It's finally done, the new chapter is ready. I want to apologize for the long wait, but as I said before I'm committed with this story and I want to complete it no matter how long it takes. As always I want to thank Jixstun for his valuable help with this chapter, and also I suggest you to read his story: Fantasy can happen in Rio.
I know you want to read what happens next so I won´t bother you with long explanations, let's continue the story.
Chapter 21
After another long & stressful day, Blu, Jewel & Rob were heading back to the Center.
Jewel wasn't really in the mood to visit that place again. They had spent so much time there recently; they hadn't even slept in their hollow for a while, but she knew it was necessary. Oh, not for her, in fact she felt great, her back injury having cleared up wonderfully. It was for… she glanced back as she flew & saw Rob, who although he was keeping up with Blu & Jewel on their flight, he was starting to look a little haggard. The white bandages around his wings were now stained brown from the mud, & were also starting to fall apart, ripped & ragged pieces of them fluttering behind his wings as he flew & starting to reveal the yellow feathers underneath. The deterioration of his bandages also appeared to be mirroring the deterioration of Rob's condition in general, as now that Jewel was paying attention she could see that Rob's face was starting to look a little pained & his flight appeared to be taking a little more effort for him than it had earlier.
Jewel sighed internally. She knew if it wasn´t for the help of Humans, Rob wouldn´t have survived his injuries, but the idea of getting help from them, even if it was clear Rob still needed that help…
If you´re injured badly enough to die…
…You Die…
…that´s the Way of the wild.
The Cougar's words echoed in Jewel's mind.
She'd tried to forget what the Big Cat had said, to put it out of her mind, but she couldn't stop dwelling on the Predator's words, & the point behind them. Is that the way it should be? Are Humans only interfering with nature? Jewel wondered.
She knew there were Humans who wanted to help, just as Linda & Tulio did, but she also knew that there were other Humans doing just the opposite. From the long time she'd spent in the Center she'd overheard the researchers talking about conservation matters, & she'd heard about how there were Humans out there who were destroying forests, capturing & smuggling animals (just as had happened with her & Blu) all in order to obtain something they called 'money'. They exchanged the wood of the trees & the animals they extracted from the forests for this 'money' & though Jewel didn't know what it was, if it was something that Humans desired so much that they would destroy all that Jewel loved to get it, then it was very dangerous for her. A few Birds hunted by predators couldn't compare to all the ones that had disappeared because of Humans & their pursuit of this 'money' (Spix's Macaws included), &, to Jewel's mind it served as proof as to just how bad Human interference was, even though the Humans she'd heard discussing the subject sounded just as disgusted & appalled by the practices as she was.
Jewel frowned as she looked down at the ground passing by below them. She'd always felt that Humans were dangerous, & even though she'd discovered that there were exceptions to the rule (like Linda & Tulio) she still couldn't shake the feeling that it was just too risky to trust them, in general terms at least. Birds should remain separated from Humans, both species should never have met…
But they already had. The thought sounded firmly in her head. Whether she liked it or not, she had to acknowledge that for better or worse, Humans & Birds (as well as many, many other species) shared this world, & short of hiding away in the depths of the Amazon or something, there was nothing that could be done to stop Humans & Birds crossing paths. The only thing that could be done was to try & make sure that one species didn't overly harm the other, & as Humans held the greatest sway over the world by a large…no, a huge margin, they had the ability to cause the most damage…but at least there were those that recognized this fact (like Linda & Tulio) & did their best to make up for it, such as creating places like the Sanctuary.
As for what the Birds themselves could do…the only option Jewel could think of was to… just survive, & protect each other as best they could, with or without Human help. It was a sad conclusion but Jewel couldn´t think of a better answer.
Jewel shook her head. These were very grim thoughts. Her past experiences with Humans had really left a mark on her & that Cougar had brought up memories she'd buried deep in her mind from a long time ago, some of them included some blurry images of a burning forest & flashes of her own panic as she tried to get away from the fire…. She quickly shook the memories away. It did no good to dwell on what had been lost.
What would Blu think if he knew she had those feelings? She focussed on that thought instead. She was ashamed to admit it, but she wasn´t very good at talking about that topic with him, just as had occurred before when she'd asked him to start a family; better communication would´ve saved them so many troubles. Thanks to her encounter with the Cougar however, she now had even more doubts about Humans than she did before. Should she allow Humans to be close to her family? She'd never liked the idea of a domesticated life for her & even worse, for her kids. That was the reason she tried to avoid Human contact, but Blu's link with the Human world was so strong, almost certainly because of his upbringing with Linda….
