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

Chapter 28 - A Moment Of Insanity

Author's Note:
I've never done this before, but I thought it would create a nice little twist as the story comes to a close, and I really think it adds something different :D

Arnie's POV
My eyes flutter open, and I realise where I am.
I lift my head slightly, looking around at all the nurses and doctors rushing around me.
I wonder how long ago my operation finished.

"Ah, Mr. Grape, how are we feeling?" A nurse comes by, with a friendly smile.
I frown, lifting my hand to my forehead and feeling a bandage there. "Tired." I reply.
"Perfectly normal after major surgery. They said it all went well though, and that you should be back to normal in a month or so." She chirps, happily, before walking away, gathering all the other patients' dirty dishes.

Suddenly, a feeling of overwhelming fear floods me.
A picture comes into my mind, of a truck in the woods, and a red headed girl.
The girl is talking to a man, and then she falls to the ground, and the man is holding a shiny gun.
"JANIE!" I scream, throwing off my sheets, and running out of the room.

"COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!" Someone demands from behind.
"HELP! I NEED SOME HELP, A PATIENT IS ESCAPING FROM THE ICU!"

I dodge carts and nurses and turn corners and dart down long hallways, climbing down flights and flights of stairs until I reach the main entrance.
My feet slap against the warm concrete, as I run down the street, not even sure where I'm going really.
The pavement is burning my feet, and people are staring at me as I go past. I guess I must look quite silly, sprinting down the footpath in a hospital gown, with a tube up my nose and my head in wraps.

Somehow, I begin to recognise my surroundings, as I run through a park, where children are kicking a football to each other.
I jump the fence at the end of the park and find myself in the woods.
I stop for a brief moment, closing my eyes, trying to remember which way Janie went.
I go through lots of tall trees, eventually coming to a river bank which I recognise and then continue on up a hill, and past the phone booth.
The picture becomes clearer as I venture on, down the dirt track where the ambulance drove.

Coming to the end of the woods, I spot some building off in the distance and begin to run towards them, hoping there's a town, since the memories have stopped and I have to figure out the way on my own.
I come in closer, and sigh with relief in the realisation that it is a town.
In the distance, I see a tall white building, and dash towards it, my legs beginning to drag and my eyes feeling heavy.

After travelling through another series of long halls and flights of stairs, I spot Gilbert waiting in an armchair out the front of the Critical Care Unit rooms.
"Arnie?!" He immediately leaps up from his seat at the sight of me. He pulls me into a hug, before looking me up and down in astonishment. "Wh...why....wait....how...what.." Gilbert mumbles. "Where's Janie?" I cut him off. "How could you know about Janie? What are you even doing here?! Oh my god, oh my god! Arnie you... Arnie you've just had major surgery! Oh man, are you even aware of that...?" He exclaims. "Take me to see my Janie, Gilbert." I ask him, my eyes tearing up. He shakes his head in astonishment. He frowns, looking at the floor for a moment, before taking my hand and leading me towards the room he was previously sitting outside of. He knocks, and an exhausted looking nurse opens the door. "I've already told you, she needs to rest-"
"Just let Arnie in, h-he...he needs to see her." Gilbert pleads, as the stern nurse looks at me with drowsy eyes. "Why is he in a hospital gown?" The nurse turns back to Gilbert.
"He's trying to make Janie feel comfortable... By.... uh, sympathising." Gilbert replies.
The nurse, clearly unamused, responds with, "Adorable." And then briskly walks off.
I almost trip over my own feet as I stumble into the room. "Janie." I hold her cold, nimble hand. "Janie, wake up," I wrap both hands around hers, bringing it up to my mouth and breathing on it to warm it up.
"Janie, please." My eyes tear up even more, as I sit there helplessly, no clue of what to do.
"Stay with me." My legs begin to shake, along with the rest of my body, as a strange sensation travels through it.
I close my eyes and drop her hand, it falling onto my lap as the shaking becomes worse.
My head feels tight and I can't move any of my body. I hear Gilbert calling out for help.
My hair stands up on the back of my neck and on the top of my forearms, with each short breath my head becomes fuzzier, and my body becomes stiffer. I feel myself falling in and out of consciousness, and I blindly search for Janie's hand again, tears dripping down my flushed cheeks.
Suddenly, a hand rests on my shoulder and I my eyes snap open.
I recognise this person. "Dr Mickel.." I whisper, as she looks me directly in the eye, as if she's examining me like a science student staring at a dissected fish.
Gilbert and the other rush in, seeming just as bewildered as I am in the presence of Dr Mickel.
"What is going on here." Gilbert demands with a slightly raised voice.
Dr Mickel calmly turns around, and gestures to the couch on the right side of the open door.
This only makes Gilbert more angrier. "I want to know what the fuck is happening to my baby brother. And don't you dare lie to me, I want answers, NOW!" His booming voice echoes though the halls, and it's as if the earth has stopped spinning to hear Dr Mickel's reply.

