Yay new/long chapter! Again I'm sorry. I don't think I can say sorry enough for what you're all about to read, but please look in your hearts and forgive me. Ch. 14 will be up soon, it is short but it is also said. Please forgive me ;-;
Kevin knew deep down that this was what Edd would be worried about.
"Dork, you don't need to worry about any of that because I'll protect you. And if anyone tries anything when I'm not around, you run or yell for me. I won't let anything happen to you." Kevin said, pulling Edd into a big hug.
He still couldn't believe any of this was real. How could his childhood bully be so kind to him? It was all so surreal, but Double Dee wasn't complaining. But, still his mind began to wonder and he worried about another big problem. Bigger than the threat of the bullies, and that threat was his best friend. Eddy.
"Kevin, that is very sweet, but now that I think about it, I believe we have a bigger obstacle in our way. And we must think of a way to handle it as soon as possible." Edd said with a hint of sadness in his voice. Kevin knew exactly who Edd was talking about and he knew he would have to deal with Eddy eventually, he just didn't know how.
"You're right, but I have no idea what to do about him. Eddy will do anything to save his own ass, even throw you and Ed, his best friends, under the bus." Kevin said to Edd. As if on cue Edd's phone began to ring and the caller ID informed them it was Eddy calling.
"Excuse me Kevin." Edd said, answering the phone in the kitchen.
"Salutations, Eddy. How may I assist you?" Edd said when he answers the phone.
"Sockhead, you meet to get to the hospital. Johnnys parents are pulling the plug. And remember keep your fucking mouth shut." Eddy said quietly and hung up. Tears sprung to Edd's eyes. How could everything go from great to horrible bad in just one phone call.
"Hey, who was tha-" Kevin said, stopping the second he saw Edd's face when he came back into the living room. He knew instantly it was Eddy. "Edd, what's wrong? What happened?" Kevin said reaching for Edd to hug him.
"I-it was E-Eddy." Double Dee sobbed. "We-we have to go to the-the hospital." Double Dee need to see Johnny. He need to say goodbye.
Kevin insisted that they take his bike, but Edd didn't feel safe on a motorcycle. So they took Edd's Prius, but Kevin still drove. Edd was in no condition to be driving.
When they got to the hospital, the boys rushed to Johnnys room. They were shocked to see everyone from the cul-de-sac lined up at Johnnus door. Kevin and Edd when to the back of the line behind Rolf. Kevin and Rolf bumped fist and Kevin asked what everyone was doing there.
"The Wood-boy's parents are taking away the loud machines. One of the Ed-boys called everyone to come and say fair well." Rolf informed him.
One by one, each kid went into the room. Sarah and Jimmy came out crying, Nazz was trying her hardest to hold back tears. No one could believe this was happening to Johnny. Someone they all knew most of their lives.
When it came time for Kevin and Edd to see him, they both silently agreed to tell him they were a couple. Double Dee could hardly bare to see Johnny in this state. Tubes and wires everywhere, his heart rate monitor slowly beeping, the ventilator pumping oxygen into his lungs. Without all of the machines he would look peacefully asleep.
"Do you think he can hear us?" Edd whispered to Kevin.
"I'd like to believe he can." Kevin said. He grabbed Edd's hand and squeezed it and then grabbed Johnnys hand. "Hey Johnny, it's me Kevin. And Double Dee is here too. We came by to tell you that we're really gonna miss you. And that we've decided to let you be the first to know that we have starting dating. I wish you could be awake to see us. I just hope that wherever you're going, Plank will be there waiting for you." Kevin said. He was a tough guy, but he had know Johnny all his life. Seeing him like this, so close to death, was breaking him and he was about to start crying.
Edd already had tears rolling down his face. Johnny was still so young. He was kind and honest and none of this should've happened to him. For the first time in his life, Double Dee realized just how awful Eddy was and he began to hate him. He let go of Kevin's hand and reached into his satchel and pulled out Plank.
"Woah, where'd you get that?" Kevin asked in shock.
"I was taking a walk on day when I overheard Johnny and his parents arguing. I watched his father take Plank and throw him in the garbage. I was appalled and immediately retrieved him from the disgusting trash bin. I planned to give it back but never got the chance and I assume now, he needs plank more than ever." Double Dee explained.
The tears Kevin was holding back, flowed out and rolled down his face. Seeing Edd do something so kind and selfless tipped him over the edge. He pulled him into a hugged and kissed him passionately. Pouring all of the love and sadness from his heart into the kiss.
"God Dork, you're such a wonderful person. I don't deserve you and I don't think I ever will. Not even in a million years." Kevin said as he pulled away from the kiss.
"I only want my friends to be happy." Double Dee responded, his face turning bright red.
"Th-th-thank y-you. D-double D-dee." The soft whisper startled Kevin and Edd. They turned to Johnny and saw him smiling and holding Plank close to his heart. The heart rate monitor began beeping suddenly, signaling a drop in his heart beat. Nurses and doctors raced into the room.
Everything happened in one fast blur, doctors began pumping oxygen into Johnnys lungs, nurses performed CPR. But nothing helped and after what seemed like an eternity, Johnnys heart rate dropped to a flat line and he was gone.
While leaving the hospital, Kevin and Double Dee ran into Eddy. Eddy had been looking for Double Dee and was lucky he caught him before they left.
"Hey Sockhead! Wait up!" Eddy shouted, hoping to stop him from leaving. But to his shock, both Edd and Kevin stopped and turned towards him. "I don't want to talk to you Shovel Chin. This is between me and Double Dee."
"Whatever you have to say to the dork you can say to me. Besides he's my ride so I'm not going anywhere." Kevin replied, crossing his arms over his chest and standing his ground. He wanted to put an arm around Double Dee but he knew just how Eddy would react to it.
"Eddy, whatever it is you need to speak to be about you can say in front of Kevin." Double Dee backed Kevin.
"Ya know Sockhead, you've been spending an awful lot of time with Shovel Chin here. Something is going on between you two and it definitely ain't tutoring." Eddy accused them.
"Eddy, what I do is my business, and it should not concern you in the slightest. Now, what do you want?" Double Dee said, with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Fine. Be that way. Johnny's parents weren't going to look into how he got ahold of something he was allergic to, but I overheard them talking about suing the school and getting a big pay day out of Johnny's death. So as longs as everyone keeps their mouths shuts, we'll be in the clear." Eddy said to Double Dee. "And keep HIM out of this." He said as he walked away.
"I highly doubt the school is just going to sit by and let someone sue them without proof. Listen Edd, if anyone asks anything about Eddy, tell them to talk to Eddy themselves and then find me. He's not getting away with this. You an Ed might've helped him, but neither of you actual sold anything to anyone. This is all on him. And I know you don't want to see your best friend go to jail, but you saw Johnny. You were right there when he died. No one should be allowed to get away with that." Kevin said.
"But, Kevin, what if Eddy tells them Ed and I gave it to Johnny? How could we prove that we are innocent?" Double Dee asked. They were almost at the car and he concluded that he was in no condition to drive. Kevin opened the passenger side door for Edd.
"You just let me worry about that. Hopefully it wont come to that. I told you I would protect you. Just don't worry about any of this right now. Do you want to grab something to eat?" Kevin asked as he pulled out of he hospital parking lot.
"Well I ate before everything happened, but if you're hungry I guess we can get something real quick. It is getting late and I have a strict sleep schedule I like to keep." Double Dee said. This truth was that he hadn't eaten since lunch at school, but all of the events from the day had made his stomach twist in knots and do back flips to a point were he couldn't even think about eating.