"God, this place is boring."
"What, you don't like turning logs into wood?" Alan asked.
"We've been here, what, three weeks?" Alan nodded. "And this is all we've done, Al. I need some excitement."
"You'd prefer to have Urko chasing us around the countryside?"
"No!" Pete quickly replied. "It's just..."
"No women, no excitement... your city boy is itching to get out?"
"Yes!"
Alan shook his head and laughed. "I don't know, Pete. After the last month or so of running just ahead of Urko, I'm happy to take a break. Galen is, too."
"Because Galen's got the hots for Misha."
"Help! Somebody, please, help me!"
Pete dropped the wood he was planing and ran out to the field behind the barn.
"Misha? What's wrong?" he asked her.
"It's Fan! He fell into the pond! I can't reach him!"
Pete silently cursed the apes' fear of the water and ran toward the pond. He was peripherally aware of Alan, Galen and the humans and chimps that lived on the farm following, as Misha told them what had happened.
Reaching the pond, he saw the small chimp under the water about ten feet out. He quickly jumped into the pond and swam to him. The water hadn't been deep, it only came to Pete's chest, but Fan wasn't more than five. And he was a chimp. And water and chimps didn't mix.
Pete grabbed onto Fan, cradled him in his arms, and as he waded back to the shore, listened and felt to see if the boy was alive. The others had arrived by then and anxiously awaited news.
"He's not breathing," Pete announced climbing out of the water.
"Nooo!" Misha wailed, crying louder. Apes and humans alike gathered around her, mourned with her.
Meanwhile, Pete had placed Fan on the ground and began CPR.
"What are you doing!" Galen asked, confused.
"Fan!" Misha called, hearing Galen's query. "What are you doing to him! Leave him alone!"
The others gasped at the sacrilege. No one could understand why Pete, a human, was not only pressing down on the boy's chest, but actually placing his lips onto a chimpanzee's! One just did not do that...
Alan, seeing the horror on Misha's face, quickly intercepted her. "He's trying to help. Give him a chance, Misha. Please."
Before she could answer, a soft coughing sound could be heard and they watched as Pete turned Fan onto his side. They stared in wonderment as Fan began spitting out water. Then he began to cry, calling for his mother.
"Fan!" Misha cried. Alan let her go to her child.
Pete continued to sit on his haunches, catching his breath, as he watched in satisfaction as mother and child were reunited.
"Enough excitement for ya?" Alan asked him, offering him a hand up.
"Oh, yeah."
Pete was surprised when Misha approached him and gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I... I don't know what to say," she told him over Fan's shoulder. "It's a miracle."
The two astronauts watched as the others crowded around Misha and Fan, cooing at the boy, comforting the mother, and escorted them back to Misha's house. They saw Galen whisper something to her before returning to their sides.
"Are you all right, Pete?" he asked, seeing Pete shiver.
"I'm fine, Galen. Just need to get dry, is all."
"What you did... I never..."
"It's called cardiopulmonary resuscitation," Alan said. "A technique used to restart someone's heartbeat and breathing."
"But you used it on an ape."
"He's an innocent child that needed help, Galen," Pete stated. Then he laughed, shaking his head and said, "Hell, if I can help Urko get out of a subway station, how could I ignore anyone, ape or human, that needed help?" He shivered again.
"Come on, hero, let's get you some dry clothes and something warm to drink," Alan said, clapping Pete on the shoulder.
By the time they'd gotten back to their small hut, a small crowd had gathered to greet them.
"I brought you some dry clothes," Karn, another of the farm's human workers said, his arms out, holding a pair of pants and a shirt.
"And I've got some warm broth," Sara, Misha's sister, offered, holding out a bowl.
Pete found himself overwhelmed at the attention as human and chimp alike swarmed about him, offering him things – food, clothing, trinkets – all seeming to need to give him something; touch him.
"Thank you. Thank you," he said to them in turn, taking Karn's clothing and Sara's broth. Then other things were piled on to his bundle.
Alan, seeing that Pete could barely get past the small crowd, spoke up, "Please, let him change and get warm. Please, let him through." He grabbed Pete's arm and gently pulled him through the others toward their hut. He was surprised when Galen pushed he and Pete inside and closed the door tightly behind them.
Pete all but collapsed onto a chair, saying, "Whoa... that was... weird."
"How's it feel to be a rock star?" Alan joked.
"If they'd been young, blonde and good looking, I'd say pretty good. But..."
Alan laughed. "Can't have everything, romeo."