"Gain? What's wrong?!" Oxi picked up the little boy and Jaffy. Gain only coughed harder. "Mom. MOM! HE'S COUGHING UP DETERGENT!" He started panicking.
"Snuggles, go down the hall to the bathroom and get a rag! Hurry!" yelled Mama Oxi. Snuggles immediately went to the kitchen running like Gain's life depended on it.
Oxi was petrified. His baby brother was turning green, he couldn't breathe.
"We need to get him to a hospital! Call 911! Mom?" Momma Oxi couldn't move, she thought her baby was going to die right in front of her. "MOM! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!" She snapped back into reality and called 911.
The ambulance was there faster than they thought possible. They were running back and forth caring for the small detergent and still getting supplies and amidst all the chaos. Oxi was crying. Snuggles just felt numb. He just got a new family and was already about to lose the first sibling he has had in a long time...They carted him away, treating him like china doll... Afraid to break his limp body. The ambulance drove away and Mama Oxi trailed behind in her car. She left the boys at home. Alone.
"Why wouldn't she take me with her?"
"She doesn't want you to see your brother in this state. He is going to be okay."
"No he isn't Snuggles. He's going to..." Oxi looked so depressed. It broke Snuggles heart seeing him like this.
"Hey..." Snuggles put his hand on Oxiclean's shoulder. "It's gonna be fine. Gainey's gonna be okay and he'll come home and be good as new." Oxi looked at Snuggles for a while, unsure of what to do.
"...thanks, Snuggles. It really means a lot that you care." They sat there in silence for a while. Not an awkward silence, but a nervous one. Ten minutes later, they got a call from Oxi's mother. On the other side of the call, they could hear her crying.
"Gain is in the E.R." She started choking on tears. "Oxi, Doctor Cascade says he might have a form of Leukemia." Oxi's face went white. "We don't know much right now but I'll call you back once we get more information. I love you Oxi. Make sure you two get to bed soon." She hung up. All they could do is sit there quietly. Not much had to be said.
"Oxi I'm- " Snuggles started.
"Stop...Just stop!" Oxi yelled. "Don't you dare try and tell me it will be okay! It won't!" Snuggles looked down, he couldn't even look him in the eye. He didn't want to lie and say everything would be okay, but he couldn't just leave Oxi Clean feeling lonely.
"Okay. But I'm here for you. Just know that."
"Sure."
The rest of the night included off and on calls from Oxi's mom and one from Snuggles mom. He didn't pick up. He wanted to so bad but didn't want to make this night about his problems. It was already weighing down so much on Oxi's family. The boys didn't sleep that night. Just pure silence. Snuggles thought about keeping Oxi Clean company but he knew Oxi needed his space. So there was just the deafening silence.
