As Cozy as it can Get [CLOSED]

My room was slowly starting to actually look like there was a human being living there.

I don't know if that was a good thing or not, because I certainly didn't want to be living there, but c'est la vie I guess.

The lily that Caroline had given me was still alive and actually thriving, and it was sitting next to the stuffed dog she'd given me as well as the radio that was currently playing some unidentifiable hip hop song I'd never heard. It was coming in a bit static-y but at least I could understand the words so there was my plus. I was even managing to match the beat with my own added over it, and I smirked as I colored in the bits of the tattoo that I had been designing for the nurse. It was slowly taking shape, and it made me absolutely proud.

I glanced out the window, frowning at the bars as I sighed.

Oh. Right. I wasn't supposed to be enjoying anything here. I was stuck in an insane asylum, with no current company. But better no company than horrible company, I guess.

I went back to coloring the feathers in silence, eventually starting up my hummed beat to the song echoing off the walls.

Little did Jiho know that horrible company was lurking just outside his door.

Matthew hadn't been bothered when he made his leisurely stroll up the caged stairs and down the hall the room 314. He was bothered, however, to find it occupied. Peeking around the corner he found the blonde kid immersed in a drawing of sorts while listening to some trash on the radio. Heh, well wasn't that nice? How did he end up with that luxury? The man licked his lips, he should come back later to rummage through the boy's things.

At least that was the plan before he caught sight of the simple white lily that decorated the kid's room. What the fuck could that mean? His brows stitched tightly together, hovering low over darkened eyes. Undoubtedly that lily which was so much like his very own had come from Caroline. He shook his head a bit, so she was this friendly to everyone as long as there was a dick between the legs? (Though he wasn't 100% sure of jiho's state of manhood or if it even existed. Most Asians were too androgynous to tell the difference anyway.)

What little logic Matthew had scurrying around his brain these days evaporated in an instant, like flicking a switch. Bare feet took him across the room in three long strides, his palm curling around the vase and letting it fly in one fluid motion. It looked like slow motion; the way the water slightly spilled as the flowers turned over end, that immediately came rushing back to the present the moment the glass shattered against the far wall, shards, water and plant pieces flung around haphazardly.

The encounter lasted maybe six seconds but the feral look Matthew ran out of the room with would probably stay with the younger boy for a while.

Had I known what was coming I probably would have made some effort to stop it. In all reality, all I'd managed to do was look up from my paper and see who had barged into my room before the vase shattered against the wall and I pulled the sketchbook to my chest to keep water from spraying all over the page.

What the fuck?

I watched as the man almost bolted, putting my sketchbook back in its home under my pillow before following after him. I was quietly pleased that I was quick, because I did manage to catch up and I put my hand on his shoulder to turn him around.

"What the fuck was that for?" I said, pretty loudly, brows knit together.

If he didn't like flowers or some stupid shit he could have just ignored it. If he had some weird insight about the lily, he could have warned me before smashing the thing against the wall.

Unless this was something more personal.

"How would you like it if I barged into your fucking room and broke your shit?" I asked, eyes narrowed.

In all honesty, Jiho probably should have just let him rage and go, as his hand upon Matthew's shoulder was the straw to break the camel's back. While he turned he barely even heard the boy through the rush of blood and anger that fogged his perception, not that he cared for what the Asian had to say anyway.

If he could, Matthew's large hand would wrap around Jiho's neck, his thumb pressing painfully hard into the trachea. "Don't," he murmured, his voice dark and dripping with venom, "touch me..." Matthew snarled, holding his grip a few seconds more before releasing him.

"You're a fucking dead man, Chink. Don't ever let me see your fucking face again." He took two cautious steps backwards for the stairwell before he turned and trotted down.

Wow, okay...

I needed for this to not get me to blackout status. I needed to keep calm for once in my life. But when his hand wrapped around my neck I was as good as gone. I would have reached out and punched him had he not immediately pulled away. Instead I found myself coughing as he walked off and I glanced around, unable to just idly stand by and let someone who had just physically assaulted me out without a little something.

I probably should have just let it go, or even better got an orderly or a nurse or something. But no.

