"Now don't it always seem to go: That you don't know what you got 'til it's Gone? They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."-Joni Mitchell-Big Yellow Taxi

Just another SBemail?

Strong Bad sat down to his computer. There was a strange gut feeling as he sat down, like this wasn't right somehow..but continued.

"Dear Strong Bad,"

...seemed pretty normal.

"It's Strong Sad...he was in an accident. He's in the hospital right now in life support."

The next sentence hit Strong Bad the hardest.

"He could die."

A wave of emotion washed over our masked friend. He had thought about this, he had even sometimes wished it, but now that it was true...

Strong Bad began to curse himself, uttering words never heard on a SBEmail.

Strong Bad didn't even bother to read who sent the message, quickly he rushed out the door. The Cheat followed him into his hummer. Not speaking, they drove silently yet speedily towards the emergency ward. Eyeing Homestar on the way, Strong Bad stopped momentarily.

"Get in the back, Homestar."

Homestar looked puzzled. Never before had he heard Strong bad call him by his full name without doing it sardonically. Homestar read the facial expression on Strong Bad's face and immediately stepped into the back seat.

"Did you ever notice how some things don't really seem important until they happen?"

Strong Bad was directing the question at him, but seemed to be talking to himself.

"what is it stwong bad?"

"It's Strong Sad... he's dying."

an eerie silence fell over the passengers once again. They hit a bump on the way to the hospital. Homestar looked at strong bad's now forlorn face in the mirror.

"Stwong bad?"

"yeah?"

"I'm sowwy."

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No, no matter how far we've come. I can't wait to see tomorrow. No matter how far we've come I, I can't wait to see tomorrow with you.-Linkin Park, With You

The hospital gave off an air of stiff cleanliness. Strong Bad stared at the doctors running past the eerily quiet hallways as their ominous footsteps echoed off the blinding scenery. Where was Strong Sad?

Worst fears confirmed, strong Bad, Homestar, and the Cheat walked down the corridor into two steel doors labeled "Critical". Strong Mad was already there, he had been informed first.

"the poor guy.." thought strong Bad of his gargantuan brother sobbing uncontrollably into a box of tissues by the door. They walked on, the Cheat staying behind to console his friend, and into a room labeled 240.

It was worse than they thought. An easily recognizable pair of elephant feet lay beneath a single blanket. A heart monitor pulsed slowly, but at least steadily on the far wall above a small picture frame. An IV ran up the grey arm on the side of the bed. Another tube, this one labeled Oxygen, lead up from behind the bed and ended on a breathing mask on the familiar white face resting on a pillow, the top part of the head being heavily bandaged. The small innocent eyes looked at them weakly.

"Hey little bro, how are you?" Strong Bad's voice was the gentlest anyone had ever heard it before.

There was no reply save for the continual stare from Strong Sad. The eyes looked trapped, like in an abyss.

Strong Bad looked at the picture frame and shed a single tear. He recognized the picture from when he was young, a lost time of innocence he now wanted more than ever to reclaim. The memories came flooding back to him as he stared into this portal of long ago.

It was in early summer. That time when you just feel carefree, like nothing can go wrong. Strong Sad was wearing his favorite shirt that day. When it happened wasn't exactly clear, but it did happen. Where do those days of our youth go? Can they really be gone forever?

Strong Bad looked at the other items on the dresser. A snowglobe emblazoned with the words "You're Number One!" on it. An old Birthday card from him.

Poop-head. mom says i have to make you this kard-StrongBab. PS. I'm going to punsh you in the back.

Strong Bad began feeling empty once again. He recalled the message he had written and began to cry. Openly. He didn't care if Homestar saw him now.

"I'm sorry, little bro." mumbled Strong Bad with the most sincere tenderness imagineable.

Still no answer.

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"I'm dead from all the loneliness and this is how I feel, understanding everything has never been my deal." -Fred Durst, The one.

The moon shone over the asphalt as Strong Bad, Homestar, the Cheat, and Strong mad made their way to the car. They wished they could stay behind and help, but they weren't allowed to for health reasons said the hospital staff. Strong Bad turned the key in the ignition and backed out of the hospital parking lot. A firetruck sounded in the distance as they drove home. No one spoke at all during the trip.

