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"Brainnn those cupcakes are making me feel woozy," Pinky said, dizzily walking towards him in the cage.
"What cupcakes, Pinky? I haven't made any since last week's plan!" Pinky didn't respond. "Pinky? Pinky!" He whipped his head around, seeing Pinky limp on the floor before rushing to his side. "Oh dear."
"Brain…" he wheezed, his breathing labored.
"Pinky you fool! You ate a cupcake laced with poison?" He scooped Pinky into his arms, his expression softening with concern. "Pinky?" He could no longer respond, simply whimpering and curling into Brain's chest. Brain lifted Pinky, rushing to lay him on their bed. He ran to his computer, typing rapidly before placing a vial in the nearest slot. Making his way back to Pinky's side, he held his breath.
"Wake up. I made an antidote," he commanded, lifting his head and caressing his face. When he recieved no response, his hand slid down to his pulse point where it found no movement. "Pinky!" Brain immediately climbed ontop of him, pumping out chest compressions while forgetting to breathe himself. "Don't you dare do this to me. If you die I will have to hurt you." Brain's cries ripped through his throat, leaving all his muscles aching as he stopped his chest compressions to breathe for him. A gasp vibrated underneath him and Brain cried of relief, kissing him quickly before running to grab the antidote.
"This will help, Pinky," he whispered, inserting the needle into his arm and kissing the spot when he was done.
"B-Brain?" he shivered.
"Yes Pinky I'm here." Despite all attempts to remain collected, his voice broke and he began sobbing into Pinky's chest. "Don't do that again." He rubbed Pinky's arms soothingly. His ears perked up as the door to the lab opened. Morning already.
"Good morning, Jessica," one of the scientists greeted.
"You too, thanks." She was carrying a strange metal screen, something that Brain took note of before focusing solely on protecting Pinky.
"Hey, Gemma?" Jessica called.
"What's up?"
"The taller mouse from project B.R.A.I.N seems sick." She stood next to the counter, peering into the cage.
"You can check its blood if you want," Gemma said. "I'll start up the prototype translator." Brain clung to Pinky, a dormant growl in his throat waiting for any moment the scientists would step out of line. The box and screen were set up next to the cage, green lines of code appearing on it before settling. Brain racked his mind for what to do to further help Pinky, when he heard him begin to wretch. Brain shot up,grabbing his shoulders and pulling him to the edge of the bed to help him.
"Shhh my dear. Let the poison out." He held him as he vomited, whispering comforts into his ear.
"Okay yeah he is sick. He's throwing up and his friend is helping him," Jessica said. The monitor began tying and spat out a word:
[comfort]
"Hey I think the translator is working!"
Translator?
Brain glanced up at the monitor, assesing that the sounds they made; the squeaks, were vaguely understood by the machine. The scientist poked Pinky and checked the results.
"Jesus how did this happen?" Jessica gasped.
"Whats wrong?"
"He has poison in his system. He seems awful, we should probably put him out of his misery."
What? Brain let out a snarl, turning towards the scientists and grasping Pinky's shivering frame. The monitor went off:
[threatening]
[protection]
[threatening]
"Uh oh, I think the smaller one understands what I said!"
"Fascinating… but sad. Hopefully he'll understand that his little friend is in pain," Gemma frowned.
"Brain what's happening?"
"Quiet Pinky. It'll all be okay." That caused the monitor to beep.
[comfort]
[fear]
[fear]
Friend?
Was that all they thought Pinky was? Just someone's friend?
"Narf. Brain, I'm scared, what are they talking about?"
"If they don't help you, I will. Just stay close," he whispered, nuzzling into the back of his ear.
[protection]
"Well he's surprisingly alive, so maybe we can just help him?" Pinky's breathing began to shorten again, heart rate unsteady as he fell forward.
"No, no Pinky stay with me," he begged, gently lifting Pinky and cradling him in his arms again.
"P… poit."
"You aren't just a friend," Brain smiled, tears falling from his cheeks again. "You are far more important, kind, and beautiful to just be a friend," he explained, his hand gently tracing Pinky's cheek. "You mean the world to me…" Pinky's eyes fell shut and he couldn't keep his own neck straight.
"Gemma are these mice mates?"
"No… why?"
"Well they act like it. Either way, the smaller mouse is squeaking a lot!"
[stay]
[together]
[need]
[you]
[love]
Jessica and Gemma put their gloves on and opened the cage, carefully avoiding Brain's attempts to bite them as he held Pinky to his chest.
"Hey little guy. We just wanna help, I promise. We'll heal him up," Gemma cooed. Brain didn't dare take his eyes off them for a second, growling louder than he ever had before.
[mine]
[protection]
[love]
"If you can understand me, just know that we want to help," Jessica added. "We know how to further treat him. He'll be right back to you in a few minutes." Brain squeaked out a cry, words failing him.
[fear]
[mate]
[safe?]
"Yes, we'll keep your mate safe. He'll be back, I promise." Brain stared at them for a minute, considering, before painfully pulling away from Pinky.
"You will return to me," he said as he placed a kiss on his head.
"Brain?" Pinky squeaked, barely audible.
[fear]
[stay]
"Come on, the faster we get him back, the better."
They lifted Pinky out of the cage and brought him to the other side of the counter, though he was calling out the whole way.
[mate!]
[where?]
[mate!]
"So they are mates?" Jessica asked again as they laid Pinky down and set up their equipment.
"I guess. Or maybe they don't realize that the sounds they're making are, well for normal mice at least, calling for their mates. Their communication is probably more complicated than our machine can understand since the experiment made them smarter."
In any other situation, he would've been mortified to be making such desperate, scared noises, much less squeaks. But as they cared for Pinky across the room, he fell to his knees and clutched the bars of his cage and wept.
What kind of friend am I, to have let this happen?