all just out for a walk!" Jaden explained, and taking notice of the situation, asked, "Is everything all right?!"
"Aside from the rocks plotting against me again and Annie nearly passing out from us rushing? Yeah," Violet answered matter-of-factly.
Syrus's eyes widened. "Annie?"
"I'm...I'm all right," Annie panted, feeling the world become more stable. "Just... guess my system doesn't like me jogging..."
Jaden and Bastion exchanged glances. "Perhaps one of us should carry you?" the taller boy suggested.
"I second that motion!" Violet stated, standing and pointing a finger into the air dramatically.
"It might be a good idea, Annie... if you're that tired," Syrus agreed quietly, worried for his crush.
"Oh... Okay," she groaned softly.
Bastion, without another word, lifted the tired girl, taking silent note of how pale she was. "So... what were you two doing out here?" he asked Violet casually as they began to walk.
"Stargazing. We even saw some shooting stars!" the Obelisk girl answered in a chipper tone.
"Wish we'd known. We'd have joined you! Chumley made his mom's recipe for hot chocolate!" Jaden said eagerly.
"Yeah, my mom's recipe is totally 'licious!" Chumley answered, his tone of voice reflecting the influence his younger roommates were already having on him. "I have some extra if you guys want it when we get back to the dorms..."
Violet's eyes lit up as she grinned. "Homemade hot chocolate?! YEAH!" she cheered excitedly.
"Okay," the big boy who looked like a koala answered.
Annie relaxed in Bastion's strong arms, content. "So what happened to you?" he asked her. Bastion had unconsciously adopted Annie as a surrogate sister in the time since they'd started school and gotten to know each other. Consequently, he worried about her, especially with the weak and dizzy spells she occasionally had.
"Umm... I guess I just got tired," she stated, feeling worn out.
"Did you have dinner?"
"Yes, Mommy," she answered like an annoyed little sister.
Violet did a very bad job of concealing her giggles and snickers at that comment, and Syrus sweat-dropped. "Maybe you didn't eat enough?" he offered.
"Maybe I didn't," Annie allowed, hating that this had happened again. She didn't like having her new friends worried and wondered if they'd eventually call her a weak weirdo as the kids had done at her old private school.
"Well, let's get something at Slifer! I'll bet Professor Banner still has the cafeteria open!" Jaden offered.
"And we are a lot closer than Obelisk," Chumley added, not wanting to have to go all the way there yet, especially when said Obelisks had been mean to him.
"Fine by me. Less chance of running into that mean old Crowler too," Violet agreed casually, folding her arms behind her head.
Syrus grimaced. "She's right..."
They arrived at Slifer in a couple of minutes and Chumley got out the rest of his hot chocolate for the two girls. Jaden ran to get Professor Banner and soon the small group was snacking. "Thanks, Chumley, thanks, Professor," the tired girl said softly, leaning against the wall.
"You're quite welcome, Miss Hanson. Try to eat something; you look a little pale. Perhaps you girls can stay here for the night, since it is rather late and you both seem exhausted," the teacher replied kindly. He wore the same mysterious smile that he almost always did, spectacles shimmering in the dim cafeteria lighting.
Annie looked over at Violet. "Is that okay with you?"
Violet shrugged, having guzzled down her entire mug of cocoa at once and now pleasantly subdued. "Fine by me. It's a long walk back, anyway."
"Okay... Uh... should we call up there and get our pajamas?"
"Uh, we have some extra pairs, if you're okay with that," Jaden offered. Sure, they were girls, but maybe guys' pajamas would fit them, he reasoned.
The two girls exchanged glances. "Well, Annie... what do you say about it?" Violet asked her brunette friend.
"I'm okay with it," Annie answered, flushing slightly. She wondered just whose pajamas she'd fit in comfortably... 'Chumley or Bastion... I'm so fat,' she thought, again frustrated with the curves she'd been given. She truly wasn't fat, but she did have curves
Violet grinned. "Then I don't mind, either! Thanks guys!" She, too, wondered whose pajamas would fit her. 'Syrus is way too small. Jaden would be a bit tight. Chumley's way too big. Bastion... well, his would be a little big, but comfy,' she thought, blushing at the image of wearing his pajamas.
