Marie scaled the walls, after finding out from Eddy which room Edd was in, making her way to her best friend's room. She needed to be very quiet and on her toes since this could be very illegal and extremely dangerous. She found his room soon enough and peeked through the window.

Thanks to whichever dunce left the fucking window open.

Marie looked to see if anyone was going in and out of the room for about five minutes, she was lucky enough to sneak in when Mrs. Vincent was getting coffee with her husband. Marie sat with him and sniffled.

"Don't worry, I promise you aren't alone."

Edd groaned slightly and turned to look at her with hazy eyes, he smiled softly at her and Marie felt her stiff upper lip quiver and her resolve crumbled. She sobbed and held his hand, Edd gave it a little squeeze to reassure her.

"Marie….it will be okay." He whispered tiredly.

When she heard someone coming she dove under the bed to hide, his sheets and blankets were long enough to cover her. Edd realized that his beloved friend wasn't here with the hospital's permission and knew to keep her cover.

A handsome young nurse came in with a solemn look "Good to see you awake, Eddward. Have you been made aware yet of your updated condition?"

Edd answered with a simple "No, sir."

The nurse sighed and sat next to him in one of the chairs "We should wait for your mother or father to be present, but if you feel that you can handle the rough news then I won't keep you from knowing what's going on."

Eddward was scared, to say the least, he thought he was okay so far. What could've happened during the procedure that warrants a nurse coming in to give him the bad news? Edd couldn't answer these questions on his own but the panic in his mind had given him a headache.

Oh dear, this can't be good. If this flares up a migraine and I'm still recovering it could- oh dear.

The nurse cleared his throat and asked again if Edd wanted to know now or to wait. Edd decided he could handle this, he spent most of his life handling hardships without his parents, why not now? So he gave a nod and the nurse took a deep breath.

Marie sat and listened with tears overflowing, she tried to stay still and quiet but she couldn't hold herself for long.

Edd couldn't process what the nurse had said. "I'm sorry, w-what did you say?"

The nurse repeated. And Edd couldn't breathe. The room he sat in turned black, darkness consumes him as he heard the words repeated.

"I'm so sorry-"
Wait

"The surgery had complications-"

Please don't say-

"and the tumor in your brain-"
No this can't be happening!

"Is not completely removed. Your fight is far from over."

Edd still had a tumor, but what he didn't know, was that he was going to need to go back into surgery or hope that the tumor goes into remission. His fate would be sealed in a matter of hours, and from the sounds of it, the nurse had even more bad news.

The clock started to tick in Edd's mind, he didn't know when the last tick would be and he could only hear that piercing tick of the clock. Everyone and everything else seemed to silence, his heart felt like it stopped but was racing. What would happen to him was a mystery.

His parents were at the foot of his bed taking the bad news when he could finally see the room and hear the sounds around him again.

His mother and father kept their composure and so would he, but the fear never lessened the grip on his heart. And for the unfortunate Marie Kanker, she was curled up under the bed with her hands clamped tight over her mouth as she wept silently.

Elsewhere at that moment

Kevin laid with his eyes staring at the sky, he was in his backyard, the grass was dry and welcoming. It helped that the grass was fake.

Kevin couldn't tell if he was outside because it was easier to be alone or because he wasn't alone due to the acknowledgment of the vast worlds and races in outer-space.

He saw Nazz, and frankly wasn't upset in the slightest, he should be furious, he should kick Eddy in the chin and give him a neck. But Eddward Vincent was more important to him than Nazz cheating on him.

Kevin thought he could just deny everything he felt. Be what his parents wanted and expected.

Be a straight man with a strength that outmatched all others, hide your emotions so no one could see your weakness, be a proud Christian, and follow God's law.

Kevin shook his head "I don't want to be that anymore…" he mumbles to himself.

He looked at his house and wondered if his parents would accept him for being who he is. Kevin knew his mom was more than likely...but his father.

He could see it now.

Kevin's father looked over his frightened son, murder in his gaze. "I won't have a FAG living in my house! We didn't raise you like this! GET OUT BEFORE I SHOOT YOU DEAD!"

Kevin shivered at the thought and tried his best to push that thought from his mind.

"Jesus, I can't be thinking of him like that...my father would kill me where I stand." he gripped his throat as it ached of phantom pains of a terrible future.

Kevin was heated. He wanted to know what it felt like to hold Edd, to touch him, and make everything alright in that fucked up world of his. He knew what he thought he should do to fix his issue, he just needed to persuade his girlfriend to go all the way.

"Yeah….that's all I need….if I have sex it'll fix me. I just need to remember why I like girls so much."

Nazz didn't exactly expect the text that she got, she didn't know why she felt so guilty at the thought of having a night with her boyfriend. She should feel guilty for kissing Eddy not for making it up to her boyfriend in her head by going the full mile with him.

