Work Text:
It was another quiet day in Moomin Valley.
Snufkin was fishing in the stream, lying on the bank with his hat over his eyes, while in the nearby field, Snorkmaiden and Moomin and Little My and Sniff made flower crowns.
A crown decorated Snufkin's hat, of Snorkmaiden's making, the flowers chosen by Moomin, while one made by Snufkin sat atop Snorkmaiden's head. She was weaving together the rest of Snufkin's flowers into a crown for Moomin.
Peaceful and idyllic, a long, lazy summer afternoon.
Which made the explosion that rocked the valley all the more shocking.
It jolted Snufkin upright, shocked startled cries out of everyone in the meadow.
“Snork!” Snorkmaiden screamed, her paws flying to her face as she cried out her brother's name, eyes on the rising smoke. “On no, Snork!”
She scrambled to her feet, racing across the valley to the Snork's workshop shed at top speed with the rest of them at her heels.
They passed residents of Moomin Valley as they ran, all of them staring in shock at the column of black smoke rising over the forest.
Seeing the group of them run past was enough to break most of them out of their shock and send them running after them towards the workshop.
It had collapsed completely, wood scattered in a huge circle and decorating the trees around the clearing, some of it swaying from the force of its landing. A few broken timbers still stood, leaning drunkenly against each other, broken ends spearing towards the sky in the midst of the wreckage.
Here and there among the debris fires burned, crackling and devouring cloth and wood alike, and the sad remains of the Snork's latest attempt at a flying machine stood crookedly, leaning at an angle that said it was clearly broken in more places than one.
Of the Snork there was no sign.
Snorkmaiden barreled into the wreckage, calling out her brother's name, heaving aside debris with strength born of panic.
It was easy to forget, sometimes, how strong Snorkmaiden and Moomin were as he joined her in digging for the Snork.
Little My scrambled among the wreckage as Snufkin joined Snorkmaiden and Moomin, searching for Snork and crying out his name.
More people were arriving on the scene. Most had to stop and stare in disbelief for a shocked moment before rushing to join in the search.
“Over here!” Snufkin suddenly called, a dirty, white furred paw emerging from under the piece of flying ship he was lifting. “Hurry!”
It took all three of them to begin lifting the wreckage, helped by Moominpappa, who silently appeared and began helping them.
Snorkmaiden dropped to her knees beside her brother, her paws hovering over his battered body.
His fur was blackened and filthy with ash, littered with small cuts and splinters. His glasses hung from one ear, the string for the other snapped.
The worst was the large gash along his side and the piece of wood, wide as Snufkin's wrist, that pinned his side to the floor.
Snufkin and Snorkmaiden bent close to examine it, hearts in their throats as around them, everyone else waited in tense silence.
“He's lucky,” Snufkin said quietly. “It looks like it missed anything vital, but getting him home like this...”
“We make a stretcher and carry him,” Snorkmaiden said. “Someone see if they can save enough canvas. Little My, run and get Moominmamma. Don't argue, you're the fastest of us. Tell her what's going on and meet us at our house, it's closer.”
Little My set off at a run as Moomin and Moominpappa rushed to make a stretcher.
---XXX---
The stretcher they constructed wasn't their best work, but it was the best they could create under the circumstances.
Snork didn't wake as he was moved, a small mercy as it would have been agony each time the stake was jostled, and was also worrying as he was a dull grey and unresponsive.
They moved as quickly as they dared over the path Snork had worn through the woods over the years, every moment afraid of hurting him more.
Moominmamma was waiting at the Snork's house, and they laid the stretcher down on the table and stood back, waiting for instructions.
Moominmamma had the most experience, but most forgot that Snorkmaiden and Snork had traveled about quite a bit before settling in Moomin Valley after the comet, that Snorkmaiden was familiar with some medicines and learning more from Moominmamma, while the same could be said of Snufkin.
Snorkmaiden might have been a sickly green as her brother's blood got on her paws, but she was right there alongside the other two as the wood was eased from her brother's side, the wound cleaned by Snufkin, whose sharper eyes picked out the few tiny bits of wood left behind, careful and thorough and gentle.
The cuts needed stitches, a needle sanitized in a candle flame and tidy, small stitches as they tried not to think about what it was they stitched.
