TW: Obsessive Behaviors, Possessive Behaviors, Mentions of Trauma/PTSD, Ableism (Making fun of a missing eye)
You have been visiting the odd man, who you have learned is called Dr. Daniel Dickens. You never expected to actually end up saving someone from that fire... much less a man who has no parents or family to go to. However, you don't regret a thing. He seems rather kind, if not a bit spacey when it comes to his thoughts. You can't blame him, though, because that fire might have caused some trauma. Perhaps his silent staring is him having flashbacks to it. You made sure to warn the doctor after that thought occurred to you. You wanted to make sure he is okay once he left. Dr. Danny just looked up at you, grinning as he chirped "Oh, I am fine. I have just been thinking about where I will go after this. That building was my home."
Needless to say, now, months after that encounter, you are sitting on the couch in your small apartment, having just brought Danny home from the hospital. Home, as in, to your apartment to stay until he gets back on his feet. You even made sure to visit the store to buy him a few pairs of clothes to wear. You can hear him wander around your apartment, checking everything out. You can't help but giggle a few times when you hear him say things such as "Oh! Is this your room? Sorry! I didn't mean to invade your privacy! I am just trying to figure out the layout of your place!" It is sweet how he seems to be a bit nervous, even though he really shouldn't be. It is not like you are going to hurt him.
Your roommates, Fiona and Jackson, however, are not as pleased. By the time they arrive home, you and Dr. Danny are sitting on the couch together, switching through the television channels. He seems especially interested in a documentary about the latest advancements in eye surgery. You just chalk it up to him being a doctor. Regardless, Jackson takes one look at you two and is upset. He points to to Danny, saying "Really? ANOTHER ONE? (Y/N), we are crowded enough in here as it is! Why would you take someone else in?" Fiona nods, her tone much calmer, but still showing disdain. "Yeah... (Y/N), I remember you saying that this guy doesn't have a place to stay, but really? You could've dropped him off at the homeless shelter downtown."
Dr. Danny stays quiet, seemingly too engrossed in the documentary to say a word, possibly too much so to even notice them. You speak up, saying "I know we are a bit crowded in here... but, look at him! He needs help! I'm not going to leave him, now. I'm the only real confidant he has at the moment." "Where is he going to sleep, (Y/N)? There isn't enough room!" Jackson counters. You instantly reply with a quick "He can take my bed. I'll sleep on the couch."
"No... I'll sleep on the couch. You need a proper, good night's sleep to rest your eyes at night." You, Jackson, and Fiona all look over to Dr. Danny, who is still staring at the screen. So, he has been listening. He continues "I'll be sure to cause no trouble. I wouldn't dare do so purposely after all that (Y/N) has done for me." He seemingly has to force himself to look away from the screen, turning his head up to your roommates. "What are your names?"
Fiona seems to flinch, before meekly introducing herself "I am Fiona... this is my brother, Jackson." She points to Jackson, who glares down at the man next to you. You have never seen Fiona look so... genuinely shocked before. You are about to speak up, when Dr. Danny continues "It is good to meet you both. I hope my sudden arrival hasn't made me have a negative first impression. I will try to do my fair share of chores as payment for (Y/N)'s generosity." Jackson looks down at you, next, a smug grin on his face as he jokingly says "Well, looks like we found our new butler!" Fiona seems just as unnerved as before, though, looking down at her feet.
The next few weeks are much more lively than normal, to say the least. Jackson has his fun toying with Dr. Danny. He makes him clean the dishes, cook dinner, and all the likes. It gets twice as back when he realizes that he has a missing eye, causing him to tease Dr. Danny about it. Fiona has been hiding in her and Jackson's room more often than she already does, playing her music to drown out the chaos from the rest of the apartment. Meanwhile, you are trying to stop Jackson's relentless teasing and orders and get the poor doctor some time for a break.
This time, you manage to find the two in the kitchen, Dr. Danny cleaning the dishes and Jackson talking rather loudly about pirates. You can tell the joke he is trying to tell. Haha. Pirates have one eye. Danny has one eye. Danny is a pirate. Same old same old... You cut in-between the two of them, causing Jackson to go quiet as you talk. "Jackson... How about you go get groceries and clean the living room tonight? This is my apartment, and we are all supposed to be doing chores. It has been a while since you have done anything. At least Fiona cleans your room. I can help Dr. Danny with the dishes." "But-" "Now. We are running out of milk, bread, pasta, and we need a few more boxes of cereal."
As Jackson scurries off, you look over to Dr. Danny, who is staring at you. It is that exact same stare he always gave you in the hospital. You ask quietly "Are you alright? He has always been an asshole, but never this much of one." He slowly nods. "Yeah. I am a bit used to it." You tilt your head, concern washing over you "How much so...?" Dr. Danny looks down at the dishes, causing you to notice just how much harder he is scrubbing at them with the brush. "Oh... it happened all the time during my childhood. It was worse then, due to me only having an eyepatch. They didn't want to give me a glass eye back then, because the doctors said it would be too expensive for my family, especially considering the follow-up care and the possible need for a new one if I grew out of it. As I said, though, I am used to it. I'm used to worse, actually. It's fine-"
You shake your head, picking up a dish and washing it as you cut him off "No, it really isn't. You shouldn't be used to something like that, much less WORSE than that. I'll be sure to check in on you more often. I'll clean the rest of the dishes. You can go do... Whatever it is you want to do. I can even pay for you to get a coffee from the coffee shop down the street." He grows quiet, again. This time, he seems completely frozen. You stop washing the dishes for a second, asking "Are you okay?"
