As Liv and Maddie paced the waiting room of the hospital with Karen, Pete, Parker and Diggie, all of their hearts were filled with fear, fear and heartbreak. None of them knew how Joey was, if he was still alive or if - no, they couldn't think about it, they refused to think that Joey was - that Joey had - died. However, as the doctor walked in to the room, the look on her face said it all and it was enough to cause Karen to gasp.
"How is he?" Pete asked with a look of panicked fear, his voice quivering with emotion. "Is he ok?"
The doctor frowned with emotion, visibly trying to brace herself to reveal the news she discovered while in Joey's room.
"Mr. Rooney, you might want to take a seat." The doctor said sympathetically.
"No! How IS he?!" Karen shouted through tears. "Please! Please just tell me - tell me he's ok."
The doctor glanced down with a look of sadness and they all knew.
"I'm sorry," the doctor said, "we did everything we could but we just couldn't revive him. I'm sorry."
Karen shook her head repeatedly as tears clouded her eyes.
One by one, every member who played a prevalent role in Joey's life broke into emotion in some way at that moment as the doctor exited the room. Karen, Liv and Maddie were almost completely inconsolable. It would be a day that would be permanently etched in their minds forever.
"He was always such a nice boy...The quiet one with good intentions...
He was down with his brother, respectful...to his mother...A good boy...
But good don't get attention..."
As Liv, Maddie, Diggie, Parker, Karen, Pete and many others stood around Lake Emerson Cemetery, on a cold, cloudy and rainy Friday, they listened as a minister spoke the biblical, parting words over Joey's beautiful, white, closed coffin. Nearby stood a tall, stand-up, color photo of a happy, smiling Joey.
"The bible says," the salt and pepper haired, older minister said, "to be absent from the body, is to be present with the lord. I do believe that is true today for young Joey. Today we commend his body up to the lord, our God. Now and forever more shall he remain in the everlastingly heavenly presence of the lord."
"One kid with promise...The brightest kid in school, he's not a fool.
Reading books 'bout science and smart stuff...It's not enough, no, '
cause smart don't make you cool."
As Karen saw the minister close the bible in his hands, she broke into more sobs, sobs that was so heavily shared by others surrounding her - Liv, Maddie, Parker, Pete, even Diggie was seen constantly wiping streaming tears away. As several family members were seen walking up to the coffin, tossing a single rose in their hands onto the lowering coffin, Liv couldn't hold her contained emotions any longer, as she leaned forward and broke into more louder, heavier sobs. Despite both Diggie and Pete hovering around Liv to console her, Liv expressed emotions at that moment was equivalent to a river, unleashed and heavily overflowing.
As Liv, Maddie, Karen, Pete and Parker returned back to their home, they found that it didn't even feel like home anymore, in fact it felt quite empty, empty and hollow without the sounds of Joey's cute but squeaky voice filling the living room and the kitchen of the house. As they all sat in the living room, they all remained silent, trying to mentally comprehend what they had just endured in the past, few hours.
"It was a nice service," Karen said in a low, still broken voice. "I think Joey would've liked it - I mean I hope so."
Pete took hold of Karen's hand as she looked away from everyone, trying her best to fight back tears but failing at it.
"I'm sure he would have." Liv said in a light, tearful voice. "I know he would've enjoyed Artie's speech."
"I miss him already." Parker said in a low, tearful voice. "I miss -
Parker stopped as he saw Maddie jump up and dash up the stairs.
"What?" Parker asked, confused. "What did I say wrong?"
Pete shook his head.
"Nothing son." Pete replied. "Maddie's just - she's still trying to process this like the rest of us, you know?"
Parker sighed and nodded as he leaned forward and rested is head in his hands, closing his eyes with a look of grief, grief that he at his young age was trying very hard to process through himself.
As Liv walked into the upstairs hallway, she knew exactly where to go to find Maddie - Joey's room, and as Liv walked in, she saw Maddie pacing back and forth, clinging tightly to her chest, Joey's white, skater cat shirt to her heart while crying.
"Maddie, how are you holding up?" Liv asked.
Maddie looked at her with her red, crying eyes, eyes that revealed so much.
"How do you think Liv?" Maddie said with her a tearful voice.
Liv walked over to Maddie and hugged her. That hug did little to comfort Maddie at that moment.
"I know it's hard Maddie." Liv said, her own voice beginning to reveal emotion. "I miss him too. I - don't know what I can do to make the hurt go away but - "
"I just - I wish I had done more for him Liv!" Maddie said through tears. "I mean, he told us he could handle it, but why - why didn't we step in and help him anyway? Why - why wouldn't he let us help him?! I just - I wish we had done more!"
"I know," Maddie begun, "we should've -"
"Oh God Liv," Maddie said through tears. "Can you imagine what his last thoughts were in that bathroom stall? Right before he - right before he hung himself, can you imagine all the sadness he felt? Like he - like had no hope, no way out! Oh God -"
As Maddie stopped and dropped to her knees, breaking into sobs, all Liv could do was drop down beside Maddie and hug her close in her arms as Maddie cried louder.
"I just want him back Liv!" Maddie cried loudly. "I just want him back!"
"I know" Liv said through tears. "I do too."