Half of the Stairs are Missing

[Elmo The Second]

Whoa! NOw that's some drama right there! You're doing a great job keep it up. If you wnat any help I'm pretty sure almost everyone around the boards will help! =]

 

[theprawncracker]

I'm trying to come up with something clever and meaningful to say about this... but I'm too stunned by it to come up with it. I absolutely LOVED Rowlf taking the phone from Kermit--that was great. It was ALL so good though. I love that ball! And the doctor's name? Classic. Awesome. Can't wait to see more, of course!

 

[Aaron]

brilliant. more please

 

[redBoobergurl]

Ohhhhh....my favorite part is Rowlf taking the phone from Kermit, because you know I love that dog as much as you do. I mean, no I don't like it because Kermit is struggling so much, I like it because Rowlf was there and just took charge for him. I just want to reach into the computer and give Kermit a hug and I just don't want to picture Robin like that...but it's easy to picture with the descriptions you're giving us. Heartwrenching. Yet, I need more please.

 

[TogetherAgain]

Chapter Five

When they had recovered from making the phone call, the Muppets spread out a little more in the room—but only a little more. Sweetums stepped on something and looked down, picking up his foot to see what had been under it.

It was Fozzie’s hat. Or, rather… it was what remained of Fozzie’s hat.

Sweetums bent down and picked the hat up, looking around to see where the bear was. He found him in a corner, sitting at a play station—a station for play, not the hi-tech kind—with his chin in his hand, dully pushing colorful blocks around the low wooden table.

The hulking beast trudged over and sat down across from the bear, tucking his feet under the play station—the only part of him that would fit. It was meant for kids, after all. He held the limp excuse of a hat out to the bear.

Fozzie slowly lifted his head and took his hat with a shaky hand. He put the limp brown… former-hat on one of the blocks.

Sweetums sighed heavily and rolled a little toy car back and forth across the table. The car strayed from its path and bumped into a block. He stared at the tiny vehicle, picked it up, and threw it across the room to nick the carefully selected wallpaper.

Fozzie watched the car clatter to the floor, and then dumped his head into his hands again, some strangled sound faintly escaping from his throat. Sweetums looked at him.

“You can see him now,” the nurse said, poking her head into the waiting room. “Room 396. Bed two.”

Kermit was immediately up and on his way out the door, with almost all of the other Muppets close on his tail—the figurative one, of course, since he had dropped the literal one years ago.

Sweetums slowly clambered up to follow… and saw that Fozzie wasn’t moving. He leaned over the table and set a heavy hand on the bear’s shoulder. “Coming?”

Fozzie looked at him and looked away, squirming a little. “I… I think I should—stay here,” he said quietly.

Sweetums stared at him for a long, silent moment. Then he picked the bear up and hefted him over his shoulder, bending down to pick up what was left of the hat before he turned and followed the other Muppets to room 396.

Fozzie did not complain, but hugged the monster a little tighter as they walked.

Sweetums stopped just outside the door and peered inside. Kermit was already sitting beside his nephew, touching a kiss to the tiny frog’s forehead, gently rubbing the uninjured arm, adjusting the ball beneath the little hand…

Gonzo was on the other side of the bed, pressed close. Miss Piggy had her hands on Kermit’s shoulders. Everyone else was crowded around, hugging each other close…

Sweetums gently set the bear down in the hallway, handed him his hat, and nudged him towards the door.

Fozzie gulped, twisting his limp hat in his hands and staring down at his feet. “I—I don’t—think—I should…” He wrung his hat tight until one of the stitches snapped.

“Fozzie?”

They looked up to see Kermit, sitting beside his nephew on the bed now, desperate, worried eyes on the bear. He frantically waved his friend over.

Fozzie gulped and scurried in, his head hanging low. “Kermit, I—“

The frog pulled him into the tightest of bear hugs, pressing his face against the fury shoulder.

The bear hugged him just as tight. “I—I’m so sorry—“

“I know, Fozzie,” Kermit whispered, a bitterness in his voice that no one even thought to suspect was aimed at the bear. “It’s an accident…”

The two friends hugged each other tight for a long, long time. Rowlf heaved a sigh of relief to see it. Gonzo nodded, and then gulped as his eyes returned to the tiny frog in that great big hospital bed.

As frog and bear released each other, Kermit took and examined the limp, shapeless thing his friend had been holding. “You’re gonna need a new hat,” he said quietly as he handed it back. Fozzie shrugged and promptly began to twist it his hands again as his eyes settled on the tiny frog in the hospital bed.

Sweetums stood just outside the doorway, his arms folded tight across his chest. He leaned against the doorjamb, turning away from the room to stare at the tile floor of the hallway, his eyes occasionally straying to the castle of the nurse’s station.

As the day passed, the Muppets slowly filtered in and out of the room. Some of them brought food and games. Most of them were brushed out of the room now and then when a doctor or a nurse came to check up on the little frog. All of them kept a careful, worried eye on Kermit.

