Fever

Losing You

Elvis has been gone for three long, lonely weeks when Candice gets the call from her parents.

You're lying in bed, morning sickness and general pregnancy symptoms leaving you exhausted when you hear sobbing from the next room.

Your stomach turns in dread, sitting up slowly and getting yourself out of bed to investigate.

As you get closer to the door, you can hear Dodger speaking softly.

"There there, darlin'. It's alright now."

Candice is out in the hall, crumbled and sobbing into the old woman's shoulder.

Your heart breaks for your best friend.

"Candice, what's happening?" You ask, coming to rest a hand on her shoulder.

With a barely contained sob, Candice looks up, pretty brown eyes swamped with tears.

Lips trembling, she says:

"Reggie's been killed."

It's as if the whole world has stopped moving.

Your heart sinks down into your stomach, tears springing to your eyes instantly.

Images flash through your mind:

Reggie in his service uniform, waving goodbye as he boards the plane to Vietnam. The young boy goofing around with his older sister, buying you a drink. Caramel eyes that shown bright as he laughed, eyes that will never shine again.

You open your arms, Candice leaving Dodgers to collapse into yours.

Together, you cry in the hallway as Dodger slips away to make tea.

Together, you mourn the loss of Candice's little brother.

How can the world go on, you think. How can people continue on their daily lives while someone else's has ended? Candice wets your night shirt with tears, and all you can do is hold her.

You wish you could pull the sadness out of her, toss it aside as if it were an ill fitting garment, but there's not quenching a pain like this.

You kiss her hair, rubbing her back.

"I'm here, Candy." You whisper, voice trembling. "I'm here."

Selfishly, you think of Elvis, about how much you wish he were here to comfort the two of you, as if his presence would make everything right somehow. More tears spring to your eyes at the thought.

*

*

*

"I wish I could come with you." You say into Candice's shoulder, holding her tight as you stand in the doorway.

She had her suitcase's packed at her feet, her long dark arms wrapped right around you as she holds back tears.

"You got a life here, Y/N. You got a man and a baby now to look after." Candice says, pulling back to look into your eyes.

"I'm a big girl, and I'm gonna be okay." She tells you, but something in her eyes tells you she's having a hard time believing that statement.

You give her a watery smile.

"What am I gonna do without you?"

Candice lets out a soft laugh, tears falling from her eyes.

"Live, girl." She looks down at your slightly swelled stomach, your small frame pronouncing the growing baby bump. "And take care of that little one of yours."

Candice presses a hand to the bumb, and you press your own hand over it.

You just look at each other for a few long moments, thinking back to the time you were just two dancers trying to make it in Hollywood.

Now, you're engaged to one of the biggest stars on the planet, his baby growing inside of you. And your best friend is about to head to the airport, catching a flight home to mourn the loss of her brother who had begun to feel like your own.

How had life come to this so quickly?

The sound of a honking horn breaks the spell cast over you both, Candice looking over her shoulder at the car waiting for her.

"I guess I better get going." She says moving to pick up her luggage.

Tears streak down your cheeks.

You give her a smile.

"I'm gonna miss you."

Candice sniffles, smiling back.

"I'll miss you more."

You take her one free hand in yours, stroking it one last time as she heads out the door.

Even after she's pulled away, you still reach for her, watching her jump into the car and lean her torso out of the window, waving and shouting:

"I better be that baby's godmother, Y/N! Or I'm gonna raise Hell!"

You laugh between sobs, waving back.

"You will be! I promise!"

She doesn't stop waving and neither do you, not even when the car pulls out of sight.

You press a trembling hand to your mouth.

"I love you." You say softly  willing the statement to reach Candice, for her to know how much she really meant to you.

You stand there for what feels like centuries. It's not until sunset do you decide to head back instead, fatigue and sadness making you retire to Elvis and your bedroom.

Your asleep in moment's, and the whole night you dream of Candice.