"So what-what seems to be the problem here?" Nurse Phantom asked before letting out a big yawn and blinking several times. It was the day after Clover had gone back to her kingdom and Dr. S was patrolling around King Julien's with Nurse Phantom filling in for his doctor job that afternoon. He was in the examination room at the hospital, seeing to Abner who was sitting on the examining table with Becca standing by his side.
"It's my dang legs. They're taking forever to heal. Can't walk with them, can't even stand on em. Watch." Abner said, gripping the sides of his seat, readying himself to get up.
"Hun, don't!" Becca warned, reaching her arms out towards her husband. Who scooted himself out of his seat, wincing as his feet touched the floor and held unto the table for a moment before letting go. He held his arms out like he was balancing on a log as he balanced on shaking, quaking legs for about two seconds or so before they gave out, letting out a sharp cry of pain as he fell towards the floor. Becca was able to grab him mid descent but found herself struggling to hold him up and after a moment, both of them toppled down to the ground much to Becca's vexation.
"Now why in Frank's name did you go and do that for!?" She snapped at her husband as she sat up and rubbed her throbbing head.
"To show Nurse Phantom that my legs are still useless." Abner explained from where he lay sprawled out.
"You didn't have to show him! He should just believe you, ya dumbass!" Was Becca's sharp criticism. Then her expression softened when she saw Abner's hurt one, how he had wilted from her sharp tongue and scorching scowl.
"I'm sorry." He said meekly.
"No, no Hun, I'm sorry. I went too far, I shouldn't have called ya that. You're not a dumbass and I get why you got up, just...just please don't try and get up again without help, alright?" Becca asked of him sincerely and more gentle. Abner perked up a little at the apology, nodding and saying in response,
"Alright."
Becca then turned to Nurse Phantom, who was staring down at them, demanding much more harshly of him, "Speaking of help, a little help here!?"
"Oh right, sorry!" Nurse Phantom exclaimed, kneeing down to help Becca. The two of them working together were able to lift Abner and help him back unto the table, the work proving more strenuous then Nurse Phantom would have liked to admit. Abner felt like an anchor in his arms weighting down his whole body and once they were done, Nurse Phantom sat down and practically melted into a chair and took a few breaths to try and relax his sluggish screaming muscles.
"He's been hurt all this time and yet I see lemurs that were hurt after him, some in way worse shape mind ya, who are now just walking around like nothing happened to them and-and I don't understand why? Why are they getting better by not Abner?" Becca asked Nurse Phantom, confused and frustrated.
It was true, Abner had been among the first injured during the string of ill fated security system schemes when the mega gecko had set his and Becca's home on fire, caving the roof in and pinning him under the rubble. Luckily, Becca along with several of their neighbors were able to free him in time. And yes, the couple had watched as lemurs who had been injured that same day and the days after make full recoveries while Abner didn't and they couldn't understand why. Abner had been severally injured before, including the time when a big boulder had dropped down smack on top of him. Many more of his bones had been broken back then and yet they had all healed in no time. Definitely less time then those in his legs were taking.
Dr. S and Nurse Phantom had been told about the boulder and even as they had gone through a heavy stream of patients those past weeks, Abner's slow recovery compared to his peers helped him stick out and they too were baffled as to why he was taking so long.
"That's...that's so weird." Nurse Phantom said before once again letting out a wide mouthed yawn, trying to express that he too was stumped but ending up sounding more bored then anything else.
"I'm sorry, is my husband not being able to walk boring you?" Becca demanded, offended at the idea that he wasn't taking her husband's situation seriously.
"W-what? No, no of course not! I-I'm sorry, I just...I'm just tired that's all. Nurse Phantom explained, starting off with a burst of energy before petering off to a sluggish state once again. "Let's take a look, shall we?"
Nurse Phantom went over the table where various medical instruments were laid out and reached towards them. His vision had gone blurry, making the numerous metal tools blend in with the metal table. He rapidly blinked his drooping eyelids several times to try and clear his vision but it was of no use, everything remained shrouded in a fog. Still, he continued looking, figuring that the little hammer to hit Abner's knees with would be easy enough to find on account of it's red handle. He finally spotted some red and grabbed it.
"Uh, Nurse Phantom? What are you gonna do with those?" Was Abner's puzzled question as Nurse Phantom came towards him with a pair of scissors with a red handle.
"Huh?" Nurse Phantom asked dumbly, knowing that Abner had said something but the words had gone through one ear and out the other, muffled by the thick fog filling his head. He once again blinked rapidly to try and clear his vision but again to no avail. "What?"
"I asked, what's ya gonna do with that?" Abner pointed to the scissors in Nurse Phantom's paw.
"Che-checking your reflex. Duh..." Nurse Phantom said in a daze, stopping for a moment to let out a big yawn before continuing.
