A Series Of Unfortunate Events

"Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like."

― Lemony Snicket

"You're here."

"I was always around, hiding behind the trees."

"Why don't you ever show yourself as soon as you arrive, Blaine?"

Because you told me staring is bad, but I can't help it so I normally hide behind any thick tree close to you just so I could keep seeing your face without interruption for a while.

"No reason."

"No reason? Well, I think you should stop doing that. You've bruised yourself a little too bad this time. Come here, I'll wipe the dirt with my handkerchief. Mom says dirt causes infection so let's get rid of that."

I glanced upon the snowy piece of cloth in her hand neatly folded into a square which was whiter than my shirt.

"I'm okay, Analia. It doesn't hurt much. I'm stronger that you think."

"Oh really? You're pretty strong for a child."

"I'm not a child."

"You're grumpy and I'm older than you by two years. So that does make you a child."

A soft but audible boom was heard and Analia turned to look in the direction of the sound.

"It's time. I have to go." She stood and ran in the opposite direction.

"But it's too soon. Don't go. Stay!"

"No!"

My eyes shot open and I found myself in a room which looked like one of those in a hospital with beeps in the background. That was a dream...and I'm in a hospital? My eyes hurt from the sudden exposure to light and that made me realize I must have passed out for quite a while. I saw Elwyn standing from the couch and coming to me.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty."

"All the doctors in the hospital and I end up seeing your face when I'm awake."

"You better be thankful to the CPR I gave you which is the reason you're alive."

A very disgusting and stomach-turning feeling crept through my body as I unintentionally imagined the scene in my head.

"What?!"

"Relax, I was pulling your leg. You had a severe case of hypothermia which scared me to death. We're really lucky Elijah found us while you were unconscious."

"How did he find us?"

"He saw the 'Trespassers will be prosecuted' sign which we put away from the middle of the road to the forest and found our vehicle in a visible distance. He said he found us after searching for half an hour and ta-da!"

"Delran, that snake! I'll give him a good piece of my mind once I get my hands on him in London."

"Not before you disclose everything you kept hidden from me all this time."

"That is for another time, Elwyn. I'm too tired with this pain and my life. I'm tired of coping with everything all by myself and all I want to do is rest while I can."

"Someday, you'll tell me everything over fried chicken and soda, right?"

"Plus mac and cheese." I promised.

"Do you want to go back to sleep right away or can I tell your mom you're conscious?"

"Tell her I'm conscious. A little talk with her might help me gain a little peace of mind."

"I told the doctor not to tell anyone about the paralyzing poison in our bodies because then we'd have to give a very long explanation, which I didn't want to. They were able to take it out before it became fatal for the both of us."

"Okay."

He exited the room and soon after that, mom entered and she looked a lot worse than me. Her face turned red from all the crying and she kept wiping the transparent mucus that never stopped flowing from her nose even though it was only a few seconds before I saw her. Where does all that amount even come from?

"Oh my God, my poor boy!"

She threw the mucus tissues aside and hugged me like her life depended on it. Even her hair looked messy as if she just showed up after fighting a group of monkeys.

"Mom, I'm fine now. Stop crying please." I said, wiping her tears and nose.

"I thought – I thought you died when they brought you! It was so horrible, Blaine! Seeing the doctors run to you and take you away, the smell of this place....It was so scary! I didn't know what to do. I should never have sent you out. This is all because of me." She sobbed more.

"Mom, hey. Don't say that. Don't you ever blame yourself for anything like this. None of us expected this would happen. Everything's fine now, isn't it? What are you worried for? Your son is a strong man."

"I know. But back then, you got sick often. You suffered with less immunity in your body and your face was...anyway, I brought you some cookies."

"I'm not eating them if you're the one who made them."

"Rude!"

"You can kill a whale with your cooking, Mom."

"First of all, that's not true. Besides, I didn't make them. Elijah did. He wanted to bring you something nice to eat as you missed your Christmas with us. There's gingerbread, roasted turkey, spaghetti and meatballs too."

