Flesh & Bone (OMORI AU)

Chapter 15: A visit to Basil

Sunny woke up laying on the floor of the living room, blinking as he looked around. He had forgotten they had a sleepover... He looked to his left and blushed, Kel peacefully sleeping beside him, one hand on his leg. Meanwhile, he heard Hero and Mari talking quietly in the kitchen, and Aubrey was looking at old VHS tapes to see what she was interested in watching. Her hair was in a low ponytail, and she didn't have her teal eye contacts on, which Sunny hadn't been used to. She must take them off when sleeping. I mean, that would make sense, of course. Most of VHS tapes were of course Captain Spaceboy cartoons, but there were a few holiday specials, a recording of a cooking show (probably done by Mari) a few action movies she remembered watching when she was little, and a single black VHS tape with a small label. She turned it to the side to read the label, her face becoming flushed as she put it at the bottom of the pile, deciding on Silent Trigger. She hadn't seen it since she was younger, but knew she and Kel were obsessed with it, mostly for the action scenes. She wanted to wait for Kel to wake up before putting it in the VHS player, keeping it to the side. She glanced at Sunny, waving a bit. 

"Yo." She whispered. "How'd you sleep?"

Sunny stretched his arms. "Fine..." He mumbled. "You?"

"Horrible." She laughed softly. "I couldn't stop thinking about Basil."

"That's kind of surprising... Don't you hate him?"

Aubrey sighed, shifting her weight on her left arm. "I don't hate him. I'm frustrated and angry with him that he never told us sooner and that he made a poor decision, but I don't hate him... To be honest, I'm kind of defensive of him. Like when we were kids. Kids at school bullied him for being sensitive and feminine so I would threaten them so they went away. They would listen, especially since I was the weird kid." Aubrey chuckled. "I'm hoping that we can visit him. Polly called Hero this morning and said he was doing well. He had to get stitches, a shit ton of them. But he should be out in a few days. I hope..." 

"That's good at least.." Sunny pursed his lips. He then realized he slept with his eyepatch on, a small spot of residue on his pillow. He grimaced and stood up. "Be right back."

He walked upstairs to the bathroom. He needed to start taking care of himself more. But he got distracted so easily. He took off the patches from the day before, doing the usual by cleaning it and putting new patches on. When he finished, he looked at his hair. It was a little bizarre, since he hadn't ever thought he'd actually bleach it, but it did look nice. He closed the medicine cabinet, but paused, seeing something black in the corner of his eye. Mewo was in the corner of the bathroom, terrified. She must have hid upstairs all night. He carefully approached her, and she let out a small hiss, until he gently put his hand on her head. She seemed to calm down, leaning into his hand, beginning to purr. She was easy to please, despite being a cat. He picked her up and carried her in his arms. Mewo didn't mind, rubbing into one of his arms as he walked downstairs. 

Kel had finally woken up, gushing with Aubrey about the movie she found. He loved this movie when he was younger, though didn't actually remember much of the plot. He turned his head and saw Sunny, standing up excitedly. Once Sunny put Mewo on the couch, Kel hugged him, lifting him slightly. Sunny wrapped his legs around Kel slightly, laughing quietly. 

"Gaaaaaaaaaaaay." Aubrey teased.

Kel looked at her. "Says the one who had a girlfriend first."

Aubrey blushed, chuckling in embarrassment. "Right..."

Before Kel but Sunny down, he pecked his cheek lovingly. This caused Sunny to hide in his sweater, not from embarrassment, but because he was happy. Mari then walked into the room. She had returned to her adult form, and wore a blue apron that had a small design of a teddy bear on it. 

"If you all are ready, Hero and I made breakfast." Mari smiled warmly.

Aubrey scrambled to her feet. "Last one in's a loser!" She exclaimed as she began to run. Kel, enjoying the competition, followed behind her, managing to get there first. Aubrey huffed. "Damn it." Kel laughed at her, pointing at himself. Aubrey punched him in his side, causing him to wheeze. Sunny simply walked, trying his best not to chuckle as he sat in his seat

"No fighting you two." Hero sighed. He was wearing his old pink apron. It was small, but it did the job. He wore it a lot when baking with Mari as a kid. All five of them sat down. Hero and Mari made pancakes, of various flavors. What made Sunny so confused was how they got all of the supplies. 

"Did you guys go to the store or something?" Aubrey finally asked, examining each pancake flavor. There was the standard plain pancake, blueberry, sprinkles, chocolate chip and peanut butter. 

"Earlier before you all woke up we headed to Othermart. Gosh, it was so strange going there again." Mari chuckled softly. "But we got what we needed and came back to prepare. I thought it would be a good idea to make something with Hero to try to lighten the mood, considering what happened last night." Mari frowned slightly, and Hero leaned into her collarbone to comfort her.

