Smurfing with the Wolves

by PhantasyPhan13

Lupine Smurf has been raised by the wolf pack of Aluraris all his life. When he follows Papa Smurf back to the village, he finally meets the family that he's forgotten. But it isn't so easy for a wolfish Smurf to settle down into the quaint village life of his kin. And when Papa becomes ill, he may be thrown into a whirlwind of events that will change his entire existence.

4. Chapter 3: The Sickness

Chapter Three: The Sickness

Papa was having a dream about walking in the forest, listening to the birdsong and enjoying the peace. All would have been normal, but he suddenly heard a scream of pain and a terrified squawking. He raced to the scene and saw a she-griffin being taken away in a cage by Gargamel while her baby cowered in terror.

Time passed rapidly, and suddenly a week had passed. The little creature was now all skin and bones. He was desolate and wanted his mother. In the dream, he was squawking pathetically, and Papa couldn't help feeling sorry for him. "It's all right, little one. I'll take you back to the village with me and everything will be okay." He reached out and stroked the griffin's soft, furry head.

Something velvety brushed against Papa's body and roused him from his slumber. He found to his surprise that he really was in the forest, stroking a griffin chick's head. He must've somehow sleepwalked and left the village when nobody was looking. He had a feeling that what he had just seen in his dream was real. He knew that he couldn't leave the poor little chick all alone like this.

The only problem Papa had was of getting it back to the village. It looked too young to fly, and he certainly wasn't going to carry it all the way there. He had a sudden inspiration: Did the griffinling like Smurfberries, perhaps?

He rummaged in his pockets and found that he still had a jarful of them left. He started to walk back in the direction of the village, stopping occasionally to drop a Smurfberry behind him. He passed through the barrier and walked a few paces, then checked to see if the griffin was behind him.

He was pleased to see that it had followed him back. It was now looking around the village in wonder. He started to take the griffin back to his house, but just at that moment Doctor spotted him. "Papa! What in Smurf's name are you doing outside?! You need to get back in your mushroom before your portal fever spreads!" he scolded. "And what is this griffinling doing inside of the village walls?! You know full well that griffins are dangerous beasts; your fever can't have made you THAT delirious!"

"I didn't go outside on purpose; I was sleepwalking and I wound up in the forest by this griffin chick," Papa explained calmly. "The dream that made me sleepwalk showed that the griffin's mama had been captured by Gargamel, and he's been alone and hungry for an entire week! I knew I couldn't just leave him by himself, so I lured him home using Smurfberries. I'll make sure that he won't bother anyone else. I'll get back to my house right now." Papa walked off towards his mushroom with the griffinling following curiously behind, and Doctor ran off mumbling about how maybe he should get Gutsy and Hefty to stand outside Papa's house so he wouldn't walk outside.

Papa then ordered the griffin to sit behind his house. Then he tied it up with a piece of strong rope and a post hammered into the ground by a surprised Handy. Then he walked inside his house and sat down on his couch, shivering feverishly despite the crackling hearth and the blanket wrapped around him. Then he lay down and fell asleep again.

….

When Papa woke up, he was boiling like a pot of hot water and sweating like crazy. He threw the blanket off of him, put out the fire, and opened all the windows, but he still was hot. He thought that maybe he should get Doctor to help him, but he decided against it. He could handle this on his own; lately Doctor had just become an annoyance to him.

He decided to take a cold bath. That seemed to cool him down for a bit. But after a few minutes, the water turned warm and he had to get out again. After that, he was boiling all over again. His temperature was skyrocketing with every minute, and for a moment of feverish delirium he imagined his beard melting off of him. He started to panic when an absurd idea popped into his head: he imagined himself jumping into the river and swimming in there until his fever cooled down.

He jumped out of a window and started to run towards the river. Of course, Doctor spotted him as soon as he was one inch out of his house. "What are you THINKING?! The river water will just make your fever worse!" scolded Doctor, holding onto Papa's arm to keep him from continuing. "B-but I'm so h-hot..." Papa gasped, sweating trickling into his eyes as he spoke. "I f-feel like I'm m-melting…" "Why don't you take off your hat?" suggested Doctor. "Ok?" said Papa awkwardly before taking off his hat.

