Categories > Cartoons > Delilah and Julius > Rapid Hope Loss
He's gone.
Those had been the first words Nosey heard when he woke. Al and Delilah were standing in his room, off in a corner. The Boss Man looked defeated, while Delilah wore an expression of pure shock on her face. Her soft, brown eyes widened, as Al's strange message sunk in.
"What do you mean, he's gone?" she whispered, clearly anxious. "He was here a few hours ago--With Emmett! He wouldn't just--"
Al sighed. "He did, kiddo. I'm sorry. Scarlett's trying to, like, trace his blackberry or something."
"So we can find him?"
"That's the deal, man."
Nosey forced his eyes open, blinking at the bright light above him. Someone was gone ... A boy, who had been with Emmett ... It could only be Julius. But why would he leave? Didn't he care--
He grunted as a sudden pain exploded in his abdomen. Both Delilah and Al turned to face him, relief and joy mixed on their faces. Al announced something about getting a doctor, but Nosey wasn't paying attention.
What had happened? Delilah leaned over the bed, smiling. Her mouth was moving, but the sound that came out was a blurred mess of syllables. Nosey couldn't hear. He was trying to focus. He was lying in a hospital bed, but ... why? How?
"Give us the money, punk."
It all came flooding back. The coffee run ... the thugs ... the flashing lights of the ambulance.
"What happened to me?" he gasped, wincing at his sore throat. It was dry and scratchy, like someone had attacked it with sandpaper. He moved a hand to rub it, but stopped when he caught sight of the IV needle sticking out of his arm.
Delilah frowned. "Don't you remember? You were--"
"I remember that part." He tried his best to sound cheerful.
"You were shot, Nosey," she whispered. "The doctor thinks your kidney is going to fail."
His heart sunk in his chest. An overwhelming feeling of depression swept through him, but still he forced out a weak smile. "Sounds like fun, we should do it together sometime."
The expression on her face showed that his joke dd not impress her, but Al and a doctor entered appeared before she could chide him. Nosey glanced at the nametag on the splotless white robe: Stephen Wright. Stephen Wright did not like wrinkles.
"Ah, I see our patient is up and about!" The overly jovial voice made Nosey cringe. All the zeal and optimism that spewed from the doctor's mouth did not fit in the hospital setting. He was in ICU. He was certainly not "about". People were dying around him.
Maybe I'm dying.
As the doctor began to ask about any feeling of discomfort or pain, Nosey felt himself drifting off. No, he wasn't dying. It was just a kidney failure, at the worst. All he needed was a simple transplant. With his friends--his family--around him, there was nothing to fear.
But all were not present.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Somewhere in Halifax]
Julius glanced at the message on his blackberry once again.
J--
Nosey woke up a few minutes ago, but he's back asleep now. You should be here. You're his friend, he needs you around. The doctor is fairly certain that his kidney is going to fail.
Come back, please.
--Delilah
So Nosey was awake. That was good news, but the score was far from even. Somewhere, five men roamed free, blood staining their hands.
They wouldn't be carefree for long.
Those had been the first words Nosey heard when he woke. Al and Delilah were standing in his room, off in a corner. The Boss Man looked defeated, while Delilah wore an expression of pure shock on her face. Her soft, brown eyes widened, as Al's strange message sunk in.
"What do you mean, he's gone?" she whispered, clearly anxious. "He was here a few hours ago--With Emmett! He wouldn't just--"
Al sighed. "He did, kiddo. I'm sorry. Scarlett's trying to, like, trace his blackberry or something."
"So we can find him?"
"That's the deal, man."
Nosey forced his eyes open, blinking at the bright light above him. Someone was gone ... A boy, who had been with Emmett ... It could only be Julius. But why would he leave? Didn't he care--
He grunted as a sudden pain exploded in his abdomen. Both Delilah and Al turned to face him, relief and joy mixed on their faces. Al announced something about getting a doctor, but Nosey wasn't paying attention.
What had happened? Delilah leaned over the bed, smiling. Her mouth was moving, but the sound that came out was a blurred mess of syllables. Nosey couldn't hear. He was trying to focus. He was lying in a hospital bed, but ... why? How?
"Give us the money, punk."
It all came flooding back. The coffee run ... the thugs ... the flashing lights of the ambulance.
"What happened to me?" he gasped, wincing at his sore throat. It was dry and scratchy, like someone had attacked it with sandpaper. He moved a hand to rub it, but stopped when he caught sight of the IV needle sticking out of his arm.
Delilah frowned. "Don't you remember? You were--"
"I remember that part." He tried his best to sound cheerful.
"You were shot, Nosey," she whispered. "The doctor thinks your kidney is going to fail."
His heart sunk in his chest. An overwhelming feeling of depression swept through him, but still he forced out a weak smile. "Sounds like fun, we should do it together sometime."
The expression on her face showed that his joke dd not impress her, but Al and a doctor entered appeared before she could chide him. Nosey glanced at the nametag on the splotless white robe: Stephen Wright. Stephen Wright did not like wrinkles.
"Ah, I see our patient is up and about!" The overly jovial voice made Nosey cringe. All the zeal and optimism that spewed from the doctor's mouth did not fit in the hospital setting. He was in ICU. He was certainly not "about". People were dying around him.
Maybe I'm dying.
As the doctor began to ask about any feeling of discomfort or pain, Nosey felt himself drifting off. No, he wasn't dying. It was just a kidney failure, at the worst. All he needed was a simple transplant. With his friends--his family--around him, there was nothing to fear.
But all were not present.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Somewhere in Halifax]
Julius glanced at the message on his blackberry once again.
J--
Nosey woke up a few minutes ago, but he's back asleep now. You should be here. You're his friend, he needs you around. The doctor is fairly certain that his kidney is going to fail.
Come back, please.
--Delilah
So Nosey was awake. That was good news, but the score was far from even. Somewhere, five men roamed free, blood staining their hands.
They wouldn't be carefree for long.
Sign up to rate and review this story