Trigger Warning: Attempted suicide
AN: Please if you are having thoughts of suicide seek help! Talk to someone. You are precious, you are loved.
Part 25
Eddie sat in the pool house, in front of his television set playing video games. His best and closest friend sat beside him holding his own controller. He kept smiling at him and Eddie kept trying to find the words to say. Now was the best time, the only time, but he couldn't form the words.
"Eddie, you know you're the best friend a koala could ask for," Buster said.
The sheep blushed. "I try… in fact, Buster, there's something I've been wanting to tell you…"
Suddenly, the sliding door opened and a fierce wind tore through, picking the little koala up. Eddie grabbed his hands. "Buster! No!" He tried to keep ahold of him but the hurricane-force wind was too strong. He tried to go after him except his parents stood outside, giant-sized.
"You have responsibilities to your family, Eddie! You must settle down with a nice girl! Come home with us Eddie. We're your parents! You have to do as we say!"
"Buster, come back! Help me! Don't leave me here alone please!" He begged as he was forced back inside the pool house.
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"COME BACK!" The sheep sat up, the pool house vanished and he looked around. Right. He was staying with Johnny and Ryan because of his monstrous family. Because he was too much of a coward to stand up to them on his own. He wrapped his arms around his knees and sobbed, ashamed of how weak he was. "Buster, how could you just leave me behind? I'm such a worthless burden on everyone here. I can't lead them. I can't even fight for myself." He jumped when he heard hammering coming from outside. He looked at the clock. Who was hammering at 6am? He looked out the window. The famous singer was installing what looked like rockets and trip wires. He heard the bedroom door open and he hurried into the bathroom. He washed his face, determined that they would not know he had been crying.
He heard Johnny laughing. "Well if that doesn't give them a heart attack… Hey Dad!" Eddie went back out to the living room. "That woke you up too huh?"
Eddie nodded. "Yeah, what are they doing? What are the rockets for?"
Ryan laughed. "For scaring the shit out of them? I can't wait for showtime." He grabbed his phone. "How about some breakfast?"
Outside the theater, Clay and the Gorilla Gang prepared for their quarry over the next few hours. Once everything was in place, Clay hid in one alley while Marcus and his team hid in another.
Ten til 9, their fancy car came rolling up to the theater and parked. Adelaide Noodleman got out of the vehicle ahead of her husband and started walking up the stairs to the front doors. Neither they nor the young woman with them noticed the wire at their feet until Frederick's foot pushed down. Screams echoed through the street as rockets exploded into the sky.
Clay recognized his cue and he rode his bike out into view, aiming his paint gun. Barry drove the truck towards them. The sheep screamed louder and ran for the car but not before getting covered in paint. They fled down the street with Calloway in hot pursuit.
Johnny and Ryan were both rolling with laughter. Eddie couldn't help laughing with them but it was just another reminder. He needed someone to protect him. His parents were determined to keep destroying his life and he was too weak to stand up to them. They were right. He was just a burden. A waste of space. There was only one person who always made him feel safe and wanted. Sure, he could always go to the Suarez's but they had too much going on in their lives with five new babies.
He had promised to try, he just didn't know how much 'try' he had left in him. The troupe was great to him. They did their best to make him feel welcome and made him their responsibility on Buster's behalf but he had nothing to give in return.
But he couldn't tell any of them any of this. They would simply insist he wasn't a burden and how his parents were just too stupid to recognize what a good thing they had. He was the only one who knew his parents were right about him.
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After a night of observation, the obstetrician finally signed off on Rosita's discharge. Eddie met them at the hospital, wanting to help them get home.
Rosita noticed he seemed to be in distress but whenever she questioned, he insisted that he was just fine. Finally, he admitted he was having nightmares about Buster and she could understand. "Are you sure that's all?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Mama…" He bit his lip, hoping he wasn't overstepping.
She hugged him but looked at Norman. The new title gave her pause. "Well, let's get home." They got into their new-to-them, slightly used minivan.
"How is the new script coming?" Rosita asked Eddie. When he lived with them, he was starting to come out of his shell but now he seemed to be retreating back inside of it.