"Mari, it's okay, really." Kel said, already putting each flavor of pancakes on his plate. Hero kept the syrup away from him. 

"I don't know I just..." Mari took off her apron. "I didn't mean to hurt you." She looked at Hero. "Or Basil.."

"Hon I know... it isn't your fault. Remember what I told you last night?" 

Mari smirked. "That you were my-."

"NOT THAT." Hero's face turned bright red. "B-Before all of that."

Aubrey nearly spat out the water she was drinking, covering her mouth with one of her hands as her face turned red, laughing with her mouth closed. Kel was the one who spat out his food, spraying it on the wall as he started laughing. Sunny simply sat there in silence as his face slowly turned red as well.

"MARI WHAT DID HE TELL YOU?" Aubrey cackled after she swallowed the water in her mouth. 

"Hero said that I was his-" Hero covered Mari's mouth. 

"Okay lets get back to eating breakfast and not talking about this." Hero glared at Aubrey and Kel who were still laughing. "And Kel, clean up the mess you made on the wall.."

"S-Sure." Kel giggled to himself as he got up to clean the mess he made. 

"Anyway... What I said was that Mari, it's not your fault. It was nobody's fault. There were complications that happened at a bad time. People got hurt, but everyone is still alive, right?"

"Except for me but I don't count." Mari snorted. 

"True.." Hero sighed. "After we're done eating, Polly said that we can visit Basil before the afternoon. She'll already be there by the time we get there."

"Okay." Aubrey, Kel and Sunny said at the same time. Kel had finished cleaning his mess and sat back down to continue eating. 

Sunny wasn't that hungry, so he took one of the smaller blueberry pancakes and put it on his plate. He didn't like syrup, compared to Kel, who constantly put a lot of syrup on his waffles or pancakes no matter what. The syrup was kept away from him, Hero putting some on his pancakes while Kel whined, asking for more. Aubrey put her syrup on, laughing at Kel as she poured it. She liked the sprinkle pancakes. She always liked it when Hero or Mari made them. They had a bunch of colors. Kel liked peanut butter the most, but wanted to try every flavor even if he had them all before. Despite how much sugar he ate, he still maintained his athletic physique. Sunny was a tad bit jealous. 

They all conversated about general things, trying to lighten the mood and make things less awkward. Aubrey brought up that she started taking a dance class not far away from the town. Nobody except Sunny had known about it already, so it was a surprise. How was she paying for it? She wasn't. Kimberly's mother was. Both Aubrey and Kim went to the class together and were paid for. They wanted to put on a performance for the end of the year festival eventually. Kel talked about a new game he got for his PlayStation 2, called NBA 2K2, a sports game he had wanted since the beginning of the year. While Sunny wasn't into sports, he enjoyed playing the game with Kel. It was a good way to pass time. He also talked about how he and Basil had begun playing basketball together after school. 

"Bro he wanted to do that?" Aubrey chuckled. 

"Yeah! I was super surprised, but he's gotten pretty good."

"I'll have to see it for myself." Mari teased as she crossed her arms.

Eventually everyone had finished eating. Since they were already dressed, Mari and Hero cleaned up in the kitchen while the others put on appropriate clothing for going out. Hero had brought Kel some clothing from the house earlier that morning, and Aubrey brought hers the night before. Sunny lived in the house so it was already natural he had clothing. Everyone had finished getting dressed and put their shoes on.

 Aubrey always wanted to look fashionable, but still able to beat the shit out of anyone if needed. She wore her usual jacket, but underneath was a band tee tucked into her blue skinny jeans, which had tears near the knees. Her hair was in a low ponytail like it had been all morning, except it was better taken care of, and she wore her infamous blue headband. Kel simply put on a baseball tee, it obviously being orange, and another pair of basketball shorts. Nobody understood how he could manage wearing shorts when it was getting closer to winter. Sunny had put on a black turtleneck and black skinny jeans, Mari teasing him for not wearing any colors. Hero had a fresh short sleeved t-shirt, that was grey and had his college's name over the front. Over the shirt he had a brown faux leather jacket, mostly to cover his injuries but also to feel nice, as well as dark blue jeans. Mari was wearing a summer dress that stopped by her knees, that had a floral pattern (for Basil), and over she wore a yellow long sleeved cardigan.

