By Icelightning
Chapter 1: Uncertainty
Author's Note: Yay, finally getting around to typing this thing up.
Then I can work on the trades I promised. Yay!
Wildwing sighed, running a hand through his hair. He ran
through the speech again, but it didn't calm his nerves. There was just
too much at stake. And the fact that he didn't sleep a wink last night
only compounded the situation.
"You shouldn't worry so much," Mallory reprimanded him
softly, handing Wildwing a mug of coffee before taking a nearby seat. "You'll
do fine."
He smiled weakly, taking a sip of his drink before putting
it down, "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"Maybe you should wear the Mask," Mallory suggested and
Wildwing shook his head.
"It's too... impersonal—the press won't be convinced that
I'm telling the truth unless I can express my feelings," he explained,
half wishing he really could put on the Mask—he wouldn't be so worried
then.
"Well, then don't faint," Mallory smirked and Wildwing
blushed.
"Do I really look that nervous?" he glanced over
to her.
Mallory only nodded in response.
Wildwing sighed again, returning his eyes to the paper,
"I-I can't help it. If I don't do this perfectly, then we might lose Cammy."
"We won't," Mallory stated confidently. "He's going to
stay with us and get better."
She glanced at the clock and frowned. "It's about time—you
should go. Want me to walk with you?"
"Could you?" Wildwing smiled weakly again. "It'd be nice
to have a friendly face..."
"Sure," Mallory grabbed Wildwing's arm and dragged him
to his feet before leading him down the hall. "We'd better hurry, though."
Wildwing's coffee slowly cooled to room temperature, forgotten.
Mallory stopped inside the locker room and glanced to Wildwing.
He seemed a lot calmer than before, but he was always nervous until he
actually did what he was worried about. Now, he was almost completely
composed and ready. She let go of his wrist.
"Well, here you go," Mallory smiled and Wildwing returned
hers with one of his own.
"Thanks," then he blinked. "What? You're not going with
me?"
"You're the one that's good with speeches. I'd probably
only lose my temper if I went out there." Mallory shook her head. "Anyways,
good luck. I'll be watching you on the TV downstairs."
Wildwing watched her go back down the elevator, before
turning around and walking towards the front entrance of the ice rink.
A thought came through his head and he smiled softly. This was one of the
few times that he was actually grateful towards both Phil and Klegghorn.
He walked out the door and into the blinding sunlight.
Wildwing winced, but kept on walking, trying to ignore both the sunlight
and the crowd of reporters that had suddenly gone quiet at his appearance.
The silence was only broken by the occasional snapping of a camera.
Stepping onto the platform in front of him, Wildwing nodded
to Klegghorn. He approached the podium and the silence became more profound.
Wildwing took a deep breath and began.
"As you all have heard, three weeks ago a child—one of
our kind—fell to Earth through a dimensional gateway," he paused, then
continued. "He is the reason we called this press conference today."
The silence deepened.
"The boy's name is Camden Glosshart," Wildwing stated.
"He is currently recovering from a mild concussion, blood loss, multiple
wounds, and malnutrition."
A murmur raced through the crowd.
"Because he is of the same species, we were and still
are the most qualified to treat the aforementioned conditions," Wildwing
took a breath. "W-We nearly lost him. However, if we had taken him to the
hospital, we surely would have.
The murmur became louder and more pronounced. Cameras
started to snap pictures rapidly and reporters began to ask a stream of
questions. Wildwing waited silently until the crowd became quiet again.
"Nosedive and Tanya bonded with the child soon after he
woke up. We are happy to announce that, with their help, Camden has begun
to recover. He is not strong enough to leave the Infirmary, but he is happily
playing with the toys we were able to provide with Captain Klegghorn's
aid."
"We are aware that many of our fans will want to donate
toys. To them, I say this: do not donate toys that involve either
violence or dinosaurs. Both will only serve to frighten him."
"To the media: during this crucial time of recovery, we
cannot allow humans to have direct contact with him. Therefore, we ask
you to not seek him out. If you were to do so, you could make him regress
to an earlier stage of recovery. We understand that you wish to have a
greater knowledge about his condition, so Tanya has begun working on a
web site that will constantly be updated with his progress. Please allow
this to be enough for now."
Some of the reporters muttered darkly, but none had a
chance to raise their voices as Wildwing immediately went on with his speech.
"Anyone that disturbs or scares Camden will be arrested
and filed for harassment to the highest extent of the law. Captain Klegghorn
assures us we will have the full cooperation of the Anaheim Police Force
in protecting the child."
