🐼🐻Hopeless Romantic (A Grizz x Panda)

Chapter 15

Grizz was pacing back and forth, rubbing his paws. 

"Grizz, what will we do without Ice Bear?", Panda asked, staring at the ceiling.

"Please don't say things like that, Panda", Grizz whispered, still pacing.

Usually they would say that he was alright by now. He...he was hit the worst. I can't imagine how Grizz must feel, Panda thought getting up and pacing alongside Grizz. 

"We can't lose him...", Panda said, looking Grizz in the eye. 

"Yeah, and we won't..", Grizz responded.

In that moment, a nurse stepped out of the emergency room. 

"How is he?", Grizz panted. 

The  nurse exhaled and braced herself, "He's broken 3 ribs, his left legs, and fractured his ankle. We fixed that up, but....He had a lot of internal bleeding. I have to be honest...It doesn't look like he'll make it".

"...What do mean 'he might not make it?' He's gonna be just fine", Grizz stuttered.

"We can't lose Ice Bear. He's our bro. It's always been the three of us.", Panda wailed.

Grizz sat down in a chair, he couldn't stand the world was spinning too fast. All these new things just thrown at him. First the car crash, then the hospital bed and now he'll be losing Ice Bear. All the memories he had flooded back to him. He thought of all the times Ice Bear had cooked, cleaned, and done everything for them and it only had him feel worse.

We took our brother for granted. And we'll never see him again. I should have been a better brother. , Grizz thought.

"I'll leave you two to go see him", the nurse sighed. 

"Grizz. We should go... Go see him.", Panda spoke softly.

"I can't..", Grizz stammered hoarsely.

"We have to. If Ice really is going we have to at least say goodbye. We can't...we c-can't have any regrets", Panda choked out.

He's right...If Ice is really going, I want to tell him everything, Grizz realized.

"Okay, let's go", Grizz sighed.

I have to do this. I have to. Panda's right. If we don't do this we'll both regret it, Grizz convinced himself.

Panda held Grizz's paw as they slowly walked towards the E.R. 

They stood in front of the room and Panda slowly opened the door. The sight made them both stop in their tracks. Neither of them had ever seen Ice Bear like this. They could hear his troubled breathing from the entrance. Panda lightly squeezed Grizz's paw. 

Panda slowly made his way to Ice Bear's bedside. He winced as he saw Ice's black eye and still blood stained fur. His breathing was shallow, and the bottom half of his body was covered with a blanket; Panda was too scared to remove it. Ice Bear winced as he turned to face Panda. Even then, Panda noticed that his eyes were glossy and barley open. It's true...he really doesn't have much time.

"Hey, uh, Ice? I really down know if you can hear me, but I just want you to know...that uh. Really, I don't know what to say. I..I j-just...I love you. And I'm really gonna miss you, bro. Of all the ways to go, I'm sorry it had to be this...You don't deserve this.", Panda finished and realized he was sobbing uncontrollably. 

Ice Bear's face shown pain as he reached up and wiped away Panda's tears. 

"I-Ice Bear doesn't want to see you cry for him", Ice Bear wheezed.

Panda wiped his eyes and motioned for Grizz. He slowly made his way beside Ice Bear. 

"Ice Bear...I'm sorry. I should have saw it coming! I should have protected you... What are we gonna do without you? You can't go. Y-you can't die...I..I'm. I'm sorry. I took you for granted and look what happened. Why? Ice Bear you can't...", Grizz sobbed fiercely. 

"Grizz, please don't cry for me. And please don't blame yourself", Ice Bear said weakly. "Maybe I'll become a star..a star that will watch over the both of you....Ice Bear...I love you both...", Ice Bear wheezed. He reached out and held Grizz's paw. 

"Ice Bear is scared....", he cried softly. 

"It's okay....your big brothers are here for you. And we always will be...Ice Bear...Be the brightest star in the sky", Grizz forced a smile.

Ice Bear weakly nodded and closed his eyes. Grizz's heart hurt as he felt Ice Bear's paw slowly lose it's grip. 

Panda inhaled and closed his eyes as he heard the heart monitor flatline.

Ice Bear...I won't cry anymore. I'll look after Grizz. He needs me now more than ever.