Chapter 3 of The Unforgettable Anniversary: The Last Chance to Say I Love You.

Mrs. Beakley, who was very happy to be back and serving the McDucks again, was bringing some of her homemade chicken soup to Goldie in bed.

“How are you feeling, Miss Goldie?”

“Well…to tell you the truth, achy.”

“Oh you poor dear.”

“It’s probably just because I’ve been in bed so long. I don’t like staying in bed all day. It makes me feel lazy.”

“Well, you have the flu dear. Naturally your body’s going to be achy. You need your rest. Here, eat some soup.” She handed her the tray with the soup on it.

“Thank you Mrs. Beakley…And I’m really glad you and the girls are back.”

“I am too, Miss…”

“Are the girls happy? Or do they miss Gosalyn?”

“They miss her, but for goodness sake, they can call, write, and visit! They belong here…We all do…”

“Sometimes I miss the triplets, too.”

“I do too, Miss…”

“We all used to be one big happy family and then people slowly started leaving. First Duckworth, then the triplets...And then you and the girls left…It was just me and Scrooge…It was going to be lonely…”

“I know…”

When Scrooge got home, he asked, “So how are you, darlin’?”

“Eh…”

“You’re not feelings better? It’s been a WEEK!”

“We were gallivanting around the world! That couldn’t have helped.”

“Who knows what you could’ve caught…”

“Oh, please…”

“I’m serious, Goldie…”

Scrooge was watching the news before dinner and heard this:

“You better be washing your hands, because the swine flu has come into the United States from Mexico. There have already been over 30 cases of it scattered throughout the country and so far two have died from it. There is no cure for this flu yet. Symptoms of the swine flu are aching bodies, fever, headache, chills…” Scrooge started hastily writing this down. He was seriously freaking out. What if Goldie had swine flu?

He hurriedly ran upstairs back to their bedroom.

“Goldie, darlin’,” he said, holding the list in his hand. “Are you feeling achy, feverish, or experiencing a headache, or chills…?”

“All of the above. I have the flu, Scrooge. Of course I have those symptoms.”

“These are symptoms of the SWINE flu!”

“Swine flu? Those are just symptoms of the NORMAL flu.”

“We’ve got to go see Doctor von Drake!”

“NOW?”

“YES, now!”

“In Austria?”

“YES!”

“Oh lord…Scrooge, I’m fine. Yes, I have the flu, big whoop.”

“But you might have the swine flu!”

“Well if I do, then speeding off around the world is NOT going to make it better!”

“We’re going. NOW,” he commanded.

So very soon, they were on a plane flying back to Austria. Goldie thought Scrooge was really overreacting or going insane one, but in Scrooge’s mind, he just really cared for Goldie and wanted the best for her.

When they got to Ludwig’s place, he greeted them heartily, but wondered why they were back in Austria.

“Goldie should be at home resting, Scroogey! What are you two doing out and about again?”

“I need you to check her again. I’ve been hearing about this swine flu business on the news and I want to be sure she doesn’t have it.”

“Oh…well, okay, Scroogey. We’ll go to my office right away. You’re sure on top of things!”

“Yes…I care very much for Goldie…”

“You know, it’s very amazing you two are even together!”

“Yes, I know. We are very fortunate…Now let’s go,” Scrooge said firmly.

As they were headed over there, Ludwig said, “Goldie, Matilda wants to know how it was waiting on her brother for all those years.”

“Oh…” Goldie was startled by this, because obviously Matilda was not there. “Um…Well, it was hard…I just went on with my life though, because there was no sense in moping about it for years when he might not ever come…”

“But he did in the end…” Ludwig nodded excitedly.

“No, actually I came and found him because I was tired of waiting,” she kind of laughed and then let a nasty cough out.

“Oh, you sound horrible, Goldie,” Ludwig sympathized.

“I probably should’ve stayed in bed, but someone insisted on dragging me here.”

“I am doing what’s best for you,” Scrooge said. “You could be dreadfully ill and I wanted Dr. von Drake to take a look at you.”

Once they got to his office, he took yet another look at Goldie and said, “My my…She really has gotten worse, I’ll give you that. You really need to stop getting her out in the weather, Scroogey. She needs her rest.”

“That’s what I’ve tried to tell him,” Goldie insisted.

“Do you think she has the swine flu?” Scrooge asked, anxiously.

“I don’t think so, Scrooge…What are your symptoms, Goldie?”

