The Joys of Raising a Teenaged Groot- Chapter 16: Groot’s Fate
Rocket walked in the conference room. Inside were big brown leather chairs on wheels surrounding a giant circular oak table. The walls of the room were filled with an array of book cases filled to the brim with books about different medical conditions and research into those ailments.
The raccoon took a seat on one side of the table. The nurses, emergency room techs, and all of the other people that were assigned to Groot’s case sat on the other side. Rocket could tell just by the sheer amount of paperwork, files, and other important pieces of documentation that the news probably wasn’t good for Groot and he should be prepared for the worse.
The nurse that was assigned to Groot when Rocket came to visit with his son spoke first. “Rocket, I’m Kalika and I was Groot’s nurse when he came in last night. It was very touch-and-go with him and he was in a lot of pain when we took him to the procedure room, where we had no choice but to place him in a medically-induced coma until his condition stabilizes and improves. But he showed no immediate improvement as is typical of people who come in with these types of injuries. There were also a couple of times when he stopped breathing and was deprived of oxygen for at least fifteen minutes. And he was also clinically dead for a couple of minutes twice in the span of ten minutes before we were able to revive him.”
Rocket bowed his head down at hearing this. He sighed before mumbling to himself. “So there’s no hope for him, is there?” He looked up at the other people in the room. “You’re going to pull the plug, aren’t you?”
The nurses, specialists, and technicians looked at Rocket as they silently nodded, confirming Groot’s fate.
“All the signs point to brain death. He also contracted a very severe infection from the blades of the knives he was stabbed by and some of the stab wounds he suffered were very deep and close to some of his vital organs, further increasing the severity of the infections. Now, he suffered a very bad black eye that’s extremely swollen. We tried to get him to open it while he was still conscious so that we could look at the damage and determine if his eye could be saved, but he couldn’t. He also has a few lacerated muscles and a few fractures in his arm and both of his legs.” Kalika explained as Rocket’s expression changed. “His chances for survival, let alone a full recovery are less than a 0.01% chance. If somehow he did make it, he would be severely brain damaged and would be a bed-ridden vegetable for the rest of his life, and I know that neither you nor him would want that, so it would be best to remove him from life support and let Groot die peacefully.”
Rocket does his best to contain his emotions. He tries not to cry as he asks “Can I see him one last time before he-.” The raccoon couldn’t finish the sentence.
Kalika nodded as she and all the other specialists got up and escorted Rocket back to Groot’s room. On the way back, they pass the waiting room where a few familiar faces greeted them.
“Gammy? Drax? Nebula? Kraglin? Mantis? Star-Munch?” Rocket was surprised at seeing the other Guardians in the waiting room. “What- what are you guys doing here?”
“We figured that you needed some moral support while Groot recovers.” Drax answered for the others as he placed an arm around Rocket. “I would’ve wanted the same if my wife and daughter had a chance to be saved after Thanos slaughtered my people.”
“That’s very kind of you guys.” Rocket acknowledged their kind gesture towards him. “But...” He paused, the next words tough for him to say. “Groot’s going to be taken off of life support.” The other Guardians were saddened at the news as they joined Rocket in walking down the long lonely ICU corridor to Groot’s room.
When they arrived, the Guardians all stood around Groot’s bed in a semi-circle. There were two nurses already there to clean Groot’s wounds and treat them with a special ointment before covering them up with gauze wrappings. Groot also was recently given a sponge bath and had a fresh diaper and gown on him. He was still alive, but just barely and the machines that were hooked up to him were doing the breathing for him. His entire face and body were extremely swollen and Groot’s expression told the Guardians, especially Rocket that he was in extreme pain and wanted it all to just go away. Rocket didn’t have the heart to tell Groot that it would be over with soon.
The other nurses left the room. Kalika was still present to oversee the Guardians saying goodbye to one of their own and then she would turn off all the machines that were keeping Groot alive. Moments later, the coroner stood at the doorway with a cadaver cart that he would transport Groot on once he died and take him to the morgue that was in the basement of the facility so an autopsy could be performed on him to determine what injuries contributed to his eventual death. The coroner also had in his possession a fountain pen in his front pocket and laying on the cart was Groot’s death certificate. It was already filled out, the only things that were missing was Groot’s cause of death and the date and the time of his death.
The pastor entered the room and said a final prayer for Groot before the Guardians said their goodbyes to the teenager.
Up first was Mantis. She placed her hand upon Groot’s forehead to see if she could read his thoughts.
“I-I can’t tell what he’s thinking!” Mantis wailed as she trembled. “It’s unending darkness!” Drax then picked her up and carried her to a chair.
