The building for diseased minds of Elmore was only a parking lot away. By time the Waterson family had made it, the storm had progressed greatly. Lightning shot around the building as the family pulled into a parking space about 50 feet away. Thunder rumbled every which way when they all opened their doors with terrible difficulty. Nobody wanted out but Gumball, who was shaking and frightful of the storm. Every flash of lightning made him spasm and the thunder shook him more than tires on a gravel road. If not for all his movement and lashing out, Darwin and Anais wouldn't have forced themselves out so easily. Though the second he got out, the rain only made him run every which way. Darwin had the leash at the time and was unable to keep himself steady.
"Dah! I can't hold him down," Darwin said as he was being yanked in every direction under the rain. Nicole quickly shot her door open and grabbed hold of the leash from Darwin's fin. She wrapped it around one wrist and yanked Gumball slightly. He instantly stopped and looked back at his mom. Realizing it was her, he obediently walked to her side and proceeded to follow her and Richard towards the building. Nicole no longer looked as sad as she was before, but more irritated. It was like she was trying to hide all her sadness behind her stern, angry eyes. Anais and Darwin lagged behind a few paces so they could talk.
"Darwin," Anais started off, "how you holding up?" He didn't answer right away, needing a moment to think about his feelings.
"I feel like I'm barely holding on. I don't want to do this to him, Anais. I don't want him to go, but… I know it's the right thing to do." His voice became squeaky on his last sentence. "Even if I'll be alone." Tears were starting to form, and so Anais did her best to comfort him.
"We'll still get to see him every now and again, Darwin. Who knows? Maybe he'll be alright by next week, or the end of the month." As encouraging as her words were, Darwin felt it was unrealistic. He knew it would take longer than that, but decided to support his sister none the less.
"Yeah," he said with as best a smile he could pull from his face. "Maybe."
At the front pull up of the building, the car of Penny's father could be seen. Inside, Mr. Fitzgerald pulled the car into park while Penny, who was up at the passenger seat with him, looked to him for comfort. "Dad," she said to him, resulting in his attention, "Don't you want to come in with me?" Penny's father curled the top of his shell holes and gave her his answer.
"Penny," he calmly spoke, "I know Gumball meant a lot to you, but if what you told me about him is true, I can't. I know he's a good kid, but it's my job as a father to dislike and question the guys you meet. If I have to look at him, I'll feel sorry and pity for him, and I like my relationship with him as it stands." Penny just lowered her eyes and gave her father a despicable look. He knew she would act out against his logic, but he pressed on anyway. "I just can't give him the benefit of the doubt or he'll win… even if he doesn't know it." Her daughter rolled her eyes at him and opened her door. A rumble of thunder echoed at the very instant it widened.
"You really disappoint me, dad. I thought you'd be better than that." Before he could counter, she got out and closed the car door to leave him alone. While Penny walked along the sidewalk of the entrance, he pulled out a newspaper and began to read it, hiding a frown behind the papers. About fifty feet away from the front slider doors of the big white building, she could see the Waterson family approaching. She couldn't get rid of the frown on her face when she noticed Gumball on his four feet. She felt like wanting to cry, but held back as they approached near her. She wanted to look strong for them; that, and the last thing she wanted was to shape shift by mistake.
"Looks like Penny showed up." Anais said to Darwin, nudging him some to get him to turn and face her. Richard and Nicole said nothing as they approached the building. They could see Penny, but didn't feel like talking. The closer they got, the worst they became inside. They both glanced at each other after they saw Penny in the distance, who waved to them to show she made it. All they could see in each other was shame that they couldn't help their son. To them, this building felt like a death sentence, or more specifically, the death of a family.
"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Waterson," Penny said with a farced smile on her face. Nicole opened her mouth to respond, but didn't have the strength to even speak. She pushed her head down and continued into the building with Richard and Gumball. Penny caught a glimpse of him below, but the second his cat shaped eyes looked at her, she realized she couldn't. She decided to direct her attention to Darwin and Anais, but Anais didn't feel like being a part of their awkward meet up.
"I'm gonna go in with mom and dad." She said quietly. Penny and Darwin could tell that she was more upset than she appeared, but conversed with each other. Darwin was slightly nervous when he spoke up first, rubbing the back of his bald head.
"Uhh… hi Penny," he said so nervously that it sounded more like a question to her. She narrowed her eyes slightly at Darwin.
"You know, I'm pretty upset with you, Darwin. I didn't like how you just shouted at me over the phone." Her face started to turn red as she looked down at him. He could tell she was getting mad.
"Look," he fearfully spoke, "I do apologize for my tone over the phone, Penny. It's just that it was difficult for me to agree with this and I don't want anyone to change my mind, and that's what it sounded like over the phone is all." He rubbed the side of his arm and looked away from her shamefully. The red in Penny's face slowly receded away as she spoke.
