I Love You, Handy.
Chapter 37. Can you hear me...?
Hours had passed and it was already getting close to nighttime. All the Smurfs in the village worried and stressed over their friends' return after witnessing the condition Hefty Smurf was in. In the meantime, Papa had been in his lab conducting a healing remedy to mend Hefty's battered wound. Brainy had been with him the whole time, helping him smurf up the ingredients they needed to make it accurate and with no interruptions.
Papa's cauldron was brewing with the ingredients added while Brainy handed him a small vial with some sort of special powder to add to it. Not only Brainy was the only Smurf with their great leader in is lab, but Clumsy had been there as well, sitting close by on a stool while they worked on getting the potion ready.
"Alright, this powder should finish off preparing the potion," Papa said after he added it into the brew. "Now all we have to do is wait until it boils and change color. It shouldn't take too long..."
"I just hope Hefty will pull through once it's all finished," the apprentice spoke sadly. "I just can't bear having to lose one of our greatest Smurfs. Let alone Handy losing him... The poor guy..."
"I believe in Hefty..." Clumsy said. "I know he would never give up."
"Well, all we can do now until then is pray for him to stay smurfy," Papa replied. "He is a very strong fighter, and would never let anysmurf down for any reason."
"Do you think this potion will heal him first thing once we give it to him?" Brainy wondered.
"I believe so. I have never smurfed this before I had any of you as Smurflings around. It's been so long since I last smurf this."
"It just has to work!" the klutzy Smurf cried. "Your potions always work...!"
"Oh, I just wonder how Handy's making out with all this," the bespectacled Smurf said, "I just cannot believe that he would take the fall and smurf after him. But thank smurfness Gutsy was able to save them in time."
"We were all lucky for him to smurf through the trouble in saving them," the red leader agreed. "I'm just thankful that he not only saved himself, but the other Smurfs as well."
"Gutsy really is a hero," Clumsy said. "I was so shocked when I saw Handy smurfing after Hefty as he fell...! It seemed like Handy thought his life would be useless without him..."
"That is why those two have a really strong connection," Papa turned to him. "Even though they were brought up as brothers, their love can never break unless one of them perishes. And I know my sons. When they were just Smurflings, they never left their side. And before Handy was brought to me after Hefty, sometimes he would scream and cry. And I knew after Handy had come, Hefty no longer felt sad."
"...Did you ever think back then, that their love would become that strong someday?" Clumsy asked.
"Well, in a way you might say it, I have," Papa replied. "But I had never thought that their love would be like this."
"...And when we found out about their relationship... would you have reacted differently if they weren't brothers...?"
"I don't Clumsy..." he sighed. "All I know is that love can be found in many bizarre places when it comes to certain things. It can even happen to humans for what I might know of. But... if they weren't brothers, I don't know how I would think. There has never been a female Smurf until Smurfette came along, then Ashli, and then Shini. And none of them were brought up as real Smurfs to begin with. However... I have always thought Ashli would be with Hefty, considering how much she had told me she loved him. Especially Smurfette. But, I guess things do change, right?"
Clumsy nodded in response slightly and then looked back to the potion Papa and Brainy smurfed up. Not too long from now, he had seen that it beginning to boil. Brainy turned and looked as well until he gave out a quick gasp.
"Papa! It's boiling!"
As Papa turned around seeing his black cauldron boil, he hurriedly smurfed back to it and stirred in the potion. While he was stirring, it began to change color to a golden yellow. Soon, a sweet aroma started to fill the room, hitting their noses smelling like a delicious smurfberry cake.
"Okay..." Papa said as he finished stirring. "It's just about finished. Now all we have to do is let it cool until we're able to smurf it back to Hefty's."
"The potion sure does smell smurfy..." the nerdy Smurf said talking a whiff.
"Yes it does!" Clumsy agreed as he inhaled the aroma. "Does it also taste as smurfy as it smells?"
"Yes," their father nodded. "In order for the potion to work, you'll have to ingest it. It should take in full effect after it's been consumed."
"I just hope we won't be too late," Brainy sighed and looked to the window. "It's already sundown."
"...And if it works, how long do you think will it take until Hefty feels better?" Clumsy asked.
