AN: PART 3 EVERYONE WE'RE IN THE HOME STRETCH GET YOUR TISSUES!
Suggested Soundtrack: Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey as sung by Julia Westlin.
Shadowed Past will update tomorrow!
Chapter ALL IS REVEALED part 3/3
" . . . What?"
Ganondorf couldn't believe his ears. He leaned his entire weight on the reception desk in the ER.
" . . . couldn't save her. Were you aware she had a heart condition?"
"What? No . . ."
"What about a family history of heart disease?"
Ganondorf covered his face with his hands. His ears were full of ringing. "No, no, we checked all of that!" This can't be happening. This can't be happening!
"Can I see her?"
The doctor shook his head. "We're still cleaning up the surgery. We'll let you know as soon as you can see her."
Gaondorf knew. He knew the moment she collapsed that morning that there was a chance she wouldn't get back up again. Even so, he'd rushed her to the hospital, hoping beyond hope that—
"There is some good news, though, sir," the doctor continued.
"Good news? GOOD NEWS?" Ganondorf rounded on the man. "How can there be good news?!"
The doctor held up a hand. "We were able to save the babies. They're premature, so we're getting them hooked up to machines now, but so far . . . they're alive. You have two sons."
Ganondorf didn't know what to feel. "Can I see them?"
The doctor nodded, then paused. "Well, one. The other is going through some testing to see if he's healthy."
"Show me. Please?"
The doctor led him to a room in the hospital that was for pre-mie babies. He pointed out a clear box, inside which was a tiny baby curled into a tiny ball. He had tufty blond hair. He didn't look like Hilda, not even a little. In fact, he looked like his biological father, Ravio. Ganondorf's mouth began to smirk, then it settled simply into a smile. Ravio will like that.
Ravio.
How would he take the news that Hilda was dead? He'd finally gotten a job—and kept it. For longer than six months anyway. He was a truck driver, so he wasn't here at the hospital. Ganondorf considered calling him, but he didn't think giving someone who was driving horrible news was a good idea. No, better wait until he got here.
The doctor instructed Ganondorf how to fit his big hands through the little openings in the box so he could touch his son. Within seconds the boy had wrapped his tiny hand around Ganondorf's finger, scrunching his face. Ganondorf smiled. He laughed. He cried. "I'm so happy," he said, confusion evident in his voice, "And so devistated."
The doctor placed a hand on Ganondorf's arm. "It's understandable."
Ganondorf tried to pull himself together. "When can I see Shadow?"
The doctor blinked. "Shadow?"
"My other son."
"You've picked names already, I see. What's this little one's name?"
Just looking at his son in the box, he knew this one wasn't Shadow. "He's . . . my wife wanted to name him after me, but . . . I don't want him to have a Gerudo name. Especially . . . not now."
"May I suggest . . ."
Ganondorf glanced up.
The doctor flushed slightly. "Well, I have a cousin, you know . . . she's a Gerudo, and they had the same problem. They wanted to name their child after her, so they just Hylianised their child's name. What does your name mean, Ganondorf?"
Ganondorf hesitated. "Little left-handed pig."
The doctor froze. "Okay . . ."
Ganondorf sighed. "It basically means 'devious bastard.'"
"Oh, I see! The left hand used to be considered evil."
"And in Gerudo, pig is a terrible insult."
"Why on earth were you named that?"
Ganondorf looked away to hide the slight flushing of his cheeks. "Something about my face looking ugly or something as a baby, I expect . . ."
"Had that evil glint in your eye, eh?" When Ganondorf didn't respond, the doctor quickly continued, "Well, there are names that mean 'left hand.'"
"I'm not even left handed," Ganondorf said.
"Well no, but it IS the only part of your name that could be even slightly seen as a good thing, that and little." He waved the pen in his left hand. "I'm left handed, and . . . being named little certainly didn't affect you any." The doctor was a whole head shorter than Ganondorf—like most people were.
Ganondorf had to concede to the point. "I don't want to name my son something that means evil, though."
"It doesn't, that's the point! Look at it this way—most people aren't even going to KNOW the meaning of the name, and aren't going to bother to ask. And besides . . . wasn't there some hero who was left handed or something?"
Ganondorf stared at the Hylian man incredulously. "Yes. A big, giant Hylian hero. Even I know about it. How come you don't?"
The doctor shrugged. "No reason! But anyway, his name was Link, and he was named that because the name means 'left hand' in Teutonic."
"Link."
"What do you think?"
