Chapter 23: Train Tragedy

No one spoke as the train steamed through the forest at nearly forty miles per hour. The boxcar door was open so they all got a good look at the blurring forest zooming past them. Everyone except Bucky was sat in the boxcar. Dash and Kwan were huddled in the far corner, seemingly whispering about something, about what Danny really didn't care. Mr. Dinkleberg and SpongeBob were sat in the other corner, cradling an even paler Chester McBadbat.

Jimmy, Timmy, and Tootie were sat in front of the open boxcar door, just watching the world go by.

Though her eyes were looking to the outside, Tootie's mind was elsewhere. She couldn't stop thinking about her sister. She couldn't understand why her sister would leave her now, so soon after they had just lost their mother, it just didn't make sense. Danny stood behind them, just in case the train jolted and they ended up nearly falling out. That seemed very unlikely but the teen needed something to take his mind off the sick child in the corner.

By now they all notice Chester's worsening condition.

No one needed to say what it was. They all already had a good idea of what was wrong with him, they just didn't want to say it. Bucky, however, seemed hellbent on ignoring his son's worsening condition and shut down anyone who dared to try and talk about it. Danny knew it was hard to lose a loved one, especially if it was your only child. However, he couldn't help but think that Bucky was being incredibly selfish at ignoring his son's clear pain and distress.

Suddenly Chester started coughing and, to everyone's shock, he coughed up blood and ectoplasm.

"DANNY! I need you! Right now! I need you to go get Bucky!" SpongeBob cried as Danny ran over and Mr. Dinkleberg picked up a rag on the floor and wiped the blood and glowing green goo off Chester's face.

"He's out of time, we need to stop this train." Mr. Dinkleberg said as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Okay." Danny nodded before going over to the other three kids and pulling them away from the open boxcar door. "I'm gonna go get Bucky, hold on tight in case the train stops fast." He instructed before exiting the boxcar and, with a heavy heart, entering the cab. Bucky was still sat in the conductor's seat, not even acknowledging the teen's presence.

"What'd you want?" He finally asked coldly.

"You need to stop the train," Danny told him as strongly as he could manage. "Chester needs you."

"My boy will be fine," Bucky repeated for the hundredth time, almost as if saying it enough time would make it true. "Go back there and tell the others everything will be fine; what is the goddamn deal? He's a little sick, but we can't just quit! It's a scratch! He's not like the others! Jesus, all y'all are just makin' it worse!" He shouted desperately.

"This isn't about Chester."

"It's not about my son dying? The hell do you know? You're not my friend! You're just a bratty teenage runaway who's fucking parents are to blame for all this goddamn bullshit!"

"How many sons are you going to let die?" Danny angrily exclaimed.

"Shut your mouth!" Bucky snarled as he got up and tried to punch the black and white-haired teen, only for his to effortlessly block the attack. Before Bucky could throw another punch, Danny quickly pushed and held him against the wall and put his arm against his throat, nearly choking him.

"I told SpongeBob I'd get you to stop this and you bet your ass I'm gonna!"

"LET GO OF ME DAMN IT!" He roared as he tried to wrestle out of Danny's iron grip.

"I've had your back, Bucky, what you're goin' through now is hell on earth and you need your friends." He replied as calmly as possible. "You're not a bad man, fuck, that doesn't even mean anything anymore, a man isn't bad... a man just is." He sighed as he let Bucky go. "All we can do is take care of who we have and keep moving forward; now, let's stop the train." He pleaded. Bucky gasped for breath as if he had just run a marathon.

The two stared at each other in a tense silence and for a moment Danny feared he hadn't gotten through to the man.

However, a few seconds later Bucky slumped in defeat and pulled the throttle, bring the train to a sudden stop. He and Danny stepped out of the cab and go to the boxcar, where Chester was lying on the steel floor with SpongeBob nearby.

"It's...I think it's time." SpongeBob said sadly to the father.

"The boy's been bit, in case you haven't figured that out." Bucky glared at the others in the boxcar. The two jocks and crossed their arms, and Mr. Dinkleberg look sadly at the sick boy.

"Take as long as you need," Danny told his friend

"There ain't no time left to take." Bucky quietly replied, not taking his eyes of his son. "But what if... What if he doesn't become one of those things?" He asked, desperately trying to cling to false hope. Danny took a deep breath, trying to stop the tears welling up in his blue eyes, before placing a firm hand on Bucky's shoulder and making the man look at him.

"Bucky, I know you lobe your son more than life itself but I need you to hear me." He said clearly. "What you are saying, that he may not turn, is foolish."

"But-"

"No."

"There's...come on, Danny..." The blonde man pleaded as a lump began to form in his throat. "Isn't there some sort of pill, or something we can just give him? He can just drift off to sleep, right? I mean, Jesus, this is my son!" He cried as heavy tears started to roll down heds cheeks.

"I know." Danny nodded sympathetically. "But we know it's... here or nothing." He reminded and he points to Chester's head and chest, just above his heart.

"Well...fuck...just...who, then? Do you want me to?" The father sobbed.

"I'll do it," Danny said in a voice steadier than he really felt. "No parent should ever have to do something like this."

"I don't know... Danny, you'd be doing this family a great service." He sniffed as he gently picked up his son and cradled him close. "Why don't we take him into the forest? So the others don't have to see."

"Good idea." Danny sighed.

"Give us a moment to say goodbye." Bucky sobbed before slowly going into the forest and disappearing into the trees. Danny watched them go before grabbing the gun SpongeBob offered him and turning to the kids, all three looking very distressed.

"What's happening?" Jimmy asked their guardian.

"I'm going to take care of Chester." He replied.

"I thought he was going to die?" Tootie asked, causing Danny to flinch slightly.

"I'm going to make sure he's okay."

"But how? He's bitten." Timmy pointed out sadly.

"By making sure he doesn't come back." He replied honestly before pulling all three of them into a warm, comforting embrace. "Look, guys, things will be alright, I promise." He said before standing up and walking into the forest towards the direction Bucky had taken Chester. He found them just beyond the treeline. Bucky had leaned his son against a large tree. Chester was still alive but his skin was almost grey, his breathing was very labored and his eyes were half-open.

It was clear he didn't have long left.

Bucky held his little boy's almost lifeless body and cried. Danny waited for a few moments before placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. Bucky sniffed as he brushed his hand over Chester's face to close his eyes before slowly stepping back. The boy didn't have the energy or the time to open them again. Danny took a deep breath and raised the gun. Not wanting Chester or Bucky's suffering to continue, he aimed for the head and fired.

Chester slumped over as he blood and ectoplasm covered to the tree he was leaned against.

Bucky sobbed loudly as he watched his only child's death and Danny tried to pull him into a hug, but the man angrily shoved the teen away from his and stormed back to the train. Danny gave Chester's body one last sad look before following the grieving father out of the forest...