He smiled. "It's going great. I think the Fairy Godmother is your role."
The mother pig smiled back. "Oh, I always loved the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. I can't wait to start rehearsing." She bit her lip. "You know, Eddie, if there's anything wrong, you can talk to me. Or Norman. We're both here for you."
He grinned wide, from ear to ear. "I know. There's nothing wrong. Really." He insisted.
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For the next few days, it seemed like his parents had finally given up and Eddie was able to go back to his apartment.
The nightmares persisted, his only comfort was Buster's empty suit. He knew it was pathetic but the only way he could sleep was by cuddling with the clothing, pretending it was him.
During the day, he would either be instructed by the proboscis monkey who had taken an interest in his plight, or he would go and visit Rosita and Norman. He assisted with chores and watching the other piglets.
And for those few days, he started to think maybe he could make it. Maybe he could heal and enjoy life again.
Until a week later. He was on his way home from his visit with Rosita. He was not expecting to see his mother and father waiting for him at the theater. They never came at this time.
They glared at him and he stepped back, wondering if he could possibly run away. "Edmond C Noodleman! It is time to stop acting like a child! You will talk to us! You will talk to us alone or I promise, your delinquent friends will pay for your insubordination!" His father's harsh tone and the thought of his friends being in trouble made him stay put.
"Fine, talk!" He tried not to sound afraid.
"Your friends crossed a line when they attacked us!" Adelaide said. "And I understand at least one of them is on probation and he was in violation of his parole when he left town a few months ago."
Eddie shook his head in disbelief. "What are you saying?"
"If you do not return home to your mother and me, and do as you're told, we will file charges on all of them. And we'll make sure your pig friends are included in those charges," Mr. Noodleman explained.
The sheep felt his mouth fall. "Do you really hate me this much?" He asked.
"Eddie, we're your parents. We love you. You need to realize these delinquents and felons are not your friends," Adelaide told him. "They only want your grandmother's money. Even those pig friends of yours. She was paying them to take care of you by giving them our home. You are only a means to an end for them." She grabbed his bag. "Look at this. They're even trying to put you to work. What's this?" She pulled out his notebook. "Oh, so you think you're a playwright now? Eddie, it's time to get your head out of the clouds. You know our conditions. We expect you to be packed and ready to go home tomorrow morning."
Eddie felt everything crashing down around him. He had no problem believing they could do this. He couldn't let Johnny's dad go back to jail for helping him. He couldn't let them torment the Suarez family. He looked down. "Alright, Mom. You win. I'll be ready by morning…" He promised.
"Good! And if you're not, our next call will be to the police to report Mr. Green and his posse," Frederick led his wife away, satisfied that they had won.
Eddie waited until they were gone before going inside. Miss Crawly was working on some paperwork. "Hey, Miss Crawly. I'm home." He greeted her.
"Welcome home, Eddie dear. How are Rosita and Norman doing?" She asked congenially.
"They're doing very well. Hey, I'm going to take a bath," he said before going upstairs to his private bathroom, discreetly grabbing a box knife on his way through.
He contemplated his options. He was tired of fighting and his parents had him in check mate. He couldn't let Johnny lose his dad. He couldn't let his parents hurt Mama Rosita and Papa Norman. "I'm sorry, Buster…" He picked up his phone and began typing.
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Rosita was just putting Baby Buster in the crib with his sisters when her phone buzzed. She heard Norman's go off at the same time. She opened the message. "Norman?"
Her husband came into the nursery, reading the message aloud. "Mama Rosita, Papa Norman, I want to thank you both for everything you've done for me. You gave me a family, a real family and let me feel loved for a change. I'm sorry for being such a burden. I love you…"
She shook her head. "Norman, I have a bad feeling. Call Gunter and ask him to come babysit. I'm going to call Miss Crawly and ask her to check on him." She dialed the old lizard. "Miss Crawly, we just got the weirdest message from Eddie. Do you know where he is? Taking a bath? Can you go up and check on him?"
"Gunter, sorry to bother you. Can you come babysit? We need to go check on Eddie," Norman watched his wife, her hand going to her mouth.