"It wouldn't be long after he takes it," Papa replied. "It should heal him and restore his health in about two minutes or so."
"Wow, that sounds smurfy!" the kid-like Smurf said and began to smile. "I hope it cools down quickly, so we can smurf it to him!"
"Me too," Brainy agreed. "There are so many things I wanna tell the boys like my new quotations, or ask how it was like living on their own away from Smurf Village, or what they've smurfed during their time, or-"
"There will plenty of time to ask all those questions once Hefty is better and settled in along with Handy," the eldest Smurf smiled after cutting his apprentice off. "Right now, we just need to focus on the important things until then."
"Oh, right Papa Smurf." Brainy had then adjusted his glasses and chuckled a little.
"Papa Smurf! Could we maybe still celebrate their return to the village when Hefty feels better again?"
"Why, of course," Papa smile wider. "Everyone did work real hard today preparing and making the village look smurfy."
Clumsy soon cheered as he stood up from the chair. "Woohoo!" He cried with joy as he jumped a little until he stumbled over his own feet, falling accidentally onto Brainy. "Oops!"
Brainy reacted with a small moan after being smurfed to the floor by his gullible friend. "D'oh Clumsy..."
"Sorry Brainy, hehe..." Clumsy said until he stood back up and helped Brainy up again on his feet.
Papa began to chuckle wholeheartedly and then turned back to his cauldron, waiting for the potion to cool. He just hoped that Hefty would smurf on a little longer until then, especially for Handy.
Meanwhile, Smurfette and Vanity were at her house, sitting outside on her bench as the sun had already gone down. Smurfette looked to the ground sadly, thinking of Hefty and hoping he'll be alright again soon. She began to sigh as Vanity did the same. The admirable Smurf looked into his mirror for a short while until he soon placed it down to the side. He was too sad to admire his own beauty when every other Smurf were feeling just as unsmurfy than before.
"I can't even look at myself, worrying how the boys are doing," he said sadly. "It's just awful what they all went through today..."
"I still can't believe that all this happened..." Smurfette responded. "And I thought this should have been a happy day..."
"We all thought of it, Smurfette." Vanity turned to her. "Oh, the nerve of that wizard! He should've stayed where we all left him, but no. Papa Smurf just had to smurf him back here from that other realm."
"I know... But who knows what trouble he would have made back there? I wouldn't want Patrick and Grace to have to deal with that old wizard either. But Papa maybe should've smurfed him somewhere else, far away from us...
"Yeah, I suppose you're right... But still, I just can't believe after waiting for so long, this all happens!"
"Me neither... It's just horrible..." Smurfette soon sighed again. "I was so happy and thought I could finally tell them again how sorry I am... and how thankful I am that they accepted my apology..."
"I feel just terrible for the both of them. How they had suffered for months when we didn't accept them... Just because of their love."
"It must've been awful for them..." she turned to look to him. "Just imagine your whole family smurfing you out of the village just because you're in love with somebody..."
"Not to mention their only brother..." the vain Smurf turned away. "And I never knew. Nobody knew... Oh, I just feel so guilty for doubting them..."
"Me too... And I was just so jealous all this time... until I realized that Hefty's heart belongs to Handy." And I had to accept it..." she smiled slightly afterwards.
Nothing else was said for about a minute until Vanity soon turned his head over to her slightly. "...Do you think... that you'll most likely find some other Smurf who'll love you as much as the others someday...?"
And before the beautiful Smurfette with her long golden hair would respond, she smiled a little more and then looked up to the night sky. "Hahww that would be just smurfy..." She then closed her eyes as she continued. "Ashli once told me to follow my heart... And one day I might find that very special Smurf..."
Vanity had then looked to the ground rather shyly until he decided to slide a little further to her. "Um... Do you think maybe that special Smurf may happen to be close by...?"
Smurfette then opened her eyes again. "Huh...?"
Vanity couldn't help but look back to her after she turned to him. He soon felt his heart beginning to beat strongly as he gazed up at her into her beautiful, crystal, blue eyes. He also felt a little nervous while he tried to keep his cool. Then he slowly moved his hands towards Smurftette and soon took a hold of one of her soft, delicate hands. Smurfette looked down to their hands and blushed slightly until she then looked back up to him.
