Frog Freeing
Eighteen figures stood in the opening, silhouetted by the sunlight. They stepped into the room, their features slowly becoming more distinct in the dim light.
Junior grabbed Robin's cage in one hand and Kermit's neck in the other and bolted for a metal door at the back of the room. "Come on, Papa!" he shouted, and Doc ran after him with an energy he didn't really have.
The Muppets gave chase, but the door slammed shut in their faces.
Doc flicked on the bright lights and opened another door, this one leading to a large walk in closet. Junior flung Kermit into a cage on the closet floor, kicked the cage shut, and put Robin's cage on top of it. Then he walked out and locked the door behind him.
Doc sat in a chair, gasping for breath. Junior handed him a glass of water. He took the glass, but didn't drink from it. He tried to smile for his son.
"All we... have... to do... now..." he gasped, "Is... wait for... their... friends... to... leave... Then we..." He suddenly recoiled in pain, overwhelming pain. He fell back in the chair and forced his eyes open. He looked his son in the eyes, too weak to smile, to speak or to even breathe. His eyes slid shut and the glass slipped from his limp hand, shattering to thousands of pieces and spilling water all across the floor.
Junior watched it all, paralyzed with horror, too shocked to hear the banging on the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The closet was completely dark except for the thin streak of light that peaked under the door. Robin hadn't said a word. Kermit knew why, and he was worried. He reached up through the top of his cage and felt around until his hand was in the bottom of the cage above him.
"Robin?" he said.
There was a heavy moment of silence. "Yeah?" Robin said.
"I'm sorry, Robin," Kermit said. "I'm really sorry."
There was another heavy moment of silence. Then Kermit heard a tiny sigh above him and felt his nephew's fingers on his hand.
"We'll get out of this, Uncle Kermit, won't we?"
Kermit wondered if it was a question or a statement. "Yes, Robin," he said. "We'll get out of this."
"Together?" Robin asked.
Kermit took a deep breath, understanding. Robin knew he would be okay. He was worried about his uncle.
"Together," Kermit said.
They sat in silence for a moment, and then Kermit felt something being pushed under his hand. He picked it up and brought it down to where he could examine it.
He was able to pick out the basic outlines. Here was Robin's face, and his own, and here was an open book in front of them... he smiled, visualizing the rest of the picture in his mind.
"You need it more than I do right now," Robin said.
"Thank you, Robin," Kermit said.
"You're welcome, Uncle Kermit."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ramon gave the metal door another kick and sighed. "It's not doing anything," he said.
"I'll get that door open!" Sal said, and he picked Rizzo up.
"What?" Rizzo said. "Sal, what are you doing,? Wha- No! NOOOOO!"
Sal threw the rat against the door.
"OWWWW!" Rizzo said as he slid to the ground.
"Hey, that's GREAT idea!" Gonzo said. "Hey Sweetums, throw me against the door!"
Sweetums complied.
"WOOOOOOOOO!" Gonzo shouted as he hurled through the air and smacked right into the door.
"Like, that didn't even make a dent, Gonzo!" Janice said.
Gonzo peeled himself off the floor. "Yeah, but it was really cool!" he said.
"DOOR COME DOWN! DOOR COME DOWN!" Animal shouted, throwing himself against the door repeatedly.
"Hey Animal," Floyd said, "Why don't you try to eat through the door?"
"Eat... through... door..." Animal repeated, examining the door. He opened his mouth as wide as he could and attacked.
"Aaaghamugahhaaghlaaaaa!" He stepped back. "CAN'T BITE! CAN'T BITE!"
"Maybe I can help," Sweetums said. He lumbered to the other side of the room, waited for everyone to be out of the way, and took a running start.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Papa?" Junior whispered. He knelt beside his father's chair, ignoring the broken glass that cut into his knees. "Papa?"
He rubbed his father's forearm. "Papa? Papa, wake up... please... Papa..."
He wrapped his fingers around his father's wrist, and he understood. "No," he whispered. Then he shouted, "NO!" He stood up, grabbing a roll of quarters and throwing it against the wall. He sank down to his knees as the quarters scattered amongst the spilled water and broken glass. He took his father by the hand, rested his head in his father's lap, and let himself cry.
He was only vaguely aware of a loud crash.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kermit traced the edge of the picture with his finger, thinking about what Robin had said.
"We'll get out of this, Uncle Kermit, won't we? Together?" He sighed and leaned against the bars of his cage, knowing that "together" was the
only way they could get out of it. But how? He touched the picture again. There had to be a peaceful way to get out together. It was just a matter of finding it. Finding the Rainbow Connection. He smiled as he began to sing.
"Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?"
Robin sat up in his cage and sang.
"Rainbows are visions
But only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide."
They sang together now, pouring their hearts into the song.
"So we've been told and some choose to believe it,
I know they're wrong wait and see.
Someday we'll find it,
The Rainbow Connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me!"
"Uncle Kermit? Do you hear that?"
They fell silent and heard banging.
"I hear it, Robin," Kermit said.
"What is it?" Robin asked.
Before Kermit could answer, someone shouted,
"NO!" The banging continued, and then there was a crash.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sweetums got up off the ground and looked at the metal door. It had a large dent in it, but it was still most definately an obstacle.
Miss Piggy sighed. "Never send a man to do a woman's work," she said. "Step aside, everyone! Moi will take care of this!"
They all stepped back She examined the door, and, "HI-YAH!" The dent doubled in size, but the door still stood.
Fozzie stepped forward. "Did anyone try the knob?" he asked. He turned the knob and the door swung open with ease.
They looked at the open door in silence for a moment while their eyes adjusted to the light.
"Oh," Clifford said.
They hurried into the room, shouting out for Kermit and Robin. But there were no frogs in the room, and the shouts of names turned to shouts of pain as some of the bare-footed Muppets stepped on shards of broken glass. They recovered quickly and found themselves in front of a door. Fozzie tried the knob.
"It's locked," he said.
"Dat's okay," Pepe said, holding up a ring of keys.
"Alright!" Dr. Teeth said.
"Wait a second, where'd you get those?" Rizzo said.
"From dat guys pocket," Pepe said, pointing at Junior, who still hadn't registered that anyone had entered the room.
"Oh. Okay," Rizzo said.
"Here," Rowlf said. "Gimmee the keys."
Pepe handed the keys to the dog. Rowlf grabbed a key at random and tried it in the lock. It worked, and the door opened a crack.
"Now that's what I call luck," Rowlf said.
The door flung as far as the hinges would let it. The closet was flooded with light and shouting Muppets.
"KERMIT! ROBIN!" The shouted.
"Hi guys!" Kermit said.
"Hi!" Robin said.
The keys got handed around as Sweetums freed Robin and Miss Piggy freed Kermit. For a moment, the closet was filled with hugs and slaps on the back and shouts of joy. Ramon smiled at the chaos, but he felt awkward. He was a stranger. So he quietly slipped away.
"Come on, guys!" Kermit said as he started to lead the crowd out of the closet. "Let's go home."
"No," came a weak reply. Kermit found himself looking straight down the barrel of a gun. He looked up at the gunman.
It was Junior.
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