It was a week before Easter and Wally had just gotten out of his car to go to work. It was quite early so it wasn't entirely light out yet.
There was a rustle in the bushes beside the sidewalk, startling the Janitor. He yelped and jumped back from the bush, looking at it.
Something weakly flipped out of the bush, looking up at Wally just as scared as him
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Jack was at his desk peacefully working. He loved the silent mornings. He was early so it technically wasn't work yet.
He leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling and sighing with content.
Wally burst into Jack's office, startling the lyricist. "JACK LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!" He squealed in excitement.
Jack had never seen this crazy man so excited before in his life. "What?" He asked, concerned. Wally had the biggest grin on his face as he held out something in his hands to show him.
Something fluffy and white with brown spots. At first, Jack thought it was a cat. But it wasn't. Of course it wasn't.
"Wally! Is that a..." he looked at it. "It's a bunny! I found this little guy outside of the studio, he didn't run away or nothin!" Wally grinned.
He gently cradled the little rabbit in his arms, smiling down at it. "I think he's sick, he didn't look to well when I found him." Wally's smile faded to a sad frown.
"So it's probably a wild rabbit...but it didn't run because it's sick. Makes sense." Jack sighed. He looked down at the adorable little bunny.
"So what are you gonna do with him?" The lyricist asked. "Well I know if I put him back outside he'll probably die, so I'm going to take him to the vet, then set him free." Wally said.
Jack looked into the janitor's eyes to see them sad. 'Oh no.' Jack thought. He knew Wally wanted to keep the rabbit.
But it was a wild rabbit, he couldn't. "Do you want me to drive you there? Because none of us have anything to put him into so someone's gotta hold him." Jack said.
There was easily lots of boxes and crates in the storage rooms in the basement of the studio, but Jack just wanted to keep him company.
"Sure." Wally said. Jack took a last look at the little bunny in Wally's arms. It looked terrified, having never been held by a human before.
"Poor guy looks so scared." Wally said. "C'mon Walls, let's get him fixed up and taken care of." Jack said, leading his friend to the door.
They got in his car and he drove them to the animal hospital. On the car ride there, it was about twenty minutes.
Wally was whispering to the bunny and stroking his ears. Jack glanced at him. He couldn't hear what Wally was saying but it was definitely calming the bunny down.
In fact, the bunny seemed to be enjoying the soft pets and love from Wally. Jack smiled to himself. It was honestly adorable.
"Don't get too attached to him." Jack warned. "Too late." Wally half laughed. They arrived at the veterinarians and had to wait a while.
Soon the animal doctor came out with the little rabbit in her arms. It was shivering and scared. It didn't like her.
It was definitely more lively now, looking like a wild rabbit should. It violently squirmed and squeaked, trying to get away from her.
"Where do you get him from?" The vet asked, placing the bunny in a carrier. It bit her hand. She closed the carriers door.
She had a cloth and placed it over the many bites and scratches on her hands. "I uh...well I found him outside and he looked sick so I brought him here." Wally said sheepishly.
The vet sighed. "You're not supposed to deal with wild animals Mr.Franks, so I'll have to ask you to release him right where you found him." She said. "I will." Wally responded.
"And return the carrier after please." She added. Wally nodded, him and Jack leaving. Wally held the carrier.
They started to drive back to the studio. "I didn't know we weren't supposed ta help sick animals and just leave em." Wally said.
"Hey, you did the right thing, she's just one of those people who are suck-ups to law and follows every little trace of it. Especially ones that most people don't. But I'm pretty sure it's not illegal to take a rabbit in." Jack said.
"Yeah, but now we gotta let him go again." Wally said, staring into the carrier. The rabbit seemed to have calmed down a bit.
It stared back at Wally, it's pink button nose twitching. "Hey, the lady put a mark on the inside of one of his ears, I think with a marker or somethin. I dunno why." Wally said.
"Probably some vet thing." Jack shrugged. They made it back to the studio.
Wally carried the carrier over to the bushes and opened it. The rabbit carefully poked its nose out, looking around.
Wally got an idea. He of course had a sandwich in his pocket, and it had cucumbers on it. He took a slice of cucumber out of it and held it carefully out to the bunny.
It sniffed the cucumber, looked up at Wally, then took it and dashed off. Wally looked sadly after it. "Oh don't be sad, it's just a little rabbit." Jack patted his shoulder.
"I know, I just wish I had a pet." Wally sighed. "Why don't you get one?" Jack asked. "I really wanted a pet bunny but nobody sells them around here." Wally shrugged.
