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writer-room · 1 year

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Drowned Rats

AO3

Jimmy can't let anyone but Scott know he killed the Gardener. So, obviously, it's a very good idea to swim out into the middle of the pond and get the Gardener's hat back, because then someone might ask questions. Clearly, this was evidence of foul play, and Jimmy would be as good as caught.

Scott just wants to beat him over the head.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“I don’t know how we’re expected to keep this a secret.”

“No one will know.”

“They’re gonna know.”

“How would they—?”

“There is a hat right there, Jimmy.”

Jimmy paused, looking where Scott was pointing to. Sure enough, there was the Gardener’s hat floating silently in the water. Out of all the things, that had to float.

“Oh for goodness sake.” Jimmy muttered, glaring down at the water, then at the hat, and groaning dramatically. “They won’t know.” He said firmly, and with that, waded back into the pond.

“You’re not getting an entire hat out.” Scott sighed, rather loudly.

“I can,” Jimmy asserted, standing in the shallows, “and I will.”

He pushed off into the deeper ends, water riding right up to his shoulders. He knew how, so it was fine. His safety vest pulled at him, but he’d swam in it earlier, and he’d do it again.

“You’re going to sink.” Scott called, entirely unhelpful, and very unworried.

“I am not—”

Turning one’s head, combined with swimming, was not a good combination, as he’s learned. Because as soon as Jimmy tried, he promptly started sinking, and got a mouthful of water.

Scott cackled as Jimmy fumbled to cough up the water and resume his paddling. He resorted to thinking some rude words in his head as he swam closer to the hat, experimentally trying to place a paw on it and climb up.

It was made of straw, kinda like Scott’s, though his was also weaved with twigs and dry grass, and this one was much sturdier. But, alas, he weighed a whole pound, and it was still only a straw hat. So when he tried to climb onto it, he instead sunk back into the water, taking the edge of the hat with him.

Not as quick as the last sinking, but sinking all the same.

“It’s not worth it, Jimmy.” He heard Scott distantly from the shore. “The safety rat isn’t being very safe right now—”

“I,” Jimmy cut in, climbing a little further up the sinking edge of the hat and glaring back, “am being extremely safe! This is very safe!”

The rim under his foot promptly gave out, and he flunked right back into the pond.

He could hear laughing above the surface, already deciding he was going to shove Scott in when he got out. Maybe make him have to beg to replace the Gardener, that’d show him.

He turned in the water, sinking his teeth into the rim of the hat. He began swimming back, kicking out his limbs and lashing his tail like a propeller.

It was…well, more difficult than he anticipated. The hat was heavy, his vest was also heavy, and he had to strain to keep his nose out of the water so he could keep breathing.

He was panting after only a few seconds, sparing a glance back to see if he was any closer. He swore he already crossed most of pond by this time, hadn’t he?

Nope, still had a ways to go, and a smug Scott watching with crossed arms. Bastard.

Jimmy gritted his teeth and kicked harder.

He had to push up every now and again, heart rate spiking when his head started to go under. His snout would still stick free, but it unnerved him. He wasn’t sure why having a nose free and a head buried was more worrying than when all of it was under.

He thought he could hear Scott talking, but there was too much water in his ears for him to hear much. He just grunted, hoping it got the message across as he gave the hat another tug. This was awful, he should be at shore already, why did the Gardener have to go and sink in the middle of the pond?

One of his kicks didn’t get as much force as he wanted, and he tipped a little to the side. He scrambled with it, jaws clinging tightly around the hat as he paddled closer to the surface.

Was it always this hard to breathe? His nose was free, he could breathe. Maybe he just needed bigger breaths? He tried taking in one through his nose as he kept his corner of the hat from getting too drenched, and in turn nearly inhaled a whole cup of water when he couldn’t swim as high over the surface as he wanted.

Oh, so he couldn’t breathe, that’s nice. Okay, okay, just-just swim up a little higher. Kick harder, just kick harder—

Something hit his shoulder.

Jimmy jumped, wheezing, and fully expecting to see a giant fish trying to eat him. His sister said she once knew a rat who had a neighbor that was swallowed by a huge bass, it could happen.

Instead, he saw blue-gray fur, with no hat to accompany it, and a dark glare.

“Sooc?” He muffled around the hat.

Scott just shouldered him, grasping the hat between his teeth. He pushed back in the same movement, tugging the hat at a much faster pace than Jimmy had been going at.

He let go, if only because he didn’t want to get in Scott’s way, clearly, and looked back.

Shore was pretty close now, actually. He didn’t realize he was making a break for it until his feet were already scraping the shallow bottom.

He took a deep inhale when he was finally standing in the shallows, shaking his head.

He quickly turned back to the pond, relaxing only when he saw Scott had just reached the shallows himself, yanking the hat. Once his feet had a steady place on the muddy bottom, he released the hat and began pulling it with his paws instead, face scrunched in annoyed concentration.

