A sudden smash and clatter from outside caused both Rick and Summer to turn with alarm.
They darted out into the hall. The light was on in the bathroom. Summer was the first to see him.
"Morty!" she exclaimed with horror. The boy was crouching on his hands and knees on the bathroom floor. He was shaking all over uncontrollably. Several broken shards of glass lay scattered about him around the tiled floor. One of the shards of glass was streaked red with blood.
"MORTY!?" In shock, Summer reached for Mortimer's arm, but the boy turned sharply away, cradling his arm towards himself. He was trembling. "What happened!?" Summer demanded.
"N-N-Nothing." Mortimer spat through gritted teeth, before turning sharply away, his face bright with shame. Summer grimaced at the sight of blood on his arm. She could tell he was crying, but he didn't want them to see. "G-g-GO AWAY!"
At that very moment, Rick stormed into the room, observed the broken shards of glass, and then stared at the boy who was cradling his arm. Without hesitation, he snatched the boy's arm towards him in a vice grip. "What the hell, MORTY?" Rick snarled. There was a long trail of blood running down the boy's arm, which was still fresh and glistening. "Did you fucking CUT yourself!?" Rick barked.
Mortimer just glared at him, then glanced sharply away without a word. How could they possibly understand? They couldn't. They didn't know what it was like, to not be wanted. To be thrown away like trash. He was expendable, and he knew it. He'd heard both Summer and Rick fighting over him in the next room, through the thin wall which wasn't soundproof. He'd heard every word, and now he knew now it was true-that other Mortys existed in other dimensions. He knew what they were planning to do with him. It was useless, though-because who could possibly ever want him? He was damaged; defective; a usseless piece of trash. His Rick had made sure of that.
"...Morty-" Summer stopped herself. She didn't want to believe what she was seeing. "Y-you weren't...planning t-to-?"
"D-d-doesn't matter." The boy spoke flatly, as though he were suddenly devoid of all emotion. "Why would you care if I did it any-anyway?"
Summer blinked, unable to believe what she was hearing-and suddenly she was filled with rage. "Of COURSE I would, Morty!" she exclaimed. How could he ever think such a thing?
"My name is M-m-m-MORTIMER!" The words flew out before he could stop them. "And I'm NOT your brother! Your brother is DEAD! Don't talk to me like I'm HIM!"
Summer flinched. "I'm-" She shuddered, trying hard not to cry. "I'm...sorry-"
"JESUS, Morty." Rick leaned over the boy, carefully inspecting the wound. "You-you really did a number on yourself! You-you're lucky you didn't knick a vein, you stupid little shit."
"I'm not a stupid piece of shit!" Mortimer barked. "YOU are! And I'm NOT little! I-I-I'm ANCIENT! F-f-f-fucking ANCIENT!" Mortimer bit his lip, glancing sharply away as his chest heaved with rage. He was never allowed to swear in anyone's presence. He'd never sworn in his life. He didn't care anymore what he said and to who. He was done caring.
Rick's eyes flashed a warning signal, but he didn't say a word.
"An-and I KNOW it wouldn't matter if-if I did it anyway!" Mortimer spat, "Because-because you could just-just get another-another 'Morty', right? From- from another dimension, right? Or-or why bother? Because-because who would need someone like me around anyway?"
"Morty, don't-" Summer started to reach out to him, but Mortimer whirled around with an expression so vengeful that Summer froze and shrank back, stupefied.
"M-my name is MORTIMER!"
"Morti...mer…" Summer blushed profusely in spite of herself. "Please-we-were just trying to help you…."
"Why do I have to go anywhere?" Mortimer demanded suddenly. He knew he was rambling but he didn't care. "Wh-why can't I just stay here? I-it wouldn't be any different than before, except-Except-it would be nicer-Safer-" He rubbed at his arm, smearing some of the blood which had already begun to coagulate. The rest had slowed to a steady trickle.
"Don't be a moron, Mort-Mortimer." Rick shook his head at the kid, rolling his eyes with unmitigated disgust. "How-How the fuck would we explain your existence to the likes of-of Social Services?"
Mortimer blinked with confusion. "Social-what?"
"Services," Rick snapped. "Y'know, the people who come around when they're not wanted, just-just to make sure I'm not ruining Summer's life because I was the lucky one who became her fucking guardian when her parents kicked-kicked the bucket." He immediately regretted the term, but kept going, even as he felt Summer's piercing eyes boring into him with fury. He ignored it. "They-they think you're dead in our dimension, Mort-Mortimer-so-what do you suggest?"