Bastion, on this night, had fortunately brought a few sets of pajamas with him. "I brought a couple of extra pairs with me... Since we've all been studying for mid-terms and Jaden... well... is Jaden... I figured it was best if I stayed down here..."
Jaden looked up at Bastion, pushing his index fingers together, managing to look contrite and frustrated at the same time. "Um... I'm sorry..."
"Jaden... you just need extra attention," Bastion stated calmly.
Violet snickered. "He needs to pay attention," she amended teasingly.
Syrus grinned sheepishly at that. "That might help..."
Jaden flushed slightly, grinning sheepishly. Fortunately there was an open room next to the boys' room and they were able to quickly give the girls pajamas. Annie took one look at Sy's and groaned. "No way..."
Violet shook her head in agreement. "Maybe when I was nine, yeah. Now I'd end up ripping them."
"I'd look like a hooker with his top on," Annie groaned. Jaden's wasn't any better. "He's taller... but my butt is way too big!"
"I'm taller than he is and, well... curvier! I'm not a pole," Violet asserted with a nod.
Annie took one of Bastion's sets, this set with math symbols on the bottoms and a solid black t-shirt. "Hey, this fits." His bottoms were a bit long for her, so she folded them up repeatedly and she cinched the drawstring tightly.
Violet slipped on another one of Bastion's sets, this set with little chemistry tubes on the bottoms and a white t-shirt with the classic Einstein equation printed on the front in black. "It's a bit big on me, but it's better than the rest." She let the longer bottoms hang over her feet, not bothered by it in the least. Being less broad in the shoulders, one sleeve kept dipping down to reveal the pale skin underneath.
"It's big on me, too," Annie blushed. The collar on Bastion's t-shirt revealed some of her cleavage and she hoped it wasn't too revealing. She was also glad tonight was Friday night and tomorrow there were no classes.
And then there was a knock at the door. "Are you guys decent?" Jaden called through the door.
Both girls blushed at the question. "Yeah, we're dressed! I'm surprised he remembered to ask," Violet said, muttering the last bit.
Annie smiled. "He may be unaware at times, but he's still a gentleman..." They opened the door and the guys were standing and waiting. "Thanks, guys for sharing with us," she said, handing Chumley and Sy back their pajamas.
"Yeah. Bastion's fit the best, though," Violet added, handing Jaden back his pajamas. Syrus, however, was blushing a nice shade of red as he unconsciously accepted the clothes. Annie, in the over-sized pajamas, looked very cute. The fact that her rather ample cleavage was showing more added to the attraction he already felt to her, and the two combined made him unable to speak. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly like a fish.
Bastion too was flushing a light shade of pink. Violet looked absolutely darling in his (SHE'S WEARING MY PAJAMAS!!!) night clothes, and with her shoulder showing... Well, the Ra genius had to admit to himself, his dreams might be less than gentlemanly about her.
Violet tilted her head to the side, unknowingly making the situation worse for her secret crush. "Bastion? Do you feel okay? Your face is pretty red. I hope you're not getting sick." Yes, she knew the possibility that he could be blushing, but considering that possibility would be far too embarrassing.
If this were an anime, poor Bastion would've had a major nosebleed. "I... guess I'm warm out here," he answered shakily.
"But Bastion, weren't you just complaining that it was freezing out here?" Jaden asked in his standard clueless fashion.
The resulting face-plant of said genius made Violet laugh, while Jaden could only look on in confusion. Syrus, meanwhile, finally managed to find his voice as he swallowed thickly. "Y-You're welcome, Annie..."
The girls gave Jaden his pajamas back and he asked, "Uh... did I say something bad?"
Violet shrugged. "Didn't sound like it. But keep an eye on Bastion and Sy for us. They're actin' weeeiiird," she whispered.
"Y-yeah," Annie muttered, having a guess as to what the blushes meant.
"You two will need extra blankets," Bastion realized, heading for the dorm linen closet, wanting to get out of there.
"Ah, um, I'll come help, Bastion!" Syrus called, running after the taller boy.
