Sidekick

A one shot that I had in my head, hope you enjoy…

I don't know when I started loving her all I know is I always have. So when Johnny put his arm on my shoulder and told me to "make sure nothing bad happens to her" I was more than happy to step into his shoes and show her that I could be a real man. You see I had always been the sidekick, Johnny would always be her hero the one she turned to when she needed help, the one she joked about with and I was the one who was always there along for the ride. Actually most of the time I messed up, keeping secrets wasn't my strong point but I was working on that. But now Johnny was going and I was more than happy to take over his role.

I'd finished work for the day so I went and sat in her cabin with her while we waited for him to arrive. We sat in silence, she looked scared and unsure about what was about to happen. She said this is what she wanted but I wasn't so sure. She'd loved Robbie and thought that when she'd found out she was expecting he would take her away to get married and they'd live happily ever after. Of course Robbie never had any intention of any of that happening, he was only with her for one thing and he'd strung her along so easily, after all she was head over heels in love with him. She really thought it was something special and was heartbroken when he turned his head on her and the baby accusing her of sleeping around. It was obvious she hadn't she was in love with him and besides Penny's not like that. But he wasn't having any of it so she was left on her own with a baby on the way.

I asked her if she wanted anything and she said no, so we went back to sitting in silence. The silence was almost too much to bear, I tried to concentrate on something else but it was hard, so instead I listened to her breath. It was uneven and shaky, not much good as a distraction. Suddenly there was a knock on the cabin door and a sickening atmosphere came into the room. An atmosphere of dread, fear and a weird sense of relief. I turned and looked at Penny she'd turned a ghostly pale; I offered her my hand and helped her to her feet. "Do you want me to answer the door?" she nodded in response her body shaking slightly. I pulled her into hug and whispered in her ear "Everything's going to be alright I promise, you're going to be alright. This guy's a real MD remember?" she nodded again and let a small cry, oh god why is she doing this to me? I can't let her go through with it I can't, I can't. "Are you sure you want to do this?" I just had to be sure. She pulled out the hug and wiped her eyes while looking me in the eye and said "Yes, God damn it Billy, now just answer the door". Ok so she does want it, she wants it Billy, now just let him in.

I walked over to the door and pulled it open. A middle-aged man with greasy slicked back hair and a cigarette hanging out his mouth was stood there. "Is this, er, Penny Johnsons cabin?" suddenly Penny appeared behind me and introduced herself. She appeared so calm and casual, how could she be calm before something like this? "Er, I guess I better be off then, I'll be next door is you need me" I told her trying to be as calm as she was, she nodded at me and I left the cabin. I turned around just in time to see the man pick up all the things he had, to perform the operation. A dirty knife and a folding table, surely he needs more than that for what he's about to do? A massive sense of dread and regret built up in my stomach and I felt the overwhelming need to stop what was about to happen. I was just about to run in when I stopped myself, No Billy this is what she wants it will make her happy, so instead I went next door to my cabin and lay on my bed.

I just lay there staring at the ceiling thinking about what was happening next door. No, don't think about that Billy. Think about… Think about… Oh, I don't know what to think about, so I just went back to lying there. Slowly my mind drifted off and I remembered the first time I saw her, I was about 7 and me and my family were visiting Johnny and his family. He took me off to play with him and his "best friend in the whole entire universe" Penny. She had long blonde hair and a sky blue dress on, she was beautiful then and she's beautiful now. She shook my hand and said "I'm Penny Johnson, I love to dance and eat ice cream" so I replied with "I'm William Kotweski, I love to play being a knight". Then she laughed at me and said pretending to be a knight was a silly thing that babies do. I tried to act tough and said I was only joking but her and Johnny were having none of it and spent the rest of the day making fun of me.

I drifted from one daydream to the other and began to think about the fateful day Penny found out she was pregnant. Me and Johnny went to her cabin that morning for breakfast and she just seamed so distracted, she didn't make or join in the conversation me Johnny were having and barley ate anything. Finally Johnny asked her what was wrong and that's when we found out, after a lot of persuasion we convinced her to tell Robbie. I saw her after she told him and he'd just blown her off and wanted nothing to do with her anymore, after calling her "just a cheap tramp" and a "slut" she was absolutely distraught. He'd promised her the world and not delivered and for that I wanted to kill him. However she was putting on a brave face as she still had to work and couldn't risk Max or the little boss man finding out. So instead I played the faithful sidekick and comforted her when she needed someone most.

