Old Friends Chapter Eleven

Chapter 11: Her Fears, No More!

- Present -

40 MINUTES LATER…

The doctor came over as soon as he could when Valerie called. After checking on Julie he allows Marina to visit her while he went to talk to Vinnie, Janice, and Valerie about the situation.

The elderly white mouse made sure that he was out of earshot from Julie and Marina before speaking. "I’m afraid the disease has fully taken over. It’s only a matter of time now." He calmly speaks in a sorrowful tone.

"How long do you think, Doctor?" Janice asks, clinching her hand up to her chest.

Shaking his head, the doctor replies, "It could be minutes, hours… Who knows?"

Immediately, Vinnie and the girls hung their heads. Each of them all felt pre-sadden of what is happening. One by one they again looked up towards Julie and Marina. Mother and daughter held hands as the spoke to each other. Julie knows what is happening to her, and is trying not to show her fear to her daughter.

Vinnie looked over to his mom and Janice. They both looked back up at him.

"Look, I don’t want to sound morbid, or anything. But I feel we should bring out the list of people that should know about this." The doctor said calmly.

"Ok… I’ll do that…" Valerie chocked.

"I-I think I’ll get Marina outta here. Maybe take her outside for a bit…" Janice suggested.

"And… I’ll stay here with Julie…" Vinnie concluded in almost a whisper.

Meanwhile, Julie looked up at her daughter’s beautiful red eyes and smiled the bravest smile she had the strength to muster.

"Hey, baby-doll…" She spoke in a weak tone.

"Hey, mommy…" Marina answered with a returned smile.

"You did so well on that bike earlier…" Julie complemented.

"Thank you, mommy. Maybe later I can show you more stuff that Vinnie taught me?"

Julie frowned, but again tried her best to stay happy for Marina. "Maybe…" She responded, trying to show hope. "I want you to be a brave girl, now, you hear me."

"I will… You’re going to be ok now, right?"

Julie paused. She didn’t know how she was going to explain all of this to her precious daughter.

"Well… Lets just say I’m going to be ‘resting’ soon." She spoke trying to mask her trembling voice. The tears were also starting to mist up in her eyes. She hates knowing that this could be the last time seeing her little girl.

Her mother’s expression caused Marina to feel sad too. Tears started forming in her eyes too.

"Oh, don’t cry baby-doll. Be brave. Like a warrior." Julie pleaded.

Marina choked back a sob before answering, "Ok."

Janice and Vinnie slowly walk up behind Marina. Julie looks up to see them. Janice mouths the words ‘I’m going to take her out of the room now’ to Julie while pointing down at Marina.

Julie nods before looking back at her daughter. "Alright. You go with Janice now. I need to talk to Vinnie for a moment."

With a pouting look, Marina nods her head at her mom. She turns with her hand held up for Janice to take. Together they leave the room. Vinnie watches them leave before turning to face Julie. She looks so peaceful as she lay there with her eyes closed. Vinnie sits down in the chair beside the bed and takes her hand gently into his. He winced when he realized how cold and clammy her hand felt. There was a time when Vincent took her hand, and it felt as warm as a summer’s breeze in the city of Chicago back on Earth.

He started to rub the back of her hand softly with his thumb. This motion seemed to have brought a bit of life back into Julie’s eyes. She started to blink them open. Vinnie beamed a smile to see her looking up at him.

"Hey…" she said with a weak smile.

"Hey." Vinnie responded, not knowing what else to say.

"Say, why don’t we blow this pop-cycle stand and get of this rock." Julie joked with a wry smile.

Vinnie let out a chuckle, "You have to get better first, sweetheart." He said, even though he knows the truth.

"Guess what, Vinnie…"

"What?"

Julie motioned a weak finger for him to bring his ear closer. "I’m not afraid of death anymore…" She whispered into it.

Vinnie didn’t know how to respond to that. The words pierced his heart like a sharp dagger. Julie sensed his discomfort with what she just admitted to him. In fact, it too made her a little uncomfortable too. She then thought of a way to distract both of them of that certain subject.

"Tell me about Earth, would ya, Vinnie? I shell like to go visit there someday."

Vinnie smiled softly. He always admired her adventurous attitude towards life.

"Earth is a beautiful place. With blue skies, big oceans, and green grass as far as the eye can see." He said poetically. "There are also roses there, plenty of them."

"I love roses… I hear that there is a different rose for each planet." Julie breathed.