I walked to the top of the stairs, brow quirked as I caught his eyes.

"What? Are you jealous?" I asked, clearly referring to the vase he smashed. "Afraid a 'chink' might be better than you at something? Even after I did all that homework for you?" I smirked after a clearly sarcastic pout, shaking my head. "Don't fucking threaten me."

Matthew paused in the middle of the stairwell, Jiho's voice echoing down around him. His fingers twitched and slowly gathered into fists when he found that the slow breathing method the doctors at Bakersfield taught him wasn't working. Even his bare toes curled over the edge of the step, every muscle in his body seemingly working against itself. Count backwards, breathe deep, think of something happy. The only happy thought that was running through his head at the moment was a busted Asian face.

Jealous? What the fuck was there to be jealous of? So the asshole could draw, the only one that made happy with the freaking Native doctor. Matthew's eye twitched when Jiho spoke his last words. That was enough. Turning slowly on the steps, he glared up at the blonde at the top through lowered brows and dark lashes.

He sprung. If he could, it only took three large strides, skipping steps in between before his shoulder connected into Jiho's gut, taking him swiftly to the floor.

I had been about to say something else, to dig my grave just a little bit deeper, but before I could get it out the exact man I was talking to rushed at me and I felt a sharp jolt of pain in my stomach as I fell to the floor. I slid a bit before I stopped and looked up, brows furrowed as I huffed.

"... The fuck is your problem?" I asked, eyes narrowed. There was a silence before I kicked out, leg connecting with his stomach in a sharp kick. He was too close, and I wasn't a fan of it. Considering he seemed to have absolutely no concept of what was his and what wasn't, I wasn't going to take chances of letting him get close enough to me again to mess with me.

"And why the fuck did you rush in and break my vase? You never answered my question." I kept every muscle tense in an effort to be able to block anything he threw at me, but he seemed to be kind of a wildcard. Who even knew how he fought? I was just covering all my bases.

I couldn't wait to hear this...

Matthew wasn't in the mood for twenty questions and he certainly wasn't in the mood for twenty answers. He'd been a bit too unguarded when he received a heel up under his ribs and it sent a tingle up to his shoulders and down to his fingertips. His left hand came to rest over the area that was hit. It might bruise later. Jiho was a bean pole and had none of Matthew's weight, but his legs were long and that had given him better leverage than he'd anticipated. A smirk unfolded on his lips, maybe this would be more than just a massacre.

The older boy climbed back to his feet now that there was space between the pair, his legs parting and bracing himself with the prime perfection of any pro boxer. Despite his shift from family to family within the foster system, Matthew had been fortunate enough to remain in after school lessons for years; most likely due to the fact that boxing helped relieve him of some of his disastrous anger issues. The end result was a well trained body and tactful mind.

He wouldn't wait and take turns, so as Jiho was still speaking, still asking annoying questions, Matthew threw his fist and if Jiho didn't manage to dodge, it would connect squarely in the Asian's jaw.

This was far from twenty questions. This was one question, one answer, and I had the right to know why my property had been destroyed. I shouldn't have pressed the matter considering my surroundings, where I was and who else inhabited this place, but god dammit I needed to know.

Because that was pretty much bullshit, to be honest.

When Matthew stood up and shifted positions I smirked, brow raised. So I had managed to come across one of the few people in here that seemed to have some sort of fighting training? Alright, this was just great. It was about that moment that I saw a fist flying to connect with my face and I moved out of the way, elbow replying to hit a very similar spot on Matthew's jaw. It was a very fluid motion, and I tried not to broadcast what I was doing. If he dodged it, then good for him.

If he wasn't going to answer my damn question, then I was going to try and make sure he wasn't going to be talking much and that he had a good reason to keep quiet.

I was also currently losing my control and this was a recipe for disaster. I needed to stop.

The soft pitter patter of socked feet coming down the hallway might have been heard had there not literally been a physical fight breaking out on the same damn floor as my own unit. An apple was parked succulently between my teeth as I was just coming back from a cafeteria break, longing for an afternoon snack that I snuck back with me thanks to a falsely sweet smile and a quick flick of my hand to foo the nurse on duty – after all, I was basically a professional thief by this point in my life. I had to be to survive.