Violet sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Boys... they're so strange sometimes," she muttered, shaking her head.
"Y-yeah," Annie answered, wondering if the small Slifer did like her. 'But why would he? We're just friends,' she thought. The two boys returned quickly with the blankets and a couple of pillows and the two girls got settled in the dorm. "This isn't so bad," Annie said as they climbed into bed. And then... "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" she screeched in absolute terror.
Violet leaned over from her spot in the second-highest bunk to look down at Annie's in shock. "Annie, what-AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!! OH MY GOD!!! KILL IT!!! GETITGETITGETIT!!!"
The thing in question was a cockroach and it had landed on Annie's head. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!!!" She was in freak out mode and there was no doubt that the entire dorm could hear the screaming. "JESUS JESUS JESUS!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, yelling for divine intervention, much as her mother would.
Violet leapt from her bed and grabbed a nearby broom, the room having been used as a makeshift closet since it had been vacant. "I'LL GET IT!!" She swung the broom, but Annie was now running around the room and Violet kept missing. "ANNIE, HOLD STI-" Violet froze, voice dying out as she held out the broom. After another supposedly failed swipe with it, she had discovered something dreadful. The cockroach was now on the end of the broom, grotesque antennae quivering at her. Violet, eyes wide, took a few deep breaths, and then... "AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!" Seconds later, the door flew open and the guys rushed into the room.
Bastion of course ran straight to Violet. "Violet? Can I help?"
Violet, now in her own panic mode, continued screaming as she waved the broom around. Bastion was only another object she could use to help get the disgusting insect as far away from her as possible. "DIE!! DIE!! DIEDIEDIEDIEDIIIIIE!!!!" Violet shouted, repeatedly beating the broom against her crush. It was only the straw-covered part, but the hits were nowhere close to being gentle. And the little bugger wouldn't let go.
It unfortunately landed on Bastion's head. "Violet! STOP HITTING ME AND I'll GET IT!" he shouted finally as she kept clocking him with the broom.
However, Violet had already stopped her screaming and beating, and was now staring fearfully at the spot just above her crush's head. "Bastion," she said slowly, quietly.
Bastion could feel it crawling on him. "Yes, Violet, m'dear?"
Normally, Violet would have blushed at what he called her and been embarrassed. However, right now she only had one goal in mind: GET. THAT. BUG. "Don't. Move.... I'LL GET IT!!! ARGH!!" She yelled, giving a war cry and bashing Bastion on the head once, twice, again and again. Perhaps a reason contributing to this was the fact that her eyes were closed in fear. "DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!!"
Bastion finally grabbed and took the broom from her. "Violet... these things would survive a nuclear holocaust," he said calmly.
That, perhaps, wasn't the best choice of words. As if the statement had given her a brilliant idea, Violet ran over to her pile of belongings and pulled out a new terror from her purse. "If it wants something nuclear, then it can have a taste of this!!" she yelled. Violet held a pink potato gun in her hands, having just recently finished the weapon. She supposed now was as good a time as any to test it out as she took aim just above Bastion's head.
Bastion's eyes went wide and he ducked. "Violet, that's not a good idea!" Annie shouted as the other boys took cover.
"Too late! This bug is gonna EAT VEGGIE!" Violet shouted back, pulling the trigger. A large potato flew out of the gun's barrel, flying through the air to smack squarely into the cockroach.
However, just then Professor Banner appeared in the doorway, dressed in his pajamas. "Is everything all right? I heard screaming and-OOF!!" The potato wound up hitting him right in the gut, sending him sprawling onto his back. It then rolled off the balcony, taking the troublesome insect with it.
The occupants of the Slifer Red room stood stunned for a long moment, sweat-dropping. Meanwhile, a very dazed cockroach staggered off the potato and out into the night, thankful that the human had merely blasted him clear. Back up on the deck, Annie and Jaden moved over to the sprawled instructor. "Professor Banner, are you all right?!" Jaden asked as the Obelisk girl assessed the damage.
Had this been an anime, the teacher's normally closed eyes would have been swirls. He was indeed- "K.O.!!" Violet shouted before she could stop herself. Upon receiving a look from the others, she grinned sheepishly. "Uh, I mean... sorry, professor! My bad!"
