Golden shafts of sunlight broke through the curtains of the hospital room where Bart slept. Everything was quiet, save for the short beeping sounds the heart monitor would make to show that Bart was doing well. Slowly Bart opened his eyes and had to look away from the window because of the glare that the sunlight brought to him as soon as he woke up. He blinked a few times to get the spots out of his eyes before looking around the room.
He saw the heart monitors next to him, the IV that snaked down to his wrist, the door where there was some quiet murmuring in the hallway, a vase of flowers next to his bed with a few cards leaned up against it. One of them he knew was from Milhouse by the handwriting, he would have to read those when he got bored. Finally he saw the TV overhead and was about to look for the remote when he noticed a small chair sitting just below it. Someone was occupying that chair and Bart instantly knew who it was because of the book she had her nose in.
"Lisa?" Bart called weakly.
Lisa looked up from what she was reading and quickly gave her brother a warm smile. She then set the book down and made her way toward her brother and sat in a chair that was next to the bed.
"I was wondering when you would wake up," said Lisa.
"How long was I out?" asked Bart as he adjusted the bed so he could sit up correctly and talk to Lisa.
"Two days, you were lucky to get out of that lake alive," said Lisa.
"How did I get out any way, I knew you and Milhouse could not reach me because of the dogs," said Bart.
"You could thank Mr. Smithers for that, he actually scared the dogs off before he dove in and rescued you. He even tried CPR on you but you would not respond," said Lisa nervously, she really did not want to go into details about watching her brother be carried out by Smithers to Mr. Burns' front lawn so paramedics could get to him faster. To her it felt like her fathers sudden fall, and just like it, she could only watch from the sidelines as the paramedics helped her brother the best they could
"Is Mr. Smithers okay?" asked Bart as he finally got Lisa out of her trance.
"Yeah, he nearly froze to death trying to rescue you but he only came out with a small cold. But you should have seen what happened! Mr. Burns tried to sound innocent but Mr. Smithers would not let him and told the police everything. And just as Mr. Burns was being hauled off into the police car, Mr. Smithers told him that he quit because he did not like how he treated everyone and ruined lives. He was so noble doing that, and I don't know if it was from being in the water or how he said it but he was shaking like a Chihuahua the whole time!" said Lisa in a very excited voice
"Sounds like someone is finally giving that old fart what he needs," said Bart.
"Yeah they might put him on trial again because of endangerment to children, that really was horrible what he did," said Lisa.
"And how did Mom find out?" asked Bart as he also looked outside the door to see if his mother was outside for the time being, plus he wanted to start a new conversation.
"The police took me home and I informed Mom about what happened. We both went straight to the hospital and we arrived a half an hour after you were admitted, they were still trying to revive you and all we could do was wait and pray. Mom was so frantic and scared, I had never seen her like that, even when Dad was sent to the emergency rooms those many times," said Lisa.
"But where is she any way?" Bart asked as he continued to stare out the door.
"She's down at the gift shop with Mr. Flanders, they wanted to get you something special when you woke up," said Lisa.
Bart's eyes went wide; he was not expecting Ned to even be at the hospital. He was both happy and a little worried to hear that. Happy because he could talk to Ned once he came up with whatever present they planned on giving him. He was also worried because he knew he would find out what the future held between his mother and Ned. He hoped that what his father told him would be true about their relationship.
"So Flanders is here too?" asked Bart.
"Yeah, we all knew you would wake up very soon and he wanted to come up and visit, Mom said you need a good talking to while you're momentarily too weak to run away from her," said Lisa with a small giggle.
"After what happened, I think I would rather just listen even though I don't want to. It's not like it will be the end of the world, it will just be sad to hear," said Bart with a sigh and then a cough. His chest was still very sore from nearly drowning so it hurt a bit when he coughed. "And I am sorry I kicked you and didn't listen to you when you tried to talk to me, I guess I was more upset about Dad's death than I thought." Bart managed to say through a scratchy throat and nose full of mucus.
