Disclaimer: "Ed, Edd, 'n Eddy" and all its elements belong to Danny
Antonuci, a.k.a. Cartoons, Cartoon Network, and all those good people. CD
is my own creation. Slight inspiration taken from some of the EEnE angst-
fics I've read in the past, most notably "If You Change Your Mind", by
Onnachan. Just giving credit where credit is due *nod* So thanks for your
unwitting help, other angst-fic writers :P And title is taken from a
particular song I like, and was listening to when I started this fic (the
song is property of BSB). Enjoy.
AcceptED Chapter 5 - Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely
"Hurry up guys! The candy store closes in an hour!" Eddy shouted.
"Eddy, I seriously doubt it'll take us an hour to walk 3 blocks," CD said, folding her arms.
"Still, hurry up!" Eddy commanded. He turned around, looking at the jar in his hands. Several quarters clinked at the bottom.
The Eds and CD were walking down the sidewalk away from the cul-de-sac, and a rare victory. They had successfully sold off "silver plated collector's items" (read: various junk covered in silver paint or foil) and were on their way to collect their reward: jawbreakers, of course. And Eddy was getting more pumped up the more he looked at the money.
"I still can't believe we actually pulled something off," Edd remarked. CD looked at him, and nodded once.
"Yeah, that doesn't happen very often."
"Well, it's gonna happen more often!" Eddy burst in. A car screeched somewhere in the distance. Eddy turned towards the others, grinning. "I'm gonna make sure we keep getting money!" he boasted.
"How will we do that?" Ed asked.
"Details, details, I'll think them out later," Eddy replied. He jumped into the street, holding the jar triumphantly over his head. Down the street, the car engine roared, growing steadily louder. "I promise you that from this day forth, none of our scams will fail again!" Eddy cried out, grinning. He quirked an eyebrow when he saw his friends looking past him, rather than at him. Their eyes grew wider.
"Eddy, look out!" CD shrieked.
"Huh?" Eddy said. He turned, his own eyes rounding as he saw a pair of Day- Glo headlights coming straight for him.
Inside a home of Peach Creek, Sarah and Jimmy sewed curtains. Jimmy paused, looking at the window as several screams pierced the calm air of the cul-de-sac.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Probably the Eds trying to get our attention," Sarah replied nonchalantly. The screams faded into the loud squealing of car tires, and the sound of metal slamming into something else.
"And that?" Jimmy questioned, holding the thread above his yellow curtain cloth.
"Same thing," Sarah answered. They both stopped sewing when they heard shouts from Nazz.
"Everyone come quick! Eddy's been hit by a car!"
"Eddy? Eddy??" CD said hurriedly. A car rested nearby, a rather large dent in its previously unmarred hood. Ed, Edd, and CD were kneeling beside Eddy's limp body. CD was shaking his shoulder, trying to get him to wake up. Ed stared blankly; Edd paled at the sight of the blood pooling on the asphalt.
"I think I'm gonna be ill," he said weakly. CD turned to him, and barely managed to catch him just as he collapsed. She turned her head as several of the kids came running up.
"Oh my! Don't look, Plank!" Jonny said, horrified. He covered the eyes of his wooden buddy.
"Whoa...." Kevin said hoarsely.
"Is he breathing?" Sarah asked hesitantly. Jimmy turned green, and looked away, squinting his eyes shut.
"Barely....." CD said softly. She glanced to Edd as he started to come around.
"I can't believe he got hit!" Nazz exclaimed. She took off running, shouting "I'll call 911!" over her shoulder. Edd shakily stood up, resting a hand against his forehead.
"This didn't.....this didn't happen...." he muttered to himself. Ed still stood there, distant eyes fixed to the sky.
