Mabel sat there starring off into the valley. It reminded her a lot about why she loved summer and coming to Gravity Falls. It was just so peaceful looking. Even with all that she had endured here both physically and mentally, she still had a special place for it in her heart. A place she could never fill again if lost. The sun was nearing the horizon. It was still a while till sunset, but the calmness of it all left Mabel imagining it happening right now.
The silence was soon shattered by the sound of an approaching helicopter. Mabel soon spotted it approaching her location. She waved at it as she raced up back to the field, the only level place the helicopter could land.
As it landed, two air ambulance works rushed out. Mabel guided them to where Ford was. They wasted no time loading him up and getting out of there.
Mabel looked out the window down at the field of flowers. They blew with the helicopter's rotor wind. She watched as the summit disappeared into the horizon.
The ride took no time at all. Soon they arrived back at the hospital. Ford was rushed off into the ER while Mabel was taken to be checked out. An hour later, Doctor Robert entered the room she was being checked out in.
"Oh Mabel, I'm so glad to see you again. How are you feeling," he asked?
"I'm fine. But what about my family," she asked.
"Well, Stan and your brother are still being cared for. Ford's now joined them. They're all stable still," Dr. Robert replied with a sigh.
"Well I have some good news for you," Mabel said as she pulled out the container full of the special herb from her bag.
"Is this enough," she asked.
Doctor Robert smiled, "It's more then enough. We'll get the herb made into the medicine right away," he said.
"So, will this save them," Mabel asked.
"Well, the antidote is going to be arriving soon. This should weaken the virus enough so that when we give Stan, Dipper and Ford it, they will be back to normal in no time," dr. Robert said as he started for the exit.
"Wait, what about me," Mabel asked.
The doctor looked at her, "Well, it's late. Almost ten PM. I can have the nurse take you to the waiting room so you can call one of your friends," he said.
"No. I can't leave my family. They need me," protested Mabel as she ran up to him.
The doctor sighed as he bent down to her, "look Mabel, I understand how much you want to be there for your family, but right now, we can't let you. The best thing you can do for them right now is making sure that you yourself are fine. I mean, you need your rest too," he said.
As much as Mabel didn't want to, the doctor was right. And she was too tired already to ask otherwise, "please take care of them for me," she asked.
"I promise. You have my word Mabel," doctor Robert replied before he left to get the herbs ready.
The nurse took Mabel outside to call for someone. Soon, those someone's showed up.
Wendy and Soos.
Both ran up and gave Mabel a hug. They had been looking after Waddles and the shack while this family emergency was underway.
"Oh Mabel! I'm happy to see you," Wendy said.
"Yea dude. We we're getting worried. Hey, where's Ford at," Soos asked.
Mabel looked at them with a nervous expression. Both of them soon understood what it meant.
"Guys, don't worry. Me and Ford managed to get the herb we went looking for. The doctor told me everything will be fine soon. But until then, he said it's best we go home and get some rest," Mabel said yawning.
Soos and Wendy said nothing but nodded. They understood. They knew if Mabel was asking to go home, there really was nothing they could do right now. The drive back to the shack was quiet as Mabel fell asleep half way. It had been a long day for her. Soos carried and tucked her into bed.
The poor girl's whole family was in hospital and she was now all alone. Soos and Wendy wanted to make sure she would be alright until the rest of the Pines family woke up.
By the next morning, Mabel had regained most of her upbeat and outgoing personality. Telling stories about her adventure to Soos and Wendy helped her calm herself through the day. Plus being reunited with Waddles made Mabel beam with excitement. She missed him.
By that afternoon she was back at the hospital. The doctors had converted the herb into the medicine and had administered it to Stan, Dipper and Ford.
"This will slow the virus down until the antidote gets here. They're gonna be okay," Doctor Robert said.
Mabel smiled and gave the doctor a hug, "see, I told you I'd keep them safe for you," he told her.
"What, did you think I had any doubts," said Mabel jokingly.
Of course, she could not stay at the hospital overnight but she was back the next morning. And the next day too when finally, the antidote arrived. Soon Dipper, Stan and Ford were administered it. Mabel got one too just to be on the safe side and to boost her immune system up a bit more.
While she was very tired, her spirits were still high. And for good reason now. Mabel knew her family would finally be okay soon. Wendy soon arrived with donuts and coffee to help keep Soos and Mabel awake. The hours ticked by. The clock in the waiting room ticked by slower then a school clock would during class.
"And then Dipper told me, "you've had four cups of coffee already, how can you even drink that stuff," Mabel said as she told Soos and Wendy a story in the waiting room to pass the time.
"Ah don't worry Mabel. You both are gonna be starting high school this year. Coffee will soon be his best friend too," Wendy said laughing.
Mabel took a sip of her own coffee before speaking, "I can't thank you both enough for keeping an eye on me. I know I must have worried both of you."