"Oooh... was that a... cockroach riding a flying potato... or do I just need new glasses?" Banner groaned, said glasses slightly askew from his fall.
"The second one, Professor," Jaden answered as Annie completed her check.
"Violet," she scolded gently, "I think that was overkill..."
Violet pouted, flailing slightly. "Hey, it's gone, isn't it?! Besides, you started it."
"It landed on me first!"
"Oh, you were the one going gonzo first," Chumley realized. "Why were you screaming to Jesus?"
"I was freaked out... I get that from my mom," Annie admitted, blushing. The guys all looked at her as they helped Professor Banner to his feet.
"I didn't know you could scream that loud, Annie," Bastion stated.
"Uh... heh..." The Obelisk girl blushed deeper, clearly embarrassed.
"Oy! ANY girl can scream that loud, and then some, if they get freaked. I would've been louder if it'd been a spider or something... actually, I'd probably be halfway across the island by now," Violet muttered thoughtfully.
Professor Banner sighed as he straightened his glasses, regaining his bearings after the surprise potato/cockroach attack. "Well... is everything all right now? No one's hurt?"
Everyone looked around and checked themselves over. "I don't think so, Professor. Bastion?" He chuckled. "No... My great-aunt Mattie did the same thing... or tried... with a broom, but her broom was much harder..."
Violet flushed. "I was... caught up in the moment, heh..."
Bastion didn't dare say what he was actually thinking in regard to the purple-haired young woman. But he instead grinned and said, "Violet, my dear, this is why you're such a wonderful friend. You're a free spirit and a fighter!"
"Even though when I'm a fighter I sometimes beat you with a broom?" Violet inquired, sweat-dropping.
"Yes, even then! And you were trying to help me, after all," he reminded her. Something in the genius's bearing made Annie suspicious, but tonight, she dared not say anything to her best friend about it. Tonight she watched.
To Violet and Bastion, it almost felt as if they were the only two present in the room. Had they been, Violet may have taken action with her feelings. However, they WEREN'T alone, and there was no way she'd say it now. "Right. Well, I... I think we're okay now, guys."
"Okay... Well, we're in the next room if you need us, so just scream again!" Jaden offered cheerfully.
"JADEN!!!"
The two girls were glaring at the brown-eyed Slifer, and Syrus sweat-dropped. "Uh... Jay? I think we should leave..."
"Sorry!" he grinned sheepishly, glad that Alexis wasn't there.
They said their goodbyes and Annie and Violet climbed into their beds at 1:30 in the morning. "I'm glad we can stay here," she murmured, cuddling down in her blankets.
Violet yawned, practically wrapped in her own little cocoon. "Yeah... me too... Even if there are some pest... problems..."
And then a loud meow rang through the room. The two girls looked out of their bunks and climbing on a large beam was Pharaoh the cat. He swished his big ginger-striped tan tail and bounded onto the bunks. He looked at the two girls as if to say, "Is it all right if I join you tonight, girls."
"Hello, Pharaoh," Annie smiled.
Violet grinned, poking her head out from the blankets. "Hey, Pharaoh. You can sleep with us if you want."
Pharaoh inclined his furry head and regarded the two girls, not sure who he should cuddle with. 'Hmmm... The girl that smells like those other cats would be nice... And her hand tastes like my cat treats... But the other girl is nice too,' he thought. Finally the cat jumped from the top bunk to the middle bunk, curling up at Violet's feet.
Violet grinned when Pharaoh curled up at the end of her bed, reminding her of her cat Coco back home. "Good night, Pharaoh. Night, Annie," she said, patting the cat on the head before curling up as well.
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Back in the present, Annie smiled at her friend. "Remember that?"
Violet smiled back. "Yeah... I remember now."
"How are you feeling?"
"Better, I guess..."
Annie pulled her into a hug once more. "Bastion's awake... He's worried... No one but me has been told about what Dr. Mark and Miss Fontaine found out..."
Violet hugged back, meaningfully this time. "They... they need to know..."
"Okay... It's going to be okay... Right, Mary?" Annie asked Violet's counterpart. The ruddy-brown-eyed spirit had appeared and was visible to the teens.
