In Memoriam (an Arthur Fan Fic story)
Arthur was lying right down on the sofa reading a Dark Bunny comic magazine while occasionally glancing up at the news station that was playing on the living room television screen. It was a very boring Friday afternoon. David was in the kitchen while Jane was in the den typing on her computer screen, and D.W. had begged for 1 single chance if only to fulfill her end of a deal she had made with Jane and David.
Just as Arthur turned the page of his comic magazine he looked right up to see if the program had come back from the commercial breaks and the headline he saw at the bottom of the screen made him do 1 double take.
"No, it can't be…" He whispered to himself while sitting up straighter and turning the volume up on the television screen with the television remote, but it was…and he could simply believe this. Mr. Rogers, he was….Arthur gulped nervously in fear.
"Mom! Dad! Buster! Francine! Binky! get in here! hurry up!"
"What is it, Arthur?" Jane asked while David also came right in from the kitchen.
"Yeah, what's all the commotion?"
"Look! the television screen, it's…" Arthur began, but he couldn't finish his sentence. Buster looked right at the television screen and gasped in terrified shock by covering his mouth with both hands. Jane and David hunched their shoulders depressingly.
"Oh my word." He said to himself just as a news reporter continued to cover what had just happened to the PBS Kids show entertainer. Jane and David sat right down on the sofa next to Arthur who looked at his, D.W. and Kate's parents worriedly right before speaking to them.
"What are we gonna tell D.W.?" He asked them.
"She'll be depressed, Mr. and Mrs. Read." Binky said to them. Jane and David sighed heavily.
"Well, we'll just need to be considerate of how she really feels and be super careful with our own words."
"D.W.'s gonna be heartbroken, she adored Mr. Rogers and his shows." Francine said to them while looking down worriedly.
"She'll be more upset than when her pet bird, Spanky passed away." Buster said to them.
"We'll just be very gentle with how we break the news to her." David said to them just as D.W. rushed right through the door.
"Mom! Dad! You'll never guess what happened!" D.W. exclaimed to them while rushing up to them.
"D.W., what's going on around here?"
"I went on a field trip to the Elwood City Zoo, where's the telephone number? We gotta call him right away! You guys promised!" D.W. said to them while jumping up in mid-air and rushing right into the kitchen where the wireless telephone was. Jane and David gasped in shock.
"D.W., wait!"
"It's still in the phone book, right? It hasn't changed ever since we last called him, has it? Oh boy, he'll be super excited to hear from me again what with his new television studio tour coming up and everything, I can hardly wait!" D.W. went right near the wireless telephone on the wall, nearly tipping it over in her hurry. She grabbed a nearby phone book and began sifting right through the pages.
"D.W.,"
"Where's his number, Mom and Dad? we gotta call him right now, he might be busy later on!"
"D.W.,"
"I can't find it anyplace! I…"
"D.W.! slow down 1 minute." Jane and David walked right up to D.W. and took the wireless telephone from her, placing it right back on the hook. D.W. gasped in shock and stared at them.
"Hey! Mom, Dad, what are you doing?" she said to them. Jane and David smiled at D.W. depressingly.
"Listen, D.W., we're very proud of you for staying with your group on that zoo field trip, and you really deserve a reward." Jane said to her.
"Yeah, I know, that's the reason I stayed with them, you promised to call Mr. Rogers and see if I could tour with him if I stayed with my group." D.W. said to them. Jane and David sighed depressingly and glanced right over at Arthur, Buster, Francine and Binky who were watching very carefully from the kitchen doorway. Jane and David wiped their hands over their faces. They didn't know if they could break the news to their 1st daughter. D.W. frowned a bit.
"Mom? Dad? are you alright? you don't look good." she said to them.
"We're fine, D.W., but…we're afraid you won't be able to tour with Mr. Rogers by the way." David said to her slowly. D.W. gasped in shock.
"What? hey, no fair! I kept my end of the deal, Mom and Dad, and you promised!" D.W. exclaimed to them while pointing an accusing finger at her parents.
"We know, D.W., But…"
"I mean, come on, I haven't seen Mr. Rogers ever since our original classic 2D animated episode, you promised I could go!"
"And it was a good idea, D.W., but…"
"Then why are you going back on your words, Mom and Dad? that's dishonest and downright misleading! I thought you were much better people than that!" D.W. pouted, folding her arms. Jane and David groaned in agitation and looked over to Buster, Francine and Binky for help.
"Uh, D.W.?"
"What is it, Francine? can't you see I'm having a discussion with my mom and dad here?" she asked her just as Francine sighed heavily and gestured right towards the living room.
"D.W., there's something you need to see."
"Huh, what?"
"Come with all of us, D. W.." Buster said to her. D.W. raised her right eyebrow in curiosity and followed them right into the living room.
"What's up with you guys?" she asked them right before her head turned right towards the television screen.
"And our top story this afternoon, PBS Kids entertainer, Mr. Rogers, has just passed away, He had stomach cancer complications, we'll keep you updated on the entire story just as details continue to develop, we'll also be looking over his entire life, his success, and his hardships." D.W. stared right at the television screen, speechless.
"D.W.?" David said to her. Then D.W. turned over to face them with a look of fear in her eyes. She let out 1 nervous chuckle.
"Mom, Dad, this isn't, it can't be true, can it? it's a hoax, right? it's gotta be! just like 1 of those internet rumors or just a really bad joke." She let out 1 laugh, strained and weak. Jane and David bent right down next to D.W.'s level.
"We're terribly sorry, D.W., but he's passed away." Jane said to her. D.W.'s pupils dilated. She shook her head while backing away.
"No…No! but…he was supposed to…I mean! I'm his number 1 fan, Mom and Dad! And what about the television studio tour?" D.W. cried out to them with tear drops welling up in her eyes.
"We're terribly sorry, D.W.." David said to her just as D.W. clenched her fists in anger and frustration.
"1st Spanky, then Francine's grandmother, Bubby, now this! Why did everybody who means everything to me in my entire life need to pass away?" she cried out to them. Arthur, Buster, Francine and Binky were standing nearby and also moved closer to where D.W. was.
"It's alright, D.W., he's in a much better place right now." Arthur said to her just as Buster, Francine and Binky nodded their heads respectively.
"He never wanted you to be depressed, D.W.."
"But he can't, I just can't believe he's really gone for good." D.W. said to them just as the wireless telephone rang.
"Excuse me, kids." Jane said to them while standing up to answer the wireless telephone.
"It's gonna be alright, D.W.." Francine said to her.
"I just can't believe that he's gone for good, my idol, Mr. Rogers, he's deceased." D.W. said to herself.