Sunny wasn't sure why Hero and Mari were so dressed up when they were just visiting their friend in the hospital for an hour. Perhaps it was to impress one another. They then headed for Hero's car, which had been his father's at some point. It was a dark blue minivan, and had a small dent in the back. Probably from failed parking. There were six seats, meaning there was enough for all of them. Hero sat in the driver's seat with Mari beside him, Kel and Sunny sat behind them next to one another, and Aubrey sat in the back by herself, using the space to put her feet up, before being told to put them down by Hero. He didn't want his car getting dirty...

They all began to drive to the nearest hospital, that was in the city. The same hospital that Sunny and Basil were sent to the night of the fight. The same hospital where Sunny almost ended his life. While they were on their way, Sunny thought about that day... As if it was yesterday. 


Sunny woke up in the hospital room, staring at the clean blue and white walls. Surrounding him were various flowers brought to him by the people in his town, as well as his friends. Even the hooligans gave him something; a cactus. He appreciated the thought. He then looked at the ceiling, blinking slowly with his good eye, the other bandaged up. It was sore, but mostly felt numb. He most likely had to get it removed. He didn't make a sound as he slowly rose from his bed, looking out the window. He was on one of the top levels of the hospital. 

Despite having overcome the bulk of his trauma, and metaphorically defeating Omori, he still felt empty. He knew that he would have to tell the truth. And the truth might rip his friends away from him. He would lose his friends again because of his mistake. Basil's mistake. He gently put on a pair of hospital slippers, beginning to aimlessly walk around the halls. The white halls were empty, and all that could be heard was a faint ringing noise coming from the lights above. Down the hall he spotted a balcony. However, it was blocked off, with tape and a gate covering the entrance. He slowly walked to it, managing to get behind the barricades. He slowly stepped onto the wooden floor, realizing why the balcony had been closed in the first place; the railing was broken. Meaning there was an empty spot that led to the ground. An empty spot that led him to what he deserved.

He slowly stepped foreword, his ears ringing as he got closer to the edge. He could hear muffled voices from behind him, but he ignored them, not turning his head. He put one hand on the railing, looking at the ground below. The concrete of the parking lot, with a few cars parked between the lines. But there wasn't a car parked closest to the side of the hospital. He closed his eyes, about to dive off of the balcony, before he was gripped by his collar. He opened his eye immediately, realizing he was dangling over the building by whoever was holding him. One of his slippers fell down to the parking lot as he tried to get out of the person's grasp. But once they set him down on the balcony, he realized who it was that prevented him from jumping.

Hero.

Hero had been crying, talking to Sunny about something he couldn't hear. He just watched as his lips moved, hearing a low mumbling amongst the ringing in his ears. He didn't understand. Why did Hero save him? Why was he saved by the person that loved Mari the most? Why did he have to save the person who took her from him? Hero pulled him into a hug, Sunny feeling his tears fall down his back. The ringing eventually faded away, and he was able to hear what Hero was actually saying. 

"I-I cant lose you too..."

Loose him too? Why did he care? Soon enough he'd regret saving Sunny from jumping. In that moment he wanted to tell Hero, to give him a reason to be dead. To be pushed off of the balcony. But instead, he started to cry. He gripped onto Hero's shirt as he sobbed into his chest. Why was he feeling this way? Why did he want to die so badly, yet live at the same time? Why did he still care for his friends? When they should have hated him? After a few minutes, Hero helped Sunny up and wiped both of their tears. 

"I'm sorry Sunny... A nurse said you went this way and I just had a feeling..." Hero frowned, looking away. Sunny nodded, looking down as Hero put a hand on his shoulder. 

"I'm sorry..." Sunny said softly, glancing up at Hero. 

"Why are you sorry? You did nothing wrong..." 

"I did."

"Sunny what are you even talking about? You didn't do anything; If anything we all should have been there for you if we knew that you felt this way."

"I took her away from you."

"What do you mean?"

"Mari."

"Sunny no you didn't, she committed suicide..."

"No." Sunny felt tears falling down his cheeks. 

"Let's talk about it inside..." Hero led Sunny out of the balcony where a few paramedics and nurses stood in the hallway, frantically asking Sunny if he was okay. He didn't answer them. He kept his head low. Sunny looked to his left, his eye widening a bit as he broke free from Hero, speed walking to the other side of the hall. Basil. He had to be in there. 

"Sunny! Where are you going??!" Hero exclaimed as he ran after him. 

Sunny opened the door to see Basil laid in his bed, bandages on his face, and a dark bruise on one of his eyes. Aubrey and Kel had been sitting by him, and they instantly stood up. 

"Sunny are you okay??!" Kel gasped. 

Hero came into the room, looking at Sunny sadly. "If you wanted to visit Basil you should have asked a nurse..."

"No... It's... It's not just that.."

"What do you mean? What are you talking about bro?" Aubrey rose one of her brows. 

"I have to tell you something..."