"Eddy, don't die...." CD softly pleaded. The next few minutes all seemed to move in slow motion. Eddy's breathing was raspy and jerking, and several of his muscles twitched. Crimson blood glistened in the sunlight, all coming from him. In the crowd, Sarah led Jimmy away. Rolf held the soccer ball still in his hands, too shocked to say anything, for once. Nazz ran up as Sarah walked away. Moments later, the sounds of sirens sounded in the humid air, announcing the arrival of the emergency team. Ed remained silent, as Edd and CD stood side by side, equally quiet. Ambulances pulled up, and shadows of the EMS people played across the street. Eddy was carefully lifted onto a gurney, and wheeled into the back of one ambulance, as the workers from the other went to check on the car's driver. Another gurney was pushed across the street. The crowd began to break, as Ed and Edd got into the ambulances with the workers. CD headed for one, but paused when a hand was placed on her shoulder, holding her back. She turned to Jonny, who was looking at her in silence. She patted his hand, rested her own on Plank, then jogged for the ambulance. As the doors shut behind her the sirens flicked on, and the two vehicles pulled away. Kevin turned, and pedaled back down the street, and Jonny headed home. Near the sidewalk the jar lay, shattered and abandoned, the quarters that'd been within lying scattered over the asphalt.
***
The smell of medicine wafted down the clean hallways of the hospital, as nurses, doctors, and patients alike walked about. Several were gathered in the waiting room, each seemingly off in their own little world. Including a certain three slumped in the chairs over to one corner.
"One minute he's....he's boasting about how none of our scams will fail, and the next....flying through the air...." CD said softly.
"We've had accidents before but.....nothing like this," Edd remarked to himself. He turned to Ed, the only one sitting bolt upright, and staring off into space. "The trauma must have done some sort of damage to his brain. He hasn't said a word," Edd commented, looking at CD.
"Some people deal with things better by remaining silent," CD replied. She leaned back in the chair, and watched people drift by. "Y'know, it's times like these that make me think."
"About what?" Edd asked. He folded his hands together, leaning with his elbows on his thighs, and eyes fixed CD's way.
"About our own mortality, mostly. And what sort of things make us seem invincible, but what other sorts of things break us like the twigs we are..."
"A bit morbid," Edd said. He sighed softly. "But it seems to fit this place." He let his eyes scan the room, before they rested in front. He shut his eyes, and exhaled gently. "Have I ever mentioned that I am not originally from Peach Creek?"
"Never," CD said simply, shaking her head a bit. Edd nodded slightly.
"I moved to the cul-de-sac a couple years ago. I'm not much newer there than you, I suppose," he said quietly, a hint of a smile appearing for a moment. But it faded as Edd continued. "The first people I met were Eddy, and Ed. I don't know how, but we became friends. Of course, that meant I couldn't be friends with anyone else in the cul-de-sac, but things like that occur every now and again..."
"True." CD leaned back in her chair, folding her hands behind her head. Ed slowly blinked; first the left eye, then the right. He said nothing, not even as the shadow of a doctor fell over the three. Edd and CD glanced forward, and slid from the chair to follow him. Ed walked after them, just going through the motions. His face and eyes registered nothing; he moved like a mindless zombie from one of his favorite "B" movies. But they were the farthest things from his mind.
***
A hospital room door slowly opened, as Ed, CD, and Edd walked inside. The beeping of various machines was immediately evident, as was the overall dimness of the room. CD softly shut the door behind her, as she and Edd looked over towards the bed.
Eddy was lying on his back, the cover pulled up to his armpits, though his arms rested atop it. Bandages were wrapped here and there, and several wires led from different parts of his face and chest. His friends regarded the scene for a moment. They said nothing, until finally words crackled from Ed's throat.
".....Will Eddy be okay?" he asked in an innocent, hushed tone.
"I don't know, Ed," Edd softly answered. He shook his head slightly. "I don't....I don't know...."
***
"Man, the cul-de-sac's been way different this past week, huh Plank?" Jonny remarked. The kids were gathered in the dead end of the street, going about their different things, but still talking to each other.
"Yeah, no scammers," Kevin 'interrupted', glancing away from polishing his bike.
"You can't blame them to be worried about him," Jimmy commented in a shaky voice.
"It's just Eddy," Kevin said, balling the rag.
"Show a little more compassion, Kevin," Nazz said, appalled. Kevin glanced at her over his overturned bike, and quickly looked down at the chain, avoiding her dark gaze. "Every day during visitor hours, they've been keeping up a tireless vigil over him. They're actually worried about him!"
"Actually......" Rolf interjected. "Rolf is concerned over the health of Three-Haired Ed Boy as well. He looked worse than Nana's bed sheets after she has beaten the dust from them."