"Va-Vanity...?"
"S-Smurfette..." he began while he stuttered and blush a little. "I have always been there for you during your time of need... Whether you were feeling unsmurfy, I would come to you and smurf that beautiful face of yours into a smile. And when you needed somesmurf to blush your long, golden hair, I would do so..." Before he continued, he begins to brush his fingers through her gold, silky hair. "And... whenever you needed a friend to talk to, you know for sure that I would always be around if you're feeling lonely..."
Smurfette's eyes started to widen and didn't know what to say. She soon felt her heart beating smurfily as she stared into his eyes. Vanity looked back down for a second as he continued.
"You may have not known this up 'til now... but..." He then looks back up to her. "Smurfette...?"
The lovely Smurfette was still staring at him, blushing a little more. "...Y-yes...?"
Then the Smurf with the yellow flower in his hat felt his heart beating even stronger than before. "I... I..." But before he could finish, he moved his head closer to her as he soon closed his eyes. He began to purse his lips gently as Smurfette's heart was beating as strong as Vanity's. She also began to close her eyes and slowly moved her head closer to his.
And soon, Vanity's lips touched hers. His heart was now racing harder as he pulled Smurfette closer and kissed her soft lips. Smurfette accepted the kiss as she slowly put her arms around him and blushed deeply. Vanity could not believe this was really happening. At first, they were talking about how they wished Gargamel smurfed someplace else and how much Hefty and Handy gone through. Now, everything that they knew were passed aside them as they continued experiencing their first moment together. And as the Smurf pulled Smurfette even closer, he suddenly slid his tongue inside of her mouth.
Smurfette carefully licked over his tongue and began to stroke his back gently with her soft fingertips. Vanity's body felt goose bumps all over from her touching him ever so soothingly. He then kissed her deeper as his face flushed a deep shade of purple. Smurfette had soon wrapped one leg around his, while she continued to kiss him. She then begins to pant a little.
"Nnn..." Vanity suddenly started to moan a little when he too began to pant.
"Hahh..." Smurfette holds him closer, feeling her heart beating fast against his.
Vanity kissed her a little while longer until he breaks it, gasping for air. His face was now completely flushed real deep. Smurfette panted fast and looked at him with her face flushed as deep as his while he too looked back to her.
"Hahh... hah... hah... Smurfette..." he continued to pant.
Smurfette didn't say anything after she calmed herself down. She then embraced him gently, placing her head on his chest. The pretty Smurf soon wrapped his arms around her and laid his head close to hers. And then, he turned and whispered in her ear softly, "I love you..."
"Oh, Vanity... Why did you never tell me...?"
Before he responded back, Vanity looked down to her and drew in a deep sigh. "...Because I knew how much you still had feelings for Hefty I... I was afraid you wouldn't love me back. After everything you went through when you found out about him having strong feelings for Handy... I know I'm considered to you a very close friend, and if you feel you need more time... or better yet find some other Smurf... I totally understand..."
Smurfette then looked up to him for a brief minute until she replied, "All this time I was so focused on finding the right Smurf... That I didn't realize that this one special Smurf has always been by my side..."
She then smiled a little as Vanity too began to smile back a little at her. "Oh, Smurfette..." he said to her, cupping her cheek. "You are just as beautiful as I am... No, you ARE beautiful more than anything in this world..."
"And I always thought you would love nothing more than yourself..." Smurfette laughed a bit.
"Well, right now my eyes will be focusing on you for the rest of the evening," Vanity smiled to her. "You have my full provided attention. In fact, I don't even feel like looking into my mirror now for quite a while."
"And you don't need your mirror, Vanity... I can tell you that you look just as beautiful as always..."
And with that said, Vanity smiled even brighter to her and felt his heart racing again smurfily. Smurfette smiled back at him and soon closed her eyes and gently rubbed her nose against his. The handsome, loving Smurf closed his eyes as well and blush a little as he rubbed his nose in return. He begins to stroke his fingers again through her hair as Smurfette held him tight.
"...I love you too..." she whispered into his ear.