"We're here." Hero said as he unlocked the car. Sunny snapped out of his daze at the sound of his voice, looking around. 

He hadn't realized they were there already, unbuckling his seatbelt as he left from his respective side of the car. The others got out, Mari holding some flowers. Sunny hadn't remembered seeing her come into the car with those... Maybe they had bought them earlier that morning. Heading for the entrance of the hospital, Polly was patiently waiting inside, sat on a chair. Once she saw the others come in she stood up, greeting them. 

"Hi... Thank you for coming." Polly smiled weakly. 

"No need. He's our friend." Kel grinned in an effort to lighten the mood. 

They all headed to Basil's room, which was down the left side of the hall on the third floor. Thankfully not the top floors. Polly gently knocked on the door, peering through the curtains of the door's window. 

"Come in.." A voice replied. 

Polly slowly opened the door. Basil was sitting up in his hospital bed with a book on his lap, presumably about botany, and a cup of hot tea on his side table, as well as a small pot of peonies. His flower clip was taken off, laid beside his cup. He smiled happily when he saw his friends come in, putting the bookmark back into the pages of his book. 

"Hi guys.."

"Yo." Aubrey saluted with one of her fingers. 

"How ya feelin'?" Kel smiled as he walked to stand beside Basil. 

"I'm okay. My leg is numb, so there's no pain. I can't walk, though." Basil chuckled. 

Mari had a sad look on her face, rushing over and bowing slightly. "I'm so sorry Basil I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"Huh? Mari, it's okay." Basil smiled, Mari looking up to see him. "I know you wouldn't do something like that. You were probably taken over by the curse.... which has a personality of its own."

"A what?" Polly rose her brow, Basil chuckling nervously. 

"It's an inside joke..." He scratched the side of his head. 

Mari handed Basil the bouquet of flowers, red and pink roses. He smiled warmly, thanking her for the gift. He gently laid the bouquet beside him on the bed, looking at his friends, who all looked deeply concerned. 

"I'm okay, guys. I'm leaving tomorrow, actually."

"Wait what? How-." Aubrey started. 

"They stitched up the wound pretty well. It wasn't wide enough to prevent me from leaving sooner. Of course it was deep, but since it really isn't that big of an incision I'll be okay by tomorrow. I just cant walk constantly or move my leg a lot, otherwise the stitches will be undone." 

"That's great though. I'm happy that things are going well." Hero put a hand around Mari, who he could tell was still upset about last night. 

"Were you guys gonna do anything today?" Basil asked. 

"If you hadn't gotten injured I would have asked to play another round of basketball with you." Kel sighed, 

"Oh that's right! I'm sorry.."

"Don't apologize. We can play again once you feel better." Kel smiled happily, reaching his fist closer to Basil, who fist bumped him. 

"I'm still surprised out of all people you chose to play with you chose Basil." Aubrey scoffed. She was a tad bit jealous, it seemed. 

"If you wanted to play you could have asked. Basil was the one who asked me in the first place." 

"Huh? Really?" Aubrey looked at Basil, watching him smile with a nod. 

Sunny listened to his friends talk to Basil, not really feeling interested in joining the conversation. He preferred to listen to others from time to time. He also just had no input aside from hoping that Basil would be better, but that seemed to already be taken care of. They stayed at the hospital for a little over an hour, Kel cracking flower jokes and puns to make Basil smile. It worked. The boy practically found anything funny. Aubrey talked to Basil about dying his hair, which he agreed could look nice. Better yet, he didn't need bleach, considering his hair was naturally light. He liked the thought of teal, as Sunny told him he had teal hair in his dreams. Sunny didn't say anything, but felt awkward, considering what he saw happen to dream Basil. Being engulfed by spiders, being decapitated... being destroyed like a watermelon. But he wasn't going to tell Basil those things happened. Omori didn't hate Basil, he just didn't want him to reveal the truth to Sunny after he had forgotten it for so long. It was still fucked up, though.

Eventually they drove back to Sunny and Mari's house, parking in the front. Their mother's car wasn't in the driveway, Mari saying that she left for work early to run some errands. It was Sunday, and Aubrey wanted to go to church before the afternoon. Despite Mari being back, she still wanted to practice her faith and wish the best for her pseudo sister. Hero and Kel stayed in the house, however, Hero wanted to go somewhere nice with Mari. Kel poked fun at him for wanting to go on a date with her, which resulted in Mari reminding him that he and Sunny were in a relationship. He got pretty embarrassed after that, Sunny trying not to laugh while he comforted his Orange Joe smelling boyfriend. 



NOTE:

Hi! I'm having a lot of fun writing this story, but its not exactly close to being finished. aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ok bye