Whistleblowers
Chapter 2: Part of the Family
Sheep were weird. Their elite lived in great clans on even bigger estates. Whole families, multiple generations living it up in what should have been its own town. My first day at the Bellwethers' mansion was spent settling in. I had my own room in the men's dormitories. Truth be told, it was scarcely bigger than a closet. Just big enough to fit in a canine-sized mattress and modest drawer. At least it had plush carpet flooring; it felt nice between my toes. Except for the walls; they were painted a hideous lime green, a color I found almost disturbing.
A room of my own, but no restroom. There was a communal bathroom and shower, but that didn't bother me. Nothing I wasn't used to. Getting to sleep that night was harder than I'd thought. The bed was comfy and warm, but without the presence of my siblings, it all felt so hollow. Loneliness prickled at my heart. Their absence was a hole in my chest. I missed them all so much. My eyes started to burn. C'mon Donovan… Big kids don't cry.
Morning came, sunny and cold. Dressed in a coarse white shirt and black trousers, I wolfed down ant porridge and received my first set of tasks. The overseer made me memorize them before she let me go, on account I didn't know how to read. Of course I knew basic numbers, but literacy was deemed forbidden. I envied the sheep who could make sense of those black squiggles, but it didn't bother me unreasonably. Another reminder of their superiority.
"Lambs." I muttered under my breath. Sweat gathered on my brow as I scrubbed away vulgar graffiti. Some kids got it into their heads that defacing the garage door was just BRILLIANT. Giving a sigh, I dipped my filthy rag into a pail of soapy water. At least the paint was coming right off. Slapping the rag to the wall, I moved on to the next segment. If I was careful, it wouldn't be necessary to patch any scratches.
"Hi." I nearly had a heart attack at the sudden voice. To my embarrassment, a tiny yelp escaped my clenched jaws. She laughed, the sound light and innocent. Tossing my rag into the pail, I wiped my paws on my shirt and turned with a scowl.
"That wasn't funny." I retorted dryly. She was a ewe, her pretty wool looking soft and clean. The lamb wore a white skirt and blouse, both embroidered with pink floral patterns. The ewe was still grinning, although she made the effort to kill her laughter. Her eyes were bright and hazel, filled with curiosity.
"Sorry." She apologized. "I haven't seen you before. Are you new?" I nodded respectfully, stomping down on my earlier irritation.
"I got here yesterday." She nodded sagely.
"I hope you like it here."
"I hope so too." A second of silence.
"My name is Miriam. What's yours?" I was taken aback by the question. Miriam noticed the surprise on my face and frowned. "You do have a name, don't you?"
"I do! I do!" I defended myself, feeling heat flush my face. "It's just… You're the first person to ask me." I pointed to my smooth metal collar. Beside the barcode was engraved a simple moniker. "I don't know what it says, but I figure it means K-6 since that's what everybody calls me." Miriam's frown deepened.
"I can't imagine being called by a number… But, you said you had a name?"
"Donovan." A faint smile returned to her face.
"Donovan. That's a nice name." Miriam glanced at the filthy garage door and then to the pail. "That's going to take you forever. I could help, if you want." My jaw dropped to the earth's core. All of the other sheep had been so aloof, but Miriam was offering help?
"I, uhh… I don't think-" Miriam rolled her eyes at my flustered dodging.
"Just move." Without warning she reached into the pail and grabbed the rag. With a grunt, she ripped it in two. "There. Now we can finish in half the time." She wore a smug grin. I chuckled and took my half.
"Alright. If you don't mind getting a little dirty." We actually managed to finish in a third of the time. With someone to talk to, the task went by like a dream.
A few weeks later, and we'd become thick as thieves. Most of the time, she was off at school or busy studying, but the precious few moments we spent together filled me with vigor. Sometimes she helped out, but I preferred it when she would sit close by and read aloud. The worlds hidden in those books were beyond my wildest dreams. No task was too big when paired with the travels of a wizard or contests between good and evil. Sometimes I fancied myself a knight and Miriam my damsel in distress. She'd always manage to join my side as a war-maiden though, and we'd fight gross injustice in imaginary escapades.
I hummed a catchy tune as I set the table. Miriam was smiling at me from her seat, but I remained quiet. Her family was present so I knew to keep my mouth shut.