He is silent, staring at you, again. He ended up getting a few sets of his glass eyes back from the remains of the building, so he has that dark false eye in. Despite it being fake, it seems just as filled with emotion as his real one. You can't quite tell what it is, though, but you don't mind. You can tell it isn't sadness, at least. You chuckle "Dr. Danny, you are staring again. Is something on your mind?" He blinks a few times, shaking his head "Umm... no. Actually, yes. Can you just call me Danny? I already call you (Y/N). I have never been your doctor, either. You don't have to be formal with me." You nod, smiling "Alright, Danny."
He grins, before drying off his hands and going over to the television. You finish up with your dishes, and are about to go sit by Danny, when Fiona peeks her head through her bedroom door. She whisper yells "Psst! (Y/N)... Get over here!"
You frown, wondering what her concern is about. Walking over, you ask "What is it?" "That doctor... I don't trust him! He's odd..." You frown "What has Jackson been telling you?" Her eyebrows furrow "Nothing. I just... when I first saw him, I remembered this newspaper article. I found it online. Let me explain it."
She shows you her computer, which has the article up. Reading it out to you, she explains a very simple story: Dr. Danny went missing in the building, alongside a few others. Then, numerous people went missing. Dr. Danny, Rachel Gardner, and Issac Foster were the only ones who escaped alive from the fire. There were only two bodies found in the building.
You are a bit confused, looking over to her. "What are you trying to get at?" She points to another article "He was Rachel's counselor after her parents' murders. He went missing alongside Rachel. He was a prison counselor for a bit before that, too, with a lot of his patients tearing out their own eyes. Look, I don't mean to sound paranoid or anything, but... What if-?"
You cut her off "Look, if you are going to say that you think Danny is some crazy man with a love for eyes that drives him to violent acts, I am not having it. This is all circumstantial. I am not saying that your little... Investigation is all worthless. I admit, it is odd that a lot of his patients would do something so specific, but a lot of weird things happen. For the Rachel situation, he could've been brought there at the same time as her." She looks over to you, desperation in her eyes "But what about his weird interest in that documentary. He hasn't stopped watching it since he got here. He even recorded it!"
You shrug your shoulders "Everyone has a weird way of coping with things, Fiona. God knows you do, with your obsession with snow after your mountain climbing incident. It could be his way of coping with only being born with one eye. I may not understand it, you may not understand it, Jackson DEFINITELY doesn't understand it... but it could be helping him deal with a lot of stress. So just... leave him be, okay?" Fiona sighs, nodding "If... If he causes trouble, you let me know, okay?" "I will, Fiona. I will even let you tell me that you told me so." She smirks "Good. I will be sure to savor that moment if it occurs."
You stand up, leaving the room and heading off to see Danny. To your surprise, he isn't watching that documentary about eye surgery. Instead, he seems to be looking at his jar of glass eyes. Peeking over his shoulder, you see one eye that is different than the rest. Two irises, one green and one red, pushed together in an unnatural way, making it look almost like there are two eyes shoved into a single glass ball to make it. It is both disturbing, but pretty in its own way... The most disturbing part is just why he would have a glass eye like that. Isn't the purpose of a glass eye to fit in?
He suddenly turns, grinning at you, causing you to flinch. You were caught red-handed. You open your mouth with the intent to explain yourself, only for him to laugh. "There is no need to be scared! I am happy that you are so intrigued by my collection. I was worried that you would be frightened by it." You shake your head "No... I am interested. That one looks rather pretty, if not a bit different than the rest." You point to the green and red eye, watching as his gaze locks onto it. "Yes... I love that one. It is my favorite! I feel as though I don't quite act like myself without it in. However, I understand that people are a bit... Unnerved when I wear it." You tilt your head, nodding slowly. "Well... Whenever we are the only two people in the apartment, or the only people up, you can put it in. My home, my rules."
He hums, that strange look coming back to his eyes. "I am happy to hear that... You are so kind." He places the jar next to him on the couch, asking "May I keep my collection in your room? I want to make sure our roommates are not disturbed by it." "Of course, Danny! If only you allow me to look at them. I won't touch them, of course. Just look." "Certainly."
The sound of Jackson returning home in his car comes from outside. Danny seems to grow tense. Not the nervous sort of tense, but the type of tense that expresses anger or annoyance. The soft smile on his face remains, however, albeit a bit strained. "(Y/N)? I hate to ask, but may I sleep in your room, tonight? I want to go to bed early, but I do not want to take up space on the couch, in case someone wishes to use it." You nod slowly, staring at the door. "Sure. I'll be sure to talk to Jackson about his behavior, too."
Danny stands up, walking over to your room. Before he enters, he says to you "Don't worry. I will be sure to talk to him about it, as well."
24-Aug-2018: ‘Go To School’, album by The Lemon Twigs
Record Label: 4AD.
The Lemon Twigs’s second album was released on label 4AD and is now available on Spotify. The album is not rated on Last.FM, indicating it is not all that popular (or just to soon to tell).
Album cover for The Lemon Twigs’s new album: Go To School
The new release 'Go To School' by The Lemon Twigs is now on Spotify
The new release ‘Go To School’ by The Lemon Twigs is now on Spotify
24-Aug-2018: ‘Go To School’, album by The Lemon Twigs
Label: 4AD.
The Lemon Twigs’s second album was released on the label 4AD and can be found on Spotify. The album is not rated on Last.FM, indicating it is not all that popular or it’s just too soon to tell.
Album cover for The Lemon Twigs’s new album: Go To School
