Thank you to valeriebean for the idea. This is loosely based off of Babe. I wanted to show it from Bernadette's POV. Originally a one shot but I wanted to add something. I'm including a mention of one of my OC's because . . . I don't know why.
When they called me and told me that he was barely able to say sentences without becoming short of breath or, to put this politely, getting violently ill. I called.
. . .
"Please God, please let him pick up," I prayed.
"Hello?" He asked. He sounded so out of it. He couldn't be lucid. He must be so scared. Oh my poor Howie. I want to be with him.
"Howie sweetie, can you stay on the phone with me for a while?"
"Uh . . . I . . .nnn . . ." I heard him whimper on the other end.
"Honey where does it hurt? Is your mother home sweetie?" I asked
"No. . . she-she's on vacation . . . and . . ." his breathing sped up on the other line.
"What? Where does it hurt sweetie?"
"Stomach and dear God . . . my chest . . . I can't breathe . . ." he was sobbing over the phone. Dear God how I wanted to be with him.
"Honey stay with me. Honey shhhh . . . it's okay sweetie." I whispered. "It's okay. Howie honey, it's going to be okay are they here yet sweetie?"
"I don't know I'm scared."
"I know. I know honey. I'll be with you soon sweetie. I'll be with you soon." I'll be in a hazmat suit but I'll be there soon.
I couldn't hear anything on his end. I was starting to get scared.
"Howie sweetie, are you still there?"
There was a soft moan on the other end and some violent retching.
"Shhh . . . Flower gleam and glow let your power shine make the clock reverse and bring back what once was mine. What once was mine," I knew he was listening.
"Bernadette we have him." Penny said to me. "God does he look awful. Howard," I heard her say to him. "Howard, sweetie," she murmured. "God!" Penny said breathlessly.
"What's wrong?"
"He's so warm. You have no idea."
"We're nearly out of quarantine. I'll be out this morning DON'T let him out of your sight Penny," I swallowed tears. "Please for me. Talk to him for me. Tell him I'm coming please!"
"I promise. I'm going to hang up now Bernadette do you trust me?"
"With his life," I told her.
I could hear her crying before we hung up. Then I burst into tears.
. . .
I ran in as fast as I could. Penny was sitting between Howard and Leonard. I couldn't look at Leonard. I stared at my love. I stared at my future husband. He was so much more than a fiancé. I felt the hazmat mask fog up as I recalled watching Disney movies with Penny's little niece.
It had been a four or five hour marathon of Pooh Bear and Rapunzel and other princesses and animals and whatever else she thrust at us. I just remember two things. Howard crying when Eugene Fitzherbert said he had a thing for brunettes upon waking up. Then I remember, when Shelby was falling asleep him whispering in his beautiful voice, "I'll always be with you." He told her this during Pooh's Grand Adventure. I don't think I've ever found anything more attractive. Amy explained to me that the reason I felt that had to do with a maternal hormone or something I don't remember.
I sat down with him looking at the oxygen tubes in his nose. I took his hand. Penny had been kicked out. I hadn't. I refused. I sat with him. "Shhh . . . it will be alright. I promise."
I swore I saw a smile flicker across his face.
"You are my new dream. I dream about you more than my PHD. I dream about you more than my mother and father. You are my dream Howard. . . I love you."
I stroked his bangs softly. "Shhh . . . Flower gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine. Heal what has been hurt. Change the fate's design. Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine. What once was mine," I sang in tears. "I love you." I lay next to him. He might have been comatose. He might not be breathing on his own. However, he could feel me there. He could feel me with him. He could hear me.
. . .
I remember praying. I prayed so hard. I prayed. I never prayed but there I was, praying. I held the cross around my neck and cried. Shortly after our engagement he'd talked about fixing a Star of David to it.
"So that it will show the world coexisting is possible. It'll show the whole world we're connected so intimately. No one will argue," he'd whispered to me.
"God please save him. He's my world; he'll always be my world. I want to have children with him. I love him God please let him live. PLEASE, please, please," I sobbed.
"Did I ever tell you . . ." he wheezed, "I have a thing for blondes with PHD's?"
"HOWIE!" I hugged him. "Thank God. Thank you God." I cried into his shoulder.
"Shhh . . . Didn't I tell you, I'll always be with you."
"I love you Howard."
. . .
Once he was deemed not contagious. I cared for him without the suit. I was thankful. He'd fallen asleep with that dang laptop on his lap again. I removed it and sat on his bed side. His fever was still so high he had trouble making sense sometimes. He wouldn't have any permanent damage, thank goodness.
He rolled onto his side and groaned. I got behind him and gently rocked him. He still looked so sick. I kissed his cheek.
"You know Sheldon and Leonard are worried about you. They'll be fine. They miss you. Shelby wants to Skype you soon as you feel up to it." I whispered.
"I'd like that." He murmured. Talking was such a chore for him. "I'll never . . . take speaking for granted. . . again." He yawned.
"Do you want any movies?" I asked.
"Tangled?" He asked.
"That's our movie isn't it?"
"I have a secret. I'm going to 'smolder' at you at our wedding. Bernadette. . . I engineered lanterns. I made floating lanterns for all the guests on the guest list." He smiled. "We're going to set them off of the balcony over a lake."
"Howard . . . Oh Howie . . . that's beautiful." I whispered. "It'll be so pretty. I can just see it hundreds of lanterns over that lake."
"I love you." He whispered. "Please sing to me again?"
"Of course, Flower gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine."
So anyway if it wasn't obvious I love Disney. All I could think of when I first saw Howard was "Oh lord it's a short Flynn Rider!" I also love Pooh. I felt like using a few references to my favorite Pooh movie Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin. I feel like of all the guys Howard would like Disney and Bernadette strikes me as a sort of Disney person as well.
I will say this again thank you valeriebean again for letting me do this. :D