Soon after, he looked to her once more and gazed into her eyes beginning to twinkle in the starlight. Smurfette had then placed a hand on his cheek and smiled sweetly. Then after that, she begins to kiss his lips again as Vanity returns it with a deep sigh. He willingly starts to deepen the kiss once again while he kept stroking through her hair with his fingertips ever so lovingly.
Smurfette began to stroke his cheek with her thumb and his back with her other hand. "Hnn..."
"Mmm..." Vanity slowly moved his other hand down her back and began to caress her endlessly.
The Smurfette began to feel a chill smurfing down her spine as she licked over his lips. The narcissist Smurf continued to rub her back sensually as he kissed her much deeper. And suddenly, he broke the kiss again and looked into her eyes with his eyes hooded, smiling.
"How's about us having some alone time while we... 'smurf' up on a few things...?" Vanity insisted with much subtly.
"Hmm... That sounds smurfy..." she smiled back at him with her eyes hooded as well.
"I'm glad you see it my way..."
And soon, Vanity stood up from the bench and took a hold of her hand as he grabbed his mirror again. Smurfette also stood up from the bench and slowly took his mirror out of his hand again, looking up to him.
"Oh, Smurfette..." he smiled to her, chuckling.
Smurfette giggled as she took him inside her house and closed the door to have some 'quality time' together.
Elsewhere, Hefty's condition was starting to worsen. Handy still sat by his side while Gutsy kept a lookout to see if Papa would smurf back soon with the potion. The strong Smurf kept moaning in pain on and off as his face beaded with more sweat. The mechanic luckily dampened the small towelette used from before and smurfed his face gently, clearing away his sweat. He then took a hold of his hand and stroked it repeatedly with his thumb while Hefty's face began to relax. The room was already getting darker, but there was no sign of a moon to be seen in the night sky. Unlike Handy having a lamp he smurfed at his place, Hefty didn't have one. However, Gutsy was nice enough to smurf a candle and lit it with one of Hefty's matches left over from last winter.
The candle smurfing on the nightstand soon had begun to illuminate the room and shined upon Handy's necklace that he had put around Hefty. All the Smurfs' silhouettes were dancing on the walls while their faces had a certain glow from the burning candle. Afterwards, Gutsy smurfed back to his post and looked from to window, waiting for Papa Smurf to return. He gruffly took a deep sigh and looked up to the sky. There were a few clouds passing by and some stars partially twinkling. His mind dozed as he thought of a few things other than what was happening now. He thought of his future with Shini and what was going to happen whether or not if Hefty was going to make it. Then all of a sudden...
*Knock Knock Knock*
...A knock had smurfed at the front door. And in an instant, the Scotsman snapped out of his daze and quickly dash towards the door. "I really hope it's Papa..." he said to himself as he opened it. However, it wasn't who he had hoped. Standing from outside; both Chef and Baker smurfed over with a small basket in Baker's hand.
"Fellas..." Gutsy spoke softly. "What are you doin' here...?"
"We thought we'd smurf you something from what Baker and I smurfed earlier for the banquet," Chef replied. "You guys could really use something after smurfing through all that trouble today from Gargamel."
"We're sure you haven't smurfed anything except for breakfast today..." Baker nodded.
"Thanks, lads," Gutsy said as he takes the basket from the baker Smurf. "It's really smurfy of you two to be thinkin' of us during Hefty's time of need."
"How is he anyway?" Chef wondered. "How's he smurfing?"
"Sadly, not too well I'm afraid. If Papa doesn't smurf here soon with the antidote, he will surely perish."
"Nonono, don't say that...!" Baker gasped. "And where is Papa Smurf? What's taking him so long then?"
"That's what I wanted to know," the Scotsman said. "But I assume it's taking him longer than I hoped for... And I don't know how much more Handy can see him like this."
He soon turned to Handy along with both the culinary Smurfs coming in and looked towards him and Hefty. Handy still didn't want to look into anyone's face and just kept stroking Hefty's hand. Baker suddenly covered his mouth with his hand and somehow experienced an unsmurfy feeling inside, a feeling of guilt. Chef had felt the same way too as he felt an empty void before he turned to Baker. He then placed a hand on his shoulder and felt a great pain in his heart for what they had done to them all those months ago.