"It's okay Bart; death affects others in different ways. You know about the different stages? Well I think you were in anger and you stayed in that stage much longer than most, I think you wanted Dad back more than anyone," said Lisa.
Bart only nodded, Lisa was right about that. Though he did wonder if his mother was wishing to see Homer more than anyone. It was hard to tell, emotions were so different for everyone. He did wonder if Lisa questioned whether or not he really did see his father, he decided not to say anything though unless Lisa asked. He felt it was a more private matter.
Both brother and sister remained silent for a long time, Lisa knew that Bart needed to save his strength and did not want to bother him too much. Finally she went back to her seat to read a book while Bart decided to close his eyes and rest. It didn't take long though before Bart heard some familiar footsteps enter the room. He opened his eyes and there in the doorway stood Marge and Ned. Marge carrying Maggie while Maggie was holding what looked like two coloring books. Ned was carrying what looked like a stuffed penguin or whale, he could not tell from so far away.
"Well son of a diddly! Look who's finally awake!" Ned exclaimed happily.
"Barty! Barty! Look what I got you!" Maggie yelled as she jumped out of her mothers arms and ran over to show Bart the two activity books that she found in the gift shop. "See you can have one and I can have one, we can both play together."
"Thanks Maggie," said Bart who flipped through the pages for a moment to see what kind of games were in the book. They were mostly mazes, and look and find, but there were also a few crossword puzzles as well. It would be something nice to work on while he recovered.
"You wanna play now?" asked Maggie as she opened a certain page.
"Not right now Maggie, Bart needs to rest," said Marge.
Maggie looked at her mother with a sad face before deciding to join Lisa over by the chair; perhaps she would help her if she ever got her nose out of the book. Marge watched her for a moment before finally turning back to Bart and gave him a concerned grin.
"How's my special little guy feeling?" She asked.
"I'm okay, my chest feels heavy though," said Bart as he coughed again. Marge watched him nervously while Ned moved forward and handed him the stuffed animal that he bought.
Bart held it in his hands to find that it was a killer whale dressed in a doctor's scrub with the words "Get Whale Soon" stitched across the side. Of course Ned would pick something like that.
"Just thought you might like a little friend to be with you while you recovered," said Ned with a smile.
Bart stared at the whale for a moment; he rarely had any stuffed animals save for the Krusty doll, and Mr. Honey Bunny which he cruelly slaughtered once by accident as he forgot it was his and not Lisa's. The whale was a kind gesture and he knew it was Ned's way of showing that he cared about him.
"Actually I would, so thanks," said Bart with a smile as he set the whale beside him.
"I'm glad you are in a better mood too, I was hoping we would get a chance to talk to you now that you are too weak to run away," said Marge with a sly grin.
"I already told him that Mom," Lisa said as she poked her head up from reading the book.
Marge only murmured at her daughter before looking back down at Bart who only looked back with a sheepish grin. "I actually want to hear what you have to say, I know I will have to know sooner or later whether I like it or not," he said in a way that made Marge look surprised by his words.
"I wonder if it's the morphine," Ned whispered into Marge's ear.
"He shouldn't have been given morphine, he's not in that much pain," said Marge as she stared at the IV and wondered what kind of clear liquid was being brought down into his system.
"It's not always morphine, I was joking around any way," said Ned sheepishly.
Marge stared at him like an angry mother usually does when a significant other said something stupid to worry her.
"No mom I really want to know, you see what happened to me made me think about what has gone on and we just need to have this problem settled out. I just want to know if you've fallen in love again even though it has been four months," said Bart who then made a confused face wondering what made him say such things.
Marge was ready for this and grabbed a nearby chair to sit down in next to the bed while Ned did the same ready to talk and answer any questions Bart might have about what they were about to tell him. Bart only stared back ready to listen and get it over with.
"Do you remember when your father had to go in for surgery after he had that heart attack, and we were all afraid that he would not make it?" asked Marge.
"Yeah I remember that," said Bart. How could anyone forget those few weeks?
