Chapter Forty
It was later that evening, it was raining quite heavily by then. Fozzie and Gonzo sat outside with Kermit on the porch. They had some boxes of stuff outside, ready to take down to the theatre, for storage. It was Scooter's, Sara's, and Renee's stuff. They couldn't stand to look at any of it. Everytime they looked at it, they broke down, crying. Fozzie looked out over the lawn, he saw a thin gold band sitting on the pavement of the driveway. It was Scooter's wedding ring, it had slipped off when they had taken him to the Hensonville Funeral Home.
Frank walked outside, and saw the dismal evening. He looked over and saw his Father, Kermit and Gonzo just sitting on the porch. He remembered when the four of them would sit outside, talking about the show, and new stuff that was happening. They were completely silent, and it looked like Gonzo was half-asleep, but he was really just deep in thought now.
"Kinda crappy weather huh, guys?" Frank remarked, after a few minutes of silence had passed after he had walked outside. "What's with all those boxes?"
"It's Scooter's stuff.....when it gets better, we're gonna take it down to the theatre. For safe-keeping.." Kermit said softly. Scooter's old clipboard was sitting on top of the boxes, the papers getting ruffled slightly by the wind that was blowing through the area. Frank picked it up, and glanced at it. It was quite stuffed with papers and other things. He flipped through it, and he noticed a couple of things.
Scooter had kept a few tickets for the not-yet advertised Spring Show, a few blank pages, which had some scribbles and drawings. He was somewhat a good artist, Frank realized. Most of them were just sketches for set layouts, some notes of those same layouts, some lines that had to be changed; among other things. Two things caught his eye; one was a sketch of Sara, dressed in an outfit with himself beside her. It looked like they were dancing perhaps, in the small sketch. The other thing was a picture of himself and Sara pasted on the back of it all, it was their wedding photo. He smiled, then he flipped it back to the front of it. He noticed something odd on the front page. It was a list of some sorts.
"Things to do this week:
a. Find new sets for Piggy's act, "Love is so Hard to FInd". How approiate...that song and I can't find the darned sets for 'em.
b. Check up on doctor visit for Renee and Sara.
c. Get my medicine, start actually taking it.
d. S.S. - Get comp. from Fix-It Shop.
- Ask E & B if they can come to Show next week. Need them for skit. Possibly "Dance Myself to Sleep." Not sure yet.
- Pay Alan for catering service for Winter Show."
He smiled a little, then handed the clipboard to Kermit. "I think you should check up on some of this stuff, Uncle Kermit. It looks like he might not have been able to do it."
Kermit said nothing, but glanced over it, and he frowned. It was that third thing that popped up most obviously to him. That's probably what ended up...causing him to die. All that stress, and worry...his heart just couldn't take it. He stood up, and went inside the house. Jane came running up to him.
"Daddy! Daddy!!" She yelled, and he turned around smiling as best he could. James was beside her, he never left his older sister's side. His blond hair was a mess now, with jelly in it.
"Yes, Jane? Is something the matter?" Kermit asked her, as he kneeled down for a moment.
"Where's Uncle Scooter!? And Aunt Sara!! They were going to read us 'Peter Pan'. They do a great Peter and Wendy! We can't find them anywhere!" Jane was telling him, and James put his free hand on Kermit's leg.
"Dey gone, Daddy! The room is...it's empy!" He stated, frowning; his thumb in his mouth. Kermit looked down for a moment, he wasn't sure what to tell them. They never saw the police car, or Scooter on the porch. They were out at the libary all day eariler, and the main reason...was so they could check out Peter Pan for them to read. He realized he hadn't told Piggy yet either.
"Um..." He hated lying to his children, but he couldn't think of anything else to tell them, except the truth. Which he wasn't even sure how to say to them. They were only 9 years old, for Jane, and 3 years old, for James. "They're at the theatre, they're working late sweetie. Why don't you go see if Rowlf can read to you? I think he'd be happy too."
Jane frowned, then she smiled. "Okay, Daddy! Rowlf!!" She went hopping off, with her brother running behind her. Kermit kept on walking, until he came to Piggy's room. Because of her wardrobe and some other things, they still kept seperate bedrooms. They live in the same house, why not? He knocked on her door, and she looked up from her magazine.