Linda. Jewel didn't dislike Linda exactly; it was what Linda represented, the 'Pet' lifestyle that Jewel would like Blu to put behind him, or at least as much as he could. Yes, Linda had let Blu go so he could live with Jewel in the Sanctuary, but he still talked about her & their life together quite often & he was always much too eager (in Jewel's opinion) to visit her. Then, when they did visit, Linda would fawn over Blu just like (Jewel suspected) she had when they were living together, & the worst thing (to Jewel's mind) was that Blu allowed it to happen. Seeing Blu so excited by Linda's bookstore & encouraging Rob to read with him, it was like he'd never left that life at all, & Jewel had begun to suspect that Linda had known that this would happen. That could be yet another example of how devious Humans could be, but Jewel found it hard to blame Linda for it. Blu had told Jewel that he had no memory of his real parents, his earliest memories were of falling from his nest, then being captured, cold & alone, but then…light & Linda's young face looking down upon him, so concerned & caring. She'd taken him in & promised to take care of him, & she'd kept that promise, becoming the family that Blu had never known, or at least, couldn't remember.
But Jewel just couldn't bring herself to think of Linda in the same way. Humans & Birds being family…it was just too much of a stretch for her, but even being friends also didn't seem to really fit. Despite all the knowledge of Birds Linda & Tulio had, they didn't truly understand was life as Bird was like, & there was no way they could as they were just too different, in both physical terms & the environment they lived in.
In fact, the only way she could see Humans like Linda & Tulio truly understanding her & becoming her friends was if…if…
They were somehow able to actually… become Birds.
But that was a silly & absurd thought, & Jewel dismissed it firmly. She needed to stay focussed on reality, not ridiculous notions like that.
Her earlier conclusion still seemed best. Survive, protect the loved ones, & only accept Human help if it was absolutely necessary. This meant that, when she & Blu finally did have kids, she'd have to make it clear that she wanted to try & raise them with the least Human influence possible. That was something Blu may not like, hey, he might even want Linda to be an honorary Aunt or something, but she'd have to firm that she wanted to try & maintain a wings length between Humans (even Linda) & her kids, so she could have a chance to raise them to appreciate being wild & free.
As Jewel came to this conclusion, & started trying to think of arguments she'd have to use to convince Blu, he suddenly called out: "Here we are guys!"
Her train of thought interrupted, Jewel looked up & realized that as she'd just been following Blu & not paying attention to her surroundings as they flew, they'd arrived back at the Center without her even noticing. She put her thoughts aside as the group flew towards Linda's Library window, & then used it to reenter the room.
The three Birds landed back on the desk, the very place from where all their recent adventures had started.
"Safe & sound!" Blu exclaimed in relief, we made it, he thought. He was fine, Jewel was fine, & his new friend was…but as he turned around to look at the others, he immediately noticed that Rob was not fine.
"Rob? Are you ok?" Blu asked after noticing the pained expression on Rob's face, the droop in his wings & the way he was favoring his right leg, seemingly unable to stand on it properly. Blu could see that he was suffering, & was taken aback by how quickly Rob's condition seemed to have deteriorated.
A spasm of pain showed on Rob's face, spiking Blu & Jewel's worry, & he said: "Blu…I…" But he couldn't say seem to get any more out, & to both Blu & Jewel's alarm, he slowly keeled over on his left side.
"Rob!" Both blue Macaws shouted, & rushed to his side.
Sprawled on the desk, a grimace on his face, Rob was doing his best to gently massage his right leg with his wings, & as they got a good look Blu & Jewel could see that it was inflamed. Rob had been pushed beyond his limit, flying around & having stressful & energetic adventures in the Sanctuary at a time when he should have been resting, & he was now paying the toll for all that activity. Both Blu & Jewel began to feel guilty that they'd been responsible for him having to overexert himself.
"Jewel, please take care of him. I´ll go get help!" Blu said worriedly, & then he quickly flew up & off of the desk, & out of the room.
.
.
Blu flew quickly through the corridors as he looked for Tulio, & he soon reached the Human's office. The door was open but as Blu flew through it, he immediately saw that the office was empty. He quickly braked in mid-air, turned around & exiting the office, he continued his search through the corridors. As he flew, the feeling of guilt grew within him. His friend was injured again & it was all because of him. He had seen earlier that his friend had been having trouble keeping up with them, & now he was in pain from being pushed too far. If he just had done something…
Tulio was nowhere in sight, but Blu felt at that moment that any researcher would do, & as he flew down one corridor, he saw someone up ahead who had just stepped out of a side room, their back towards him as they were looking at a clipboard they were holding.
Pulling to hovering stop behind them, Blu began to squawk desperately, trying to catch the researcher's attention.
The researcher gave a start, & turning around quickly, Blu saw that it was Gloria.
"Blu? What's wrong?" She asked, her surprised look changing to a concerned one as she took note of Blu's frantic body language.