Suddenly I was pulled to my senses by a scream and cry coming from next door. It had to be my imagination, it had to be. But then another one came and then another. Shit. Oh shit. I ran out my cabin and tried her cabin door. Locked. God oh god. Johnny was going to kill me. I slammed myself into the door, nothing. So I tried again and again and again. I shouted to be let in but nothing. All I could hear was Penny's screams and everyone killed a little bit of me. But still I tried to bust the door open and still it wouldn't give. For gods sake like Johnny said this place is a dinosaur and the cabins are ancient, they leak and brake all the time but the one time you need them to give, nothing. Am I the strongest? Well no I'm not but I'm still quite strong, I should be strong enough to bust an old door open. But again nothing, nothing.

After it felt like I'd been trying for ages when finally the screaming stopped and I could hear the door being unlocked. When he stepped out he looked agitated and he had right to. I did the first thing I could think of and punched him. Then I watched him run off before running in to see Penny lay on her bed shaking in pain, sweat all over her and blood covering the sheets. I ran up to her and she grabbed my hand and squeezed it so tightly I thought it was going to break. My God what should I do? "It's ok Penn; it's going to be ok. Everything's going to be ok." I wiped away some of the sweat from her forehead before continuing "I'm going to go ring a ambulance ok, you need medical help" I went to go but she squeezed my hand and pulled me back.

"No, Billy. Please don't the hospital will ring the police and then… and then…" her voice was barley a whisper and was so shaky, but I couldn't leave her like this, she'd bleed to death.

"I can't do that Penny; I can't just sit here and watch you like this"

"Please Billy you have to promise, please promise you won't" I nodded my head it would kill me to watch her like this but I'd have to.

"I promise, I won't Penn I promise"

"Thanks, just wait until Johnny gets back ok" her voice was getting weaker and weaker and her face got paler and paler.

"Ok, I promise as soon as his car pulls up, I'll have him here. But if you won't have a doctor I'll go and get Connie, ok?" she obviously couldn't bear to speak any more as she just weakly nodded her head in response. It killed me to leave her but Connie was one of Penny's best friends who worked at Kellermans and was training to be a doctor.

I ran out the cabin and straight to Connie's, I knocked on the door and prayed she was in. She opened the door shortly after and one look at my face she knew something was wrong. All I had to do was say "It's Penny" and she was running with me to her cabin.

She went straight to her side and went "My God, Billy what have you done?"

"It wasn't me I promise Connie I promise. She had a, you knew? An abortion, but er, something went wrong"

"Ok Billy ok, calm down, for heavens sake. Just go get me a towel or something to wipe her forehead" I ran and found the first towel I could and chucked it to Connie who began dabbing Penny's forehead with it. Penny, well Penny just lay there whimpering in pain, getting weaker by the second.

The minutes went and went and Penny got paler and paler. There was still no sign of Johnny but he should be back soon. On the other hand a congregation had formed of some of the other staff, there faces all full of concern. Penny was loved by most of the staff at Kellermans and they were shocked to see her in the state she was in now. After all we were all family at Kellermans, mainly because most of us had no family to turn to when we needed help, so we turned to each other. Penny's father had walked out on her when she was only a couple of weeks old and her Mother never wanted kids so never properly cared for Penny. She'd always been a disappointment to her especially because all she wanted to do was dance and that wasn't considered a good enough career path in her mother's eyes. It's quite amazing Penny turned out to be as amazing as she is because she didn't get nearly the right amount of love any kid should get growing up. When she was 16 she got kicked out not that she cared much, she would proberly of left anyway. From then on all she did was dance and she just got better and better.

I was sat on the other side that Connie was on and Penny was gripping my hand again and yet again I thought it was going to brake. I did my best to comfort her but it was no good, I wasn't Johnny and right now that's all she wanted. I was sure she was going to die there was no way she could survive this especially without a doctor. After what felt like forever of watching Penny whimper and cry out in pain, one of the guys stood outside the cabin shouted me and said Johnny just pulled up. So I sprinted to his car and told him "Johnny, come on its Penny" with that me, him and baby ran to her cabin. I just prayed she was still ok when we got there.

We got in and Connie got up to let Johnny take over by her bedside and me the forever faithful sidekick stood there agitatedly dancing on the spot.

"She made me wait until you got back" I told him trying to explain why I left her side.

"You didn't call an ambulance?" He asked his voice full of worry.

"She said the ambulance would call the police. She made me promise." Oh god he was going to kill me for letting this happen to her "He didn't use no ether or nothing" Please god don't let him kill me I did my best, I did my best.

"I thought you said he was a real MD?" Damn, I'd forgotten Baby paid for it.

