Chapter 21: Stones Don't Break Easily

The sun is almost fully up, and the wind began to pick up, rustling the trees around. Tibbett's and the lead guinea pig peek out and see the remains. Tibbetts looks left at the lead pig.

"Did they just..?" said Tibbetts, pointing at Alexei and Ven.

"Yeah.. looks like it." answered Hugo.

Tibbetts stands up over the ledge, and approaches the bodies. He looks upon Alexei and Ven, then sighs, putting his hands on his hips.

"Tibbetts!" shouted a voice from behind.

Tibbetts turns around, it's Ellis.

"You're alive." said Ellis.

"Uhh.. Yeah, I am."

Ellis, as well as the rest of the village approach the dead guinea pigs. Some told their young to leave.

"What happened here?" asked Ellis.

"I don't know," answered Tibbetts. "They.. Were involved in a quarrel or something."

"Well, two crazies with a gun never amounts to anything good." He pauses, "But this.. is good. We don't have to worry about them anymore."

Tibbetts turns sharply at Ellis, "What? What did you just say?"

"I said we don't have to worry about them anymore, they were problematic to begin with."

"You don't care?" Tibbetts balls his fist.

Suddenly a voice in the distance, "Hey doc!"

Ellis looks to see who's calling him, it's a guinea pig near the tree. "Come over here!"

Ellis rushes to the tree, with Tibbetts following. On the ground next to the tree, layed Darwin, still alive.

"What the.." said Ellis in shock of what he sees before him.

"We found him, lying here," said the pig.

Tibbetts catches up, as well as the rest of the village.

Ellis kneels down next to the bleeding pig and checks his wound. He puts his hand in front of Darwin's nose.

"He's still breathing," said Ellis. "Hey, are you with me? What's your name?"

No response. Ellis moves closer, and opens Darwin's eye lids. They were about rolled back, and glossy. Suddenly Darwin starts shaking, cold from the lost blood.

"He's fainted," said Ellis. "And about to go into shock."

Tibbetts steps up, "That's the guy."

Everyone turns.

"The guy?" spoke Ellis.

"From the TV."

Ellis turns back to Darwin, "Him!?"

"Yeah.. Ven said he would return with the one who caused the destruction of the village."

Ellis takes a second to comprehend, "Holy shit.. So he's the one behind all this."

"Then why are we tending him," shouted a guinea pig in the crowd. "He deserves to die!"

"No!" spurted Tibbetts. "I think Ven was trying to protect this guy."

"How do you know?" said Ellis.

"I was watching from the side. Alexei and Ven were arguing about killing him I think, then they attacked each other.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around it myself."

"But why protect him?" spurted a guinea pig in the crowd. "After all that happened? That can't be true!"

"Well," said Ellis. "If anyone knows the answer, its him. Take him to the house, hurry!"

A few pigs gather and lift Darwin up, heading towards Ellis's house.

"Doc!?" shouted the same pig in the crowd.

"I don't wanna hear it. My job is to save people, not let them die!"

Tibbetts rolls his eyes, "Now you act heroic..."

"Shut it Tibbetts!" He points at Darwin. "He's the only one that can tell us what happened, not you."

Ellis begins to walk away.

"What about Ven?" asked Tibbetts.

Ellis stops, "What about Ven?"

"You're not gonna ask him?"

Ellis turns around, eyes squinted, "They're dead.."

"How do you know?"

"How do I know!? Holy shit Tibbetts.. Here lemme ask them." Ellis projects his voice towards the two guinea pigs in the grass. "HEY VEN! WERE YOU PROTECTING THIS GUY!?" Ellis places his hand near his ear to listen for a responce, "Yeah, I didn't think so."

Ellis turns his back to Tibbetts and steps away once more.

"I mean go and check."

"There's literally no point."

"So you're just gonna leave them?"

"No, we'll come back to give a proper burial."

Tibbetts crosses his arms, "Pfft, wow. A piece of shit doctor you are."

"You're wasting my time, Tibbetts." Ellis begins to walk out of sight, "Hey, didn't you want to be a doctor? Look, there's your opportunity..."

Ellis's voice fades in the distance as Tibbetts watches in disappointment. He then turns to Alexei and Ven, and approaches them once more.

The two guinea pigs lay, lifeless on the grass. Alexei had a pool of blood around him, it was clear his demise was ture. Ven was a foot away, and didn't look as bad; blood dripping from his chest and back. Tibbetts moved closer to Ven, kneeling beside him. He looks upon the body, then places his hand in front of Ven's face to check for breathing. No signs of life came from the corpse. Tibbetts moves his hand away and spots the pistol, the culprit of this disaster. He attempts to reach over Ven to grab the weapon but slips atop of Ven, getting blood on his fur. He immediatly pushes himself off and rubs the blood off, disgusted from the sight. A twitch came from the body and more blood poured out. Then, suddenly a wheezing sound is heard.

