Eight

When Morty woke up again, he felt like he had been asleep for hours. He wasn't sure how long he had been out for, but it was only a few minutes before he got anxious and panicky in his own company. Should Rick have been back by now? What if he got hurt, or Rick abandoned him, and Morty had to find his own way home? How was he going to even get home if that was the case? What if he was stranded? That was not an option; if he didn't get home, he wouldn't be able take his meds on time and go to the doctor and-

He didn't waste another second dwelling on that. He undid his seatbelt and opened the door to get out, taking his tank and a flashlight along with him. He wandered, calling out Rick's name over and over with no reply, until he had no choice but to walk into the inky darkness.

He pointed the flashlight in front of him, calling for Rick's name every so often as he walked. This was met with zero results for a while, until Morty heard some kind of... gurgling noise. He thought, hey, Rick gurgles sometimes because he drinks so much, so he turned around along with his flashlight.

The light revealed a hideous mixture of flesh, teeth, eyes and quill-like hair on the face of a monster, one like Morty had never seen in the movies or in his nightmares. He couldn't tell where the beasts's head ended and its body began, nor could he see its legs; it almost seemed as though it was fused to the earth on which it stood. Morty stood in the barrel of the beasts's vision like a deer in headlights, too scared to scream or run or even piss himself. Before he could even think about one of those options, the creature hissed and its tongue lashed out, sticking to Morty's legs as it wrapped around both of them. He gasped, watching the wet muscle tie him up like a mustachioed villain tying a woman to train tracks. Fear settled in his throat. Just as the abomination dragged the boy into the jagged cavern that was its mouth, Morty let out a scream so shrill it would make any human beings' ears curl inward.

"R-RIIIIIIIIIIIICCK!" He had never screamed so loudly in his life. He squeezed his eyes shut as the monster pulled him about halfway into its slimy maw. Suddenly, he heard a loud, echoey crash, before a pained screech and the smell of burning meat followed. Morty didn't open his eyes as he felt his body shift and be pulled in the other direction. The slimy tongue restraints loosened and fell away from his frame, and in a matter of seconds, he felt his feet touch the ground.

"Morty, look at me."

Morty opened his eyes to see Rick staring him down with his own. "Rick!" The boy exclaimed. "Y-y-you, you're-"

"Are you hurt?" Rick interrupted.

"Well, no..." Morty replied.

"What the Hell are you DOING OUT HERE, MORTY?"

Morty flinched a bit and tried to grasp an answer. "W-well, I, I-"

"What, did you decide to take a piss on the dark side of the fuckin' world? D-did ya think, oh, I'll go hang out and see what Rick's doing? I told you it was dangerous out here, Morty! A-and I specifically TOLD YOU to wait behind, and sit in the ship. I didn't think that'd be such a fucking challenge buUUGGHt it looks like you found a way. You've out-fuckin-done yourself, good job, way to go, you're going back to the car and staying PUT. You hear me?"

"...yes, Rick."

"Good." Rick grabbed the boy's wrist and started walking, effectively pulling him in the direction of the ship. "You can explain whatever bullshit reason you left the ship on the way home. I-I'm nearly done here."

Morty followed Rick back to his ship before he was pushed inside, having barely a chance to get in himself. Rick lifted the boy's oxygen canister through the door before pointing at him sternly. "Don't. Move. I'll be baaAAAGHck." Morty simply nodded in reply before Rick turned away and wandered towards the darkness.

Morty was given a decent amount of time to think of an explanation, though he doubted it would do any good once he saw Rick coming back. The scientist disappeared behind the vehicle, most likely loading whatever stuff he found for fuel into... wherever it went, Morty supposed. He didn't look at Rick as he got into the driver's seat and started the ship. They had already left the planet's atmosphere before someone said something. "...I'm... I'm sorry for leaving the ship, Rick. I-I-I fell asleep and lost track of time, and I thought I was asleep for a lot longer than I-"

"45 minutes, Morty. I was gone for forty-five minutes before I had to drop what I was doing and come save your dumb ass." Rick replied, pulling his flask out and taking a swig from it, as he always did.

Rick's sharp words were already cutting Morty's confidence. "W-well jeez, Rick. I was, I was getting anxious a-and-"

"Yeah, so because you can't sit still for one goddamn hour, I have to come back here and get more shit tomorrow. For fuuUUUGHck's sake, Morty, I didn't bring you along to- for, for me to have to babysit."

"Well- I could have helped you with your errand, or stood watch or something, I-I-I can protect myself, y'know?"

"Obviously you can't."

"I can figure stuff out!"

"Not simple shit like 'stay put', apparently."