Unfortunately for me I didn’t make it back to room 304, not just yet anyway. Not with a bear and a cub brawling right in the open hallway. I paused dead in my tracks, not sure if I was more surprised by the fact that a real, actual fight was breaking out in a mental hospital, right fucking here in front of me with nobody monitoring, nobody here to stop it just yet…
Or if I was more surprised that I not only ‘knew’ one of the patients, but actually both.

My mind raced quickly, assessing what I could. Jiho of course had told me briefly about his blackouts, and the last thing I wanted was for him to fuck up and not be able to leave like he so desperately wanted. I didn’t want to see the guy suffer anyway, we we friends by this point.

Right?

Matthew on the other hand I knew near nothing about. He told me very blandly he was dangerous and I wasn’t sure if he was kidding or not. His scars, his demeanor all sort of screamed yes to me, and now they were quarreling with one another.
What do?!

My mouth opened stupidly as I just stared at the scene in mostly disbelief, at least at a far enough distance standing at the base of the steps not to be toppled into myself just yet.

"... ?!"

The fact that Jiho dodged his knuckles flipped the switch into instant defensive mode as he pitched forward, the other's elbow plowing into his forearm. It stung like a son of a bitch and he barked as the pain radiated outward, but it only twisted his features further into rage. Matthew advanced on him, pressing him towards the wall in an attempts to corner him. Shifting his fists, he sought to distract the boy enough that he'd curl his ankle through Jiho's legs and hook around the back of his knee, pulling him forward and off balance.

It all happened in the course of mere seconds but everything was painfully slow in Matthew's point of view. He saw everything. He could see the loose eyelash on Jiho's cheek and count the hairs on his arm. He could feel Jiho's breath on his face and hear the blood as it pumped through the boys veins. For a moment it was like being super human.

However, Jiho was the only thing he saw. Tunnel vision had knocked out the rest of the world and all those that dwelled within. Right now it was just him and this shitty ass Asian duking it out for reasons what were even beyond his own comprehension.

Once he'd gotten Jiho to the floor again, he dropped, hoping to pin him under his knees. Words and explanations still lost to the battle lust that welled within him.

Why wouldn't this guy just answer my damn question? If he'd just told me why he'd burst through my door and started breaking things then maybe this could have been avoided. But no, instead here we were, him pissing me off more and more until I started seeing red.

Red was never a good sign, nor was the smirk that slowly quirked at my lips when the man in front of me made a sound of pain.

I wasn't completely lost at this point, though, and I actually dared to look away when I heard something that wasn't the two of us locked in a brawl. When I caught sight of who it was I stared for a second, smirk actually dropping as I smiled up at Kyo almost hopefully, despite his shocked expression.

This shit wasn't my fault, and it was getting old.

But... It was almost like the moment knocked the red blur from the edges of my vision and I was about to just leave the situation to itself before I was knocked to the ground and I felt a sharp wind get knocked out of me as I hit the tile, Matthew's leg quite successfully pinning me as I tried to get out from under him. I tried to push him off but there was little I could do. He was just bigger than I was.

"... What the fuck is your problem?" I managed to choke out, eyes narrowed up at the other man and quietly hoping that I would leave this fight able to breathe. Being pinned to the ground didn't help, and I attempted to jerk my leg up to knee the other man in the back, the side, wherever I could hit to get him off of me.

Why the… dark hues spotted that goofy grin despite the action unfolding before me like some sort of a crappy home shot movie. There were no added sound effects to the scuffle, no background noise… just the sound of two bodies and the ruffles of clothing accompanied by dull thuds as limbs connected. I couldn’t decide if I was more shocked or amused by this point, my wordless assessment not aiding any.

I would have expected this in prison, not here.