Ganondorf stared at his son, how he held his finger so tightly, scrunched his face at the annoying yet warm light in his face. "Little hero Link. I think it fits."
Shadow was still going through tests, so Ganondorf stayed with Link while he waited for news. Waited for Ravio. Waited to be able to see Hilda's body.
He decided that he absolutely hated waiting.
He had waited their whole marriage, busting his chops to afford the treatments. Ravio's help made it decidedly cheaper, but there were still bills. Doing so, he ended up working most hours of the day, and Hilda had become . . . distant. Now he regretted it—and yet, he didn't. He had this beautiful boy, Link . . . Hilda had given him a child, how could he regret working so hard for it?
There was supposed to be time. After the bills were paid, there was supposed to be time. Time to grow closer again, to raise their sons together.
Ganondorf had waited for that time.
It would never come.
Ganondorf took a walk outside. He was tired, and hungry, and he needed some fresh air. His thoughts were interrupted when a giant semi screeched into the hospital parking lot and parked haphazardly.
That'll be Ravio, Ganondorf thought, immediately wishing he hadn't told Ravio that Hilda was in the hospital. The last thing Ganondorf needed was Ravio getting into a wreck and killing somebody trying to get to the hospital as fast as he could.
Ravio opened the semi's door and ran across the parking lot, weaving through cars. He spotted Ganondorf by the door and made a beeline to him. "Ganny! Where is she? How is she? What happened?!"
Ganondorf grabbed ahold of the stuttering Ravio's shoulders and led him into the lobby.
"Answer me, Ganondorf!"
"Ravio . . . she . . . s-sit down."
"NO! I don't want to sit! I've been sitting for hours and I can't stand it! What happened?!"
"She had a heart attack, Ravio. It was complications from her pregnancy, nobody knew about it. She . . . she didn't make it, Ravio."
Ravio's jaw dropped, his eyes froze in place. Then his face underwent something like a slow motion reaction to being hit. "What?"
"She's gone, Ravio."
Ravio stumbled back, freeing himself from Ganondorf's grip. "What?"
"My wife is dead, Ravio!" Ganondorf was feeling a little angry, and hurt.
Unexpectedly, Ravio burst out laughing. "Good one, Ganny!" Then his face morphed, a crazy look in his eye. "That's not funny at all. What the heck, Ganondorf?! S-so where is she?"
"Mr. Dragmire?" A nurse called. "The doctor's have finished with the body, if you would like to see her."
"Body?" Ravio was pale, even a little yellow around the mouth. "What body?"
Ganondorf set a hand again on Ravio's shoulder. "Hilda's body, brother."
Ravio collapsed, and would have fallen to the ground if Ganondorf hadn't had such a good grip on his arm. "No, no, no!" Ravio struggled to regain his balance. "But I just got here! How can she be dead already? She can't be dead already I DIDN'T SAY GOODBYE!"
"Come on, Ravio . . . let's go see her body. Please?"
Ravio again shrugged off Ganondorf's hand and stumbled into the nearest chair. "No."
"Ravio."
"No, I don't want to see her like that. She's not there anyway. She's gone. She's dead. She left. She left me."
"She didn't want to, Ravio."
"Like you didn't? You left. She left. They all left."
A few nurses, alerted to Ravio's breakdown, came over to help. Ganondorf turned and began walking away. Ravio's pain was not helping his own pain get any better. He needed to see Hilda's body. He just couldn't deal with Ravio's issues right now . . .
At least she wasn't in any pain anymore, Ganondorf thought. She looked beautiful. So beautiful . . . but Ravio was right. She wasn't there. It was like he stared at an empty shell, her spirit, her life force, her what-have-you, having long vacated it. He sat there holding her hand, brushing her face, for who knows how long . . .
A knock came on the door, and a nurse entered. "Mr. Dragmire, you're needed immediately."
"What is it?"
"It's your friend."
"Friend?"
"In the lobby."
"Ravio?"
"He's causing a scene."
Ganondorf made his way back to the lobby. He heard Ravio's yelling long before he got there. "Ravio, calm down!"
Ravio suddenly shut up, then glared at Ganondorf. "YOU!" He strode over and pointed an accusatory finger at Ganondorf. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"
"What are you talking about?!"
"I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU NOT TO HURT HER! I TOLD YOU I WOULD NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"
"THIS ISN'T MY FAULT!" Ganondorf screamed back.
They screamed at each other. Eventually security was called.
The boys were forcefully separated. Ganondorf drove home, saying something about 'needing to help Shadow.' Ravio remained at the hospital.