Nebula approached Groot’s bed. “Hey, Groot. I know that we didn’t actually get along all that well and you were scared to death of me when I first came to visit but, you eventually got used to seeing me everyday and became less scared. Even Gamora said over these past few weeks you were starting to look at me as your Aunt Nebby.” Nebula reminisced to Groot. “I’ll always be your Aunt Nebby, no matter what.” She added before she got up and walked over to where Drax and Mantis were sitting.
Kraglin walked up to Groot next. “Hey, Twig.” He greeted the teen, hoping Yondu’s nickname for Groot would miraculously wake him up. Nothing. Kraglin thought of something to say. “Remember the time that we went to Terra for a weekend vacation of rest and relaxation? And on our last night we were looking for some place fancy to eat? And every other place was either closed, out of business, or didn’t want to serve a mangy raccoon or a fat guy who refuses to wear a shirt.”
“Hey! I’m not a mangy raccoon!” Rocket snarled at Kraglin.
“And I’m not fat, I’m buff!” Drax corrected the Xandarian.
“Oh, yeah?” Rocket challenged. “Then why can’t ya wear a shirt? They make em big enough for fattys!” He roared as Drax charged towards the raccoon.
“I CAN’T HELP IF I HAVE SENSITIVE NIPPLES!” Drax exclaimed.
“OH, REAL CLASSIC! THE ‘SENSITIVE NIPPLE’ EXCUSE!” Rocket mocked. “LIKE WE HAVEN’T HEARD IT A MILLION TIMES BEFORE!”
Peter and Gamora separated the two before they got to each other and got into fisticuffs. Peter using all his strength to hold Drax back and Gamora holding Rocket in her arms after he leaped into the air.
“ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU!” Gamora yelled at the two. “This is not the time for you two to be fighting. Now, calm down and apologize to each other.”
“Rocket, I’m sorry for my sudden outburst.” Drax said as he bowed his head in submission.
“And I’m sorry that I called you fat.” Rocket apologized. “Hey, do you and your sensitive nipples wanna get some Ben & Jerry’s later?”
“Small friend, it would be a pleasure to get some Terran Ice Cream with you.” The Destroyer accepted Rocket’s offer.
Kraglin waited for everything to settle back down before he continued to talk to Groot. “Anyways, as I was saying, Groot, that night, the only place that was open was Souplantation. Quill was tired of trying to find some place that would please everybody. Long story short, I guess that’s where my soup addiction came from. And I remember the time when I babysat you and there was no soup for us to eat. You showed me that cereal is the breakfast version of soup and all the different sugary types got me addicted to cereal now.That brings me to my next point, I’m sorry about sneaking out of the house to go to the soup kitchen the other night. I knew that it would embarrass you, but Drax dared me to or he would show Quill my secret soup stash...” Kraglin looked around at everybody. “...And now that that secret is out...” Kraglin regrets talking about his secret soup stash out in front of everybody. “Anyways, Twig, when ya meet back up with Yondu in Heaven, tell him that I’m holding down the fort and keeping Quill in line.”
Kraglin got up and traded places with Drax, who sat next to Groot.
“Hey, Groot.” Drax began. “I know that you and me weren’t the best of friends, but I’ll never forget the fun times that we’ve had together.” Drax wipes a tear from his face. “All the times I rocked you to sleep when you were on my shoulder, all the play fighting we would do just for fun and you teaching me how to turn invisible.” Drax chuckled to himself. “I’m sorry for calling you ‘dumber, smaller Groot’ and ‘dumb tree.’ I didn’t want it to sound mean to you. I’ll miss you Groot. Do me a favor and tell my wife and daughter that I’m doing good.”
With that, Drax sat back down where Mantis, Nebula, and Kraglin were. It was now Gamora’s turn to reflect on her time with Groot.
Gamora brushed some of Groot’s moss out of his closed eyes as she began to speak softly to him. “Hey, baby. Oh, sweetie, you’ve grown up so much since you were little. I remember all of us, especially Rocket getting excited when you started to move in your little pot. He was so happy and overfilled with joy when you stretched your little arms out and yawned. We all remember when you started to talk for the first time. Sure, all you could say was ‘I am Groot.’ But he was so happy and he took it upon himself to teach us how to understand you. When it was time for you to leave your pot for the first time, Rocket placed you on the kitchen counter to get you ready for your bath. But you wanted some cookies first, and Rocket kept telling you ‘No.’ You waited until his back was turned and you extended your little arms until you reached the shelf the cookies were on and you lifted yourself up to them. Well, your coordination wasn’t the best, so you fell over and luckily I caught you before you hit the ground.” Gamora smiled. “Rocket and I checked you out and saw that you had two very strong legs that were scrunched up in that pot and it was time for you to stretch them out. At first you were crawling, then we had to baby-proof the entire house so you wouldn’t get into stuff that you shouldn’t have been near. Rocket was against the idea of having to keep all his weapons under lock and key, but better safe than sorry. And then you started to grow up as soon as you started school and we were all proud of you.”
