Soos went to lock up the gift shop for the night. He flipped the open sign to closed and went over to a small vase on the counter by the register. He was closing the shack early so he could bring the little flowers to Mabel. He carefully placed a small brightly colored card among the flowers. The card read "Get well soon" with a picture of a sad eyed kitten in a full body cast.
Just as he had decided he was satisfied with his arrangement he heard a loud banging at the door. The sound was so loud and so sudden it made him jump.
"I wonder who that could be," He mused as he went to unlock the door.
No sooner then he had unlocked the door, it was forcibly swung open from the other side. Sanding in the doorway, eyes burning, glasses mangled, face bloodied, was none other then Stanford Pines. Being naive as he was Soos overlooked Ford's disheveled appearance initially.
"Ford, you're here!" Soos cheered before ensnaring Ford a great bear hug.
"Ow! Soos, please I don't have time for this!" Ford snapped.
Soos backed away, a tad hurt by Ford's harshness. "I'm sorry," He said, a little hurt, "It's just. We've been waiting for you, and there was this accident... It'll be a real comfort for the kids knowing you're here."
"An accident?! What kind of accident?!" Ford demanded frantically.
Soos stumbled back, a bit frightened by Ford's aggression. It was then he noticed just how truly awful Ford looked. He lip was split and his right eye blackened. He was heavily favoring his right leg. It had been splinted using a couple pieces of wood and some fabric that had been torn from his undershirt. Blood stained his pant leg and his gloves were tattered and caked in blood and dirt.
"T-They're in the hospital, Mable got cut up real bad and Stan had a heart attack." Soos stammered. "The doctor said they're gonna get better though," He said, attempting to console the battered man in front of him.
"I need to talk to Stan." Ford stated. Soos remembered the flowers on the counter and rushed to grab them.
"I was just about to head over there to see Mable." Soos said. "You can come with me."
The car ride was uncomfortably silent. Soos tried turning on the radio once but after a few minutes of being subjected to atrocious pop songs Ford turned it off again. Ford wasn't interested it polite conversation. He had one singular goal.
Soos looked over at his bloody pant leg which had started to drip on the to the floor of his truck.
"Are you sure you're ok?" Soos asked with a mixture of concern and fear.
"I'm fine." Ford stated, effectively ending the conversation.
Upon arrival at the hospital the nurse at the desk assumed Ford was there for his own treatment but he insisted on speaking to his brother. Reluctantly the nurse agreed to allow it but only on the condition that he allow a doctor to examine his leg.
"Fine, Fine!" he griped. "But not until I've seen my brother."
Stan was sleeping when Ford entered the room. Ford had been warned not to upset him, which seemed like a difficult task.
"Stanley?" He asked hesitantly from the doorway. Stan stirred slightly and grumbled.
"Hey Stan you feeling better?" Soos asked innocently. Stan rolled over in irritation and opened his eyes but as soon as they settled on Ford his face seemed to freeze.
"Danmit, Soos, just go!" Ford scolded. Soos recoiled. "Please, just go give Mabel her flowers, tell her I'll be in to see her soon." Ford added softly and Soos shuffled off down the hall.
He looked back to his brother. Stan looked as though he'd seen a ghost.
"F-Ford..." He stammered as Ford stepped closer to the bed.
"Now Stanley please I need you to..." Ford attempted to calm him but as soon as he got close enough Stan reached out and took hold of his coat. Stan pulled him in and wrapped his arms around him as though he'd float away otherwise.
"Is it really you sixer?" He asked, his face buried in Ford's chest.
"It's really me," Ford soothed returning the gesture. He ran a six fingered hand through his brothers gray hair.
"I thought I lost you..." Stan choked. Ford pulled a chair up beside the bed and sat down, all the while keeping one hand on Stan's shoulder.
Stan looked utterly helpless, terrified and broken, he clung to his brother desperately in need of comfort.
"Stanley I know I'm asking a lot of you right now, but I need you to explain what happened and try to keep calm."
"Bill..." Stan uttered softly. His grip tightened on Ford's coat as he fought back tears, "Oh god, Ford this is all my fault. If I had said something sooner none of this would have happened... this is all my fault"
"Stanley focus." Ford insisted gripping Stan's shoulders for support. "Look at me and focus."
Stan gave a shaky nod though his expression was resolute.
"It started last summer," He explained. "It was just nightmares at first, but eventually I started hearing him during the day..." Stan looked down at his own bandaged hands. "I figured out ways to keep him quiet but it still just got worse. I'd have these terrible nightmares, I'd wake up in strange places..." Stan trailed off as he looked back at his brothers battered face.
"Did I really do all that?" He said.
"You don't remember?" Ford asked.
"Sorta..." Stan explained. "I-I had a lot of bad dreams Ford, I can't always remember what was real and what wasn't..."
Ford listened intently.
"I- I killed you..."
"No Stan I'm fine I'm right here." Ford assured.
"No I mean, I killed you, at least a dozen times... it was a little different every time but usually I'd wake up and there you'd be," He said grimly. "Sound asleep."
"Stanley..." Ford stammered.
"I hurt Mabel," Stan said laying back and staring off into space. "I don't know how I can live with that..."
"No Stanley, Bill hurt Mabel." Ford Insisted. "Why didn't you tell me what was happening sooner, Stan I could have helped. I could have prevented all of this..."
"I tried," Stan defended with a hint of rising panic. "I tried Ford but every time, every time something held me back," The beeping of the monitors grew faster slightly as Stan turned to face him again. "Ford I've never been so scared. I remember Mabel screaming, her face Ford." The beeping grew faster still as tears streamed down his face. He shut his eyes tight and gripped the bed railing.
"Stanley you need to get a hold of yourself." Ford insisted holding him steady.
Stan took a deep breath and tried hard to regain some semblance of composure.
"What's Bill doing now," Ford asked.
Stan looked up at him in defeat. "He's gone."
"What do you mean gone?!" Ford asked in surprise.
"I can't hear him anymore," Stan explained. He thought hard for a moment, trying to sort through his own mangled memories. "I-I think Dipper has him..." He said at last.
"What?!" Ford shouted, "How?!"
Stan shook his head, "I don't remember much Ford, I remember Mabel's face..."
"We need to find Dipper," Ford insisted. "Bill is still weak, he needs a human host to survive. A simple exorcism should be all we need but it's imperative that we find him before Bill gets any stronger."
"That's it!" Stan spat, "You're just going to throw some Latin junk at him and sprinkle him with magic water?!"
"I'ts worth a shot!" Ford spat back. "Besides, I don't want to have to consider the alternative."