The sun, oh god the sun, ever so warm on her soft fur. This was the feeling she'd been promised, and granted, in the end, and all by one singular rabbit that she'd trusted. Sitting outside, Number Four was happy. She'd escaped the lab, escaped certain death and was now in a safe place, with other rabbits she loved. As she let the sun rush over her body like a warm running river, she heard the sound of footsteps coming up behind her, and turned to see Kevin cautiously approaching. She grinned, blushing.
"Oh look, it's my hero," she said, making him blush too.
"Stop that," he said, "I didn't do anything special."
"Kevin, you saved everyone, you saved ME," Number Four said, "I'd say that's pretty special. How're things going inside?"
"Pretty good I guess. Number Two's figured out a system for gathering and collecting food, and...and eventually we'll go back to the lab and get Gerald and Six and everyone else. But for right now, I just want you to rest."
She nodded and shut her eyes again, just taking in the suns warmth. As she stood there, Kevin watched her. Ellen's beauty was something he never expected to find in another rabbit again. After he lost his family, his own child, he never once imagined that he might find happiness again with another, and he treasured every moment that they had together. The problem, however, with moments...
...is eventually they end.
***
Kevin could feel all their eyes upon him, watching, waiting with baited breath, for him to say something...anything. He sighed and looked down at the small grave they'd dug, and he fought back tears as he exhaled and looked up at the rest of the rabbits before him.
"Number Four was a blessing," he finally said, "She was...a better rabbit than I could ever hope to be. She was warm and kind and intelligent, and the prettiest thing I've ever seen. I remember the first time we tried to escape, when I was getting frantic and nervous, she approached me in the vents and she told me it would be alright, and that's what she always did. She always reassured me, even if everything pointed to the contrary, that everything would somehow be alright. And what's even more amazing than the fact that she actually meant it and cared, was that she got ME to believe it. I've never been one for hopeful insights or positive thinking, mostly because everything has been pretty terrible in my life, but something about Ellen...something about her that made it sincere was that she wasn't just saying it because she thought I needed to hear it, but because she genuinely believed it. She believed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that things could get better and would be alright."
He paused and took a breath, then glanced up at a small tree stump nearby to see Salt standing there, wiping her eyes with her paw. He exhaled and continued.
"In a way, she wasn't wrong. Everything DID come out alright, at least for her. She didn't die painfully, she didn't die brutally, she didn't die in a fucking cage in a laboratory. She died in a burrow, surrounded by other rabbits that cared about her, believing that I would come back with something to save her. And I did. I just didn't get back in time. And the thing is, as much as I want to hate myself for it, I know that she wouldn't want me to. Each one of us, at a certain point, have to understand and accept that death is always waiting for us and always an option. Doug gave his life for this collective, allowing us to get out of the lab unpoisoned, and Fern gave her life for this collective, stopping the lab dogs from tearing us limb from limb, and Ellen...Ellen didn't give her life for this collective. But she gave her life to me. She's not gone, because I will always remember her, and love her, and carry with me the things that she taught me and the lessons and values and morals she instilled in me."
Kevin paused again, clearly on the verge of tears, as he felt a paw on his, and glanced to his right to see Gerry there, petting it. He allowed a few tears to roll down his face before he caught his breath and continued again.
"All those animals I just named, Doug and Fern, those are heroes. They sacrificed themselves for a greater good. The word hero is a weird word with a weird definition because it can be twisted to mean anyone really who does something even remotely unselfish. Ellen called me a hero. She told me I was a hero for getting us out of the lab, for getting her somewhere safe, all of that. But the thing is, nobody ever seems to count the ones behind the heroes and heroes. Honestly, without her, I never would've had the strength of the courage to become the rabbit that I am today. I was unsure of myself. I was insecure. I was afraid. But Ellen, Number Four, she told me all these things she could see me as, and what the hell is more heroic than telling someone they're better than they think they are? What is, honestly, more heroic than putting others before yourself, than raising others up to be their best, and force them to believe in themselves? I'm not a hero. Ellen was a hero. And if I AM a hero, I'm a hero BECAUSE of Ellen."
Kevin paused again and smiled as he looked down at the grave, then nodded and walked away from the funeral. Gerry then got up and gave a little speech, while Mipsy followed Kevin away from the funeral. Kevin and Mipsy headed into a small clearing, away from The Hollow, finding Nickle and Stone together in the clearing. Kevin took a seat and rubbed his head with his paws.
"You guys didn't come to the service?" he asked, and they shook their heads.
"I'm not great at funerals," Nickle said, "But, Kevin, I am sorry. I hope you know that. None of us wanted this for her, or for you. We were all really hoping things would pull through and she'd get better."