She sighs, as Gilbert shuts the door, holding eye contact with Dr Mickel the whole time.
I don't know how good Dr Mickel is at staring competitions but my brother is really really good.
"We're sorry we've had to lie to you. It was the only way we could truly uncover the depths of Arnie's brain." Dr Mickel says.
Gilbert puts on the face Mama used to make when she heard Ellen saying bad words to the neighbours.
Gilbert doesn't say anything.
"I know it sounds crazy, but Arnie isn't actually sick whatsoever... He's possessing a superpower, and the strange things were only him learning how to use it. He may not even be aware he has it at this stage." Dr Mickel looks at me and then at Gilbert, who just looks confused now.
There's a short silence as everyone exchanges funny looks, and then Gilbert looks at Dr Mickel. "What is this 'superpower' and why couldn't you have told us in the first place?" Gilbert looks like he is about to burst out laughing.
"He can telepathically communicate with another soul of his choosing. He can think what they're thinking, see their memories, feel their emotions, even talk to them without being near them or saying a word." Dr Mickel smiles, and looks at me.
"Look, lady, I don't appreciate this practical joke you're trying to pull on us, and cancer is something to be taken seriously, so stop pretending he's fucking batman or some shit and tell us why he got out of his bed and ran over here with no knowledge of anything happening around him." Ellen barks.
"I think you can work out that answer yourself, if you really think hard enough." Dr Mickel raises an eyebrow.
Ellen laughs in disbelief, "She's crazy! She's batshit crazy!" She stands up, as Leon tries to hold her down.
"I'll have the police involved if you don't stop this right now-"
"It's true." I cut Gilbert off.
Everyone stops and turns to me. I doubt they realised I was even listening.
"I saw Janie get shot in my head. I woke up in the hospital room, sat up in my bed and I saw where the ambulance took Janie and everything." I explain.
Gilbert comes over, and kneels down in front of me, taking my hand.
"You gotta talk to me bud, tell me the truth, no one's gonna hurt you." He says softly.
I frown, "I am telling the truth, you believe me don't you Gilbert?"
Gilbert and Amy exchange worried looks.

Suddenly, one of the machines starts beeping rapidly beside Janie.
She lies there, gaunt and lifeless.
Doctors rush in, and we're pushed to the edge of the room. I struggle to see what they're doing to Janie but it looks as though it's not helping.
"She's not breathing." One of the doctors says.
I attempt to run over, but Gilbert and Dr Mickel hold me back. "Woah there, best not to interfere." Dr Mickel says.
Frustration builds inside me as I leap forward, ripping my arms out of their grip and running over to Janie.
The doctors become annoyed, as one tries to force me back, as another shoos everyone out of the room.
My feet stay firmly planted on the ground, and everything around me becomes a blur as I stare at the grey face of my love.
I know what to do.

The doctors have been mending the wrong place, I take over, inspecting the infected gunshot wound.
"Blood loss.." I whisper, watching Janie's chest weakly lift and fall with a shallow sigh.
Before I know it, doctors are dragging me out, calling me retarded and threatening to call the police. They have every right to I spose.
I just want to help my love.