“Aches, pains, headache, creaky bones…” she shrugged. “Probably fever.”

“Well, I think you’ve just got da normal flu…But honestly…Oh, um, Miss Goldie, would you stay here while I haf a talk with your husband outside? Ve’ll be right back.”

“Okay…” Goldie said slowly, a bit confused, and curious as to what he was going to talk to Scrooge about.

The two men stepped out of the room and down the hallway to another room.

“What is it, Dr. Von Drake?” Scrooge asked.

“Vell…Vat I vas saying vas dat honestly, most of Goldie’s symptoms are just of old age. You know, Scroogey, she’s getting to da point where she could pass at any day now…With dis flu, you know…It’s not looking too good.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m trying to say that this very vell could be your wife’s last day…” he trailed off.

“Are you pulling me leg, Ludwig?” he completely dropped the formal “dr” title.

“No. I’m being very serious, Scroogey. She’s pretty old, you know.”

“So am I!”

“But you don’t have da flu, now do you?”

“Well, no, but…”

“Ven someone her age gets sick like dis, it’s hard to tell if d’ere going to make it or not…”

“I liked it better when you said she had the flu and she’d be fine.”

“Hey, you’re the one dat brought her back here, Scroogey.”

“Because I care about her!”

“Dere’s other doctors besides me! Hehe…”

“You’re the only one that knows what they’re talking about, Ludwig!”

Scrooge and Goldie flew back home in silence. Goldie had asked one question, but after that, it was dead quiet all the way home.

“Scrooge…What did Ludwig need to speak to you about?”

“Nothing, Goldie,” he snapped and she shut up. His snapping scared her. He was keeping something from her, and she was going to find out what it was eventually.

When they got home, Scrooge ordered Goldie to go to bed. She went without question, but she was so confused with his sudden forcefulness. What had Ludwig said to him?

Scrooge made Mrs. Beakley fix Goldie some soup and get her some medicine.

“What’s going on?” Goldie asked Mrs. Beakley.

“We’re just trying to make you better, dear…”

“Do you have any clue what Ludwig said to Scrooge?”

“Oh, dear, I have no idea…”

“Whatever it is, it has obviously upset Scrooge…”

“I don’t know, Miss Goldie…Just try to get some rest and don’t worry about it.”

When Scrooge got into bed that night, Goldie was still awake. She had been up worrying about what Ludwig could’ve possibly told Scrooge.

“Are you still up, Goldie?” a little irritably. “You should be asleep. You need rest!”

“Calm down, Scrooge…What did Ludwig tell you?” she demanded.

“Goldie, it doesn’t matter. That man is quackers. He thinks me sister is still alive!”

“I thought we established that he is a genius?”

“Well sometimes he doesn’t know what he’s talking about…He’s really scatterbrained…”

“SCROOGE MCDUCK, tell me NOW,” she ordered.

Scrooge sighed. “Well it doesn’t matter, because it isn’t true…”

“Tell me.”

“Fine…He told me that a lot of your symptoms are of old age and that…when old folks have the flu, it’s far more serious than young folks…You could die any day now…”

Goldie just stared at him for a moment and then started busting out laughing.

“I don’t find anything funny, Goldie!”

“Well, you said yourself that he’s off his nut…Come on, Scrooge. You’re old too, so your chance of dying is just as good as mine.”

“But I don’t have the flu…”

“Oh, Scrooge…I’m going to be fine.”

“I’m glad you have such a positive attitude about this…You always were a strong woman.”

“Were? I still am! Don’t be using past tense on me! I’m not gone yet!”

“I know, darlin’…” then after some thought, he said, “You know…this could be the last time we see each other…”

“Would you stop talking like that? Of course it might be the last time we see each other. Anybody could die at any time…No one plans it, you know…”

“I know…but this could be the last chance I get to say ‘I love you’…”

“Yes, I suppose…”

“I love you, darlin’…” he said, gazing into her eyes with his own sad ones. “I love you more than anything else in the world.”

“Even your money?” she joked.

“Please don’t joke right now, Goldie,” he said quietly.

“Sorry…And I love you too, Scrooge. With all my heart.”

Scrooge leaned in and kissed Goldie like he never had before. After all, it could be their last…

He didn’t want to lose her, but he knew that eventually one of them was going to go, and with Goldie sick like she was, it could be her that went first…

For the next few days, Scrooge was pretty much hovering around Goldie all the time. As soon as he got home from work, he didn’t let her out of his sight.

