Heylo! The SunlitDarkness has returned to thee! With a new chapter I might add. However, despite wanting to, I cannot bring a character with me. All arise for a moment of silence for our own departed Wakko Warner. Now as before, anger is appreciated, so long as you are constructive with it. Just don't get mad at me. –Dodges random objects thrown-
Dot was confused. Well sure she understood death. It had reared its ugly snarling head before. But she'd never attributed it any kind of power. Dot glanced at her brothers. Yes, death does have power. It has to, to be able to still and quiet something so happy and wild, but also to shatter my brother of steel like glass so thoroughly.
"Dot," the doctor said in a strained voice. "You do realize what this means right? You won't be able to see him anymore nor…I'm sorry. I should have told you before that he was gone. But I've only been working here for a short time you know? This is the first time I've ever had to…"
"Just stop talking," Dot snapped. She ignored the doctor's hurt look and walked over to stand beside Yakko. Sad was an understatement for how he looked. Yakko's breathing was ragged between the sobs that shook his entire body. Every so often he would rub the great tears away with his palms. This wasn't how her oldest brother was supposed to look. Right now Yakko resembled a vase dropped from a high place. He was broken, scattered, and seemingly irreparable.
Dot turned away from her protector and stared down the looming white bed. It was taller than her, maybe than Wakko as well. She shrugged and leapt up anyways. She scrabbled a bit in order to pull herself on, but eventually Dot managed. Staring at Wakko, he could very well be sleeping. And though she knew otherwise, she let her tired mind dream. Going over 24 hours without sleep was wearing on her. But through her dreary state, she saw Wakko smile. His face lit up to see her and he patted the spot beside him, inviting her over. Dot stumbled as she crawled over. She snuggled up against her brother and a soft chill settled over her. "Wakko, you're cold." But Dot didn't care. She tried to warm the spot but the cold clung to her like an embrace. Ignoring it, Dot let herself slide into sleep, lightly wondering how something cold could be so comforting and feel so right.
Breathe deep and gain control. Who knows what the doctor and Dot think of me right now. Yakko struggled to compose himself. It wasn't exactly comfortable on the floor and his tears were beginning to make him slide around on the tile. He swiped the tears away one final time, his drenched gloves and fur making no difference, and looked around. So, now to get off the floor.
He noticed the doctor from earlier. Well, to him it felt like ages had passed, but in truth he had no idea how long he'd been sobbing. The only things he was sure of were his own part in causing all of this to happen and that his brother was gone. Oh, Wakko. How do I make THIS up to you?
"Have you control over your emotions now Mr. Yakko?" The doctor stated. Yakko noticed that the man didn't seem impatient nor upset. The poor fellow merely looked uncomfortable. If he didn't know any better, Yakko would have said that the man hadn't done anything since bringing them to the room. Sighing, he nodded to the doctor and stood. "Wonderful, now, I am hoping that you might have some idea of a plan for what to do with your brother's…um, his body…" The doctor trailed off.
"I don't know at this moment Sir," Yakko struggled to keep his voice steady. "I'm not sure what I CAN do. But tell me how to fix this." Yakko felt his voice rising and growing louder. "Tell me what I did wrong! I was just trying to help, I was supposed to get hurt and HE was supposed to be okay! This is MY fault. Just like when my parents left! I caused it and then responsibility fell to me. I could handle that but THIS? I really don't know how to cope at this moment! But I'm sure that you've had some experience with this and my pain, so any suggestion would definitely be welcome."
Yakko said this last part with a sneer. He was furious, his chest heaving as his lungs attempted to recover from his rant and change in mood. Despite himself, he wanted to have made the doctor cry, to break and rave at him. Mostly so that he knew that he wasn't alone, that someone else understood and could feel his pain the way he did.
"Yakko, come with me and we'll discuss some things." Following Yakko's gaze, the doctor smiled. "I understand you being fearful to leave her, but let Dot sleep. She hasn't since you came in yesterday night. My office isn't far." He prattled on a bit more as he led the way out of the room.
Following, Yakko felt himself break a tiny bit as the door clicked shut behind him. The doctor was gaining distance. Yakko limped heavily after him and began regretting his need to be independent. A wheelchair was sounding more and more friendly with each release of his halting step. The doctor stopped at a doorway and turned to let him catch up. He was what Yakko would classify as an ordinary man. His hair was dark and his skin well tanned from the California sun. The doctor's eyes were bright despite what his career would clearly lead him to see. Over all, Yakko saw nothing defining about Dr. Lansing, the plaque on the wall told him.
"Sorry about leaving you behind," Lansing said, "but my office was close and I'd forgotten about your injury. Are you reconsidering my offer on a wheelchair?" He's teasing me. Yakko noticed, I guess he isn't the dedicated zombie that Hello Nurse is. How old is this guy anyways? He can't be too old, because he'd never met anyone like Dot before. Yakko corrected that thought. Nix that, nobody has ever really met someone like Dot.
"Eh, yeah. I am actually," Yakko felt his previous anger and stress fall beneath the embarrassment. He actually didn't know why he was embarrassed; he'd done nothing wrong really. "So what are we gonna discuss? I mean, you really can't give me the whole grief therapy thing. I have a psychiatrist at home for that."
Dr. Lansing watched him and smiled at his mispronunciation. "Yes, I have been notified by Ms. Hello Nurse about all of this. There are formal recommendations in place for you and your sister with Dr. Scratchensniff," he ushered Yakko into a seat with in the office. "Now about Wakko. He is deceased, which you already know but sometimes you have to hear it out loud. However, at this moment there are no plans. Yakko would you feel more comfortable with the burial or the cremation of him? One of your guardians has offered to take care of the details for either option, but the call is yours."
