Chapter 7: Confrontation and Recovery (Part 2)
Note: Balto's adoptive mother and sister make their appearance along with some members of their pack who escaped the hunters.
Balto's adoptive mother is pack Alpha at this moment
Jenna made her way out the front door of Boris's home following her owners back to her home. She had wanted to follow Balto but knowing it was a bad idea with her owners around she had sat there and watched him gingerly limp out. She knew he was still very weak and couldn't make it very far and that survival for him would be hard. As she headed out the door she had already decided on slipping away as soon as possible and find him to make sure he was surviving.
As she passed an alley her attention turned to the grey speck nearing the forest. But what caught her attention was a small group heading towards him. Slipping into the alley Jenna closed the distance between herself and the group careful so as not to be discovered. As she closed the distance she recognised the group as Steele and his gang. Seeing them heading towards the grey speck of Balto she quickly concluded where things were heading. Keeping her distance from the group she followed them. They kept at a steady pace closing in on the wolf before Steele broke into a run tackling the wolf making sure to hit him on the injured shoulder.
Balto had been nearing the forest when something large smashed into his injured shoulder. The pain that followed was unbearable. Not able to stand he collapsed on the ground his entire body shaking from the pain that shot through his injury, a loud painful howl escaping from his jaws before the pain forced him to black out. "Well, well, well looks like lobo here is in a little bit of pain. Why don't we ease his pain" spoke a voice he recognised as Steele. "Boss, he's hurt pretty bad... I think we should just let him leave. He can't survive with that shot he took" one of the dogs reasoned. Steele gazed into Balto's half lidded eyes, a feral look present in his eyes. "He's just hurt... I will decide if it is bad or not" growled Steele. Steele made his way over to the injured wolf ready to lay down some hurt on the defenceless animal until he felt something hit him hard from the side knocking him away from the prone wolf.
"You will have to go through me first" spoke a feminine voice. Steele shook himself regaining his senses from the hit before turning to face the speaker. Jenna stood over Balto's prone form head lowered, ears flattened and teeth bared in a challenge as she stared down at Steele. "Jenna... why are you protecting him? I'm only doing this to keep you safe... you don't know when he could kill you or me" spoke Steele trying to cover the shock of watching Jenna protect the wolf. "Killing you would be a blessing and anyway... I can protect myself" retorted Jenna. "Well looks like you don't deserve me after all... Boys injure them both, dispose of the wolf and make sure to say the wolf injured her" commanded Steele as he started to approach the lone husky and injured wolf.
"I would suggest you leave dog" came a voice from behind Jenna. All attention drawn to the voice they saw figures emerging from the forest... wolves emerging from the forest. The pack approached the dogs and prone wolf. "I think it is time you leave or do we have a problem" asked a white female wolf. "I don't listen to your kind... lobo" Steele growled back. "Very well then... Samson, Mason, Hugo you know what needs to be done" the she-wolf calmly spoke. From behind her approached what could be only described as massive wolves. Each one of them looked about 8 seasons old with heavy set bodies and towered at-least a full head over Steele.
"What seems to be the problem here" one of the wolves growled. The dogs who had been doing Steele's bidding instantly turned tail and ran not wanting anything to do with these massive creatures. Jenna felt a cold chill running up her spine. She had to admit that she had been afraid of Balto at times but these guys gave afraid a whole new meaning. She lowered herself to the ground, tail between her legs, ears pressed flat and her head pressed into the ground with her eyes shut. Feeling uncomfortable around the new wolves she subconsciously pressed herself into Balto trying to feel less scared.
Steele just growled turning his feral gaze to the prone form of the wolf and the cowering form of Jenna "You are lucky lobo... but lets see for how long" he growled to the downed wolf before retreating. "Well that went well" commented the middle wolf before his eyes fell on the red form pressed into the downed wolf. "Looks like we got something going on here guys" he spoke as he approached Jenna.
