Dying (A Gravity Falls Fan Fic) (A Short, Short Story)

Chapter 2: Cough

Bill's coughing got worse and worse each day, noticeable by the overflowing bin of tissues by his bedside. Ford had given him some stuff to help with the pain, but his throat was sore, red, and cut up and each swallow felt like glass. Ford ran some tests to see exactly what was wrong with the demon.

"I know what you have," Ford said, coming in with some paper. 

"What is it?" Bill sat up a little. 

"Pneumonia, and strep throat" Ford said, putting the papers down on the bed.

"Can it be fixed?" Bill asked, twisting his fingers together painfully. 

"I'm sorry Bill, but not this far along," Ford said, sitting on the edge of the bed and patting his leg which was tucked under the blankets. "It's fine, at least I'm not alone," Bill said with a smile. "Can we be friends for once? I'd like to be friends just for a bit" he added. 

Ford looked up in shock, but nodded with a small smile on his face.

"Thank you" Bill said, he crawled out of bed and curled up near Fords legs, closing his eyes as tiredness overcame him. 

"I'm sorry for what I did, all the bad things I did, I was lonely, bored, a little nuts, shit happens" he mumbled.

Ford chuckled and placed a hand on Bill's head. The tangled curly blonde locks needed a good wash. "I forgave you years ago." 

"How long has it been since I was, you know, destroyed?" 

"Five years" 

"That's a long time," Bill said. 

Ford stroked Bill's hair and hummed a tune, hoping to get Bill to sleep so he could get back to work. Bill yawned softly, enjoying the contact. The simple motion of one's fingers through your hair was surprisingly relaxed. "Thank you," Bill mumbled, finally falling asleep. 

"It's not an issue" Ford muttered with a smile. 

~ 

Bill managed to eat something the next time Ford asked him if he was hungry. He was able to eat just a few spoonfuls of soup before he couldn't consume anymore, but at least he was trying. 

A few moments later and he threw it back up, his body didn't want the food, rejecting the nutrients it so obviously needed, "I'm sorry" Bill whimpered, wiping his eyes as tears ran down his face, he felt awful. 

Ford just cleaned it up and gave Bill a damp cloth to wash his face. "Well, at least you tried." 

Bill nodded.

~

Bill fell asleep much easier when he was close to Ford every night. The red sweatered nerd noticed it calmed him when he stroked his messy hair and Bill seemed to enjoy it. 

It was all platonic, of course. 

Once Bill fell asleep, he would place him back in bed and tuck him in, himself going to sleep on the window seat became a normal thing these days; he didn't want Bill alone at night, in case he died. 

Ford found it weird how quiet Bill was, he knew he was suffering; He knew he was in pain, but he had to admit he missed Bill's constant chatter, his annoying voice, his laughter. It was strange.

He eased Bill's pain with drugs and medicines, which Bill found helped quite a lot to make him feel somewhat normal. But the ex-demon preferred the attention the most, the contact, it made him feel wanted.

Stan, meanwhile, was starting to ask questions, "Has he copped it yet?" he asked, as Ford made dinner one evening.

"No, Stanley." 

"Why are you even doing this?" 

"Because he's afraid of dying alone" Ford replied, adding a sprinkle of salt to the contents of the boiling pot.

"That's depressing"

"Yes, it would be nice if you could help out" 

"Yeah not happening," Stan said stubbornly. 

~ 

The phone rang late that night. Ford got up off the window seat and made sure Bill was okay before he grabbed the phone off its holder, "Grunkle Ford! Is it true!?" a high-pitched sugar filled voice asked.

"Is what true, Mabel?" 

"That Bills human and he's really sick, and he's dying and you're looking after him?" she babbled quickly.

"Yes Mabel, who told you?" he asked, confusion on his face. 

"Grunkle Stan called Dipper and Dipper told me, can I talk to Bill? I want to talk to him" 

"I'll see if he's awake" Ford walked up to his room and peered through, Bill was grabbing some more water "Hey Bill, Mabel wants to talk to you, is that okay?" 

Bill nodded. "Okay." 

He passed him the phone. "Hey Bill." Mabel said kindly.

"Mabel" he wheezed.

"You sound terrible, you poor thing! Are you really dying?" 

"Yes." 

"I'm making you a sweater!" she declared.

"Really? Well, that sounds nice, but I might not be alive when you come for the summer to give it to me." 

"Try Bill! It's going to be yellow! Your favorite colour!" 

Bill chuckled, stopping to cough as it got too much. 

"Then, if I don't make it, you can bury me in it, Hell will be so jealous." 

Mabel giggled, as did Ford. "You would let me bury you in it?" she questioned. 

"But of course, who wouldn't want a Mabel sweater of their very own to be laid to rest in? How else am I going to know what it looks like if I'm dead?" 

"True! Um, Dipper wants to talk to you, is that okay?" 

"Yes, wait, before you go Mabel, I want to apologize for all my wrong doings to you and your brother, I was a jerk." 

"It's fine Billy, I forgave you age ago" 

"You and Ford both, huh?" 

"Yup, Dippers still a little edgy about it" 

Bill coughed again as Mabel passed the phone over to her brother.

"Bill?" came Dippers voice. 

"Hang on a sec" he managed to wheeze, coughing a large amount of mucus into a tissue, "Ew" Dipper said. 

"I agree with you there," Bill said, throwing the tissue into the bin close by. 

"Look I know you're dying, and I wanted to say that I forgive you for all the shit you did" Dipper blurted, Bill nodded. 

"I was just about to apologize to you Dipper, I, am also really sorry for all the stupid antics, and I want to make it up to you, tonight I will fix those nightmares I know you and your sister have, make them pure again" 

"You can do that?" Dipper asked. 

"I am the master of the mind, of course I can, I owe you guys something at least" 

"Wait for me. I want to see how you do it." 

"But of course" Bill said breathing heavily he was finding it harder to breathe with all the talking he was doing "I have to go now Dipper see you tonight, and hopefully tomorrow when you come for the summer" he said. He hung up and passed the phone to Ford, attempting to pull air into his mucus filled lungs as he coughed.