On a normal, uneventful Saturday morning, The Spine sat in the library of the Walter Manor talking to Peter Walter VI while Rabbit and Hatchworth sat in the hallway outside and Steve Negrete took Tago for an "inside walk" through the library. The Spine was about to make a crushing argument about the function of the little red flag on the sides of mailboxes when Rabbit came in, whining about something. It took the robot a moment to realize he couldn't understand anything Rabbit was saying. He couldn't even really be sure he was whining. More like a sobbing plea.
"Hey- Rabb- Rabbit, hey- calm- calm do- RABBIT!" Spine got more and more frustrated as he tried to calm Rabbit's frantic gestures and ramblings. Steve was eventually able to grab the robot's hands and, forcing them to his sides, was able to shut him up. "Now what do you need?" Rabbit's hands twitched, but Steve's held fast.
"No, no, use your words, buddy," Steve said reassuringly.
Rabbit made an awkward, forced sort of gulping noise and closed his eyes. Hatchworth stood fearfully outside in the hall. For some reason, this worried The Spine, but he ignored it. Rabbit opened his eyes again. "Okay, so, I was sittin out in the hall, on the floor, with Hatchworth, right?"
"Right."
"And I heard- a voice- I heard someone- ask me how I'm doin, yeah?"
"Yeah, Rabbit."
"And it sounded fa-familiar, but in a kinda weird way, like- like I should have known it, but I didn't, you know?"
"Yeah."
"That's actually called jamais vu, Rabbit," The Spine interjected, now standing next to Steve. He waved Steve's hands away and replaced them with his own, feeling like it would make Rabbit more comfortable. "But keep going."
"So-so I looked up, to see who it was, and- and it was- it-"
Hatchworth stepped in. "It was Pappy."