"Well before he went in, I promised him that I would never remarry. In fact I told him that again one afternoon as I sat by his hospital bed when he became very sick those few weeks before he died," said Marge her eyes looking a bit misty from even thinking about what she just said but she only let out a sigh and continued on.
"You see Bart, when I first met your father I didn't know what to think of him. He seemed nice enough but I never expected us to become so close. As the years went by I began to realize that he was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and when we found out that I was pregnant with you, he was a bit nervous about it, but he did not try to run away. He only tried to help support me and to be the right kind of father for you and your sisters, and he continued to do that until the very end. He was always so happy to see you guys when you visited him in bed, it really broke his heart when he realized he would not be around much longer, and he fought so hard to stay alive. Out of all the men I dated over the years, he was the one that was most pure of heart and I knew that no one could ever replace him even in death."
"So what your saying… is that you don't…… love Flanders?" asked Bart in a slightly confused voice before coughing again. Listening to his mother's words though made his eyes all misty as he remembered his fathers last days as he tried to hang on.
"I do Bart, but how you perceive love is something totally different from how I or Ned see it," said Marge.
"But you won't marry him?" asked Bart who was still very confused.
"We have differences of opinion Bart and he's definitely not like your father that's for sure," Marge said as she glared a little at Ned, Ned only gave her a dopey grin. "He's helped me cope with your father's death and it's the best someone could ask for. He knows how to help, and if I even meet another man who has the same qualities your father had, he would probably be a dream come true. But I would never marry him because I know he would never replace your father."
"The same goes for me too, I would never find a replacement for Maude because she was that special," said Ned with a sigh.
"So will you still date?" asked Bart wondering if there would be boyfriends going in and out of the house on occasions.
"I might, if being with you three gets boring," said Marge with a chuckle.
Bart thought for a moment, this was the best he could have hoped for, but then again he was wondering if it was because of that Friday night.
"So you're not gonna fall in love with him because of your closeness to Dad?" asked Bart.
"That's right," said Marge.
"Not because of what I said to you the other night? Because I am really sorry about what I said. I was just angry, I miss Dad and I guess I didn't want to see you happy," said Bart as he twiddled with his fingers nervously.
"Well it did make me think about what you said and I did find out further how I really felt, so you were a small help in this not too much," said Marge.
"And I am sorry I hurt you in any way that night, I don't hate you," said Bart with a guilty look on his face.
"I knew you didn't, some things just slip out when you are angry, you were just trying to take care of me and I was not accepting it," said Marge as she gave Bart a big hug, Bart returned the favor, glad to have the bonding between him and his mother back on track. "Does Dr. Hibbert know you are awake?"
"No I haven't seen him yet," said Bart,
"Then let me go find him to let him know," said Marge as she left the room to find the family doctor.
"And I should head on home to bake up a batch of cookies for the church bake sale this weekend," said Ned as he got up out of the chair and was about to walk out the door.
"Wait! Flanders!" Bart cried out a little too enthusiastically, causing him to cough heavily for a moment.
"Everything okay?" asked Ned once Bart stopped coughing.
"Yeah, I guess I rushed myself just now, but before you go, can I ask you something?" asked Bart.
"Sure Bart, I'd be happy to answer," said Ned.
Bart looked over at Lisa and Maggie who were both staring at him after his sudden coughing fit. What he was about to ask Flanders seemed more like a private conversation and he wanted the room to be clear. Lisa seemed to have gotten the hint and closed her book before picking Maggie up.
"Come on Maggie, let's go for a walk," said Lisa as she started walking out.
"But I already went for one," said Maggie in an annoyed voice.
"But I'll take you somewhere fun," said Lisa.
"Good luck with that," said Bart knowing how hospitals didn't have much in entertainment save for the gift shop or a pretty fountain. Lisa only rolled her eyes at him and shut the door behind her. Soon the room was quiet and free of anyone save for Bart and Ned.
"What do you want to ask me?" asked Ned.