As Jiho was taken down to the floor I finally moved, taking another bite of my apple and letting the crunch fill my ears. I saw no need to interfere yet myself. Perhaps it was sort of that street savvy attitude I had? Jiho was a big boy who was apparently in here for fighting himself, I didn’t think he’d really want someone coming in to cover his ass and demasculate him in that way. In reality, that would show him as a weak pushover and just make him more of an easy target. Or was that not how hospitals worked? Besides, I had no idea what they were… arguing about. And from the looks of it, Jiho was handling himself, none of these… blackouts or whatever it was that he couldn’t remember shit.

And Matthew was obviously a bigger guy, I really wasn’t about to launch at him without good reason. I didn’t need to be steam rolled today thanks.

Instead I casually leaned up against the wall watching them, apple in my hands. In about twenty minutes there would be a nurse coming in to do their hourly rounds, and I had high hopes that I would be able to finish my apple and hide the core before then.

Matthew swallowed hard as he ground his knees into Jiho's upper arms. The more the other struggled the more weight he dug in, grinding his bony joint into the tender flesh of the triceps. Tossing his head back, he glared down his nose, dark brows knit together, creasing his forehead.

His right hand came to rest on the other boy's throat, almost tenderly, the backs of his knuckles tracing the same line his own scars carved; the bottom of one ear curving around to the other. It was such a sensitive spot. So vulnerable and easily accessible. A knife had the rib cage to contend with if it sought the heart, and the skull to maneuver through if it wanted the brain, but it was so damn easy to cut the arteries in the throat. It only takes two or three minutes to bleed out without a proper medical response. Matthew was very well aware of that fact.

As his fingertips danced over Jiho's neck he watched him as if he were a bug. Something insignificant and there for his amusement. A life that didn't matter if it were to be snuffed out. But Jiho didn't need to worry, Matthew had no intentions of cutting him open, as he'd nothing to carve him with.

Throttling him was another matter and one that was entirely plausible. Matthew's large hands wrapped around the corded flesh, his thumbs pressing into the windpipe much in the same manner he had earlier. Poor Jiho, if only he had shut his big mouth and let it go, Matthew would be out on the track running off his aggression instead of attempting to choke the vitality out of him.

Bending forward, Matthew whispered to him. "Just go to sleep, you fucking chink."

This guy was less than normal.

I felt like complete prey at this point, and I didn't like it. It was like I was being inspected, and I had no way out. On impulse I tilted my head up and away from his touch, breath a bit labored as I tried to squirm away. It was no use, though, because his damn legs were in my way. God dammit, I couldn't even punch him unless I knocked him off balance somehow, and I couldn't figure out how to go about that.

In all honesty, I was rarely in this situation. Usually at this point I had completely whited out, or whatever you wanted to call it, and the other person was just... not even a threat. But it was like I had been reset. Now I was actually blacking out.

As in I couldn't breathe.

As in this spelled actual serious trouble for me.

Now would be an absolutely fantastic time for someone to step in. I didn't even care who. It could even be someone I hated, I wasn't picky.

After a lot of twisting underneath the other man, and a lot of gasping for air, I managed to free one arm, the other still pinned under Matthew's knee. It was a weird angle, but I could reach his... something. I didn't know what I could reach. My vision was actually blurring and this was bad. So I just sort of swung blindly, vaguely aiming for the other man's neck or chest.

I was a fan of not dying.

Not dying was actually on top of my list of things to do.

Now this was becoming a serious problem. It was no longer just a little scuffle, a few manly punches thrown here and there, and a takedown upon victory. And, unlike perhaps another patient who was possibly pussier than my own person, it didn’t seem to occur to me to go running down the hallway to fetch the nurse on duty.

I’d never been around people so damn mentally unstable before, and the reality of it all was just now sinking in.

By the time Matthew had literally straddled Jiho, rendering the Korean motionless I dared step closer, somewhat weary as I assessed how long it would take the Caucasian man to retaliate. He seemed entirely zoned out with his project though, which was good for me. Seemed I could move without being much noticed.

I think I really decided to act when I hardly caught Matthew’s ever so friendly little comment uttered out as he decided he wanted to suffocate Jiho. Neither of us were Chinese, dude. You fucking racist reject.
So much for getting along with him, eh? Though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t fight with acquaintances myself. After all, wasn't that how dominance ad respect in a pack was asserted?

