Work Text:
The Raging River: Part 2
By the time the car stops Morse is feeling decidedly unsettled. The risky drive had his stomach rolling and the sound of the rain hammering down on the roof was terrifying to his sensitive ears.
‘I never should have gotten into this bag. I should've stayed with Jakes. I should've squeaked. Stupid storm. Stupid photo. Stupid Jim for missing it. I don't like it here. I want Win.’
Highly conscious of being alone and suddenly feeling even smaller than usual, Morse stays as still as he can for as long as he can, safely hidden in the mess of paper as an odd shadow passes over the car window.
‘What was that!? That wasn't Fred, no hat. Oh, where are they? I feel threatened.’
He waits a few minutes longer and tries in vain to hear anything over the rain before slowly creeping out of the bag for a better look.
'Ok. I see trees, big trees and rain and lighten... murderer! The murderer is at the window! Fred! Jim! Help!’
Scurrying back into the bag just as a window is smashed and glass litters the seats, Morse can't contain his squeak of fear as hands grab him and start to lift him out.
'No! Unhand me! Take that! and that! Let me go! You won’t get away with this!'
He bites and prickles and wriggles as hard as he can, but his assailant seems oblivious to the damage being inflicted on his hands. A bright flash of lightning illuminates the area and Morse instinctively balls up as tightly as possible when their destination becomes clear.
'No. No, No, No.’
He doesn't dare risk a peek as the roar of the river comes closer, and closer.
‘Fred, help me, please.’
"Who's there!?... Police!... Identify yourself!"
'FRED!’
A flicker of joyful hope comes to life in the little hog although instinct tells him to stay in his ball.
"Come on now lad... You wouldn't hurt an innocent animal would you?”
'I really hope not. Please grab me.’
"Innocent animal? I heard you talking in there! He's a copper! Now stay back!"
'I'm really rather scared right now!’
"Is this about your sister?"
‘Of course, it is!'
"How about you just put him down and we can get out of this rain. Talk about it over a cup of tea eh?"
'TEA! I'm hanging over a river and you offer him tea!?'
"I had to do it! She was making everyone unhappy!"
'That's no excuse for murder!’
"Alright lad, alright."
'Please hurry!’
"You just come with me, and you can explain everything. No need to fret."
Morse has a split-second warning as the boys' fingers loosen, and then he's falling, his stomach flipping, heart pounding and head rushing.
Fred’s roar of fury sounds so far away as Morse feels like he's travelling through the air in slow motion before hitting the freezing water hard, instinct taking over once more as he paddles as hard as he can to reach the surface, squealing as loud as he can manage as soon as his face is above water.
'HEELLP MEE!!! HELP!’
"Hold on matey! I'm coming!"
It takes every ounce of strength Morse has to keep pushing to the surface every time the raging current pulls him under, squealing as best he can in the hopes of Jim finding him in the dark.
'JIM! I'm here! I'm here! Please don't let it take me! I don't want to drown. Please... I'm so tired.'
Morse is on the verge of giving up and surrendering to the water when he feels himself get washed into a pair of hands that lift him out of the water into the cold air, holding him close as he shivers uncontrollably.
“I’ve got you matey. I’ve got you. You’ll be ok.”
‘C…cold. S...so cold. J…Jim? Wh…where’s Fred? Fred’s w…warm. Don’t drop me. I can’t go back in.’
“What’re you doing here?”
‘Who? Danger?’
“Couldn’t find Morse…did the math.”
‘Jakes. I should’ve stayed with Jakes. I’m sorry.’
Morse tucks into Jim’s arms as tightly as he can as Jakes helps them the rest of the way out of the water just in time for Fred to arrive.
“Morse! Is he alright!?”
‘Fred! I’m so cold. I was so scared! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!’
Morse wants to relax as Fred takes hold of him but he’s just so cold and something doesn’t feel quite right as Fred races him to the vet who must be getting sick of seeing them by now. He is too tired to think about how quiet Fred is as he’s handed over to the nurse and whisked into the emergency room to be poked and prodded and squeezed. The warm blanket he’s given when placed into the same cage as last time would have been lovely if he hadn’t started to feel even more sorry for himself.
‘I don’t deserve to be warm and cosy. I should never have gotten into that bag. What if Jim and Jakes get sick from the cold water? What if it messes up the case? I’m so stupid.’
Hearing the door open behind him, Morse glances around and spots Fred looking tired and worried, which just makes him feel more guilty, so he turns back to the wall and tucks his head.
“Guilty conscience? What were you thinking!? Trying to boost your ego by solving a case in this state? Was that it?”
‘What? No, no, no you’ve got it wrong! It was an accident!’
Shuffling over to the cage door, Morse tries to get Fred to understand his chattering.
“I’ve spent weeks…weeks!...doing everything I can to keep you safe and happy and this is what you do? My family have done everything they can and for what?”
‘Please…it’s not what you think. Take me out. I can explain. I can use the letters.’
Leaning on the door lock Morse tries reaching a paw out to Fred hopefully. He doesn’t like where this is going and is starting to feel things he hasn’t felt for some time.
“No!”
‘But…’
“Maybe your stepmother was right.”
‘No…’
“Maybe we have been coddling you too much.”
‘Stop it.’
“You’re the only one left that hasn’t been fixed!”
‘But…’
“Maybe it is just how you are?”
‘Why are you saying this?’
“You’ve always been different.”
‘But you said…’
“What was is Jakes said?...Misfit.”
Morse starts to frantically attack the lock of the door, breaking into quiet squeaks as fear grips his tiny heart.
‘Take it back! You said…Win said there was nothing wrong with me! Take it back!’
The lock finally clicks, and the door opens…only for Fred to step forward and lock it again right in front of his nose.
‘No…’
“No. You need to stay here for a while.”
‘…Don’t leave me…’
“I can’t trust you at home and I don’t want you upsetting Win.”
‘But it was an accident…an accident…’
“Not anymore.”
‘Anymore?’
“I’ll visit in a couple of days.”
‘Days? No! No, don’t leave me! You said I was safe with you! You said….Don’t leave me! Don’t abandon me! Please!’
The squeaks turn to screams as Fred turns away, ignoring Morse attacking the cage door and walking away without another word.
‘Come back! Come back! It was an accident! Don’t leave me alone again! Fred?? I’m sorry! Don’t leave me!!’
He didn’t come back.