"Stop that blasted humming or you're sleeping in the yard tonight, boy." Victor Bellwether growled venomously, shooting me a glare. The music died in my throat. Flicking back my ears, I dipped my head.
"Sorry sir. Won't happen again sir." Miriam gasped. She knew me well enough to read my body language, especially from the ears. Well, there was her father transitioning into an ass too.
"Miriam, is something wrong?" Her father's tone did a complete one-eighty. I kept my eyes to myself, purposely avoiding Miriam. Walking back to the kitchen cupboards, I retrieved a few glasses and moved to place them before the diners. Dreading the awkward feeling summoned by Victor, I quickened my pace. That was a mistake. Quick feet on polished wood, a recipe for disaster.
Expensive glass in each paw, I put a little too much force into my steps and lost traction.
"Eep!" I yelped as my feet slid apart with a comical squeak. I didn't think. It was instinct that made me drop the glasses to catch myself. My inner thighs burned from the impromptu splits, but it was something else that paralyzed me. Crash! The glasses shattered on the floor. Fragments flew everywhere.
Shaking myself from a daze, my paws quivered as I knelt down to collect the shards.
"I-I'm sorry s-sir. I'll… I'll clean this up right away!" Victor rose from his seat, face indescribable. "Please sir, the glass." I warned weakly. He paid my words no mind. I was helpless at his lumbering approach. "Please sir, it was an accident!" My whole body was shaking now. Oh god, the sense of foreboding was killing me.
"Dad, we all saw. It was only an accident!" Miriam got up too. I looked at her, fear pounding in my veins. Her sister Dawn just looked on impassively, bored.
"Sit down dear. Let daddy take care of this." His voice was gentle, but then he grabbed my collar and pulled. A choked gasp escaped my lips as the steel cut into my wind pipe. Victor threw me to the floor, several shards of glass impaling my side. I whimpered from the sharp, stinging pain as my body skidded to a stop. Tail between my legs, I curled into myself and held my head. Heart pounding, I heard Miriam scream.
"Oh my god!" She was horrified. Chair legs squealed against the floor and she was by my side. I could feel her cautious hands nudge me over. I followed her silent instruction and lifted myself off my wounds.
"It hurts…" I whined. Miriam helped me up, mindful of my injuries.
"Let's get you to the family doctor." Her mouth was set in a grim line.
"Thank you Miriam." I whispered, shivering as I felt my side grow wet. Her family didn't say a word as we left, shocked into silence.
Sitting on the edge of a table, I winced as an old ewe picked the glass from my side. My shirt was long gone, bloody and punctured, it'd been tossed into a nearby bin. Miriam bit her lip, watching the nurse work her magic. She seemed nervous and shaky, even a little nauseous at the blood, but she stayed.
"Is he going to be okay?" Miriam asked, blinking back her tears.
"Ugh!" I snarled as the doctor cleaned my biggest cut with disinfectant. "That stings."
"I know it does honey." She cooed. "But we have to clean them. They'd hurt even more if your cuts got infected." Satisfied with the state of my wounds, the doctor pulled out a roll of gauze. The doctor flashed Miriam a reassuring smile as she applied the bandages.
"Your friend here, K-6-"
"His NAME is Donovan." Miriam interrupted with a pout. The sheep doctor nodded, pushing up her small glasses.
"Donovan is going to be fine. No stitches were necessary, so all I had to do was disinfect and bandage. He'll be right as rain in a week or two." That was a relief. "Now, if I may ask. How did this happen?" Some of those tears she'd been holding back broke free. For some reason, watching her cry brought a lump of regret to my throat. Me and my stupid clumsiness. I should have been careful.
"I'm fine Miriam. Really." I said softly, with a smile. "It was my fault anyway. I'm nothing, please don't waste your tears on me." I was confused when her breath caught in her chest. She stared at me, her face twisting in pain before choking out a sob and running out the door. The doctor sighed.
"Please Donovan, be careful with Miriam. She's been sheltered her whole life. She doesn't understand the way the world works." I nodded solemnly.
"I will ma'am. Don't worry." I promised, gazing out the door. I'll protect you Miriam. I won't make you cry again, I swear.