"Well shoot, I know I ain't no doctor but how in the heck do ya...hey, you alright?" Abner asked, having noticed how not just the right of his face but Nurse Phantom's whole body was drooping, eyelids fluttering rapidly, feet dragging the floor as he slowly made his way across the room.
Nurse Phantom didn't answer, feeling like he was trying to swim through quick sand and Abner's words were getting sucked in, reaching his ears muffled and blended together in a thick stew. His own thoughts felt the same way, the only one sticking out was getting to Abner. So the nodding nurse continued the trek towards his patient.
"Hey! He asked you a question! What's the matter with you? Hey!" Becca demanded.
Nurse Phantom didn't utter a word but kept inching his way ever closer to the couple. But when he was almost upon them, his world suddenly started to spin, his head felt lighter then air and his feet gave out from under him, sending him falling forward with scissors aimed right for Abner.
The couple shrieked in terror with Becca quick as lighting dragging Abner off the table and onto the floor before Nurse Phantom came flopping down like a sack of rocks, the force and weight causing the piece of furniture to flip over and unto the nodding nurse.
Abner and Becca clung onto each other and continued to scream, finishing off with high yelps and practically jumping out of their skins when the room's door was flung open with King Julien and Maurice bursting through having heard the commotion from nearby.
"What's going on here?" Maurice wanted to know. Then he and King Julien saw Abner and Becca clinging unto each other along with Nurse Phantom pinned under the table.
"Rob!"
"Nurse Phantom!"
King Julien exclaimed the former while Maurice did the latter, the two of them rushing over, lifting the table off a moaning Nurse Phantom and lifting him up to a standing position while supporting him on either side.
"Are you okay?" King Julien asked him with concern.
"Wh-what happened?" Nurse Phantom groggily asked Julien and Maurice.
"Uh, Momo and I don't really know, we just got here." Julien told him.
"He tried to kill me!" Was Abner's horrified answer, pointing an accusing, shaking finger at Nurse Phantom.
"What!?" Julien, Maurice, and Nurse Phantom exclaimed as one, the statement sending a burst of energy throughout the nurse's body, jolting him wide awake.
"He tried to stab Abner with his scissors!" Becca explained, earning more confused and dismayed whats. She got up and walked over to the table, which had been flipped unto his side, inspecting it until she found what she was looking for. Then she turned it around so that everyone could see the pair of scissors imbedded into the seat. "Ya see? Right where Abner was sitting! Just-just lunged right at him and tried to kill him!"
"Yeah!" Abner agreed.
"No! No, Rob wouldn't do that!" King Julien objected with great conviction. "Not on purpose! It must have been an accident!"
"An accident?!" Becca snapped.
"Yes, an accident!" King Julien snapped back. "Maybe Rob tripped and-and fell and it looked like he was trying to hurt you but he didn't mean it!" Then he turned to Nurse Phantom and asked of him, "Is that what happened, Rob? Rob?" Julien asked the second time with concern and confusion. For Nurse Phantom remained silent, staring at the table, at the pair of scissors and it's red handle.
"The hammer...I was looking for the little hammer to hit Abner's knees with but everything was so blurry, I couldn't tell what was what. I looked for it's red handle...same as the scissors. I must have grabbed them by mistake and-and then everything started to spin and I must have blacked out and...and..." Nurse Phantom explained with growing horror as the gravity of what he had done hit him like a tidal wave. It knocked the air out of his lungs, his words to Abner low and raspy at first as he said with horror, "Oh my gods, I could have killed you. I could have killed you! I'm so sorry Abner!"
"You expect us to believe that load, you-you lying snake in the grass bastard?!" Becca snapped at Nurse Phantom, letting out a war cry and lunging for his throat. Nurse Phantom remained frozen in place but Julien and Maurice rushed forward, grabbing Becca and holding her back.
"Let go of me!" Becca demanded as she furiously tried to squirm free from their tight grips.
"Becca please! It was an accident!" Maurice begged as he struggled to keep a hold of her.
"Yeah!" King Julien agreed.
"And of course you two believe him! Why am I not surprised?" Was Becca's bitterly sarcastic remark for king and advisor.
"I believe him too, dear!" Abner piped in, earning him shocked stares from everyone else, especially Becca.
"W-what? Why!? I understand these two b-but you!?" Becca asked him incredulously, briefly nodding her head towards Julien and Maurice as she spoke.
"Now please, let me explain! I believe Nurse Phantom is mostly telling the truth." Abner tried to be reassuring, hurting the hurt expression on his wife's face, the betray that he knew she was feeling.
"Mostly?" Becca didn't understand.
"Yes, mostly." Abner went on to reiterate with, "I believe that Nurse Phantom really is dog tired. Why shoot, he looked like a regular old zombie right fore he almost stabbed me. Which I do believe was an accident too."
"So wait, I don't understand. What part do ya think he's lying about?"
"I believe he's lying about being sorry." Abner explained, glaring up at Nurse Phantom.