Tibbetts listens in and investigates, "Ven?"

No answer came from the body, but a continued wheezing was heard. Tibbetts replaces his hand in front of Ven's nose and mouth and feels a slight breeze.

"He.. He's alive, he has to be!"

Tibbetts peaks over towards the village, looking directly at Ellis's home. He ponders if he should even tell the village.

"If I take him to Ellis.." thought Tibbetts to himself. "He'll probably die. Ellis's lack of care is a concern."

He looks back at Ven, "Don't worry, you're gonna be okay."

Meanwhile, at Ellis's home

The guinea pigs lay Darwin on the table, and begin to recover the broken pig. Ellis removes the bloodied bandage on his leg and studies the wound.

"Looks like shrapnel," said Ellis. He studies it closer, "From a projectile."

"Probably a bullet," said another pig. "Look, it went all the way through."

Ellis turns the leg around, "I see.. Grab me some suture." The other guinea pig hands Ellis what looks like nylon threads. "We need to stop the bleeding before anything else."

Ellis grabs the nylon thread and wraps it around Darwin's leg, tightly. After a few seconds, the bloodflow had stopped, and Ellis begins to stitch the wound with the rest of the nylon. He points around, giving various orders.

"You," shouted Ellis, pointing at a pig in the back. "Get me the syringe from the breeders home." He points at another pig. "And you, please grab some pain reliever pills and grind them up."

An hour passes, and Ellis successfully stitches the wound. He continues to clean up the blood from the local area, then cleans his own hands. The other look upon Darwin, resting on the table.

"He lost a lot of blood," said Ellis. "But he'll make it."

"Him and Ven," said a guinea pig. "The similarities are striking.. This is the guy from the news station?"

"It is," answered Ellis.

"They're practically the same pig, could make a good replacer."

"I don't know about that. Remember, this is the guy behind the village attack."

"Then why are we helping him?"

"I'm still asking myself that question." They look back at Darwin. "According to Tibbetts, Ven was trying to protect this guy."

"And you believed him?"

"I don't want to.."

"Then how do you know it's true?"

"I don't. But if anyone knows the answer, it's him." Ellis points at Darwin.

"Still, it seems off that Ven would protect the one that destroyed the village."

"Yeah..."

A gruff voice appears, "He's a friend."

"Hugo?" wondered Ellis.

Hugo shows himself in the room. "Ven had good intentions. He wouldn't do this unless there was reason."

"We'll see."

"I trusted Ven's judgement, don't worry."

The other guinea pig intervenes, "About Ven, who's gonna tell his mother the news? And are we gonna keep this pig here until he recovers?"

Ellis sighs, "I have to head out and recover Ven and Alexei, as well as prepare a grave for them. So, I'll let you figure that out, I'm not gonna be the bearer of bad news.. again."

"Do you need help?" asked the guinea pig.

"I can use a couple bodies."

At Alexei's house

Ellis arrives at the home with two guinea pigs for help. They look around for Alexei, and spot him near the tree. They approach Alexei, but pause suddenly.

"Wait," said Ellis. "Where's Ven!?"

The guinea pig had disappeared, leaving only a trace of blood on the ground. The other two guinea pigs begin to look around for the missing pig.

"Also, where's the weapon!?" one of the pigs asked.

"Maybe he's alive?" said the other guinea pig. "He is a tough motherfucker."

"Or someone took him.."

Ellis stares blankly into the spot were Ven was resting, "Who the hell would take a dead body? Wait.."

"Hey, wasn't Tibbetts here earlier?" asked one of the pigs.

Ellis looks to the group, "Exactly my thought, let's go.."

They begin to rush over towards Tibbetts' home, leaving Alexei for later.

At Tibbetts' house

Ven was on a table near the back of the living room, still bleeding. Tibbetts studied Ven, looking at the bullet holes.

"It doesn't look like anything vital," said Tibbetts to himself. "I mean-"

Suddenly a knock. Tibbetts peeks towards the door. He knows exactly who it is, then sighs. Tibbetts approaches the door, and opens it. Standing in front, was Ellis. Behind him stands the other two guinea pigs,

"Okay, where is he?" said Ellis.

"Who?" answered Tibbetts.

"Cut the shit, I know you have Ven."

"What makes you think that?"

"I don't know Tibbetts.. When I try to bury a couple of dead bodies and see one of them missing I think.. Damn. What mental psychopath takes dead people? Oh I know one! You Tibbetts..."

"I didn't take Ven."

"You're a terrible liar." Ellis attempts to enter the home. "I know you have Ven."

The door suddenly gets stopped by Tibbetts' foot, blocking Ellis's entrance. Although, he manages to spot Ven on a table on the other side of the living room.

"Aha!" shouted Ellis.