"Sarah, Plank wants to know how Ed's doing," Jonny said, holding out the eternally smiling piece of wood. Sarah sighed, glancing to the doll in her hands.
"My dumb brother's never been more quiet. Even a monster movie marathon couldn't shake him out of his daze." After that comment, the group said no more, an unsettling silence falling over the cul-de-sac like a tipped over bucket of paint.
***
Purple sneakers squeaked against the smooth floor of the hospital room, in time with the heart monitor nearby. CD turned, pacing back the other way, with her hands folded behind her back and her head down. Ed aimlessly fiddled with the crust of that morning's slice of buttered toast, and Edd futily tried to keep his mind off the matter by cleaning the windows. They all froze as the door opened, and a doctor gestured for them to leave. They walked out in silence, heading down the hall and outside of the hospital. Their path home was lit by streetlamps just flickering on in the fading twilight.
"How many days has it been?" CD asked finally, after they'd already gone a few blocks.
"10. Eddy's been unconscious for 10 days," Edd replied. He didn't even have to count them up in his head.
"10 days....." CD repeated to herself. She paused, as a soft glimmer caught her eye. She turned, seeing a coin on the sidewalk nearby, bathed by the light of a streetlamp. She looked at it for a moment, before moving on.
"I miss Eddy, guys," Ed pined.
"We all do, Ed," Edd piped up. There was a long silence, as they approached their homes. Turning the corner, Edd and CD walked for their side by side houses, as Ed headed for his own, where Sarah was waiting.
"I'm telling Mom you're home," she said simply. Ed barely acknowledged the statement, as he continued marching for his basement window. Sarah turned as the simultaneous shutting of CD's and Edd's doors, then shook her head slightly and headed inside.
"It's just not the same without Eddy," Edd commented to no one, as he headed upstairs. He passed pear pictures and miscellaneous sticky notes, and barely paused to remove his shoes before entering his room. He came to a stop just inside, and surveyed the neat and clean atmosphere.
"The cul-de-sac has been stilled ever since Eddy's been gone," Edd sighed. "I guess you don't realize how much of a driving force someone is, until they're gone...." he further mused. He walked over to his desk, and picked up the bleached skull sitting there. "And what if.....what if...." he stuttered. The skull began shaking. Edd gasped sharply, drawing back his quivering hand. The skull hit the desk with a resounding clatter, and Edd shook his head several times.
"No, no, it's not going to come to that!" he exclaimed. He placed a hand over his eyes, and ran it back over his hat. "I suppose I should get ready to bed," he announced to the emptiness of his room. He turned and walked out, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I have nothing better to do....."
***
The sun shone through the sparkling windows, stunningly bright compared to the mood of the room it beamed in on. Ed stared at a painting on a wall, as Edd and CD dozed in their chairs, which were beside each other. Ed glanced to them as CD fell over to the side, softly thunking against Edd's shoulder. Then, movement at the edge of his vision caught his attention, and Ed whirled around. He gasped, seeing Eddy's hand slowly raise from the bed.
"Guys! Get up!" Ed shouted. CD and Edd stirred, slowly sitting up. They glanced to each other, blushing faintly. CD then looked past Edd, to the bouncing Ed.
"What's up?" she asked.
"Eddy's moving! Eddy's moving!" Ed abruptly reported. Edd and CD shot from their chairs. Across the room, Eddy's hand rested against his forehead, as he winced lightly.
"Oww....where am I?" he asked, voice raspy.
"In the hospital Eddy," Edd hastily answered. The excitement in his voice was evident, but he was holding it back.
"The hospital??" Eddy repeated, stunned. His eyes snapped open and he moved to sit up, but cringed at a searing pain in his side, that brought him back to his pillow.
"Don't you remember? The headlights, the car...." CD said slowly. Eddy flinched at the memory, and carefully nodded.
"Yeah, I remember now....." he said. His eyes looked from side to side, as Edd and CD came into view. Ed was bounding in the background. "How long was I out?"
"12 days, Eddy," Edd answered.
"12 LONG days," CD amended.
"12 DAYS?!" Eddy exclaimed. "What's going on? What'd I miss? What have you been DOING while I was here?!?!" he rattled off.