Mortimer thought about it. "You could hide me in the closet!" he proclaimed with conviction.
Rick burst out laughing. "And you don't think that's one of the first places they'd look?" He shook his head with complete disgust. "Boy, you really have been sheltered from the world too long, haven't you?"
"Hey fffff-FUCK you!" Mortimer snapped, his entire body trembling with rage. It took all of his restraint not to run over and punch Rick straight in the gut. "You-you know what!?" He stormed straight over to the old man and glared right up at his face. "I-I-I'd be-probably b-be BETTER OFF if-If you had just IGNORED me and left me ALONE to-to BEGIN with!"
Rick froze as though he were startled by the statement, but then anger set in as blood began to boil in his veins. "Are you fucking SERIOUS, MORTY!?" he bellowed. "We-we both risked our lives back in that dungeon to SAVE your sorry ass! You-you should be bending down and kissing our fucking FEET, you little f-fucking stupid motherfucking INGRATE!"
Mortimer flinched, but somehow he didn't falter. "I-I wish I never even knew you ever existed!" His voice cracked. "B-because then, I wouldn't have known what I'd-what I've been missing!"
Rick groaned and rolled his eyes at the heavens. "Boy," he sneered, "you're even more of a dumbass than I thought!"
"Rick!" Summer snapped, glaring at her grandfather. She ran in front of Mortimer, trying to barricade him from Rick like a human shield, but Mortimer quickly shoved her aside in spite of her efforts. He stalked right up to Rick, who was twice as tall, but he didn't care one bit. He didn't care what happened now.
"Y-y-y-YOU'RE the dumbass!" Mortimer spat in the drunken old man's face. He was so close he could almost feel Rick's hot breath. It reeked of alcohol, and he almost gagged, but he didn't care. "Y-y-you should have just LEFT me behind! I-I-I never ASKED you to take me! My Rick will find me anyway and-and then you'll REALLY get it!"
"JESUS, MORTY." Rick spat the name with emphasis, knowing that it would fill the boy with endless rage. "Don't-don't you think I THOUGHT of that? You-you don't get it, do you? Of course not! Because I'M the genius here. Your Rick? Don't even worry about him EVER FUCKING AGAIN! You hear me? Because-he's GONE! KAPUT! ERASED! WASHED OUT-"
"Wh-wh-WHAT?" Mortimer's eyes widened in shock. "Wh-what do you MEAN?"
"He's DEAD, you moron!" Rick bellowed.
Mortimer froze. It felt as though time stopped. "H-he's dead?" he choked out weakly.
"THAT'S RIGHT!" Rick huffed, however still smirking as though he were pleased with himself.
"H-how-" Mortimer shivered all over. Everything felt like a dream, or a nightmare-he couldn't tell which, but he also didn't want to know. He felt like the room was spinning, or maybe it was his brain that was spinning. He thought he might either pass out or throw up.
"Because of me, kiddo." Rick leered at him. "Because I killed him."
Mortimer's eyes grew wide.
"Yep," Rick smirked smugly at the sky, imitating the cocking of a gun to his own head. "Killed that motherfucker dead! Straight between the eyes: Kablewy!"
Mortimer's eyes had grown the size of saucers. He shuddered, lost his footing and fell hard onto the tiled floor. He wanted to scream, but no sound came out. He wanted to cry, but no tears fell.
"Gr-Grandpa R-RICK-?" Summer couldn't move; she could only blink at her grandfather in shock. "Are-are you-SERIOUS?" This had to be a dream. Had her grandfather actually killed another version of himself? Did that mean he was going to jail?
"YOU BET I'm SERIOUS!" Rick snarled, however his gaze remained neutral; he didn't bat an eye. "That sick fucking bastard didn't deserve to see the light of day."
"Y-y-y-y-y-YOU…" Mortimer's chest was heaving, his entire body shaking almost uncontrollably. "Y-you KILLED him!?"