"Yeah, you would be amazed on how many different kinds there are on Earth though… Oh, and the colors that each style are… amazing." Vinnie continued.

"What kinds of colors are there?"

"Well… There are pink ones, red ones, yellow ones, white ones, and multi-colored ones… They even come in all sorts of shapes and sizes too."

Julie closes her eyes and absorbs the image that Vinnie is describing. "I can see them… How beautiful…" She whispers with a wide smile.

"Earth is nothing like Mars or even Titan. There is no chance that my bros and I will allow Plutarkian stink-fishes destroy it for their personal greed. We fight the good fight there. We fight to protect the planet for its beauty, and for the people that live there."

"People like your friend, Charley?"

"Yeah, people like Charley."

"You are lucky to have found a friend like her." She tells him truthfully.

"Thanks sweetheart."

Julie suddenly gave a serious look. She took a few short breaths before speaking. "Vinnie, I have a favour to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"You remember the day before you left home to join the war?"

"Yes." Vinnie answered, not too sure where she is going with this.

"You remember the promise you said to me?" Julie said.

Vinnie paused as he tried to remember his exact words. "That, if you ever needed anything to contact me immediately."

"Yes…" Julie nodded as her tears began to form. "Vinnie… I want you to take Marina back to Earth with you. I want you to look after her when I go."

"Sweetheart," gasped Vinnie. This request took him off guard; he sat speechless with his mouth-hung open. How could he look after a little girl? Heck, even he knows that he can barely look after himself at times. How would he be able to do ‘hero’ work at the same time looking after a little girl? He looked at Julie not too sure how he would be able to let her request down gently. "I-I-I would love to…b-but…"

"Please, Vinnie. You’re the only one I can trust. I know you will protect her. And besides, she really likes you and looks up to you."

Vinnie’s heart felt heavy. Why did she have to say that? He looks down at Julie in shock. She looks so sad and disparate lying there. He knows that he cannot go back on his word now. Vinnie began to nod slowly.

"Alright. I will look after Marina for you." He said trying to hold back on crying.

Julie smiles through her tears. She closed her eyes feeling as if there was a huge weight had just been lifted up from her shoulders.

"T-There’s something in my eye," Vinnie says as tries really hard to stop the tears from forming in his eyes. He promised himself to be brave for Julie. There was a pause, while Vinnie tried to control his emotions. Finally Julie reopens her eyes and peers up at him.

"Vinnie?"

He breathed in a sniffle before answering, "yeah?"

"Tell me a story…you know, like the ones we told growing up as kids." She asked softly.

Vinnie forced a smile on his face before he began. "On the great moon, Titan, there are these two heroes. They are, no doubt, an unbeatable team. The power they have could not be compared to anyone else’s…"

"What were their names?" Julie whispered.

"Well… there is ‘Vincent, the Manly-Mouse’, and ‘Julie, the Gorgeous Seductress’… They are the baddest mamajammer’s on this side of the Astor Belt. "

"How good were they?" She asked as if she didn’t know what the story was.

"They were…" Vinnie paused in order to get his composure together. "They were so good, that the bad guys gave up before the fight would barely ever begin."

"They were that good?"

"Yes. Even if the bad guys who were dumb enough to try to beat them, they were met with defeat. Julie and Vinnie were not only heroes to the good citizens of Titan, but to themselves as well… They looked out for each other with respect and support. Everyone around them knew that they were the best of friends…"

As Vincent continues with the story, he could hear Julie’s breathing slowing down and sounding very shallow. Never the less, he goes on even though his tears were starting to escape from his eyes. At this point, Vinnie refuses to look at Julie as he told the last part of the story.

"I love this part…" Julie murmured to herself with a small grin, and her eyes closed.

"Nothing could stop these two. They are both strong, and brave. Not only that, but also the most beautiful duo on Titan. Vincent captivated the women with his macho muscles, and charming smile. Julie lured the men with her grace and beauty. Her personality is as enchanting as a Titan rose in bloom. And always as Vincent and Julie would ride off on their bikes at the end of each battle, Julie would say…"

Vinnie paused, hoping she would say her line. Instead all he heard was a deep sighing breath, then nothing. He can tell by the heavy sensation he was feeling from Julie’s hand that something is wrong. Unable to control his emotions anymore, he lets out a sob.

"S-S-She said…" Vinnie trembled as he turned to confirm if Julie had passed on. With his other hand, he reached up and touched her lifeless cheek.

"S-S-She said… Ride free, citizens…" He finished the story before his grieving took over.