Even as she started telling him that she was starting to feel better, he insisted on hovering.

“Could you back off a bit Scrooge?” she told him up straight one day. She was in the living room trying to read a book, and Scrooge was right there staring her down, making her feel quite uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry, Goldie…”

“You should be. You need to calm down about all this. The way you’ve been acting, you’d think you were about to lose all of your money.”

“Well, that’s what I feel like. You’re that important to me Goldie…”

“That’s sweet and all, Scrooge, but I feel fine. Honestly.” Then she let out a little cough.

“See? You’re sick!”

“I coughed Scrooge! Do you never cough? Get a grip! I’m fine! I had the flu, I’ve gotten over it now. I’m going to be just fine.”

“Maybe…”

“Well if you think negative about it…” she said irritably. She sighed, put her book down and said, “I’m going to bed. There’s no way I can read with you hovering over me. You’re giving me a headache.”

“Good!” he called after her. “You need the rest!”

She huffed as she went up the stairs.

“I’ll be up later, darlin’!”

“That’ll be too soon for me,” Goldie muttered.

Goldie never had liked being told what to do, let alone be hovered over constantly. She liked her space. She was an independent woman and she always had been. Heck, she’d been alone for over 50 years, hadn’t she? She didn’t need anyone breathing down her neck waiting for her to drop dead.

She got into bed and sighed, picking up a newspaper on the bedside table. She was getting really irritated with Scrooge.

But when Scrooge walked upstairs and into their bedroom and saw Goldie sitting up reading in bed, he exclaimed, “Goldie! You should be resting!”

“I am resting. You don’t have to be asleep to be resting.”

“You need sleep, darlin’!”

“Scrooge,” she said through clenched teeth. “I am just fine. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve gotten better…”

“But you’re not completely well. And until you are completely well, I’m going to do everything I can to get you better.”

“By hovering over me, making me sleep all the time, and not letting me read a gosh darn book?! That’s crazy talk! And if that’s how you’re going to be…I’m going to the Klondike…”

Scrooge’s eyes got big. “N-n-no Goldie…You wouldn’t…”

“Oh just watch me,” she glared at him, got up and grabbed an already packed bag from underneath the bed (for emergencies), and stormed out the door.

“…She would,” Scrooge said, astonished. He sighed.

Scrooge’s first instinct was to go after her, but he decided to let it blow over. If she didn’t come back in a couple of days, he’d go to the Klondike.

Well Scrooge waited and waited for a whole week and Goldie hadn’t came back yet. Maybe she wanted him to come fetch her. Seemed like something she would do actually. She’d done it before. She’s probably wondering why he was taking so long to come get her. He decided he’d call Launchpad right away.

(Ring….)

“Launchpad!”

“Hey Mr. McD!” he said cheerfully. “What can I do for you today? Wait. Let me guess…Fly you somewhere.”

“Well of course, Launchpad!” he sputtered. He wasn’t in the mood for Launchpad’s games. “Just get over here!”

“Alright, Mr. McD. Right away!”

“Where to, Mr. McD?” Launchpad asked as Scrooge hopped in the plane.

“The Klondike!”

He could just picture Goldie sitting in that cabin waiting impatiently, wondering why he was taking so long. Goldie didn’t like waiting. She’d done enough waiting to last anyone a lifetime or two. He pictured her having her shotgun ready too, just in case. She could never be too careful.

When he got to the cabin, he went and knocked on the door. There was no answer right away, however, and Scrooge started to get worry. Then he thought, “Hm. Maybe she’s just gussying herself up in her Glittering Goldie duds…Heh heh. You can never tell with her…” he chuckled to himself.

Then the door opened. But it wasn’t who he expected to answer the door. Instead of the beautiful woman he loved so dearly, it was a man…A man that had irritated him a lot in the past. It was Dangerous Dan. He didn’t like the looks of this at all.

“Dangerous Dan?” Scrooge said.

“Yes, Scrooge?”

“What are you doing here? Where’s Goldie?”

“I’m here to tell you that Goldie is not here.”

“Well where IS she?” he demanded.

“The nearest hospital,” Dan said gently.

“WHAT?!” Scrooge exploded.

“Yes. Luckily Lulu was passing through and she rushed her to the hospital. “

“What happened?” Scrooge panicked.