"Slow down, slow down," CD softly giggled. She smiled. "The cul-de-sac's been pretty quiet, actually. And us...well, we've been here."
"Here?" Eddy asked, giving them a look of clear confusion.
"Mmhmm," Edd nodded. "Every day we've been here, waiting to see when you'd wake up."
"We've been good friends, Eddy!" Ed said, elated and still jumping.
"Well put Ed," CD said. Ed grinned proudly, hugging himself. CD laughed a bit, then blinked as something came to her. She whispered to Ed and Edd, who nodded. CD then glanced to Eddy. "We're going home right now, to give the news to everyone else. We'll be there when you come out---"
"Most likely tomorrow," Edd announced.
"Bye bye Eddy!" Ed said, waving. Eddy raised a hand, waving to the three as they headed out, shutting the door behind them. In the hallway they shared a knowing glance, before starting home. In the room Eddy stared at the door for a long moment, before looking up towards the ceiling.
"They were here....all 12 days....." he whispered. He smiled slightly, then looked at the door as it opened again, and a nurse entered the room.
***
The next day, there was an odd scene in the paved driveway of Eddy's house. Ed, CD, and Edd were gathered; Edd and CD watched as Ed hung a sign on the garage door. CD held an odd package in her hands.
"No Ed, it goes the other way," Edd instructed.
"Oh, okie dokie!" Ed saluted. CD turned as a minivan approached.
"Forget it, there's no time," she said sharply. She and the others turned as the van stopped at the side of the street, and the side door opened. There were the sounds of wheels squeaking, and a metal platform lowered. Eddy moved the motorized wheelchair off the platform, but immediately brought it to a halt when he noticed that the driveway was occupied.
"Welcome home, Eddy!" Ed, Edd, and CD chimed together. The sign on the garage door, though upside down, read the same thing. Eddy looked from face to face, blinking.
"W-what?" he stuttered. He moved the wheelchair forward, but stopped again as Ed ran up to him, putting on the brakes just before knocking him over.
"Ooh Eddy, I wanna sign your cast!" he said excitedly. Eddy glanced to the cast on his leg, then rolled his eyes.
"Alright, Ed....." he sighed. Ed jumped up and down in happiness, and produced a marker from his pocket. He started scribbling on the cast's previously clean, white surface.
"I see they didn't give you crutches," Edd observed, walking forward.
"Yeah, the doc said I had stuff in too many other places to use them," Eddy shrugged, though a bit painfully.
"Do I wanna know what 'stuff' is?" CD chuckled. She walked up, and held out the red paper-wrapped package she held. "Here."
"What is it?" Eddy asked, as it was placed in his lap. CD folded her hands behind her back, and smiled.
"A jawbreaker. Ed, Double D and I pooled what we had, and we were able to buy it for you."
"A jawbreaker? For me? For free???" Eddy asked, surprised.
"Umm, how do you spell 'Ed'?" Ed asked.
"E-D, Ed," Edd answered.
"Thanks Double D!" Ed said happily. He went back to writing.
"Yes Eddy, the jawbreaker's for you. Sort of to make up for the stuff that's been happening," Edd commented.
"How do you spell 'Eddy'?"
"E-D-D-Y."
"Thanks again, Double D!" Edd, Eddy, and CD glanced to Ed, and rolled their eyes. Ed stood up, and smiled. "Done!" he exclaimed. The other three leaned in.
"Meie yowr chikens nevwer ron awayt, aqt yowr gravey nevwer ron dries. Frum Ed teu Eddy," was the message written across the cast.
".....What does it say?" Eddy asked after a minute. Ed nodded purposefully, closed his eyes, and rested a hand over his heart.
"It says: 'May your chickens never run away, and your gravy never dry. From Ed to Eddy'," he recited.
"Oh...."
"I like chickens."
"We know you do, Ed....."
"So, Eddy, what should we do now?" Edd asked.
"Well, I've been cooking up a scam since yesterday," Eddy replied, the old spark coming back to his eyes. "Push me to my house, we've got work to do!" he cried out jubilantly. Ed laughed distantly, and got behind the wheelchair. Edd and CD walked alongside it, up Eddy's driveway, as Eddy began explaining his idea.