"That's a lot for one person and I'm a patient. Have you asked the doctor if it would be okay for me to eat them?"

"No? What's wrong with tasty food? I don't want my son eating tasteless hospital junk."

"This is why you I got those birds away from you." I murmured.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, mom. Nothing at all. I was saying how thoughtful you are, bringing me food I'm possibly not supposed to eat and all."

"I don't know if that was a sincere comment or sarcasm, but I don't care. You were unconscious for more than twenty four hours, Blaine. I need to get you all the energy you need no matter what, even if it means to stuff your stomach with food like shoving plush fabric in a shapeless and empty plush toy."

"Your methods of comparison always leave me surprised, mom. But thank you."

"Oh shush, you don't thank your mom. It's my duty."

She held my hands a little too tight and that's when another problem began.

"Mom, you're holding my hands a little too tight. So if you could-"

Something weird happened at where I had an IV injection on my hand and the tube fell.

"I'm so sorry Blaine! I'm such a klutz!"

"Mom, for the love of God stop crying. Call in a nurse!"

She dashed outside and came back dragging a nurse as if she was playing tug of war with her uniform. After quickly explaining her the situation, she gently took hold of my hand and scrutinized it.

"The nurse is here and she'll fix everything. Don't worry, mom. How bad could it be?"

The nurse looked at me with a blank face.

"Actually, sir. It's pretty bad. The catheter broke and if not treated immediately, it may lodge itself in your heart and cause death by flowing in your veins. I'll call for the doctors."

She rushed outside after covering the area with sterile bandages with my mom wailing like a baby in the background. I guess I'm destined to spend my whole life in hospitals or death-causing situations.

After what seemed like forever, my surgery went well with Elijah accompanying the team of surgeons on his request. Now here I was, feeling a little bad for my mom. She just wanted to comfort me but things ended up worse instead. She must be feeling terrible right now. I could ask someone to fetch her for me but the doctors said I must rest for about seven days with minimal contact from people, and my jaw still hurt from Delran's punch. Elwyn actually brought in a psychiatrist who was available in the hospital to talk about my neurosis and it didn't go well, which is why I'm confined to solitude as they do not want me to talk about things which might trigger my long lost depression again. So voila! As I was consumed in my thoughts, in came Elwyn with flowers and chocolates.

"Oh, you're up!"

"Just when I thought I was having the time of my life with some privacy. And get those flowers and chocolates away from me please. I'm not your mom whom you can just give these girly things to."

"What? Chocolates are good for health and flowers can make anyone feel calm. I don't see why I need to take them out of your sight so I'm just gonna put it right here, beside you. And don't worry. I'll have the nurses change the flowers from time to time so you'll feel better...I think. Now, what did you tell the doctor I sent for you?"

"I told him what he needed to know."

"Blaine, his job is to learn how to cure your psychogenic illness and that can only be possible if you break out of your shell and tell him everything."

I shook my head in disapproval.

"He doesn't need to know everything. I told him about the time Loralie died and how I sank into depression then. I also told him I put everything aside and continued to focus on work and I was fine before I knew it."

"See that's where you're wrong. You're supposed to be mentally healthy, not 'fine'! Fine is never sufficient and we're adults now so that means we should be twice as healthy. You should know better than me to think of what the right decision is. How about I send another better, seasoned doctor? I've asked around about him. He's an old but able psychiatrist who settled in this town after retirement. The 'perspicacity' he has is beyond our wisdom combined. An intern who knew him well told me that. Give him a shot. If you still feel he's no good, I'll do as you say."

"Okay, you're literally asking me to let out some of the scariest events which took place in Vanifernum which, I was a part of and you expect him to simply nod his head and pat my back saying 'I feel you, son'? No, I don't think so."

"You need to open up, Blaine. That's is only way you'll feel better."

"You'll get out of this misery if you put in a little effort. Talk to people about your problems."

Loralie's voice echoed in my mind like an eerie spell from the depths of my memories. Not again.

"I would rather spend all my life rotting in guilt than hear my story coming from my own mouth."

