#calmd

We have widowed mouse Logan who goes off in search of medicine because his son Thomas is sick. He bravely speaks to the Owl who tells him that the only medicine is in the human house and Logan needs to get it quickly so Thomas can be ok. Logan leaves Thomas in the hands of Emile, Talyn and Joan who are also mice and Remy, a ferret who likes to bug Emile. 

Throughout his search, however, he ends up getting caught in the human house and taken to NIMH where he’ll be used as a medicine tester (he takes on kind of the role of Johnathan as well as Mrs. Brisby in that he has to free the other mice in the cages of the laboratory). 

At first the other mice don’t exactly trust the little field mouse because he is doesn’t look like much, but he is dedicated and determined and clever. Patton befriends him first because their cages are next to each other and he hears Roman trying to escape every night by trying to pick the lock with no results. 

Logan tries to explain why he needs to leave- Virgil says he doesn’t trust him because how could a field mouse be clever enough to get them out? Patton explains that he had been a pet to a little girl and loved her to bits but she gave him up when she got bored and now he’s stuck here. They bond over missing people they love but they still don’t believe Logan when he says he has a plan to get everyone out once he sees the rat on the table opposite them also trying to get out of his cage.

The resident rat, Deceit, can hear them talking and reveals that he has been observing Logan over the past few days as he navigated the tests with ease. He argues with the mice for a while but ultimately they are silenced as he insists he’s decided to trust him and while the other mice do not trust Deceit as a rat, he insists that Logan needs to understand what they’re doing to them at the lab and that due to the medicines they are being given, their intelligence far beyond normal rodents, giving them the capability of reading human language and understanding human speech, therefore together they should be able to escape if they can get out and use one another’s talents to get to the vents. They have no idea at this point that Logan, already unusually intelligent, has not been given the medicine yet. He doesn’t tell them either because it does not occur to him to do so and he works with them to come up with a plan to escape. 

The night of the attempt however, Logan is taken in for testing by a late-night worker. He’s never had the medicine before and when he is given it he does not anticipate what it’s affects are going to be. They return him for study and he seems to be fine other than shock and fear from the pain of the injection and they leave, disappointed. The scientists discuss when they leave how they had hoped for better results considering how intelligent Logan was for initial trials but when they are gone Logan goes into a panic because he can’t handle what he is seeing. 

He sees them escaping, sees the mechanics of the lock and he sees himself open them. He sees them scramble t get up and someone knocks over something loud. He sees humans coming in and reaching fr them and sees Patton grabbed. He sees Deceit shriek and lunge and bite at the human, allowing them to escape. He is not with them. He sees them make it, but Deceit is left behind.  The other mice and Deceit try to rouse him from their cages and he wakes with a start, rushing to explain what he saw. They do not believe him at first but Roman shushes them as Logan stumbles to the bars and opens the lock just as he’d Seen. 

“Oracle.” Deceit frowned but he hurried to repeat the motion, and helped the others out of their cages. They crowd Logan who is exhausted but he urgently tells them that whatever they do they mustn’t topple what is on the tables or Deceit will be trapped here without them.  With his warning they all make it out together and Logan rushes forward and stalls them as the rain pours down. He sees the cars go by, not understanding the beasts. 

“What do we do?” Virgil asks. Logan sways and his vision blurs. He sees them run desperately in the rain, so much rain, and loud gigantic beasts that run along the dark rainy road loud as thunder. Human beasts, scary things that will kill them if they get too close. “A-avoid- avoid monsters- don’t go- don’t go-!”

He leans against Patton as Roman who has dragged a stick to use as a makeshift sword, leads the way with Deceit guarding their rear. They hurry forward only when there is a gap between beasts. 

On the other side of the road they are safe for now and Deceit confronts Logan about his visions. Logan admits hat was the first time he had been given the medicine and Deceit expresses that his intelligence was far superior to theirs which means his abilities of future sight are an incredibly precious gift for them now. Logan laments that it is a curse to see death like that but he needs to get the medicine from the house for Thomas. 

“We are at your debt Logan.” Roman says. “We will follow you wherever you go.”

“We’re too intelligent for simple lives….” Virgil comments. “We can’t go back to what we were doing; we can’t steal, we can’t scavenge, we… we learned to read, to write, to see….. to remember. We have to DO something with this. So let’s go do something good.” 

Sneaky and clever as they are when they return to the house, they get in easily and avoid the traps. Logan warns them of the cat, but he succumbs t another vision. Gentle and protective, Deceit keeps guard of him while the others retrieve the medicine and carries him back out when they are done. He wakes in his arms. “What did you see?” Patton asks. 

“I saw a rose bush….” He says softly. “Full of thorns and a tunnel beneath, the path of a long dead serpent. It leads to the roots of a great tree, paradise of sorts. There is where we must go in two days when the humans bring another beast that will tear the land up and destroy everything for their harvest.” 