"Maybe I didn't respect your choice and all, but it doesn't feel right to me." They both turned in the direction of the automatic sliding doors and proceeded on in. Darwin looked up to face Penny.
"I feel the same way, Penny; honest to goodness I do. But I know that this is best for Gumball, not us." He lightened his voice and looked out into the front of the building. "He needs this." He could see his family at the front of the check in desk. It was white with a green sign below the office attendant, an anthropomorphic female band-aid wearing a white scrub coat. She looked unhappy as she was talking to the parents, and too far away from the two kids to make out what she was saying to them. Outside the conversation radius, the waiting room was littered with white colored walls, gray cushioned chairs that separated in two columns left and right of Penny and Darwin, and overall false to them. The inside front of the building seemed like a curtain hiding something far worse on the other side. The only other doorway was to the left of the office attendant, painted green with a big white sign that had "Staff Only" written on it. Aside from the Waterson's and Penny, there were only a couple other people, each separated from each other on other sides of the room, and overhead of them, elevator-like music that added to the faking of happiness.
"This… looks horrible." Penny said in disgust of the place. Darwin knew she was right as they continued towards the family.
"and how many people are you checking into the facility?" the attendant asked them facing her computer. She went on typing as the conversation went on.
"Just one." Nicole depressingly said. She bent down to pick up Gumball and placed him on the counter. He faced the attendant, but did nothing with his mother's hand on his head. "My son, Gumball Tristopher Waterson." She sniffled and buried her face back into her paws. Richard wrapped his big pink arm around her for comfort, just like back at the hospital.
"Why is he here?" The nurse blandly asked. Richard tried to speak up since Nicole couldn't.
"Well, he uh… he's…"
"He thinks he's an animal," Anais said from below the desk. "or more specifically, a feral." The worker still refused to look away, simply typing on as they went.
"Very well then." She reached for a clipboard and held in in front of the family's face, typing with just one hand now. "Fill out these forms and return them to me promptly. You will have now until 5 minutes after to say your goodbyes." Nicole still couldn't pull herself out of her crying, so Richard grabbed it with his other free hand.
"Thank you?" he unsurely said to her. She kept her face glued to her screen and said nothing in response. What a *Bad-word* Richard thought to himself in his head. He looked at the clipboard and skimmed over it, but the further down he went, the more he started to copy Nicole in his arm. "I… I don't think I can fill this out." He started to sniffle and tear, until Anais came from below.
"Its ok dad, I'll do it if you want." Without a second thought, he held the clipboard below his waist for his youngest child to reach. She grabbed hold of it and turned her back on her parents while walking right past Darwin and Penny. Now with a free hand, Richard cradled his wife in a big hug as she sobbed on. He started to pant and exhale loudly in despair, but kept himself from crying. Darwin and Penny looked at each other, feeling like they were (somewhat) alone.
"Are you sure there's nothing left to try, Darwin?"
"If there was Penny, I think I'd have done it by now. All we can do is tell Gumball how much we love him and say our farewells." He closed his eyes and quickly wiped a tear away from himself. "I wish he didn't have to go, but I need to accept it." Penny looked up at Gumball on the counter and saw only the back of his shirt and tail. She wished he would look at her, but at the same time, feared those eyes she would see again. I didn't know what to think the first time, so what about now? she thought to herself.
"Darwin," Anais budged in, "Do you know what the date is today?" He turned to answer her.
"It's the 16th".
"Thanks. I'm almost finished." She went back to writing on the clipboard and left the two by themselves again.
"I don't know what I'm going to do without Gumball, Darwin. He meant so much to me that… I don't think anyone could ever replace him in my life."
"That's exactly how I feel. Maybe he was sometimes selfish, uncaring, narcissistic, control-"
"I get it, Darwin. You're starting to make me think badly about him now."
"Oh, sorry. But I mean, at least he did always want to help others and be a good person, even when he wasn't at times. He actually told me once that if I weren't so nice, like a guardian, he'd probably be a much worse person."
"That really is touching, Darwin. I've always felt like I was a good influence to him as well. Just a little though." Darwin chuckled some under his breath. "What's so funny?" he genuinely smiled as he answered her.
"A little? You were practically his whole universe. You meant so much to him, that I think you were the other reason he was always so nice, especially around you." Penny gave Darwin a smile right back and put her hand on his side.
"Maybe, but I think Gumball should care more about you than me personally. You're a much greater influence on his life than I am, and he should know that… if he ever comes back." Both their smiles instantly dropped as Anais walked past them and back to the parents.
