Dawson kept driving that they were far away from the eagle but he realized the gas tank wasn't completely full, it was halfway and the speed he took was making the car die.
"Oh no," said he.
"Go Dawson," Basil told him.
"The car's almost out of gas."
"Keep going Dawson. Go."
"If I go faster, the car will die down."
"Just keep going."
Basil just wanted to get out of the forest, desperately. He already lost his leg from the eagle and he cannot lose his life nor Dawson's; not wanting to be bird food. He has to get out, not just from the eagle but also from his horrible memories. The sight of the eagle coming to him was similar to Ratigan. The clock came to mind.
"No," he whispered. "No."
It wasn't just the clock that bothered him, it was now the woods. The whole place of the forest was starting to remind him of the eagle. There's no way in hell he will return here, not even for a case. He will not face the eagle again. Not only Ratigan but also the eagle. This is the second time in Basil's life when he was on the brink of death which he will never go through again. Life is precious already but the clock was now coming back to mind. It rained during that day and it rained today during the attack. By now it already stopped. The rain; That's it. It always has to rain whenever he gets attacked. It did before and tonight. During the nighttime and when it rains, that's the problem. And both attacks were from large animals; to a mouse.
"Think they'll have that on the papers?" he mumbled to himself.
The car drove farther away from the cliffs and traveled through the forest, reaching up to the park but they weren't close. Soon enough the car died down.
"What happened?" Grace asked. "Aren't we going home?"
"We're out of gas," Dawson told everyone. "We have to walk back."
"What?" Katherine yelled angrily. "Are you kidding me?"
"I'm sorry but we need to."
"Alright, let's get out of here," Basil agreed. "Help me up Dawson."
With the four mice together, as Grace held Katherine's hand and with Dawson carrying Basil by the shoulder, they left the car behind and walked further down the muddy pathway. Basil recognized it as the same path they took while coming in the forest before and their footprints were faded out from the rain. The mice walked while avoiding any sight of the eagle or any other kind of animal.
The forest by now was darker than before that Basil could tell it was nearing the middle of the night, also due to Grace's long yawn. He almost did himself. A good night's sleep is what he needs right now. Away from his memories and the eagle. He'd be safe in his own bed in the peace and quiet.
Suddenly, there was another squawk. There was the eagle! Not in front of them, but from their left side. The golden eagle was surrounded by many birds, smaller raptor birds which Basil recognized as merlin falcons due to their dark gray feathers, patterned bottom chest feathers, and their high-pitched chirrups. There were two the eagle fought that she first tossed one of the birds around killing it. She started to eat that bird as the other merlin falcon flew for the eagle and bit her on the neck. Another squawk came from the eagle that she reached to catch the other falcon.
The mice didn't see it but the falcon was putting up a good fight on the eagle that it bit on her neck again but at least the eagle made it turn around that she reached over and held the falcon by its body biting down. The eagle threw the merlin to a dead tree that was next to the mice. Basil and the others ducked in time before the unconscious bird would hit them that it died on impact. Looking up, Basil saw the eagle next to them that it sniffed around. All four mice stood still, ducked to the ground. She can smell them, but not see them. The eagle walked around the mice looking down but still sniffing. Grace shook, terrified such as Katherine. Basil and Dawson bravely stood their ground.
She couldn't see the mice but did believe they were there that Basil kept his eyes on her. This would've been the first time in his life that Basil was face-to-face with a giant bird. The eagle reached down and grabbed hold of the first thing she felt, Basil's leg. He didn't scream but Grace did while Dawson shouted, "Basil!"
Fighting for his life, Basil hit the eagle on the beak trying to get his leg free but that only had the bird bite harder onto him, making Basil groan loudly as his bones broke. He looked around trying to find a solution that he saw the talons of the eagle but he was thrown up to the sky, gasping in horror. The eagle almost had him by the head but Basil quickly held onto a hanging branch that came from a tree. Desperately, he climbed up the branch and surveyed his surroundings.
"Dawson!" he shouted. "Use these!"
Fighting the eagle would be impossible but they could still distract her. Basil took out the matches from his pocket and dropped them over to Dawson. He climbed higher on the branch thankful that the eagle couldn't fly. She stared at Basil with a chirrup.
Below him, he saw Dawson catch the matches that he lit one and yelled out, "Hey!"
The eagle squawked and faced Dawson. Dawson started to run the opposite direction that the eagle followed him and he then threw the match away further into the woods. That was when Dawson stopped running and the eagle followed the match. Also, there were more merlin birds that one came after the eagle. Easily, the golden eagle took down the bird with her huge talons.