I was blunt and to the point as I closed the little space between me and the pair, curling fingers into a tightly balled fist. Just because I was petite didn’t mean I wasn’t fit as hell. Growing up on the streets makes you tough… not to mention I did work out. I drew my arm back, half eaten apple in my other hand.

I didn’t hesitate in decking Parker right in that beautiful, cocky assed face of his.

Matthew's lip had split immediately, sending a fine spray of blood against the wall and the front of his shirt. The impact had swayed him, forcing him to let go of Jiho's neck, though he remained firmly seated atop him. The inside of his mouth quickly tasted of metallic copper while his cheek started to throb. This was unforeseen.

Jiho's free hand slapped at him but he ignored it, turning his head towards his assaulter and lapping at the trickle of crimson that ran freely from a busted bottom lip. His dark blues focused on Kyo and a distinct look crossed his face. The look of a small child questioning why violence was being brought upon him. What had he done that was so bad that it warranted such a cruel fist? Weren't they getting along? He blinked, once, twice, returning his attention to Jiho who coughed and struggled under him. He spat a mouthful of blood into the boy's face. It made him look better.

Matthew's right hand stroked affectionately through Jiho's hair, heavy lidded eyes aware of Kyo's whereabouts without having to look at him.

"Is this some kind of lapse in judgement or are you getting involved?" He addressed the third party.

The fact that my neck was at least let go made me let out a sigh of relief despite the coughing that followed and I looked up just in time for blood to hit my face. I closed my eyes immediately, scowling in distaste as I furrowed my brows.

What had just happened? Kyo had just punched Matthew? His lip was busted, and now...

I finally opened my eyes, looking up to the man pinning me in confusion as he stroked my hair. What was this?  This was creepily affectionate and how was I supposed to take this? I bit my lip, confusion in my eyes as I glanced at Kyo. They knew each other? What was happening? Kyo was trying to break up the situation?

Thank god.

My other arm was still pinned but I didn't even bother to wipe the blood from my face. My vision was still clearing up and instead I reached up, trying to push his hand from my hair. This was stepping into creepy territory. It needed to stop.

The corners of bejeweled lips twitched once my knuckles split open that plump flesh before me, my hand now covered in a tiny splatter of Matthew’s own blood. I opened and curled my fingers closed again, stretching out the ache from impact. I had succeeded at least in pulling the man out of his violent thoughts, especially with that faux-innocent look he spared me afterwards. Was he really in a different place in his head just now? … Creepy.

I did take a tiny step backwards after the throw as a precaution to make sure I was not in danger range as well. Last thing I needed was Matthew to reach out and throttle me too. Dark chocolate eyes flickered briefly down to the knuckles of my own hand and back up again, just watching the unstable pair. The silence puling between them was eerie as well, but I kept my stand, watching silently.

“I don’t know what the fuck you two are fighting about, but the nurse will do their checkup soon.” I spoke matter-of-factly, voice flat and features emotionless. Yes, I liked Jiho. But it wasn’t my place to handle his fights. My eyes moved from Matthew’s confused features down to the bloodied façade of Jiho, as if I was silently assessing the both of them, and back up again.
“Don’t kill him.”

Wow, was that me showing some sort of care for another human being? Eheh. Don’t think too hard on it. Maybe I was just looking out for both of them and didn’t want either to get into trouble.

Matthew sat back on his haunches, fingertips trailing through the other's hair and fluttering across his blood spattered face. His knees left the bruised skin of Jiho's arms as he resettled himself, distributing his full weight onto Jiho's belly instead. He wasn't about to move regardless of Kyo's warnings. The logic and control that had left him was slow to return as a whole slew of conflicting emotions crossed his features, coupled with a thousand inconsistent actions. The man was simply an unpredictable mess. He looked hurt, he looked confused, he looked feral, he looked vacant.

Large hands wrapped around the boy's wrists to keep him from any attempted retaliation. His grip at the moment was lenient, almost gentle, but in this state it was so easy to shift in between the innocent child, the lifeless victim and the ruthless aggressor, that in the next breath Matthew might find himself snapping finger bones in half. That was kind of a pleasant thought; what would Jiho do without his drawing hand?