However, that didn't seem to help either, and it just made him feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. He put his hat back on, but that just made his fever even higher. He was so hot that steam was actually rising off of his skin like smoke from a bonfire. "Urggh…" he groaned, collapsing weakly onto the ground. "PAPA! ARE YOU OKAY?!" hollered Doctor, but maybe it just felt like he was screaming because it seemed that Papa's ears were playing tricks on him. The world was blurry and spinning around, and stars were dancing before his eyes.

Just as he thought that he was going to black out, something soft and downy brushed against him, and he recognized the shape of the griffin. It laid its chin on his forehead, and suddenly his strength leaped back to him. A soothing magic spread through his veins, clearing his head and cooling his fever. His vision focused, and the stars went away. He wasn't dizzy anymore, either. He blinked and sat up, giving the griffin a grateful look. "Thanks for saving my life," he said, stroking its chin. The griffin chirped quietly and nuzzled him in reply.

"This griffin knows HEALING MAGIC?!" Doctor exclaimed in disbelief, gazing at the incredible creature that had just performed the unimaginable. "He must be very powerful," Papa smiled, getting to his feet. "I'm sure that he'll be very helpful with skills like THAT in the future." "I'm sure that he will, but there's something that we know now: that your portal fever is worse than we thought. I hope that Lupine comes back soon; otherwise…" Doctor hesitated. He wasn't sure if Papa could take the truth in his weakened state. "Otherwise what?" Papa demanded, getting an oh-no-this-can't-possibly-be-good feeling in his chest.

"Otherwise…" Doctor paused. "…it could kill you." "WHAT?! Please tell me that I didn't hear you correctly," Papa gasped, getting dizzy again. "I'm afraid you DID hear me correctly. From your little 'burning up' episode today, it seems that it's a very dangerous disease; one that needs treatment as soon as possible. Otherwise, it could just get worse and worse until it overcomes you completely and kills you off."

Doctor saw that Papa looked like he was going to collapse again, so he reassured him," But with that griffin friend of yours, you'll be able to combat the symptoms, so your time to fight off the fever is extended. Lupine is also very good at sneaking around and he's got great senses; he's also very speedy. I'm sure he'll be back with the ingredients soon. In the meantime, you need to get back to your mushroom and rest. You should probably also eat something if you can; that will help to strengthen you and it might help to fight the fever also."

"Let's hope so," groaned Papa, leaning heavily on the very concerned griffinling as he staggered home. "Otherwise I'm doomed for sure." He wished he'd never asked Doctor how bad the fever was. It just made him feel even worse. Suddenly, he started to cough and he leaned over, clutching his stomach.

"Oh no, here we go again!" groaned Doctor as Papa's knees gave way and he collapsed to the ground, forcing the griffinling to heal Papa once again.

….

Lupine's heart beat as though it was racing as he timidly reached out and plucked hairs from Gargamel's scalp as he slept. "Come on; you can do this," he whispered to himself, putting the hairs in a satchel that he'd brought with him. He waited a few minutes to see if Gargamel would wake up, but to his relief he didn't move at all. Lupine grabbed a few more hairs and then quietly walked to the foot of Gargamel's bed, where Azrael was curled up in a snoring orange heap.

Lupine gulped and walked very slowly towards the cat. This was going to be far harder, as he knew that Azrael was very alert and that pulling a cat's hair would be like tickling someone while they were sleeping. Therefore, he wouldn't be able to collect as many and he'd have to be fast.

He shut his eyes and reached out, grabbing a clump of hairs off of Azrael. He opened his eyes to see if he'd moved and to his relief, Azrael only rolled over and snored. He stuffed the clump into his satchel and sneaked quietly out of the castle, going through the window he'd opened up and climbing down the stones of the castle walls.

However, something really terrible happened when he was halfway down the wall. Azrael opened his eyes and got up, sniffing around to look for a nighttime snack. His keen green eyes soon spotted Lupine climbing down the wall, and he let out a wail of alarm to his master, who quickly woke up. "IT'S THAT SMURF-WOLF! AZRAEL, AFTER HIM!" bellowed Gargamel, and Azrael leaped out the window and scuttled down after Lupine.

Lupine was so shocked and frightened that he forgot where he was and let go of the wall, falling like a stone to the ground. He didn't realize what he'd done until it was too late, and he yelped in pain as his body smacked into the stony earth. For a few moments, he was winded and he couldn't move. There was a searing pain all over his body, particularly in his back and his left leg.

He tried to get to his feet, but the pain was too severe to allow him to move. He wondered if he'd broken a bone or something. Azrael was stalking ever closer, and Lupine could only watch helplessly as the ferocious feline came nearer.