That night, Strong Bad stood at his computer desk and stared at the patched up hole in the wall where his head had crashed long ago. Strong Sad's room lay just beyond it. Feeling a strange urge, Strong Bad walked into the door labeled with Strong Sad's neat handwriting at the top. He stared about the clean room. Of course he had been there before, but never actually seen it for what it was. Strong Bad stared at the clock. Midnight. Though he couldn't sleep at all and didn't feel tired. He just felt.. empty. Strong Bad looked at Gooblis, Strong Sad's toy lobster on his pillow.

"I really miss dumpus."

Strong Bad couldn't resist.

" got mad at Strong Saaad, all those times back then. I hope I don't see his name in the paper, in the obituaries. Because that would mean he's dead.

Strong Sad is not dead.

I sure hope Strong sad's not dead.

Strong sad is not dead, I sure hope Strong sad is not dead.

I didn't know he had rhythm. Oh sure, he has tons of rhythm."

Strong Bad said a quick prayer to himself in Strong Sad's room and then went off to bed for that night.

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Extra pale, Oh you're frail now, I shouldn't laugh about it, Tragedy sets you free but, I should have known it from the start. - Goo Goo dolls, Extra Pale

The phone rang.

"Hello?" Strong bad answered the phone.

"We're taking your brother off life support, there's nothing we can do anymore..I'm so sorry."

"No, you...can't, this is a mistake right?"

"Sorry Mr. Bad.."

"No, you... just can't ok!" Strong Bad flung the phone down.

"Strong Mad, The Cheat. Get in the car, we're going to see Strong Sad."

They sped off like a bullet into the highway. Beads of sweat dripped down Strong Bad's determined face as he swerved through lanes.

"No, they...just can't." He thought to himself.

The door to the hospital room broke open under Strong Mad's tremendous strength. The Brothers and The Cheat burst in.

"You pull that plug on him, and I will knock the crap out of you."

He leered angrily at the doctor on the floor about to shut down the life support system. Too late, it looked like it was already down.

"I'm sorry Mr. Bad, but..."

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHRRRRRGHHH!!" A blind rage flew over Strong Bad as he tackled the grown man to the ground. "I hate you...I hate you!" Hot tears streamed down his face.

He stared into the eyes of his brother, slowly misting into death.

"I love you, little bro.."

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Nothing ever stops all these thoughts and the pain attached to them

Sometimes I wonder why this is happenin'

It's like nothing I can do would distract me when

I think of how I shot myself in the back again

Cuz from the infinite words I can say I

Put all pain you gave to me on display

But didn't realize instead of setting it free I

Took what I hated and made it a part of me- Linkin Park, Figure 0.9

"We are gathered here today to honor the memory of our beloved friend Strong Sad. A quiet young man who .."

Strong Bad payed no attention to the speech being said. He looked down at his own feet as a single tear dripped from his eye. Everyone from Free Country USA showed up. The autumn leaves fell around the mouners, as they had a long time ago, during those carefree days. Whatever happened to them?

"...Ashes To ashes, and dust to dust."

Strong Bad came up after the lengthy sermon. Laying a gloved hand on Strong Sad's cold face, he began to cry.

"Stupid, crap-for-brains!...Why'd you have to die on me? You stupid...idiot!"

The coffin was lowered into the grave slowly. Last chance to say goodbye.

"Goodbye."

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Epilogue.

An autumn leaf fell onto Strong Bad's lap. He looked at the grave marker of his brother.

"I really miss him."

"You do?" a familiar voice sounded from behind.

"WHAT THE CRAP?!"

"Oh, you said you missed me."

"Strong Sad?!?!" Strong Bad whirled around only to find his brother staring him in the face."

"OMFG, HOW IN THE FREAKIN'---"

"I did it to get back at you, but I didn't think it would get this out of hand. I saw you in the room." It was easy paying off those actors to act like doctors. I'd been saving up.

"Then How the crap...who was that?!"

A rustling noise sounded behind them. A pale head topped off with a rather strange hat popped up where the grave was supposed to be.

"Duaaaaaah, Bury me deep, I'm cold and clammy." Said the head of Homsar poking through the soil.

"WHY YOU LAZY CRAP-FOR-CRAP! i'M GONNA PUNCH YOU IN THE GUT!"

oof

Things were gonna be back to normal.