Walking up to her he lowered his head to her ears before letting out a growl causing Jenna to whimper in fear and press herself more into Balto. He was about to do it again when the white she-wolf walked up to him. "I think she's been tormented enough Samson" she spoke before walking up to the husky and gently tapping her with her paw. Jenna still scared just pressed herself further into Balto. Her constant movement had meanwhile caused Balto to recover from his pain induced loss of consciousness. Slowly raising his head he blinked to clear his vision until he the spotted familiar figures around him and something shivering pressed into him. "You all survived? I thought I lost you when the hunters took us down" Balto spoke. "We barely survived... but first we have a guest who seems too scared to move" the white she-wolf replied gesturing to the husky laying snuggled up to him.
Balto looked to his side at the shivering form of Jenna pressed into him. "Do you mind... my shoulder hurts enough without you pressing into it" Balto spoke. Jenna shifted slightly, moving away from his shoulder but still sticking to him like glue. "Let me guess... Samson, Mason and Hugo" Balto spoke to no one in particular. "It was either them or fight that group and draw unwanted attention" replied the she-wolf. Sighing Balto turned his attention back to the scared husky "Hey, its ok... you won't be harmed... can you give me some space now... please this is getting uncomfortable". Jenna only shifted slightly before muttering out "Promise?". "Yeah yeah promise now will you get up" spoke Balto.
Jenna reluctantly pulled herself away from Balto before gingerly standing up, still afraid of the new wolves that surrounded her. Balto rolled himself so that he lay on his uninjured side. "Oh man... that feels so much better" he mumbled out before a young she-wolf walked up to him. "Its great to see that you are keeping out of trouble" she sarcastically spoke as she lowered her head and gently nuzzled Balto. Watching this Jenna felt a strange sensation fill her only just managing to hold back a whimper as she saw the show of affection. "Well... you shouldn't be the one to talk sis. If I remember correctly you nearly had us freeze to death by taking us to the freshly frozen lake" Balto shot back. "That is enough you two... no fighting when we have outsiders around" spoke the she-wolf. "Yes mom" replied the two.
Jenna felt relieved. She had never understood these shifts in her mood every time she saw Balto or was near him. The she-wolf seemed to notice the change in Jenna's demeanour but did not speak up. Turning to address the pack she spoke "Ok everyone we can't stay here... Samson, Hugo help carry Balto" then she turned to the female wolf who had just been arguing with Balto "Lana cover our tracks we can't keep your brother safe as long as the dogs can smell us out" then she turned her attention to the husky "You... go back to town... there is nothing that you can do here so leave before we have to make you". Jenna looked at her then at Balto before heading back to the town her head low to the ground.
Turning back one final time she looked as the pack carried Balto towards the woods before disappearing from sight. Jenna wished, no wanted to follow them but she was afraid, she did not know what they would do to her if she followed. Sighing she turned her gaze back to the town before sullenly walking back to her home.
Meanwhile Balto, supported by Samson and Mason, slowly crested the hill heading towards what his mother had called safe grounds. Progress was hampered by Balto's injury and weakness. It was late evening by the time they arrived at a cluster of small caves where his mother said it was safe for them to stay.
After that, time seemed to disappear. Balto spent the entire week lying in the back of the largest cave with constant visits from his mother, sister and the trio of male wolves. By the end of the week Balto was able to move about within the cave albeit with a rather bad limp. His confinement to the cave seemed to bore him to death. His only relief was when one of the others was around to strike up a conversation but as one week turned to two his lack of movement seemed to change Balto's character into one of a short tempered wolf. The extra energy only being able to vent itself in one of his rage induced fits.
At the same time things had taken a dramatic change in Nome. About a week after Balto had left with the pack the first of the diphtheria patients had been admitted into the town's hospital. As the week progressed more and more patients were afflicted by diphtheria. By the end of the second week the hospital had started to fill mainly with children who were contracting the disease at an alarming rate. Medicine supplies had started to run low and the winter weather with its unpredictable weather patterns had all but cut Nome off from receiving medicine by sea or plane. One of the patients currently in the hospital was Jenna's owner Rosie.
