Hello! Been forever since I last updated this book, haha! I've been busy with school and work, and other things, so big apology there. However, I'm glad to be back with another drabble! This one is softly dedicated to a dear friend of mine, who you guys may see tagged. Me and her have been quite a fan of this specific stupid fox man and his silly fox son, especially their future relationship with one another. This drabble, admittedly, took very little time to write, but I had a lot of fun writing it! I hope you have a lot of fun reading it too!

Trigger Warnings:
Mentions of Childhood Abuse
Strong-ish Language
Mentions of Dying/Death

Words: 2698

--------------------------------------------------

There was a low, soft buzzing sound coming from the lighting fixtures above the heads of a fox couple. The couple were in their late twenties to early thirties, with one being a typical red fox and the other being a white-ish vixen. Both seemed quite tense, with the former of the two being particularly restless. His leg was tapping against the ground at a fast rate while his partner held his arm close to him. The duo were silent, listening. Waiting.

Soon, a nearby door opened up and a nurse took a step outside the room with two other foxes. Both women. One much older than the other. The fox couple turned their heads over to the duo that came down the hallway and took a seat next to the couple.

"He's... not looking very good," The older vixen sighed, "I wouldn't be much surprised if he passed on in the next day or two." Her nose exhaled sharply.

The male fox' multicolored eyes blinked and his eyes flickered downwards. That restlessness hid some undertones of nervousness. His sister spoke up, "Todd, I think we'd all understand if you'd rather stay away from him. He did unspeakable things to you and mom." Her eyebrows creased inwards, "Gods know I wouldn't show up for the man that abused me and tried to blackmail me into hiding my affairs." This, in turn, got a look from her mother. "What, it's true!"

"Cream, this is Todd's choice. Either way, we'll support your decision. I do just want to say though, he was very unresponsive to me and Cream," His mother explained softly, "He's wide awake, and I could tell he knew we were there, but I don't think he was much keen on speaking with us. Or even acknowledging our presence. He may be similar to you and Mavis."

Todd slowly nodded his head. That seemed about right for the man that abused him. His father was, in short, quite a coward. Todd learned to think of his father as such as he got older, especially when his mother and father finally got that divorce. His father didn't seem to put up a fight to keep in any of his own family's lives, which was just fine by Todd. However, over the years, and after having kids of his own, Todd found his father trying to sneak his way back into his life. From his eldest daughter's fifth birthday to the day his twin children were born, his father had something to suddenly give to them. A little bit of cash, a 'family heirloom', to even a smartwatch. Of course, Todd refused as many of these gifts as possible. He wanted his father out of his life and away from the family he's built for himself.

However, it gets trickier when one's own children start begging to see 'grampy Scott'. Todd and Mavis spent countless hours coming up with excuses as to why they couldn't see him. He was sick. They had plans to see their other grandparents. They had chores to do. There was a new episode of their favorite show that night. Just any excuse possible to keep them away. But eventually, Todd and Mavis were backed into a corner. It was only after finally caving in and explaining to the three kits that 'grampy Scott' hurt daddy that they seemed okay with keeping their distance as well.

Thanks to the few years of having some semblance of connection to the elderly Scott though, Todd and his family got to learn that he was dying. The reasoning wasn't particularly well known to Todd, but he honestly didn't care enough to ask. In fact, he didn't exactly even want to be here to begin with. However, his therapist suggested getting closure from his father may help move further on from his trauma. It'd make him a better man than his father ever was, and in a weird way, Todd felt he had to see the man in the sorry state he was in. After all these years, it felt like karmic justice was really giving it into the older man.

And so, Todd stood up. His wife stood up after he did, and together, they walked to the still open door of his father's hospital room. The nurse kept the door open until they fully walked in. Once in, they closed the door and left the couple alone with the dying fox. Todd's nose crinkled at the faint, sickly smell radiating from the man before them. If he had to guess what his father's ailment was, it might've been some kind of cancer. The smell alone hinted to that possibility. He walked up beside his bed, Mavis still close behind him.