"She really loved you, you know," Stone said, "That was one of the last things she said to me before she went to sleep. She was fine with you not being there because she knew you were trying to save her, because you cared for her...and that she really loved you for it."
"I can't believe this. That goddamned mouse and fox and...Richardson. My god, if I ever see that rabbit again he will not leave me alive, that I can promise you," Kevin said, starting to get angry, "I will make him pay for everything he did. Ellen is gone, god knows what happened to Number Two...I feel sick. I believed him. I trusted him, and for what?"
"It's a setback, but only a minor one," Stone said, "Ellen wouldn't want you to live your life embroiled in anger, now would she?"
"No, she wouldn't..." Kevin said, admitting to himself that Stone was right, but still...he was angry; he added, "That being said, she also wouldn't want me to take that injustice lying down. I have to do something. I have to find Richardson. I am going to find Richardson."
"And what're you going to do when you find him?" Nickle asked.
"I'm going to kill him," Kevin snarled.
***
Lying in The Hollow, getting sicker by the minute, Number Four was starting to worry she'd never see Kevin again. As she watched Stone hop around and gather supplies to help her feel better, Number Four cleared her throat and, in the best voice she could muster, finally spoke up.
"What is the point of getting better?" she asked, making Stone stop and turn to face her.
"What?" she asked.
"What is the point of getting better? It's not like the life we lead is all that grand, all that happy, so what is the point? We escaped the lab, certainly, but-"
"I have to tell you something, Number Four...you haven't escaped anything. They will come looking for you. It's only a matter of time. They've come looking for me numerous times, and do you know why? Because THEY are afraid. THEY are afraid of what THEY have created. So the best thing you can do, Number Four, is get better. Regain your strength and live to fight another day so that one day, one day very very soon, you can help your fellow rabbits take THEM out. You...are a special. You're one The Special Seven. You were meant for great things, just like myself, just like Number Two."
"...what kind of great things?" Number Four asked, coughing, feeling weaker with each breath of air she drew.
"You are not a leader, that is Kevin. You are not an advisor, that is Number Two. But what you are, Number Four, is so much greater than all of those things. You...are an icon. You are a martyr. You are the one they will remember, because you pushed them to do these great things. You are the fury behind the fire, and that's the best thing to be."
Number Four nodded, and shut her eyes again, thinking about Kevin. She had gotten him to grow, she had gotten him to be a better leader...these were all true, but what would he do without her there to guide him? He'd have Number Two or Gerry, certainly, but they hadn't been with him the way that she had. She knew of his past, of losing his other partner and their child, and she could only imagine what losing another partner would do to his fragile state. But Stone was right, in the end. Number Four was an icon. A martyr. One that would inspire the others to do things they never dreamt possible. Things they never would've done otherwise.
Things like survive.
***
That evening, after the ceremony and everyone had gone to bed, Kevin sat outside, looking up at the stars. He heard the sound of someone coming up from The Hollow, and turned to see Gerry hopping out, coming over to sit by his side and join him in his stargazing. As the two sat there, looking at the bright lights in the sky, Kevin felt lucky that he at least still had Gerald.
"It wasn't your fault, you know," Gerry said, "That's the one thing that being tricked by Dodger had to teach me...it wasn't my fault. He's good, and he's so good at it that he makes you doubt yourself. But don't doubt yourself. He got to Richardson, Richardson got to you and...and it wasn't your fault."
"I know that," Kevin said, sighing, "I know that what happened wasn't my fault. But Ellen is gone because of him, and Number Two is...we don't even know if he's alive, Gerald. That's two of them. Two of our closest friends, just gone in the blink of an eye, all because of that little bastard. Something has to be done about him."
"I agree," Gerry said, "And when the time comes, something will be done about him, but for the time being...let's just mourn those we've lost, okay? Let's just take some time, take a breather and think about the rabbits who've touched our lives...and for what it's worth, Kevin...thanks for coming back for me."
"Of course," Kevin replied, "This whole thing was your idea. I'm just the one who got stuck doing it. I wasn't going to just leave you there to rot."
They smiled at one another and sat there, looking at the moon.
"Ellen loved the moon," Kevin said, "I'm going to get THEM for what THEY did to her, Gerry, mark my goddamned words. I will make THEM pay."
"I'll be right behind you, buddy. From here til the bitter end."
***
Sitting in the vents, during that first escape attempt, Kevin couldn't believe his luck. He'd been duped, led into a trap, and the only one who really understood was this other rabbit, Number Four. He was watching her, watching as she went around to all the other rabbits, mothers and their children, families, lone rabbits, and tell them that things would be okay. That this was just a minor setback. That soon enough they would be on their way to the outdoors. Kevin couldn't believe how she could be so kindhearted after everything THEY had done to the members of The Special Seven, but she was, and that kindheartedness seeped into him, whether he wanted it to or not. He was infected with her heart, and he promised himself right then and there that no matter what, he'd get her out of that lab.