"The guy had a dirty knife and a folding table" I couldn't explain any more than that at the moment, Penny was my priority and I had to let Johnny know I tried to save her. "I could hear her screaming in the hallway and I swear to God Johnny I tried to get in tried." He just ignored me and turned to her and said "It's alright, Johnny's here"

Penny lay there whimpering and I wish I could take the pain instead of her. She still looked as beautiful as ever, even with the sweat and the blood. Johnny stayed by her side promising everything was going to be ok. How could he tell her that? He had no guarantee and by the way things were going they weren't going to be ok. One look at Penny and she didn't even know what was going on her vision was proberly blurred and her head must be all over the place. Oh, why did this have to happen to her of all people, so many bad things have already happened to her, did this really need to be added to the list? All I wanted right now was for her to be ok, I'd sacrifice anything for her to be ok.

I heard footsteps coming up the cabin steps outside and then Baby came in with her Father.

"Ok everyone out please" His orders were clear and soon everyone was filing out the room, Johnny stayed close by her bed with Baby close by him and me and Connie stood in the doorway. "Ok" He said with almost a sigh sitting down next to Penny on the bed taking her hand from Johnny and checking her forehead proberly for a fever or something. He lifted up the bottom of her short and put a hand on her stomach and she let a cry of pain. A cry that went straight through me and made me feel sick to the stomach. "Yes, I know that hurts. Were going to take care of that" how could he be so calm? She's basically on her deathbed and he's just so calm. Suddenly I was filled with a sense of hope that this man would save her. He got his bag on his knee and started filling a syringe with some fluid, I'm guessing pain relief. "Who's responsible for this girl?"

Without a second thought Johnny said "I am. Please is she…" His voice trailed off how could he take the blame for what Robbie did; especially with the look Baby's father gave him. I guess he didn't care; he just wanted her to be ok. After that he sent us outside while he finished taking care of her and all that was left for us to do was wait.

I paced back and forth outside, praying to God that she'd be ok. I know I haven't been entirely religious all my life but I'd pray everyday forever if he performed some kind of miracle and helped Dr Houseman save Penny. My hand still throbbed from Penny's grip, god she's strong. But right now none of that mattered. No one said anything everyone stood in silence, all of us praying for the same thing, that she'd be ok. Johnny just gazed out into the distance it must've killed him seeing her like that; she was like a sister to him after all.

Dr Houseman came out and straight away I could tell everything was going to be ok. Penny was going to be ok. I grabbed his hand straight away "Doc, thanks a lot" thanks for saving the love of my life from certain death, well I didn't say that but you know.

"Dr Houseman, I don't know how to tell you… to thank you… to tell you…" Johnny said offering him his hand, but Dr Houseman just ignored him and walked away with Baby in toe. I looked at Johnny and tried to think of something to tell him that would comfort him, but I couldn't come up with anything. So I ran into the cabin with Connie.

I walked in and Penny was lay barley conscious on her bed, but she was alive and that was the main thing. I went and pulled up a chair by her bed and she took her hand squeezing it gently, she opened her eyes and turned to look at me giving me a faint smile before closing her eyes again. Connie set about changing her sheets very carefully and putting a clean blanket over her. I stroked her beautiful blonde hair and she drifted off to sleep, all the while I never let go of her hand. After a while Johnny came in and sat on her bed and stroked her arm. "I know you tried your best Billy and I'm not mad and I'm not going to kill you" he told me with a smirk "you did the right thing given the circumstances and I would've done exactly the same. If I'd been here"

"Thanks Johnny" I said smiling at him.

"Watch her for me tonight will you? I can't bear to be in this cabin any longer. Plus any man who love's her like you should be the one to sit by her bedside all night long" Well that took me by surprise he knew? How did he know? "Billy it's obvious, you aren't foolin' nobody. Don't worry she doesn't know, yet" With that he got up kissed her forehead and left with a sigh. Connie soon after that said her goodbyes and said she better get off to bed.

So I was left alone with her. She looked beautiful when sleeping and I could sit here and watch her all day. This eventful night really had changed me, I know was so much more than a boy, I was a man. I wasn't a lot things that sure is true, I'm not the hottest, the smartest, the one who steals the show or the one anyone should know. But I knew what I had got, I'd got what I felt in my heart and that's what I was going to use to show Penny how much I cared and how I was different to all the other guys she'd gone out with. I sat back in the chair and slowly fell to sleep, which was hard to do because all I could see was her lying there in pain and the thoughts going through my head that she was dead. But I did eventually fall asleep but I never let go of her hand. Because at the end of the day I may just be a sidekick but I love being at her side.

Ok, that's it, I hope you liked it. Please review, any type is greatly appreciated so I can improve my writing in the future. Thanks for reading