"Leave." said Tibbetts in a forboding tone. He pushes Ellis back outside.

"What the actual fuck are you doing with a dead body Tibbetts?"

Tibbetts gave a stern, but sarcastic look to Ellis, "He's alive, just like you said."

"Alive? Bullshit."

"Just like the guy standing at my doorstep."

"Can I go one day, without hearing your shit?"

"Short answer, no."

"Wow." Ellis smirks. "You are one jealous bitch."

"I'm not jealous of someone that isn't real."

The smirk wipes off Ellis's face, and he peers into Tibbetts' eyes. "Okay, why are you doing this? Is it to cheer up your worthless life?"

"Yes, exactly."

Ellis sighs, giving up on trying to antagonize Tibbetts. "Why didn't you bring Ven to me?"

"It's none of your concern."

"It is my concern." Ellis looks over to Ven once more, attemping to enter the home. "Move."

"No!" Tibbetts shoves his foot in front of the door. "Anything you do now will kill him."

Ellis raises an eyebrow, "What are you talking about, I'm trying to help."

"And I deny that help, Ven is under my care."

"You're not a doctor, Tibbetts."

"And you are?"

"I literally just went through a surgery.."

"Well," remarked Tibbetts. "I wouldn't worry about Ven, not like you ever did."

Ellis tightens his fist, "I'm taking Ven.." The other pigs step up.

"No you're not." Tibbetts reveals the pistol he's been hiding behind his back. Ellis and the others immediatly recess back. "I'm tired of dealing with people like you, pushing me aside because they feel obligated to do so.."

He continues, "Ven is in a condition where simple stitching won't do it. I've read numorous books on the subject of medicine, and saved Ven's mother from death. Hell, I'm the one who told you how to take care of her, and you dare insult my ability?"

Ellis shrugs in fear, "Tibbetts-"

"And you!? You call yourself a doctor? Do you know how many people died that night because you didn't know how to properly administer treatment!? People bled out, because of you. I wanted to help, but I couldn't, because of you. Ven was gonna to die if it was up to you.. And you wouldn't have given a damn, because he was a burden to you. Ven protects this village, but to you, he's just another 'death'. A number.. A statistic. No, it should of been you on the ground over there!" Tibbetts raises the pistol. "In fact, that can still happen, so leave before it does."

Ellis slowly responds, "So you're going to shoot me if I help Ven?"

"If you, 'help' Ven, he will die. You don't have the knowledge much less the care to deal with him." Tibbetts points the pistol at Ellis, "Sorry doc, this is my patient."

Ellis slowly backs up, hands raised. "Fine, I'll leave.."

Tibbetts lowers the guns and watches the three pigs walk away.

Suddenly Ellis turns his head around, "When he dies though, you can only blame yourself."

Tibbetts doesn't respond, instead shuts the door and controls his breathing. He places the pistol onto the couch, then looks over towards Ven.

"I'm not planning on him leaving just yet," chatted Tibbetts to himself.

Ellis's home

Ellis and his helpers return, nothing in hand. They get spotted by the guinea pigs inside the home. As they walk inside, other surround them in curiosity.

"Your finished?" asked a guinea pig.

"No," answered Ellis. "We had a bit of a snag.. Well more than a bit."

"What happened?"

Ellis pauses, looking upon the group, "I don't want anyone near Tibbetts.. He.. has a gun."

"How?" asked Hugo.

"He took it from Ven.. He also has Ven."

Everyone's heads turn, "Explain, please."

"Apparently Ven is alive, and is under Tibbetts' care."

"Ven's alive!?" interrupted Hugo."

"Yeah, but Tibbetts doesn't want us near him, threatening us with the weapon. I told him if Ven dies, he would be the only one to blame."

"What?" Hugo looks off to the side. "This doesn't make any sense."

Ellis turns towards Darwin, "Besides that, has anyone made a decision on where to keep him at?" He points at Darwin.

One of the pigs answered, "We agreed for him to stay at Ven's."

"Ven's house? We're not trying to replace him."

"Well then let's keep him here, in your house."

"What? Hell no, put him at your house."

"How 'bout no. He's your problem, not ours."

Ellis's expression depresses, "Fair enough.. We have to get Elliot's permission though."

"I'm pretty sure she'll agree, being that you have to check her daily anyway, and they're both immobilized."

"Sounds good." Ellis points out to his helpers, "Grab him, lets's go."

Before leaving the house, Ellis gets stopped by Hugo, "Ellis!"

Ellis turns around.

"If Tibbetts has Ven, where's Alexei?"

"He's still at his house."

"You didn't bury him?"

"No, if Tibbetts wants to desecrate bodies, he can do it."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Well, then Alexei rots."

Ellis doesn't give Hugo another chance to ask a question, and shuts the front door.

Ellis and a few guinea pigs arrive at Elliot's front door, looking at each other, before entering.