Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Category:
Fandom:
Characters:
Language:
English
Collections:
Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
Stats:
Published:
2020-11-04
Words:
664
Chapters:
1/1
Kudos:
11
Hits:
1,511

One Last Wish

Summary:

A gift is given.

Work Text:

"He's in there," the nurse said quietly, as the door to his room opened. "I wouldn't be too long, though -- there isn't much time."

"We understand," said a man's voice, equally hushed. "I don't know how to thank you for this."

"Please don't worry about it. It's the least I could do.. for all of you." There was a brief pause. "Just press the call button if you need anything, or if anything happens."

The sound of the nurse's footsteps disappeared as the door slipped shut, and the figures of three people -- two men and a woman -- shifted closer to the bed.

"Hello, Dr. Bellows," said Tony Nelson warmly, as he pulled the visitors' chairs closer so he, his wife, and Roger Healey could sit down.

"Hello Tony, Roger. Hello Jeannie." Even those two short sentences were hard to get out, and he pulled a few shallow, raspy breaths from the oxygen tubing he'd needed since he was admitted last week to the hospital, and then to the intensive care unit.

"It's good to see you, sir," said Tony. Roger nodded. Jeannie didn't say anything; she looked like she was trying not to cry, and not succeeding very well.

He turned his head towards them, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "No need for titles anymore, not now." He took another few breaths from the tube. "I know why you're here. To say goodbye."

"Oh sir, don't say that, there's always a chance.. " Roger began, but he couldn't say any more. He bit his lip and looked away.

"It's all right," he said, his voice peaceful and barely above a whisper. "I'm quite ready."

"Dr. Bellows," said Tony, leaning forward. "I've come here -- *we've* come here, all three of us - because we want you to know what's been going on, all these years. All those things that didn't make sense, or defied explanation, all those times you thought you saw things.. "

"We had to keep it a secret," Roger said earnestly. "We didn't know what would happen if anyone found out. We didn't want to keep it from you, but we had to."

Dr. Bellows looked at him skeptically. He didn't want to waste any of the few, precious breaths he had left on a response.

"But we couldn't let you.. well, we just wanted to tell you, sir, before.. "

"Before I die?" he asked. He regretted it almost immediately when he saw Jeannie's eyes finally fill with tears. "Sorry."

"No," she said softly. "I am sorry that I cannot help you. I wish I could, but it is beyond even my abilities -- I cannot change the course of fate, or alter the outcomes of life and death." She wiped her eyes, and Tony put an arm around her.

The former NASA psychiatrist raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand."

"What Jeannie means," here Tony glanced fondly at his wife, "is that she has been the source of all the strange things that I've been involved in over the years."

"That *we've* been involved in," Roger confirmed. "All of them."

"But there are limits to even my power," she said sadly. "And even though I cannot help you now, I would like to try to make it up to you. I would like to explain everything to you, everything that I could not before."

"I really must be dying, then," he murmured dryly. He took another few breaths of the oxygen and gazed calmly at his three visitors, finally focusing on Jeannie. "Go ahead, my dear. Explain everything to me." He smiled challengingly. "Tell me about this big secret you three have been keeping all this time."

"I will," Jeannie said solemnly.

"Go ahead," Tony added. "Tell him everything."

She nodded. "You see," she began, "it all started back in 1965.. "