"Alright. Double D, you need to get feathers. Lots and lots of feathers. Ed, find a bicycle, a broken stereo, and an old door. CD, you get as much glue and tape as you can find. Oh man, we're gonna be rich!"
~*~*~
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! More to come soon! ^^
AcceptED Chapter 5 - Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely
"Hurry up guys! The candy store closes in an hour!" Eddy shouted.
"Eddy, I seriously doubt it'll take us an hour to walk 3 blocks," CD said, folding her arms.
"Still, hurry up!" Eddy commanded. He turned around, looking at the jar in his hands. Several quarters clinked at the bottom.
The Eds and CD were walking down the sidewalk away from the cul-de-sac, and a rare victory. They had successfully sold off "silver plated collector's items" (read: various junk covered in silver paint or foil) and were on their way to collect their reward: jawbreakers, of course. And Eddy was getting more pumped up the more he looked at the money.
"I still can't believe we actually pulled something off," Edd remarked. CD looked at him, and nodded once.
"Yeah, that doesn't happen very often."
"Well, it's gonna happen more often!" Eddy burst in. A car screeched somewhere in the distance. Eddy turned towards the others, grinning. "I'm gonna make sure we keep getting money!" he boasted.
"How will we do that?" Ed asked.
"Details, details, I'll think them out later," Eddy replied. He jumped into the street, holding the jar triumphantly over his head. Down the street, the car engine roared, growing steadily louder. "I promise you that from this day forth, none of our scams will fail again!" Eddy cried out, grinning. He quirked an eyebrow when he saw his friends looking past him, rather than at him. Their eyes grew wider.
"Eddy, look out!" CD shrieked.
"Huh?" Eddy said. He turned, his own eyes rounding as he saw a pair of Day- Glo headlights coming straight for him.
Inside a home of Peach Creek, Sarah and Jimmy sewed curtains. Jimmy paused, looking at the window as several screams pierced the calm air of the cul-de-sac.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Probably the Eds trying to get our attention," Sarah replied nonchalantly. The screams faded into the loud squealing of car tires, and the sound of metal slamming into something else.
"And that?" Jimmy questioned, holding the thread above his yellow curtain cloth.
"Same thing," Sarah answered. They both stopped sewing when they heard shouts from Nazz.
"Everyone come quick! Eddy's been hit by a car!"
"Eddy? Eddy??" CD said hurriedly. A car rested nearby, a rather large dent in its previously unmarred hood. Ed, Edd, and CD were kneeling beside Eddy's limp body. CD was shaking his shoulder, trying to get him to wake up. Ed stared blankly; Edd paled at the sight of the blood pooling on the asphalt.
"I think I'm gonna be ill," he said weakly. CD turned to him, and barely managed to catch him just as he collapsed. She turned her head as several of the kids came running up.
"Oh my! Don't look, Plank!" Jonny said, horrified. He covered the eyes of his wooden buddy.
"Whoa...." Kevin said hoarsely.
"Is he breathing?" Sarah asked hesitantly. Jimmy turned green, and looked away, squinting his eyes shut.
"Barely....." CD said softly. She glanced to Edd as he started to come around.
"I can't believe he got hit!" Nazz exclaimed. She took off running, shouting "I'll call 911!" over her shoulder. Edd shakily stood up, resting a hand against his forehead.
"This didn't.....this didn't happen...." he muttered to himself. Ed still stood there, distant eyes fixed to the sky.
"Eddy, don't die...." CD softly pleaded. The next few minutes all seemed to move in slow motion. Eddy's breathing was raspy and jerking, and several of his muscles twitched. Crimson blood glistened in the sunlight, all coming from him. In the crowd, Sarah led Jimmy away. Rolf held the soccer ball still in his hands, too shocked to say anything, for once. Nazz ran up as Sarah walked away. Moments later, the sounds of sirens sounded in the humid air, announcing the arrival of the emergency team. Ed remained silent, as Edd and CD stood side by side, equally quiet. Ambulances pulled up, and shadows of the EMS people played across the street. Eddy was carefully lifted onto a gurney, and wheeled into the back of one ambulance, as the workers from the other went to check on the car's driver. Another gurney was pushed across the street. The crowd began to break, as Ed and Edd got into the ambulances with the workers. CD headed for one, but paused when a hand was placed on her shoulder, holding her back. She turned to Jonny, who was looking at her in silence. She patted his hand, rested her own on Plank, then jogged for the ambulance. As the doors shut behind her the sirens flicked on, and the two vehicles pulled away. Kevin turned, and pedaled back down the street, and Jonny headed home. Near the sidewalk the jar lay, shattered and abandoned, the quarters that'd been within lying scattered over the asphalt.