Yakko didn't look at Dr. Lansing, just letting his gaze fall. Generally people could tell the overall area where he was looking, but his black eyes made it easier to hide what exactly he was focused on. But at this moment, Yakko didn't need to hide that because he truly saw nothing. He withdrew into the war of sorrow, guilt, and confusion inside his heart and mind. Both options he had would result in Wakko being sealed away into a box. That won't help me narrow it down. Yakko's heart yearned for his brother to remain close, but he was creeped out by the thought of Wakko's ashes on the mantel.Besides, burning him into an unrecognizable heap is out of the question. Yakko hung his head, a physical sign of his struggle. I guess Wakko's gonna be six feet under. Just like Mom and Dad. Graves generally had flowers nearby. Dot would certainly drag him to plant some.
"I think he'd like pansies," Yakko murmured, his voice distant and his focus still deep inside of him. The flower was much like Wakko. They were wonderful and beautiful in their own way. Yet their shyness made them so easily overlooked.
"I'm sorry?" Lansing's brow furrowed. He thought he understood the comment about flowers, but when dealing with shock and trauma, it was best to clarify."Who would like pansies Yakko?"
"My brother. On his grave. We'll bury him." Yakko kept his eyes away from Dr. Lansing as he wrote down an address. "This is where our parents are buried. I…," his voice caught and Yakko paused a moment. "I think Wakko would like being near Mom and Dad."
"Let's see what we can do. But now, I think it's best that we get you and Dot home."
"Hey there again Doc."
Yakko stared at the rabbit standing outside of the room. He guessed that he really shouldn't have been surprised. After all, Lansing had said that one of their guardians was taking care of things. But the sight of the grey hare offering him a pair of tan crutches had startled him.
"Hey there Bugs," Yakko resignedly accepted the crutches. And independence falters beneath relief. "So you're the mastermind taking care of things?"
"Naw," the rabbit dismissed the comment, "I'm just here to chaperone. The real mind you should be worried about is my wife and her 'connections'" Bugs laughed lightly. "Doc Lansing in there would have said that I'm taking care of everything. Nope, just a face for my elusive, yet highly informed wife. She's one heck of a woman, I'll tell you that. Now let's get cha home where you belong."
The tall toon ducked into the hospital room. Yakko watched through the open door, not quite ready to face the heartache in there again. He saw the rabbit's face fall looking at the two bodies curled on the bed. Restoring a business attitude, Bugs forced his face to be neutral again as he lifted Dot. Walking out, Yakko saw his sister shift and wrap her arms around Bugs's neck.
"Come on Yakko," Bugs Bunny said, "The faster that we're gone, the sooner you'll feel better." The older cartoon turned and walked away. Grateful for the crutches this time, Yakko followed Bugs as he led his way expertly out of the hospital. Does Dot realize who's carrying her? Yakko tried to quell the pricks of jealousy he felt towards the rabbit. He knew that he was in no position to carry his little sister, but it still stung to see another fulfill his job.
Bugs had a fairly level mind. He could get things done with out really forgetting anything. Before actually returning to the lot, he had already called his wife, picked up numerous prescriptions, rented several videos and games, and avoided all kinds of media hounds. Dot could see that Yakko was impressed. No wonder his wife has stayed with him, she thought as they pulled into the Warner Brothers lot. I refuse to have a lazy butt husband.
Dot had woken up on the ride home and quizzed Yakko extensively about Wakko, pain, death, and several other topics. He had answered as best he could, but after his answers got softer and softer, she could finally hear the sadness breaking through. She had left him to his thoughts and let her mind drift to the reality of things. Her family was changing and needed help. For their physical needs and also their emotions. Dot also wondered about how to get Yakko up the tower and smirked at the possibilities in her mind. Maybe a parachute. Or possibly throwing him. But at the tower, they were watching Bugs and several others construct a swing to lift him up to their home.
"That's gonna be an adventure, Yakko," Dot stated as the older toons motioned for him to go over. He glared at her, but hesitated to heed their calls. Yakko wasn't afraid of it, just reasonably skeptical, and she knew that. She giggled as she clambered up the ladder. Hopefully she would beat him and get a good laugh as he was pulled up the height of the tower.
My sister needs to stop being right, Yakko mumbled in his mind, his stomach trying to untie itself. The swing had been effective, but the swaqying and dependence he felt had unnerved him. Yakko had always taken care of himself and had very rarely asked for help. To be like this, just didn't come naturally. Maybe I should actually learn to accept it this time. Unlike last year.
Dot had laughed at him throughout the entire ordeal. However, she had also been really sweet and had helped him out of the contraption. She was cute, there was no denying that. But Yakko had to continually remind himself and many others that she was still just a little girl.
Yakko pulled open the large shield shaped door of the tower and steadied himself against it. His sister bounded intto the dark depths ahead of him. Straining his ears, the oldest Warner could hear here settle on to the couch, stifling sobs. He sighed deeply and stepped into his home. Yakko's stride faltered as a chill ran down his spine. He shook his head trying to clear the helplessness and despair that had assaulted him in that moment. Yakko brushed it off and as he went to comfort Dot, the feelings fell away like rain.
"We won't have to forget him will we?" she whispered. Yakko's heart sank as he sat down and pulled her close. Dot snuggled into his chest and could feel his words resonate through him when he finally answered.
"I wouldn't even dream of it."