In desperation, he came up with a last-minute idea: he raised his head to the skies and howled for help. He howled and howled, hoping that his pack or another friendly wolf might come and save him. By the time that his voice box had been worn out, Azrael was so close that Lupine could smell his fishy breath. Azrael bared his fangs and prepared to bite Lupine on the neck. "Goodbye, Smurfy world…" he whimpered as he prepared to die.

But as Azrael was sinking his fangs into his flesh, something snarled and smacked the cat out of the way. Then he was picked up by the scruff of the neck, and pounding footsteps echoed throughout the night as a dark-furred canine raced with Lupine to what he hoped was safety.

He hoped that this wolf's pack had a healer, because the pain had grown worse than ever and now he had a bite mark on his neck and the wolf's fangs were accidentally digging into his skin. He yipped weakly in pain and the wolf dropped him on the ground in concern. "Are you okay? Was I holding you too tight?" the wolf asked concernedly in a gruff, deep voice. Lupine nodded weakly and replied, "I…fell down…a castle wall…my leg and my back…hurt…so…bad…"

The wolf's yellow eyes widened in shock as he registered what Lupine had just said. "In that case, we've got to get you to my pack's healer right away! You poor creature; I can't believe you fell from a castle wall! That's wolfsurd!" More gently this time, he picked Lupine up by the scruff of his neck again and raced faster than ever, his paws flying over the earth. In no time Lupine was surrounded by wolves of all colors and sizes as his rescuer entered his packhome.

"A Smurf?! I thought those were from pup stories!" gasped a pretty red-brown she-wolf with violet eyes, leaning over in concern at their visitor. "This one even looks like US!" snorted a muscular black wolf, sniffing Lupine suspiciously with his large dark nose. "That's because I was raised in the pack Aluraris for one hundred years! I've only recently returned to the village," explained Lupine, sitting up but falling back again as the pain seared into his very core. He winced in pain and whimpered.

"Aluraris? We're allies with them! Perhaps we can return you to them," said the alpha of the pack, a brown he-wolf with eyes like the moon. "No, I'd like to go home to the village…I just need to be healed first. I feel like a broken bone," said Lupine, wondering how much more of the pain he could take. It had gotten worse during his swift journey to the stranger's packhome and it was sharper than a cold knife.

"Of course you do! We'll take you to our healer right away," said the violet-eyed she-wolf, gently dragging Lupine through the snow to a small den nearby. Inside, a white she-wolf with emerald green eyes was tending to patients with various illnesses and injuries in a cozy, warm space. "Kira, Dolu found this little Smurf outside of a castle, and he's really injured. He told Dolu that he apparently fell from a castle wall, and he looks like he's got some broken bones," explained the red-brown she-wolf, lying the whimpering Lupine down in a bed of leaves. "Can you help him?"

"Of course! A noble healer never turns her back on a creature in need," replied the white she-wolf, her pretty eyes widening with astonishment when she saw the state that Lupine was in. "Run along now, Violetta; I've got this under control." Kira leaned over Lupine and examined him with expert paws, and in a minute she had diagnosed his injuries. "I'm afraid that you have a broken leg, and your back is broken too, and you have a pretty nasty bite as well. Luckily, the bite will heal soon, but you'll have to stay with us for many moons until your broken bones heal." "A BROKEN BACK?! Am I going to live?" yipped Lupine with alarm, his eyes widening at the news.

"You're a very lucky Smurf. Most healers wouldn't be able to treat a broken back, particularly a condition like yours. However, I've received more training than most and I've discovered some new healing techniques, so I'll be able to help your back. But like I said, you'll have to stay with us for a while," explained Kira, gathering supplies to make a cast for Lupine's broken bones. "OH NO! I need to get back to the village now! Can't you just carry me there on your back? I've got a really important delivery to make!" Lupine fretted, worrying that if a wolf carried his satchel to the Smurfs that they would lose the precious hairs. And what if they scared his family?

"Sorry, you really do need to rest; I don't think it would be wise to move," said Kira regretfully, starting to make the cast for Lupine's leg as she spoke. "How important is this delivery of yours? Are you sure that it's not just a normal letter that could wait a month to be delivered?" "No, it's a potion ingredient. Our village leader is really sick, and I was gathering some potion components so I could help Doctor make the potion to cure our leader," explained Lupine. "He's really, really ill; I don't want to wait months upon months to deliver the ingredients in case he…in case he dies."