Voices rang out in protest.
"Please," Wildwing sighed, "you must try to understand—Camden
is a trauma victim. He has been through so much, that if he became too
excited, it would pose a serious threat to his health and well-being. We
are only looking out for him. When he is better, and has grown to trust
humans, we will hold a structured interview with only approved questions—again,
to protect him from harm. This is the best way for him and for us."
He sighed again, then regrettably told his audience, "You
may now, in an orderly fashion, ask me questions about Camden. Please raise
your hands and I will call on you. I will not answer questions spoken out
of turn."
Wildwing pointed to a nearby reporter and they exploded
into action, asking a rapid-fire question that Wildwing quickly answered.
Another question followed and then another after that.
No, the entire team hadn't met him yet. No, they were
still investigating how he arrived on Earth. Yes, he liked stuffed animals.
No, he wasn't strong enough to go swimming yet. Yes, he had a good appetite.
Yes, no, no, yes, no, yes, yes, yesno, nonoyes... It all quickly became
a blur.
A laser blasted out the screen of the Raptor. "Glosshart?
Glosshart?
That little brat is still alive?"
Dragaunus stalked the control room in barely contained
fury, "He should have been dead months ago! And to think that one of my
top generals was so incompetent as to let him free! I wanted him to suffer
for the trouble his father caused!"
Chameleon winced, but stayed quiet. It was best to say
nothing when Dragaunus was this angry. Wraith, however, tried his luck.
"Perhaps this can be to our advantage," the ancient Saurian
stated slowly.
Dragaunus whirled around to look at Wraith, his eyes narrowing
in anger, "How?!"
"We kill the child before he has the chance to completely
recover. If he is dead, then the Ducks cannot try to rescue him, nor can
they help him recover from what our brethren have done to him." Wraith
paused. "In short, we could send the Ducks into a deep mourning."
A smirk crossed his lord's face, "Yes... That would hit
them deeply. But when we kill him, we must strike quickly after his death
before their grief turns to anger."
"Uh... Boss?" Siege shifted his weight from one foot to
another. "They won't let the kid out of the Pond, so how do we get him?"
"We wait, you fool!" Siege shrunk back at Dragaunus's
yell. "We wait until they least expect it... And then we take him away,
killing the child right in front of their eyes!"
Camden exploded into a fit of giggles, nearly falling off
the cot; he shook his head rapidly, "Noooo! T-That's not right!"
Nosedive, having pulled a sock over his upper bill, mustered
his best innocent look. Camden, taking another look at Nosedive, immediately
began giggling again. Nosedive then stuck a sock over his lower bill and
Camden giggled even harder. He was supposed to be helping Camden
change his clothes, but the boy was looking a little depressed. This was
definitely an improvement.
Tanya rolled her eyes as she walked into the room, "Aren't
you a little too old to need help putting on your clothes?"
He blushed and quickly pulled the socks off, "U-Uhm..."
"You're such a kid, sometimes—no wonder why Camden likes
you so much," Tanya winked to Camden and he giggled again, nodding his
head enthusiastically in response.
Nosedive smiled and ruffled Camden's hair, "You..."
Camden was already distracted, noticing Tanya hiding something
behind her back, "W-What is it?"
Tanya smiled, watching the boy squirm with curiosity.
These last three weeks had done so much good for him. With their advanced
medicine, Camden's wounds had finally healed over and most of the scabs
were gone. His eyes were shining brightly and his interest to the world
around him was becoming greater everyday. Camden's body was also starting
to fill out as he gained weight and a healthy coat of Duckling Yellow feathers
was starting to push out the old transparent ones.
This was, of course, only the first leg in a long journey
for him. Soon, he would begin to have nightmares. That was when the real
test of his strength would come.
For now, Tanya was glad Camden was so young—children his
age tended to recover the fastest, mostly because they were unable to completely
comprehend what had happened to them. They instead focused on the now more
than the then and for that, she was grateful. However, it would only be
a matter of time before his thoughts came back to his...
"What is it, what is it?!" Camden's excited plea brought
Tanya back to reality and she laughed.
Tanya grinned and pulled the object out in front of her
so that Camden could look, "I see I can't hide anything from you..."
"A ball!" Camden grabbed the thin rubber sphere, looking
at in with absolute delight. "Just my size!"
"It is, isn't it?" Tanya laughed again—Camden's euphoria
was catching.
"Yep! That means we can play catch!" Nosedive backed up
a few steps. "Throw it here, Cammy!"
