Jasmine found herself sitting, just listening to the sounds around her, nibbling on some pellets when she heard the sound of her cage door creak open. She raised her head and sniffed the air a bit before smiling and laying her ears down.
"Hello Gerry," she said kindly.
"Hello," he said, hopping in and sitting next to her, sighing, licking his front paws.
"How've you been?" she asked.
"Weird," he said, "I don't know. It's a weekend, so nobody's coming in, and I figured I could get away with visiting you. I guess I just needed to talk to someone else for once. Everyone's so jaded since The Incident, and I guess I needed some outside perspective."
"Regarding what?" Jasmine asked.
"Regarding leaving again," Gerry said, "Kevin came back from The Sick, and he talked to me about trying to escape again, and I am just not sure how to feel about it. How can I possible convince the collective to try again after what happened? I mean, sure, it'd be just us, and none of us would betray the other, and there'd be no mouse to screw everyone, but..."
"You're worrying that they'll think you're sick in the head," Jasmine said, "Even though you know that what's best for everyone is to be out there. But, that's just what you assume is best for everyone. I know for a fact that I wouldn't survive a month out in the wild. Perhaps you should ask some of them if leaving really is what's best for them."
Gerry sighed as Jasmine nudged a pellet of hers with her nose in front of him. He smiled a little and started chewing on it.
"Gerald," she continued, "What happened was traumatic. Sure, you've all had some time to recover, but I think you have to take into account everyones feelings regarding the situation. Don't just assume escape is what everyone wants."
"I would just feel so guilty leaving them behind and-"
"You need to let that feeling go. You are not responsible for these rabbits, Gerald," Jasmine said, "You've made yourself responsible for them but you're not actually responsible for them. Certainly it's admirable, but do not put others in front of yourself, especially if it might end up hurting you and by proxy, everyone else."
"I guess that's true..." Gerry said, trailing off, looking away from her. After a few moments of total silence, Jasmine cleared her throat and licked her front right paw, then nibbled on another pellet before looking back towards Gerry.
"What happened isn't your fault," she said, and he perked up, looking at her.
"I know that," he said.
"I want you to really accept it and let it soak in. You can tell yourself it wasn't your fault, but unless you truly believe it, then it means nothing. You were lied to and used. Nobody can blame you for what happened. The victims are not the cause of their victimization," Jasmine said, and Gerry felt his eyes starting to water as she continued, "You did what you thought was best for everyone. You're a leader, and I think it's high time you stop beating yourself up about it."
Gerry nodded, rubbing his paw on his eyes, pulling away the tears.
"Thank you Jasmine," he said, before starting to leave. As he reached the gate to the cage, he stopped and turned back around, facing her, "I want you to come with us if we leave."
"I don't wish to leave, Gerald," she said, "You know that. While I appreciate the sentiment, the inclusiveness, this is my life, and it's what I know and what I can handle."
"We'll create a burrow, together, and we'll all take care of one another," Gerry said, "You wouldn't be alone, and you'd have help and-"
"Gerald," Jasmine said, "Thank you, but no thanks. I don't need rescuing."
Gerry nodded, turned back and headed back to the main lab. As he entered, climbing into his cage, he heard Six shifting from the hay in her cage as she woke up and looked up across the table at his cage. Gerry settled down in his hay and laid his head down on his paws, facing her.
"You okay?" she asked.
"I could be better," he said.
"Couldn't we all," she replied, and he smirked.
"You'd still come with me, right?" Gerry asked.
"If we left? Of course I would," Six said, "And nobody here blames you for not getting us out of there, so you shouldn't blame yourself either."
"That's what Jasmine said too," Gerry said, "It's just hard not to, especially when I'm the one who led everyone into that situation, listened to that maniac, put everyones lives in danger. It's hard not to blame myself."
"I know it's hard, but you have to believe it, otherwise you'll never do anything again, and Gerry, we need you to do things," Six said, pausing, looking at her paws, "...I need you to do things."
"Kevin told me we should try again," Gerry said, "He said we should continue to try again. I just...I don't know that I trust myself at this point. And then what? What if we get out? I lead everyone to somewhere new, and keep them safe in the wild too? The burrow idea is nice, but it's...it's too much."
"You won't be doing it alone," Six said.
"I know that," Gerry said.
"Hey, what're you guys talking about?" Kevin asked, letting himself into Gerrys cage, "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine, we're just talking," Gerry said, "You know, about what you brought up the other day, about The Sick and about escaping."
"I understand if you're hesitant, but you have to know...even if you don't want to, I'm going to try," Kevin said, "It would just be a lot easier with your help, and guidance, because...well, you're just...you're more of a leader than I am."
"He really is a good leader," a voice said from behind his cage, and all three of them turned around to see a small, shadowy figure standing on the lab table behind Gerrys cage. Gerry felt a fire ignite inside of him, his teeth showing, his ears lowered. It wasn't Salt.