They bring the medicine to Thomas who is so terribly ill. The medicine will help, they all know it, but Logan worries anyways. The second day draws near and Deceit is still worried. Thomas has improved but is still in no condition to be moved. “We have to go Logan. It’s risk his life getting out or everyone dying waiting for sure. Roman has already gone to check the path you saw and he and Remy confirmed it last night. They’ve gone to clear the tunnel We have to go.” 

“What if he gets worse?” Logan holds his little one close protectively. “What if I lose him?” 

“You won’t.” Deceit replies. “On my word, Logan, I will see to it that you and he and everyone gets to paradise safely.” But before he can say anything more the ground rumbles and Logan gasps. 

“It’s too early, I thought it was two days and then the beast!” 

“Looks like your visions may not be entirely accurate-” Logan wraps Thomas up and they usher everyone outside to where the huge beast is starting up, the human farmer making frustrated curses. 

“He doesn;t know how to use it-” Logan says, drawing Thomas close. 

“But he may figure it out sooner than we’d like. Take everything you can!” Deceit orders to Emile and Patton and Virgil just as Roman comes in on Remy’s back. 

“The tunnel’s entrance was collapsed but we cleared it! We can go now.”

“And soon babes, that doesn’t sound good and the ground is shaking like a trapped rabbit.”

“Grab all you can in the way of supplies.” Logan calls to them and looks at Deceit who nods. “We’re going now.” 

The trek to the rose bush is perilous as it lies close to the beast and the human and it roars to life and starts to move twice, dislodging dirt and weeds and they are almost smothered by it before it dies. Deceit mutters to himself but he shoos them all into the tunnel. 

The walk from there is long, several days worth because they can’t go very long before Thomas needs to lay down. “You’ll see the sky again sweetie.” Logan promises and Thomas coughs. 

“Promise papa?” 

“I promise.” Logan soothes and Deceit sits beside him as Thomas goes back to slleep. 

“You are a good dad Logan. And your insight has saved us.” 

“I never wanted t see the future…. I just wanted to keep my boy safe.” 

“And you have.”

“But what now? When we get to paradise it won’t be paradise yet. It’ll take work and time and effort. We’ll all work our tails off. I am not strong like you and Remy, nor fast like Virgil and Roman and Talyn. I cannot fight like you all can and I am not as efficient at picking up new tasks or cooking or digging like Patton is. I might be clever but I am not as capable as the rest of you. Even Emile and Joan know all sorts of medical things and they are not even enhanced like you are.” 

“That taught us to read and to remember and to understand. But it is something that can be taught.” Deceit replies and gently hugs him. “And we don’t just value you for your Sight Logan. Even without it you united us and it was your plan that got us out of NIMH. I might be clever at lying to humans but I know you see right through me. Your perception and judge of character and way with logic is commendable. We need you to help coordinate us and we need you to raise your kid.” 

Logan leans against him and sighs. “Thanks Deceit. I’m…. not too good with the feelings thing but you did make me feel better and I appreciate that. You… make me more comfortable than anyone which seems silly because you are a rat.” 

“Good.” Deceit squeezes him lightly. 

The rest of the journey went without most chaos. There was a snake that did not make the cavern that came and Roman and Deceit and Remy bravely fought it off. Patton and Emile helped tend to them and Logan and Virgil refused to admit their worry. But the longer they went the more they grew closer and then just as promised, the tunnel let out to a large open space beneath the roots of the tree above them. Paths up top could easily be dug and Emile and Patton got to work as Remy and Roman scouted ahead. Virgil stared to help make everything comfortable, making beds from their blankets and finding a nice place to set up their eating area. 

Logan helps lie Thomas down, the little one doing much better but tired from the move. He’s recovering steadily though and he’d been playing with Virgil earlier much to the hidden pleasure of the brooding mouse. Sunlight burst through the tunnels the others made and the cross-breeze was lovely. Just as promised, the fields above were covered in flowers and the scent traveled. 

“I’m glad to be settled.” Logan admits. “But the journey was worth it. We are going to be safe here.”

“And in all fairness, Joan and Talyn are together and I’m fairly certain so are Remy and Emile…” Deceit mutters. “And also the rest of the mice are kind of an item on their own and they’d kind of like you to be part of this big happy family and I wouldn’t mind that so much but also I really don’t want to let you go…..” 

“Are you asking me out? I have a kid.” Logan chuckles. “Responsibilities. And you’re kind of huge.”

“Yes, and?” Deceit smirks. “More to hug.” 

“That would sell it for Patton.” 

“It did.”

“What sold it for Roman?” 

“The fact that I can lift him with ease.” 

“And Virgil?” 

“Working on it.” Deceit laughs. “Though he’s coming around. Please?” 

Logan thinks about it as he runs his hand over Thomas’s soft ears. “Yeah, ok.” They were going to make a life for themselves anyways, they might as well.

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