"The door to the office is locked from the inside and she can't open it," she explained. "Okay, Miss Crawly, I'm calling for help. Just keep trying to get in."
"Gunter, hurry. It's an emergency," he pleaded before hanging up and dialing another number.
Rosita called Johnny's number. "Johnny, I need you and Ryan to go across the street."
Johnny stepped away from the class. "What's wrong, Rosita?" Ryan met his eyes as alarm filled his. "Sorry to bail on class again, Kickenklober. Eddie's supposedly taking a bath but he locked the office door and sent Rosita and Norman a disturbing text." He showed Ryan the screenshot that Rosita sent him.
Klaus snatched the phone away. "Go! I'll call 911! Hurry!"
Gorilla and Tiger ran across the street and up to the office. Miss Crawly was trying in vain to bust through.
"Get back!" Ryan round-house kicked the doorknob, busting it in.
Up the spiral staircase, the three of them ran. "He said he was going to take a bath." Miss Crawly said as they heard sirens in the distance.
Johnny tried the door. "Yeah, he locked this one too. Eddie! Eddie, say something! Open this door!" He slammed against the door with all of his might. "Oh my gosh."
The water was red and the sheep was unconscious. Ryan checked for a pulse and nodded. "He's still alive." He pulled the plug on the tub and pulled his wrists out of the water. Ryan grabbed the end of his shirt with his teeth and yanked, tearing the shirt into bandages.
Johnny helped Ryan remove him from the drained tub, tying his wrists with the makeshift bandages. "Damn. I don't understand. Why? What could have happened? He was doing so well."
Ryan shook his head. "I have no idea. But we'll find out." He hugged his boyfriend as the paramedics finally arrived and took over. "He's going to be okay."
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"He what?!" Nana shouted, surprising Jerry. "When? Thank you, Rosita. No, this is not your fault. Do not blame yourself. We're on our way to the hospital. We'll meet you there." The opera star hung up the phone.
"What's wrong?" Jerry dared to ask.
"We need to get to the hospital. I'll explain on the way," she said urgently. "Hobbs! Tout de suite!"
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Alphonso and Meena were just finishing their evening quiet time and were about to proceed to what was now their favorite part of the night when their phones rang. "Oh good gracious," Alphonso said.
Meena felt her heart sinking. "No, we can't do this again." She hugged herself, flashing back to losing Buster.
Alphonso hugged her. "It's okay. Rosita says he's still alive and the doctors have got him." He rubbed her back with his trunk. She heard him praying quietly, only making out every other word but she understood. His voice calmed her and he pulled back. "Let's go to the hospital."
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Still unable to convince Lance to give another sitter a try, Ash settled for another group date including his kids. "You know, I love these guys, but we really need to get some time alone." She said as they watched them play on the jungle gym at the park,
"Well, when we're done, we could go back to my apartment and put them to bed and…." He smiled lustfully at her.
"No, I'm not ready for that yet, Lance. We're still at the beginning of our relationship," she refused. He might have tried to convince her if not for her phone going off. "Hold on. Hey, Rosita, what's up? What? My stars. Is he alright? Yeah, I'll be there."
Lance looked at her. "What's wrong? Where are you going?"
"Sorry but Eddie cut his wrists. They think he'll be okay but I have to get to the hospital," she grabbed her jacket.
"Oh my gosh. I'll come with you," he offered.
"Lance, you can't. You have kids and the hospital is no place for them," she pointed out. "Unless… you could always give Gunter a chance. He's already sitting with Rosita's 30 piglets. He loves kids. I know he'd be all for it in these circumstances."
Lance was hesitant. "You're sure? I'm just afraid after what happened before." He explained.
"I'm sure. Gunter is a great babysitter. You can trust him," Ash insisted.
Lance sighed. "Alright, fine. Call him. Come here kids! It's time to go!"
Little Lance whined, "Awww, but it's still light out. You said we could play til dark."
The young father nodded. "I know what I said but I have to go to the hospital with Ash. A friend just got very badly hurt so I need you two to be good and go with us to her friend Gunter so he can watch you. Please. I promise, I will make it up to you."
