Chapter Text
James remembered the day that it happened.
It had been a long and exhausting day. He'd been confined in his office for hours, with only the bottom of his coffee cup for company. He'd just finished stamping the last of the paperwork on his desk and was about to stack them for mailing. James almost fell back into his chair once he filed away the last of his papers, his back ached from leaning forward all day, he ran a hand through his hair and rubbed his eyes with his fingertips.
At exactly five in the evening, his Scroll rang. James remembered letting out a low sigh of mild annoyance. Because the last thing he needed right now was more work. He was exhausted and all he wanted to do right now was sleep. Regardless, he picked it up and put it to his ear. “Hello?”
“Good evening is Mr. Ironwood there?”
The woman on the other end sounded just as bored and annoyed as he felt, he had half a mind to hang up but there was obviously a reason for this call. “Speaking.”
With his lack of response, the woman sounded even more annoying than she had been, James couldn’t help but chuckle. “Good. Now sir, do you know a man by the name of Ozpin?”
James blinked. “Oz?”
“Yes sir. You see, he was admitted to the hospital just a few minutes ago. And we saw that his scroll had you as his emergency contact list.”
James' hearing stopped working the moment she said Oz had been admitted to the hospital. “Hold on, go back. Hospital? What do you mean Oz is in the hospital? What happened?”
“I’m afraid how knowledge is limited in this investigation—“
James’s heart skipped a beat. “Investigation ? Investigating what?”
The woman sounded exasperated, like she didn’t want to be bothered answering his questions. “Sir, please stay calm, just come down to the medical center in Vale and we’ll explain—“
But James interrupted her, “Absolutely not. I am the Headmaster of Atlas Academy, I just got done doing hours of paperwork, I am heavily caffeine deprived, exhausted and now you're telling me one of my best friends has been admitted to the hospital and is under investigation and you want me to stay calm?”
“Sir—“
He glared into his scroll as if that would have made any difference in getting any answers, but he was passed the point of caring. “What is going on?”
There was a long sigh on the other end, “Apparently there was a 911 call to Mr. Diggs residents early this morning around seven. The incident has been filed that Mr. Diggs burst into a fit of rage—“
James was up and out of his chair in seconds, heading for the door. “Are you implying that Oz attacked someone?”
“Mr. Ironwood, listen I’m simply reading the report—“
“No, you listen!” The degree of vitriol in James' voice should have startled him, but it didn't. "Ozpin and I have known each other since we were children. He doesn't have it in him to "burst into a fit of rage," as you put it. He’s not capable!”
“He attacked his wife.”
And that’s when it clicked.
James had previously studied law, made to do so by his grandfather and while he may not now be a professional lawyer, while he may have dropped out before he had even graduated and taken up a teaching job at Atlas instead, he was still familiar with how the police and documentation functioned.
The claim was that Oz attacked Salem. And he was well aware of where this road was headed, but he refused to believe it.
James knew instantly this was something she’d planned, his feet carried him all the way to his car and he revved the engine loudly, as if to try and make himself heard. “That’s ridiculous, Oz adores Salem. He would never lay a finger on her. He’s not abusive, she is.”
“Mr. Ironwood, I—“
“Look at his arms, she’s been abusing him for months!” Everything was becoming too much for him, and all these scenarios in his imagination began to form: they were going to charge Oz with abuse, they were going to take his girls away— “Please just, don’t let the police charge him with anything just yet, let me talk to him.”
There was a sigh on the other end. “Visiting hours end in two hours.”
“I’ll be there.”
James hung up, tossing his scroll on the passenger seat, he pressed his forehead against the steering wheel. Everything was in a downward tailspin; he couldn’t get out of. He needed a moment, he needed time to comprehend everything that was happening, but he didn’t have the time. All he could do was breathe and push it all down. Push everything down to deal with later.
He placed his car in drive, James cut the usual four-hour journey to Vale in half.
When he got there, James could barely contain his relief when he saw Glynda and Qrow. Looks like he wasn’t the only one on Oz’s Emergency Contact list. Both of them stood up from their seats and made their way over to him. James couldn’t help but take in their appearance, Glynda’s hair was unkempt, her fingers twitched nervously and Qrow looked like he'd drunk about ten containers of alcohol in the span of a minute.
Given the circumstances, James couldn’t blame him.
James reached out and out a steady hand on both their shoulders, “Any word? Is he alright?”