Finally finished, the three staggered back from the table. The wounds weren't serious, in the end, save the one in Snork's side where the wood had been, but there was still blood on paws and clothing, and the Snork was still distressingly grey and still.
Now that the immediate emergency was over, Snorkmaiden burst into tears, pulled into a hug by Moominmamma, with Snufkin and Moomin hovering nearby.
“I'll keep watch,” Moomin promised as Snorkmaiden's sobs began to die down. “You'll feel better if you're clean. I'll come get you as soon as he wakes up.”
“The very second he does,” Snorkmaiden asked, sniffling.
“The very second,” Moomin promised.
Staggering a little, Snorkmaiden let Moominmamma and Snufkin lead her off to the bathroom.
They filled the tub with cold water, to soak Moominmamma's apron and Snufkin's smock, while Snorkmaiden began washing away the blood. Apart from the wood and the gash, Snork hadn't lost that much blood, most of it inside where it belonged.
But oh, it seemed like there was so much of it right now.
Snorkmaiden realized what Snufkin was doing when he allowed her to fuss over him, how he was allowing her to use him as a distraction, and was more grateful to him for it than she had imagined she could be, loved him more this moment than ever before as he let her fuss over getting the last of the blood from his paws, on combing and fixing his hair, letting her keep combing long after the tangles were gone to occupy her hands, to give her something to focus on.
He reached up a paw and touched hers when she paused, trembling, seeing again her brother's face as he lay downstairs. Snorkmaiden started to well up once more, clinging to Snufkin, who rubbed her back and held tight.
There was a knock at the door, making them all jump. “Snorkmaiden?” Moomin called through the door. “He didn't wake up yet but Snork's starting to change colors. They aren't very pretty colors but he's not grey anymore, I think he's waking up!”
Snorkmaiden leapt up and grabbed the paw resting on her shoulder, rushing from the room with Snufkin in tow and Moominmamma close behind.
Snork was moaning as they reached the room, reaching for his head as Moominpappa urged him to lie still.
Snorkmaiden burst into tears again, grasping her brother's paw as he opened his eyes.
“Snorkmaiden? What happened? Oh, my sides, what...”
“That's what we need to ask you,” Moominmamma said, gentle but stern. “There was an explosion, and you were hurt. And you've scared us all, quite badly.”
Snork flushed red, fading back to his normal blue shade as he thought. “I was testing new fuel for the flying ship...oh, I'm such a fool! How could I be so careless!” he berated himself.
“Next time, don't be,” Snufkin broke into the litany of self flagellation. “You've badly scared your sister, and the rest of us.”
Under the stares, Snork wilted. “I can't stop working,” he protested. “I have to keep trying things and pushing, it's worthless if I can't make something out of it.”
“No one's asking you to!” Moomin scolded, sounding remarkably like his mother. “But you have to be more careful, Snork!”
“Failure's always an option,” Snufkin pointed out, “but not if it takes you with it.”
Snorkmaiden sniffled. “Snork, I almost lost you,” she said tearfully. “You had wood through your side. If it had been just a little different...” She dissolved again into tears as Snork tried to comfort her.
Snufkin laid a paw on her shoulder as Moomin knelt at her other side, rubbing her back.
“I know you need to create big brother, but you have to be more careful!”
Snork peered at her, squinting as his glasses were on a nearby table, not yet fixed. “Snorkmaiden...” he turned grey again as Snufkin and Moomin glared at him, the worry and fear and anger there strong enough he didn't need vision. “I promise, I'll be more cautious in the future. I...I'm sorry, Snorkmaiden.”
“We'll help you rebuild,” Moomin said. “We'll make it even better this time. So long as you really are more careful.”
There was a chorus of agreement around the room.
Snork looked at them blearily, holding onto his sister's paws as she clung. “Thank you. All of you. I'll be more careful in the future. I promise all of you.”
“We're going to hold you to that,” Moominmamma said, patting Snork's shoulder. “Get some rest. Everything is going to work out just fine, you'll see.”
And the room relaxed, finally reassured that Snork was going to recover, all of them beginning to chatter as Snork squeezed his sister's hand, secure in their affection.