"Don't kill him?" Matthew grinned at himself, breaking the thin clotted scab that had begun to form and causing fresh blood to run anew. He turned and regarded Kyo once more, of course he had no intentions of killing Jiho, he only meant to send him a message. If the dickwad was weak enough to die from it, that wasn't his problem. His eyes narrowed, suddenly his previous thoughts were coming to fruition; in a flash his hands had switched positions, his palms curling against the boy's fingers, bending them mercilessly backwards. Just a bit more pressure and those hands would fracture like a piece of rotted wood. Matthew laughed loudly. "Don't kill him? I don't take orders from you, Shorty.

"Is he your friend then? That has to be it since you felt the need to fuck with me!" The venom dripped from his voice as he bellowed, his shouts echoing clearly down the hall. "Don't fucking do it again. How else will you explain to your dear friend that it's your fault his drawing days are over?" Matthew pushed against Jiho's abused fingers for emphasis.

This was something I was entirely not used to. I didn't even know where to start reacting. First off, I had Kyo, who I needed to thank later for stepping in in the first place. At this point, I didn't mind if he stepped in. And where were the nurses? Where were the attendants and doctors?

I couldn't get a read on Matthew to begin with, and I had been in the middle of trying when he shifted positions to sit on my stomach and switched to grip my wrists. God damn him for being bigger than me. I just wanted to get up. I could have avoided this, but come on. This was getting ridiculous.

Also painful. Very, very painful.

But if he was going to start threatening Kyo, too... This was going to stop. He wasn't going to turn this on Kyo...

I was just about to respond when Matthew started nearly screaming and I looked up just in time to feel the other man bend my fingers back. I bit my lip to stifle the sound of pain that managed to slip out for a moment, eyes closed tightly as I tried to pull away again. This time my attempts were much more forceful and I furrowed my brows, a shaky gasp of pain in my voice.

"... Why the fuck... Just... Fucking stop," I mumbled, reaching over with my free hand to try and pull his away again. "Shut the fuck up, and fucking stop..."

I just stared at the duo blankly, the expression upon my own features hard to read by this point. Irritated, annoyed, bored, unamused, weary… all of these and then some were wrought with my façade as my left hand still palmed that half eaten apple. I watched, dark orbs fixated on the way Matthew was acting, his own emotions and thoughts running rampant.

Yes, don’t kill him. I don’t fucking care what the hell you two were bickering about before, but there was no need to go breaking bones or doing any lasting damage. There was hardly anything worthwhile to fight that much over in a mental hospital. However when the white man decided not to listen to my suggestion, and instead began bending those talented digits backwards in a silent threat I scowled. Don’t take orders from me? Fine.

I didn’t even care that Matthew was screaming at me again. You do not threaten me. Especially when I didn’t do anything wrong. I wasn’t about to be bullied here, with Jiho playing the part of a hostage. Instead I lashed out yet again, myself surprisingly quick. I didn’t even care to listen to the other finish his speech. My hand curled into a fist once more and since Parker’s own grip was busy busting Jiho’s fingers, I had naught much to stop me from pounding the man in his howling face again, interrupting him bluntly. My arm drew back with that startling amount of force from such a tiny man, and if my fist connected I wasted little time in dropping that apple core to the ground, and using the blunt of my free palm to shove the man backwards. Harshly, right against the center of his sternum. Both actions came rapidly one after the other, and if successful Matthew would likely have had the air knocked from his lungs… and hopefully toppled backwards off of the Korean straddled below. I’m used to being in fights with dudes much larger than I. I knew how to survive.

I’m going to get in so much trouble for this shit, I just know it. So much for getting out of here quickly. But fuck, it’s self-defense at this point.

Parker’s outbursts obviously weren’t completely ignored either, since he raised his voice enough to pull attention. The sound of the nurse on duty hurrying to come down the hallway, checking out the scene was heard faintly behind me somewhere. I didn’t care though. Hopefully if I knocked the man off of balance well enough Jiho would have enough sense to get up and move.