Camden glanced at Nosedive, watching the other Puckworlder
closely. A thought occurred to him and he smiled mischievously. Aiming
carefully, he promptly bounced the ball off of Nosedive's forehead.
"Got you!" Camden laughed.
Nosedive blinked a few times before he realized what Camden
expected him to do, "Aggh! My head! My poor head!"
He pretended to walk around in a dizzy state, clutching
his "hurt" head in his hand. This, being Camden's goal, caused the boy
to start giggling loudly as Tanya burst into laughter. Nosedive eventually
"fell" to the ground and laid absolutely still. ...Absolutely still, except
for the silent laughter that shook his body.
"He never could sit still for very long," Tanya shook
her head and poked Nosedive with the tip of her boot.
"Even when he sleeps?" Camden's eyes went wide in mock
astonishment.
"Oh, especially when he sleeps!" Tanya smirked to Nosedive.
"Wildwing's considering strapping him down at night."
Camden blinked a few times in confusion, "W-Who's Wildwing...?"
Tanya and Nosedive glanced at each other, unsure of what
to say. How could they explain it to him? Camden didn't know about the
others yet...
Nosedive sighed and smiled sadly, "He's my big bro'."
"Y-You have a b..big brother?" Camden smiled a moment
until a thought occurred to him and his smile quickly faded.
He quietly pulled his plushie into his arms and began
to cry. Nosedive's eyes went wide and he looked to Tanya desperately, unsure
of what to do. Tanya's eyes softened as she pulled Camden into her lap,
hugging him close.
"It's not your fault," Tanya whispered to Nosedive. "He
had a big brother of his own..."
Had being the keyword—Nosedive's shoulders sagged. He
didn't mean to upset Camden like that! But now he was crying...
Guilt swelling in his heart, Nosedive wrapped his arms
around the boy, joining in the hug. Tears swelled in his own eyes and he
held Camden close. Those damn Saurians...
"Cammy," Nosedive nuzzled the boy and gently pulled him
out of Tanya's arms, "I-I know you m-miss him, but—"
"—I-I want m-my mommy and my d-daddy! And my brother and
s-sissy, too!" Camden sobbed, burying his face into Nosedive's chest. "I-I
miss t-them!"
"I know you do, but t-they're not in p-pain anymore,"
Nosedive held Camden tighter.
"T-They d..died 'c-cause of m-me!" Nosedive's grip tightened
at Camden's words.
"It's n-not your fault!" Nosedive stated firmly, although
his voice shook. "I-It's those lizards'..."
Camden shook his head violently, "B-But..."
"No buts, Cammy; they gave your lives for you because
they loved you," Nosedive didn't need to hear anymore from Cammy to guess
at the basic truth of what happened.
"I-I wish t..they didn't!" Camden's sobs mixed with peeps
of distress. "T-Then t..they'd still b-be alive! I-I wish n-no one loved
m-me! I-I wish I w..was d-dead!"
"Cammy, no!" Nosedive pleaded loudly. "That's not true!"
Camden looked up to Nosedive, eyes widening in terror
as his body stiffened. The yell had scared him. Nosedive quickly realized
his mistake.
"Shh... Shh... I-It's okay, Cammy..." Nosedive forced
himself to relax his hug, gently nuzzling the boy's cheek. "I-I love you...
I-I'd never hurt y-you..."
The child slowly relaxed and began to cry softly again,
burying his face in Nosedive's chest once more. Tanya watched them sadly,
praying to the stars that Camden would be able to get through this in one
piece. But he had made it this far and that gave her hope.
It hit Nosedive while he was stroking Camden's hair. He
had told the boy he loved him. Only three short weeks and he already...
Nosedive smiled softly at the thought. Now he knew how
Wildwing felt when he cried... And why Wildwing had gone to such lengths
to protect him.
Duke sighed and laid back onto his bed, staring at the
ceiling. The child had been living at the Pond for three weeks now. And
in those three weeks, Duke had yet to meet him.
He wasn't actually sure if he wanted to meet Camden or
not. Half of him wanted to help the child recover, while his other half
wanted no part of it. The thief had almost no experience with children.
He was afraid of seeing Camden almost as much as he was of scaring him.
The child had been thin, dangerously thin, and he had
only a long, filthy rag for clothes. That brought back... Unpleasant memories—events
in Duke's life he wished never happened. His childhood, his life on the
streets, the Invasion... No, he didn't want to remember any of that. Wasn't
living through it once already bad enough? Did he have to face the memories
all over again?