"Of COURSE you idiot! OF COURSE I killed him!" Rick barked. "He-he was an abusive fucking motherfucking asshole-just like EVERY OTHER RICK! He-he tortured you! He-he endangered you! He-he almost destroyed you! What-how many times had he almost KILLED you before-before you got to us, huh?" Rick was on a tirade, but there was no going back now. "How-how many times did he ask you to, to do things-crazy, psychotic things that only a psycho would demand of you-and you just fucking sucked it up and did it, because you didn't have any fucking CHOICE-"
"Stop-" Mortimer croaked. I will not cry-I will NOT cry-I WILL NOT CRY-
"And HOW many times did he neglect you, berate you, isolate you, and deny you all the basic human rights that every human being anywhere in the entire multiverse deserves but you got the short end of the stick? Time and again? Because-because you're a Morty and he was a Rick-and that's ALL-"
"STOP!" His throat was drowning in unshed tears. Rick just kept yelling.
"-How many times has he tortured you, defiled you, abandoned you-"
"RICK!-" Summer tried to snatch Rick's arm, but to no avail.
"-because Ricks are conditioned from the start to never care ever about Mortys-"
"STOP!" Mortimer sank helplessly to his knees on the tiled floor. His tears began to fall then, one by one, mixing with the blood on his arm, which had all but completely been forgotten "Please…," he whimpered haltingly, "...Please….Just….Go."
For a moment Rick just stood there, his entire body trembling with rage, silently seething. Then he promptly left, turning on his heels as he stormed off, without another word and without looking back.
Mortimer remained on the floor, unable to move. He had just stood up to a Rick, and he knew he should be elated. Instead, he just felt a hollow aching somewhere deep inside the endless pit of his chest. "H-h-he hates me," he whimpered dejectedly, crumpling his face in his hands. "I-I-I always ruin...every-every-thing…"
"No, Mort-" Summer quickly stopped herself. "Mortimer," she added again then, carefully. "It's-it's really not your fault-like-at all," she proclaimed, choosing her words as cautiously as she could manage. "Rick...just doesn't understand emotions...the way that normal people do." Way to state the obvious, stupid, she silently berated herself, groaning inwardly with self-disgust.
Mortimer didn't respond. He could hardly think straight. He couldn't stop trembling. All he could think to himself was: Was it really over?
"Is…." He stared up at Summer, eyes wide and pleading, shimmering with unshed tears. "Is-Is my Rick...really...dead?" He didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he curled up in a fetal position on the floor, hugging his knees to his chest, still shaking uncontrollably.
Summer's heart ached. She immediately crouched down on the floor next to him. "I…" She faced him, feeling awkward. "I...I don't think Rick would lie about something like that," she allowed hesitantly.
"Then-wh-wh-what...what should I do n-n-now..?" Mortimer blurted out, trying hard not to panic. "I….I really d-dddd-don't want to leave-" He shuddered, trying not to think about it.
"I-I know…" Summer exhaled a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding. "I don't want you to go," Summer admitted haltingly. Her voice sounded strange. Different. She sounded strange to herself. "But...unfortunately, uh, I…" She bit her lip. "...I think Rick may be...right….about this."
"WHAT?" Mortimer blinked back at her, looking dazed.
"I-" Summer had to stop, as a rock had suddenly lodged itself deep somewhere in her throat. "I-I wish you could stay here, Mort-Mortim...er, but…." Summer gazed down at him sadly, almost longingly. "But-It-" She had to stop, and start again. "It just-" She looked away. "It….it wouldn't-work."
She expected him to fight her on it, but Mortimer remained silent. When he didn't respond after a minute, she lowered herself down on the floor next to him, so they were lying side-by-side. "I-" Summer carefully avoided his gaze. "I really wish you could stay," she blurted out in spite of herself.
"B-because I remind you of...of him?"
Summer winced. "N-no," she murmured, slowly, "Th-that's not it at all…" She glanced away, Summer winced. "N-no," she murmured, slowly, "Th-that's not it at all…" She glanced away, staring at her own reflection in the broken mirror, the shattered glass. "I-I guess that it's-because…." She reached out and took his hand, not looking at him the entire time she spoke. "-it's because you're my friend, Mortimer," she allowed, then, speaking carefully. She always had to speak carefully around everyone now...
...because words if not spoken carefully could lead to chaos and tragedies...
Summer turned away as the tears began to fall. She wiped them away, furious at the tears. She was being such a stupid idiot, crying like this. He wasn't her brother, after all. It really didn't matter, did it? And yet it did. Because then he hugged her and buried his face against her chest, and suddenly, she was hugging him back. And it wasn't as awkward as she'd thought. And they stayed like that for a long time, because this moment was all they had, and she needed this memory, to remind her that she'd never let him go.