"It must be a very serious illness!" frowned Kira, narrowing her green eyes. "What was he diagnosed with?" "Portal fever. Doctor has never heard of it before now," explained Lupine worriedly. "Portal fever! Oh, that's not at all hard to treat! Luckily, I've got the herbs for the potion; I assume you've got the hairs?" "Yup!" replied Lupine happily, relieved that he'd get some help in delivering the components to Doctor. "Ok then! I'll put them in that satchel of yours, and I'll deliver it to the village personally today or tomorrow. Where is your village?"

"Ummm…it's a few miles south of Aluraris' territory…it's Papa's village, if that helps at all in identifying it." "Papa?! I remember him! I've seen him walking around near our territory gathering herbs before. He seems like such a nice guy; I'd be honored to help him!" "It seems like everyone knows Papa!" Lupine exclaimed. "I knew that a lot of forest inhabitants knew of him, but I didn't know he was that famous!"

"We'll have time to talk later; in the meantime you need to rest," said Kira gently, finishing the cast for Lupine's leg and starting on his back. "It'll help to speed your recovery, and the sooner you're healed, the sooner you can go home to Papa. Besides, I'll bet you're probably exhausted from all the excitement." Kira was right; Lupine WAS tired. He yawned and tried to keep his eyes open, but before he knew it he'd drifted off to sleep.

…..

"I hope Lupine comes back soon," muttered Doctor, pacing back and forth inside his mushroom. "Papa's condition has just gotten worse; tragedy will strike if he doesn't get cured soon."

Unfortunately, Doctor was correct: Papa's portal fever had gotten worse over the past few days. Papa's fever had risen, and he was constantly overheating or getting frozen. He also refused to eat anything, and he'd become as thin as wire in an alarmingly short amount of time. He'd shown no interest in anything, and he'd been spending most of his time sleeping. He also wouldn't drink much water, despite Doctor's desperate attempts to get him to drink anything; he'd become very dehydrated as a result.

The worst part of his condition, though, wasn't his physical state. Papa's mental state had become alarmingly unwell. He got up frequently and paced with glazed eyes and a thoughtful expression on his face as he muttered to himself, as if he couldn't make up his mind about something. He'd sometimes babble for hours about nothing in particular, none of his words making any sense. He barely recognized anyone, and he'd become disturbingly delirious. There was no doubt about it: Papa was nearing the verge of death.

It wasn't only Doctor who was becoming anxious; the whole village was disturbed as well, particularly Mama. It seemed like a dark stormcloud hung over the village nowadays; everyone had become depressed and dull within a matter of days. Nobody sang while they worked anymore, and no one had the desire to play or throw a party. Even their hats seemed droopier than usual.

The one who was affected the most was the griffinling. He'd become Papa's personal healer and he'd been forced to stay awake 24/7 just to keep Papa alive. This wouldn't have been a problem, but it seemed that Papa had to be healed every two minutes and the griffinling would have to heal him right away before he lost consciousness, as had happened on a few occasions before when he wasn't fast enough. As a result, the griffinling had barely had any time to sleep or rest, and his eyes had dark shadows under them. He barely had had a moment to eat or drink as well and was looking just as starved and dehydrated as Papa.

Then the day came when the griffinling decided that he had had enough of being the healer. He was going to give himself a day off, and nobody was going to stop him.

First off, he broke the rope that Papa had tied around his neck to keep him from escaping and stretched his wings before taking a stroll around the village. He chirped and enjoyed the sensation of stretching his legs before he got Lazy to feed him a few fish, which he gobbled down happily. Then he went to the river to fish and he managed to catch quite a few large critters, and his stomach was soon full in no time. Then he gulped down so much water that it was as if he was training to become a camel.

After that, he went for a stroll in the forest and enjoyed the sunlight filtering through the trees and the delightful crunching of snow underfoot as he walked. He even managed to flutter a little above the ground; he couldn't wait to show off when he came back!

Soon, he decided to rest and found a comfy patch of sunlight under a great oak tree. He curled up and fell asleep, intending only to take a short nap, but instead slept for a solid eight hours.

That was when disaster struck.

For you see, Papa's fever was rising like magma in a volcano, and he had his worst 'burning up' episode yet. He was drenched so heavily in sweat that it clung to him like a misty cloak. His eyes were drying up like he was being burned in a fire. His beard was sopping like a wet mop, and steam was coming off of his skin like thick smoke. Worst of all, he became so delirious that he lost all common sense and did something that would've killed him for sure: he ran to Gargamel's castle.