"What? Of course he's sorry!" King Julien objected.
"He and Dr. S sure haven't been sorry for hurting us in the past!" Was Abner's critical comeback. "They haven't been sorry about electrocuting us for weird therapies or-or cause we didn't want their cookies or trying to saw us in half or-or dig up our dead relatives and turning them into zombies! They've just done whatever they please, risking our lives time and again with no regard for em and Nurse Phantom as gone and done it again! He couldn't see what he was doing, couldn't see what he was holding but he was gonna use on me anyways without a lick of though for my life! So yeah, fake apology not excepted!" Abner finished off in a huff, crossing his arms and turning away.
"He's not faking!" Julien snapped.
"Julien! He's right!" Nurse Phantom started off hot, then cooled down and said more solemnly, "He's right."
"Rob..." Julien couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Nurse Phantom faced Abner and said solemnly, "You're right. I am in no shape to be working today but I came anyways. I couldn't see or think straight and I didn't think about your safety and no amount of sorry is going to change that."
"Finally something we can agree on!" Becca stated to Nurse Phantom. "You-you haven't changed one bit! You're still the same old louse loving to screw around with us like-like we was toys! Well, I ain't letting you screw around with my husband anymore! We're out of here!" Becca then turned to Julien and Maurice, ordering them to, "Now let me go and help me get Abner into his chair!" When they hesitated, she barked an even harsher, "Now!"
So Abner was helped back into his wheelchair and he and Becca left the building. Nurse Phantom put up a sign on the front doors saying that the hospital was closed until Dr. S got back.
Then he walked over, flopped down unto one of the waiting room chairs and covered his face with his hands. Julien and Maurice looked at each other, mirroring the other's concern. They came over and sat by Nurse Phantom.
"Do you know why you're so tired?" Maurice gently asked the downhearted nurse.
"Yeah, did you not get enough sleep last night?" Was Julien's question.
"You'd think I'd be exhausted to the point of blacking out if I did!?" Nurse Phantom snapped. Then, seeing the hurt expression on Julien's face softened his own. "I'm sorry. No, I barely got a wink of sleep last night. Or the one before that or the one before that..." Nurse Phantom sighed and admitted, "The truth is, insomnia has been kicking my ass for a few weeks now."
"In-su-mia?" King Julien tried to pronounce this new strange word.
"It means he's been having trouble sleeping, your majesty." Maurice explained with concern and not just for Nurse Phantom but for King Julien as well, suspecting that the king might unfortunately have a part in the nurse's misfortune.
"Oh...oh. Wait." King Julien turned to Nurse Phantom. "Just how many weeks is a few?" He had the bad feeling he had a part in this but hoped that Rob would tell him otherwise.
"...Three. It started when everyone started getting hurt..." Nurse Phantom started to uneasily answer before stopping, not wishing to make Julien feel guilty. It didn't work.
"Because of my idea." Julien somberly finished the thought with that now familiar shame in his heart.
Nurse Phantom let out a tired sigh, for he hated to admit that, "Yes. With so many lemurs coming in al at once and we were just so busy and the stress, I just...couldn't sleep. But it's over and I still can't sleep!" Nurse Phantom suddenly shouted in frustration and threw his paws up in the air. Then he realized how loud he had gotten, eyes darting between his companions. He dropped his paws back down and cleared his throat. Then He let another sigh and pressed on, not wishing to dwell on his outburst but also wishing to get something off his chest.
"Truth is, I've been dealing with insomnia on and off for seasons." Then he quickly anxiously added, "But it's never gotten this bad on the job before today, I swear! I mean, you both know I've hurt patients before but not because I was so exhausted. I haven't been this exhausted for...a while really. Usually I've had a catch coma by now and it's fixed everything."
"Catch up coma?" Something about that sounded vaguely familiar for Julien.
"When it's gotten especially bad in the past and nothing else has helped, I've asked Dr. S to put me under a medically induced coma for a couple days. It's always worked and I've always been able to catch up on sleep that way. Hence, catch up coma." Nurse Phantom explained, bracing for a wave of disturbed and concerned questions over such an extreme method.
"Oh. Wait, why does this familiar?" King Julien pondered out loud, the exact when and where escaping him.
"This is the first I'm telling you." Nurse Phantom told him, not expecting that response.
Maurice piped in with, "That's because Dr. S already told us..."
"When?" Nurse Phantom was quick to ask, a bit on the frantic side, taking Maurice aback.
"Uh, a while ago, while you were in one of your...comas." He explained uneasily. He remembered being disturbed seeing it for himself then and he still was then and there.
"Oh."
"Oh but wait, I don't understand. If you know then it always works, then why haven't you asked Dr. S to knock you out already?" King Julien asked, utterly oblivious.