The baker Smurf then turned his head away, closing his eyes tightly saying, "I-I'm sorry... I can't look at this..."
The cooking Smurf looked to him sadly until he turned back to the Scotsman. "Gutsy...?" he spoke.
"Hm? What is it?" Gutsy turned to him.
Before Chef responded, he drew in a deep sigh, exhaling through the mouth. "Even though both Baker and I have already apologized to you for what we did to hurt you... I still feel like nothing's changed. And I still feel just awful for what we did... Especially to Hefty. He really wanted to make Handy happy and had us smurf a special order. And I never really knew how much he really meant to him..."
"It's ok, Chef..." Gutsy spoke to him lowly. "We all didn't know..."
"I really hope this is not the end..." Baker said turning to them. "We still wanted to apologize to both of them again...!"
"Me too..." Chef agreed. "Not after we-" However, as he was about to continue, he stopped in an instant and stood quiet. He quickly turned to Baker and then back to Gutsy. "I-I-I think we should leave before we make things too unsmurfy. Come on, Baker..."
And as they were just about to leave, Gutsy stopped them. "Wait! What's goin' on? Is there somethin' you two are not tellin' me...?"
"Ehh... No, really, we shouldn't bother you any longer...!" Baker cried when a hint of blush was shown on his cheeks a little.
And with that, both Smurfs hurriedly made their way out and closed the front door from behind. Gutsy, confused as ever, wondered why they left in such a hurry. Better yet, wondering what the reason was that made them change their minds in what they were going to say.
Outside, while the culinary Smurfs headed on back, Chef turned to Baker rather shyly and yet ashamed. "Oh, smurf it...! I almost blew it in there! I should've never brought it up!"
"I-it's alright..." Baker said looking to the ground. "We need to tell them someday anyway..."
"But when?" Chef cried. "For all we know, the others might think of the same thing we did long ago...!"
"I... I wanted to tell Handy and Hefty first... Once Hefty feels better, of course..."
Chef then sighed deeply and suddenly stooped walking as he took a hold of his hands in his. "We will..." he spoke softly. "We have to... We can't keep this a secret anymore now that theirs has been leaked."
Baker looked up to him and nodded slightly and said, "But I'm still a little afraid... And I feel so unsmurfy for what we did back then..."
"I'm scared too..." Then suddenly, Chef cupped his cheek and soon moved his head in a little closer in on Baker as he continued. "But together, we will face our fears and our outcomes. And no Smurf can stop us for the feelings we have just like Hefty and Handy..."
Soon, the cooking Smurf began to feel his heart racing a little while he gazed deep into his eyes. Baker blushed as he looked into his eyes as well. He held his hand a little tight until Chef leaned a little closer to him. He stroked his cheek ever so gentle with his thumb and felt his heart smurfing much faster. Baker looked at him dreamily while his heart also started to race. However, with them still being outside in the middle of the village, he somehow felt a little unease when it was still early.
"You know, we shouldn't do this outside..." Baker whispered in his ear. "Some Smurfs are still awake and maybe walking around..."
"You're right." Chef nodded while he whispered. He looked all around before he finished and turned back to him. "Let's smurf back to my place so we can be alone..."
"Okay..." Baker smiled a little and nodded as he then slowly let go of his hand.
Chef had then took his hand off of Baker's cheek and smiled back softly. The baking Smurf in the apron soon felt his heart fluttering while he looked at him. The other Smurf sighed while his eyes glistened, and was beginning to feel really 'smurfy'.
"I want you..." he whispered in his ear.
Baker blushed deeply as he heard that. "Then I guess we should hurry to smurf back to your place..."
"Yes..." Chef agreed as he too blushed as deep as him.
Baker smiled again and soon began to walk alongside Chef to his house for some 'smurfy' goodness.
Back inside Hefty's, Gutsy placed the basket on the table and slowly walked back over to Handy. He placed a firm hand on his shoulder as he turned over to Hefty who now looked as pale as a ghost. The Smurf's breathing was becoming irregular to function, and his heartbeat was declining. Handy didn't say anything at first, and placed a hand on Hefty's heart, feeling it was slowing.
"...Do you think my love for him isn't strong enough...?" Handy asked but worried.
