Double Dee, the Patient Chapter 4 (An Ed, Edd N Eddy Fanfiction)

NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ED, EDD, N EDDY!

This was one of the worst nights Edd, or even Eddy, could ever endure. It was finally after three o'clock in the morning when Edd’s stomach finally settled. His husband was hardly able to stand on his own as Eddy practically carried him back to bed. It was sad to see his usually cheerful, talkative husband taken down by this flu.

Eddy wiped a cold washcloth over Edd’s head in order to bring his fever down.

“You’re going to feel better in the morning, Double Dee,” Eddy whispered to him. The instant Eddy put Edd back into bed with the covers pulled up all the way his eyes closed and he was sound asleep. It was much relief to Eddy fearing that he was going to have to call for an ambulance or any other aid he could find if Edd didn’t stop throwing up.

Eddy sat in a chair close to the bed watching his husband sleep. So fragile. So pale. His patient.

His heart broke at the awful memory from when Edd had started choking, unable to cough up what he needed earlier that day. If Eddy hadn’t been there, would Edd have choked to death? And then there was the awful messy accident Edd had endured. He cried in utter shame while Eddy cleaned him up, thinking he had done something so awful.

Although Eddy felt sad that Edd was sick, he felt rewarded that he had the opportunity to take care of Edd. Usually that was the opposite way around. Edd was always the one taking care of him, or encouraging him to be his best.

The apartment was quiet. Everyone was asleep. That woman’s baby wasn’t crying in the apartment next to them. The dog wasn’t barking downstairs. He didn’t smell a cigar from the man who lived in the apartment above them. It was strange. For the first time in a while Eddy was alone.

And he realized he was an adult, a grown up who was capable of taking care of his sick husband.

That made him feel… good.

Watching Edd peacefully snooze for what seemed like an hour Eddy crawled back into bed and snuggled his husband closely.

---

The sun hit Edd’s eyes. He had a much easier time opening them then the previous morning—though his mouth was as dry as a desert and his body ached all over, especially his back. His eyes ventured the room spying the bright sun rays coming through the window. He felt warm, not hot or any annoying chills shivering up his spine.

To Edd’s side, on his nightstand, was a bowl of water, a damp rag, a cup of ginger ale, and also a glass of water. The rag obscured half the clock. Something–25.

Water. Edd smacked his lips together. That fermenting taste was still present.

Pushing himself up was too much effort, and he fell back into the pillows. His arm was still trying to reach for the glass like a little child trying to reach for the cookie jar on the kitchen counter.

Just then Eddy walked into the room. Aside from dark circles surrounding his eyes, Eddy had this look of pure excitement and relief overtake his whole face. “Oh, look who’s finally awake! Thought you were gonna sleep the whole day!”

“E-Eddy…” Edd’s voice croaked. His hand pointed towards the glass as he struggled to lift himself off his side.

Eddy gently sat Edd up and put an extra pillow behind his head. He held the glass in front of his mouth. “Small sips now,” Eddy instructed.

Edd more so guzzled down the needed liquid. The water was pure bliss to Edd’s dry throat. It immediately made the inside of his stomach feel cool. He also noticed how empty it was.

“What time is it?” Edd asked.

“Almost eleven thirty,” Eddy answered, making a move to get the damp cloth from the nightstand.

Panic immediately set into Edd as he leaped from his pillow. “Eleven thirty?! Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, I slept in! I never sleep in! Did the principal call a substitute? What if my children are acting like a pack of monkeys? I need to find my shoes, take a shower, brush my–”

“Whoa, easy there, sockhead!” Eddy immediately calmed his husband down pushing him back into the pillows. “Thank God you’re back to you!” he exclaimed with a hand pressed on Edd’s heart. “I already called your school to tell ‘em you were bedridden today.”

Edd blinked, a tad disappointed, but then more relieved feeling the aching pain in his lower back. “Thank you, Eddy. That’s very kind of you.”

Eddy washed Edd’s body with a clean sponge. “You sweat like a dog yesterday. Your pits even smell like one,” he teased as he unbuttoned Edd’s jammies. Edd stuck out his tongue like a child would. Eddy rubbed the soft sponge all around his stomach and chest, and even his armpits. Eddy was right. He did smell like a dog. He put on a fresh shirt.

“Does the stomach feel alright?” Eddy asked, giving it a light pat.

“Fine. Much better actually.” Edd masked a smile, remembering yesterday morning’s events. Why couldn’t that have been a blur like everything else?

“Shouldn’t you be at work?” Edd asked Eddy as he lounged next to him on the bed.

“I called in. Maurice is covering my shift.”

Edd touched Eddy’s hand holding it in his. “No, Eddy, you should be there. I don’t want to keep you from going to work,” Edd said.

Eddy scoffed, holding Edd’s hand a little tighter. “Honestly, Double Dee, you’re way more important than going to that hell-hole.”

Edd wanted to argue with Eddy, but felt too weak to do so. He was still apprehensive about the possibility of being fired. Would he be well enough to go to school tomorrow? What if there was an angry parent who’d confront his boss arguing to fire him? What if he’s lose his job right then and there? And then he’d try to apply to other schools or jobs only to be turned away all because he came to school with a stomach bug.

For the rest of the day Edd was bed ridden, regaining strength and an appetite. Eddy made him some toast. His cheeks returned to their normal complexion. Eddy made sure he was comfortable and that he had all he needed.

Eddy sat with him as they watched TV in bed. When was the last time he and Eddy spent time together? They were both so busy that Edd forgot how much fun it was to laugh around with Eddy.

Edd fell against Eddy’s shoulder as Eddy put an arm around him. He was finally able to smell scents without gagging. The strong cologne was just what Edd needed. It was the scent of his husband. His husband, his best friend, who would do anything for him.