***
The smell of medicine wafted down the clean hallways of the hospital, as nurses, doctors, and patients alike walked about. Several were gathered in the waiting room, each seemingly off in their own little world. Including a certain three slumped in the chairs over to one corner.
"One minute he's....he's boasting about how none of our scams will fail, and the next....flying through the air...." CD said softly.
"We've had accidents before but.....nothing like this," Edd remarked to himself. He turned to Ed, the only one sitting bolt upright, and staring off into space. "The trauma must have done some sort of damage to his brain. He hasn't said a word," Edd commented, looking at CD.
"Some people deal with things better by remaining silent," CD replied. She leaned back in the chair, and watched people drift by. "Y'know, it's times like these that make me think."
"About what?" Edd asked. He folded his hands together, leaning with his elbows on his thighs, and eyes fixed CD's way.
"About our own mortality, mostly. And what sort of things make us seem invincible, but what other sorts of things break us like the twigs we are..."
"A bit morbid," Edd said. He sighed softly. "But it seems to fit this place." He let his eyes scan the room, before they rested in front. He shut his eyes, and exhaled gently. "Have I ever mentioned that I am not originally from Peach Creek?"
"Never," CD said simply, shaking her head a bit. Edd nodded slightly.
"I moved to the cul-de-sac a couple years ago. I'm not much newer there than you, I suppose," he said quietly, a hint of a smile appearing for a moment. But it faded as Edd continued. "The first people I met were Eddy, and Ed. I don't know how, but we became friends. Of course, that meant I couldn't be friends with anyone else in the cul-de-sac, but things like that occur every now and again..."
"True." CD leaned back in her chair, folding her hands behind her head. Ed slowly blinked; first the left eye, then the right. He said nothing, not even as the shadow of a doctor fell over the three. Edd and CD glanced forward, and slid from the chair to follow him. Ed walked after them, just going through the motions. His face and eyes registered nothing; he moved like a mindless zombie from one of his favorite "B" movies. But they were the farthest things from his mind.
***
A hospital room door slowly opened, as Ed, CD, and Edd walked inside. The beeping of various machines was immediately evident, as was the overall dimness of the room. CD softly shut the door behind her, as she and Edd looked over towards the bed.
Eddy was lying on his back, the cover pulled up to his armpits, though his arms rested atop it. Bandages were wrapped here and there, and several wires led from different parts of his face and chest. His friends regarded the scene for a moment. They said nothing, until finally words crackled from Ed's throat.
".....Will Eddy be okay?" he asked in an innocent, hushed tone.
"I don't know, Ed," Edd softly answered. He shook his head slightly. "I don't....I don't know...."
***
"Man, the cul-de-sac's been way different this past week, huh Plank?" Jonny remarked. The kids were gathered in the dead end of the street, going about their different things, but still talking to each other.
"Yeah, no scammers," Kevin 'interrupted', glancing away from polishing his bike.
"You can't blame them to be worried about him," Jimmy commented in a shaky voice.
"It's just Eddy," Kevin said, balling the rag.
"Show a little more compassion, Kevin," Nazz said, appalled. Kevin glanced at her over his overturned bike, and quickly looked down at the chain, avoiding her dark gaze. "Every day during visitor hours, they've been keeping up a tireless vigil over him. They're actually worried about him!"
"Actually......" Rolf interjected. "Rolf is concerned over the health of Three-Haired Ed Boy as well. He looked worse than Nana's bed sheets after she has beaten the dust from them."
"Sarah, Plank wants to know how Ed's doing," Jonny said, holding out the eternally smiling piece of wood. Sarah sighed, glancing to the doll in her hands.
