"You probably need to talk to Dr. James about that thing when we get out of here, you know. Does the hospital insurance cover us if the dead visit the patients? Just stay still right now, okay? I promise that I'm going to fix this. Hook probably ha exactly what you need down in his room. He has everything else down there, after all. It's going to be okay. I promise."
"Elmer...." Louis could feel his strength slipping rapidly away,
much too fast for anything that anyone could do to try to prevent what he
knew was coming. He felt tears starting to prick at his eyes. He wasn't
afraid to go, knew he had had a good life although not always the happiest,
knew that he would be with Emma and Edgar once more. The thought of
leaving Elmer though, leaving him without being able to see his son one
last time....
Elmer could barely hold it together as he looked down at his father. He was slipping away. Elmer could tell he was slipping away and that he knew it too. No, he couldn't.... Where were Hook and Chris? He couldn't leave his dad and Lona alone but if he didn't get that medicine quickly.... "Dad, it's going to be okay, I promise. You just stay still and try to rest right now, okay? It's going to be fine. I'm going to fix this."
"Elmer, it's alright." Louis said quietly. He could tell from the sound of his son's voice that Elmer was on the verge of total panic. He wished there was something that he could do to comfort him, some way to spare him seeing this but.... "You just worry about taking care of Lona right now, alright? She...."
"Lona's fine. And I promise you're going to be fine too." Elmer looked over at Blondi and the anteater as he spoke. Maybe he could stick a note around one of their necks and send them to find Hook and Chris?
'I am not Lassie.' Antibus said with a snort as he came a bit closer, leaning down and sniffing Louis tentively. Something definitely needed to be done for this one fast, though; 'I suppose I could go and fetch whatever you need, though. What is it? And are you sure you know?'
Was he sure? Elmer couldn't swear to it but.... "Vitamin K"
That was right. He was almost sure that was right.
'Fine.' The human had hesitated a bit on that reply, though.
'I'll bring back some other vitamins as well, in case. We'll probably need
them.' He looked down at Louis for a moment before turning with a twitch
of his tail and heading for the door. 'Just don't go anywhere if you hear
any bells and you'll be fine. And if you happen to see any little girls,
just tell her to go back upstairs.'
"What was that?" Louis muttered softly. He heard another voice but it was strange and what it was saying made no sense to him.
"Hopefully that isn't just a figment of my imagination." Elmer said as he snagged another blanket and covered Louis as best he could while still clinging to his father's hand. "It went to go get the medicine you need. You just stay really still for me for a few more minutes and I'll have you all patched up, okay? You're going to be fine."
"Elmer...." Louis didn't think he could do this, didn't think he could say goodbye to his son and yet at the same time what other choice did he have? He could barely hold his eyes open now and his strength was fading fast. "Elmer, there's nothing you can do. It's too late."
"No! No it isn't!" Elmer said fiercely as tears started to run
down his cheeks. "You're going to be fine!" His dad was going to be fine.
He had to be! They had saved Lona and they would save his father as well!
"Please, just hang on for me for a few more minutes, okay? I'll have this
fixed in a few more minutes. You're going to be fine!"
"Elmer, it's alright. I'm okay with it, I promise. I'll be with your mother and Edgar again and.... This isn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done, I promise."
"No. No, you're not going anywhere! Please...." How could his
dad be.... "Please, just hold on a few more minutes, okay? I'm going to
fix this and...." Why would his dad want to bother staying with him,
though? The little voice in the back of his head was nagging at him. He
seemed pretty eager to go and be with Edgar. Why would he want to stay
with a loser when he could be with his good son instead?
"Dad, please, I know I'm a bad son." Elmer whispered. "Please,
you have to stay with me, though. I know I've been bad and I've treated
you terribly and.... I love you! I have to hold on for me, okay?
Please!"
"Elmer, you were a better son that I deserved." Louis felt his
eyelids starting to slide shut once more but he fought against it. He had
to tell Elmer how he felt before he went, couldn't go without letting his
son know how much he was loved. "You were my miracle and I failed you.
You'll never know how sorry I am for that. Please, just remember how much
I love you, though. I love you and I am so, so sorry that I've hurt you so
much. Please.... I love you." As he spoke he reached up, gently touching
his son's face, wiping away some of the tears. Elmer would be alright.
Hook would look after him and Lona.... They would make sure he got through
this.
"Dad, please.... You have to hang on for me." Elmer told his
father firmly although the panic in his voice was more than audible. "Dad,
I need you! You have to hang on for me, now." He was fading right before
his eyes. Elmer was barely able to hold back yet another sob as he
realized that his father was slipping away, faster and faster.... "Dad!"
"I'm sorry, Elmer. I'm so sorry." Louis didn't want it to end
like this, to put his son through such pain but.... "Elmer, it will be
okay. You're stronger and smarter than you think and there's never been a
time when I wasn't proud to call you my son. You were a better son than I
deserved and I'm sorry that I didn't tell you that. I never loved your
brother more that I love you. You were my miracle, the child I didn't
think I would ever even get to hold and I failed you. I am so sorry.
Please...." He reached up, gently touching Elmer's face. "I love you.
I want you to remember that. I love you so much and I promise that I'll
be looking down on you every day and looking out for you. I love you.
Promise me you'll remember that."
"Dad?" Did his father mean it? Elmer wanted to think that he did but.... Now wasn't the time to think about that, though, not when his father needed help. "Dad, listen to me. You aren't going anywhere. I'm going to fix this and you're going to be fine! You just have to hang on for me, okay?" How much blood had his father lost inside? From the amount of the bruising, he knew it had to be a lot but.... Elmer shook his head his mind running over possible things that he could try to fix this. He couldn't loose his father! A moment later, his eyes fell on the IV tubing his dad had used to do the transfusion from him to Lona. Maybe....
"Dad, it's going to be okay. I'm going to get this fixed." Elmer was afraid to budge from his father's bedside but he knew he had to if he was going to help him. "Just stay still. You're going to be fine." He jumped up, racing practically for the tubing, taking a glance at Lona to make sure she was still stable but not pausing.
"Okay." Elmer rubbed Louis's hand slightly before turning his arm
out a bit. He could do this. He was sure he could do this. "Okay, dad,
I'm just going to get this fixed now, okay? You just rest and try to save
your strength. I'll have you all fixed in just a few minutes."
"Elmer? What are you doing?" Louis whispered. His body was practically numb by this point and he didn't even feel the needle slip into his arm under his son's trembling hands.
"Saving you. It's going to be okay, Dad. I promise you." The attachment in his arm was easier, still in from the blood he had donated to Lona. He quickly finished attaching the IV and started it running. This had to work. It just had to. He couldn't lose his father, not now!"
"Just hand on, Dad. I love you. Please, just hand on." he whispered as he watched the blood starting to slowly run down the IV line heading for his father's body. This had to work! He couldn't lose his dad now!