"Hm? Oh. Yeah. If you're right about them, Annie, then it will be," Mary answered simply.
Annie nodded, and together they walked back to Bastion's room. "Violet?" he called. "Darling? What happened?"
Violet sighed and walked over to his bedside, sitting on the edge of it. She remembered that night two years ago again, how the two had secretly loved each other. "Sorry Bastion... guys... I got overwhelmed when they told me..."
Bastion struggled to get up, mentally berating how sluggish his system was, and then Jaden, Tyson and Sy moved to help him sit up. "What... what did they tell you?" he asked, holding an arm out if she needed a hug to strengthen her. 'I may have failed her... but I won't now... I can't...'
Violet hesitated a moment, then fell into the offered embrace gladly. "I... it's not cancer or anything... nothing life-threatening like that," she began quietly.
Everyone who didn't know drew a deep breath of relief. "So... what is it?" he asked, holding her close.
She drew in a nervous breath, and it seemed like forever before she let it out and spoke. "It's... Bastion, I... I'm..." Violet forced out the words, knowing it wasn't as bad as she felt it was but unable to squash the feeling. "...bipolar... I have bipolar disorder..."
Bastion held her for a long moment before he spoke. "We'll get through this, love... We'll get through it together..."
"Violet... man, we all will," Jaden asserted, a certain fire in his eyes. "You stayed with me through the PTSD coming back... We all stuck with each other through the nightmares... through Zane's intervention... We aren't gonna leave you out to dry with this..."
Violet looked up, tears shining in her bright green eyes as she looked at her friends. "Guys..." They wouldn't leave her. As their friend, she helped them, and now they were going to help her. This was the truth of real friendship.
And together, they pulled into a huge group hug around the couple. It was one of those moments where there was no doubt where anyone in the gang stood. And now they would see their friend through to her return to happiness.
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Violet slept through the night in the infirmary as Miss Fontaine and Dr. Mark looked over her previous history and the medication that had helped her. Fortunately, medication had advanced from about a decade previously and a combination drug would be just the thing to help the young woman. "Good thing we have this," the psychiatrist stated to the nurse in the early hours of the morning.
"Yeah... I think we'll see an improvement and she'll be back to her old self..."
"Yeah... she'll still be fun-loving, but the lows won't crush her, and the highs won't be as hard on her."
At about 8 AM, the two went into Bastion's room where the whole group had slept. "Violet... sweetie, wake up," Miss Fontaine murmured.
Violet let out a long yawn, body stretching slightly under the covers. Her eyes opened and she began rubbing them with a hand as she looked up at the nurse. "Miss Fontaine?"
"Sweetie... we have some medication for you to try..."
The memory of her diagnosis came flying back to Violet, and she frowned. "Oh... oh yeah... that..."
"This should help you feel better," the nurse soothed, "but let's go to my office and take it, okay?"
The teen girl sighed as she slid out of her bed. "Okay..."
Bastion stirred slightly but didn't wake, and everyone else, so worn out from the emotions of the other day, didn't either. And so the nurse walked the young woman down the hall to her office. Dr. Mark was waiting. "Well, Violet, you'll be glad to know that this medication doesn't have any bad side effects. Bipolar medication has come a long way in the past 10 years..."
"It has?" she asked, curious.
"Yeah. It used to be that we had to carefully check two medications and figure out the exact combination to give to the patient. It took a lot of guesswork and a lot of headaches. But about 7 years ago, a new drug went through the FDA and Europe that treated the symptoms of both parts of bipolar disorder. And the medication was the first of its kind in that it could be taken without causing birth defects..."
"So then... when I take this... it'll help with my disorder, but won't hurt me?"
"Or, when the time comes, your unborn baby."
Violet blushed a little. "So... what do I have to take?"
"It's called Balance, Violet," he said, pulling out a fancy-looking box of medication. "It's a combination of two drugs, an anti-depressant and an anti-manic medication." He opened the box and took a pill from it. "You'll take this twice a day, at breakfast and at dinner, and you may start feeling some effects immediately, but you'll definitely feel improvement by tomorrow."