Blu continued squawking & gesturing with his wings as he tried to tell Gloria to follow him, & fortunately, she was quick on the uptake.
"OK, OK, I see you want me to follow you, don't you?" Gloria asked & Blu nodded vigorously. "Then go on. I'm right behind you!" She stated.
Blu turned in mid-air & flew off as fast as he could, & Gloria sprinted after him as he led her back to the Library room.
.
.
Jewel noticed Rob was really quiet. He had stopped trying to massage his leg & was just focussed on trying not to aggravate his injuries any further as he just lay on his side. She decided to try & talk to him to take his mind off of his pain.
"How do you feel?" Jewel asked him gently. "Is your leg OK?"
"I'm fine." Rob muttered. "I'm just a little…tired." Rob stated, but Jewel caught the involuntary twitch of his beak from the pain.
"You´ll be fine. Help is coming." Jewel reassured Rob.
The help I was doubting you should have. A guilty thought bobbed up in the back of her mind, but she pushed it away as best she could. Now wasn't the time for that.
"And how is your back?" Rob asked her.
"Oh! My back?" Jewel said, glad to be distracted from her own dark thoughts. "It's fine Rob. Really, there's nothing at all to worry about." She answered, & smiled reassuringly, & although Rob smiled back at her, Jewel felt that there was something she needed to say, & so she took a deep breath. "But…Rob…I want to offer you an apology."
Rob looked at Jewel quizzically, that was something unexpected. "An apology?" he asked.
"Yes. You've been stressed because of us, I, I mean, mine & Blu's quarrels." She explained. "And I feel terrible because of that. The last thing I want is someone being hurt." She paused, looking distressed. "In fact, maybe…maybe we, I… I mean me & Blu, shouldn't be a burden for you anymore & we…we should leave you alone." She finished heavily.
But Rob shook his head slightly & chuckled. "Jewel, please, don't worry about it. This is something I wanted to do, & I don´t regret having met you." He said sincerely.
Jewel looked at least a little reassured by this, & smiled back at him, & after a short silence Rob spoke again: "You know I can´t remember anything before meeting you, but… I feel your friendship is something I must treasure forever."
Jewel was moved after hearing Rob's words. He was someone special, a true friend. He had even risked himself to help them... which Jewel felt matched what she had been thinking about on the flight over to the Center. They should be looking out for each other, just like Felipe had said yesterday, & Jewel felt increasingly confident that that was really the way it should be, with Birds protecting each other without relying on Humans or their gadgets.
As Jewel came to this conclusion however, she was unaware of the printout of the Hawk that Blu & Rob had used to help track her down, but had also completely forgotten about the Smartphone picture that Rob had seen the irregularities in, & the device Rob had used to defeat the Hawk & save all their lives. Her slanted recollection of events was one that she had a habit of falling into, when she glossed over or just plain forgot how much Humans did for her, or Birds in general.
But even as Jewel felt pleased at her (inaccurate) conclusions, she suddenly noticed that Rob's eyelids seemed to be growing heavy & he was having trouble keeping them open.
"Rob? Rob, please don't' fall asleep." She said worriedly, But Rob didn't answer, & didn't seem to be paying her much attention, & his eyelids continued to flutter.
This was a worrying sign. Maybe Rob had gotten much more injured than they thought during the Cougar's attack? Jewel had learned a long time ago that falling unconscious after injury, especially to the head, wasn't a good sign. What if his life were at risk? She needed to do something to keep Rob awake, but what?
She walked over to him & using her wings, she gave a Rob a gentle shake while calling his name, trying not to aggravate his injuries, but Rob didn't respond to that either, looking increasingly out of it.
Jewel was really worried now, & only one course seemed to present itself, a way keeping Rob conscious & focussed.
"I'm sorry for what I'm about to do Rob." Jewel muttered under her breath before reaching out with her claw…& quickly plucking out one of Rob's tail feathers.
"Awk!" Rob squawked in pain as he was suddenly jerked back to full wakefulness. He fixed his eyes on Jewel, & saw her holding a long red feather in her claw. His feather.
"Jewel!" He began, sounding equally surprised & put out. "What…" But Jewel cut him off.
"Sorry Rob, but I need you to stay awake!" Jewel said firmly. "You shouldn't fall unconscious while you're injured."
Rob blinked, but he realized the truth of her words. "Oh…OK. Yes, you're right." He nodded at her. "Thanks Jewel."
"You're welcome." Jewel replied, a faint smile on her beak.
Rob appeared about to say something else, but both Birds turned their heads toward the door as they heard the sound of wingbeats approaching, followed closely by running footsteps. Blu flew through the door & landed back on the desk, & Gloria entered right after.