"Oh, don't mention it hambone. We'd do it again if we had to," said Soos.
"Yea. What are friends for? And besides, it's been nice hanging out. I mean I don't think Stan, Ford or Dipper would ever let us watch those types of movies that late at night right," Wendy said joking.
The three all laughed. They had all made the most of this difficult time and kept each others spirits up. Mabel felt so lucky to have friends like Soos and Wendy who were there for her in her time of need.
"Mabel," a familiar voice said.
She looked down the hall to see doctor Robert waving to her, "I have some good news for you," he said.
Mabel set her drink down and followed the doctor.
"I'll leave you all here to catch up," he told Mabel before leaving.
At first, she did not understand what he meant by that. But when Mabel walked into the room, she was beyond ecstatic.
"Gu...guys," she said.
"Mabel," said Dipper, Stan and Ford simultaneously. They had woken up at last.
Mabel didn't know who to run over to and hug first. She was on the verge of tears of joy. But she soon knew who to go to first. She ran over and hugged Ford.
Dipper and Stan looked on as Ford felt Mabel's tight embrace.
"Oh Grunkle Ford, don't ever scare me like that again," she said.
"Wait? What do you mean," Ford said?
"Yea, and, quick question? Why am I in a hospital," Stan asked.
"Same," added Dipper.
"It's a long, long story," Mabel said. And there would be time to tell it. but for now, she needed to ask Ford the question that had been on her mind for the last few days.
"Why didn't you tell me," she asked.
"Tell you what pumpkin," Ford responded.
"Why didn't you tell me you we're getting infected," she said.
Ford now remembered. The adventure, the thermometer, telling Mabel to go on ahead. The last thing he remembered was everything turning black as he fell down.
"I uh,"
"We should have turned around, you needed to get to the hospital, we..."
"Mabel. I didn't tell you because whether we turned back or kept on going, the outcome for me would have still been the same. I would be laying here, infected too. We had to keep going. I knew well enough if I told you, you would have wanted to save me and we had to in a way give up on Stan and Dipper. I had to lie to you, to spare you from making that hard choice," Ford said.
Mabel teared up. Ford had a point. If he had told her, she would have wanted to get him to the hospital and force the hike to be scrapped. By not telling her, Ford managed to get them to the summit where she was able to find the herb that helped save not only him but Dipper and Stan too.
"Well, I guess you had a point there Grunkle Ford. But I mean, you know I would only have done that to protect you. Like you did for me with the bear," replied Mabel.
"Wait bear? Grunkle Ford what were you and Mabel up to," Dipper said.
"I still want to know why we all are here," added in Stan.
Mabel finally decided to tell them a quick summary. "Well long story short, that pizza we had for pizza night had some sleeping virus thing on it and it put you to sleep Grunkle Stan. The hospital did not have the medicine but there was a herb on a mountain nearby that could slow it down until they got it."
"Oh yea, I remember that. What happened to me," Dipper asked.
"You got infected too. That one shot you never got, remember," Mabel said.
"Oh yea. Why did I not listen to mom and dad and skip that trip. I got more mosquito bites then actual useful stuff from it. But anyways, what happened after I fell asleep," said Dipper.
"Me and Grunkle Ford went out to get the herb. We had a lot of fun and even almost died," Mabel said excitedly.
Stan and Dipper looked on at Ford who was turning red from embarrassment.
"But, Grunkle Ford also got infected before we could get there," Mabel said. "But I kept going, he asked me to."
"And did you find what we went to look for," asked Ford.
Mabel smiled as she walked over to the chairs on the other side of the room and pulled out the container from her bag, showing the herbs inside.
"The virus was going to kill you in five days if we didn't. Given how long it's been, and the fact you're all not with grandpa right now with angel wings, I think I made it," she said.
"One more question," asked Dipper. "If Grunkle Ford was infected too. How did you both get back?"
"Yea, how did we get back," Ford asked as well.
Mabel walked up and sat down next to him, "let's just say, I never forgot a word you said Grunkle Ford. No matter how much "time" it's been," she said showing him the watch.
Ford was stunned. He did not think Mabel even understood the watch or even listened to him when he told her about it. And yet, thanks to her knowing about it, he was not lying right now on a mountain dead, but instead, by his family's side. He had doubted Mabel's ability to remember for ages. One of the reasons he did not want to bring her along in the first place. He did not think she would remember. And yet, she had. The one life saving item they had and she had remembered it and saved him with it. Ford hugged Mabel as much as he could, gleaming with pride.
"Oh Mabel. I should never have doubted you for a second. You didn't just save me and yourself, you saved Dipper and Stan from death. I'm so sorry I ever told you I didn't want you to come along we me and Dipper. Can you ever forgive me," Ford said?
Mabel smiled, "Of course, Grunkle Ford," she replied.
Dipper and Stan looked on smiling.
Ford and Mabel hugged.
Everything was going to be alright.