“Well Lulu was passing through, noticed Goldie was here, and went to see here. Goldie got really excited and they talked for hours. But just as Lulu was about to leave, Goldie apparently passed out right there in the kitchen…It was the strangest thing ever.”

Scrooge’s eyes widened. “I knew she shouldn’t have left the house…Gold durn it, she’s ill! She needed to be at home!...Is she alright?” he asked quietly.

“I’m not sure, Scrooge. Last time they called, she was still alive…” he shrugged.

“You’re not helping any, DAN!” Scrooge said irritably.

“Sorry.”

“Just because you don’t care about her, doesn’t mean I don’t very dearly…”

“Wait just a minute there. You think I don’t care about Goldie? I think the world of that gal and I’m very worried for her at this point.”

“Well let’s get over to that hospital then! Come on, Dan!”

When they got to the hospital Goldie was at, they ran to the receptionist desk.

“What room is Goldie O’Gilt, er, McDuck in?!” Scrooge said in a panic.

“133, sir, but she’s still out cold,” the woman behind the desk replied.

Scrooge didn’t listen to this, however, and rushed to room 133, with Dan right behind him.

He burst open the door without knocking, to find Goldie just lying there in the bed, with her eyes closed. This made Scrooge nervous as well as Dan.

Scrooge walked over to the bedside and stared at her for a bit. “Goldie…I…I really hope you get through this…” He felt like he was talking to a dead person. “Please wake up…Please? I know I haven’t been the best husband…I know you deserve better…But I love you to death. You don’t know how happy I am that things finally worked out for us. You really brought me to my senses when you came the mansion and insisted we get married…he he…Goldie…I love you…” he bent over and kissed her on the forehead.

He sat and looked at her for a few more moments until he saw her eyes fluttering open slowly. She saw Scrooge and smiled.

“Hello, darlin’…How are you feeling?”

“I feel fine. All I did was pass out. Jesus…”

Scrooge chuckled at this, but then straightened up and said, “Goldie, this was a serious matter. You might’ve not opened your eyes…”

“Yes I would’ve. I’ve been awake for hours.”

“What?”

“I was pretending to be asleep when you came in. I heard every word you said…It was sweet.”

“Oh, you…” Then Scrooge smiled and said, “I’m glad you’re okay, Goldie…Will you come back home to Duckburg with me?”

“Do you promise to stop breathing down my neck?”

“I think I can promise that…But I was only doing it because I care.”

“I know, but sometimes it gets to be a little much. For one who loves their money so much more than anything, you’re sure up my butt a lot lately,” she said with crossed arms.

“Let’s not fight. Let’s just go home.”

“Alright…Oh, hi Dan. What are you doing here?”

“Checking on you,” he said astonished. “You just passed out!”

“I know. It was no big deal. I just got so excited having Lulu over. I haven’t seen that girl in ages. I guess it just got to me. I don’t know. I’ll be fine, Dan…” she assured, after seeing the bewildered look on his face.

“I’m glad you’re alright,” Dan said.

“Thank you, Dan. You’re a doll. But I’m fine, so you can go on now.”

“Where’d Lulu go?”

“She had to leave,” Goldie shrugged.

“She never stays long, does she?”

“She has a life…”

It wasn’t long until Scrooge and Goldie were back in the McDuck mansion.

“Aunt Goldie!” exclaimed Webby and Wendy when they walked in the door.

“Hello, girls,” she responded and received a big hug from the girls.

“Miss Goldie,” Mrs. Beakley greeted her. “You’re home. Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m feeling better than ever, Mrs. Beakley,” she smiled. “It’s good to be home.”

Scrooge helped Goldie take her things back to their room and then they lay down to take a nap after all the hullabaloo that had been going on lately.

They would never know when that “last chance to say I love you” would be. It could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be years from then. But Scrooge was going to stop worrying about it and just live today like they were both going to live forever.

That one year anniversary was more than just a day to celebrate their one year of marriage. They also let it be a remembrance of their first meeting, the Gold Rush days, the years they’d known each other…and that finally they got together in the end. They didn’t know how long they’d be together, but they’d be together until death do they part. Whenever that may be…but they weren’t going to let that bother them.

That anniversary also made Scrooge realize just how he loved Goldie. It’s times like those (near death situations) that make people realize those things. It makes them feel sorry for things they’ve done or hadn’t done. What they said or hadn’t said. But there’s nothing better that you could say to a person than “I love you.”

The end.