Ravio finally calmed down enough to be told about Link and Shadow. When security finally let him go, he went to the room where Link was. Ganondorf had seen Link as looking like Ravio . . . but Ravio knew better. There were the small details on his tiny wrinkled face. The way his eyebrows angled downward, the way his voice cooed incredulously as this bright, brand new world he found himself in.
He coughed a tiny bit, so Ravio reached in and rubbed his tummy. Link opened his eyes as much as he could with his swollen eyelids. Ravio grinned down at him. "Hi, Link! Aren't you beautiful . . ."
Link blinked at him curiously, then his eyes closed again and he fell asleep within minutes.
He called a nurse, and asked, "Can I hold him?"
The nurse nodded. "For a little while. He needs to stay in the incubator most of the time."
Carefully, the nurse took Link out of the box, wrapped him in a hospital blanket, and gently placed him in Ravio's arms. Ravio took in a great deep breath. He wasn't sure how to hold Link, but with the nurse's help he managed.
"I can't take my eyes off him," Ravio said to the nurse. He took Link's tiny hand and brushed it with a thumb, gently. "Oh Hilda . . . look at this perfect little boy . . . Wherever you are."
"Okay, sir, he should really go back into the incubator."
"Does he have to?" Ravio didn't want to let go. Not now. Not ever.
The nurse was patient. "Please, sir, hand him to me."
"Do I have to?" He shook his head. "O-Okay."
Right before he did, Ganondorf entered the room. Ravio looked back at him, and instantly his entire demeanor changed. Link, perhaps sensing this, began to make upset noises.
Ganondorf knew the second he saw the hate in Ravio's eyes. He knew the second he saw Ravio holding Link.
Ravio was going to take the boys.
And Ganondorf was going to let him.
"In the end," Ganondorf finished, "We settled things in court. Shadow stayed with me because I could afford his care, and Link went with Ravio. I'm sorry Link, I couldn't say no. You were the last memory of Hilda. I don't think I ever realized exactly how much Ravio cared for her."
He sighed. "We wrote up a document. We would never live in the same city. He would not have any rights regarding Shadow, and I would have no rights regarding Link. This was to make it so neither of us could change our minds and go after the other. This is why you were not to know about each other, until perhaps you were adults. We knew if you knew of each other you would want to meet, to get to know each other . . . but . . . after Hilda died, Ravio wanted nothing more to do with me."
"So . . . it was basically illegal for you and . . . uh, Ravio to be in the same city?" Shadow exclaimed incredulously. "That's excessive, don't you think?"
Ganondorf shuffled uncomfortably in his chair. "It . . . it made more sense fourteen years ago."
"You guys didn't know how to just have a discussion."
"Yeah," Link joined, "You guys just seemed to fight over everything."
Ganondorf glared down at them both. "Easy for YOU to judge, you both had parents!"
Aryll suddenly began to laugh. She pointed at Ganondorf's angry face and fell off her seat from laughter.
Shadow laughed along, then threw his arms around Link again. "But what happened after that, Dad? Where'd Ravio go?"
"I think your grandmother can answer that better than I can. Ravio left town and I . . . never saw him again."
Everyone looked toward Granny, but she was fast asleep.
"Oh, Granny," said Shadow adoringly. "Wait . . . is she Hilda's mom?"
Link shook his head. "No. She my . . . Dad's wife's . . . uh . . . I guess my stepmom's . . . mom."
"So we're not related?"
"No. But I guess Aryll is. I guess we're only half siblings."
"Wait! Does that mean Aryll and ME are half siblings, too?!"
Link considered. "Yeah. Yeah I guess so."
Shadow grinned, showing all his fangs. "SWEET! I got a brother AND and sister?! My life is the best!"
"So . . . did I answer all of your questions?" Ganondorf asked.
Link squinted at him. "I . . . guess so."
"Yeah, Dad, you said some pretty mean things about Link," Shadow added. "Calling him poor and bad and stuff like that."
Ganondorf made a steeple with his hands and sat up straight. "I'm sorry."
"You're sorry? No explanation?"
"Nope. Probably just me picking a fight again. You know."
"Man . . ."
"All I can say now is I'm sorry."
"You were such a jerk."
"I'm sorry."
Sheik spoke up. "You were super creepy."
"I'm sorry."
"Your car sucks," Shadow piped.
"I'm . . . do you WANT to be grounded?"
Everyone laughed.
AN: BAM! Any questions? I think I got everything, but I'm not positive . . .