"What are you doing here," he managed to snarl.
"It's nice to see you too, Gerald," Dodger said, "It's been a while."
"Hello Gerry," she said kindly.
"Hello," he said, hopping in and sitting next to her, sighing, licking his front paws.
"How've you been?" she asked.
"Weird," he said, "I don't know. It's a weekend, so nobody's coming in, and I figured I could get away with visiting you. I guess I just needed to talk to someone else for once. Everyone's so jaded since The Incident, and I guess I needed some outside perspective."
"Regarding what?" Jasmine asked.
"Regarding leaving again," Gerry said, "Kevin came back from The Sick, and he talked to me about trying to escape again, and I am just not sure how to feel about it. How can I possible convince the collective to try again after what happened? I mean, sure, it'd be just us, and none of us would betray the other, and there'd be no mouse to screw everyone, but..."
"You're worrying that they'll think you're sick in the head," Jasmine said, "Even though you know that what's best for everyone is to be out there. But, that's just what you assume is best for everyone. I know for a fact that I wouldn't survive a month out in the wild. Perhaps you should ask some of them if leaving really is what's best for them."
Gerry sighed as Jasmine nudged a pellet of hers with her nose in front of him. He smiled a little and started chewing on it.
"Gerald," she continued, "What happened was traumatic. Sure, you've all had some time to recover, but I think you have to take into account everyones feelings regarding the situation. Don't just assume escape is what everyone wants."
"I would just feel so guilty leaving them behind and-"
"You need to let that feeling go. You are not responsible for these rabbits, Gerald," Jasmine said, "You've made yourself responsible for them but you're not actually responsible for them. Certainly it's admirable, but do not put others in front of yourself, especially if it might end up hurting you and by proxy, everyone else."
"I guess that's true..." Gerry said, trailing off, looking away from her. After a few moments of total silence, Jasmine cleared her throat and licked her front right paw, then nibbled on another pellet before looking back towards Gerry.
"What happened isn't your fault," she said, and he perked up, looking at her.
"I know that," he said.
"I want you to really accept it and let it soak in. You can tell yourself it wasn't your fault, but unless you truly believe it, then it means nothing. You were lied to and used. Nobody can blame you for what happened. The victims are not the cause of their victimization," Jasmine said, and Gerry felt his eyes starting to water as she continued, "You did what you thought was best for everyone. You're a leader, and I think it's high time you stop beating yourself up about it."
Gerry nodded, rubbing his paw on his eyes, pulling away the tears.
"Thank you Jasmine," he said, before starting to leave. As he reached the gate to the cage, he stopped and turned back around, facing her, "I want you to come with us if we leave."
"I don't wish to leave, Gerald," she said, "You know that. While I appreciate the sentiment, the inclusiveness, this is my life, and it's what I know and what I can handle."
"We'll create a burrow, together, and we'll all take care of one another," Gerry said, "You wouldn't be alone, and you'd have help and-"
"Gerald," Jasmine said, "Thank you, but no thanks. I don't need rescuing."
Gerry nodded, turned back and headed back to the main lab. As he entered, climbing into his cage, he heard Six shifting from the hay in her cage as she woke up and looked up across the table at his cage. Gerry settled down in his hay and laid his head down on his paws, facing her.
"You okay?" she asked.
"I could be better," he said.
"Couldn't we all," she replied, and he smirked.
"You'd still come with me, right?" Gerry asked.
"If we left? Of course I would," Six said, "And nobody here blames you for not getting us out of there, so you shouldn't blame yourself either."
"That's what Jasmine said too," Gerry said, "It's just hard not to, especially when I'm the one who led everyone into that situation, listened to that maniac, put everyones lives in danger. It's hard not to blame myself."
"I know it's hard, but you have to believe it, otherwise you'll never do anything again, and Gerry, we need you to do things," Six said, pausing, looking at her paws, "...I need you to do things."
"Kevin told me we should try again," Gerry said, "He said we should continue to try again. I just...I don't know that I trust myself at this point. And then what? What if we get out? I lead everyone to somewhere new, and keep them safe in the wild too? The burrow idea is nice, but it's...it's too much."
"You won't be doing it alone," Six said.
"I know that," Gerry said.
"Hey, what're you guys talking about?" Kevin asked, letting himself into Gerrys cage, "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine, we're just talking," Gerry said, "You know, about what you brought up the other day, about The Sick and about escaping."
"I understand if you're hesitant, but you have to know...even if you don't want to, I'm going to try," Kevin said, "It would just be a lot easier with your help, and guidance, because...well, you're just...you're more of a leader than I am."
"He really is a good leader," a voice said from behind his cage, and all three of them turned around to see a small, shadowy figure standing on the lab table behind Gerrys cage. Gerry felt a fire ignite inside of him, his teeth showing, his ears lowered. It wasn't Salt.
"What are you doing here," he managed to snarl.
"It's nice to see you too, Gerald," Dodger said, "It's been a while."