Finally, an announcement over the intercom announced that visiting hours would be over in ten minutes.

Kermit swallowed hard, gently wrapped his hand around his nephew’s tiny fingers, inadvertently dislodging the ball from beneath the six-ounce frog’s hand. “I… I guess—at least—most of us, should… probably go…”

“…But you’re staying?” Miss Piggy asked softly.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Kermit said firmly.

Rowlf nodded. “The frog is stayin’,” he quietly observed.

“Don’t stay alone, Kermie,” Miss Piggy said quietly, gently rubbing his shoulder.

“He won’t,” Sweetums’ voice rumbled from the doorway.

The Muppets nodded, accepting this statement as the simple, matter-of-fact volunteer that it was. Fozzie shifted his weight and pushed himself up onto the windowsill.

As the clock ticked on, they slowly, reluctantly trailed out of the room, bidding Kermit goodnight, quietly bidding Robin the same, quietly telling him to feel better. They promised to come in the next day, promised to bring Kermit something to eat, maybe something to read, some puzzle or something… Scooter took the lead frog’s cell phone—which, of course, had been turned off long ago.

“I’m sure Mom will call, once she gets the message,” Kermit said. “She might—talk to Jimmy and Leaper, first…” He sighed. “She’ll get to her office at—ten fifteen, usually, but—I can’t use my phone here, anyway, so…”

Scooter nodded. “Don’t worry, Chief. I’ll take care of it,” he said quietly. He turned and touched a light hand to Robin’s shoulder. “Feel better, Robin,” he whispered. Then he reluctantly trailed out of the room, his head hanging low as he tucked Kermit’s cell phone into his pocket.

Sweetums waited until everyone but Kermit and Fozzie—and Robin—had left the room. A few others lingered near the doorway as he turned and peered inside.

“Fozzie?” Kermit said quietly, holding onto little Robin’s hand. “You’re staying?”

Fozzie nodded, hugging his knees to his chest as he stayed put on his perch. “I’m staying.”

Kermit quietly looked at him for a moment. He gulped, touched a kiss to his nephew’s forehead, and—for the first time since entering the room—strayed from his nephew’s side. He came to stand in front of Fozzie, putting his hand over the bear’s. “It really isn’t your fault, you know,” he said quietly.

Sweetums lumbered into the room and crouched beside his little buddy’s bed with his back to the window, his giant head settling against the sheets as he watched the tiny frog.

“But it is,” Fozzie miserably insisted. “I threw the ball. I knew we were too close to the road. I—“

“—Did what you could to stop him,” Kermit interrupted. He put his hand on the bear’s shoulder. “I was there, too, Fozzie. I saw. You tried. I tried, too.” His head hung low. “There just—there wasn’t anything—we could…”

Fozzie slid down from the windowsill and pulled his friend into a tight bear hug. They both needed it.

“Hey Little Buddy,” Sweetums whispered, his head alone taking up more of the bed than its true occupant. “You’re gonna wake up…”

The heart monitor counted out the tiny patient’s heartbeat. The little tube of the IV poked into one tiny arm. The oxygen mask, strapped to such a small face, made sure he kept breathing.

Sweetums picked up his head and reached across the bed to very carefully slide his huge fingers beneath the little frog’s uninjured hand, gently lifting it just enough to nudge the stray ball beneath it.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

I'm so glad Kermit's not mad at Fozzie anymore.

 

[redBoobergurl]

Very nice Fozzie and Kermit scene, I'd been craving that hug! I'm so glad they're a team again. And Sweetums...he's so sweet, I just love that big huge monster guy! More please!

 

[theprawncracker]

NICE! I love the Kermit and Fozzie interaction--FANTASTIC! And I think an underrated part of this chapter was Miss Piggy, she was terrific. I also really, really loved Gonzo's nod after Kermit hugged Fozzie. That was moving. I'm also really enjoying Rowlf's role here--and Scooter's. Sweetums is great too, of course, but you knew that.

Show me more!

 

[Elmo The Second]

You are doing an absoloute great job! You should publish the book one day! Sweetums was EXCELLENT in the end!

 

[TogetherAgain]

Chapter Six

Things seemed to happen quickly the next day.

The Muppets returned as soon as visiting hours began again, filing in and out of the room with food and activities and attempts at conversation.

The nurses started preparing Robin for surgery on his badly shattered hand.

Scooter reported the news from the swamp that Jimmy and Leaper were on their way, leaving the rest of their children in the care of other siblings, and various swamp residents would be taking turns waiting by the phone in Mom the Frog’s old office for any updates.

Dr. Prosper, who would be operating on Robin’s hand, came and introduced himself to Kermit and briefly explained the procedure before he went on his way.

Kermit sat with Robin as they waited for the young frog to be taken into surgery.

A nurse informed him that they would need to perform more tests, probably the next day but preferably soon after the surgery, to assess the brain damage.

Robin was moved for the surgery. He hadn’t woken up yet.

Kermit sighed as he paced the waiting room. Again.

