Chapter 27: A Flight to Remember
The next day, Red, Snakes, and Bill confessed that they were the ones who pointed the traps at Fidget, while he was imprisoned in a bottle. Plus, they admitted their wrongs to the queen, so they brought the jewels back to make up for it. They also promised to do good deeds.
The queen considered this before saying, "I still don't trust you."
Snakes sighed. "You're right," he said, "This still doesn't make up for what we did to you."
"We're willing to make good this time," Red vowed.
"Very well," the queen began, "But don't hurt me or any of my subjects as well as everyone else. Do I make myself clear?"
The three thugs nodded and bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Bill said humbly and the trio exited the castle to devise a plan.
"Guys, I'm starting to feel bad for Fidget and Eve," Snakes said as he started to sit down near the bushes. "What are we doing?" He buried his face in his knees, ashamed of what he'd done.
"As are we," Red said, also feeling guilty for mocking the heroes and neglecting Fidget when Eve did all the work, defending him on her own, "But we'll fix it together."
"Yeah," Bill said, just as remorseful as his mouse friends, but determined to make amends, "We're Fidget's and Eve's friends. Are we not?"
Snakes sniffled. "You're right, guys. Let's do it together." Then, the trio each extended a hand and overlapped them, signifying teamwork and friendship.
"TOGETHER!" they shouted in unison and started on their way to find Fidget, Eve, and the others.
…
"Hey, Fidget, guess what?" Eve asked.
"What?" Fidget asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I set up an appointment for today yesterday, so…" Eve started.
"So?" Fidget was growing more confused.
"You'll find out when you'll get there."
Fidget sighed. "Alright." He probably didn't remember what he was going to the hospital for, but he was sure to find out.
"Mom. Dad. Flappy," Eve said to her family, "Would you like to come with me to take Fidget to the hospital?"
"Why, yes," Luna replied.
"What for?" Shade asked.
"Is he sick?" asked Flappy.
Eve shook her head. "No, he just needs his broken wing fixed - that's all."
"We'll come along, Eve," Dawson volunteered, "After all, I'm a doctor and a surgeon."
"Yes, we'll join you for sure," Basil said, wrapping an arm around Clover.
"My father, brother, and sister can come with us," said Clover.
"Then it's settled," Eve said with a smile.
…
The Flavershams and bat family stepped outside. "I'll call for transportation," Basil announced, "There's no faster way to get to the hospital than on Toby." He whistled for Toby to get his point across. "Toby!"
Toby came bounding about to greet his friends and licked Clover, Andrew, Olivia, Eve, Flappy, and Fidget, causing them to giggle.
Basil brought Fidget over to Toby, saying, "Toby, this young bat lad needs to go to the hospital to get his broken wing fixed and we need your help getting us there on time."
Toby lied down flat to let on the bats and mice. Once on, Basil concluded to Toby, "To the hospital!"
The dog started to run and bark.
…
As soon as Toby brought the friends to their destination, they jumped off him and started to walk in. Fidget was about to follow when Toby's nose bumped onto his back to get his attention. "Huh?" Fidget said and turned to Toby, who whimpered. Realizing it was Toby, Fidget spoke to him, "Oh, Toby." He pet Toby's nose. "I'll be back, I promise." The peg legged bat proceeded to follow his friends.
Inside the hospital, Eve told the receptionist the appointment was here for her friend, Fidget. When finished, she sat with Fidget and the others until Fidget's name was called.
Suddenly, a mouse doctor called, "Fidget!"
The peg legged bat hopped out of his seat, followed by Eve and her family, the Flaversham family, and Basil and Dawson.
"So, what brings you here today, Fidget?" the doctor asked.
"I...I have a broken wing," Fidget answered and showed him his broken wing.
The doctor carefully examined it and brought it to the X-ray. "Hmm...that is something," he mused, "But don't you worry, I'll get my team in here to help you fix that wing of yours. I'll be right back." With that, he removed Fidget's wing from the X-ray and left to gather his team.
"Fidget, how did you know you were getting your wing fixed?" Eve asked her boyfriend.
"Um, I heard you guys talking about it," Fidget replied, "Don't you remember we bats have acute hearing?"
"Oh, that's right. We have good ears."
Ten minutes later, the doctor returned with a team of doctors, who happened to be bats, rats, and mice. "Well, son, your wing should be an easy fix and you'll be flying in no time," the same male mouse doctor assured Fidget.
Fidget smiled in delight, knowing this was the news he'd been waiting to hear for so long.
"Sir, if I may, I'll help you since I'm a surgeon," Dawson said.
"Well, welcome aboard, and who would you be?" the doctor asked as he and Dawson shook hands.
"Dr. David Q. Dawson," Dawson answered.
The doctor was astonished, but realized Dawson's name sounded familiar. "Oh, we used to work together! I've forgotten about you!"
"I forget, too."
"Fidget, come lie down on the bed," the main doctor instructed.
Fidget obeyed.
"Good. Now breathe and relax."
Fidget did as he was told before the doctors sedated him with a needle, putting him to sleep.
Flappy stared at the sedated bat, worried for his friend's safety. "Eve, is Fidget dead?" Flappy asked sadly.
"No, Flappy, he's sleeping," Eve assured her little brother as she hugged him.