"My dumb brother's never been more quiet. Even a monster movie marathon couldn't shake him out of his daze." After that comment, the group said no more, an unsettling silence falling over the cul-de-sac like a tipped over bucket of paint.
***
Purple sneakers squeaked against the smooth floor of the hospital room, in time with the heart monitor nearby. CD turned, pacing back the other way, with her hands folded behind her back and her head down. Ed aimlessly fiddled with the crust of that morning's slice of buttered toast, and Edd futily tried to keep his mind off the matter by cleaning the windows. They all froze as the door opened, and a doctor gestured for them to leave. They walked out in silence, heading down the hall and outside of the hospital. Their path home was lit by streetlamps just flickering on in the fading twilight.
"How many days has it been?" CD asked finally, after they'd already gone a few blocks.
"10. Eddy's been unconscious for 10 days," Edd replied. He didn't even have to count them up in his head.
"10 days....." CD repeated to herself. She paused, as a soft glimmer caught her eye. She turned, seeing a coin on the sidewalk nearby, bathed by the light of a streetlamp. She looked at it for a moment, before moving on.
"I miss Eddy, guys," Ed pined.
"We all do, Ed," Edd piped up. There was a long silence, as they approached their homes. Turning the corner, Edd and CD walked for their side by side houses, as Ed headed for his own, where Sarah was waiting.
"I'm telling Mom you're home," she said simply. Ed barely acknowledged the statement, as he continued marching for his basement window. Sarah turned as the simultaneous shutting of CD's and Edd's doors, then shook her head slightly and headed inside.
"It's just not the same without Eddy," Edd commented to no one, as he headed upstairs. He passed pear pictures and miscellaneous sticky notes, and barely paused to remove his shoes before entering his room. He came to a stop just inside, and surveyed the neat and clean atmosphere.
"The cul-de-sac has been stilled ever since Eddy's been gone," Edd sighed. "I guess you don't realize how much of a driving force someone is, until they're gone...." he further mused. He walked over to his desk, and picked up the bleached skull sitting there. "And what if.....what if...." he stuttered. The skull began shaking. Edd gasped sharply, drawing back his quivering hand. The skull hit the desk with a resounding clatter, and Edd shook his head several times.
"No, no, it's not going to come to that!" he exclaimed. He placed a hand over his eyes, and ran it back over his hat. "I suppose I should get ready to bed," he announced to the emptiness of his room. He turned and walked out, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I have nothing better to do....."
***
The sun shone through the sparkling windows, stunningly bright compared to the mood of the room it beamed in on. Ed stared at a painting on a wall, as Edd and CD dozed in their chairs, which were beside each other. Ed glanced to them as CD fell over to the side, softly thunking against Edd's shoulder. Then, movement at the edge of his vision caught his attention, and Ed whirled around. He gasped, seeing Eddy's hand slowly raise from the bed.
"Guys! Get up!" Ed shouted. CD and Edd stirred, slowly sitting up. They glanced to each other, blushing faintly. CD then looked past Edd, to the bouncing Ed.
"What's up?" she asked.
"Eddy's moving! Eddy's moving!" Ed abruptly reported. Edd and CD shot from their chairs. Across the room, Eddy's hand rested against his forehead, as he winced lightly.
"Oww....where am I?" he asked, voice raspy.
"In the hospital Eddy," Edd hastily answered. The excitement in his voice was evident, but he was holding it back.
"The hospital??" Eddy repeated, stunned. His eyes snapped open and he moved to sit up, but cringed at a searing pain in his side, that brought him back to his pillow.
"Don't you remember? The headlights, the car...." CD said slowly. Eddy flinched at the memory, and carefully nodded.
"Yeah, I remember now....." he said. His eyes looked from side to side, as Edd and CD came into view. Ed was bounding in the background. "How long was I out?"
"12 days, Eddy," Edd answered.
"12 LONG days," CD amended.
"12 DAYS?!" Eddy exclaimed. "What's going on? What'd I miss? What have you been DOING while I was here?!?!" he rattled off.
"Slow down, slow down," CD softly giggled. She smiled. "The cul-de-sac's been pretty quiet, actually. And us...well, we've been here."
"Here?" Eddy asked, giving them a look of clear confusion.
