The Smurfocalypse Chapter 36: The Cover Up
As Timber recovered from his breakdown Hefty took a moment to process what he had just witnessed. It was a shocking sight to see a Smurf cut down another Smurf no matter how evil they had become. It was a sight that Hefty thought he was never ever going to see. How was he going to explain this to the others? What would they think of Timber if they learned of what he had done? Hefty thought quickly of a plan and looked to Brainy.
"Did you see what I saw?" Hefty asked.
Brainy looks to Hefty and lifts an eyebrow still in shocked and breathing deeply.
"What do you mean?" Brainy asked.
"Did you see how Modest tried to attack us?" Hefty asked.
Brainy still seemed puzzled. It was quite obvious that that didn't happen. He just shrugged and shook his head.
"Listen Brainy I need you to hear me out ok? Now we are going to tell the others that Modest tried to attack us." Hefty said.
"Are you trying to cover up his death? That will never work Hefty. Can't you see Modest is in a thousand pieces right now?" Brainy asked.
"Just Smurf up for a moment and listen. If the others find out Timber murdered Modest there's going to be big trouble around here. Do you get it?" Hefty said.
"You want me to lie… Papa Smurf would never approve of this Hefty." Brainy said.
"Papa Smurf isn't here! Now you will play along with me and tell the others all about how Modest grabbed the knife right out of my hand and tried to kill me with it, and how Timber saved our lives." Hefty said.
"Ok I will, but only because you believed in me." Brainy said.
"And that will make us even." Hefty said.
"Agreed." Brainy said.
The two Smurfs shook on it and then redirected their attention to the wriggling creature that had crawled out of Modest's head. By now the creature had managed to stand on all of its legs and was running straight for Hefty.
"Whatever that thing is it sure likes you Hefty." Brainy said.
"Yeah well I don't like it." Hefty said drawing his sword.
The creature jumped for Hefty's head aiming itself for his ears before smacking hopelessly up against his helmet and falling to the ground on its back. Hefty then simply stepped on it and squished it under his boot.
"Was that some sort of attack?" Hefty asked.
"It looked like it was trying to hit you in the head from here." Brainy said.
"Funny… that thing crawled out of Modest's head." Hefty said.
"To bad you killed it we could have researched it to see what it was." Brainy said.
"Can't you still do that? You remember what it looked like." Hefty said.
"I can, but how would I know where to look?" Brainy asked.
"There's a whole library in town just look there." Hefty said.
"Alright, in the morning I'll go look for some… insect books? I guess?" Brainy said.
Brainy shrugged as he wasn't quite sure where he was going to begin his search, but nonetheless left the ship and returned to the house where Doctor, Archer, and Falconer were hauling a still unconscious Papa Smurf inside via a makeshift stretcher. Back at the ship Hefty approached Timber who had finally calmed himself and was just sitting in the corner of the room staring forward at the body.
"Timber come on help me get rid of the body." Hefty said as he grabbed some body parts and exited the brig proceeding to throw them overboard.
The sun was almost completely gone over the horizon so he was under the cover of near darkness. Timber gathered himself and joined Hefty in the disposal of Modest's body. Once the gruesome deed was done they washed off in the ocean and dried off their armor before returning to the house. At the house Archer, Falconer, and Farmer had to form a barrier around Papa Smurf to avoid the others from getting to close.
"We're gonna put em in the bedroom here on the first floor." Doctor said.
The knights grabbed hold of the stretcher and carried Papa Smurf across the living room, through the kitchen, and down a short hallway leading to the another bedroom with another bed. They carefully lifted him up as Doctor climbed up onto the bed and grabbed the stretcher pulling it up. He then very carefully removed Papa Smurf from the stretcher and laid him in the bed. All the beds in the house were officially full as once again Doctor's patients continue to climb in numbers. The good Doctor couldn't wait until he had his supplies and his new clinic with Smurf sized doors and beds for his patients.
By the time Hefty and Timber made it back to the house it the sun had gone down completely and night had begun. A cool autumn breeze blew into the house from the open window into the living room where the Smurfs were gathered.
"Some Smurf shut that window!" Mango said shivering.
Hefty jumped up onto the windowsill and leaped up to close the window before jumping down and joining the others. There was no hiding it any longer. Every Smurf was worried about Papa Smurf, and when Doctor finally returned to the living room just after getting Coconut another blanket he sat down and all eyes were on him.
"Do you think he's going to make it?" Hefty asked.
Doctor shrugged.
"I did everythin I know how to do Smurfs… Right now he's just asleep. If he wakes up again that must mean I Smurfed somethin right." Doctor said.
"Surely you can't expect us to be satisfied with that answer." Brainy said.
A few other Smurfs nodded in agreement and Doctor just sighed.
"I dunno what else to tell ya." Doctor said.
There has been a lot of pressure on Doctor since all of this happened last summer. He is the only doctor in the entire community, just one single Smurf. However he's been able to grow and adapt and learn new skills and treatment methods, and has far succeeded his old ways of mere home remedies. Papa Smurf is his most important patient. Right now there is a lot riding on Doctor's skills. The doctor is unsure that simply stopping the bleeding and stitching the wound was enough to save Papa Smurf.
"What will we do without Papa Smurf?" Brainy asked.
"If anything happens to Papa Smurf we're done for." Handy said.
"That's not necessarily true. Look at how far we've come doing things on our own." Hefty said.
"We almost have an entire village planned out, and Papa Smurf hasn't said a word." Dreamy said.
"There has to be a reason why he hasn't provided any of his own input. We must be doing something right." Alchemist said.
"Hey yeah! You Smurfs are right!" Weather said.
"Maybe we do stand a chance after all." Architect said.
"Now that's the spirit!" Hefty said.
"Still… it would be real sad if we lost him." Handy said.
Every Smurf couldn't deny that. It would be the equivalent of losing a father for them. Even Mango Smurf who has barely known Papa Smurf a week is afraid to lose him. There was really nothing more to discuss since it had already been established that Modest was in fact the guilty party of their recent conflict. As it got later into the night Smurfs went to sleep one by one until just Hefty remained awake. Hefty took this moment to do something he's been wanting to do for a long time. Hefty exited the house and went to Tuffy's grave, knelt down, hugged the stone, and had a good long cry by himself.