"Cause he has two jobs now, remember!? Being both the kingdom's only doctor and only line of defense is a huge work load! Thats why I have to available to fill in for him here so he can be out there keeping us all safe and I can't do that if I'm in a coma! I can't leave him to do all that work by himself, especially if something goes wrong!" Nurse Phantom explained, furious over Julien's lack of concern.
"What do you mean, if something goes wrong?" King Julien asked with utter ignorance and the beginnings of worry. Nurse Phantom looked at him in utter disbelief. Did he truly not see the danger?
"Like if Nurse Phantom never wakes up!" Maurice explained, furious with Dr. S for being so willing to risk his friend's life like that. He knew the snake doctor wasn't known for concern over his patient's safety but Nurse Phantom was his best friend for Frank's sake! Unless he was like Julien and was too stupid to see the danger, which he hoped was the cause for Nurse Phantom's sake.
"Wait, what? Why wouldn't he if Dr. S is controlling everything?" King Julien asked with growing concern.
"Cause it's still a coma! Things can still go wrong! Like Nurse Phantom is given too much anesthetics or his body has a sudden bad reaction or the fact that is Dr. S isn't a real doctor!" Maurice shouted with mounting vexation.
"So, so you're saying that every time Rob was put under, he could have died!?" King Julien said with horror, looked to Nurse Phantom. "Is this true?"
"...It's true. There's always the risk." Nurse Phantom admitted, then asked with growing disbelief and also relief knowing that Julien did care, "You seriously didn't realize that?"
"No! I mean, I know normal, accidental comas are dangerous but I thought you guys had it totally under control but-but knowing that you don't...don't you think that's a little extreme!?" King Julien snapped.
"Look whose talking! You're always risking your life with stupid stunts for fun! I take the risk so I don't go around doing shit like, I don't know, stabbing patients!" Nurse Phantom snapped back.
"But-but there's other ways, less dangerous ones!" King Julien pointed out.
"That don't always work and they certainly haven't been working lately! Counting sheep, white noise, scented candles, golden Julien." Nurse Phantom counted each method on his fingers as he listed them off. "I've tried everything but nothing has worked! And when they haven't worked in the past, comas have but I can't go into a coma cause I have to be able to do my friend's first job so he can do his second job which he took in the first place because of me! That he's doing for me." He cradled his head in his hands and slowly shook it. "I'm so tired..." He said low and defeated.
Julien walked over, put a paw on Nurse Phantom's shoulder and told sincere and gentle, "We'll find a way."
"We?" Nurse Phantom uncovered his face and looked to him with surprise.
"Yes, we. You've done so much for everyone lately. Dr. S, me, Clover, the whole kingdom. Bout time I return the favor, don't you think?" King Julien said with sincere gentle gratitude. "I promise, we'll find a way to give you the best night's sleep, right Maurice?" He looked to Maurice, who after a moment's surprise, nodded in agreement.
"Of course." He would have volunteered himself anyways but Julien doing it for him worked as well. Honestly, he was proud that his friend was showing such kindness.
Nurse Phantom said to both of them with stunned and sincere gratitude, "Thank you."
And so the trio waited for Dr. S to return, then they told him what had transpired and their plan.
"So uh, yeah. We really need you to work solo the rest of today. And tonight. With both your jobs." King Julien awkwardly said to the snake doctor.
"Of course." Dr. S reassured him. Then he noticed how downcast Nurse Phantom looked and tried to reassure him that, "I'll be fine, really. Besides, its been pretty boring today. Haven't caught a whiff or whisker of fossa at all. And you know as well as I do that our number of patients has really wilted down lately..."
Suddenly the front doors swung open with Mort bounding in and straight for King Julien, talking a mile a minute.
"There you are, my king! I've been looking all over for you! I'm been coming with easy going activities what if all the crazy stuff lately and wanted to show you. What are you doing here?"
"Uh..." King Julien was taken aback for a moment by this sudden appearance but then he got an idea. He grabbed Mort, turned to Dr. S and said, "Good news, Dr. S. You don't gotta work alone after all. Mort will be your temporary assistant, Nurse Mort."
"Huh?" Was all a very confused Mort could say.
Maurice started to object with, "King Julien, I don't know if Mort..."
"Works for me!" Dr. S said enthusiastically.
"Wha? Wait a minute. What's going on?" Mort asked in growing confusion as he looked around at everyone.
"Alright, here's the deal. Rob is having a lot of trouble sleeping, so Maurice and I are going to help him get some sleep. I need you here to help Dr. S while we're doing that. Can I count on you?" King Julien asked of Mort.
"Of course, my king!" Was Mort's eager response.
And so King Julien, Maurice and Nurse Phantom set off in search of an insomnia remedy. Trying idea after idea after idea. By nightfall, they had ended up in the royal throne room where they were trying out yet another idea courtesy of Masikura.