No one noticed what he'd done until it was too late. Doctor was the first person to notice that Papa was gone. "OH NO! HE'S LEFT! Who saw him leave?!" shrieked Doctor, his heart thumping in panic. "He was heading towards Gargamel's castle," said Gutsy helpfully. "Can't imagine why he'd do that." "OH NO! He's gone crazy! Where did the griffinling go? It's his job to save him, after all!" fretted Doctor, running off into the forest after his patient despite the village's frantic calls of warning.

It was then that the griffinling awoke and returned to the village, guilty for playing hooky and thinking that he ought to check on Papa. You can imagine his surprise when he saw the village panicking and worried as if they'd been attacked.

The griffinling soon learned that Papa had run off to Gargamel's castle and Doctor had followed him. The griffinling knew that he'd never get to Papa in time, so he had to try the impossible: he must fly.

He stretched his wings out and leaped into the air, flapping them as soon as he was airborne. To his surprise, he found that he could fly! He flapped his wings furiously, too concerned about Papa to be proud of his achievement. He flew like a dart through the forest until he came to Gargamel's castle and landed in the forest nearby.

Using his superior griffin senses, he soon tracked down Doctor and Papa. He was expecting to see Doctor holding back Papa and scolding him for once again being delirious and not to do anything stupid like this again. Instead a horrific sight met his bright eyes.

Papa was out cold on the earth, flat on his back. He showed no signs of reviving or even breathing. A terrified Doctor was trying desperately to awaken him. The griffinling was panicked, but he knew that it was his job to save Papa. He took a deep breath and laid his chin on Papa's forehead, concentrating and trying to send out the healing magic that had saved Papa's life so many times before.

To his horror, when he sent the magic into Papa's body, he felt no signs of life there that could signal that he was alive. All he sensed was blackness and fever. It was as if he had no more life in him than a stone or dead wood. The griffin squawked sadly to Doctor, his worst fear shining in his expressive eyes.

"No…don't tell me that he's…" Doctor said, but he had the same sinking feeling in his chest that the griffinling did. "Papa's not d-dead! No! Please tell me that I'm dreaming…" But the griffinling didn't say anymore. He simply laid his huge head on Papa's chest and cried silver tears of mourning.

….

Something very, very heavy was pressed onto Papa's chest; something so hefty that he couldn't breathe. He felt too weak and fevered to try to move it, or even move at all. There was no reason why he should move anyway. He was going to die. Why should he get up at all if his last breath was coming near?

He didn't even think that he should open his eyes either. He was too exhausted to do such a little thing and there was no point to that either. All there would ever be of life was darkness and feelings, nothing more. The heaviness was pressing down harder, and something wet was on his skin, cooling him down if only slightly.

He willed the wetness to keep coming. Perhaps if it kept up it would do the impossible and cool him down completely. It was a foolish hope that his fever would die down, but still he hoped.

Then something brushed against his cheek that felt like rough fur. A drop of something dripped into his mouth. The drop tasted like ice and cool streams and wind and snow. He liked the sensation and swallowed the drop, thirsting for more. Another drop plopped into his mouth, and he swallowed again. One by one more droplets joined the first two. The more he swallowed, the quicker his strength returned.

Soon, he became strong enough to open his eyes, and he saw that the furry thing that had saved his life was a white wolf with eyes like glittering green gemstones. She wore a satchel on her back that seemed very familiar, but he couldn't remember whose it was. The wolf was holding a clear, faintly blue-tinted potion that must have been the source of the cool droplets that had healed him.

The thing that was pressing down on his chest was the head of the griffinling. His tears dried when he saw Papa's eyes open. Sitting next to the griffin with a look of relief on his blue face was a Smurf that seemed very familiar as well. His mind scrambled as he tried to remember who it was. All the memories he could recall were of the Smurf being very annoying, altough he was only trying to help. He didn't try to remember anymore. The only thing that was important now was gaining enough strength to be able to sit up.

He gulped and tried to say something, but his mouth was too dry and he forgot what he was going to say. He knew that he had to say something, but he didn't know what. He blinked very slowly and the details around him became sharper, as though a camera lens had been focused. His other senses focused too, but the only thing that was important now was sight. He lay on the earth for a few moments before trying the next difficult task: sitting up.

