Prompt 42- Shirt
Warning- major character death in here.
...
The door creaked open. In the deadly silence, it made SpongeBob wince as he finally braved himself to open his neighbour's bedroom door.
The window was open, letting in a delicious breath of warm air- but the poriferan could only feel a cold fist clench round his heart as he looked at his neighbour's bed.
Squidward lay atop his sheets, looking peaceful- and oblivious to his neighbour's intrusion.
"Squid...please, wake up," he whispered. He wanted the doctor downstairs to be wrong- he didn't want Squidward to be gone!
"Squidward, you're gonna be...be late for work." SpongeBob whispered. "And you have a clarinet recital tonight, remember?" He asked, trying to be jovial. But it was difficult, for he still couldn't see any response from the older male.
His eyes pricking with tears, SpongeBob tried one more time. "Squid, please...would you like to go jellyfishing with me and Pat after work?" He offered, but there was still no answer.
"I'm sorry kid," Said the doctor, coming in to announce the sponge's time was nearly up. "Your friend passed away in the night. He's gone."
SpongeBob gulped. "No...no it can't be..."
The doctor only nodded. "I'll give you five more minutes, if you like." He said, and he stepped out of the room.
SpongeBob stared at his peaceful looking neighbour- and broke. His body was wracking with sobs and his grief filled wails echoed off the walls.
...
After a while, SpongeBob stopped crying (or at least the worst of it) and he rose on shaky knees. There, lying, neatly folded, was one of Squidward's favourite shirts. SpongeBob picked it up and smelled it, breathing in his friend's scent- coffee, mint, lavender and clarinet polish. The smell rushing through his nose made his eyes water even more.
"I miss you already, Squid," He whispered.
...
"SpongeBob, SpongeBob? You in here, buddy?"
Patrick opened the door- and jumped backwards in fright as he saw Squidward' body lying in the bed.
"Squidward...?" he whispered in shock. So, it was true- Squidward was dead. He felt afraid to step into the same room as his now deceased neighbour- but he racked up his courage when he caught sight of his best friend fast asleep in the middle of the room.
He was lying across the floor, holding one of Squidward's shirts to his tear stained cheek like a very flat teddy bear.
Patrick tiptoed across the room, scooped his best friend in his arms and took him back to the pineapple, feeling worried and concerned for the sleeping sponge.