For Jenna these two weeks since he departed had been a roller coaster ride to say the least. She had for the first time in her life lost her temper at none other than Steele and that too in the boiler room in front of the other dogs. The fight that had ensued had been rather one sided and ended with Jenna having to be marshalled out by Doc, Dixie and Sylvie to prevent any major injuries from happening to Steele. This fight had not gone down well as most dogs had started to avoid her. Steele on the other hand had started to show open hostility towards her in front of the other dogs leaving Jenna with very few friends though Doc seemed to sympathise with her.
When Rosie was admitted into the hospital with diphtheria the shock had been rather hard for Jenna to bear. Hearing the fact that they were out of medicine had been even worse. Struggling to accept the fact that her owner was probably not going to make it Jenna had done the only thing she could at the time. She had run, run out of town and to the boat that once housed Balto. She had hoped that he had returned. She sought comfort from someone she could trust and he seemed the only person she could think of.
She climbed onto the boat hoping he was there, that he would comfort her in her time of need but the boat was abandoned. She dragged herself into the wheelhouse making her way onto the forgotten blanket on the floor before curling herself up under it and crying herself to sleep. By the next day Steele along with his team and musher Jim had left town in the hope of collecting the antidote before conditions became worse in the town hospital.
In Balto's case, the end of the third week saw him finally moving about outside the cave but always having to put up with one of the others. "Mom can get so over protective at times" he thought to himself as he wandered the surrounding forest with Hugo by his side. Hugo had a personality that most would believe was a lie. For his size and imposing looks he was a rather mellow wolf, thinking before acting and choosing to avoid getting into fights unlike his two partners Mason and Samson. Bored with the silence he finally started a conversation. "So how was the patrol?" he asked. "All the same... your sister did a good job covering our scents... haven't seen another dog since we asked that red husky to head home" Hugo replied. "Yeah well, she's going to have a tough time explaining why she was protecting me" spoke Balto. "Has it ever occurred to you that she may like, like you?" asked Hugo. Balto turned to face Hugo "You're joking right?". "I'm serious. The way she literally hid herself in you is not something someone normally does" reasoned Hugo. "Yeah right, the only reason she must have done that was because I was closest and you guys scared her senseless" replied Balto. "Well if you consider snuggling herself into you when she was scared as just luck... I'll take my chances" spoke Hugo. As they continued to walk they had reached the edge of the forest and Nome was in view. "Hey what do you say we check out the boat I told you I stayed in... hopefully we might have fresh meat waiting for us" spoke Balto. "Well if you put it that way why not... I'm not turning down the chance of an easy meal" spoke Hugo as they headed towards the boat.
Meanwhile the third week had been the worst of all for Jenna. Rosie's condition had worsened and not being able to find comfort in any of the dogs in town had left her lonely and distraught. She wound up spending all her time crying by herself on the boat.
On this day the news that had come in was the worst of all. The sled team had been reported missing for the last two days and Rosie was not going to make it. Rosie's parents had looked after Jenna in the meanwhile but only doing enough to provide her with food and water, never bothering to pet or play with her. She made her way to the boat before finding her way under the blanket and allowed her pent up tears to escape.
As Balto and Hugo approached the boat a scent assaulted their nostrils. They both smelt caribou meat along with the smell of a dog which Balto recognised. "Should we go on in or wait for the dog to leave?" questioned Hugo. "I recognise the scent. It belongs to the red husky from three weeks before. Don't worry she's not aggressive but she is annoying" replied Balto before making his way onto the boat. Sure enough there lay a fat chunk of meat on a dish against the opposite rail but it was the noise that caught the attention of both wolves. Whining could be heard coming from inside the wheelhouse.
"That is not normal is it?" asked Hugo. "No... she's always rather upbeat. I wonder what has gotten into her" replied Balto as he made his way inside. Walking inside he noticed the shivering and whining form of Jenna under the blanket he used. Walking up to her he gingerly pawed at her "Hey...". Jenna looked up teary eyed at the wolf who had nudged her. As her vision cleared, recognition hit her and what she did next was not anticipated by anyone. She lunged at Balto, knocking both of them over before curling herself into him and burying her face into his neck as tears still spewed from her eyes.