"I'm not so sure," the Scotsman replied. "I figured he would still be able to contact for you, but he hasn't broke not one word in 2 hours. Hahh... I'm beginning to think he's never gonna pull through unless Papa hurries with the potion."
The engineer's eyes began to fill with tears again and started to cry softly. "Can't you go and see what the smurf is taking him so long?"
"I'll see what I can do." Gutsy said, taking his hand off his shoulder. "Just make sure no one else comes in here until I get back."
"If someone comes in, I'll smurf him out of here... I don't want anyone around me right now except for you and Papa..." Handy had already gotten a headache from being worried all this time.
Gutsy nodded and said, "Just please try not to stress too much. I will smurf back here as quick as I can with him."
"Tell him to hurry...!" Handy cried.
And afterwards, Gutsy rushed out the house heading towards Papa Smurf's lab. As he left, Handy placed his head down on the bed again next to Hefty's and began to cry more, not letting go of his hand.
"Hefty... Hefty, please don't leave me...! I could never live without you...! I need you... I love you...!"
And while Handy cried with his body nearly shaking, Hefty suddenly started to squirm a little in the bed and groan. He tried to speak, but he didn't have the strength to even say one word. And then out of nowhere, a voice smurfed through the little handyman's mind.
'Handy... Handy...?'
Handy soon gasped a little as he opened his eyes again. He quickly put his head up and looked down at him. "...He-Hefty...?"
'Handy...Can... Can you hear me...?'
But for some reason, Hefty's lips weren't moving when Handy witnessed this. It seemed he is trying to communicate through Handy's mind through telepathy. Handy's eyes widened when he didn't know how this was happening.
"... I... Yes, I can... B-but..."
'I know, it does seem rather strange with me talking like this,' Hefty spoke mentally. 'But there was no other way to talk to you... I feel so weak and don't have the strength to even look to you eye-to-eye.'
Handy couldn't believe what he just heard. "H-how...? How is this possible...?"
'I don't know... But for some reason I'm able to. However... I don't have much time...'
Handy just stared at him, listening and shivering a little while Hefty spoke.
'Something is tryin' to pull me away... It's almost as if I'm trapped in my own subconscious mind... That's why I've been tryin' to smurf you to help me find a way to smurf me back here, but I don't know how... I feel like I'm lost...'
"Papa smurfed up a potion for you... I just don't know what's taking him so long... I wish I could help you, but... I don't know what to do..." Then the mechanic felt some more tears streaming down his face again.
'Handy... Oh, if only I can see your beauty... Your eyes, your nose, that gorgeous smile... But I can't. And you're the only Smurf who I saw last before we almost smurfed to the ground.'
Handy soon begins to cry more again and snuggles up to his cheek. "I feel like my love for you isn't strong enough, since you heart keeps smurfing slower and slower...!"
'Believe me, honey...' Hefty continued, 'Ya doin' everythin' ya can. I've been tryin' to stay close to you for the longest without bein' smurfed back to what's keepin' me away... But... I don't think I'm ever going to wake up... Not this time... I can already feel my body slowly deterioratin', and my blood keeps drainin' from me. And I can still feel the pain from earlier today... It hurts so bad...'
Then the strongman moaned and cried a little as he strained himself to keep in touch with his beloved mate.
"Please don't say that...!" Handy cried, stroking his cheek softly. "You need to stay strong until Papa smurfs here with the potion...! If you leave me, there would be no reason for me to live on..."
'Handy... remember one time when we were still in Smurf Paradise... that no matter what happened to me one day... that you wouldn't go through in smurfing yourself 'cuz of me...?'
"I do... but... sometimes promises are meant to be broken..."
'No Handy... Not like this...' Hefty firmly replied. 'I know that I had said that before... before we smurfed Gargamel and his machine... But I can't let you do this... Everyone misses you... And I can't let them go on another day without seein' any of us here... If you had died and I was still alive; I would be the one who can't live without you... But if I died...'
"...I can't live without you either, Hefty!" Handy interrupted. "You're a part of me...! I would be incomplete without you...!"