And that, at least, was a promise he didn't break.
"Oh look, it's my hero," she said, making him blush too.
"Stop that," he said, "I didn't do anything special."
"Kevin, you saved everyone, you saved ME," Number Four said, "I'd say that's pretty special. How're things going inside?"
"Pretty good I guess. Number Two's figured out a system for gathering and collecting food, and...and eventually we'll go back to the lab and get Gerald and Six and everyone else. But for right now, I just want you to rest."
She nodded and shut her eyes again, just taking in the suns warmth. As she stood there, Kevin watched her. Ellen's beauty was something he never expected to find in another rabbit again. After he lost his family, his own child, he never once imagined that he might find happiness again with another, and he treasured every moment that they had together. The problem, however, with moments...
...is eventually they end.
***
Kevin could feel all their eyes upon him, watching, waiting with baited breath, for him to say something...anything. He sighed and looked down at the small grave they'd dug, and he fought back tears as he exhaled and looked up at the rest of the rabbits before him.
"Number Four was a blessing," he finally said, "She was...a better rabbit than I could ever hope to be. She was warm and kind and intelligent, and the prettiest thing I've ever seen. I remember the first time we tried to escape, when I was getting frantic and nervous, she approached me in the vents and she told me it would be alright, and that's what she always did. She always reassured me, even if everything pointed to the contrary, that everything would somehow be alright. And what's even more amazing than the fact that she actually meant it and cared, was that she got ME to believe it. I've never been one for hopeful insights or positive thinking, mostly because everything has been pretty terrible in my life, but something about Ellen...something about her that made it sincere was that she wasn't just saying it because she thought I needed to hear it, but because she genuinely believed it. She believed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that things could get better and would be alright."
He paused and took a breath, then glanced up at a small tree stump nearby to see Salt standing there, wiping her eyes with her paw. He exhaled and continued.
"In a way, she wasn't wrong. Everything DID come out alright, at least for her. She didn't die painfully, she didn't die brutally, she didn't die in a fucking cage in a laboratory. She died in a burrow, surrounded by other rabbits that cared about her, believing that I would come back with something to save her. And I did. I just didn't get back in time. And the thing is, as much as I want to hate myself for it, I know that she wouldn't want me to. Each one of us, at a certain point, have to understand and accept that death is always waiting for us and always an option. Doug gave his life for this collective, allowing us to get out of the lab unpoisoned, and Fern gave her life for this collective, stopping the lab dogs from tearing us limb from limb, and Ellen...Ellen didn't give her life for this collective. But she gave her life to me. She's not gone, because I will always remember her, and love her, and carry with me the things that she taught me and the lessons and values and morals she instilled in me."
Kevin paused again, clearly on the verge of tears, as he felt a paw on his, and glanced to his right to see Gerry there, petting it. He allowed a few tears to roll down his face before he caught his breath and continued again.
"All those animals I just named, Doug and Fern, those are heroes. They sacrificed themselves for a greater good. The word hero is a weird word with a weird definition because it can be twisted to mean anyone really who does something even remotely unselfish. Ellen called me a hero. She told me I was a hero for getting us out of the lab, for getting her somewhere safe, all of that. But the thing is, nobody ever seems to count the ones behind the heroes and heroes. Honestly, without her, I never would've had the strength of the courage to become the rabbit that I am today. I was unsure of myself. I was insecure. I was afraid. But Ellen, Number Four, she told me all these things she could see me as, and what the hell is more heroic than telling someone they're better than they think they are? What is, honestly, more heroic than putting others before yourself, than raising others up to be their best, and force them to believe in themselves? I'm not a hero. Ellen was a hero. And if I AM a hero, I'm a hero BECAUSE of Ellen."
Kevin paused again and smiled as he looked down at the grave, then nodded and walked away from the funeral. Gerry then got up and gave a little speech, while Mipsy followed Kevin away from the funeral. Kevin and Mipsy headed into a small clearing, away from The Hollow, finding Nickle and Stone together in the clearing. Kevin took a seat and rubbed his head with his paws.
"You guys didn't come to the service?" he asked, and they shook their heads.
"I'm not great at funerals," Nickle said, "But, Kevin, I am sorry. I hope you know that. None of us wanted this for her, or for you. We were all really hoping things would pull through and she'd get better."
"She really loved you, you know," Stone said, "That was one of the last things she said to me before she went to sleep. She was fine with you not being there because she knew you were trying to save her, because you cared for her...and that she really loved you for it."