As a kid was always known to be this big guy, when all four of them had been children, he was dubbed as their older brother because of his size, and James couldn’t deny that he didn’t treat them as such.
Glynda took a breath, “Nothing yet. We’ve been waiting for two hours.”
“None of these asses will tell us anything.” Qrow snarled, glaring at the desk clerk, “Lady over there wouldn’t have let me in cause I “looked too drunk”, if Glyn hadn’t vouched for me.”
James turned his head to his left and saw the woman he’d taken in his scroll with. “Yeah, she told me Oz attacked Salem.”
Qrow scoffed, “That’s a load of bull! Oz would never do that, he’s too nice.”
“Far too nice” Glynda added, wryly, “Sometimes for his own good.”
James knew that Oz was raised to respect everyone, especially women. His mother, given how wonderful and amazing as she was, had given him a false concept that all women were angels. “Oz made a vow once that he’d treat his wife with respect—“
There was a fury in Glynda’s eyes that hadn’t been there previously. “I don’t know what that woman is, but she’s not a wife. Respect and love goes both ways. And she never did.”
And there it was, the elephant in the room.
They didn’t need to question how they all happened; they knew. Without even knowing the whole story, they all were able to piece it together.
Salem.
The doors to the ER opened and out came the doctor. “Hello, I’m Doctor Amber. Are you here for Ozpin Diggs?”
James stepped forward, needing information. “Yes, how is he?”
Doctor Amber’s gave them a kind and reassuring smile. “He just got out of surgery. It was extensive but I won’t worry you with the gory details. Just know we stitched up his throat where the wound was, he’s resting now.”
At the mention of Oz’s wound the air around them grew thicker. “That psycho bitch cut his throat?”
James felt Glynda move away from his left and over towards Qrow, trying to calm him down. He was grateful, he wouldn’t have been able to do so, he was fairing no better.
Doctor Amber's expression didn't seem startled by Qrow's assertion; in fact, it appeared as if her assumptions had been verified. “I thought so. The cut being as jagged as it was there's no way this wasn't caused by someone who was enraged. Safety regulations states that if his life is in danger of abuse then I ask who?”
James closed his eyes, he hated having to say this. Because at one point. He had liked Salem, had felt sympathy for her, when he heard about what her father put her through. But not anymore. “His wife, Salem.”
“Not for long if I have anything to say about it.”
James turned his head sharply in Qrow’s direction. “Qrow.”
But James knew Qrow, he knew that his friend had a tipping point, a point where if crossed would only lead to him word vomiting. And by the expression Qrow wore, he knew he’d long since passed it. “What? I don’t give a damn, Jimmy.”
“I know that, but—“
James barely had the time to register that Doctor Amber was moving until she was right between him and Qrow. Her eyes held sympathy within them, and James was grateful at the fact that she was far better then the desk clerk he’d spoken to. “Would you like me to move Mr. Diggs to one of our private rooms that will only be accessible to you three?”
He let out a sigh, “If that’s not too much trouble.”
She smiled at him, “Of course not. Give me five minutes.”
And then she was gone, the doors to the ER closing behind her, leaving the three of them alone once again.
It didn’t take long for Qrow to let out an irritated growl, taking out his flake and sipping it. “I don’t care what Oz says, I’ll force him to sign the divorce papers if I have to.”
“Personally,” Glynda said dryly, “I think the last thing he needs is to be forced to do something he doesn’t want.”
Qrow scoffed, “Oh, so now you want him to stay with her?”
The glare Glynda sent Qrow was practically dripping with enough ice that even James had to take a step back. “No , but for these past few months he’s been forced to do whatever she says when she says it. He’s been pulled around like a dog on a leash. What he needs from us right now is to not boss him around.”
Qrow turned away from Glynda, and promptly kicked the wall with his shoe, “This is such bullshit, why’d couldn’t he just listen to us when we told him to leave her?”
“You know as well as the rest of us that no amount of convincing from us was gonna make him leave. He loved her too much.” James remembered his grandfather told him once that love was blind, as a kid he never knew what that meant, until now. “Who knows? Maybe there’s a silver lining in this?”
Qrow let out a hollowed chuckle, “Yeah, tell that to his kids. They just lost the only good parent they had.”
Placing his hands in his pockets, Qrow turned the corner and left.
Two weeks had passed since the incident.
