This is my most awaited chapter, sadly it had to be split into two parts. Here is part 1 and please review!
Ch. 14 Making Amends Part 1
Marahan watched as Ellie paced the nearly rotted carpeted floor of Caesar's former home.
The woman stood in the corridor, her body tense. Every few minutes, her eyes watched the front door as if her husband would walk through at any moment.
When nothing happened, she brought her attention to the large ape lying helplessly on the couch.
Uneased with his father's absence, Alex distracted himself by exploring the first floor, his goal to find anything salvable.
In his search, he found a few items, some matches, rope, cans of stocked food, working flashlights, and some old science books.
Marahan was in a kneeled position on the floor next to the couch. Her right hand gently stroked the fur of Caesar's arm, while her left hand nestled in his own.
The girl was trying to keep him awake, or she feared if the ape king fell asleep, he would slip into a coma.
She knew this from Ellie's lessons with injuries such as concussions and major bleeding wounds.
If help wasn't available, the patient was monitored and at all cost could not fall asleep.
Marahan remembered the horror stories Ellie told her about her job as a doctor involving these types of circumstances. The girl would be lying if she didn't admit the stories caused her to have various night terrors, Ash included.
According to Tinker, her son would awake from his slumber screaming. She held back the urge to laugh at the memory, instead, her eyes went to the window.
Marahan stared at it, wishing she knew what was happening at the compound. The only information the girl had was that Koba led the colony to take it over.
Ash was there, but for Blue Eyes sake. Like her, Ash didn't trust Koba although he still regarded the ape as family.
"Wherever you two are, please be safe and take care of yourselves." Her thoughts pleaded as her yellow gaze remained on the clouds outside.
The girl grew impatient.
Malcolm had been gone for at least an hour.
Marahan wasn't stunned by the fact that it probably took that long for the man to reach the compound. The house was located probably a mile or two from the area.
Traveling, sneaking into the building, while trying not to get caught took effort.
She just hoped Malcolm found what Ellie needed to fix Caesar and brought it back without being killed by the colony.
"Where are you, Malcolm?" She heard Ellie mutter, her foot began to rapidly move.
"I am sure he is on his way," Marahan replied more to herself than Ellie. She was relying on anything to keep her calm, but it didn't help when Caesar could hardly breathe.
She felt it in the way his body was moving, the ape king loss a lot of blood from being shot and it was possible the bullet hit a vital organ.
There was no way of confirming it until Malcolm returned with Ellie's tools, but Caesar couldn't wait much longer.
Marahan choked back a sob, just as Caesar squeezed her hand. She looked up at the male ape as he slowly gave her a smile.
Marahan returned the gesture, squeezing his hand as the tears fell to her cheeks.
Leave it to her honorary uncle to bring comfort even on what could be his death bed. If this was his last moment, then Marahan would make sure his death was not in vain.
The former ape silently promised if death befell her king, she will go to the compound, fight Koba or die trying.
It was at that moment; the front door was pushed open.
"Malcolm!" Ellie shouted in relief as the man in question came into the corridor with Ellie's items.
Marahan wiped her tears, she was confident Caesar would live.
The girl opened her mouth to thank Malcolm when she noticed a shadow on the wall a few meters from the man.
The shadow's outline was not a human, but an ape.
Marahan rolled her shoulders, leaning on her toes in preparation for a fight if the ape happens to be one of Koba's goons.
Malcolm turned to the figure that was hidden behind the wall, ushering him into the living space as the man gestured for his son and wife to make room.
Slowly, the figure walked into the open corridor. Marahan froze, it was Blue Eyes.
Their eyes met as Caesar gasped in relief having seen his oldest son. He stood tall, similar to a human soldier. The prince held a weapon in his hand, the rifle was pointed toward the ceiling.
He looked intimidating, a force to be reckoned with. Seeing the weapon, Marahan guessed that every male in their colony, including Koba, were sporting these weapons.
What they were doing with them, she dared not ask. Her mind was thinking of a few scenarios but prayed she was wrong.
The prince walked near the couch, as he did Marahan let go of Caesar and moved to the other side of the room, allowing Blue Eyes to be with his father.
The former ape watched as the prince laid his weapon on the floor and sat on the couch next to the king.
"Your mother, brother safe?" Caesar struggled to say as Blue Eyes signed in response.
"For now."
The young apes leaned toward the older ape observing the bullet wound on his chest.
In anger, he growled at Malcolm, Ellie, and Alex.
Marahan rushed over to the family, crouching in front of the royal.
She bared her teeth, growling at the prince. Warning him to yield, while backing the family toward the kitchen.
If Blue Eyes attacked she would protect them.
The young ape continued to growl challenging Marahan to make a move until Caesar's words broke the tension.
"Not human," Caesar said making sure he had Blue Eyes' attention. "Koba."
Blue Eyes was immobile, his eyes holding shock, sadness, and anger.
Koba betrayed him, his family and the colony.
He didn't deserve to be the new ape king.
Small tears fell from the prince's eyes.
He trusted Koba with his life and he almost took his father's.
If he hadn't been so naïve of Koba's intentions none of this would have happened.
"Son." Blue Eyes lifted his head, his teary eyes staring at his father in guilt.
While the apes were distracted, Ellie took her supplies and moved to the couch. "Caesar, we need to do this now." The woman said getting everything ready to operate on the ape.
Caesar extended his hand and Blue Eyes laid his own in it as Ellie placed a towel lightly over the ape king's mouth, rendering him unconscious.
"I am going to remove the bullet from your father's wound. I will do everything I can to make sure he pulls through." Ellie said adding a small smile to show she was not a threat.
The prince moved his gaze to the floor before signing a "thank you" to the human woman. Blue Eyes retreated from the couch to one of the rooms to wait.
His eyes lingering on Marahan's form before going out of sight.
"Marahan, I am going to need your help," Ellie said calling out to the girl. Her gaze centered on the room Blue Eyes had disappeared to.
Shaking her head, she turned to Alex. "I need you to keep him company. Can you do that for me?" Marahan asked.
The boy glanced at the room, then hesitantly nodded.
Marahan hugged Alex and walked to Ellie to help with the procedure.
Alex stared at the entrance, slowly making his way into the room. He didn't know what he had gotten himself into.
His last encounter with the ape prince was not at all positive, but the boy said he would keep the ape company.
Alex tried remembering all that Marahan had told him about Blue Eyes. From their previous conversations:
He is Caesar's eldest son.
The only ape in the colony with blue eyes.
He loved hunting.
He grew up with Ash and Marahan.
He is stubborn, rarely trust humans.
"Obviously he hates humans," Alex whispered to himself. He sighed, it was easy for him to befriend Ash and Marahan but earning Blue Eyes trust was going to be a trial.
Alex searched the room until he found the prince sitting on top of a desk. There were a few pictures on it, from what the boy could see the ape was staring at one in particular.
The picture was of Caesar and his human father. He was smiling with his hand on Caesar's face, while the ape mimicked the gesture.
Blue Eyes could not help but think about how much he favored Caesar in his youth. He had his mother's face, but his physique was similar to his predecessor.
"Uh, hi." Blue Eyes attention moved from the photo to the human male. There were two in the home that Marahan had befriended. This male was the younger, he recalled at the Dam.
"Look I know we got off on the wrong foot and I just want to start over." Alex extended his hand.
"I am Alex."
The prince stared at the youth, before hesitantly extending his own hand to connect with the human male.
"Blue Eyes." The ape stated signing with his other hand.
"It is nice to officially meet you," Alex said confidently, maybe their interaction wouldn't end in conflict.