A/N:This Is a sequel to my latest story "Dying Night" So if you do not read that first you will not get what this fanfic is about. So please, read Dying Night first.
I cried for a long time while writing this chapter…it is very sad…so if you want maximum sadness and feeling, then check out this link on youtube and read this while listening to it. So here's a link to Dying Night; s/8283733/1/Dying_Night And here's a link to the song; watch?v=Rjq9BqoItH0&feature=BFa&list=PL532F10BDE211F08A
Enjoy!
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Blood tests? Kowalski, you know how I feel about injections!" Skipper yelled as he jumped back.
"But Skippah, it's for your own good…what if you do have an infection?" Private asked with watery eyes as he glared at his leader. Skippers frown subsided as it became filled with pondering. The little penguin really cared about him.
"Fine, but only this once, no other exceptions!" grunted Skipper as he crossed his flippers on his chest.
Private lay in his leader's now empty bunk, remembering everything. Everything that had happened before…the accident. The accident that left him with nothing.
A cone was placed over his head as long and sharp needles were quickly and painfully injected into his flesh. Skipper screamed as his twisted position contorted, and caused the fiery burn of the needles to re-inject the searing pain in his spine.
Private closed his eyes and covered his ear holes as tears flowed down his terrified face.
"JUST STOP IT! YOU'RE HURTING HIM!" the small penguin yelled loudly as he glared as the humans surrounding his now restrained leader.
He sighed in remembrance…he tried thinking of happier thoughts…thoughts of all the GOOD times they shared.
"Private?...what are you looking at?" Skipper asked hazily as he got up.
"The stars! They're quite beautiful." The smaller penguin chirped as he leaned on the telescope.
"We'll, I bet they are…but you should get some sleep. Early training starts tomorrow." The leader smiled as he looked to the youngest.
He smiled as well as he responded, "Aye, aye, Skippah!" and jumped into his bunk.
Private smiled.
Skipper lay down with Private resting his head on his stomach. "Listen…" said Skipper as he pressed Privates head closer to his heart.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
Private enjoyed the rhythm…the sound…the beat, as he listened closely to it. It was like a melody. A soothing lullaby. One that calmed him with every thump.
"It's your heart, Skippah…" Private smiled as he glared at his leader.
"Exactly. And as long as I'm close to you, and remain in your heart. I will ALWAYS be with you. Even in death. Because deep down, you're more than my comrade…you're my son…and right now…I'm here…and I'm not leaving just yet…" Skipper smiled as he held the small hiccupping penguin even tighter in his wings.
"Thank you Skip-…dad." Private smiled as he snuggled into Skippers side and closed his eyes for a peaceful nights rest.
Sometimes, Private still heard the soothing sounds of his leaders heart beat in his dreams. He liked that sound. And he wished for it never to go away. It reminded him that he wasn't alone…and that Skipper was still there with him…somehow…
"Skippah!" Private yelped as he tried to help his leader up.
"Y-Your heart beat! I-It's slower…" Private looked sadly to the older penguin, knowing he was dying…
"Private, I'm not dying now…you can count on that soldier." Skipper said after recovering from his earlier cough.
His happiness was replaced with anger. It was a lie. He broke his promise. A single tear slid down his beak and dropped to the concrete below him. He was a bit surprised.
He thought he would never be able to cry again. He thought he had cried away every single tear his mind had to offer. Apparently he hadn't.
"SKIPPAH! PLEASE, JUST STOP! HE'S NOT GOING TO HURT US! IN FACT, YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S HURTING HIM! PLEASE…STOP." Private cried between sobs as more tears flooded his blood stained face.
Skipper just stood there, on top of the bawling and blood covered vet, who was staring the leader with a now terrified and frightened expression on his face.
Skipper than gazed upon his teammates, who no longer saw a faithful and well known leader, but a terrifying and vicious bird who now had both his, and the vets blood, sprayed across both flippers.
He was an idiot. An idiot for hurting the vet, an idiot for making him cry so much…an idiot for leaving him. Private frowned before sighing and returning to his thoughts. Did he hate Skipper…or just himself?
Skipper sat in the small crate he had been confined in after viciously attacking the vet. He knew what he had done was wrong. And he knew Private was ashamed of him.
What he didn't know was that Private was actually afraid of him. He had never seen him in such rage and anger before. He didn't know what to think of his leader anymore.
He didn't know what to think of him now…what to even think of himself…
He cried so much for that bastard, but he STILL hadn't come back. Yes…that's it…he's coming back…he's not gone…he's coming back…he's got to…
And with that, Private got on his tiptoes as he reached out to his leader. Skipper was still tossing and turning. He stopped and relaxed once Private started to lightly stroke his injured side in a soothing motion.
All fear was leaving Private's mind as he petted his leader.
Comforting him was all that mattered now…
N-NO. H-he was never coming back. Not now…not ever…
"Oh…he doesn't have much time left." She whispered sadly.
Private's eyes widened as he yelled, "WHAT?" Rico and Kowalski both glared at each other. They both had pure shock written all over their faces.
"He's not responding to the medication…it's just as if he's…given up…that one thing that kept him stable was ripped away…" her expression saddened as she looked to the ground, softly petting the dying penguin in its cage.
He didn't hate him…the truth was he missed him…and longed for him to come back…but that was never going to happen…he just had to live with that fact.
But it was hard. Not seeing that face he so much longed to see. Not hearing that voice that would wake him up the mornings…nothing…all that was left of Skipper was his lone and cold bunk…and Private wasn't letting that leave him too.
He didn't know which tears he was crying. Was he crying because Skipper was leaving him…or was he crying because he knew Skipper was going to a better place?
He felt a flipper stroke his back as he looked to his leader, tears still dripping from his cheek to Skippers battered and wounded chest feathers.
His feathers were no longer ivory, but a dull and lifeless dark grey.
Private hugged Skipper even tighter as he spoke, "G-Goodbye Skippah…forever! You'll always be my father! No matter what I promise!" he sobbed.
"Private…before I go…I just want you to know…I won't always be gone…you'll see me again…" Skipper spoke weakly, Private almost couldn't hear him.
"R-Really…where?" Private sniffled and whimpered.
"Sometimes maybe in your dreams…and sometimes in your thoughts…but I'll especially be in your heart. And you'll be in mine too…I promise. Death happens. It's normal. Sure, it may be sad but you'll get over it, I'll always watch over you and the team. So you'll never be alone."
Private snuggled into his leader's side. Trying to make the best out of the last minutes Skipper had on earth.
And it was true. He wasn't alone…he would never be alone if he had Skipper in his thoughts, or in his dreams…and watching over him…
"P-Private…I'll never forget you, I-I'm sorry I broke my promise…please…forgive me…s-son…I love you." Skipper gave a weak and final smile as he closed his eyes.
Private held onto his leader, still in a strong embrace. "I forgive you Dad….goodnight…forever…"
Thump…thump….thump…..thump…
Skipper's heart gave out as it stopped beating…his grip on Private loosened as he took his last and final breath…and he was gone.
"I love you too dad…" Private smiled.
Private's eyes grew heavy. His thoughts swayed and his expression vanished as he fell asleep. Where he would be reunited with Skipper.
He just wished he could sleep forever…just as Skipper had…
Forever…
"Thump, thump…thump, thump…thump, thump…"
Fin