A Million Trillion Billion (What's Eating Gilbert Grape Fanfic) *ORIGINAL*

Chapter 15 - The Death Of Joseph Stevens

At the crack of dawn, I get up and head downstairs. "Want me to take you?" A voice says from behind me. I turn around to see Leon standing there with a sad look on his face. I nod slowly.

Leon smiles over at me, and I smile back, sort of, adjusting the radio volume.
"You aright Janie?" He says, a low tone in his voice. "Yeah.. I'm okay." I say, quietly, leaning my head against the window.
"Where were you last night?" He asks. I was waiting for that question. "You really wanna know?" I sigh. He gives me a look that I see out the corner of my eye and I know I have to tell him.
"I was at Jimmy's." I say after a long silence. He doesn't say anything for another short while. "Thank you for telling me the truth." He finally mutters. "Becky informed me last night." He says. "I don't want you going over there anymore Jan-" "Seriously?!" I exclaim, in slight shock.
"I just think that-" He tries to continue. "Save it." I cut him off, not wanting to start another argument again.
He bites his lip, and looks at me with sad eyes before slamming his foot to the accelerator as the light goes green.

A daydream and a half later, we pull into the hospital car park. I mutter a short thank you and get out, swinging my bag over my shoulder.

Feeling down again, I trudge into the hospital. I sign myself in as a visitor and walk down to Arnie's ward. It worries me that I haven't heard any news from Gilbert.
The head nurse of Arnie's ward tells me to sit on a chair outside Arnie's room for now. Room 1611.
I tap my fingers nervously on my thighs. I cross my legs, and bend down and hug my knees, closing my eyes and resting my chin on my leg.
I was never any good at waiting.
The door swings open.
"You may go in." The nurse says. I nod gratefully and then head inside.
My eyes search frantically for Arnie, and he lays in his bed, eyes wide open and a big grin on his face. "Janie!" He says. I race over to him, throwing my bag off my shoulder and onto the floor.
I wrap my arms around him, cd wheezing my eyes shut, and planting a kiss or two on his head. "I've missed you so much." I exclaim, kissing him. I've missed his goofy smile.
"Where's Gilbert and Amy?" I ask him, perching on the side of the bed. Arnie sits up straight. "Amy left last night to go back home, and Gilbert is still here." Arnie informs me. I frown. "Any went home?" I ask, and Arnie nods. I don't say anything else about it, I don't want to worry him with something like that while he's not well.
I'm not even sure what the worry would be at this point.
"Gilbert's in the room with my doctor Janie." Arnie says, flicking his nose.
"I'll go find him then." I sigh, going to get up.
A hand rests firmly on my leg. "Don't go Janie." Arnie looks up at me with pleading eyes.
I smile softly. "Okay, I won't." I shake my head. Arnie moves to the side so I can sit next to him. "You promise?" He says, resting his chin on my shoulder. I chuckle. "I promise." I say, interlocking my hand with his.
"We're gonna get married one day Janie right?" Arnie asks out of the blue. I look up at him, smiling. "Of course." I say, my smile getting wider at the thought of it. "I don't know what I'd do without you to keep me sane." I say, with a laugh. "Me either, Janie, you saved me." Arnie says, in a grateful yet sad tone. "No." I say, shaking my head. "You saved me." I say.
"We sound so silly right now." Arnie says, frowning. "Yes we do." I say, pressing my finger to my nose to look like a pig. I make a snorting sound which makes Arnie crack up with laughter.
"Janie?" Asks Arnie. "Yeah?" I reply, stroking his hand with my thumb. "You know what we haven't done in a while?" He says. "Oh! I know!" I sit up smiling. "Go on then, you start." I say to him, with a playful shove.
"Okay. Jeremy the Starfish took a big bowl of pudding out of the microwave-" Arnie starts. "Wait, wouldn't he be taking it out the oven?" I raise an eyebrow. Arnie shakes his head. "You don't put bowls in the oven, stupid." He says, and I laugh. "Right, of course."
"So Jeremy the Starfish places the bowl onto the table, and then there's a knock on the door." Arnie continues. "It was Susan the Seahorse!" I say, curving my arms and pretending to be a seahorse... Sort of.
"Jeremy was distracted, just at the same time as Joe the Whale hopped out the shower." Arnie says. "Joe the Whale put on his whale towel, and went into the kitchen." I add. "Joe looked at the pudding, 'That looks like a delicious pudding there,' he said." Arnie does a voice for the whale with a kiwi accent and it's quite hilarious. "So Joe ate the pudding, while Jeremy was talking to Susan." I say. "And Jeremy didn't even notice!" Arnie says.
"Phil the Plankton appears beside Susan the Seahorse, as he has come to visit Jeremy as well." I say. "Phil notices the empty bowl on the table, and tells Jeremy about it." Arnie says. "Jeremy look over at the table, 'Blast! That silly whale!' Says Jeremy." I say, with a Scottish accent for the starfish. Arnie puts his hands across his stomach, laughing. "That was a good one Janie!" He says.
"Then-" As I'm continuing, we're interrupted by a knock on the door. "Who is it?" I ask.
A tired Gilbert steps through. His hair is messed up, and he has dark circle under his eyes. "Hey, how are you going buddy?" He says to Arnie. "I'm good Gilbert!" He says, holding two thumbs up. "How are you Janie?" He says, turning towards me. "I'm fine, had a bit of a restless sleep but I'll be alright." I shrug.
"Would you mind coming with me to the next doctor's session? Amy's not here and I don't want to go alone... Will you be alright here for a bit Arnie?" Gilbert says, tying his hair up. Arnie nods. "Yeah, I'll come.." I say. I'm glad Gilbert asked me. I'd like to know what's going on, since no one has really told me anything.