"Now Lily, sweetheart, you need to be on your best behavior, okay? Uncle Andy hasn't been feeling too good,"
"Yes, mommy," the little five year old nodded, reaching for her mother's hand.
Bonnie Stevens gripped her daughter's hand gently, walking into the hospital with her. Just that morning, at 3 am, Bonnie had been awoken with a phone call saying her very best friend had been admitted to the ER, pale and sickly. He'd contracted bone cancer a few years before, when Lily was only 1, and had been fighting for his life ever since. The cancer, it seemed, wasn't going to wait for anyone. Reaching the front desk, Bonnie asked the woman, "Where can I find Andy Davis?"
"He's in room 304," she answered after looking him up on the machine. The older woman gave Bonnie a sympathetic look, but Bonnie only glanced away. She didn't want this woman's sympathy, not now.
Upon arriving, Bonnie's mouth had just opened to tell Lily not to jump onto his bed, but the small girl was already there, curling up in Andy's arms and giggling.
"There's my best friend..."
"Hi Uncle Andy!" the girl giggled, nose wrinkling up as she smiled.
"How're you..?"
"Momma says you ain't feelin' well..."
"Naahh, she worries too much," he smiled weakly, kissing her little forehead. "How have you been doing, squirt?"
"I colored you a picture, Uncle Andy!" Lily giggled, pulling a slightly bent up piece of paper from her little book bag. It was a picture of the three of them outside, and Andy was holding Bonnie's hand, Lily sitting on the ground in between them.
"Well, would you look at that? I love it. Good job," he praised, taking it in a slightly shaky hand and setting it on the tray beside his bed.
"Are you gonna be okay, Uncle Andy?" she asked, and Andy managed a shaky little smile, holding onto her hand. "Yes, honey bee.. I will be..."
It was at that point that Bonnie reached over, brushing her friend's hair off his forehead gently. "Lily, angel, I think we should let Uncle Andy get some sleep," she murmured, and Lily hopped off, taking her momma's hand.
"So soon..?" Andy asked, smiling weakly at the young lady that he'd known for so long, and she nodded, kissing his forehead. "But we'll be back either later tonight, or tomorrow. Most likely tomorrow, since the visiting hours here are so strict.. but I promise I'll come back tomorrow," she nodded, smiling softly.
Andy smiled weakly again, nodding and holding her hand. "You better..."
"Uncle Andy! Wanna give dis to you!" Lily giggled softly holding out a doll. To any onlooker, it was quite an insignificant sort of toy, with a slightly stained outer cloth, a brown hat, and a tiny burn mark on its forehead.
"Hey," Andy smiled, laughing weakly, "Well, if it isn't Sheriff Woody.."
"He's gonna keep you safe til momma and I can come back!" Lily smiled, setting the toy on his lap, and Andy beamed, stroking the small girls cheek.
"Why, thank you.." he murmured, and Bonnie smiled, picking Lily up. "Ready, Lily?" she asked, and the child nodded, waving at Andy as they left, Bonnie pressing one more kiss to Andy's forehead before they turned and walked out.
It only took a few minutes for Andy's eyes to start sliding closed, and he drew a labored breath, finally content. He'd seen them one last time. That's all Andy had wanted.
As the man's heart rate slowed to its impending cease, and his eyelids dropped lower, prepared to close for the very last time, he could have sworn he heard the voice of a man in the room with him, murmuring only three words.
"Good job, partner.."