"Concentrate on only the sound of my voice." Masikura said as Maurice dangled a pocket watch in front of Nurse Phantom's face, his working eye following the object as it slowly swung back and forth, catching quick reflections of candlelight that surrounded them and King Julien. "You are getting very sleepy. Your eyes are getting heavy. When I snap my claws, you will fall into a deep sleep. Ready?"
"Yes." Nurse Phantom answered, praying that this would work.
Masikura snapped her claws.
.
.
.
Nurse Phantom remained wide awake while King Julien on the other hand had fallen asleep sitting up and snoring away.
"Your majesty!" Masikura snapped her claws again.
King Julien jolted awake, his eyes popping open and he looked about and said frantically, "Huh, what? What happened? Did it work?"
"Yes, on you. Not Nurse Phantom." Masikura told him, blowing his flash of hope out.
"Can we take a break? I have to pee, again." Nurse Phantom said irritably, excusing himself. He had been given Golden Julien some time earlier to help him relax. It didn't help him relax so much as make him have to pee. Quite a bit actually.
By the time he got back, Masikura had excused herself for the evening so it was just the three lemurs left in the room.
King Julien let out a tired, exasperated sigh, asking unenthusiastically, "Okay, what next?"
"Let's take a break, your majesty." Maurice whined with growing exasperation over all their failed attempts.
"I second that." Nurse Phantom piped in, feeling that same feeling tenfold.
"Our minds are drawing blanks. We need to rest them. Then we can regroup and keep trying." Maurice continued to argue.
"Hmm, good point." King Julien agreed, for he too had grown weary, making a break sound pretty good. "Okay so, what do ya wanna do then?"
"How about we just talk? All I'm up for." Maurice suggested.
"You two pick a topic. I...I got nothing." Nurse Phantom told them, leaning back against the wall.
There was one topic King Julien could think of and after a moment of hesitation, turned to Nurse Phantom and asked nervously, "What gave you the idea for your catch up comas?" Nurse Phantom was taken aback by this question while Maurice gave Julien a look that told him to choose his next words every carefully, which Julien tried to do as he continued with, "I'd really like to know. I've never heard of doing something like that before. To help if you're having trouble sleeping I mean."
Nurse Phantom sighed. "It wasn't long after you hired me and Dr. S. I couldn't fall asleep so I was just laying awake in bed, thinking about all the surgeries I had and that turned to all the hours I had spent sleeping while having them and that gave me an idea. Why not use the same anesthetics used on me then...that's the drugs used to put people to sleep for surgeries." Nurse Phantom explained upon seeing the confused expression on Julien's face.
"Oh." Was Julien's response.
"Anyways, why not use those same drugs to put me to sleep again? So I asked Dr. S to knock me out and that was it. Out like a light." Nurse Phantom added the last bit in an attempt at humor.
Julien wanted to ask for Dr. S's opinion on the matter but he was afraid. Afraid of sounding like he was accusing Dr. S of being a horrible friend, afraid of sounding like he was calling Rob stupid for trusting him. Afraid that he himself would turn into a big jerk about it. But he couldn't let the matter go without saying something.
He started to say a mile a minute, "I know Dr. S really cares about you and wants you to be happy and is really bad at thinking things through and would never want to hurt you and..."
"Julien!" Nurse Phantom interrupted him. "Breathe."
Julien took a deep breath, then blurted out, "How does Dr. S feel about the comas?" Nurse Phantom had seen the question coming and yet he was still taken aback, not answering right away but silently stared back at Julien. "I'm sorry, I went too far, didn't I? I'm sorry, I didn't mean...you don't have to answer." Julien ended his profuse apology meekly.
Nurse Phantom remained silent for a moment more, looking upon Julien's guilt-ridden expression. Then he sighed and admitted that, "We...weren't friends back then, when I asked him the first time. We got along fine enough but I certainly didn't care about him like I do now and I know it's the same for him. He cares about me a whole lot now but...I wasn't his little buddy back then. So if things had gone wrong...I don't think he would have cried over me. He certainly didn't seem worried when he first agreed to put me under, didn't say how he felt one way or another really and I didn't ask. I've...never asked him how he feels about it and he's never told me. He's never been gong ho about it, never been the one to suggest it. It's always been my idea, never his. He has expressed concern over my insomnia, especially recently, and has suggested possible sleep remedies but never the comas, I swear." Nurse Phantom paused, feeling increasingly awkward. "Anyways, that's all I know."
"Thanks for telling us." King Julien said softly and sincerely. He wanted to know more, wanted to know why Rob had never asked Dr. S about his feelings. Wanted to convince him to go straight to the snake doctor then and there to talk to him but thought better of it. He didn't want to push the matter too hard and hurt Rob's feelings. He would bring it back up again but for the moment, he was going to give a rest. "Okay, anybody else have something they wanna talk about?"