Basil was still up in the tree that he saw Dawson run back to him but underneath. He could let go of the branch and hope that Dawson will catch him, but Basil didn't want to risk his leg. Instead, Basil continued to climb until he was at the tree limb and rested there, catching his breath. Down below, Basil saw Dawson and the Meadows' that they didn't yell knowing the eagle could still get them. Going back down, Basil climbed the branch heading to the tree. Not using his leg, Basil slowly climbed back down, using the loose tree bark. He made it to the bottom but landed on his feet, making him moan loudly. Dawson caught him in the nick of time.
"Let's get out of here," groaned Basil. "Ugh!"
"I'll hold you Basil," Dawson told him. Gladly, Basil leaned upon Dawson placing his arm around his shoulder, letting his limp left leg dangle.
"Where're we going?" Grace asked.
"After careful consideration," said Basil. "Not to return to the forest."
"So have I," Dawson agreed. There was the loud squawk of the eagle that reverberated around in the forest as a few leaves also fell.
Basil and Dawson were getting close to the opening of the forest that they didn't stop walking. As he held his friend and the Meadows' were together, the mice were finally out of the forest and into the park. The human park where they came from. Of course, they weren't done yet. There's still the fact that the mice could be stomped by the few humans in the park but no one saw them.
Not that far from the park, across the street, is a crowd of mice close by that Dawson recognized them as the same mice who saw the injured husband before. The doctors weren't there anymore but at least the wife was talking to someone that he saw she had a car.
"Excuse me, madam," said Dawson as him and his friends came closer. "We are in need of great help. My friend is injured and I'm hoping you can drive us to the hospital."
"Basil of Baker Street?!" the wife exclaimed. The lady she was speaking to also gasped including the other mice around her.
"What happened?" the mice asked, realizing that Dawson and his friends were dirtied by the rain and mud, also of Basil's injury.
"Don't you worry," Dawson announced. He knew that Basil didn't feel like talking so he spoke for him. "We only need a ride to the hospital."
"Of course," said the wife. "Of course."
Worried, the kind wife allowed the two to take a seat in her car as Katherine and Grace stood by.
"Thank you very much, men," said Katherine to them. Basil looked back to her without saying a word but he kindly nodded.
"Yes, thank you," said Grace. "You saved my mommy."
"You're welcome," said Dawson to them.
"Come on Grace," Katherine said to her. "Let's go home."
Together, they turned around and walked away while the wife drove Basil and Dawson down the street.
The ride to the hospital was quiet since Basil refused to talk. He was also silent the entire time as he was checked by the doctors for his leg which by now, he can rest. Dawson was waiting to see him in the room that Basil read the newspaper which was given to him from a nurse while his leg was wrapped in a cast. It wasn't too long for Dawson to enter the room.
"How are you feeling Basil?" Dawson asked.
"I'm fine," Basil replied, not looking at Dawson.
"But you've been quiet."
Already, Dawson is going to probe him into getting therapy for his mental health. He's done it before and now again, after they're out of the forest.
"It's been an eventful night," Basil replied, trying to find something different to talk about.
"Yes, it sure has been," Dawson agreed. "A terrifying night."
"But I think I might retire."
"Retire? From your job?"
"Yes. I've dealt with many cases that have jeopardized me not just of my reputation but also my life. The Meadows' case has been the second."
"And the first?"
"Flaversham case."
Basil still didn't look at Dawson but he meant every word he said. All of this detective work was fun and all but twice he almost lost his life. He can't risk it anymore and neither for the reminders of clocks and forests. It's likely he will go back to Big Ben and the forest if he keeps his job.
"But what will you do?" Dawson asked. "Who will people ask?"
"There are other detectives in the police force, Dawson," Basil replied. "They can ask them."
"But you're the great mouse detective!"
"I'm well aware of that."
He wasn't reading the paper; Basil was only staring at the obituary of Professor Ratigan. He already faced a golden eagle today and now he's looking at his deceased arch-enemy on a picture. Looking at it brought back the memory that Basil set the paper down and threw it away on the floor as he said, "I can't take this anymore."
"What are you talking about?" Dawson asked while he went to get the newspaper. "Did something on here make you mad?"
"No, it's not that. You wouldn't understand Dawson, because you're a doctor. I'm done solving crimes and then I'll think which job I can do when we return home. What do you say old chap?"
"Are you sure you want to do this? There's no going back Basil." Dawson walked back to Basil holding the paper.
"Yes, I'm sure." He can't take the memories anymore and neither his life. "You know that I'm positive of my decisions."
Dawson came to terms with Basil's choice that he said, "Okay, Basil. If that's what you want, I'll support you."
Because the sight of Ratigan growling as he circled Basil, and of the eagle's loud squawk running after him, Basil said clearly, "Welcome to reality."