"Gerry!"
His whiskers shifted, his eyes winced. "Gerry!" she mumbled again, this time forcing him to wake up and slowly look around. He yawned, stretched and looked at Six in her cage, who was staring at him hard. He cocked his head, confused. "What's going on?" he asked. "Look," she said, nodding at the table below them, and sitting atop the table was a birdcage. Gerry and Six couldn't take their eyes off of it. Could it really be? It couldn't be. There was no way. Gerry had to get down there and find out. He made his way out of the cage, Six right on his heels, and together they made their way down to the table, and stopped in front of the cage. Inside was a bird, who stopped eating upon seeing them. "Hello," the bird said in a nice, soft voice. "Do you remember us?" Gerry asked, glancing down at the tracker around her leg. "I do," she said, turning to face them now, "I do remember you. You were here when I was brought in as a baby and they put this on me," she said, shaking the tag on her leg. "You've just been living out in the wild?" Six asked, smiling, feeling good for the first time in ages. "Yeah!" she responded happily, "Yeah, it's been great. I've learned how to build a nest and soon I'll be looking to meet someone and start a family. There's not that many predators out there, besides the foxes, but if you don't stay on the ground then they don't pose much of a threat." "What's your name?" Six asked. "Misty," she said, "What about you? "I'm Six, and this is Gerry," Six said, motioning to Gerry, who just looked up at Misty and sighed. "Misty," he started, "I know this is a weird thing to ask, but I HAVE to know...have you seen other rabbits out there? Maybe other rabbits that were once in here?" "Hmmm...I mean, I do see other rabbits, but they're not ones like I see here. They're definitely wild. Though, a few weeks ago I did see two rabbits running somewhere, and one had this metal leg, and the other was missing half an ear, so, could they be who you mean?" Gerry's heart stopped in his chest. Kevin and Number Two. They WERE alive! He couldn't believe it, he wanted to just scream at the top of his lungs. After all this time of wondering if they had even survived The Escape, now he knew for certain. He shut his eyes and nodded, almost crying. "Thank you, thank you so so much," Gerry said, "Oh my god, you have no idea how long....how long I've wanted to hear that they are okay. If you see them, please tell them I miss them, and I hope to see them again. Did they look good?" "They looked okay," Misty said, "And yeah, I'll let them know!" Gerry turned and headed back to his cage, leaving Six behind to talk to the bird. Once inside, he heard Crisp getting into the cage with him and approaching him. "So they ARE alive," Crisp said, sounding rather stunned herself, "But if they're alive, then why haven't they come back for us?" "It's dangerous," Gerry said, "Look at how hard it was to GET OUT of here. God can only know how tough it can be to BREAK IN. I know Kevin won't leave me hanging. I know for sure Number Two won't leave anyone hanging. They'll be back. They have to." "Gerry, I don't want you to get your hopes up..." Crisp said, making Gerry furrow his brow. "Hey, no," he said, sounding annoyed, "No, you don't get to take this away from me. All I ever get is bad news, failure, setbacks, loss. No. This is one time I get to feel good, okay? I will get my hopes up if I want, because it feels a hell of a lot better than being miserable all the time, because even if it ends up not being true, at least, for just a little bit, I felt good, and that's better than nothing." Crisp lowered her ears and looked at her paws. "I just...I didn't want you to get hurt," she said, "But, fine, if you want to think like that, then go ahead. Who am I to stop you. You're right. Feeling bad all the time isn't good. But feeling good and then getting brought back to feeling bad only makes you feel even worse. Remember that, because trust me Gerry, that hurts a hell of a lot more than just staying sad." Meanwhile, back down on the table, Six was still talking to Misty. "So, you've never spoken to those other rabbits?" she asked. "No, I don't really talk to anyone. I try and keep to myself. I'm kind of shy, and I also don't want to to get hurt," Misty replied as she preened her feathers. "Understandable," Six said, "...is it pretty out there?" "What?" "Is it pretty in the woods? Out there. Where you live." "Oh, yeah, it's really pretty," Misty said, "Especially my nest. I put it high up in a tree and it's surrounded by leaves so not even other birds can see me, which will help protect my eggs when it comes time to lay them. It's wonderful." "I'd