"Here dad, it's finished." Anais held the clipboard up to him and he took it back, handing it to the female over the counter. She finally took her hands and face away from the screen and retrieved the papers and board in hand.
"The staff will show up to take away your child for treatment. Please be ready to leave when they arrive; I'll go take this for recording." She walked away from the counter and went further into the office, disappearing from the family's sight. As soon as she left, Gumball turned to face his family, curious as to what was going on. As he sat there on all four legs, looking around at everyone with his natural eyes, His parents were the first one's up. One by one, they all said what they needed. Nicole went first, pulling herself out of her depression, but couldn't get rid of her oversized glossy eyes.
"Gumball, if you can hear me, I'm so sorry for this. I wish we could keep you with us, but… I can't do this to you. I'm sor-ree-he-heee. *Gasp* Ah-ha-ha-ha-haaaa." She threw her face back into her paws and cried even louder than before. Richard kept one arm around her waist and held his other free hand to the back of her head. He faced his son and stared into his eyes.
"I'm sorry too Gumball. Please know that we're doing this because we love you. I wish you the best of luck, son. Ah-ha-haaa." Tears began running down his face as he turned his back on him and walked himself and Nicole out the building. Anais was too short to reach the counter Gumball was on, but she could see him as he did her below. She took a deep breath to calm herself and prepared for the worse.
"Gumball, I know there's a small chance you're not even understanding me right now, but I want you to know that… I'm sorry for not supporting you more. I feel terrible for doing this, but I hope you understand that it's for the best. I still love you Gumball, and you'll always be my big brother, but you need this more than us." She turned herself around and walked slowly away from him and said one last thing as she passed Darwin and Penny. "Goodbye Gumball. Take care." They watched her proceed out to her parents and stared blankly into each other's eyes. They wondered who should go next, but Darwin sighed in defeat.
"Fine. I guess I'm next." He turned away from her to face his brother. As he approached Gumball, his cat eyes worried his brother for both fear of attack and of becoming sad. It was a worrisome combo for Darwin, but he couldn't back down. When he stood only a foot away from Gumball, he looked at him and said what he wanted.
"Gumball, I can't say that my life will ever be the same without you. You care more about me than anyone else I know, and without you, I don't know what to expect. I fear I'll be alone without you, but hopefully, our friends will be there for me. Maybe, just maybe, this will be good for me. Maybe I can learn to be more independent through all this. But don't think there will ever be a day where I don't wish you weren't with me." He started to tear up the more he went on. " I love you more than anything in the world Gumball, so please understand how difficult this is for me. I wish you didn't have to go, but this is for the best." He reached out to hug Gumball and wrapped his fins around him. Gumball's head just bobbed out in the open as he was constricted around the fish. He looked down at him, but didn't do anything except blink. "Get better soon Gumball. Do whatever it takes to come back home." He released himself and looked back at Gumball and petted his neck, hoping he would purr. "Get well my brother. I wish you the best of luck on your road to recovery." The cat did not purr or smile at Darwin as he was being petted. Instead, the blue feline bent down and rubbed his head against the fish, but Darwin was so unhappy about leaving, he forced himself away and turned against Gumball. The cat looked surprised to see such odd behavior, but from behind the fish's back, Darwin held his fins into his face and started to cry. Penny felt bad for Darwin, but knew she would feel just the same way. Darwin decided it was best to just leave now and not turn back. Covering his eyes and walking past a sorrowful Penny, he proceeded out the door and back to his family.
Now all that remained was the colorful fairy, alone with Gumball the feral. They both stared into each other's eyes and said nothing for the meanwhile. Penny couldn't take her eyes off his as she observed the way they were. She had never seen Gumball like this in all her life, and it both amazed and feared her. She walked slowly over to him on the counter and was about at eye level with him, being that she was taller than him naturally. The cat was still as could be, only tilting his head slightly to the side as he looked into Penny's eyes. She felt like wanting to cry the longer she faced him, but pressed on in agony.
"How could you, Gumball. How could you do this to me? Don't you even recognize who I am? It's me, Penny Fitzgerald." Gumball neither said nor did anything as she went on. "I'm your girlfriend. You've loved me since we first knew each other, and now it's like you don't even know me anymore. All those year and attempts to get me? I know you know, so fight it Gumball. You can't leave me; you just can't! Say something, anything!" She reached her arms out and pulled Gumball into the tightest hug she could muster. "Don't you love me? Don't you know it's me?!" Despite feeling like he was being crushed, the blue feline found comfort in her holding. The smoothness of her yellow skin and soft touch was like that of a pillow. From behind her head, the blue cat smiled and closed his eyes, resting his head alongside her own. He did not purr, but felt relaxed and calm as she continued to hold him. Something about her reminded him that he has felt this way before. A feeling that ignited something more than just his heart.