The shame pricked at Jimmy, then. He was that close to shore, and he was, what, freaking out over a bit of water in his nose? Good grief, he could’ve made it, even with his horrible swimming. Could’ve had it over in barely a second, but no, he had to be all dramatic about it, and Scott had swum out to help him.

He ducked his head when Scott turned to look at him. Just muttered under his breath and hurried over, kicking up small waves as he approached and grabbed a different corner of the hat. He still kept his eyes down as he pulled it further into shore, even if he noticed his arms shaking with the effort. Fields, he was tired.

“You know,” Scott muttered, “it would’ve been a lot easier if you weren’t wearing the vest.”

Jimmy bristled, glowering over at him. “The vest was not the—where’s your overalls.”

It came out more of a statement than a question, a staring. Scott rolled his eyes, jerking his head back in a gesture as he gave another heave of the hat.

Jimmy followed it, looking towards the shore.

He could see Scott’s hat resting on the dry ground just behind them. Underneath it was a heap of blue overalls, crumpled due to the lack of time to neatly fold them.

“Not a good idea to swim with heavy cloth.” Scott grunted behind him.

“Vests aren’t as heavy as overalls.” Jimmy mumbled, ducking when Scott nearly pulled the hat overtop of him. He decided it was best to get out of his way entirely, crawling up onto the shore while Scott yanked the hat the rest of the way.

He stumbled a bit when he did, legs nearly giving out entirely. He hadn’t strained himself that much, had he?

Scott pulled until a small edge of the hat was on land, and once sure it was secure enough it wouldn’t drift away again, crawled up onto the grass himself.

Jimmy cringed back as Scott got onto all fours and shook himself off, spraying droplets everywhere. He didn’t resist a snort when it wound up making Scott’s now-damp fur all puffy and tangled.

“You look like a wet dust bunny.” He said, because his mouth sometimes didn’t keep up with his brain.

“Yeah?” Scott looked him up and down, very judgingly. “You look like a drowned…something.” He muttered, standing up and attempting to brush off any lingering droplets.

The poppy petals by his right ear were gone. Probably fell out while he was swimming, since it wasn’t with the rest of his stuff.

Well, that shame was turning pretty quickly into guilt now, wasn’t it?

“I, uh,” Jimmy fiddled his paws together, “you didn’t need to do that, I was pretty close—”

“You were drowning.” Scott said bluntly, combing a paw over his ear. “Or, well, you looked rough. We already have a dead human in the pond,” He said, getting droplets on his paw and flicking them in Jimmy’s face, “we don't need a dead rat.”

“He’s not in the pond anymore,” Jimmy huffed, which was unneeded, he’s sure Scott remembered when he told him, “and I wasn’t dying.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” Scott shrugged, drawing up his tail and frowning at it. “Fields around, I hate water.” He groaned.

“Don’t gardens need water?” Jimmy asked, opening and closing his paws a few times before deciding to turn to grab Scott’s stuff, as much as his legs protested.

“Yeah, in watering cans and bottles.” Scott scoffed, wringing out his tail. “Floods are a pain unless you’ve got wheat or rice.”

“Guess they’re special.” Jimmy hummed, mentally jotting that down for later, reaching for his hat.

“Do not touch that.” Scott hissed, and Jimmy froze. “You’re soaking wet. I didn’t go through all that effort just for you to ruin them.”

“I’m…pretty sure this was meant to sustain water?” Jimmy tried, but he obediently retracted his paws. The vest was starting to feel uncomfortably solid over his shoulders.

“I’m still drier than you.” Scott said, lashing his tail against the ground a few times before walking over. “Speaking of which, please sit down, you look ready to fall over.”

“I’m fine.” Jimmy protested, whose legs were, in fact, shaking even more violently.

Scott stood up a bit straighter, stopping before Jimmy. He gave him an unimpressed look before placing a paw on his chest, still wet, and Jimmy blinked down at it, surprised.

“Down.” Scott commanded, giving a push.

Jimmy’s knees were weak traitors, because upon a harsher shove, he did, indeed, fall down. He squeaked when his legs gave out, sitting awkwardly on his tail. Scott had a self-righteous look, the prick, giving him a lighter shove as a sort of stay there gesture, then turning to pick up his overalls.

“This is no way to treat the safety rat.” Jimmy protested, electing to stay there and crossing his arms. Maybe he was a little tired.

“What, going to drown me if I don’t listen?” Scott teased, shaking out his overalls as a few petals drifted to the ground. “Is that how safe you are?”

“It was an accident!” Jimmy protested, throwing his paws in the air. “You think I could do that on purpose?”

“Fair enough.” Scott relented. “The hat wasn’t worth it. Just so you’re aware.”

“They would’ve asked questions.” Jimmy insisted, twitching an ear as he glanced back to the Gardener’s hat, still sitting peacefully. He hesitated for a moment, slid his eyes over to Scott putting one leg through his overalls. “...thanks, though.”

