Depression

Chapter 16

After some time, the doctors returned to them and explained that the girls were given mild sedatives, and asked if the girls had relatives they could contact. "Yeah," Brick said, giving the doctor a serious look. "Professor Utonium."

Hours later, Professor Utonium, Dr. Brisbaine, and Dexter arrived. "We arrived quick enough," Boomer said. "They're just alive and sedated."

"What did they try to do?" Professor Utonium demanded.

"Bubbles tried to slit her wrists, Buttercup tried to OD, and Blossom tried to burn herself." Brick's answer was blunt, and jolted Professor Utonium to a new level of anxiety.

Butch tossed the canister to Dr. Brisbaine, who caught it easily. "You might want to go through the local pharmacies and see where she bought that."

"We will," Dr. Brisbaine said.

"I will," Professor Utonium volunteered, taking the canister and walking out. "You stay here with the girls."

–

The noontime sun rose over Roseford City, and the boys arrived to the hospital with Dexter and the two adults in tow. After inquiring at the front desk, the receptionist gave them their rooms. The two scientists began to follow the Rowdyruff Boys until Dexter pulled them back. "Don't. Let them talk to them alone."

"But—"

"Let them. The Rowdyruff Boys are the only ones who can fix this."

The creak of the wooden door alerted Blossom of an intruder, and her eyes turned towards it, not very ready to talk to Dr. Brisbaine or the Professor, not even Dexter. But it wasn't either of them. It was Brick.

She didn't say anything. He didn't either; only moved across the room to sit at the chair beside her bed. And for a few minutes, nothing, only giving each other a never-ending stare.

Finally, Blossom spoke. "So are you going to say something or are we going to stare at each other all day?"

"I was hoping you could tell me." Even the look of his serious face brought a comfort to Blossom, that he was alive. And yet, there was that certain wariness because he seemed composed; much too composed even for someone like Brick.

"What is it you'd like to know?" She wasn't going to show her caution. But she had a feeling she knew what he was going to ask her.

"Let's start with why you tried to burn your own house down." His tone was icy, but every movement he made, if any, showed nothing.

"I was upset," she said evasively, turning away.

"Blossom." She could hear the warning in his voice. "Look at me." She refused to. "I'm not going to say it again."

It was rather unnerving to hear him using her name, rather than his given nickname to her. This was the main reason why she turned back to look at him.

"Why did you try to burn your house down? With your superhero brain, you would've thought that the fire would leap to the other houses and burn them down with you. Sound like fun?"

"I wasn't really thinking straight."

"That's not an answer."

"Brick—"

"That's. Not. An. Answer."

"You want a real answer?" she retorted, finally breaking. "I was tired! I was tired of living! When I opened my eyes the day you died, it... it all just came back to me! The guilt, the grief—and I tried to get through it, I did! But I just broke! Okay?! I broke! So I decided I was much better off dead than alive and walking around with all that weight on my shoulders! Because..." Her eyes filled with tears. "I killed you, okay?! It was my fault you were dead and my fault they couldn't recreate you and I just couldn't live with that guilt!"