'...And you are a part of me...' Hefty continued. 'But I cannot let you do that... Not only you're my baby brother or my best friend... you are more than what you are to me... And you are way better than to lose your own life just because of my fate.'
"But Hefty...!" However, Handy couldn't say anything else as he cried more.
'Please Handy... I know how much you truly love me... And I love you more than anything... I love you more than my own life. I would die for you if anythin' were to happen to ya, because I will always be there... I'd do anythin' for you, Handy... Because you're... you're...'
But before Hefty could finish, he started to breathe heavily gasping for air and more blood began to bleed through from his wound. He gave out a loud cry and moaned as his body started to convulse from the reaction. Handy looked at him in shock and quickly reacted.
"Help... I need help...! Where is Papa Smurf...?" he yelled as he cried. "WHERE IS PAPA SMURF?!"
Hefty strained some more and breathed uncontrollably as he gripped the covers tightly. "Nnnahh...!"
Seeing that Hefty was getting much worse, Handy quickly got up from the chair and ran outside. "HEEEELP!" he shouted. "Please...! I need help! Gutsy! Papa! Hefty is...! He-Hefty...!" Then all of a sudden, he began to feel weak and fell down to his knees. "Hefty..." He tried to finish, but however, he suddenly lost his consciousness as he slumped to the ground, lying motionless.
Later, minutes passed and everything seemed to be a mere blank. There were some voices heard in the background when one of them was calling out his name.
"Handy...? Handy wake up!" the voice said.
"Lad!" Another voice cried. "Can you hear us?"
"Hnn... Hefty... He needs help..." Handy soon slowly opened up his eyes as he finally gained back his consciousness. He was lying in the middle of the floor back in Hefty's house, smurfed by one of the Smurfs who helped him out.
"Oh, good, he's coming too!" the voice cried which happened to be Gutsy.
"Thank smurfness you're still okay!" the other voice said which had then happened to be Brainy.
"Wh-what happened...?" Handy murmured while he held his head. "Where is Hefty?"
Soon, a mere silence filled the room... Neither Gutsy nor Brainy said a word as they looked to each other. The Scotsman then turned up to where Papa was standing, right aside Hefty's bed. Clumsy had been standing beside him as tears leaked endlessly from his eyes. Not only that, but Grouchy was there as well when he heard all the commotion from earlier. His face was buried in one hand as he sobbed softly, leaning against the wall. Papa stood in front of the bed in silence while he held in his hand a small vial that had the potion to heal Hefty. However, it was never given to him... and the vial with the potion inside still remained.
Papa Smurf's face was completely white when he couldn't believe right before his very eyes that... that...
"I was too late..." he broke down as his body started to tremble in shock.
Handy's eyes suddenly widened in shock as he looked to Papa and heard what he just said. "No..." Soon tears started to fill his eyes and streamed down his face again. "No!" He then quickly got up from the floor and ran up to the bed. And what he saw next truly stunned him... He had seen that Hefty wasn't moving and just lied there. "Please tell me this isn't true..! Please! Hefty!" The engineer then embraced him while he cried more. "Hefty...!"
Both Gutsy and Brainy then got up from the floor and walked up slowly to the bed next to Papa and Clumsy. The Smurf apprentice turned to their leader as he placed both hands on his arm, seeing he was still pale. The Scottish Smurf felt tears beginning to stream down his face and put his head down. He tried to fight it back as his voice suddenly begins to break from the tragedy they had witnessed.
"W-we're so sorry..." Gutsy hitched a little and closed his eyes tight. "He's... He's gone..."
Clumsy had then turned to Grouchy as he embraced him tightly and cried more. Grouchy held him back as he too cried more with him.
"This can't be true!" Handy yelled. "It just can't! Hefty! Talk to me! Talk to me just like you did earlier...!" He shook him a little, trying to get him to respond. "TALK TO ME!"
But sadly, he did not respond or move a muscle. Papa suddenly broke into tears and put his head down, shaking his head. "If only I had smurfed sooner," he said softly. "Oh, Hefty... My son..."
Handy felt his heart breaking into pieces and more tears falling down. He shivered heavily and wasn't able to speak as he placed his head down on Hefty's chest. Soon, everyone else in the room stood in silence while they all cried for their fallen friend and brother.