The Diary

:(22):

       I kept Morty's journal in my room, not wanting Beth or Jerry to grab it. It was Wednesday now, meaning that Morty would be coming back soon. I just had to get through a few more days. 

       Beth would finally look me in the eye again, though I chuckled each time she looked uncomfortable while doing so. "So, dad, you seem to be doing better." 

       I shrugged, "Yea, eugh well..." I trailed off, not in the mood to talk right now. I had recently finished Morty's last story, his version of what he had thought would happen when he came back. Oh, boy, was he wrong.

       I made my way to the garage, deciding to just make something else for the kid. If he didn't have the ring, I was going to build something else for him to wear, something that also said he was taken. Maybe a locket or something, I don't know.

       A promise ring. But is it too soon for that? I mean, yea something bigger might happen, but would he want to take things way slow, or just semi-slow? Oh, what the hell. The kid's getting a promise ring.

       I started to work, not able to remember a time when I'd felt this alive. If I could remember correctly, his finger was one and a half sizes smaller than mine. Knowing that made it easier to design the ring.

       It wasn't anything big, and I knew I could make one to go on any other finger, but he was mine, which meant I could do whatever the hell I wanted. We'll be together for three weeks when he comes back, so at least I'm not rushing into this at supersonic speeds, just going a bit faster than most would.

       I continued to work while lost in thought, placing a small stone in the center of the ring. It was silver and thin, but durable. There was a tracker built into the center of the stone, activated just by rotating the ring 180 degrees. I smirked at my handiwork, rotating the circle between my fingers for a moment before I dropped it in my pocket. 

       It only took a few hours to do that, but I still felt slightly drained. It took a lot of work, building something to such a small scale. While I sat back in my chair, wondering what the hell to do with myself, I heard a familiar sound.

       Looking over my left shoulder, I saw a portal open up and Morty hesitantly stepped through. He was stumbling a little bit, something that made me furrow my brow in confusion. He kept his gaze to the floor and I saw droplets fall from his face. 

       "M-Morty?" He flinched at my voice and his shoulders shook, "I-I'm sorry, Rick. I-I-I'm so... I'm so sorry. He-He made me do it, Ri-Rick. He made me..." 

       A million thoughts raced through my mind as I stood from my desk and walked over to Morty. He took a small step away before I held my arm out, placing my hand on his shoulder. I used my other hand to lift his head, taking in a sharp breath.

       Morty's lips were swollen, a small split running down the middle of the lower. His cheek was red, almost like somebody had recently hit him. There were bite marks running all along either side of his neck, and I knew they weren't from me. There was no way in hell those could have ever been made by me.

       "R-Rick, please. He made me... He got so mad, and-and he and his friends, they... they..." His face contorted into a look of fear and horror, his breathing increased and he started to cry again. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't know what had had happened until he calmed down, there was no way for me to know if my fears were correct. 

       Morty moved his hands up, gripping my lab coat and burying his face in my shoulder. His body shook with violent sobs and he took in gulps of air, trying to calm himself. I didn't know what to do at this moment. I was just frozen.

       He pulled back and looked at me, fear evident in his eyes. "Rick, I-I didn't d-d-do anything. They... he... he had them ho-hold me dow-down, and he- it hurt, Rick. I-I-It hurts now. I-I didn't do any-anything, I-I-I swear. Pl-please Rick, don't-don't hate me. Please." With every word, I felt my chest tighten more and more. He hadn't done anything, but what did they do?

       "Mo-Morty, what... what did they do?" I was afraid to hear his answer, the tight feeling in my chest refusing to go away. I felt tears sting my own eyes, something very rare. "What the hell d-did they do, Morty?"

       He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again, clenching his eyes shut. More tears fell down his cheeks and I wiped them away, tugging Morty and making him sit in my desk chair. I ran over to a shelf and pulled down two helmets, placing one on Morty and watching him look up confused. I didn't say anything as I pulled the other down onto my own head, sitting on the cold floor. I found myself surfing through Morty's recent memories, finally finding those for today.

        He was still sharing a dorm room with Daemon, but Daemon had that kid with Morty's ring over. He took the ring back and sent the kid out, angry. Morty had been sitting at his desk, working on an essay, when Daemon came up to him. He said something to Morty that made the kid look terrified, and I saw Morty explain that he was with somebody now.
        Daemon wasn't too happy about this, but Morty left before anything could happen. Smart, baby.

       I skipped through a few memories of him going and buying himself lunch, talking to friends and whatnot. 

       I found the memory from one hour before he arrived. 

       Morty had been walking back to his dorm when somebody else's door opened and he was pulled in. All around, angry looking people surrounded him, Daemon sitting on a couch and looking pretty pissed himself. The door was shut behind him and Morty was terrified, his belongings being taken from him. I didn't hear anything that was said, but Daemon had a smug look on his face. Morty was grabbed from all sides and Daemon moved closer. 

       I watched in horror as Morty was held down, used and abused by Daemon. When he had finally finished with Morty, Daemon shoved him out of the room and laughed as Morty ran to his dorm, fully nude. He had grabbed his phone and clothes before he dug out the portal gun, coming straight here.

       I removed my helmet and went up to remove Morty's, feeling him flinch away when I'd taken it. I set them back on the shelf and stood, leaning against the wall and wondering what the hell I was supposed to do at this point.

       "R-Rick?" Morty spun in the chair, facing me with teary eyes. "You hate me. You hate me now." I looked down at him, furrowing my brows, "No. No, I love you, Morty. You-You didn't do eugh that on your own. I love you, I don't hate you." I moved and pulled him from the chair, holding him against me and rubbing his back. "I don't hate you, baby." I kissed the top of his head.

       "But I'm going to kill him."