Raquelle looked over at Ash who was on the phone. "Okay Daddy. We'll be good. I hope Ash's friend is okay."
Lance nodded while he helped her and his son with their jackets and their bucket of park toys. "He will be fine. Do you remember Mr. Eddie? He helped save you?"
Raquelle nodded. "Mr. Eddie! Oh Daddy, you have to go help him. We'll be very good." She hugged Ash without warning. "That's for Mr. Eddie. Tell him I hope he gets better soon."
Ash nodded. "I will. Let's go. Gunter said the more the merrier." They walked as quickly as their feet could go.
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Rosita sat in the waiting room with her husband. She wept into his arms. "Why, Norman? I thought he was okay. I thought we had gotten through to him. I thought he was safe…"
Norman held her gently. "He's okay, honey. He's still alive. The doctors will stitch him up. He'll be alright."
"This time maybe. But unless we can find out what happened, it'll happen again," she sobbed. "What if we can't save him?"
The boar sighed. "Honey, all we can do is our best and that's what we're doing. Unfortunately, some people don't want to be saved. But I'm not giving up on him yet. We're going to fight for him. Every step of the way." He promised her. He looked up at the sound of hoof steps.
"Are you Mr and Mrs. Suarez?" The goat-nurse asked, looking at her clipboard. "Eddie Noodleman's… um… parents?"
Rosita nodded. "I know it's an odd situation but yes, we are. How is he?"
"He's stable. He cut himself pretty deeply but we stopped the bleeding and got him stitched up. He's in recovery now," the nurse told them.
The mother pig began crying again out of sheer relief. Norman held her. "Can we see him?"
The nurse nodded. "Only one at a time. He's still unconscious. The doctor wants to talk to one of you too."
Norman nodded. "Go sit with him, honey. I'll talk to the doctor and deal with our friends when they get here."
The doctor was a nanny goat wearing a long white overcoat and black slacks. "Mr. Suarez, I'm Dr. Meridian. I've been assigned to Eddie's case. Has he been depressed recently?"
Norman knew that question was coming. "His best friend died a few months ago." He said. "And his biological parents were abusing him emotionally. But we thought…"
Dr. Meridian nodded. "Depression can be like that. He's going to need intensive counseling and constant supervision at the beginning. Our goal is to prevent this from happening again."
"Of course," Norman agreed. "Nana!" He waved at the old ewe and Jerry as they arrived.
She hurried over. "How is he? What do we know?"
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Other than the machines beeping, the hospital room was silent and dark. He looked around wondering why he was there. This wasn't where he wanted to be.
"Eddie?" A sad, familiar voice got his attention. The sheep turned his head.
"Buster! You're here… Does that mean?" He asked from his hospital bed.
The koala shook his head. "No, Eddie. You are still alive. Eddie, what were you thinking? You can't join me yet. You still have so much life to live, so much to do." Buster took his hand.
"But Buster, I don't know what to do? You're the only one who ever really loved me and now I'm all alone," Eddie looked at his best friend.
Buster climbed up onto the bed and looked into Eddie's eyes. "Eddie, look into my eyes. Hear me. I love you but that's why I have to say, no. You cannot follow me yet. Rosita and Norman would be devastated if you did. And what about Nana? And Meena, Johnny, Ash and Gunter?" He listed off their mutual friends. "I need you here. Taking care of them."
He shook his head. "But what good am I? I can't even stand up to my mom and dad."
"Eddie, I'm sorry I didn't realize how bad it was. If I had, I would have fought harder for us." Buster hugged his best friend. "I love you, Eddie. Your parents are idiots. You are not a burden, you are not worthless. You mean the world to me. So I need you to keep living. Please. You have to live. Not just for you but for me too. You have to do all of the things that we never got to do together. That includes finding someone else."
Eddie's breath hitched. "Buster, I love you. I loved you more than anyone. How can I possibly find someone else?"
The koala responded by kissing Eddie's lips. Timidly, the sheep returned the affection. Several minutes passed before they separated. "Eddie, I'm sorry that we didn't get to do this while I was alive. I should have told you how I felt and I'm so sorry. It's too late for us. But it's not too late for you. I know if you give it a chance, you'll find someone to love as much as you loved me. As much as I loved you. And that's what I want. Love again." He begged before Eddie realized he was starting to fade.