"Mmhmm," Edd nodded. "Every day we've been here, waiting to see when you'd wake up."
"We've been good friends, Eddy!" Ed said, elated and still jumping.
"Well put Ed," CD said. Ed grinned proudly, hugging himself. CD laughed a bit, then blinked as something came to her. She whispered to Ed and Edd, who nodded. CD then glanced to Eddy. "We're going home right now, to give the news to everyone else. We'll be there when you come out---"
"Most likely tomorrow," Edd announced.
"Bye bye Eddy!" Ed said, waving. Eddy raised a hand, waving to the three as they headed out, shutting the door behind them. In the hallway they shared a knowing glance, before starting home. In the room Eddy stared at the door for a long moment, before looking up towards the ceiling.
"They were here....all 12 days....." he whispered. He smiled slightly, then looked at the door as it opened again, and a nurse entered the room.
***
The next day, there was an odd scene in the paved driveway of Eddy's house. Ed, CD, and Edd were gathered; Edd and CD watched as Ed hung a sign on the garage door. CD held an odd package in her hands.
"No Ed, it goes the other way," Edd instructed.
"Oh, okie dokie!" Ed saluted. CD turned as a minivan approached.
"Forget it, there's no time," she said sharply. She and the others turned as the van stopped at the side of the street, and the side door opened. There were the sounds of wheels squeaking, and a metal platform lowered. Eddy moved the motorized wheelchair off the platform, but immediately brought it to a halt when he noticed that the driveway was occupied.
"Welcome home, Eddy!" Ed, Edd, and CD chimed together. The sign on the garage door, though upside down, read the same thing. Eddy looked from face to face, blinking.
"W-what?" he stuttered. He moved the wheelchair forward, but stopped again as Ed ran up to him, putting on the brakes just before knocking him over.
"Ooh Eddy, I wanna sign your cast!" he said excitedly. Eddy glanced to the cast on his leg, then rolled his eyes.
"Alright, Ed....." he sighed. Ed jumped up and down in happiness, and produced a marker from his pocket. He started scribbling on the cast's previously clean, white surface.
"I see they didn't give you crutches," Edd observed, walking forward.
"Yeah, the doc said I had stuff in too many other places to use them," Eddy shrugged, though a bit painfully.
"Do I wanna know what 'stuff' is?" CD chuckled. She walked up, and held out the red paper-wrapped package she held. "Here."
"What is it?" Eddy asked, as it was placed in his lap. CD folded her hands behind her back, and smiled.
"A jawbreaker. Ed, Double D and I pooled what we had, and we were able to buy it for you."
"A jawbreaker? For me? For free???" Eddy asked, surprised.
"Umm, how do you spell 'Ed'?" Ed asked.
"E-D, Ed," Edd answered.
"Thanks Double D!" Ed said happily. He went back to writing.
"Yes Eddy, the jawbreaker's for you. Sort of to make up for the stuff that's been happening," Edd commented.
"How do you spell 'Eddy'?"
"E-D-D-Y."
"Thanks again, Double D!" Edd, Eddy, and CD glanced to Ed, and rolled their eyes. Ed stood up, and smiled. "Done!" he exclaimed. The other three leaned in.
"Meie yowr chikens nevwer ron awayt, aqt yowr gravey nevwer ron dries. Frum Ed teu Eddy," was the message written across the cast.
".....What does it say?" Eddy asked after a minute. Ed nodded purposefully, closed his eyes, and rested a hand over his heart.
"It says: 'May your chickens never run away, and your gravy never dry. From Ed to Eddy'," he recited.
"Oh...."
"I like chickens."
"We know you do, Ed....."
"So, Eddy, what should we do now?" Edd asked.
"Well, I've been cooking up a scam since yesterday," Eddy replied, the old spark coming back to his eyes. "Push me to my house, we've got work to do!" he cried out jubilantly. Ed laughed distantly, and got behind the wheelchair. Edd and CD walked alongside it, up Eddy's driveway, as Eddy began explaining his idea.
"Alright. Double D, you need to get feathers. Lots and lots of feathers. Ed, find a bicycle, a broken stereo, and an old door. CD, you get as much glue and tape as you can find. Oh man, we're gonna be rich!"
~*~*~
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! More to come soon! ^^