"Would you believe that I had help coming back from a heavenly source?" asked Bart nervously.
"So you weren't all delirious when you told your mother and your sisters that your father said hello," said Ned in a face that showed no surprise, apparently Marge had told him what she heard him say when he woke up.
"No, I was telling the truth, I know it's hard to imagine but I did. He told me that you could help me understand something that I haven't understood since… forever I guess," said Bart.
"And what is that?" asked Ned.
"What exactly is love?" asked Bart.
Ned thought about what Bart said for a moment, yes this did seem like a great question that could be answered by him. He then wished he would have heard that conversation between Bart and his father, it must have been some reunion. "Your Dad did pick the right person for you to ask and I would be happier than a cat playing with a ball of string soaked in catnip to explain it to you."
"Then go on," said Bart as he made himself comfortable in the bed.
"Tell me, what do you love? You can mention family members, fun games, whatever you dar-diddly-arn well please," asked Ned.
"Well I love a lot of things, my sisters, my dog, hanging out with Milhouse, weekends, Mom, and playing catch with Dad if I still could, I really miss doing that,…oh and a really good squishee," said Bart.
"Now think about it, would you want to marry the things you listed?" asked Ned.
"Marry my sisters, ewww no that's what hillbillies do!" exclaimed Bart as he made a grossed out face.
"Then you see, love isn't always about marriage. Love is something you cherish, and if you cherish someone, you want what is best for that person. You hope that they will turn out alright and that no ill will befall them, that's how I felt about your Mom, I wanted what was best for her, to make her happy and help her remember your father during his greatest times. I had no intention of actually falling in love with her, but that kiss sure made me question it. You love playing a game because it's a passion that you have, you want to keep playing it hoping you will do better. Same goes for a future career you might have, if you love that job you want to keep moving up so you will do better and you know you love that job when you have a passion for it," explained Ned while the whole time Bart listened, his eyes wide with curiosity and wonder.
"So what about when you are younger and you have a crush on some kid on the playground, are you really in love or are we only messing around with each other?" asked Bart.
"I would say that's more of a puppy love, you love the person like a puppy because their so darn cute. But in time they grow up and you just become friends who still talk to each other now and then," said Ned.
"Hmmm that's an interesting way to think about it," said Bart.
"And do you know the passage of 1st Corinthians 13:4-8?" asked Ned.
Bart thought for a moment, he knew a few verses but he was not as smart as Ned's sons Rod and Todd when it came to that. "Is that the one that the hippies sang in their song Turn, Turn, Turn?"
"No that's Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and the song was by The Bryds, but you should know that one since your sister used it in her eulogy for your Dad, how could you forget that beautiful work she did?" Ned said in a surprised voice.
"I guess I just forgot the name of the verse, but tell me the one you want to tell me," said Bart.
Ned only smiled, he knew many of the verses in the Bible by heart, so he didn't need a book to open up and read, it was already hidden deep into that religious brain of his. "I'll give you the abridged version of it, it's the one everyone knows, not many know the full version, I do but I won't bore you with that since I know you well." Ned grinned at that statement while Bart only rolled his eyes; Ned really liked to take his time with things.
"1st Corinthians 13:4-8 goes like this: Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
"Love never ends."
A/N: Or it never fails, which ever way you want to put it, I liked ends better though. So now you know. Now you are probably wondering, why in the world are there two more chapters to go? Well its more of an idea that bdlywrttn gave me way back when the story was first put up. She probably does not remember it but she might once she sees the next chapter or she will question me later, hee hee. Oh and the "get whale soon" thing was her idea, so you all can smack her upside the head if you want. I hope this chapter made you all happy with the outcome and if you don't you can just eat my shorts.
Well please review when you get a chance and if you can please review and read Calculatedchaos' story Death of a Simpson. It's a fantastic read and leaves you in suspense. The poor guy needs more reviews than he has, pretty please I'll give you all a burned cookie that I made yesterday.
Sorry, I'll see you all next week.