If that was all that was holding Duke back, it would have
been enough. The memories were, however, compounded with the fear that
the child be afraid of him. His eye patch, the way he talked, the way he
walked—everything spoke of his former life of crime. The mallard wasn't
gentle like Tanya or Nosedive. After everything that had happened to him,
how could he be? He might even hit...
Duke quickly shook his head to rid himself of that thought.
-N-No! I'd never...- he sat up, then lifted a hand
to stare at it. -I-I'm shakin'. Why am I shakin'?-
"I need a drink," Duke declared to himself before getting
off the bed and walking quickly out of the room, hoping to leave the memories
behind.
Duke entered the kitchen a few minutes later, immediately
going to the fridge. Rooting around the contents inside, he looked for
something to settle his nerves. He found a beer and pulled the bottle out
only to nearly drop it when someone spoke.
"Mind a bit occupied, Duke?" Tanya asked, smiling softly
at Duke's back.
The mallard whirled around half-way, only letting his
muscles relax when he saw it was only one of his teammates. He laughed
nervously before replacing the look on his face with a smile. Hopefully
she hadn't caught sight of his face when he first came into the kitchen.
"H-Hey there, sweetheart," Duke continued to fake his
smile. "I guess I was a little preoccupied—nothing serious."
"It looked serious to me," Tanya stated.
Duke cursed his distracted mind, kicking the door to the
fridge gently shut. Tanya cocked her head at Duke curiously, wondering
what he was going to say. She then saw the bottle in his hand and let out
an exclamation.
"Duke, how many times to do I have to tell you that you
can't have that?!" Tanya stood and swiped the bottle out of Duke's hands—he
was too surprised by her sudden outburst to react. "I-I don't care how
much tolerance you've developed over the years—alcohol here is a lot stronger
than it was on P-Puckworld!"
She threw the bottle into the sink, upon where it shattered.
Tanya fell back into her seat, shaking. Duke stared at her in shock, not
exactly sure what to say. The woman hiccupped back a sob and Duke's eyes
softened. If there was a thing he hated to see, it was a woman in distress.
He sat down next to Tanya, gently wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"Tanya, what's wrong?" Duke whispered, wondering if anything
bad had happened to Camden; he prayed that wasn't the case.
"C-Camden misses h-his f..family," Tanya replied, her
voice quiet. "H-He cried h-himself to s..sleep. Oh, Duke..."
He tightened his grip while she continued. "T-There was
n-nothing w-we could s-say to help..."
She glanced up to him, barely holding in her tears, "Why?
W-Why did this h-have to happen t-to Cammy?"
Duke immediately noticed the dark circles under Tanya's
eyes. She obviously hadn't been sleeping very well in the past few weeks.
Tanya didn't have the ability to control her emotions anymore. She was
simply too exhausted.
"I don't know," Duke admitted, shaking his head. "But
I do know ya would be able ta help 'im better if ya got a decent 'mount
of sleep."
"B-But he needs me!" Tanya exclaimed appalled by
the idea of leaving Camden.
"Camden needs ya rested up," Duke stated. "Now you're
gonna go to your room an' you're gonna take a nap. A long nap."
"The mess..." Tanya offered half-heartedly; she was tired,
but she wasn't going to admit it.
"I'll clean it up," Duke helped her to her feet. "I'll
go tell Nosedive what 'appened."
"But-"
He gave Tanya a gentle, but firm, shove, "Go."
She sighed, then did as told and left for her bedroom.
Duke watched her leave before turning around to the mess
at hand. He picked up the glass shards, careful not to hurt himself, and
then ran water to wash out the sink. All the while, he grew more and more
worried. Why was Tanya suffering from lack of sleep? Was Camden's condition
that bad?
-Only one way ta find out,- Duke walked out of
the kitchen, heading towards the Infirmary. -I'll hafta check it out
myself.-
He could only hope that the child was asleep. Camden would
be scared of Duke and he knew it. Duke had a missing eye, a scarred beak,
and an air of... He didn't know, but he wasn't going to risk scaring that
kid. Not if he could help it—even if he had to make sure that the child
never saw him.
If only there was some other way. If only he could make
the child trust him. If only...
Duke continued on his way, both worried and excited, a
million questions running through his head. A million questions he wanted
the answers to. But would he like the answers when he heard them?
The halls grew more lonely as he made his way. There was
only one way to know. There was only one way...
His answers would be awaiting him in the Infirmary.
*End of Chapter One*