He wasn't sure if he'd be able to do it or not. His limbs felt sluggish and it felt like years had passed since he'd sat up last, though he knew that it probably wasn't THAT long. He pushed aside the thoughts and concentrated on the impossible task that he knew he must accomplish. He moved his arms until he positioned them to prop himself up. Then slowly, slowly, slowly he pushed his back upright until he was sitting. Triumph flooded his veins when he achieved the task, and he knew that soon he would be able to get to his feet.

He licked his lips and swallowed to moisten his mouth and lips before he spoke, for he knew that he would have to tell someone the truth that now sang through his brain like a musical note. "My fever is gone now," Papa announced to the world. "YOUR FEVER IS GONE?! OH, THANK SMURF!" exclaimed the Smurf, giving Papa a breathquenching hug that nearly knocked him out again. "The wolf here is responsible for that. Thank you," Papa said gratefully but weakly to the wolf. She nodded before she answered him. "No problem. Lupine was very helpful; he sent me the hairs that I needed to create the portal fever potion. Due to injuries he received while retrieving the hairs, he'll have to stay with us for a few moons, but you'll be able to visit him, at least."

"If I ever get the strength to walk," Papa said dejectedly, his mind still a bit sluggish from his recovery. "How am I going to get back to the village?" As if answering him, the griffinling scooped Papa and the other Smurf onto his back and flew in the direction of the village. He let out a melodious, glorious cry of triumph.

"He can FLY?! Wow, he's amazing!" exclaimed the Smurf, whooping delightedly as the world sped past on swift wings. Papa, dazed as he was, also enjoyed the flight and liked the feeling of the wind rushing past and caressing his beard. He found that he was able smile, too.

Before long, the forest had vanished and the griffinling had landed in the village again. The whole village was cheering at the triumphant return of their leader. "Doctor, he looks so much better! What healed him?" asked a Smurf with glasses that he vaguely remembered to be Brainy as Doctor hopped off the griffinling and helped Papa dismount as well. "Apparently Lupine found a wolf pack, and one of their kin, who I believe was their healer, got the hairs from him and made the portal fever potion. She gave it to him and he seems better now; though he does seem a bit stiff and sluggish."

"That's no surprise, considering the state he was in," said Brainy. "Hopefully he'll get even stronger after he eats and drinks something." Papa didn't hear anymore because he realized how thirsty he was and he started to walk stiffly towards his mushroom. His limbs felt like jagged wood as he walked. If he'd been listening, he would've heard the cheers of the Smurfs when they saw that he was better, but the only thing that he was thinking about was water.

He finally got to his mushroom and entered. Papa then looked around for the nearest drink he could find. The closest thing to him was a glass of water from earlier when Doctor had been trying to convince him to swallow some fluids. He grabbed it and gulped down the water ravenously, the coolness of it quenching some of his thirst. He found another glass of it and gulped that down too and kept drinking until he was hydrated once again.

He would've eaten something too, but he was too tired to do anything more. Exhausted, he curled up on the couch in front of the hearth and fell into a contented sleep.

…..

"I'm SOOOO bored! Are you sure that I have to lie around for six moons until my back heals?" complained Lupine. He crossed his arms and furrowed his brow in frustration at the thought of not being able to move for a half-year. "Sorry, Lupine, but you know what I'm going to say. If you move, you'll just break your back again, and then it'll take twice as long for it to heal. You might have to stay with us for a year or more! You wouldn't want THAT, would you?" replied Kira, patting him on the head.

Lupine scowled and ducked from her paw. "A year is like one second to a Smurf! I think you're making it up; I'm probably just fine and you're keeping me here because you've never seen a Smurf before!" Lupine knew that what he was saying was nonsense. However, he did wish that he could find a way to pass the time swiftly so that he didn't have to spend his days counting the seconds until he was with his family again.

The only thing that he could do was talk to the other patients and Kira, but that didn't keep him amused for long. He had begun to miss the village terribly. In fact, most of his time was spent reminiscing on fun times past and the village members he loved: Papa, with his wise gentle eyes and his loving ways; Brainy, with his clever but bossy manner; sweet, feminine Smurfette; cheeky Jokey. It was nice to be among wolves again, but it just wasn't the same as being with his true family.

However, fate had seemed to take pity on Lupine, for today and the days to follow there would be something more to do to pass the hours than sleeping and asking Kira for the hundredth time if he was healed enough to go home.