Author's note: I don't own FHFIF don't shoot!
To everyone who has reviewed: Thank you! If you hadn't have reviewed, I would have given up ages ago! Its lovely to know I'm doing a good job and your real opinions. You deserve candy!
Yes, I'm from grotty, snotty, smelly, polluted, England. Blah. Yuk. The place that rains practically every day and is basically gross in every way.
Mac groaned. Maybe he was going to die. Why now? Why right now? What about his dreams? What about his family? What about his friends? What about Bloo? He turned over. The moon outside was bright and it cast shadows across the ward. The other kids with leukaemia and cancer were asleep. Most were getting better, but the other day a little girl over the way died. He'll never forget the way they pulled the curtain across her bed and weeping relatives going in. Or the way they wheeled her out. That wasn't going to happen to him. No way at all.
He giggled when he remembered the first time he saw Bloo.
"Who are you?" Mac reeled across the room. He was only three.
"Don't know about me, who the flip are you?" The blob replied.
"I- I'm Mac… what's your name?"
"I know as much as you, Mac. Nice to meet ya!"
"You must be an imaginary friend. I'll call you…" Mac pondered. It clicked.
"Blooregard! Or, Bloo for short,"
"Cool. Wanna play?"
"'Kay!"
The nurse walked up and down the ward, peering in curtains, and stopped at Mac. "Still awake honey?" she fluffed his pillows and felt his forehead.
"Yeah," Mac sighed. The nurse looked at him concerned.
"You know, if you want I can fix that chain around your neck that you keep holding,"
"Really? Thanks!"
The nurse took the chain and clipped it around the child's neck.
"It's mighty pretty. Where did you get it?" The nurse sat on the bed and checked the drip.
"My brother gave it to me," Mac said, fiddling with the chrome links. The nurse smiled and placed her hand on his.
"Mac… listen hon. Between you and me, I want you to have this too," The nurse reached into her pocket and placed an old and worn teddy bear, about as small as a hand, into his outstretched palm. Mac scanned it.
"It was my little girl's. She died thirty years ago when she was five from appendicitis. It would make her so happy to know you have it now,"
"Thank you Mrs Knotts. I'll take care of it for her," Mac placed it on the pillow beside him, and fell asleep.
Bloo was on his daily pilgrimage to the newsagents the next morning, when Frankie pulled up beside him. Bloo looked up and down it, bewildered.
"Why didn't you give me a lift?"
"Get in!" Frankie pulled Bloo in the bus. In it was Coco, Eduardo, and Wilt. They were all wearing upset faces.
"Whats…"
"Bloo… don't panic…"
"What????"
"Cococ coccooo, cocococococccoooo," Coco clucked. Bloo shook his head in disbelief.
"Shut up!" Bloo growled and hung on to a seat. He felt dizzy.
"She's right, Bloo,"
Frankie burst into the ward. Terrance and Macs mother were around his bed, each sobbing. It shocked Frankie that Terrance could cry.
"He's gone…" Terrance choked. "It's all my fault…"
Frankie edged to the bed. Mac's Mother stood up, and held onto Frankie's shoulders, and sobbed madly.
"Sssssh…. Sshhhhh… we're here now" Frankie cooed, and held the mother up, like some kind of support.
"If… if… if… if I wasn't so busy working… he could have lived… I could have seen it coming…" She cried into Frankie's bosom. Bloo pattered her leg, and peered over the side of the railings.
Mac was lying there, free from tubes and drips. He looked so peaceful and comfortable, but Bloo just sat there, holding his hand.
"Night Mac. See you soon," Bloo smiled painfully and held his hand to his face. It was limp and was still warm. The silver links around his neck glimmered, and the teddy watched them all. Wilt and the other imaginary friends sat there with them, watching the limp body of their best friend, slumbering peacefully, free from pain, ever again.
"You're my best friend, Bloo,"
"Aw, shaddup with the soppy stuff. Lets just torture Harriman!"
"Lets be friends forever!"
"Forever? You drive a hard bargain… but okay!"