CARL DIES
An "Up" Fanfic
by DarthLovecraft
It was 3:00 in the afternoon. Carl Fredrickson lay in his hospital bed, mouth slightly gaping, feeling weaker than ever, heart rate beating slower than before. The setting sun shined an amber-colored glow through the window on his left upon the dying man, an appropriate fit for the dawn of his life.
He didn't have much time left.
His life began to flash before his eyes.
His montage began.
He began to remember the moment he met Ellie at his old house after seeing the news about his old hero, Charles Muntz, at the theatre, back when the house was still abandoned, seeing her with all her little toys, pretending to be Muntz.
He had a sort of intense feeling, as if he had just found someone whom he could actually have a relationship. He was a pretty shy boy back then, and even she noticed that later on, so he didn't have many friends.
He remembered the night she visited him in the hospital after attempting to get his balloon back and failing miserably, where they hung out for a long time, before she showed him her secret adventure book, telling him of her biggest dream - to visit Paradise Falls, the land lost in time, the same place Muntz explored. This was what sealed his flame for Ellie.
He promised to take her via blimp after she forced him to, crossing his heart to seal his promise. After so many times hanging out with her, their marriage and their revamping of the house he first met her in and everything they did together after that; the picnics, the mailbox they made, the dark and bright moments of their life they faced together.
He never knew how lucky he truly was.
After a long, long time, Carl remembered his promise; his crossed heart. He bought the tickets to a blimp to South America the next day, but during their journey, Ellie... got sick.
He remembered when his once quiet, peaceful neighborhood over time became a downtown rathole. When he first met Russell at his doorstep some years after his loss, attempting to assist him so he could get his wilderness explorer senior assistance badge, when he told him about a "snipe" just to get him out of his hair, how the kid completely buying it.
Then came the accident.
After beating up a worker after one of his men wrecked the mailbox he and Ellie marked themselves on, he went to court and was sentenced to a retirement home after being declared a senile menace.
That was when he came up with that idea.
Boy, did he remember the looks on those two's faces when they saw his swarm of balloons connecting to his house, when it lifted up and crashed into their car.
What he didn't expect was Russell there, who followed him this whole time, taking the "snipe" thing too well.
He remembered first meeting the "snipe" Russell found and named Kevin, still holding on to the dumb lie Carl told him. Doug on the rock landscape, the shock the moment he heard the words "hi there". He remembered the first time he met his childhood hero, Charles Muntz, before learning of his dark, dark deeds and mental health. He tried to kill them after that, but in the end, was destroyed by his own obsession. Ultimately, Carl and the gang got Kevin back to her children, and after that, went on many adventures, which gave him comfort in that lonely bed.
Sitting at the doorway was his dog, Doug, staring at him with sad eyes, ears drooping, aware of the will be the last moments he will ever be with his master. Doug had never known death, but the heavy pit in his stomach said it all.
After all this time, his master was going to leave him? It's not fair that he had to leave. But there is nothing to do about it, is there? All he could do was be at his master's side, to comfort him before his last, dying breath, to let him remember the life he had - and to wait…
After a moment of staring at his dying master, Doug slowly trodded towards him, bearing the weight of his sadness. He stepped up towards the right side of the bed and placed his head onto the side to be with him in his final moments. Carl's gaze met Doug's sad gaze and mustered all his strength he had left to smile.
A weak, sad smile it was, but a smile nonetheless.
He shakingly raised up his hand and place it onto Doug's head, gently petting him.
"Good boy, Doug," Carl said, hoarsely, "good boy…"
…
It was nighttime. Doug stayed under Carl's hand, never to have left his master's side, even after all this time, not to eat, not to use the restroom, nothing. But as they peacefully, albeit glumly, selpt, footsteps began to echo throuout the hallway, travelling to the room where the duo resided, waking Carl up. The footsteps turned louder, coming closer and closer, until he felt someone enter the room. He sat up to see who it was, feeling strangely better. He was surprised to see how well he got up, knowing his heart. He then lifted his head up, thinking whoever entered his room was some kind of nurse. His eyes grew wider, shocked by the real visitor.
It wasn't a nurse.
By god, it wasn't.
It was someone whom he had never seen for years; someone he thought he'd never see again.
It was Ellie.
She looked just as she did when he saw her last, but something was different. She had a sort of ghostly, otherworldly feel to her, her wrinkles looked so much more polished. She wore no glasses, as if she had no need for them anymore.
They exchanged looks for a moment. Carl began to breathe heavily, overwhelmed by the sight of his wife right in front of him, before jumping from his bed to hug his wife, eyes tearing up, filled with such happiness that he saw his wife again. She hugged back. They locked each other in their grips for a moment, letting all in, right before they slowly, gently freed themselves from their grips. Ellie tilted her head, gesturing for Carl to come with her somewhere. Carl didn't understand.
But he would soon.
Carl then looked back to see his canine pal, wondering if he'll be alright without him. Ellie, noticing this, touched his hand to get his attention. Carl looked back; Ellie gave him a reassuring look.
"It's okay, I know," said Ellie, tilting her head to the door. Carl agreed, then they then left the hospital bed, this world.
"Adventure is out there…"
Somewhere in a hospital, in this mortal world, a heart monitor stopped.
FIN