“We love you, baby.” Gamora finished before she kissed Groot on the forehead and got up from her seat and rejoined the others as Peter got up to talk to Groot.
“Hey there, Groot.” Peter began as he sat next to Groot. “I know that these last couple of years you weren’t the most well-behaved kid and that’s kinda my fault.” Peter looked at Rocket as the raccoon stared at the humie. “But, not once did I not think of you as my son. I know that Rocket is technically your adoptive father and he did most of the work needed with raising you. The truth is, Groot, is that each of us had a hand in helping to raise you, and in turn, you taught us new things and together, all of us became a family. A dysfunctional family, but a family nonetheless.”
Peter patted Groot on his shoulder as he stood up. It was now Rocket’s turn to say his farewells to the one person that his whole life revolved around. As the raccoon walked to Groot’s bedside, he couldn’t help be reflect on Groot’s life. Not just when this Groot was reborn, but from the very first time he met the Original Groot back when Original Groot and him were both experiments and prisoners on Halfworld.
“Groot, I know that you and me haven’t had the sort of traditional father-son relationship these past few years when you became a teenager, and especially since you’ve entered your rebellious stage and started to defy all the rules I set down for you.” Rocket struggles to say as he fights back the tears. “But- but, I wish that I had been more stern with you. If I’d put my foot down when you started to disobey us, we wouldn’t be here right now.”
Rocket held Groot’s hand as he struggled to look at his son through tear-shot eyes. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t the father that you wanted. I’m sorry that I wasn’t the father that you deserved.” Rocket then looked at the other Guardians, specifically Kraglin and Peter. “I wish that I was more like Yondu. If I was, Groot wouldn’t have snuck out the house. Groot wouldn’t have met up with those hooligans and gotten stabbed. Groot wouldn’t be here right now on his deathbed fighting for his life.”
Rocket looked back at Groot. “I failed you, Groot. I tried my best to raise you right and keep you safe from everything and everyone that could hurt you. I should’ve tried harder.”
Rocket stroked Groot’s face in a caring and fatherly manner. “I love you, Groot. I’ll never forget the joy I’ve had in raising you and being your daddy.” He then tucked Groot’s old Bob Ross doll into Groot’s clutched hand.
Rocket then tilted his head towards Kalika. He was ready for her to take Groot off of life support. She pulled the plug on all of the machines and took the breathing tube out of Groot’s mouth.
“Go on, Groot. Go to Heaven. Be free of this pain.” Rocket sobbed to his son as Groot’s breathing became more sporadic and his heartrate started to slow down. “Go to Bob Ross.”
With that, Groot’s heart stopped beating, the heartrate monitor flatlining, letting out the lone, long beep that signaled Groot’s death.
The coroner came in and filled out Groot’s time of death on his death certificate while Kalika disconnected all of the IV lines and monitors from his body. The coroner and Kalika then picked up Groot’s lifeless body and placed him on the cadaver cart to be taken to the morgue. Rocket was overcome with emotion when Kalika draped a white blanket over Groot, offering him one final look at his son before she covered the teen’s face with the blanket, signifying his passing.
No amount of consoling could satisfy Rocket. With some convincing on Peter’s part, the raccoon obtained clearance to accompany his son down to the morgue before the autopsy began. The other Guardians went home to let Rocket mourn in private. For obvious reasons, Rocket couldn’t be in the room while Groot’s autopsy took place and he wouldn’t see him again until all the funeral arrangements were made.
As Rocket walked into the morgue, Kalika and the coroner placed Groot on a cold table so that the autopsy could take place. The teen was washed clean and incision lines were drawn all over his body in preparation. Groot was stripped of his gown and diaper, the only thing on him was a damp washcloth covering his loin area. Groot just looked like he was just sleeping, but Rocket knew that this wasn’t true. All of the instruments on the side table said otherwise, as he knew that they would dissect Groot piece by piece to determine how he died.
Rocket climbed on a nearby stool to see his son one last time. He looked at his son in silence for five minutes until the coroner was ready to begin the autopsy with his assistant.
“Well, Groot, I’ll see you later.” Rocket sobbed as he held Groot’s hand. It was now time for Rocket to leave.
As the coroner grabbed one of the scalpels and hovered it above Groot’s chest, Rocket began to let go of Groot’s hand. As the scalpel came down, Rocket thought he could feel Groot’s grip on his hand. Rocket couldn’t believe what he was seeing, Groot grasping his father’s hand on his own. Could Groot be alive?
The coroner and Kalika check Groot for a pulse and find that Groot has a weak pulse. They perform an emergency intubation on him to make him breathe again before taking Groot back up to the emergency department for immediate care and scans as to him coming back from the dead.
Rocket couldn’t believe it as he got out his cell phone to call the other Guardians. The impossible has happened: Groot was alive again.