“Don’t fucking threaten me.” I hissed in a low tone that I rarely used, sharp eyes darkly narrowed.

Die had been, for all intents and purposes, minding his own business. He'd left his room some thirty minutes ago for a shower break, taken his sweet time with both that and his usage of the restroom, seeing no point in hurrying it when no one was bothering to monitor him. At first, he'd been skittish, rushing in and out of the bathroom as quickly as possible, taking five minute showers and then darting back to his room like a scared baby colt.

But now... now Die was sort of wishing he'd kept doing that method. He'd rounded the corner and right in front of him was a scene that he sincerely didn't like. The man he'd met - Kyo - and two others seemed to be somewhat involved in a scuffle. He stood there for a moment, looking between them as his damp hair continued to drip down his back, making his clothing uncomfortably sticky, and then started to open his mouth to get attention perhaps diverted.

But in the next moment, all hell broke lose and Die's eyes widened. Yes, he definitely regretted not bailing on the shower sooner now. Turning around, he rushed off - possibly the footsteps Kyo heard - toward the nurses station, hoping he wasn't actually getting anyone in trouble. Getting known as the snitch didn't do one any good either, he supposed. Not that he was great at making friends in here anyway, given he only knew one person's name that wasn't a staff member and he'd been here nearly a month now.

He retrieved a nurse with a breathless pant of, "Fight," and some pointing, rushing back off after her once she'd started down the hallway full-tilt.

Kyo definitely wasn't earning any brownie points at the moment. The second fist hit closer to his eye and the skin there immediately swelled and bruised. He honestly hadn't been expecting Kyo to hit him again and he was caught off guard just the same as the first blow. It was a pretty cheap shot. Matthew wondered if Kyo'd ever have the balls to try it when he wasn't distracted with his hands full. Yet, it was the weighted shove to the chest that finally rolled him from his straddling position and onto the floor. Brilliant white stars burst before his eyes as his head checked straight into the cement wall as a result.

Haggard breath rattled in his lungs while he raised his hands to protect his face from further impacts, palms out and fingers outstretched. Kyo should be proud of himself, he thought, though Matthew would ultimately have to give the victory to the wall. His head swam and his vision darkened as he continued to crouch, shielding himself and listening as Jiho scrambled away. Oh well, maybe now the boy'd learn to leave other people's things alone.

And just like that, the violence was gone, exiting as quickly as it had come about. But the damage had been done.

Blood formed a small pool at his bare feet as it steadily dripped from his mouth, his entire body shook visibly; not out of pain or fear, but rather the withdrawal of the intense rush of adrenaline that had started the whole fucking mess. As he calmed, he remained huddled against the wall, head down, hands up. He'd been here before and knew what was likely coming next, therefore he made no attempts to flee the scene or to explain himself. There was no great need or desire to talk to Kyo or Jiho anyway; it'd likely be weeks -- months until he'd have to look at them again.

Full-tilt didn't really begin to explain it; fights were taken seriously, since they had a tendency to break the boundaries that normal society abides by. Fights here were dangerous and often with much unneeded force, with blood often drawn and, sometimes, body parts lost. Wild animals probably fought with more control. So when the strange, out of breath patient pointed out a fight, and not one of the rounding staff, she'd grabbed a handful of emergency tranquilizers and was sprinting as fast as her legs would carry her.

Christ, she breathed upon seeing the scuffle. Three patients she knew were all there, all of which she'd apparently wasted flowers on. Her hurt pride at how well things were going at one point was ignored for now. She'd felt a bit like a parent – not angry, just disappointed – but parents usually didn't feel the need to bring drugs just in case. Mind reeling, confusion abound, Caroline wasn't exactly sure who to take care of first.

"Everybody, put your hands behind your head, right now!" She screamed, her voice in an authoritative state she very rarely used. It even shocked her a little, but she kept her position, a bit of a distance away. "Someone tell me what the fuck happened here, and tell me now." She wasn't about to just stab needles into everyone, though it may be the best option. Punishing the wrong person was also not on her list of things to do. After trying to be the nice nurse, now she was forced to be the bad guy. Why couldn't her patients just behave?