#271-Talk about a time you were sick. for [_call_me_snake_]
The wall wasn’t going to move, though Mathis stared at it as if it would suddenly whip around and charge off into the merry sunset. Between school and work he spent most of his time behind computers and his nose in books frantically writing out formulas and numbers. His head swirled around with equations and problems, physics mixing with advance mathematics, and a suddenly obsessive need to have everything orderly. What time he wasn’t devoting to school and his internship was spent between Bob and Natalia.
He felt like his life was ruled by carefully planed, and blocked off time slots.
6:30 am to 7:00 am- Shower and dressing.
7:00am to 7:30am- Breakfast
7:30am to 11:00-Study group/tutoring/classwork
11:00am to 4:00pm- Class and maybe lunch
4:00pm to 4:30pm- Dinner and going to work
4:30pm to 9:00pm- Work
9:00pm to 10:00pm- Snack, call Snake if Wednesday or Friday, Monday and Thursdays stopping by the pub, Mondays and Tuesday diner to see Trish and Celeste.
10:00pm to 1:00am- Classwork and time spent with Bob and/or Natalia.
1:00am to 6:30am- sleep…if he can.
The weekends were endlessly devoted to people that had things they needed his help with, or simply wanted to spend time with him. And, should the need arise, he would still be stuck in the library plodding away at his class work. Bob would whine that his time was gone, that he was missing the best parties and such. Nat would pout at him but sometimes just sit across from him and pretend to do her own work while he made faces and scribbled equations on his paper. And when time allowed, he trekked down to Snake’s shop to look at the bikes, sometimes even taking a few lessons on how to ‘not kill himself’ on one.
But while today was one such moment, Mathis didn’t much feel like riding as he stared at the wall. His head had an aching thud, his eyes felt as though cotton was stuffed in them, and his eyes itched of all things. It left him in a half wakeful state the made the boy swear he was dreaming about sitting on Snake’s couch.
“Hey…” Snake kicked at Mat’s feet as he walked by, not really stopping to look at him as he shuffled about his shop. “If you are just going to be here, get the hell up and help out. This isn’t a circus show.”
Mat blinked for a moment, as if he were a bit confused, before he nodded and stood slowly. Movement made his head hurt more, and he wrinkled his nose up as he rubbed his temples and followed behind Snake. “What do you need…” He asked, trying not to sound annoyed. It wasn’t that Snake had asked him to do stuff that annoyed him…
“You can start by helping me clean this crap up.” Snake grunted, starting to pick up and put his tools away, periodically slapping at Mat’s hands as he clumsily put tools in wrong places. “What the hell is wrong with you today.”
“Huh?”
“What is wrong with you? Do I need to speak more slowly for you?”
“Oh…” Mathis blinked a moment, before trying to fit the crescent wrench back into its spot.
“Well?”
“Cold….I think.” It wasn’t like he’d made the trip to the health center. Of course he probably should have, but it wasn’t really the point. He didn’t even go down there once a month anymore, since the counselors had referred him to local psychiatrist. And that was a whole mess he didn’t even want to think about.
“Don’t get me sick…” Snake warned, though, before turning to settle the power tools away. Mathis could only shrug helplessly as he plopped onto a rolling stool. He stared at the shop walls blankly for a moment, before seeming to recall why he’d even made the trip today- given his cold.
“Oh, Natalia has a recital soon. You know she probably wouldn’t even mention it to anyone, though she’d be glad to see you there. She’s funny about things, doesn’t think she’s all the good one minute, then thinks otherwise the next. I can’t keep up, though. And she wouldn’t tell her sister if her sister didn’t pout a lot.” He started to ramble then, losing track of what subject he was on and just jumping to another one until Snake told him to shut up.
Then he’d sit there for a while, staring blankly into space and thinking about one thing or the other before launching into yet more assorted topics of little relevance. He discussed his senior project, though, in some length. Expressed his frustrations with his physics professor’s teaching habits, and even somewhat bemoaned his crazy lack of time. But eventually he would fall quiet for a while, and frown deeply.
After a while, Snake stopped and looked at him hard for a while, staring the boy down in hopes of getting his attention in a subtle manner before finally chucking something at him. “Alright….so what is really wrong?”
Mat blinked at him for a moment, confused slightly before sighing and shrugging. “I don’t know….” He bit his lip, ignoring the general scoffing sounds that Snake made before sighing. “The shrink lady wants to give me some medications.”
“For what?” Though Mat could only imagine some of the things Snake would suggest Mathis needed medication for. He was all too aware that his could get far to hyper for anyone’s enjoyment.
“She thinks I might be depressed.” Mathis dug the toe of his boot into the floor a little, watching the leather bind at odd angles before he stood rolled his shoulders. “I don’t know though. I don’t feel depressed.”
“Right now, you mean.”
“I don’t feel depressed…right now.” Mathis conceded, looking off as he tried to not think about the last time he’d gone through these sorts of arguments with his friends.
“You going to take them?”
“I guess.” Mathis shuffled his feet again, turned to meander around the shop as he thought about things. “I don’t know. I haven’t told Nat.”
“She doesn’t have to know everything,” Snake suggested with a slight snark before sighing and moving up to the taller boy. “Look, just take the damn medication and, stop moping around my shop. And if you are going to come down here so damn much, learn how to really use these tools inside of trying to break them. They aren’t cheap!”
Mathis gave him a side long glance for a moment, sighing dramatically as if the whole request just bent him out of shape before smiling just a little. “Oh, yes sir. I will…”
Snake stood there for a moment before reaching out and giving Mat an awkward hug that startled the German a little, before he started to laugh a little. “Aw! Snake has a heart!” He teased, before being slapped rather sharply upside the back of the head.
