Emotional Triffles (Kazumi and Graham)

How long had it been since Kazumi had checked into the hospital? Days? Weeks? A month? She had lost track of time. Days went either painfully slow, or so fast it was too much for her to grasp. Kazumi had began to make progress in treating her PTSD, but the terrifying events that had taken place that day still replayed constantly in Kazumi's mind. Slowly, she began eating, but only little nibbles. She was getting more sleep, but not enough. Kazu was still as pale as ever, and had evn lost some weight. Her short brown hair had gotten longer, but all the color was sucked dry. She looked dead.
Suddenly, nothing mattered anymore. Kazu lost all motivation to do anything, and would just sit and stare at the world outside her window all day. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing. Sometimes, she would just break down and cry.

Graham had heard that Kazumi had gotten in some freak storm and was hurt; he decided that, as much as he absolutely abhorred the institutions, he would pay her a visit in the hospital.

He knocked on her door. She looked pretty bad. "Hi," he said, walking in. "You look terrible." He sat down by her bed and put a bag on the table. "I brought your seaglass instead of flowers. I thought you might like that better." He twiddled his thumbs, trying not to think of how uncomfortable he was in the hospital.

Kazu heard someone walk in, and figuring it was a doctor, didn't turn to face the person until she heard a familiar voice. "Hi, Graham." she said weakly. Kazumi forced a smile. "Ya, I suppose I do. I think you'd look like this to if you were in my situation." Graham said he had brought her sea glass instead if of flowers. "Thank you." she said. "That's really sweet. I haven't gotten many visitors, but then again, I haven't really been feeling up to much lately. Doctors said it might be depression. Personally, I think I'm jury sick and tired of this place."

"If you mean I'd look like that if I'd gotten hurt...well, I've been hurt before," he said, knitting his eyebrows together. "Worse than you have." But he brushed that topic off.

"What did you actually break? A bone? Or did you not break anything at all?" Doctors wouldn't keep her there if she was just depressed. Everyone just gave prescriptions and sent patients on their ways nowadays. "When do you get to go home? You'd probably mellow out if you went home."

Graham stated he had gotten hurt worse than she was now. Not something to really brag about, but Kazumi didn't doubt what he said as a lie. It was probably the truth. Though it didn't make her feel any better.
"I broke my leg and I have a few crushed ribs." Kazumi replied, sighing. "That's pretty much bound to happen if a tree falls on you. It still gives me nightmares." Kazu smoothed back her bangs.
"When do you get to go home? You'd probably mellow out if you went home."
"Hm, I'm not sure. Whenever my bones heal, I guess. But I do miss home, and I still don't know what happened to it, anyways. For all I know, the storm could have blown my house all the way to Oz."

Graham nodded. "Broken bones aren't fun." He had plenty of experience with that. "But look at it this way. You didn't get impaled or anything."


Oops. Probably the wrong thing to say to someone in her situation.


That was just the thing - he could deal with his own injuries and problems and be perfectly fine. But when trying to give advice or support to someone in the exact same situation, and he always ended up sounding like an insensitive jerk.

Maybe he just was an insensitive jerk. "Ah..." He fumbled for words. He was feeling increasingly uncomfortable, and incredibly awkward. "I...hope you...feel better soon."

Kazumi smiled and chuckled at Graham's search for the correct words. . "Thank you." she said. "You're a kinder person then you appear to be. I really like that about you." Kazumi paused and fiddled with her hostpial wristband. "Once I get out of the hospital, we should meet up sometime and go somewhere. Let me treat you to lunch or something. It's the least I can do since you've been my only visitor so far. Well, from the outside world anyway. I really appreicate it. I didn't think you would be the type to visit people."

Graham rolled his eyes. "Don't go judging people before you know them," he scolded. "I'm not as nice as you seem to think." He shuffled uncomfortably, toeing the carpet with the toe of his shoe. "Whatever," he said in response to her invitation to lunch or something. "You don't owe me anything. I'm here because I want to be. So you don't have to repay me. That's stupid. Besides..." He exhaled. "I'm not good company." He looked towards the door. "Maybe I should go."

"Well then, we'll go as friends." she insisted. Then Graham looked longingly towards the door and said maybe he should leave. "Well, I'm certainly not going to stop you. Stay as long as you like, leave when you feel like it. But let me assure you, I really enjoy having you around. Thank you very much."

Graham nodded. "Feel better soon," he said. "I'm sure you'll figure something out for us to do." He half snorted, half chuckled to himself under his breath. "Anyway, you don't seem to be as stressed as everyone says you are. Maybe it's all in your head. You seem fine to me, anyway. Just take some time out for yourself and don't worry." He didn't really understand anxiety. He wasn't too much of a support system, but...maybe...that was his way of trying?

"I'll see you later." He slipped out of the door, and made his way to the exit, just glad to be out of the place.