"I have something to say." Nurse Phantom offered, looking from Julien to Maurice as he told them, "Julie, Maurice, thanks you guys for showing concern and listening. For trying to help me and...and that brings me to something else." Something that had been on his mind a lot lately and that he wanted to share but was also afraid to. Julien and Maurice waited patiently as he took a deep breath, steeling himself and facing Julien as he resumed, trying to keep his voice firm and hide it's tremor. "Julie, are you helping me for my sake or is it all for Dr. S, so he can protect the kingdom?"
Well, this certainly got Julien's attention, continuing to attentively listen as Nurse Phantom spoke with resolve. "Cause we've been spending a lot of time together lately, more then we have in a long time and even under the circumstances, I'm glad we have. Really glad. It-it feels like we're actually friends again and I want that but I have to know, do you want it too? Do you want to act like actual friends or am I still too gross for you? Cause before the trampolines, every time I've wanted us to hang out together, you've always told me that I was too gross to join your band or whatever even though you told me that we were friends again. But until recently, you haven't been acting like one but now you are and I have to know where we stand, Julie. Do you want to be friends or would you rather we work together as friendly allies helping Dr. S and Clover? Cause I would understand if you would rather have it that way. If you don't want to be friends, if-if me being ugly wasn't the only reason." By the last sentence Nurse Phantom's firm words had crumbled, assertiveness chipped away to reveal a contrite heart.
"You've hurt me but I've hurt you too and all this talk of apologizes lately has made me realize that I've never apologized to you! For trying to steal your face, then your whole body all because I was angry that you didn't want to leave everyone and everything you had ever known to run away with me! And yes, Club Moist was my idea too but again, I had tried to kill you! You didn't owe me anything and yet you apologized to me! But I've never said the same to you!" Nurse Phantom started off woeful, then his words became more rage filled, oozing with disgust as he recounted his heinous deeds before simmering down to rueful at the last sentence and continued so as he went on. "So I'm saying it now! I'm sorry! I'm sorry for being a possessive bastard towards you! I'm sorry for getting angry over you to not throwing your whole life away for me and using an idea that I had lost every right to! And I'm sorry for trying to kill you over such petty crap! Speaking of which, Maurice?" He turned to Maurice, who was surprised at being mentioned to say the least. "I owe you an apology too! I'm sorry for the scorpions and snakes and being a jealous bastard towards you all because I didn't wanna share Julien! It was wrong and I'm sorry!" He looked from Maurice to Julien as he finished with, "How I treated you both was wrong and I'm sorry it took me so long to apologize!"
Julien and Maurice sat in stunned silence for some moments as they processed it all before Julien was able to form his own grateful and contrite words. "Rob...thank you! Thank you for the apology and I owe you one too! Yes, I was mad at you! Actually, now that I think about it, maybe I never really stopped but I still mostly avoided you because I did think you were too gross and ugly to hang out with! I was so focused on how you've changed on the outside that I didn't see how you've changed on the inside! But seeing the inside lately, I like what I see! I want to see more! Yes, you were a jerk and you did hurt me but you've changed and I took over being the jerk and hurting you! I shouldn't have strung you along and let you believe that we were friends when I wasn't being one and I'm sorry! I'm sorry for stinging you along! I'm sorry for caring more about your outsides then your insides! It was wrong and I'm sorry that my apology took so long! I forgive you, Rob and yes, I do want to be friends again, real ones! I'd love to hang out again if you don't mind hanging with me!" Julien looked warmly at Rob as he finished with humble tenderness.
"Julie, I...thank you! And I forgive you too!" Rob said soft and sincere, words coming out low and raspy as he was overcome with joy and gratitude along other emotions. He lunged for Julien, wrapping his friend in his ams and giving him a warm, tight hug. After a stunned moment, Julien gladly returned it in kind. They stayed like that for some moments, no words, just the two of them relishing the welcomed feel of a friend.
After they pulled apart, Maurice piped in with, "Hey." They turned and saw the smile on his face as he said sincerely, "Apology excepted, Rob."
After a stunned second or two, Rob smiled back and said warmly and raspy, "Thank you, Maurice!"
…
The three of them talked about mundane things for a little while after that, until…
"I wonder how Clover's doing right now?" King Julien wondered out loud. He hoped that she was alright.
"She better have gotten a damn good apology from Sage by now." Maurice said, not hiding his contempt for his friend's husband. Rob voiced his agreement.
"Begging on his knees for her forgiveness and respecting her feelings. It's the least she deserves." King Julien added, his contempt shining just as bright, like the moon that hung in the sky that night. The hard edges of his words smoothed some by the end, as his thoughts leaned closer to his friend.
Maurice and Rob voiced their agreements.
"Yeah. Boy, I'll tell ya, she's earned my respect. Still scares me some, I won't lie but she really is a great lady. I can see why you guys love her" Rob said with admiration.
"Yeah, she's...amazing." King Julien said in awe. Then he added with amusement, "And to be fair, she still scares Momo and me sometimes." This got chuckles from Rob and Maurice, which pleased Julien.
