Gifts and Sacrifices
Shattered Confidence
Part Two: Shattered from Within
Chapter One: The Planting of a Seed
Buddi opened his eyes, sunlight invading his sight. Sitting up, for the first time in over a week, Buddi found himself…fine! He felt great! Leaping up, he stumbled a bit but ran out of his room and down the hallway. He was still in his nightshift but he didn't care.
But then as he ran to the stairs a
hand grabbed his shirt and tugged him back. Ursa gave him the 'look.' He
winced. Ursa grabbed his shirt again and pointed back the way he'd come.
"Back to bed, Buddi."
Buddi groaned, "But Ursa, I feel
fine."
Ursa merely took him by the shirt
and tugged him back herself, saying, "Don't make me repeat myself, Buddi. You
get your bottom back into bed."
Buddi tried to tug away. Big
mistake. Ursa picked him up under one arm and carried him back, as if he were
grain. Then, setting him down on his bed, she put the fever strip on his
forehead again. It came out blue. She showed it to Buddi.
"See?" he sighed. He had a slight
weakness and a light headache but nothing too bad. Ursa continued, "Still three
degrees over normal. You stay in bed today. Tomorrow if it's down, you can get
up, alright?"
Buddi groaned as she pushed him down
and threw his covers back over him. He tried to get up. She pushed him back
down. He tried again. Ursa held him this time, saying,
"Buddi! Hold still and rest or I'll
have Gritty restrain you long enough for Grubbi to give you a nice sedative."
The Barbic leader chuckled as her
cub's face bleached to solid white and he grabbed her hands,
"NO NEEDLES!"
Ursa laughed out loud. "Then sleep."
Buddi groaned. "I can't even read?"
Ursa considered. "A bit. But I want
you to sleep, understood?"
Buddi managed to nod, although with
a sigh. He just wanted to go play. He was a cub, it was what cubs did. But not
with Ursa around, never was gonna happen.
Buddi slept a time, but it did help
although he'd never admit it. But then it became too much. He had to get out.
It was driving him crazy. He was a Barbic and Barbics loved the outdoors. In
Barbic woods, he was always outside and here in Ursalia he always was as well.
And after being inside for about a week or so, he needed the outside.
The cub swung his feet down and
stood up. His vision swam for a minute, fever caused. The fever was still there
and still caused some discomfort. But eh ignored it and stumbled to the window,
peered out. But then, as he began to start to draw the lock off, a hand clamped
over his and locked the bolt tightly, tighter than his strength could budge.
Ursa gave Buddi a fierce and deadly
glare. He winced. She picked him up, set him down on his sheets and pointed her
finger directly in his face, hissing,
"You stay right there."
Buddi sat until she ran out of the room. He didn't know what she'd do. But he wasn't going to hang around to find out. He normally wasn't this rebellious, especially when she'd been so caring lately. But he did not want to spend one more minute in this bed.
With a swift and silent motion, the
cub scrambled to the wall, pushing a small molding in the wall. The door pushed
in, revealing the secret passageway. He slipped in, latching the doorway behind
him. A few minutes later, he heard,
"BUDDI!"
* * *
Buddi winced and crept down the
secret corridors. He could see people through occasional opening, viewed as a
mere crack of plaster or stone. But he could make out the others, creeping around.
He had to be quiet around these areas as if they heard him they'd figure that
there was a secret passage.
Buddi felt cold and wrapped his arms
around himself. He had not realized how cold it was until now. He had not
realized how dizzy he still was either. But Buddi was not one to admit pain,
like many Barbics. He liked to stick it out, to prove he was just as good as
any adult Barbic. The Glens' cubs didn't have to as there were three of them
but Buddi was the Barbics' only child.
He stumbled a bit and grabbed hold
of the wall for support. He felt dizzy. He felt tired. He cursed himself. Why
hadn't he listened to Ursa? Why hadn't he noticed how weak and sick he still
was?
"Buddi!"
The cub winced as he heard Ursa's
unmistakable booming voice, the voice she had when angry.
"BUDDI BARBIC! YOU COME OUT RIGHT
NOW OR YOU GET THE TANNING OF YOUR LIFE!!"
Buddi winced. He knew she meant it.
But he was so scared. She sounded so angry. But he was more willing to risk
that than risk a spanking. Opening the nearest door, he emerged into the
hallway. He had just closed the door when a voice called,
"Buddi Barbic!"
Turning Ursa stormed to him.
Fearful, the cub turned but ran straight into Gritty. The adult Barbic had
learned long ago to chase first and ask questions later, so he grabbed the
cub's hands by his wrists and held him tightly as Ursa made her way over to
him.
"Thanks gritty," Ursa took the cub
by the upper arm and dragged him back upstairs. She could feel the heat of a
higher fever. He'd made himself sicker. She growled and tugged him back into
his room. Buddi this time, laid without protest. Ursa grabbed his left arm and
wiped it with some foul smelling liquid.
"Ursa…"
Ursa gave him a glare. "I warned you
Buddi. You already made yourself sick. I'm not letting you do that again."
"But Ursa, I-ow!"
Ursa pricked his arm with the needle
and with one swift motion injected the sedative into his blood. She drew the
syringe away and chunked it. Buddi's face went pale and his eyes rolled back as
unconsciousness swept over him. Ursa laid him down and said,
"I hate doing that, baby,"
Buddi seemed to smile in his sleep,
as if he were saying,
"I know that."
Ursa sighed and covered him up. She
knew that Buddi was getting better; she knew that he was growing tired of being
confined.
But the mother in her refused to let
her protective guard down.