Detour From Oz

Chapter 4- Now That's Getting Personal Lion.

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to beauty_rose because she voted for all my chapters. I was starting to think this story wasn't good, but she lifted my spirits. Thank you darling.

Dr. Jonathan Crane sat at his desk with his head in his hands. He has been testing his new toxin batch on patients that were in no relation to him, in fact they had been Dr. Wests'. It was frustrating, for the fact that he likes to learn a person's fears before he uses his toxin on them. It was almost a game for him, he didn't like guessing. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a knocking at his door. The knock sounded different from any knock he had previously gotten. Despite that, he could guess it was from West himself. This was the part where most people would say: 'speaking of the devil'; but West was no devil; no matter how horrible his choices in ties were.

"Come in." He said without thinking and pretending he was actually doing something. Dr. West walked in there quietly-not like his usual manner. He was brave; or very stupid to dare come to his office after he spewed shit from his mouth to the cops.

"So... I came here to apologize for my behavior the other day." There it is; the reason he was here. The apology sounded sincere, but he couldn't be sure.

"Well, I appreciate your apology Dr. West." West nodded and stood there uncomfortably. He could tell that he wanted to say something else, but couldn't find the courage to do so. It surprised him that West didn't immediately sit down like he usually does. This gave him a little amusement for the time being. Curiosity stuck him. "Is there something bothering you Dr. West?" He didn't care, but he wanted an explanation for this abnormal behavior. West looked at him for a minute and nodded 'yes'; but he still stood there awkwardly. Jonathan sighed. "Would you like to sit down Dr. West?"

"Thank you. " He mumbled and sat in the patient chair. Yes this was certainly was amusing. He had to refrain from asking what he was so timid and scared about, it made Jonathan a little envious that something struck fear in West, and he wasn't the cause of it. One slip of that word from his mouth will send West to get the police after him.

"What seems to be the problem?" He even went to sit in the doctor chair, to further amuse him in this situation.

"Two of my patients had a mental breakdown..." Of course they did, but Jonathan didn't expect him to be so upset about it. It gave him a sickening happiness. "They killed themselves last night." It was a strange occurrence that everyone he gave the toxin to killed themselves. He would definitely have to fix that before he gave it to Riley.

"That is... unfortunate." He didn't know if that was the right word. Jonathan wasn't really good in situations such as this. West stared off absentmindedly. He couldn't understand why this even bothered West at all, he was completely out of character. His tie wasn't even ghastly today: it was a conservative blue; something he could see himself wearing.

"I don't understand... They both carved fear onto their bodies, and then let themselves bleed out just like Robert McCoy. What is causing them to do this?" His voice was in a panic. He looked like he was about to break at any moment.

"I didn't know you cared so deeply for your patients." He said, deliberately avoiding his question. He already knew he was at fault for killing them indirectly. It may have been insensitive to say that, but he couldn't wrap his head around this new West. This wasn't just some fake sincerity; he pulled when Robert McCoy died. This was the real deal: real panic, real...fear.

"Of course I did... One of them was my wife." After West left, Jonathan was in deep thought. He didn't purposely go after Dr. West's wife-that was a bonus. Before West left, he told him how his wife wrote fear all over the walls in her own blood. The r on the last 'fear' was dragged all the way down to the ground where she slumped. It thrilled him to have West find his wife like that. West also had informed him that his wife had a mental break down before: she had a miscarriage-twins; and bludgeoned her own friend because the friend invited her to a baby shower. He said she was getting better and that he was going to bring her home soon. The whole situation was comical really; a real Jerry Springer.