"Buster, wait! Don't leave yet…" He moaned and the rest of the room became lighter and he realized he'd been asleep. He looked over at Rosita, who was keeping vigil over him. "Mama?"
Rosita blinked back tears as she smiled. "Eddie, sweetheart! Thank heaven, you're awake." She hugged him gently and he could feel wetness dripping from her face. "I was so scared. What happened? Why didn't you call for help like you promised?"
Eddie looked away. "I'm sorry, I couldn't see any other way to protect you." He admitted.
"Protect me? Talk to me. What happened?" She stroked his head.
The polled sheep sighed. "My mom and dad threatened to press charges on Mr. Green and Mr. Calloway and they promised that you and your family would be hurt in the bargain." He hugged himself. "You all have been so kind to me and I couldn't let them hurt you. So I thought if I took myself out of the picture, we would all win."
"Eddie! Look at me. Do you know what parents do? They protect their children. They protect them no matter what the danger. Whatever those people think they can do, let them try," she assured him. "Taking yourself out of the picture is never the solution. You are my son now and it is my job and my wish to protect you. I love you, sweetheart." She needed to keep herself in check right now, for Eddie's sake but she was beyond furious. "Of course… you know when they discharge you, you're coming home with us right?"
Eddie nodded. "I'm sorry. I know I should have called for help first. I just didn't know what else to do. They said if I wasn't ready by 8 in the morning then they'd be calling the cops."
Rosita petted his fleece. "Well, you're safe now. As for the cops. That's not a bad idea." She pulled out her phone and dialed. "Yes, I'm calling to report someone for harassment and stalking. Frederick and Adelaide Noodleman. Yes, they've been harassing their adult son, Eddie, whom they abused and neglected while he grew up. My name is Rosita Suarez, my husband and I have been given legal guardianship due to special circumstances. Let me put it this way. He is in the hospital now because of them and he nearly died! So yes, I want them arrested and I want to press stalking and harassment charges. They'll be at 551 Echo Drive at 8 tomorrow morning. Thank you, officer. Good night and thank you for your service." She grinned smugly at Eddie as the door opened.
"Mr. Noodleman, it's nice to see you back with us," Nurse Ratched said. "How are you feeling?"
"Sore," he admitted looking at his bandaged wrists.
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"What was wrong with the Santa Claus musical?" Suki asked one of the board members as they struggled to get through one last meeting before she could go back to Calatonia.
"It was lovely but that's not what everyone is asking for, Miss Lane," the gander replied. "And we still have a contract with the New Moon Theater. They want Out of this World!"
Suki shook her head. "And I told you that won't be happening. Jimmy Crystal murdered their troupe leader which should, in my opinion, render that contract null and void."
The gander shrugged. "And that was a terrible night but it doesn't void the contract. The people want Clay Calloway. They want Out of this World. You need to find a way to convince them. Unless you want to hold them to the penalty in the contract."
Suki sighed. They could never afford to pay that penalty. "Fine, I'll do what I can." She looked at her watch. "Are we done here?" She didn't let them respond. She grabbed her purse and stomped out.
At the bottom floor, she was surprised to see the yak who had played Meena's love interest in the show. "Hello… Darius, right?"
He nodded. "Yeah, that's right. I've been trying to get ahold of the New Moon troupe but I only had Mr. Moon's number and…" he explained.
That night had been a nightmare for all of them. Darius had never seen someone die before. The blood, the way Mr. Moon was contorted, the rattling of his last breaths had left him terrified. All Darius could do was run away to his hotel room. Rosita tried to get his attention but he couldn't handle it.
He tried to pretend it didn't happen. He tried to get other acting gigs but none of them gave him the same thrill he got from his performance with the New Moon troupe. And the way Gina looked at him that night. None of his other partners had managed that look. Maybe she wasn't just acting.