Miss Fontaine got a glass of water, some juice and a muffin for the young woman and Dr. Mark handed her the pinkish pill. Violet held the small, round thing in her hand, looking it over as she ate her muffin. It looked like any other pill one might take, like a painkiller or cold medicine. And it was a nice color... "How... how long will I have to take it?" she finally dared to ask.
"Well, that depends on a lot," Dr. Mark answered. "You might need it for a while, and then not need it. But then you might need it for the rest of your life. The people who have been on this... Some of them have actually gone off of it and stayed off it. They may yet relapse, which is natural, or they might never need it again..."
Violet's hand closed around the pill; she could barely feel it. "How will I know if I don't need it anymore?"
"We'll make sure you're monitored and when some time has passed, we'll try easing up on the meds, all right?"
"All right..." Violet wondered if she'd feel the change, and if she did, how it would feel. When she'd finished her muffin, she looked over the pill one more time before swallowing it with some juice.
Dr. Mark and Miss Fontaine watched over her for about an hour, checking her vitals every few minutes. "Hmmm... Blood pressure normal... Temperature is normal... Violet, how are you feeling?" the nurse asked.
Violet sighed. She had, indeed, begun feeling something. It was strange; something she'd never experienced before. It felt as if someone was picking up the scattered pieces of her mind, one at a time, and carefully putting them back into place. One by one. "I... I feel... whole again."
Dr. Mark took note and smiled. "Looks like you're one of the population that this stuff takes effect pretty quickly... Let's give it a few more minutes and see how you feel. And then, we got Miss Dorothy to bring in a treat... And I must say I'm glad!"
Violet's eyes lit up with excitement. "A treat? Really?" she questioned eagerly.
"Yup. It's something I've adored since I was a kid," he answered, a blissful look coming on his face. "But we have to wait until everyone has eaten breakfast to enjoy it!"
She blinked. "Are they up?"
"I was just about to wake them," Miss Fontaine answered kindly. "Shall we go check on them?"
Violet smiled. "Sure!"
And so they stepped down the hall to check on the group. Fortunately, everyone was already awake. "Hey, Violet! We missed you!" Jaden grinned eagerly.
"Ya did?" Violet asked in mock surprise.
"Yeah! When we woke up, you weren't here! Everything okay?"
"Yeah. I just got my new meds."
Bastion looked up at her. "Violet... what are you on?" He knew what those medications could do and needed to know.
Violet had to think for a moment to remember the name. "Um... Balance? Yeah, that's it."
"Oh!" The young man's face lit up. "I've read about it and it doesn't have major side effects... Have you taken it already?"
She nodded, grinning. "Yep! Took it a little over an hour ago."
"You're feeling better!" Annie said with a slight yawn. She'd been halfway awake when her friend had come into the room and now was wide awake. She was smiling, but it was still a sleepy smile.
"I am. And you, Annie, need more rest," Violet replied seriously.
"I'm... all right," Annie said around another yawn. "But maybe I do need another nap..."
"Can we have breakfast now?" Jaden asked as his stomach grumbled.
Everyone sweat-dropped. "Did someone say breakfast?" Professor Sartyr asked cheerfully, poking his head into the room with a smile. He carried three large plastic containers in his arms.
"Hi, honey! Hey, Belowski!" Miss Fontaine greeted.
"We brought breakfast!" the small boy grinned, bearing a basket full of fresh bread, muffins and pastries that seemed too large for him to carry.
"I think you guys just saved us... Jaden and Jesse had that crazed look in their eyes," Axel said as the J twins eyed the muffin basket.
And then, Violet surprised everyone by placing her hands on her hips and getting a determined gleam in her green eyes. "Hey! The two of you had better save some for me!" She hadn't had an appetite for anything since well before she'd been taken away by Mr. T.
Jaden looked at Jesse, and Jesse looked back. "Violet... let's get our eat on!" the brunette Slifer grinned in triumph and eagerness. "Okay... muffins, croissants, biscuits... what shall our contest be played with?"
"I'm happy about this development... but they are seriously going to have tummy aches," Jasmine whispered to Atticus.