Morty's eyes grew wet with tears. "I can be useful, Rick!"

"Not when you're DEAD, Morty."

"Well maybe it'd be better that way!" His small hands balled into fists as tears lingered on his lashes, ready to spill. "Maybe it'd be better for everybody- I wouldn't be such a, a, a stupid burden! I-I see the bills my parents have to pay for my, my health, the fights they have, how they hang around each other for my sake when I know they'd be better off divorced; Summer doesn't get any attention from mom or dad and I can tell it bothers her because she's barely at home, and when she is home, sh-she doesn't want to hang out with any of us. They suffer, and I suffer- I-I-I sleep all the time and I hurt, I hurt every day, and my medicine just takes me out of everything so I get bad grades in class-" his speech had evolved into full-on sobbing at this point.

"A-and I don't even go to regular school! I take online classes, and I still feel like a reject! I have no friends, no girlfriend, no life, no future. I'm going to die, Rick. I'm going to die and then it'll be over, everyone can go on and do what they want to, they can enjoy life without me. They have dreams they can, can follow or something, but not with me in the way, and besides, the sooner I die the sooner I'll stop hurting... S-so you know what? You're right, Rick. I can't fend for myself and everyone has to look after me and take care of me... I'm already useless..."

Rick stared at Morty, who was already curled up, hugging his knees, and breathing heavily, having expended so much energy in his outburst. He was honestly impressed at the fact that, Morty, a nervous, clingy, awkward teenage boy, was so attentive to the people in his life and their struggles, putting them at the forefront of his worries. He was selfless, though Rick knew he wanted to have selfish moments to revel in and be happy about. He wanted to be brave and have fun.

He was surprised that Morty had so much laying beneath the optimistic surface, things more harmful than his physical ailments. His bodily pain was a sliver, a hangnail, in the long run it hurt the kid no more than a papercut. His misery was the symptom that threatened his life most, no doubt. No wonder the kid slept so much; what's the point in being awake when you feel dead already? Sure, it was obvious Morty cared about taking his medication and everything, but there comes a point where the remedies they prescribe are no more than a distraction that becomes just as monotonous and repetitive as the symptoms they postpone.

"...holy shit," Rick finally sighed. "Morty, I didn't-"

Morty looked at his grandfather, tears still streaming down his face. "Didn't what, Rick? Didn't think I could stand up for myself?"

"No, no, Morty. Listen... I shouldn't have left you alone in the ship. It was dangerous back there and I haaAAGHHven't even installed a security system in here yet. I-it was stupid of me, and that's a rare occasion, Morty. I should have brought you with me. You'd be- you would have been safer then because I have a gun but- th-the point is, Morty, I have a role in this and I shouldn't have blown up at you like I did. I know I bitch lot but I don't do it to be mean. I'm just an asshole by nature, Morty. And I'm... sorry that I thought of my chores and errands before your safety or comfort. Alright?"

Morty wiped his face with his sleeves, sniffling as he looked over. "...does this mean I can't go with you anymore? O-on your errands and stuff...?"

"Pfft, Hell no. You and me both, Morty, we got places to go, people to see, a-and whatever else, I can't do it all by myself. I'm a capable man buUUGHt I'm an intergalactic criminal, I need a partner in crime, and you're it."

"M-me? Oh, jeez Rick... I don't want to break the law or anything."

"Morty. We haven't done anything illegal yet and you're already whining about ethics. Y-y-you think laws matter, Morty? Look around you. This, this universe, and the multiverse, it's huge, vast, and we are small, Morty. We're not shit but we're all we've got. We're a package deal. A team. If they take me, they're gonna take you too."

"Oh boy, Rick... that, that sounds pretty intimidating..."

"Morty, you have a deadly illness and you're worried about getting in trOOUUGHGHHble? C'mon, live a little, be somebody, do something, have fun. Now a-are you in or are you out?"

Morty looked up through the glass dome of the ship once more. He looked at the stars and planets and felt an interest in him blossom into a hunger. At home, he wasn't really going anywhere in life because of his illness. He barely went out and about to do mundane things like grocery shopping, let alone do things that were exciting and adventurous. He figured he probably won't live a long or full life, and his mind is barely expanding as it is. Having a learning disability and having to stay home with an illness wasn't an ideal life, no doubt, and maybe going on adventures with his grandpa wasn't ideal either, but at least it was something.

Morty turned to Rick with a smile. "...y'know what Rick...? I'm in."

"Alright Morty," he replied somewhat enthusiastically. "Now let's go home, y-you smell like shiIIIIGGHt." Rick turned the dial on the stereo and they flew home to "Mo' Money Mo' Problems".