Chapter 5 END
Morty woke up a few hours later, a strong scent of alcohol residing on his lab coat. Something shifted in his atmosphere. His head spun as he lifted it from the desk. Morty looked at the bucket, it was tipped over and the contents were on the floor, shattered glass bottles surrounded him and his misery. "What a bloody m-mess." Morty mumbles looking around. Morty's head thumped like crazy as he lifted himself from the desk. He spun the desk chair to look directly at the mess, but he found something more. He shook his head "No… I-I-It's just the a-a-alcohol taking e-effect" Morty closes his eyes tightly and then opens them again but what he saw was still there. He could feel tears stream his face as the lab coat was ripped off of him. "R-Rick?" he asks with tears in his eyes and his stomach tightening in a knot.
Rick stared back at his grandson and nodded. "I'm here Morty" He says towering over Morty. Morty can't do anything but sob. Rick looks down at him. "I'm sorry Rick! I'm sorry! I-I just wanted to forget! I just wanted to forget!" Morty harshly sobbed out, shaking. Morty fell off the chair and to his knees. "I-I-" Morty gets cut off by himself retching on his hands and knees, tears still streaming down his face even more. His back arched as he ridded the contents of his stomach. Rick knelt down and rubbed his back.
Rick picked Morty up and carried him to his room, placing a wet towel over Morty's forehead. Rick laid Morty down in his bed and ruffled his hair. "Get some sleep Morty…" Rick mumbles leaving Morty's room. Turning the lights off and shutting the door behind himself. Rick stood at the door and placed a hand over it lightly and slowly slid down to the floor on his knees. Rick quietly let tears fall down his face as he sobbed. His back shuddered as he took shaky breaths, but it was silent.
The next morning Rick was sitting at the table, staring at his cup of coffee as the family surrounded him and hugged him. Rick wanted to make sure Morty was okay but he couldn't leave his spot at the table. Rick had been waiting hours for Morty to wake from his death like sleep. Rick tapped his foot, his ADHD kicking in.
After another thirty minutes, that seemed like days to Rick, Morty emerged from his room, slumping down the stairs and sitting at the table, not looking up. His hair was a mess and his eyes had big black rings under them. Morty looks shit Rick concluded. "Hey…" Rick says cautiously. "Hey…" Morty responds, his eyes down, but welling up. Morty couldn't believe that even after Rick was gone, after all the shit Rick put him through, all he would say that morning was 'Hey'? Morty was about to get up and yell when Rick beat him to getting up, but Rick didn't yell.
Rick hugged Morty tightly, his eyes welling and falling into Morty's shirt. "I'm sorry Morty… I shouldn't have left… I'm such an idiot…!" Rick sobs. "Y-Y-You can hate me, thats fine, I deserve it…" Rick finishes, still hugging Morty and tears dampening his shirt. Morty didn't speak. Morty let his own tears fall. Morty gently hugged back, never wanting to let go. "I don't hate you Rick.." Morty smiles. Rick smiles and hugs his grandson tightly, the whole world fading away and his focus on him and his grandson.
Rick's back stopped shuddering and so did Morty's. Rick wiped his eyes and pulled off the hug, sniffling and smiling at Morty. Morty smiled his innocent smile and he got up and grabbed Rick's wrist and takes a step to the garage. "Where are we going Morty?" Rick queries looking down at his grandson as he opened the door. Morty picked up his own small portal device, it was blue and had little stars all over it. It looked almost exactly like Rick's, in shape. Morty shoots it at the wall. A purple vortex appears on the wall, making the wind roar louder. Morty smiled and looked to his grandpa, saying a string of words.
"Let's go on an adventure."