The two went back inside the studio. Wally had become sad, he really wanted to keep the little bunny as a pet. But he didn't think it would want that.
He sighed and started locking up his closet for the night, ready to head home. Jack passed by him on his way out.
"Don't be sad Walls, it wanted to live in the wild." Jack put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know, I just have a tendency to get emotionally attached to someone or something that will never feel the same about me." Wally sighed.
It wasn't just the bunny. Wally would get emotionally attached to dogs when he was little, only for his parents to say he couldn't get them. Not even a little goldfish.
Also when he was little he really loved to spend time with his grandmother. And she would always say she'd never leave him.
But she did. When he was thirteen. And he had a best friend in elementary school that left him in a heartbeat when he got the chance to go into the popular group.
Wally felt like nobody would ever stay with him and just love him. That wasn't how his life worked for him.
And that's why he never told Jack how he really felt about him. He was scared Jack would leave him. Just like everyone else. And the rabbit leaving reminded him of this. It hurt him more than he'd ever admit.
"Is this really just about the rabbit? You seem pretty sad, are you okay?" Jack asked. "Yeah, of course it's just a bunny." Wally shrugged.
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Waaaaallyyyy, I know something else is bothering you, what's wrong?" Jack asked.
"Nothin." Wally responded. "No, I am your best friend, I know when somethings wrong." Jack said. "It's nothing, really." Wally lied.
Jack sighed. "Look, if you ever need to talk about whatever's wrong I'm always here for you, and there's no point in lying, I know something is wrong." Jack said.
Wally just sighed. "Okay." He said. Jack patted his shoulder before turning to go home. "I'll see you later." He said.
"Bye Jack." Wally said. He finished locking up his closet and left. He sighed to himself. Why couldn't he just have someone to love.
He wasn't even able to have a pet to love. Wally stepped outside the studio and drove home. All week he'd been leaving carrots or cucumbers outside the studio in the bushes, delighted to find something had taken them.
He guessed it was that rabbit. On Easter morning he woke up and went to work, leaving a carrot in the bush.
He went inside the studio. He was earlier than usual that day. Jack came to work a few minutes later, spotting the bunny eating the carrot.
"Oh my god he fed it I knew he wouldn't leave it alone." Jack sighed with a smile. The little rabbit recognized him as Wally's friend and hopped over. Jack stared at it. It seemed so...mean towards the vet, so why was it okay with Jack?
He watched it put a brown spotted paw on his shoe. "Aww." He muttered to himself. Then it hopped over to the studio door and looked at him, head tilted as if asking to go inside.
"Why would you want in there?" Jack asked, crouching down to see the bunny better. It let out a little squeak and pawed at the door like a dog.
Jack raised an eyebrow at it. Surely it didn't want inside?
Jack shrugged and opened the doorway...and the bunny darted down the hall of the studio. "Crap! Joey's gonna kill me if he finds that furball!" Jack raced after it.
It would stop every few meters, sniff at the air, then dash away after whatever it was smelling. Jack rounded the corner and froze. There was Wally at his closet.
If he saw the rabbit...but the bunny stopped at the corner. It looked up at Jack, like it knew something he didn't.
It climbed into his shoe, as if asking to be picked up. Jack hesitated, then cautiously picked the rabbit up. It rubbed its head against Jack's hand, as if telling him he wouldn't bite.
Then it looked over at Wally, then back at Jack. The lyricist squinted at the bunny. What was it trying to do?
Then a thought came into his head. Did it want him to give it to Wally? It sure as hell seemed like it. Not knowing what else to do, Jack cautiously walked over to Wally.
"Hey Wally, look who followed me inside." Jack held the little bunny out to his friend. Wally glanced over and gasped.
"The bunny! I knew he was the one eating those carrots I left out for him!" Wally said with glee. "I think he's smarter then he's letting on, he knows something...he's been acting weird." Jack said, glancing at the bunny.
Wally took it from Jack's hands. "He's so adorable! How is he acting weird? He's totally normal, so adorable!" Wally cooed, smiling and petting the little bunny.
"I swear to god he fuckin memorized your scent and literally smelled you out to find you like a hound dog." Jack squinted at the rabbit.
It wiggled its pink nose and winked at him. Jack gasped. "He just winked! Nope! Fuck this! I'm creeped the hell out! Not today!" Jack threw his hands up and started to leave.
Wally giggled as he cuddled the bunny. "See ya later Jackie!" He called.