One would think that would have long enough for things to have settled down, but they hadn’t. There was this tension in the air. A tension that hadn’t lifted since that day. James knew why of course, it was Salem, she had somehow infected the atmosphere, tainted it with her aura. Because that’s who she was, just her mere presence was enough to just put everyone in a bad mood.
Her personality around others just screamed sickeningly false, James was amazed she had so many friends considering all those smiles were fake.
Oz was awake now, but even that hadn’t been enough to pierce that dark cloud that hung over their heads. Oz was refusing to stay in bed, refusing any kind of medication Doctor Amber tried to give him for any kind of pain he might be having. And what was worse is that he couldn’t even verbally say how he was feeling, because he couldn’t talk.
Because Salem’s assault had nearly made him mute. Just nearly though, thank God. Amber informed them that it would be a long process before he’d be able to speak again.
Despite that, that didn’t mean Oz was unable to communicate with them.
When he walked into the room James found Oz arguing with Amber in sign language, “Oz?”
Oz looked at him and practically melted upon seeing a familiar face. “James… ” Oz signed, looking annoyed as he looked at Doctor Amber, “Tell her that I need to leave.”
James turned to Doctor Amber, “What happened?”
Amber let out a noise that was between a sigh and a laugh, gestured him aside and away from Oz. “Mr. Diggs here thinks he’s overstayed his welcome, and wants to be released.”
James narrowed his eyebrow, “Can he?”
Amber sighed, “It’s not that easy, if what you are claiming is true and he is being abused by his wife.”
“It’s true.” James said, firmly.
“Then we need to make sure he is not only healing properly but also is safe. Does he have a place to stay?”
Glynda had actually brought that up to him before he came here. They all agreed that Oz going back to his home was absolutely off the table. He didn’t need that kind of emotional whiplash just yet. “He can stay with me. Or I can get him an apartment, whatever he wants.”
“And you’d watch him?”
James’ face remained still but serious and just as determined. “Like a hawk, it’s not something I’m not use to, I’ve been watching the three of them since we were children.”
Amber gave him a long look, “I’ll consider it. In the meantime, calm him down. Since he refuses to have medication, the pain he’s experiencing will likely cause more agitation.”
She left then and James took a seat next to Oz’s bed. And the two sat in silence for nearly ten minutes before it was broken.
“How are Glynda and Qrow?” Oz asked, his eyes were a storm of many emotions, but the one James could see was concern for their wellbeing. It made James smile, albeit sadly, because it was like Ozpin to be concerned for others even when he was hurting.
James recalled when Oz’s grandmother died. He was more concerned with how Glynda had taken it then himself. Because Oz’s grandmother had adored Glynda like the daughter she never had and treated her as such for years.
As children James could recall many times Oz’s grandmother would tease Glynda and Oz
“When’s the wedding?”
She would tease
“I want some great-grand babies.”
She'd say, with a wide-open chuckle
James knew that when Oz got married to Salem, both Oz's grandparents were disappointed, not unhappy that their grandson found love. Just disappointed that it wasn’t with Glynda. So when she eventually passed from old age just shy of the four of them graduating, it had hit them all hard. Oz was clearly hurting back then, and yet his focus was more on Glynda and his father than himself.
Caring about others' wellbeing before himself was just something Oz did.
“They’re fine. Glynda will be by later today. After she finishes talking with the Headmasters about extending your vacation while you recover. And Qrow has something to deal with back home with Tai and Summer, something involving his sister? But I’m sure he’ll stop by.”
Oz smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “And you?”
James waved off Oz’s concern for him. “I’m fine, Oz. Stressed out from trying to sort out this whole mess… but I don’t matter, my priority is you.”
Oz snapped his fingers, making James flinch in surprise, “You do…” He signed slowly, “You, Qrow and Glynda are the only thing keeping me afloat.”
James wasn’t an emotional person, or at least he tried not to be. Seeing as he was the protector, he had to remain strong for them. But that didn’t stop Oz’s comment from tearing at his heart. “Oz.” He said softly, reaching forward and placing a gentle hand on his friend’s shoulder. “What do you need?”
“For her—” Oz's lower lip trembles with emotion, “To not take my daughters...” His hands shook as he signed this like every letter was breaking his heart, and perhaps it was.
James' heart ached, he felt completely worthless, and he despised it; he was supposed to keep his friends safe from harm, but this? This goes against anything he knew how to fix. James squeezed Oz's shoulder with his eyes closed, letting him know he was there and that he wasn't going anywhere.
It was all he could do.