His eyes grew heavy once more and he fell back to sleep for a short time.

The phone ringing woke him up.

“Hello?” Eddy answered from the other room. “Oh, hi… yes, this is his husband… oh, thanks… yes, he’s a lot better… talk with him? Um, no he’s sleeping right now…”

Edd’s heart broke in two. He knew it. Tears sprang to his eyes. He rolled over to his opposite side so Eddy wouldn’t catch the tears falling. He knew Eddy must have been disappointed. Oh dear, what were they to do now? Would they lose their ability to live in their apartment? What about food? A sob escaped Edd’s throat. He hugged the pillow tightly trying to hold back any sound.

Footsteps were nearing towards the bedroom when there was a cell phone ringing.

Eddy groaned before hesitating to press the ‘talk’ button. “Hello, Mr. Bragstien… No, I already left you a message to tell you I can’t come in today. My husband is sick, I’m looking after him…” There was a pause in the conversation. Edd knew something wasn’t right.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? Yeah, I’m married, where’s your wedding ring?”

Tears drizzled out from Edd’s eyes. His body was trembling. No, he couldn't make a sound.

“I have worked for your damn business nine years and you have never needed ANYONE to drive your lazy ass anywhere! Okay, y’know what I’m hanging up! That oh-so important meeting you canceled yesterday morning can go on without me!”

Edd heard Eddy slam his phone on the table so hard that it made him jump. Yesterday’s events, knowing he was going to get fired, and Eddy having to miss work plus his awful boss made Edd start sobbing into his pillow.

“Edd?” Eddy’s regretful voice asked. He was so mad that he forgot about Edd who was sleeping.

Edd couldn’t face Eddy, trembling as he hugged the pillow.

Eddy worriedly climbed next to him, laying his stomach against Edd’s back and pulled his husband close in a tight hug. He leaned his head against Edd’s shoulder.

“Hey, s’okay, sockhead. I wasn’t yellin’ at you. None of this is your fault,” Eddy comforted, kissing him on the cheek.

“They’re going to fire me!” Edd wailed holding Eddy’s arms.

“Fire you? Who? Your school?” Eddy asked, nuzzling against Edd’s damp hair.

“It was horrible, Eddy. Just horrible! I committed the most despicable act a teacher could ever do!” Edd sobbed, grasping Eddy’s arms.

“What happened?” Eddy asked, growing alarmed.

“I regurgitated in front of my whole classroom! And the principal was there! The children were absolutely horrified. My students must have told their parents, who called to complain to my boss, and now they’re going to fire me!”

Edd sobbed further into his pillow. Eddy hugged his body a little tighter.

“Your principal wasn’t calling to fire you,” Eddy whispered into Edd’s ear.

Relief ran through Edd’s body. “She wasn’t?”

“No, she was in your classroom and they all wanted to tell you to feel better and that they miss you,” he explained.

Edd turned over to face Eddy. “Really? T-They’re not firing me?”

“No. You really think you’d actually get fired for puking in class?” Eddy said, not sure whether to laugh or be more concerned.

“Well, I am a first year teacher. And I’ve never missed a day of school in my life.”

Now Eddy laughed. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“I don’t know,” Edd was downcast. “It was so embarrassing. Oh Eddy, I don’t think I can ever show my face there again.”

Eddy groaned rolling his eyes. “It happens to everyone, Double Dee! You’re not the only person to throw up in class. Remember when I yakked in freshman year biology? And then there was Ed when he ate too much gravy in the lunchroom. Kevin got sick on the football field that one time. And who knows how many times Jimmy came to school with the bug.”

Edd smiled. Maybe he did overreact after all. Everyone had one of those moments in school whether you were a student or a teacher. Perhaps it was better that it had happened to him as a teacher. He’d never hear the end of it if it had happened when he was a student!

“Still, you should have gotten my attention yesterday morning. I would have gladly stayed home with you. Anything to get me out from going to that horrible auto place.” Eddy said, trying to mask everything with a small laugh.

Edd looked into Eddy’s eyes, his smile drifting away. “Eddy?”

“Yeah?”

“Why don’t you quit your job?”

Eddy groaned, hating to have to go through this conversation once more. Though it was the right time to talk about how he was feeling. There was no way he could go through another year, or a month, or even a day with that job.

Eddy hugged Edd a little tighter. It was obvious Eddy’s boss must have said something so vile to Eddy over the phone. Edd smoothed his cheek and also moved his hand through his blue hair. Tears looked as if they wanted to appear in Eddy’s eyes but he forced them away.

“I don’t want you to think I’m a loser if I quit.”

Edd’s heart broke again. “A loser? Why, Eddy, I would never! Your boss treats you with such disrespect and you do not deserve that! You’re unhappy. It saddens me to see you this way. Could you please quit?”

Eddy sighed. “What would we...”

“We’ll be okay. We’ve always been okay! Please, quit.”

Eddy looked into the sheets struggling to find the heart to ask his husband something else.

“Edd?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been thinking of going to school.”

Edd grew excited smiling from ear to ear. “Oh, Eddy, that’s wonderful! What do you want to take up?”

“Well, psychology. Don’t know how good I’d be at it, but, a guidance counselor of sorts, or a psychiatrist. What do you think?”

Edd kissed Eddy on the lips. “You know I support you no matter what, Eddy! I’m making enough money so you could attend school. You could also get a different part time job for some time. Oh, and you could start in the summer if you want at the community college outside the city. This will be great!”

Eddy cuddled with Edd a little tighter. “It’s great to have you back, Edd. Except, you should really brush your teeth,” he grimaced, but smiled.

Edd slugged his husband in the arm. The couple cuddled together and sat back into the pillows feeling relief and absolute bliss.