"It's okay, Flappy," Andrew said, "I used to think the patients that were put to sleep were dead, too, but in the end, they survived. So, Fidget would most likely live."
"That's true, Andrew," Dawson agreed and saw the rise and fall of Fidget's chest, "He's breathing, so he'll survive the surgery."
"Oh, goodie," Flappy said.
…
An hour later, a female bat doctor informed Fidget's friends the news. "Fidget's doing well," she said, "He can fly again."
"Hooray!" Flappy cheered.
The bat doctor chuckled at the young bat's enthusiasm, finding it cute. "Come on in," she said sweetly and Flappy, his sister, parents, and his friends returned to the room Fidget was in.
The peg legged bat was flapping his wings and Dawson winked at his companions. "I told you Fidget would make it," Dawson said.
"Fidget!" Flappy cried happily.
"Flappy!" Fidget shouted and gave the young bat a hug.
"He's back," Eve said.
"Feel free to exercise your wings, Fidget," the male mouse doctor told him.
"Thanks," Fidget replied and he and the others bade the doctors goodbye and the doctors did the same.
…
Thanks to a team of doctors, Fidget was now able to fly. He could fly along with Eve and her bat family. That night, Eve asked him, "Fidget, would you like to go for a fly?"
"Would I?" Fidget replied, "You bet!"
"Yay!" Flappy cried out.
Feeling energetic, the peg legged bat followed the bat siblings, flapping his wings.
Basil, Dawson, Olivia, Hiram, Andrew, and Clover went after them by riding on Toby to gaze at the bats flying wonderfully.
Little did our heroes know that Red, Snakes, and Bill were watching the trio of bats fly. The thugs were stunned, but amazed to see Fidget fly.
After a while, Eve, Fidget, and Flappy sat down on a banister. "Eve, thanks for bringing me to the hospital to get my wing fixed," Fidget said.
"No problem, Fidget," Eve replied, "It was the right thing to do and flying was what you wanted."
She and Fidget were about to kiss when a voice behind them called, "Fidget, you can fly?"
The love bats turned to glare at Bill the lizard with Red and Snakes with resentment and distrust. "YOU!" Fidget and Eve shouted simultaneously.
"What?" Snakes asked, stunned by the couple's reaction.
"Yeah, I can fly now and no thanks to you, knuckleheads!" Fidget snapped.
Red, Snakes, and Bill gasped.
"Yeah, if it weren't for me, he'd be grounded for life," Eve said.
"Eve, do you mean he'd be punished?" Flappy asked worriedly, not knowing what his older sister meant. He heard "grounded" meant "punished".
Eve bent down to her brother and said softly, "No, Flappy, that means he wouldn't be able to fly if his wing doesn't get taken care of."
"Oh."
"Cute little brother, you have," Red complimented.
"Leave them alone!" Basil shouted.
The trio of thugs turned to the heroes, shocked that they were still mad at them.
"Why have you come back?" Clover demanded.
"We just wanted to apologize," Bill said.
"Either that or you'll end up like my ex-boyfriend," Clover replied angrily.
At the mention of her ex, their eyes widened with shock.
Clover sighed. "His name is Jax. He seemed really nice at first, but soon his true colors were revealed: He drank a lot and resorted to mistreatment to me and my siblings by talking to us like we were dumb and worthless. He lost his job at the supermarket and took it out on us and he hit me. My brother, sister, Father, and Mother defended me, which moved me to stand up for myself. I told him to get out and my daddy called the police. Two weeks later, just when I thought my pain was over, Jax came back to get even with us for kicking him out by trying to kill us, but when he was about to stab me, I shot him in self-defense."
Clover stopped for a moment before going on, so Red, Snakes, and Bill could take it in. "A couple weeks later after Jax's departure, his men avenged him by trying to kill me, my siblings, and parents just when we were out for a walk. They chased us, but my siblings and I made it. Just when one of the bad men was about to shoot my father, my mother took the bullet for him."
The trio started to cry, hearing of not only Clover's ex boyfriend, but her mother's sacrifice for her father.
"That was until she and her siblings met me," Basil told the trio.
Andrew knew he had to tell them his sad backstory. "Ever since I was three years old, I lived in an orphanage and no one wanted to adopt me until I turned ten when a toymaker took me in. That day, I became a brother to Clover and Olivia and a son to the toymaker and his wife."
Bill, Red, and Snakes listened to the boy's tale intently with tears in their eyes.
"Sadly, bats, rats, and other non-mice were cast out of society until I broke the law in order to make friends with mice and non-mice," Eve pointed out, "And Basil changed the law."
"I realized how wrong the law was, so I made changes and thanks to Eve, who was our hero," declared Basil.
"Eve, you helped save London?" Snakes asked, shocked over Basil's story.
"Yes," Eve said.
"In that case, we congratulate you," Red said.
"Congratulations!" Bill exclaimed and he and his friends bowed to Eve.
"We're Fidget's and Eve's friends," Red told the heroes.
"We're really sorry for what we did to you and your friends, Fidget," Snakes said.
"Will you forgive us?" Bill asked.
Fidget thought for a moment before answering, letting their apology sink in. "Yes, we accept."
"But don't hurt my sister and friends," Flappy warned.
"We won't," Snakes assured him.
"What's your name, kid?" Red asked.
"Flappy," the little bat replied and from then on, Bill, Snakes, and Red became friends with our heroes.