"Come in." She replied, the door opening. "Oh Kermie! Where were you? I've not seen you since I got home from the libary with the kids..." She saw Kermit's expression. He thought he was smiling, which he was; but his eyes belied the fact that he felt torn inside.
"What's the matter, my frog?" She asked, sitting up a little more on her bed. He went over and sat down on it, and he sighed a little bit.
"Sara got re-arrested today." He managed to say, he figured give the least worst news first.
"Oh no...what is Scooter going to do, raising Renee all by himself? I mean, until she gets out of course..."
Kermit gulped, looking at Piggy. "Well...Piggy....he can't raise her."
"What do you mean?" She looked concerned now, watching his face for emotion. She worried for Renee, they all felt like it was everyone's responsiblity to take care of the children, even if they weren't their's by blood. "What's happened?"
"Scooter... he had a heart attack out on the porch, Piggy...he died eariler today. You weren't here, so I guess we just haven't been able...to tell you." He looked down at the clipboard, which was still in his hands.
She leaned back on the bed, stunned. "He's...he was so young.." She looked at him, her eyes widening."...what about Renee? What will happen with her? Surely their not letting Sara take Renee into prison with her! That would be too dangrous."
"She was taken away, she's going to be put up for adoption....we think that might be part of why he..died. It sounds stupid, but Gonzo thinks he died of a broken heart. Literally. What happened was, Sara was being taken away to be arrested, if that wasn't bad enough one of the officers took Renee out of Sara's arms, and then shoved this piece of paper at Scooter." He then handed the same piece of crumpled up paper to Piggy. She could see stains on it. Probably tears she figured.
"They said us Muppets, were unfit parents! Too much chaos and disorder!!" He started to sound angry then. "They took her away, and told us she'd be put up for adoption, since there were no humans around, to watch over her! I can't believe them!"
"What happened after that?" She asked, as she put her hand on Kermits, she didn't like to see him angry like this.
"No one saw what had happened, but we figured Scooter watched them drive off....and....again Gonzo thought perhaps he felt his heart breaking, and instead of it just feeling like that, it really did. Sadie walked outside after the fisaco, maybe 10 or 15 minutes afterwards. She found Scooter, unconsious on the porch. He had stopped breathing, and she tried CPR on him, but then his heart just stopped beating...." He couldn't say anymore, and Piggy reached over and gave him a tight hug.
"I...I think the worst thing...is..." He was trying to choke out, he felt he had to say it now. "Scooter told me...how James', Sara's father was asking him just a few days ago, what he would do, if Sara just up and died on him!"
He looked back at Piggy, who didn't understand exactly what he was saying just yet. She merely gave him a confused look as Kermit laid back against her, his mind in turmoil over what had happened.
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Doc was sitting in the basement, in Muppet Labs. The house had been silent, and he was cursing himself for not coming forthright and trying to claim Renee. He was human, if they were so darned convinced that she couldn't be raised by a Muppet, he thought sure as heck they'd let him adopt her. The baby would at least stay here, where she should be.
"It isn't your fault you know, Emmett." Bunsen remarked, as he tinkered with a small device. Beaker was fixing a light in the far corner, and the lights started to flicker in the entire basement. Neither of them noticed as Beaker was getting mildly elecrocuted right behind them.
"MEE MEEE MEEEP!!" He was squealing, as his finger was stuck in the lightbulb's socket. His eyes were lighting up too.
"Beakie, calm down. It isn't that bad of what happened to them.." Bunsen looked over at Emmett, and he patted the table. "You know what? It's not too late! You can go down to the social services, and try to adopt her through there!"
"That sounds like a great idea, Bunsen!" He exclaimed. He then had some shred of hope, of helping them.
Bunsen turned around, hearing Beaker's cries once more. "Oh, Beaker! Quit messing around with that lightbulb! It has a short you know."
Beaker was finally able to wrench his finger free of the socket, and he coughed a little. "Meeep..." He fainted flat on the floor, smoke rising off of him.
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