Case 34

Slow Healing

"So.. Are you gonna look into it?"

"Look into what?"

"Test Tube's case. From what I heard, she was released but was charged guilty. If we could try to-"

OJ's palms hit the side of the kitchen counter, making everyone's heads snap towards his direction. "Balloon, I will not repeat this again. Unless you have proof, we cannot continue this investigation. Do you know how much shit the Colonel gave me at the station because we failed this?!" Balloon's hands ball into fists, his cheeks turning red with pure rage. "DO WE NOT HAVE ENOUGH PROOF??!! TEST TUBE WAS PROVEN GUILTY FOR HELIUM'S SAKE! ALL THE EFFORT WE MADE AT THE INVESTIGATION PAID OFF!" "And just exactly what part of that evidence proves you were a victim of her experiments?" Balloon's hands shake, his lower lip trembling as he breathes. He angrily looks around him, finding some kind of way to respond. But he doesn't, he can't. He doesn't have any proof at all. OJ scoffs and sips from his mug. "I'm sorry, Balloon. I wish I can believe you, however, you don't have proof of this happening. Plus, Test Tube won't be going anywhere near the hotel. So you won't have to worry." Balloon just stares at the floor. Tears dare to escape his eyes, but don't fall down his cheeks. His breathing becomes steady, and his hands stop shaking. Slowly wiping his eyes, he stands and turns his gaze away from him. "I get recovered, relieved to be back and alive. I then get worried about everyone else who's trapped in her lab. I confessed everything about everything down there. Listen OJ, I don't know what I was expecting, but I expected at least some kind of humanity in you to believe me. But I guess even that's too much for you, huh?"

The orange beverage inhaled sharply, something close to a gasp. Balloon walks away quick enough to give OJ no time to respond. Suitcase was sitting next to Balloon and watches in worry as she sees him make his way up the stairs, tears already falling down his face. She huffs, giving OJ a pained expression. "You're right, he doesn't have proof. But what matters is his experience, proof or not. I thought you out of all people would have known that." Suitcase follows Balloon up the stairs, quickly sprinting to catch up to him. Everyone keeps their attention on OJ, then back to what they were originally doing. He was on the other side of the counter, sipping on his mug. He didn't even notice it had gone empty while arguing with Balloon. He sighs and gets up, walking to the coffee maker.

He turns the machine on and slips in a small coffee capsule into the respective hole. He stands there, listening to the whirring machine. A few seconds after, he feels two hands rest on his arms. He recognizes the warm, slightly smaller hands. "Hey OJ." OJ looks behind him and smiles faintly. "Hey Paper. What are you doing here?" He blankly asks, still leaning against the table while keeping his eyes fixed onto the coffee maker. "Well I'm obviously here because I didn't hear your arguing which can be heard from the garden which is a whole mile wide." OJ sighs heavily, turning the coffee maker off and grabbing the pitcher filled with coffee. He slowly pours it down his mug, and Paper places his hand on the handle. "OJ, why are you doing this?" The look on his face says it all. He's worried.

"Paper, I believe Balloon okay? It's hard to believe, I know, but I do trust his word. Before I didn't, but ever since I heard about the nightmares he's been having and all the medicines he needs to take just for him to sleep, let him switch rooms every now and then until he was finally paired with Suitcase... How could you not believe someone is a victim after all that?" He pours a bit more before stopping and taking a small sip, breathing slowly. Paper stays silent, waiting for OJ to continue. "I know he's a victim of her doings. But if I believe him, and the Colonel turns it down, he and Suitcase will be determined to show full proof. They'll go down that goddamn shit stain of a laboratory and get themselves killed again. If not killed, then tortured." Paper lets out a breath he's kept in for a while now, taking into consideration everything OJ has mentioned so far. "I need to make both of them think we don't believe them and let them know they aren't allowed to leave. I'm not losing any more residents."