"Sixteen square!" Ford shouted as he swung his club hitting the white ball as it flew through the air and promptly landed in the tiny hole.
"I don't know why you can't just say four like everyone else," Stan grumbled as he walked beside Ford to the next hole.
"Sixteen square is the same thing as four Stanley, besides I think someone is just a tad grumpy, because I am winning" Ford said walking alongside his brother whistling a jolly tune. Stan gave him a playful punch in the side like when they were kids as they headed to the next hole.
"Well we've still got eight holes to go, so I wouldn't get too comfortable!" Stan said preparing his ball. He focused his club, and after giving his hips a slight wiggle (a tip he had learned from Mabel and her mini-golf skills) he swung the ball straight into the hole.
"Haha! Take that sixer! I do believe that is a hole in one!" Stan said doing a slight victory dance. Stopping when he felt a sharp pain in his head. He put a hand on his sweaty forehead and tried to steady himself, becoming just a tad worried.
"I think that is a healthy case of karma for bragging Stanley," Ford said shaking his head laughing at his brother. Poor Ford had no idea what was truly going on inside his brother's body, if he had known he certainly would have shown more sympathy to Stan's plight. Regardless, Ford continued setting up his ball in blissful ignorance, it took him two shots before the ball went into the hole, giving the brother's a tie as they continued on.
Stan knew that he should stop. He knew that he should just swallow his pride and tell his brother he needed to get home to rest. He wouldn't even have to tell his brother his secret, he could just blame it on the looming rainclouds in the distance. Ford wouldn't have looked down on him. They could have called it even and everything would be fine, but he didn't and it wasn't.
Stan hit the ball and it went flying through the air until it landed with a plump in the lake. "ohhh that's too bad Stanley….but you know the rules you hit it you retrieve it!" Ford called as Stan headed into the lake to search for the tiny, white, ball. After a few moments of searching Stan felt a sharp pain shoot through his entire body as he fell into the water with a scream of agony.
"Very amusing Stanley, but I'm afraid that your fake heart attacks won't fool me…." Ford started as he headed towards the lake, but as he caught a look into his brother's deep brown eyes he saw a deep sense of pain, suddenly Ford knew that his brother was not faking anything.
"Stanley!" Ford shouted as he dove into the lake and pulled his brother out and to the safety of dry land, all while Stan panted and gasped for air. Ford remained right by his brother's side holding him tightly in his arms while they waited for help. He did everything he could to keep his brother awake and conscious, constantly urging him to keep his eyes locked on his. Ford constantly talked to him, begging him to think of Dipper and Mabel, and their childhoods on the beach, and happy things.
Stan tried valiantly to do as his brother asked, but in that moment when the whole world was becoming a blur he knew that this was not a dream from which he would wake. The cancer was real and it was going to take his life, of course he hoped and prayed it wouldn't be here and now, He wanted more than anything to be given the chance to have another conversation with his brother, to tell him that he was so sorry, and how very dearly he loved him, and he wanted Ford to promise him he would do everything he could to protect Dipper and Mabel, but as his brother's face became lost in a sea of darkness he was afraid that he would never again get that chance.
The next thing Stan became aware of was a constant (slightly annoying) beep of a heart monitor. As annoying as it was the half conscious Stan Pines knew what it meant, it meant he was still here, he was alive. He wished that he meant that this would all be ok, and that the constant beeping would continue for months and years to come, but he knew that that was asking too much, The next thing he became aware of was the familiar six finger grip of his brother, Stan wanted so badly to be able to talk to Ford, but he was still so weak. He decided that the old heart monitor would keep him going for a few more hours while he rested, but he also knew that when he awoke he and Ford would have a lot to talk about.
A few hours later Stan weakly allowed his eyes to open. He found himself in a generic hospital room "Mabel would have a fit with how drab this place is…." Stan thought quietly to himself allowing the thought to give him a quick chuckle. He looked over to his right side and saw where Ford was half-asleep, but still gripping his hand for dear life. Stan managed to give him a small squeeze, which instantly got him awake at full attention, "Morning sleeping beauty, gosh who died?" Stan said trying to joke, Ford did not find it funny at all,
"Stanley, I just finished talking with the doctor…..Stanley, why didn't you tell me?" Ford said as tears of worry and heartbreak spread over him rapidly. Stan had expected Ford to be a lot angrier than he was, he didn't expect that Ford would be this….sad.
"I didn't want to worry you….I mean there's nothing you can do about it, no matter how big your brain is cancer is still a thing that happens to people every day….I figured it would be easier to just stay strong through it and enjoy the little things you know? Just ignore it….guess it was another one of my bright ideas…." Stan said sadly.
"If only I hadn't zapped you with that memory gun….I knew it was dangerous….I knew it, but I did it anyway!" Ford said as he got up and paced the floor like he generally did when he was nervous and upset.
"Hey sixer, don't go giving yourself too much credit! You didn't do this to me! It is just something that happened! It sucks and it isn't fair! But it was not your fault!" Stan said yelling in a way that he only did to show people how much he cares.
Ford slumped back down on the small hospital chair and put his hands in his face and let out a loud sign, "So….what do we do now?" Ford said wiping a few stray tears and looking at his brother.
Stan laid in bed and thought for a minute, "we are going to convince the people in this hospital to let me go home as soon as possible, they can't do anything here that you and your massive brain can't do at home. Then you are going to help me pack a bag and promise you will take good care of the shack and Soos and Melody for a few days. I am going on a trip to sunny California…by myself," Stan said simply.
Ford thought about protesting, he thought about forcing Stanley to stay right here where he would at least be safe, but if his brother had taught him anything in these past few months it was that he deserved to be fully trusted without any arguments, so Stan simply nodded and gave his brother a high six.
