Morty didn't feel very well at all. After his last adventure with Rick, to some mind-melting alternate dimension where they'd had to obtain a dangerously rare component for an experiment of Rick's he knew very little about, the duo had arrived home to the garage, Rick almost manic with excitement, where Morty was just exhausted and drained. Rick didn't give so much as a "good job", he merely strode over to his work area and began fiddling and twisting and poking around at the bit of nonsensical plant material they had brought home.

He had shuffled over to the door, wondering if maybe he could get a good hour's nap before he had to be up for school. Maybe if he skipped breakfast, it would give him ten extra minutes... "Morty!" His grandpa's sharp whisper broke him suddenly from his thoughts, and he turned blearily towards Rick, feeling as though he were underwater. "Don't leave." Rick said without even looking at him. He was still hunched over his work. When he said nothing further, Morty had dutifully stood in place, watching Rick bustle around the garage, feeling his hour tick away.

Just when he thought he might really be able to fall asleep standing up, Rick came over carrying a huge needle that made Morty's stomach churn. The glass vial contained a purple-green swirling liquid that looked very much like the thing they had gone to get today. Without speaking, Grandpa Rick grabbed Morty's arm and plunged the needle into the soft flesh of his bicep. Morty yelped in shock, his brain only understanding after it was already done. "Rick!" he said shrilly, "Wh-wh-what are you DOING?" and took an involuntary few steps back, nearly colliding with the wall.

Rick seemed to stiffen visibly, not looking Morty in the face. After a moment of silence he spun around and went back to his bench. "Don't worry about it Morty." he said, sounding distant, "It's fine. Just tell me if you burp up anything out of the ordinary." Morty stood dumbstruck for a few moments, trying to think of how to word his outrage, until he gave up trying to form coherent sentences and simply walked out of the garage without speaking at all.

Morty's feet felt like lead as he trudged up the stairs to his bedroom. Just as he got in and turned on the light, his alarm clock began beeping loudly. He stumbled over to it and turned it off, tears already welling in his eyes. It's just the lack of sleep, he told himself. Rick's been weird lately, his mind countered irrationally. It's just the lack of sleep. He took out his phone and texted "sick day" to Rick, the well practiced code word for asking Rick to call in to school for him. No way was he going on zero sleep and when he might barf up some weird alien thing at any moment. He lay down heavily on his bed, and began taking his clothes off, the world a watery blur through his eyes.

Morty slept through the entire day, and he woke to a dark and empty house. It was late and everyone was in bed. His mom had glanced in on him and, finding him so thoroughly passed out with a slight fever, had bought the sick day excuse. He learned this from a text that waited for him when he woke. Rick hadn't even bothered to reply.

Morty felt nauseous now. It was what had finally woken him. Not eating for over 24 hours probably wasn't helping either. He rubbed heavy sleep from his eyes. He's fallen asleep crying again. S-Shut up Morty, y'little piece of shit... Rick's voice rang in his mind in response to his self-pity. He stood to get some water.

Halfway to the bathroom he felt as though he might throw up, and ran the rest of the way. Just as he had flicked on the light switch, he burped wetly, feeling a smooth something rise out of his stomach. He choked out a small sphere of jet black, smooth and perfectly proportioned. Wonder what it is, he thought idly, feeling immensely better the moment it had exited his body. What if I just kept it? he wondered, That'd serve Rick right.

He never really considered keeping it. After he used the bathroom, he headed for the garage with the black thing in his pocket. A quick glance revealed Rick wasn't in there. Maybe he's not home, Morty thought. He guessed bedroom next, and made his way back upstairs, taking care to be quiet. Rick's door was closed as he approached, and Morty tapped quietly on the wood. He didn't want to wake his parents, and the quiet of the house at night seemed so loud. He tapped again when there was no response, and noticed the door was actually open, it hadn't been fully shut. He was worried the alien thing might hatch or something, and resolved to just place it on Rick's shelf and leave. Rick was probably passed out on his cot, literally the only reason he would be in his room at night.

Morty pushed tentatively at the door, dreading a squeak. The ambient light of the hallway slivered it's way into Rick's pitch black room, allowing Morty's well-adjusted night vision a small peek inside. He heard heavy breathing, and stiffened anxiously. It didn't sound like Rick's normal drunken snore, it was too fast. And he was whispering now. Morty clearly heard "J-jeezus..." More panting. Morty's body flooded with dread and cold anxiety. He shouldn't be here. In his mind, he turned and walked quickly back to his room. In reality, however, he stayed frozen in place, feeling immobilized.

Morty clearly heard his grandpa growl "Stay.", and the tone of his voice made Morty's gut tighten, a warm feeling spreading out from there. The hell is wrong with you? he thought sharply. With a dread curiousity, he peered through the little door crack, trying to make sense of the dim shapes within. He picked out Rick by his stark white limbs that looked long and sinuous, reclining languidly on the cot. He was, blessedly, facing away from the door... but there was some weird helmet thing on his head. Morty followed the trail of wires to where they led further down Rick's body, and as his mind arranged the dark shapes before him, he realized Rick's pants were off, and there was something over his cock. Another flood of anxiety came at this realization, and Morty gulped uncomfortably. Still, his body reacted. Don't. He almost pleaded with his rapidly hardening penis.

Rick had clearly made some weird sort of jack off machine. Morty's mind raced at the possibilities of such a thing. How come Rick never shared his cool inventions with him? Rick's grunting moans had increased slightly, and Morty nearly blushed at the sound, then, all at once, it was over, and Rick lay panting heavily in the dark. Morty heard him say more clearly, "Shut down." And he pressed himself against the hallway wall in sudden terror, imagining Rick coming out to find him. There was a dull thud, and Morty nearly pissed himself. Thank god he had gone to the bathroom.

The rhythmic sound of Rick's snores came after only a few moments, and Morty slid to the floor with a sigh, feeling all the tension flood out of him. "Jeez..." he whispered to himself, and stood up. He still felt too embarrassed to go in to the room after all that, and pocketed the jet sphere after all. Rick wouldn't have injected him with it if it was really dangerous, he rationalized to himself, but if he was being honest, he was now just more afraid to go in than he was to keep the thing. Heart thudding loudly, he turned in a daze and retreated back to his bedroom.