"I can't believe this. That goddamned mouse and fox and...Richardson. My god, if I ever see that rabbit again he will not leave me alive, that I can promise you," Kevin said, starting to get angry, "I will make him pay for everything he did. Ellen is gone, god knows what happened to Number Two...I feel sick. I believed him. I trusted him, and for what?"
"It's a setback, but only a minor one," Stone said, "Ellen wouldn't want you to live your life embroiled in anger, now would she?"
"No, she wouldn't..." Kevin said, admitting to himself that Stone was right, but still...he was angry; he added, "That being said, she also wouldn't want me to take that injustice lying down. I have to do something. I have to find Richardson. I am going to find Richardson."
"And what're you going to do when you find him?" Nickle asked.
"I'm going to kill him," Kevin snarled.
***
Lying in The Hollow, getting sicker by the minute, Number Four was starting to worry she'd never see Kevin again. As she watched Stone hop around and gather supplies to help her feel better, Number Four cleared her throat and, in the best voice she could muster, finally spoke up.
"What is the point of getting better?" she asked, making Stone stop and turn to face her.
"What?" she asked.
"What is the point of getting better? It's not like the life we lead is all that grand, all that happy, so what is the point? We escaped the lab, certainly, but-"
"I have to tell you something, Number Four...you haven't escaped anything. They will come looking for you. It's only a matter of time. They've come looking for me numerous times, and do you know why? Because THEY are afraid. THEY are afraid of what THEY have created. So the best thing you can do, Number Four, is get better. Regain your strength and live to fight another day so that one day, one day very very soon, you can help your fellow rabbits take THEM out. You...are a special. You're one The Special Seven. You were meant for great things, just like myself, just like Number Two."
"...what kind of great things?" Number Four asked, coughing, feeling weaker with each breath of air she drew.
"You are not a leader, that is Kevin. You are not an advisor, that is Number Two. But what you are, Number Four, is so much greater than all of those things. You...are an icon. You are a martyr. You are the one they will remember, because you pushed them to do these great things. You are the fury behind the fire, and that's the best thing to be."
Number Four nodded, and shut her eyes again, thinking about Kevin. She had gotten him to grow, she had gotten him to be a better leader...these were all true, but what would he do without her there to guide him? He'd have Number Two or Gerry, certainly, but they hadn't been with him the way that she had. She knew of his past, of losing his other partner and their child, and she could only imagine what losing another partner would do to his fragile state. But Stone was right, in the end. Number Four was an icon. A martyr. One that would inspire the others to do things they never dreamt possible. Things they never would've done otherwise.
Things like survive.
***
That evening, after the ceremony and everyone had gone to bed, Kevin sat outside, looking up at the stars. He heard the sound of someone coming up from The Hollow, and turned to see Gerry hopping out, coming over to sit by his side and join him in his stargazing. As the two sat there, looking at the bright lights in the sky, Kevin felt lucky that he at least still had Gerald.
"It wasn't your fault, you know," Gerry said, "That's the one thing that being tricked by Dodger had to teach me...it wasn't my fault. He's good, and he's so good at it that he makes you doubt yourself. But don't doubt yourself. He got to Richardson, Richardson got to you and...and it wasn't your fault."
"I know that," Kevin said, sighing, "I know that what happened wasn't my fault. But Ellen is gone because of him, and Number Two is...we don't even know if he's alive, Gerald. That's two of them. Two of our closest friends, just gone in the blink of an eye, all because of that little bastard. Something has to be done about him."
"I agree," Gerry said, "And when the time comes, something will be done about him, but for the time being...let's just mourn those we've lost, okay? Let's just take some time, take a breather and think about the rabbits who've touched our lives...and for what it's worth, Kevin...thanks for coming back for me."
"Of course," Kevin replied, "This whole thing was your idea. I'm just the one who got stuck doing it. I wasn't going to just leave you there to rot."
They smiled at one another and sat there, looking at the moon.
"Ellen loved the moon," Kevin said, "I'm going to get THEM for what THEY did to her, Gerry, mark my goddamned words. I will make THEM pay."
"I'll be right behind you, buddy. From here til the bitter end."
***
Sitting in the vents, during that first escape attempt, Kevin couldn't believe his luck. He'd been duped, led into a trap, and the only one who really understood was this other rabbit, Number Four. He was watching her, watching as she went around to all the other rabbits, mothers and their children, families, lone rabbits, and tell them that things would be okay. That this was just a minor setback. That soon enough they would be on their way to the outdoors. Kevin couldn't believe how she could be so kindhearted after everything THEY had done to the members of The Special Seven, but she was, and that kindheartedness seeped into him, whether he wanted it to or not. He was infected with her heart, and he promised himself right then and there that no matter what, he'd get her out of that lab.
And that, at least, was a promise he didn't break.