"Heh, yeah. Good old Clover." Maurice said fondly. Then he thought of something. "Well, at least we know the mountain lemurs are treating her well. According to Clover, they love her." And that knowledge made him feel better, as it did for Rob and Julien.
"And why wouldn't they? Her scary is right up their alleys. Yup, they are for sure treating her right." Julien said with rising spirits.
"Yeah." Maurice agreed. But then another thought came to him. "I wonder how they feel about the contract." He said with rising dread as he imagined their reactions.
"You think she's told them about that?" King Julien asked with deflating spirits.
"I would! They deserve to know that their queen might have to leave them!" Maurice argued.
"To fulfill a contract that I roped her into." King Julien said sourly.
"Yeah." Maurice didn't want to say it but he couldn't deny it either. "Hopefully she won't. I pray it won't come to that but the fact of the matter is, if Dr. S can't do the job...Look, I don't believe that he would purposely let anyone get hurt but the fact is that he's still very new at the whole doing a job responsibly. Not to mention that his new job is highly difficult even for professionals who've been at it for years, who've had years of training while Dr. S has had what, five days and has been at it for a week! There's the very real possibility that things could go wrong and the mountain lemurs need to know this!" He hated saying it, he truly did but he couldn't deny reality.
"Augh! You're right and I hate it!" Julien angrily admitted.
"I know. Believe me, I know. And believe it or not, Dr. S does too." Rob begrudgingly admitted more somberly with a slight edge. Then he sighed sadly. "How do you think the mountain lemurs feel about Dr. S?"
"Pretty sure they think the whole plan is crazy like everybody else!" Julien lamented bitterly.
"I admit, it is...out there." Was Rob's comment.
"It doesn't sound real. More like a crazy made story. That we're all living in." Maurice was still coming to terms with the whole insane situation.
Story.
"Maurice, you remember reading me bedtime stories when we were kids?" King Julien asked, the beginnings of an idea forming in his brain. Maurice gave him a puzzled look and answered,
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, it always help me fall asleep. Maybe it would help Rob." Julien reasoned.
"Don't you think I'm a little old for bedtime stories?" Rob argued irritably. Julien raised an eyebrow at him.
"Really? Personally, I think you're never too old for bedtime stories." Julien argued back, offended. "Besides, what have you got to lose?"
Rob let a sigh. "Fine."
While Maurice looked around the plane for a book, Julien hopped up onto his throne and patted the space next to him. "Sit next to me."
"Okay." Rob was surprised by the offer but he wasn't going to complain, sluggishly climbing up to sit on Julien's left side.
"Stories are always better in a nice, comfy seat." Julien explained, settling himself on the cushion.
Maurice soon came back with a decent sized book he'd found in the back pouch of one of the passenger seats. It's dark blue cover had some wear and tear around the edges and the gold lettering on the front was dulled with age but one could still see that they read,
Roses in The Garden
By Charlotte Hall
The pages within were yellowed with age but the words still stood out and Maurice got right into reading them out loud after settling himself in one of the passenger seats facing the throne.
It didn't take Julien long to conclude that it was the most boring story in the history of forever. Pages upon pages spent describing every boring detail, from all the boring nooks and crannies of every boring building to every boring scrap of clothing that the boring characters wore. For every single character was dull as dirt and took forever to do anything except talk and talk and talk and Julien couldn't even understand what they were saying half of the time. It became harder and harder to stay awake and he was liable to fall asleep on the spot if Maurice kept at it much longer.
Suddenly Julien was aware of something on his left shoulder. He turned to see Rob resting his head there with his eyes closed.
"Rob?" Julien asked, puzzled.
No response.
"Rob?"
Still no response.
"Rob, are you...asleep?" Julien asked cautiously optimistic, poking him.
The only response Rob continued to give was the sound of his breathing and the rise and fall of his chest.
"Your majesty? Is Rob...?" Maurice had stopped reading and was looking at them expectantly. Then Rob began to groan and his eyelids fluttered.
"Keep reading, keep reading." Julien whispered none too quietly, motioning with his head and pointing at Rob.
"Right right, sorry. Where was I? Oh yeah." Maurice found his place and was back to describing in great detail the outfit that Elizabeth was wearing as she walked through her beloved garden.
Julien looked back to Rob, who settled down, nuzzling his face into Julien's shoulder. The right side of his face, the side that constantly drooled. Julien could already feel the saliva on his fur, the slimy secretion oozing through unto his skin and spreading.
Gross.
Gross.
Gross!
Julien started to move his comfortable companion unto the throne but quickly realized that would mean spit all over where he sat the royal booty down each and every day. Even with the most thorough cleaning imaginable, would it ever be truly clean again? Julien shuddered at the thought and was about to order Maurice to go get a towel to lay down when Rob started to stir again.
