The Bears Discuss Hibernation

"Hey, crazy idea--"
"We're not doing a timeshare with the moose."
"No, I--"
"I don't care how fun you think it'll be.  It won't be.  It will not be fun.  They smell.  The moose smell."
"I was going to say--"
"I mean, I realize we smell, but that's like--our smell.  That's our bear smell.  I can handle our smell.  I don't need to be smelling moose."
"I DON'T WANT TO HIBERNATE!"

. . . . .

"So...when did this happen?"
"I've been thinking about it for awhile."
"And were you ever going to tell me?"
"I didn't know how."
"Oh please, Jonathan!"
"Kit, do you think I like that I'm feeling this way?  Do you think this is fun for me?"
"Apparently it is, because otherwise you wouldn't be doing it!"
"Oh, come on!"
"Suddenly hibernation isn't good enough for me.  What else isn't good enough for you?  Am I good enough for you?"
"Of course you are!  But I want to spend time with you!  I don't want to just sleep next to you for months on end!"
"...Well...what else would we do?"
"I don't know!"
"Okay, well, you don't have to shout."
"I'm sorry, I just...I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
"Kit, we miss an entire season.  One whole season--gone!"
"A cold season."
"A season of our lives, Kit!"
"A cold season of our lives--filled with cold."
"That's still time we're alive spent on sleep!"
"Jonathan, we have to sleep.  We have to hibernate.  It's who we are!"
"Maybe it's who you are..."
"...What's THAT supposed to mean?"
"It means...It means I'm sick of having these labels placed on me."
"What labels?  What are you talking about?"
"Bear.  Mammal.  Hibernator.  I'm more than that!"
"Have you been listening to the squirrels again?"
"Kit--"
"Because the squirrels don't love you, Jonathan.  I love you.  I care about what happens to you.  You have to sleep through winter.  You won't survive if you're coherent in the middle of February!  Don't you think if it were possible to do that other animals would be doing it?"
"People do it!"
"That's just an urban legend!  People don't stay awake all winter!  They just put on an extra layer of skin and eat the elderly amongst them to keep warm!  Is that what you want for us?"
"I want to be alive!  Fully alive!  Not just surviving!"
"Jonathan--"
"Kit--"
"Jonathan--"
"Kit--I'm staying awake through winter."
"But--"
"You can sleep if you want to.  I have that book those campers left behind."
"The Secret?"
"I'm really interested to know what it is.  I think it might be that honey isn't actually all that good for us."
"So while I sleep you're just going to...stay up?"
"It'll be okay.  I can...you know...watch you."
"Watch me?"
"Yeah."
"Jonathan?"
"Yeah?"
"That's creepy."
"I mean, like, I can--watch over you.  Keep an eye on you.  Make sure you're...safe."
"But then who will watch over you?"
"Well, nobody's done it before."
"I know, but..."
"It'll be okay."
"I guess."
"It will."
"I guess."

. . . . .

"Jonathan?"
"Yeah?"
"Maybe I will stay up with you."
"Really?"
"Well, not for, like, the whole winter, but...maybe...a month or so?  Maybe just to make sure you...don't get cold...or anything."
"Okay, that would be nice."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Okay then."
"Yeah."
"Who knows?  It might be fun.  I haven't stayed up late in a long, long time."