To best describe what his father had turned into, one really had to compare it to a tree. Once, he may have been strong, maybe even someone a very young boy might've really looked up too. Even for a runt, there was an air of pride and arrogance that illuminated off this man. Now, in the present, Stanley Scott seemed shriveled up. He seemed to have lost quite a lot of weight and muscle mass, and the color from his body seemed to have dulled down. His fur lost that once rather perfect reddish sheen, now only being matted and a dusty red-brown color. Todd honestly thought he was looking at a corpse, and almost immediately went to cover Mavis' eyes. However, the dull yellow eyes of his monster finally opened and turned towards him.

"...Todd?"

His voice was so weak and frail. Todd's ears perked in surprise. His own eyes trailed over to Stanley, staring down at him. His father shuffled for a moment under the covers, weakly pulling himself up into a more up-right position. Todd's teeth clenched at the sight, wincing back when he heard a soft groan exit the older man's mouth. He actually felt some level of pity for Stanley. His father was only supposed to be in his fifties now, yet he had the energy of someone in their eighties. Maybe nineties. It was kind of hard to watch, despite the hatred Todd held for this man.

"Hi, Stanley," Todd managed to finally muster out, refusing to refer to him as his father. Stanley's eyes flickered downwards for a moment, but no smart remark came out. "I was told you didn't say anything to mom or Cream. Didn't you have anything to say to the woman whose heart you broke?"

Stanley's eyes met back up with Todd's, his words seemingly not affecting him in the slightest. This made Todd feel rather angry, but he kept it to himself. "I didn't know what to say to them. They've gotten what they wanted from me before I wound up here." He spoke softly. Weakly. With many pauses between to catch his breath. "They didn't need to hear me again."

Todd sneered.

Mavis placed a hand on his shoulder, softly whispering, "Let him speak, Todd. Just for right now." She had a point. Stanley clearly waited for Todd to get here just to speak, so he might as well let the sickly man talk. Todd let out a soft sigh, but didn't apologize for his behavior. Stanley didn't ask for one either.

"There's a lot I want to say..." Stanley started, gasping a bit in the end, "I know I was a horrible father to you and Cream. I know I did so many things wrong." He coughed and heaved a few times. Todd and Mavis remained silently, letting him catch his breath. "I have no excuses for my behavior. None whatsoever, but I want so desperately to say that I'm..." He coughed again. This cough was quite loud and nasty sounding. It made Mavis quite uncomfortable, judging by the way she suddenly squeezed Todd's arm tightly. Todd placed his free hand on her arm, waiting until his father stopped coughing.

Which it finally did after a few moments.

"Do you want one of us to get you a nurse or-?" Todd asked, glancing over to the door for a moment only to be answered by a weak 'no' from the former.

Stanley cleared his throat a little and continued, "I'm really... I'm really proud of you, Todd. I'm proud of both you and your sister, but..." He paused for a moment, trying to think of the words. Todd's heart began to race, while a mixture of confusion and anger started to rise. He was proud of him? After all these years his father was just proud of him? Didn't he even want to try and apologize for his abuse? Of course, Todd was just going to throw the apology back in his face and tell him to fuck off. But Stanley didn't even do that. Didn't even try. It made Todd feel so angry inside. Angry and rather hurt. Did his father think Todd needed his father's compliments now? His father continued, "Your sister doesn't need me to say I'm proud of her. She never felt the need for my approval for anything, but you did. I never told you that I was proud of you..."

Todd's ears lowered and he narrowed his eyes. "You... seriously think that I want to hear you saying that you're proud of me? Right now? After all the things you've done to me? Couldn't you put aside your fucking ego and maybe, I don't know, apologize to me?" He snarled.

"You didn't even let me finish..." Stanley coughed out. Todd scoffed and pulled away from Mavis, walking towards the door for a moment. He didn't want to hear his father finish. There was no sense in listening to this dying beast's final words.

And yet...

Todd paused. This wouldn't be good enough closure for him to walk out, knowing that his father still wasn't even done talking. He closed his eyes for a moment, let out a soft heave, and walked on back over to the bed Stanley rested on. Mavis looked up at Todd with those big, worried eyes of hers. Todd stared down at the man before them. "I apologize. Do go on."

