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Progress and Birds
Morse debates sulking about being kicked all day but then Mrs Thursday comes home early and starts cheerfully chatting to him about her day and her plans for decorating and he can’t resist following her around as she cleans downstairs. He finds her voice comforting for some reason.
‘Green? I can’t picture green at the moment but green sounds nice? Does it get boring? Cleaning the whole house all the time? Does no one help? Ooh a bug, I can help with that. Hmm, chewing them while they buzz is odd.’
When Fred gets home, also early, Morse is dozing in his burrow, only partially aware of the voices in the hall until he hears his name, much closer this time causing an involuntary twitch.
“Morse?”
‘What? Come to apologise? I’m not coming out till you do.’
“Come on lad. Give me a sign I’m not talking to myself. I want to keep you in the loop that’s all.”
‘Loop? There’s a loop? What loop? Who invented the word loop?’
Deciding that he’d rather have answers than continue sulking, Morse manoeuvres himself so that his nose is visible and pointing in the direction of pipe smoke.
“Hello lad. Listen, I’m sorry about this morning. I need to slow down and watch where I put my big feet.”
‘…not a bad start…I suppose it didn’t actually hurt that much. Just my feelings.’
Peeping out of his burrow he zones in on the smile he gets from Fred before the older man starts telling him about a visit he had with some hedgehog professor. Morse struggles to keep up with all of it but curiosity brings him out of his safe zone to silently pad across the carpet and park himself by Fred’s feet.
‘You’re happy to see me? Really? Wh…a hedgehog expert. In Oxford. Of course there is. Juvenile? I’m not malnourished, I’m just skinny. It’s not my fault I don’t get hungry. Well, didn’t get hungry…I can purr?? And it’s hard to feel completely at ease when people leave me outside overnight to be eaten and then kick me in the hall. That’s not a me problem. Wait…what about my mother? He said something about my mother? Say it again!.... Bath?? You’ve gone from my mother to a bath!? I’m confused.’
“So I was thinking of calling your sister tomorrow…”
‘Okay…’
“I know you might not like me poking into your life like this…”
‘You could’ve just asked when I was human…’
“But better me than Jakes right? Or Mr Bright?”
‘Not Jakes! Never Jakes! He’d mock me till the end of time. I don’t like being mocked. You should know that by now.’
“Maybe your stepmother…”
‘NO!!! Oh! What did I just do??’
Morse’s sudden discovery of his ability to growl startles him to the point of almost balling up before he catches himself halfway.
‘Don’t be stupid, I’m not a threat to myself. But why mention her? I don’t want her. Don’t send me to her!’
Looking back up at Fred, Morse catches his eyes and tries to convey his thoughts with his eyes and ears. It seems to work for domestic animals, so it has to be worth a try.
“No stepmother?”
‘Never.’
Morse manages to repeat his new found noise just in case he didn’t get his point across the first time.
“But yes to your sister?”
‘I suppose so. I don’t know what she could tell you but…she’s Joycie. I like Joycie. Oh, wait, noise, er…’
A few clicks. Clicks for yes and no seem to do the trick. It must work as Fred reaches down to run his hands along Morse’s spines.
‘Wait…touch? Good touch? Ok. This is ok. I like this. No more kicking.’
Morse is busy cramming what’s left of the evening’s casserole into his mouth when he hears his name and the word bath in the same sentence. He looks over to see Win crouching down, offering her hands out to him and he doesn’t hesitate to climb into her palms. He finds himself trusting Win more and more. Even more than Fred sometimes.
‘Bath? My bath? Where am I having a bath? Can I swim like this? Oh, I’m going up. Oh, this is high. Don’t look. Engage head tuck.’
“Not fond of heights love?”
‘Nope.’
“Not to worry. You’re up now.”
‘Oh, the sink. Don’t babies get bathed in sinks? I suppose I’m smaller than a baby at the moment. Ooooh, that’s nice and warm. When was the last time I had a warm bath? Hot water’s expensive.’
Morse finds himself thoroughly enjoying being bathed, particularly when Win starts to playfully wiggle her fingers in the water. He sits himself up in the corner of the sink to wait for the next waves.
‘Do that again? Ha ha, look, it’s like being in the sea. Isn’t it? I’ve never actually been in the sea. Again? Ha ha ha! Oh, hello Sir. Look at the waves! It’s time to get out? But I’m not pruney. That is a comfy-looking towel though. Ok, but can I have bubbles next time? I’ve never had bubbles. Where are we going? Hmmm, this is nice.’
As Win carries Morse around the living room wrapped in a cosy towel and singing to him softly, he can’t help but yawn widely and snuggle down for a good sleep.
‘It’s been a lovely day. The loveliest. Except for the kicking part but I forgive him. Maybe it will be ok. They’ll help me get back to myself.’
The next day starts with the sun shining and Win singing again as she creates a wonderful breakfast. Morse’s confidence in the garden has grown enough for him to be outside alone with the door open and he’s happily chasing insects on the lawn for a while before an ominous shadow passes overhead.
‘Come here you pesky ant. Where did you go? What the?… bird! Big bird! Security ball! Security ball! No! That hurts! Let me go! HELP!!!!’
He doesn’t know if the scream that leaves his mouth is loud enough for a second until…
“Morse!?”
‘HELP! HELP! IT’S HURTING ME!!! FRED!!!’
“GET OFF HIM!”
‘No! You’re not uncurling me! I won’t be eaten! I don’t want to fly! Ouch!’
Morse has no idea what’s happening as he tries his best to stay in a tight ball despite the bird's best efforts. He does panic when he feels himself leave the ground but it’s not long before he’s falling and hitting the ground with a painful thud. He keeps his ball until he’s wrapped in something soft and warm.
‘Oh no. I’m bleeding on your best apron. I’m sorry.’
“Fred! Oh, Fred, he’s bleeding!”
‘That’s very red. Is that all mine?’
Everything gets very confused after that as he’s moved into the house. There are voices all around, he even thinks he hears Jakes but it’s as though everyone is underwater. He wants so desperately to stay in a nice safe ball but the ball hurts.
“Come on Morse, let us have a proper look at you. You’re safe now. It’s just us, no birds. That’s it. Bit more. Good lad.”
‘No birds. No birds. Sir? I don’t feel well.’
“Dad?...vet…take him…stay…”
‘Vet? I don’t want a vet. I’m a person. I want Max.’
“Wrapped…tight…bleeding…”
‘I’m still bleeding? I’m cold. Thank you for rescuing me.’
“Did you hear that Morse? It’ll probably hurt when I wrap you, so I’ll leave it to you to decide if you want to curl up. Alright?”
Taking as much comfort as possible from Fred’s finger running gently from his nose to his ear Morse just manages to give him a paw and a quiet click.
‘Ok. I trust you.’
They seem to arrive at the vets in no time. Morse isn’t initially worried as he stays safe and secure, albeit very sore, in Win’s arms while they get out of the car and step into the surgery although that quickly changes as a stranger takes him from her and starts to carry him away despite his best efforts and loudest cries.
‘Wait. No. Who are you? I don’t know you! Where are you taking me!? Mrs Thursday! Sir! Don’t let them take me away! I only wanted the ant! I’m sorry! I’ll be good! No! Don’t touch me! What are you doing!? No needles! Get away! HELP!... help?’
He feels terrifyingly helpless as the strange new people somehow manage to get him exposed on his back, taking the security of Mrs Thursday’s towel away from him and poking him with a needle that makes him feel fuzzier and fuzzier until everything fades away.