“If you’re well enough to laugh, you are damn well healthy enough to help me out. Come on. And shut up.”
Mathis giggled a little still, as he nodded slowing. “Yes, sir.” He’d try not to ramble too much at least.
===
Mathis Richter
OC
1,193 words
He felt like his life was ruled by carefully planed, and blocked off time slots.
6:30 am to 7:00 am- Shower and dressing.
7:00am to 7:30am- Breakfast
7:30am to 11:00-Study group/tutoring/classwork
11:00am to 4:00pm- Class and maybe lunch
4:00pm to 4:30pm- Dinner and going to work
4:30pm to 9:00pm- Work
9:00pm to 10:00pm- Snack, call Snake if Wednesday or Friday, Monday and Thursdays stopping by the pub, Mondays and Tuesday diner to see Trish and Celeste.
10:00pm to 1:00am- Classwork and time spent with Bob and/or Natalia.
1:00am to 6:30am- sleep…if he can.
The weekends were endlessly devoted to people that had things they needed his help with, or simply wanted to spend time with him. And, should the need arise, he would still be stuck in the library plodding away at his class work. Bob would whine that his time was gone, that he was missing the best parties and such. Nat would pout at him but sometimes just sit across from him and pretend to do her own work while he made faces and scribbled equations on his paper. And when time allowed, he trekked down to Snake’s shop to look at the bikes, sometimes even taking a few lessons on how to ‘not kill himself’ on one.
But while today was one such moment, Mathis didn’t much feel like riding as he stared at the wall. His head had an aching thud, his eyes felt as though cotton was stuffed in them, and his eyes itched of all things. It left him in a half wakeful state the made the boy swear he was dreaming about sitting on Snake’s couch.
“Hey…” Snake kicked at Mat’s feet as he walked by, not really stopping to look at him as he shuffled about his shop. “If you are just going to be here, get the hell up and help out. This isn’t a circus show.”
Mat blinked for a moment, as if he were a bit confused, before he nodded and stood slowly. Movement made his head hurt more, and he wrinkled his nose up as he rubbed his temples and followed behind Snake. “What do you need…” He asked, trying not to sound annoyed. It wasn’t that Snake had asked him to do stuff that annoyed him…
“You can start by helping me clean this crap up.” Snake grunted, starting to pick up and put his tools away, periodically slapping at Mat’s hands as he clumsily put tools in wrong places. “What the hell is wrong with you today.”
“Huh?”
“What is wrong with you? Do I need to speak more slowly for you?”
“Oh…” Mathis blinked a moment, before trying to fit the crescent wrench back into its spot.
“Well?”
“Cold….I think.” It wasn’t like he’d made the trip to the health center. Of course he probably should have, but it wasn’t really the point. He didn’t even go down there once a month anymore, since the counselors had referred him to local psychiatrist. And that was a whole mess he didn’t even want to think about.
“Don’t get me sick…” Snake warned, though, before turning to settle the power tools away. Mathis could only shrug helplessly as he plopped onto a rolling stool. He stared at the shop walls blankly for a moment, before seeming to recall why he’d even made the trip today- given his cold.
“Oh, Natalia has a recital soon. You know she probably wouldn’t even mention it to anyone, though she’d be glad to see you there. She’s funny about things, doesn’t think she’s all the good one minute, then thinks otherwise the next. I can’t keep up, though. And she wouldn’t tell her sister if her sister didn’t pout a lot.” He started to ramble then, losing track of what subject he was on and just jumping to another one until Snake told him to shut up.
Then he’d sit there for a while, staring blankly into space and thinking about one thing or the other before launching into yet more assorted topics of little relevance. He discussed his senior project, though, in some length. Expressed his frustrations with his physics professor’s teaching habits, and even somewhat bemoaned his crazy lack of time. But eventually he would fall quiet for a while, and frown deeply.
After a while, Snake stopped and looked at him hard for a while, staring the boy down in hopes of getting his attention in a subtle manner before finally chucking something at him. “Alright….so what is really wrong?”
Mat blinked at him for a moment, confused slightly before sighing and shrugging. “I don’t know….” He bit his lip, ignoring the general scoffing sounds that Snake made before sighing. “The shrink lady wants to give me some medications.”
“For what?” Though Mat could only imagine some of the things Snake would suggest Mathis needed medication for. He was all too aware that his could get far to hyper for anyone’s enjoyment.
“She thinks I might be depressed.” Mathis dug the toe of his boot into the floor a little, watching the leather bind at odd angles before he stood rolled his shoulders. “I don’t know though. I don’t feel depressed.”
“Right now, you mean.”
“I don’t feel depressed…right now.” Mathis conceded, looking off as he tried to not think about the last time he’d gone through these sorts of arguments with his friends.
“You going to take them?”
“I guess.” Mathis shuffled his feet again, turned to meander around the shop as he thought about things. “I don’t know. I haven’t told Nat.”
“She doesn’t have to know everything,” Snake suggested with a slight snark before sighing and moving up to the taller boy. “Look, just take the damn medication and, stop moping around my shop. And if you are going to come down here so damn much, learn how to really use these tools inside of trying to break them. They aren’t cheap!”
Mathis gave him a side long glance for a moment, sighing dramatically as if the whole request just bent him out of shape before smiling just a little. “Oh, yes sir. I will…”
Snake stood there for a moment before reaching out and giving Mat an awkward hug that startled the German a little, before he started to laugh a little. “Aw! Snake has a heart!” He teased, before being slapped rather sharply upside the back of the head.
“If you’re well enough to laugh, you are damn well healthy enough to help me out. Come on. And shut up.”
Mathis giggled a little still, as he nodded slowing. “Yes, sir.” He’d try not to ramble too much at least.
===
Mathis Richter
OC
1,193 words