The more Julien moved, the more Rob moaned, groaned and twitched. When Julien settled still, Rob settled too, letting out a contented sigh with a small smile playing across his lips. Well, they had been trying to put Rob to sleep and there he was, sleeping like a gross, peaceful baby. Julien gave out a defeated sigh and rested his own head on Rob's.
Oh well, it wasn't the worse thing in the world, he supposed. Fur was a lot easier to clean then furniture. He'd have Maurice draw up a good hot bath in the morning.
Julien once more looked over at Rob. Huh, he kinda looked like a droopy puppy. Julien gave a small smile and thought to himself tenderly,
"Sleep well, buddy. You've earned it."
So he sat and listened as Maurice went on and on and on, the dull narrative soon lulling him into unconsciousness as well.
….
Dawn came through into the throne room, bathed in it's new light. Light which came across Rob's face, causing his eyelids to flutter open to slits. Then they shut again as Rob let out a wide yawn before slowly opening wider this time as he looked about at his surroundings. He was still in the throne room facing Maurice, who sleeping in the same chair as the previous night, bland book draped over him like a blanket. And if Maurice was still there, then Rob figured he was still on the royal throne. He was resting on his right side, cuddled up against something gray and fuzzy. It felt nice, soft and warm against his skin and had a nice smell. Julien or Maurice must have gotten him a pillow. Wait, where was Julien? Rob pulled away to get a better look around, hoping he would spot his friend. First looking to his left, then to his right.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Rob shrieked, which of course jolted Julien and Maurice awake, joining in with their own startled screams.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Rob continued to scream as he scrambled to get away from Julien, falling off the throne and landing on his back on top of Amelia's lap. Julien stayed where he was, clinging unto his seat for dear life as he asked in panic and confusion,
"Why are we yelling!?"
"I'm sorry!" Rob pleaded.
"For what!?"
"For sleeping on you! For being gross and way out of line and I didn't mean it to but it doesn't change the fact that I was gross and I'm sorry!" Rob profusely apologized at a mile a minute.
"Whoa!" Julien told him, no longer shrieking, making stopping motions with his paws. Maurice had stopped screaming as well, hopping out of his seat and coming towards them. "Whoa there, easy. So you're sorry for sleeping on my shoulder?"
"Yes! It was so gross and wrong and I'm sorry..."
"Easy!" Julie interrupted while still making the stopping motions. Then went on to say more gently, "Easy. It's alright. I let you sleep there."
"What?" Rob asked incredulously.
"I knew you were sleeping on my shoulder and I let you stay there. No biggie." Julien tried to be reassuring.
"But wait, if you knew then why didn't you move me?" Rob couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I tried but you were moaning and squirming and I was afraid you were gonna wake up and after hours of trying to get you to sleep, I really didn't want that to happen." Julien explained, inwardly shuddering at the thought. Then his tone got softer. "Besides, you looked so peaceful. Like-like a little baby. I couldn't risk waking you up, not when you were finally getting some sleep. Speaking of, how does it feel to have finally gotten a good chunk of sleep, huh? Let's talk about that."
Rob was reluctant to let the matter go but seeing how much Julien did, he relented. Thinking for a moment before answering. "Feels pretty good. Not a hundred percent better but definitely an improvement, thanks to you and you too, Maurice." Rob said sincerely to first Julien, then Maurice. He looked to both of them as he went on with, "Thanks you guys, really. If it wasn't for you two...Wait, Maurice, was it you reading that book that put me to sleep? Cause that's the last thing I remember."
"Yes! Whose too old for bedtime stories now?" Julien boosted, his ingenious plan having been a success.
"Okay, I guess I'm not. Happy?" Rob said playfully. "Good thing it was a boring one."
"No kidding! Good on you, Momo, for powering through the most boring book in the history of forever." Julien said first to Rob, then to Maurice.
"I didn't realty power through it, your majesty. I enjoyed reading it. Personally, I think it's a pretty good book so far." Maurice told him.
"You're kidding, right? You liked reading twenty pages describing every stinkin scrap of clothing that every stinkin person's wearing?" Julien asked incredulously.
"Okay yes, the story could do with less detail sometimes but other times, the details paint such a vivid picture that you feel like you're practically there, like in the garden scene. Practically smelling Elizebeth's beloved roses, hearing the calls of birds mixing with the sounds of the city so close and yet so far away from Elizebeth and Jane as they walk down their own private patch of paradise, pouring out their hearts and souls to one another." Maurice described the scene grandly, the warmth and devotion in their words ringing clear as the sweetest sounding bell, his own heart filled with warmth as he recalled the lovely scene.
"Uh huh. That sounds nice. If the author didn't feel the need to describe every stupid flower!" Julien went right on complaining.
"The imagery adds to the atmosphere!"
"More like the boring-sphere!"
Rob giggled and shook his head in amusement. While the two friends went on with their heated discussion, he hopped up on the dashboard to look out the windshield, seeing the dawn of a new day.