"But Bl-"

"If that's all, please leave or I'll call the nurse. I know you sneaked in here so get out before I make the nurse give you a shot."

"What the hell, how did you know I sneaked in?"

"It's eleven pm, so the nurses might be off their work and the security guard is probably in a very exhausted state. Plus, your feet are bare and I know you have the softest footsteps so that's how I came to the conclusion that you sneaked in. Now leave or I'll press this alarm."

"Aww man, this ain't fair! Hey, put your finger away from that button! Put. It. Away!"

I was mad at him, but not for the reason that he set me an appointment with a doctor without asking me first. To be more frank, I envied him at that moment. Years had passed but he still remained that same fuzzball of warmth. I could only take warmth or destroy its source, but Elwyn was something else. He always just...gave and gave warmth wherever he went. He is the only one who defeated time and stayed the same incredible person all these years. Sometimes I wonder how I would have survived if it wasn't for him who came forth and befriended me when I was as good as worthless. I always feel thankful to him for everything he has done for me, but I won't tell him. He'll get way ahead of himself from pride.

"Alright." I agreed.

"Thank you. Now have some chocolates. They're good, I've tasted them."

I can't believe this ass sometimes.

"Are you telling me you ate some of the chocolates you bought for me?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

I could only stare at him blankly while reminding myself that he's my best friend and murder is illegal and that I had a rep to keep. Arguing with him won't do him any harm but it will definitely bring me a headache.

"I'm irresistible, I know. You can stop staring at me and eat the chocolates now."

Irresistible, my foot.

Carefully, I opened the box and I wasn't surprised. There was a fair amount of chocolates missing, and they were my favorite flavors....which were Elwyn's too. All that hungry idiot left me were chocolate-coated raisins.

"How do you do it, Elwyn?"

"Do what?"

"Make people furious within milliseconds."

"That's just one of the talents I was born with."

"Oh yeah? Let's discover if you are also gifted with the talent of sprinting, shall we?"

"No, maybe some other time. Now stop looking at the alarm please? Your mom will cut me in half if she finds out I've been disturbing her son. And time's running out. Consider my request, Blaine. You must let it all go, set yourself free. That doctor is a good man. I've felt it, trust me on this. You know I'm never wrong, right?"

Has he ever been wrong? I couldn't remember. But he's always been a dork, that I'm sure of.

"What if he tells me I'm sick, like the previous doctors I had?"

"What? This is not your first time with a therapist? I thought you only took pills for your insomnia and nothing else."

"....I visit a therapist once in a year."

He deeply sighed.

"Nothing else matters now. Everything is going to be fine," Elwyn said, patting my shoulder.

Was I ready for this? Heck, no.

"This better be good Elwyn. Ask him to meet me whenever possible."

"Whenever?" He asked, suddenly beaming.

"Yeah, whenever."

"Okay. Cool. Donovan! Donovan! You can come in now! He's okay with it!"

The door suddenly swung open and revealed a man in his early fifties, wearing a grey suit with a lab coat in his hand. Doctor Charles Donovan, a doctor I knew once. He was the first therapist I visited. I don't go to the same therapist twice, so it's been years since I've met him again.

"We meet again, Mr. Bennett. Looking dashing as always! My apologies for eavesdropping but your conversation seemed rather hilarious."

I was speechless and how things turned out, out of the blue. I glanced at Elwyn and he turned his head away, whistling into the distance as if he had nothing to do with this. I'm going to skin him alive and make a coat out of it after all this is over.

"Elwyn, you may leave us now. Thank you for convincing him."

"You don't need to be thankful, doc. That's my bud so this is nothing. See you around."

And he left, just like that.

"Donovan, is it alright to have a session when it's almost midnight?"

"Oh, Mr. Bennett. The night is when souls are in their deepest being, every thought that they have, they're aware of it and yet let it flow, whether it's a fantasy, a sad memory or a happy one. I am also aware of your insomnia. Now let's not dilly dally. We shall start from the beginning. The beginning of how it all began. I am sure you know what I mean, don't you?" He smiled.

"I do," I replied.