[ |Kev| u up? Was hopin we could take the nxt step? Lemme make u feel like a queen bby ;p ]

She ran her fingers through her hair anxiously and stared at her phone "He's my boyfriend….only a week ago I would've begged to have my legs wrapped around him and now….I have to tell him no…..I..but I don't…..oh what am I supposed to do?"

She felt tears prick at her eyes, she didn't want to lose him as a friend but she didn't want him as her boyfriend anymore. Nazz didn't know who to talk to since she would normally talk to Kevin or Nat but they were obviously not the people she could talk to about this.

Nazz sat and scrolled through her contacts until she stumbled across a number she never even thought of using. The Kanker sisters gave her their number about a year ago when they decided to make peace with the cul-de-sac kids and not torment them, they had matured.

Nazz gave them a call but no answer. She felt despair as she tried again.

MEANWHILE….

Marie was trying to stay quiet as the nurse and Edd's parents left the room, she began to panic when her cellphone started buzzing, she quickly lifted her hips off the ground to keep the buzzing from sounding so loud against the tile floor.

Edd was clenching his teeth when he heard the vibrations, he gave the nurse a reassuring smile as he left the room with a befuddled expression. His parents didn't comprehend anything other than the doctors' voices around them, they had much to discuss for his treatment.

Marie crawled out when they were alone and said "I should probably leave now….huh….."

Edd stared at her and said, "I…..I thought I would be fixed with the first surgery…..I thought it was over, I want it to be over." he looked so miserable.

She sat on the bed next to him and held him close, she didn't know what else to do. Edd was falling apart in front of her eyes and she couldn't do anything about it but just be there, she would get in a world of trouble if she got caught and at the moment she would kill to keep him from being this upset.

Marie and Edd sat there together, embraced in a long hug that seemed to drag on forever. Neither minded the contact but the ever foreboding footsteps of the nurses and doctors in the hallway made the situation seem far riskier a position. Marie knew she had to let go, and when she did the world felt colder to her.

Misery thy name is Craniopharyngiomas. Eddward thought bitterly. Generally, his tumor would be benign, but due to certain circumstances, he ended up causing a rupture. Edd was having trouble seeing and his headaches were unreal. When his world blacked out again he sat in the darkness, taking in the sounds around him.

The drip of his IV and the beeping of monitors all around him were making his ears hurt, if only he had his headphones so he could listen to his music, he needed to stop feeling like an adult already and go back to feeling like a teen.

But oh the sounds of the hustle and bustle. Nothing compared to the comedy of hearing a nurse say "Oh shit did I just drink his water? Oh god, he spit a loogie in this…hurgh oh gauuuugh why did I drink that?"

Edd came back to the situation at hand when a doctor came in to check on him "Eddward, can you see me?"

With the shake of his head, he heard a sigh and then the scratching of a pen against paper. Edd could feel the tension in his body grow.

"My head hurts an awful lot, and I can't see anything at the moment...this happened once earlier as well. It took approximately seven minutes before I was able to see again but currently it has been around three minutes, I do not know how long until I can see again, sir."

The doctor looked at Eddward, writing it all down while wondering why the young man had seemed so grown up and barely phased.

He cleared his throat and said, "We will be sure to monitor the side effects of your tumor, but I am afraid there is nothing we can do to prevent the lapses of vision loss until your tumor is completely removed."

Edd nodded and stared ahead, his eyes wide, searching for a light that his brain couldn't process, everything just remained pitch black for him at this moment. Remain calm Eddward, this is normal for your type of tumor. Good lord, I hope they can rectify this promptly.

Edd heard the footsteps of the doctor echo out of the room and the halting of two pairs of footsteps outside his door. Edd no longer cared to listen to that and focused on the beeping that rang in his ears at the sides of his bed.

His parents' voices echoed and disappeared, he assumed they went back to work, they couldn't stay by his side forever. Edd knew this, he had pretended over the years that his parents were rather loving and lavish. He went as far as to say to his best friend that they would rub his feet with oil before bed.

If only Edd were so lucky, he only had their sticky notes and chores to hold dear as real affection. Everything he did was to gain his parents' love and approval. Double D was used to being alone in a big house having to fend for himself at meals or to rely on the love of his friends to keep him from feeling numb.

I suppose I should get some sleep.. It's not as if I have anything better to do or anyone who wants to share my company. But then it dawned on him, If I sleep now then I won't be able to note when my vision comes back, so I must stay awake until it does.

This was quite a boring moment for him until he realized he wasn't alone in the room. An older gentleman cleared his throat, causing Edd to jump ever so slightly.

"Hello?" Eddward tried nervously.

"It's only me, son. The doctor informed us that you are temporarily blinded. Stay calm, I have been counting the minutes." It was only his father. How foolish Edd felt, of course, his father stayed.

Mother usually takes the night shifts if she needs the extra work. He figured though that he should still ask of her.

"Is mother in here as well? Where is she?" Edd questioned.

"She's at home tidying up and getting some rest, she'll come back in the morning with a few books for you and fresh clothing. I suppose you already figured that you shouldn't try sleeping until your vision returns."