Stanley's face softened a little, a soft breath of air leaving his mouth. "I... I know an apology from me wasn't going to make up for the years of trauma I put you under. If my own father apologized to me for his abuse towards me, I wouldn't forgive him myself. I know that. You know that." He wheezed, "I didn't want to waste your time apologizing when we're well aware I can't be forgiven. I just want to... let you know that for all it was ever worth... I don't hate you. I was so ashamed to be your father. Cream's father. But it wasn't because of you two. You two were... good kits. At the best of times." Stanley coughed and wheezed a little more. "I didn't deserve to be your father, Todd."

Todd glanced away, the corners of his mouth twitching. He wanted to growl. He wanted to smile. He wanted to cry. There was a lot of inner turmoil going on. Why was his father doing this? Why? Why? Why? Why?

"You became a better man than me, Todd. A better man than my own father. An even better man than his father. You're maybe the best Scott's man we've had in a long, long time. I didn't contribute to that. You did. You took that hurt and pain and..." Stanley let out another violent series of coughs. Mavis reached forward to give the man a small pat on the back. In an attempt to help him get it all out, it seems. When he stopped, he was able to continue, although his voice was nearly gone. "You turned it into a form of love and understanding that none of us could've ever done. I'm really proud of you for that. Now you have a wonderful family. Loving wife and good kits." Stanley laid back down in his bed, growing weaker, yet he powered through. He put his eyes back on Todd and lifted up his hand weakly, grabbing Todd's wrist with a surprisingly powerful grip. "I am really, really proud to call you my son."

Todd's eyes began to water, mixed emotions flowing and bubbling under the surface as his father's hand finally fell. He took a few wheezing breaths, clearly too weak to continue on. There was still a bit of life in his eyes, but both visiting foxes could see the energy had completely depleted from his body. From the expression he was making, Todd knew that Stanley was being serious. He was genuine. He asked for no forgiveness, and Todd didn't intend to give him any forgiveness, but for this one moment... Todd could see his father for what he really was.

A cowardly man who had been beaten and broken down by generations before him.

Mavis' fingers wrapped around his hand as she softly whispered to him, "Todd, we should let him rest now." Todd turned towards her for a moment.

"Give me two minutes alone with him, okay sweetheart? I'll be out in a sec."

Mavis hesitated, but left him and Stanley be, walking out the room after giving Todd a soft peck to his face. Once she was gone, Todd turned to Stanley. He wanted to glare at him. Say something nasty to him. Tear him down a little more. But honestly? There was no need to. Stanley was already at his lowest, and Todd couldn't bring himself to feel any more ill feelings towards the man.

So instead, he placed his hand around Stanley's weakened wrist and spoke, "I don't think I can forgive you for a long, long time. But I'd be lying if I said I hated you with every fiber of my being as well. I don't think I'm any better than you or grandpa, I think I just had a better support system." He let out a soft sigh, "I used to wish you nothing but misery once you and mom separated. Even more so before I went to therapy, but looking at you... I think you've had enough suffering. While I won't forgive you for a long time, I do hope your final moments on this Earth are... peaceful. I appreciate what you said. Thank you, I..." Todd exhaled, "Thank you, I should go now." With that, he released his father's wrist and turned away. He was close to saying 'dad', but the word was tainted for him. Todd didn't have a father, he had a monster.

Or... was he a monster?

As he left the room, he pondered that for a moment. Monsters can become people too, can't they? Monsters can be understood. Monsters can be empathetic. They don't always become heroes, but maybe... they can become something a little more. While Todd didn't have a father, he wasn't exactly a monster either. He was just a... a reflection, really. A cautionary tale on how Todd's life could've been had he not met his friends. Not met Mavis. Not went to therapy. That could be him on that hospital bed, and yet it wasn't.

I'm proud of you.

Todd snorted to himself as he joined up with his mother, sister, and wife. Stanley Scott meant those words, and those words honestly started to feel comforting. A proper closure, finally. The fox inhaled and exhaled softly, knowing he'd have to do a lot of deep thinking on this later. Perhaps bring this up to his therapist. Figure out his feelings later on, but for now, he just wanted to leave this gods-forsaken hospital behind.