love to see it," Six said wistfully, "I want so badly to feel the wind." "The wind is great," Misty said, "Nothing feels better on the wings than a cool breeze. And when the sun first comes out in the morning and comes through the branches, oh, it's the most beautiful thing in the world. I'll show you sometime!" Six smiled, feeling maternal, "That would be nice. I would love to see where you live, and I am so happy to see you have grown up so well. When THEY first brought you in, I was so terrified THEY were going to hurt you or something, because it seems like that's all THEY ever do, but...but to know you were let go, watching them put that tracker on you...god...it gave me hope, and now seeing you back here, perfectly healthy and kind...it gives me even more hope." "I think I called you mama," Misty said, laughing, making Six laugh as well. "You did!" Six said, "Yeah, heh...yeah. I've...I've never had any children, so it was weird, but...I appreciate the fact that an animal as good as you could mistake me for your mother." Six sighed, and started undoing the front of the birdcage, climbing inside and walking up to Misty. Misty looked down at Six, opened her wings, and hugged her, letting Six sob into her feathers. All this time Six had thought nothing good ever happened. That only evil befell those who came to this place. But here...here was irrefutable proof. Not only were their friends alive, but so was this wonderful bird, this baby bird they once knew, now fully grown and well adjusted. There WAS some good. Gerry and Crisp had stopped their rather heated discussion and were now just standing at the edge of the table above, watching this scene unfold below them. It was the first time he'd ever seen Six be this open emotionally. She'd been emotional before, but not like this, and it made him realize how much she had needed some sort of hope. He looked at Crisp, who just shook her head. "One day," she said, "One day something really, really bad will happen to someone you care about, and you're going to have to remember that not everything is good. That with the good comes even more bad." "I know the world is mostly bad," Gerry said, "That's why I love the good when it comes. Because it isn't much and it isn't often but it's beautiful." Crisp sighed and headed back to her own cage as Six and Misty continued talking, with Gerry smiling on, watching some good finally happen in their home. *** It wasn't that much later that THEY replaced the tag and Misty was set off again, but the brightness her mere presence had brought to the lab was much needed and much thanked for. Now night time, Gerry sitting in his cage, looking out at the lab around him, he heard Six getting into his cage and approaching him. "Hey," he said, "You seemed like you had a very nice today." "It was wonderful," Six said, "For the first time since being here, I feel happy. I feel like there are good things that can happen in this world, even in this lab. I've been waiting to be told or shown that there could be success and happiness and hope. I tried so hard to stay upbeat after The Incident, and then after The Escape, but it became so very hard, Gerald, but now...god, now I feel like a totally reborn bunny." "I'm happy for you, Six. I cannot believe Kevin and Number Two are alive," Gerry said, "I just...god I can't wait to see them again, hear the sound of their voices, and..." "I'm sure they'll be happy to see you too," Six said, yawning, "I'm going to bed, Gerald. Have a nice night." As she turned and began to hop off, Gerry looked at her. "Six," he said, making her stop and turn back. "Yeah?" Gerry hopped up to her and looked her in the eyes. "Today taught me that you have to take happiness where you can get it, because there isn't much of it and a lot of it doesn't mean anything because it can be so easily destroyed. You were the first friend I made in here besides Doug, and I...well, I'm just glad you're here, that you're still my friend and that you'll hopefully leave with me when the time comes." "...of course I will, Gerry. You know that I'm on your side," she said, making him smile. He then leaned in and nuzzled her cheek, and she blushed before turning and leaving. As Gerry lay himself down in his hay and shut his eyes, he couldn't believe his luck. For once a day went by without anything bad happening. Without anyone dying or getting hurt, or anyone leaving. A good day. And it was good to have a really good day. Because there were a lot of bad days coming.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
About
The Rabbit Collective follows a group of lab rabbits struggling with their purpose, and hopeful eventual escape. Archives
October 2020
|