Suki sighed. "They went back to Calatonia. They were a little offended that you blew them off after…"
He nodded. "Maybe it seemed like that but I wasn't trying to. I just needed time to process it. And by the time I was ready, they were gone." He tried to explain.
She nodded. "I'm going back tonight. Come with me. They were so upset they probably didn't realize."
"Thank you. I'll take you up on that. I bet Gina will be happy to see me," he said cockily.
"Gina?" Suki asked. "Oh, do you mean Meena?"
Darius nodded. "Meena? I thought he said her name was Gina. I mean, did you see how she looked at me that night?" He asked.
The Saluki giggled despite herself. It wasn't very nice. "So you don't know? Meena got married back in June. To the ice cream vendor, Alphonso."
The yak froze. "Married? No, I didn't hear about that." Perhaps he had misread her expression after all. "Well, I'll need to congratulate her." How did shy Meena find someone special? Why couldn't he find someone like that outside of his adoring fans?
She pulled out her phone and read the latest message from Marcus. "Oh my gosh! Come on. If you're coming, let's go. We're taking the helicopter."
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For the second time in as many weeks, the waiting room of Calatonia General Hospital was full of the New Moon Theater troupe and their families. Even Klaus had come, though he stood off by himself.
Porsha wept into her adopted father's arms. She had been terrified when the message came through. She wasn't ready to lose another friend so soon.
Rosita had sent Nana a message explaining why Eddie made such a drastic choice. The woman had to leave the hospital to vent her anger.
Johnny shook his head. "So… they threatened him. That's what it boils down to. And made him feel like he had no other escape."
Marcus consoled Porsha. "The good thing is he's alright. When they're arrested in the morning, they won't be able to hurt him again. He'll be okay. We will not let this happen again."
Ryan hugged Johnny. "Whatever it takes." He looked up as Rosita came out. "How is he?"
She nodded. "He's asleep again but he's going to be okay. They want him to stay overnight for obvious reasons. I'm going to stay with him. You all should go home and get some sleep. Thank you for coming."
But no one wanted to leave. Which is why Suki found Marcus still at the hospital when she and Darius got there. Nearly everyone had fallen asleep in the waiting room chairs. Except for her boyfriend. Though he was clearly trying to sleep until he saw her.
"Suki, you're home. I missed you," he got up and hugged her, sharing a chaste kiss.
Suki smiled at his show of affection. "How is Mr. Noodleman?"
Marcus sighed. "He's alright. But it was a near thing. Thankfully, Johnny and Ryan were able to bust open the doors."
"Darius?" Meena asked softly from the corner. She and Alphonso had been sleeping in each other's arms. "What are you doing here?"
The yak bit his lip. "I've been looking for you guys. I didn't even know you'd left Redshore."
She rolled her eyes. "So what are you doing here? You didn't even come to the funeral."
"I didn't know when it was. I only ever had Mr. Moon's cell phone number and his phone got run over, remember?" He asked. "I'm sorry but I was totally freaked out. I've never seen something like that before."
The elephant thought about it and felt a little less irritated. "I'm sorry, we should have tried harder to let you know. It's just been really hard."
The yak sat down. "Yeah, I can tell. But I heard you have some good news. Meena?" He tried out her real name.
She nodded. "Yes, that's it. And yes, I got married. He's asleep or I would introduce you." She yawned. "And I'm trying to sleep too." She reminded him.
He nodded. "Oh yeah, yeah. I was just hoping there was still room for me in your group."
She sighed. "Let's talk about it in the morning." She pleaded. She wasn't thrilled at the idea but more members were always welcome. She'd let the troupe decide together. She curled back up into her husband's arms and fell back asleep.
Marcus held Suki. "I'd understand if you wanted to go back to the garage but I'm going to stay here.
She shook her head. "Then I'm staying too. But I am tired so let's at least sit down." They sat down on the sofa adjacent to Johnny and Ryan. She curled up in his big, strong arms, using his chest as her pillow as she fell asleep.
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AN: So Eddie's alright and Suki somehow has to convince the troupe to come back to save them from the penalties of the contract. Will Eddie's parents finally get a clue or is this the start of a larger battle for Eddie's life and sanity? Keep reading. Oh and please comment.