“Kermie?”

He looked up to see Miss Piggy in front of him. She cupped her gloved hand under his chin, forcing him to stop pacing.

“You haven’t eaten anything,” she said softly, gently, her concern painfully visible in her eyes and entire face.

“…I’m not hungry,” he said quietly.

“It’s past lunch time,” she said softly. “You haven’t had anything since breakfast yesterday.”

“I’m fine, Piggy.”

“Vous are far from it, Mon Capitan,” she whispered solemnly, and she cupped his cheeks in her hands. “You need to eat.”

He sighed and shook his head, freeing himself of her hands, though he wasn’t trying to get away. “My nephew’s having surgery, Piggy,” he said quietly. “How could I eat now?”

She sighed and looked down, taking his hands in hers. “…When he gets out, then,” she said, picking her head up to meet his gaze with firm blue eyes. “I’ll bring you something. Promise you’ll eat?”

He swallowed hard and gave her hands a light squeeze. “I promise.”

“Good.” She pulled him into her arms and held him tight. “He’ll be alright, Kermie. He’s very strong,” she whispered softly, needing just as much as he did to believe it. “Just like his uncle.”

“I hope so,” he whispered.

After what seemed like forever, Dr. Prosper emerged from the operating room. “It went very well,” he pleasantly informed them. “It will need some time to heal, of course, but then with a good regimen of physical therapy, I think there’s a good chance he’ll regain full use of his hand.”

Kermit heaved a sigh of relief, both for the news and for the fact that Dr. Prosper had omitted that horrible ‘if’ from his prognosis.

“Are his parents here yet?” Dr. Prosper asked, peering around the room for any sign of other frogs.

Kermit shook his head. “Not yet,” he said. “They will be, later today…”

Dr. Prosper nodded. “Good,” he said distractedly, and he turned his full attention to Kermit again. “We’re putting him in a cast now, but we don’t want to keep him in it for too long. If he can’t move at all, the bones won’t heal properly. We’ll switch him to a brace, soon, and that can be taken off for exercises—all very carefully supervised, of course.”

Kermit nodded. “Of course,” he said quietly. “Can—can we see him now?”

“Soon,” the doctor said. “The nurse will tell you as soon as he’s back in his room.”

Kermit nodded again. “Thank you, doctor.”

Dr. Prosper nodded. “If his parents have any questions when they get here, I’d be happy to answer them,” he said, and he went on his way.

When the Muppets were allowed back into Robin’s room, Kermit immediately pressed a kiss to the tiny frog’s forehead and sat beside him, grateful to see that the ball was still tucked under his nephew’s left hand. His right hand was wrapped in a bright yellow cast. The oxygen mask was still strapped to his face, and the IV tube still pricked his little arm.

He still hadn’t woken up.

Once again, the Muppets began to file in and out of room 396, bringing food and activities and attempts at conversation, high hopes for the recovery of Robin’s hand, and silent hopes for the rest of the tiny frog.

Miss Piggy came in with a bowl of soup in one hand and a salad in the other, sat down next to Kermit, and refused to budge until he had finished both of them. When he was done, she kissed his cheek and went to bring him a bottle of water.

Then two nurses came in, moving Robin onto a gurney again to take him for a CAT scan. The Muppets were shooed out of the room again, leaving Kermit to pace the child-friendly waiting room again.

Fozzie quietly paced beside him, twisting what remained of his hat. Sweetums sat at the play station in the corner—still the low-tech kind, of course—and pushed around wooden blocks and tiny toy cars. Gonzo sat curled up in the corner of the couch, silently staring up at the ceiling while Camilla settled against him. Rowlf slowly, quietly made his way around the room, putting a solemn, comforting paw on whatever shoulder needed it most. Miss Piggy sat in an armchair, hugging herself tight, her eyes locked on Kermit.

Kermit slowed to a stop, staring down the hallway that led to the elevator as the sounds of a soft argument reached their ears, slowly growing more distinct.

“—wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t sent him—“

“You agreed to it! Besides, he never would have stayed in the—“

“He would have as a child! But you made the choice for him, when he was too young to—to know—“

Kermit’s face clouded, and the other Muppets turned to look, waiting for a glimpse of the approaching arguers.

“None of us knew that this would—“

“But you knew the risk!”

“So did you, Leaper, and you agreed that he would be better here.”

“Because you tricked me! And I swear to you, Jimmy, you are never sending one of my children out of the swamp again. If he’s still alive, I’m bringing him home where he belongs!”

“Our children! And you will do no such thing.”

Leaper snagged Jimmy’s elbow as they rounded the corner and came into sight, pulling him to a stop as she stared straight into his eyes, her own eyes blazing with emotion. “I am bringing. My son. Home,” she said firmly, and she left him there as she marched straight up to Kermit. “Where is he?” she demanded.

Kermit swallowed hard, seeing the tears and the desperation that she was trying to hide. “…Leaper,” he whispered thickly, “He’s not going anywhere.”