Atticus sweat-dropped. "At least we're already in the infirmary, right?" he offered sheepishly.
"Guys... let's see who can eat the most... Danishes!!" Violet answered cheerfully; there was a good amount in the basket, each a different flavor.
As the three contest eaters dove into the Danishes, Dr. Mark grinned sheepishly. "And I thought I enjoyed eating sweets... these three take it to a new level..."
"They're not just like this with sweets... it can be with any type of food they love to eat," Alexis explained with a sigh.
"Oh, my goodness.... and this is normal?"
Miss Fontaine nodded. "Yes, it is... and this is one time I'm not going to worry about them getting stomach aches." The three teens had 12 Danishes a piece and Jaden was practically in chibi mode with excitement.
Jesse was grinning, eying the filled pastries hungrily. "I'm gonna win! Ain't no one who could ever beat me at eatin' breakfast!" he stated confidently.
Violet stuck out her tongue at both boys. "You guys won't even see me coming."
"Oh, yeah? I am not only going to be the next King of Games, I'll be an eating champ!" Jaden grinned.
"Oh, how I've missed this," Bastion smiled blissfully, coughing a bit.
"If this is her after an hour... she'll be entirely back to normal before tomorrow," Syrus said thoughtfully as the trio began their contest.
Dr. Mark was smiling. "She's one of the fastest on record for this... That's a good thing..."
"That's because I'M here to help the stuff along, doc," Mary piped up as she appeared, leaning against the wall and jabbing a thumb at herself. It was the first time she had revealed herself to the psychiatrist.
Dr. Mark Haninozuka had been a very logical person until he was 17 years old. At the age of 17, he had come to Domino City from his home in Vancouver, BC to participate in the Battle City Tournament. It was there that he saw the powerful Egyptian god monsters, Rare Hunters and other odd things. He had also seen the final duel between Yugi Muto and Marik Ishtar. The result of that had been that he didn't disbelieve if someone said they had a spirit to talk to. Even so, however, seeing the red-eyed counterpart of Violet appear in front of him caused Dr. Mark to jump in fright. "Yikes! Oh, wait... you're Mary..."
Mary laughed; she'd been hoping to catch the doctor off-guard. "Yeah, that's me. Surprised you didn't run away thinking I was a ghost or something."
"Well, I saw two Yugi Mutos and two Marik Ishtars when I was 17... So, I guess I'm not too freaked... You surprised me... You aren't an ancient spirit from Egypt, are you?" he dared ask.
She snorted derisively. "Egypt? Me? Heck no! As far as I know, I'm just a part of Violet. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Okay, just checking," he answered as the three eaters finished their last Danishes at the same time.
"I was first!" Violet proclaimed immediately.
"Nu-uh! I was!" Jesse countered.
"No, I was!" Jaden complained. Tyson, as the official judge, sighed. They'd eaten way too fast.
Mary sighed heavily, pushing her ghostly body off of the wall and walking over to the table. Stepping in front of the three, she slammed her intangible hands down on the table and leaned in close to them. "As much as I find this whole contest to be gross and disturbing, I happen to have a keen eye for detail." She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. "It was a three-way tie."
Tyson looked up, made contact with the spirit and nodded. "Guys... it was a three-way tie... again..."
"WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?! WHY MUST YOU MOCK ME, OH LORD?!" Jaden shouted in frustration.
Inexplicably, Aster started giggling madly. "Simpsons did it!" he managed to say.
"You saw that South Park episode, didn't you?" Adrian asked drily.
"Yup," Aster answered, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief.
Both Violet and Jesse groaned. "Tarnation! I thought I had it this time!" the bluenette whined.
"Man! I could've sworn I was eating them faster than you guys," the girl muttered.
"How you all eat must defy the laws of physics somehow," Bastion said. 'They must each have a black hole in their gullets,' he thought. Unfortunately... he'd said it out loud.
Violet flipped around in her chair to grin at her fiancé. "Nope! Just big appetites and fast metabolisms!"
And so it seems that things are slowly returning to normal for the gang. But is everything okay? Next time, join us for "Nocturne of Peace." And until then, which hopefully won't be as long, please read, review and stay tuned! Thank you very much!