Edd didn't need to answer, his father knew, but something always felt off when he spoke with his father. Even now there was no real reassurance or care in his voice, just a monotone set of words strung together into a sentence.

"Thank you, father." Edd smiled softly, no real emotion behind it, he then sat and waited patiently for his sight to return, taking to blinking instead of resting his eyes completely. It felt tedious but worth it.

With Nazz and Kevin

Kevin gulped, staring at the girl on his doorstep, Nazz was beautiful, she should have made him feel anxious in a good way but he honestly felt sick. Kevin didn't want this and if he could hear inside her head he would know she was building up the courage to break his heart.

Nazz took a deep breath but Kevin spoke first "I don't think I can do this….I want to want this….but it just doesn't feel right."

Nazz let her breath go and for a moment she thought an angel had just intervened "What?"

Kevin scratched the back of his neck and sighed.

"Nazz I.. I saw you earlier….and it didn't hurt me like I thought it should….I don't want to make you feel like you need to stay in this relationship or make it up to me because the truth is-"

He chose to look her in the eyes and didn't hear the next few words he said but knew it was gonna sting to hear.

Nazz could believe her ears as he breathed out "I think I might be bisexual and I just wanted to have sex because I thought it would fix what I'm feelin' but it won't."

Nazz stared at Kevin as he thought out his next words carefully.

"It doesn't feel right to use you like that and I know Eddy would make you happier. You deserve someone who worships you and loves you without a doubt, and I know you want him the way he wants you….I always have...and I'm happy you found that kind of love. You deserve it."

Kevin was letting it all off his chest and he watched as a single tear rolled down the blonde's cheek as she smiled and turned away. Just like that, she was running home to process her emotional inner turmoil, leaving Kevin to think over what he needed to do next.

It would only take a few hours till he could see Double D again. And this time he wouldn't be afraid. He'd face his emotions and try his best to talk to him.

It was time for Kevin to finally get some sleep.

Back With Eddward Vincent

The light burned when he could see again, his father looked rather unphased as he jot down the time in which his sight came back. Eddward groaned and laid back as a nurse waiting by the door turned off the light.

"You should get some rest, you have a lot ahead of you." Said the nurse.

Edd was more than happy to go back to sleep, letting the dreams of galaxies and spaceships begin once more but this time he flew with them.

When he awoke he was welcomed by the stench of Ed and the loud yelling of Eddy. Eddward felt a sense of calm wash over him and a warmth spread across his chest. He knew his friends were more like family than his parents, it was comforting to have them around rather than his parents.

Once his friends noticed he was awake they seemed to calm down. Eddy smiling solemnly.

"Hey Dee, you feelin' okay? Need anything?" Eddy was far more maternal than usual but he supposed.

Double D yawned and sat of slightly "My parents never did bring me food, I suppose my doctor wouldn't allow it just yet."

Eddy's face twisted up and he huffed "Dumbasses can't even feed their own kid. Lumpy, go grab us some grub will ya? And not just stuff you like, stuff we all like."

And with that Ed ran out to grab them something to eat. Double D knew he would have to tell Eddy all the details but he would wait until they were settled and ready.

Eddy grabbed his backpack and pulled it up on the bed and from it came an MP3 player "Here Edd, I guarantee you've been missing music."

Double D grinned, leaning forward he took the electronic, and as he concentrated on untangling the headphones his tongue poke between the gap in his teeth.

Kevin's heart stopped before he could even open his mouth as he stood in the doorway, staring at Eddward Marion Vincent trying to detangle headphones. His heart started up again and it practically jumped out of his chest, making him feel rather uncomfortable just standing there.

Ed passed by Kevin with trays of food as the ginger raced down the hall to leave the hospital yet again. Ed thought nothing of it. Kevin however was freaking out.

In a moment of pure panic, Kevin called Nat, he needed a bro but didn't expect to find him standing just three feet away.

Nat looked worried "Kev, you okay, bro?" Kevin raced forward and hugged him, this was no the Kevin Nat was accustomed to but he knew something was up with his boy.

"Hey, it's okay. Whatever's going on, we can figure it out." Nat rubbed Kevin's back as the boy shivered, hyperventilating.

Kevin sobbed and spilled his guts to his best friend, "I broke up with Nazz because I think I'm in love with my dork, and I don't know what to do cause I've never had gay feelings before, and my dad is legit going to murder me if he finds out."

Kevin didn't know when he started crying but he knew this was definitely a moment when questioning everything was common and he should just embrace it. Fuck! Who knew honesty could feel so freeing.

Nat wasn't prepared. He just wasn't. Dammit, how come whenever he's ready and willing to help someone in a crisis they are all just peachy but when he's suddenly unprepared everyone and everything turns to shit? Why the fuck was the world on fire? And since WHEN was it HIS responsibility to FIX IT!

He was gonna need a spa day after this one. Dammit all to hell, and he just got a facial that week. So much for the stress-relieving mud mask.