“Don’t make it a habit.” Scott said simply, popping his foot through. “Also, I’m chewing off some of the pieces. Could use the weaving to stabilize some things.” He said, squinting at the Gardener’s hat, still with only one leg through his clothes. “And maybe use it for bedding. Yeah, I could use some bedding.” He nodded to himself.

“Do whatever you want with it.” Jimmy waved it off. “So long the others don’t find it. Actually,” He backtracked, “I-I might want it for bedding, too. Just in-in the future.”

“You don’t even have a den. Aren’t you trying to freeload off Martyn?”

“Classified,” Jimmy said hurriedly, to which Scott rolled his eyes and slipped his other leg through the pant leg.

“You’re the most dangerous rat I know.” Scott muttered, hopping a bit to pull his overalls up further. “And we know Oli.”

“And the rat who keeps saying he’ll eat people.” Jimmy added, a bit defensively. “I feel like he’s more dangerous.”

“Nah, it’s you.” Scott brushed him off. “At least he hasn’t eaten anyone we know, so we can’t prove it. And he didn’t kill a human.”

“Accident!”

“Sure it was.” Scott taunted, pushing the straps over his shoulders. “Anyway, I’m getting the driest parts of the hat.”

“Yeah,” Jimmy sighed with a nod, “yeah, that’s fair.”

“It’s beyond fair.” Scott scoffed, picking up his hat and readjusting it over his head. “Also, seriously, dry yourself off on something. You’re going to catch a cold.”

“I don’t get sick.” Jimmy said, turning his nose up and away. “That’s how safe I am.”

“My mother used to say that sniffles hated those who weren’t afraid to get filthy, which was why the messier rats down the hill didn’t get sick.” Scott commented, slowly removing his paws from his hat, testing if it was acceptable. “She regretted it when one of my brothers decided this was a good excuse to never clean after himself, and I kept digging in the dirt, but I think it worked out.”

“Then I’m still the safest.” Jimmy sniffed. “I stay clean.”

“Sure, Jimmy.” Scott flicked out his tail, smacking it lightly against his side and making him jump. “Hope the hat was worth it.”

Jimmy lowered his head under it, ears pressing down. He wasn’t sure if Scott was watching him or not, but he did watch Scott’s feet walk by him as he went back to the hat. Presumably to drag it further out of the water.

He hesitated for a moment, tapping his tail tip against the ground. He then nodded to himself, lifting his head again and turning to watch Scott doing just what he expected.

“I’m sorry about your flower.” He finally said.

“My—? Oh,” Scott raised a paw to his ear, now missing its petals, “it—yeah, it’s fine,” Scott waved dismissively, turning away again, “they don’t last that long—”

“I’ll get you another.” Jimmy decided, already sitting up straighter at the prospect. “It was a poppy, right? I’ll find a new one, I’m sure there’s got to be some in the garden.”

Scott gave him a surprised blink, tail twitching. Jimmy just lifted his head more, jutting out his muzzle defiantly.

“Of all the things,” Scott chuckled after a moment, shaking his head, “the flower? Really?”

“Is—” Jimmy faltered, “is there something else you want—?”

“I already got my hat payment.” Scott said, patting the hat in question.

“And the Gardener position!”

“I’ll gladly take the poppy offer, though.” Scott continued over him. “Within four to five business days, yeah?” He teased.

“Sooner.” Jimmy said quickly, allowing a small smile as he tried to get back up. “Two to three days. Maybe even one.”

“Incredible service you’ve got here.” Scott joked, tilting his head. “Come help me with this if you’re not gonna fall over, then.”

“I am, I am,” Jimmy chuckled, and though his legs still shook, he hurried over to Scott’s side to help him pull the hat out more. Get it drier faster, and all that.

“After this,” Scott added, leaning far back into his pulling, nearly entirely horizontal, “you’re seriously getting dry. I mean it. Lay in the sun, or something. You look like a bad sneeze away from mange.”

“Mange?” Jimmy sputtered.

“Your fur is patching weird.” Scott shrugged. “You might be mistaken for Oli.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll dry!” Jimmy huffed, getting a barking laugh out of Scott.

Jimmy did not smile at it, because he was being mocked, and he didn’t laugh at such things. But he chose not to fight on it, and kept a good sport about it, so there. If he had to look like he was having fun, so be it. That’s what it was.

And, true to his word, because he always was, Scott got the driest parts of the hat to chew away. Jimmy bundled up the rest and dragged it off to the hollow hidden under the brambles he’d found a few days ago, stashing it there for the time being for him to chew up into smaller pieces so nobody would ask questions.

And if he still had sniffles two days later, an armful of poppy petals in his paws as he nearly tripped over his own tail while offering them to Scott, then maybe it was worth it. Even if he got laughed at.

Not that Scott would know, of course. Then he’d never hear the end of it.