"Rob?" She asked in confusion as she laid eyes on him, & took in his haggard appearance & ragged bandages. "How did you…? Where have you…?" She asked as she approached the desk. She stopped right in front of it, & pausing, she took a breath, pulling herself together. "No…that that doesn't matter right now… I can see you're in rough shape. C'mon, let's take a look at you." She said gently as she moved her hands up.
Rob allowed Gloria to (carefully) set him back upright & check him over, feeling shame as she tutted gently over his condition. Tulio & Gloria did everything they could in order to help him & he couldn't do something as simple as resting…
Gloria noted the condition of Rob's leg & how he couldn't stand on it properly, & she also (once again, very carefully) moved one of Rob's wings, an action that caused Rob to give a brief squawk of pain. She immediately released his wing, & sighed. Tulio had told her that Rob was a smart Bird that responded well to spoken words (like Blu & Jewel) so she felt comfortable voicing her thoughts to him & the other Birds in the room.
"You've aggravated your injuries Rob." She scolded gently, & confirming what the 3 Birds suspected. "I know it's hard to be here, waiting until you're recovered." She continued as she searched in her Lab coat's pocket & took out the medicine she'd given Rob before. "But you have to understand this is necessary." She explained as she took out the dropper & carefully gave Rob a small dose of the medicine, which (heading her words) he swallowed without fuss in spite of the taste.
Gloria went on: "This medicine eases pain & inflammation, but you must rest to allow your injuries to heal properly. You might feel fine, but the injuries are still there, & you must rest to allow them to heal." She repeated. She then gave a small smile. "I know I'm repeating myself Rob, but trust me, I have to do that a lot." She added.
Rob lowered his head, looking ashamed as he accepted his scolding, but off to the side, Blu & Jewel exchanged their own shamed & guilty looks too. It was at that moment that Blu also noticed that Jewel had a long red feather on the desk by her claws, which Blu blinked at in confusion, but Jewel quickly leaned over towards him & explained in a low voice that only Blu could hear. An expression of understanding then showed on Blu's face just before Gloria spoke again, drawing their attention back to her.
"The medicine will take a minute or 2 to fully kick in." She said. "Then I'll be able to see to those bandages of yours." She shook her head, looking faintly amused. "Honestly. What have you been doing? Taking a mud bath?" She questioned rhetorically.
Rob looked off to one side, looking uncomfortable as he avoided meeting her gaze, as did Blu & Jewel. Even if they could have answered her question, they wouldn't have wanted to.
The group waited for a minute, & in that time Rob could feel his pains slowly easing, & his inflamed leg settling down & starting to look more normal. Whatever that medicine was, it was certainly effective.
Blu, Jewel & Gloria could all see Rob's condition improving, his head & wings perking up as he started to feel better & they all looked relieved. Gloria smiled at Rob. "You look like you're feeling better Rob." She said. "The pain has gone, right?" She asked, & Rob gave her a grateful nod.
Gloria beamed. "Wonderful. Now, I need to check you over properly, & see to those bandages, but my medical kit isn't here. I left it in the Rehabilitation Room, so I'll need to take you over there, OK?" She said, & as Rob nodded once more, she reached out & carefully picked him up. Holding him gently, she then turned to see Blu & Jewel, who were still looking on. "Follow me." She said with a nod at the door, & then carefully carrying Rob out through it.
Blu & Jewel opened their wings & took to the air (Jewel still holding onto Rob's feather in her claw) & followed Gloria & Rob out of the room & down the corridor. She came to a room further down & entered, & then crossing over to a nearby table, she gently put Rob down on top of it. Blu & Jewel landed on another table off to the side, giving Gloria the room she needed to work.
Gloria then went over to a nearby shelf & picking up her medical kit, she brought it back over to the table Rob was standing on, along with some small cloths she'd also grabbed. Setting the kit down & opening it, she took out what she needed, placing it within easy reach. She then picked up a pair of medical scissors, an action at which Rob suddenly looked alarmed & took a step back.
Seeing his reaction, Gloria smiled at him. "Don't worry Rob. I know what I'm doing, & I'll be very careful." She said reassuringly.
Behind her, Blu nodded at Rob, confirming the Human's words & vouching for her expertise. Jewel merely glanced at Blu, but then as she looked back at Rob, she gave a short nod of her own.
As she had done nothing but help him so far plus the encouragement of his friends, Rob decided to trust her. He stepped forward again, putting himself back in position. Gloria smiled, & then she proceeded to…carefully…use the scissors to cut off Rob's ruined bandages. There was still some mud trapped underneath them, but Gloria then used the small cloths along with a nearby tap to carefully wash it off. Thanks to the medicine, Rob was no longer feeling any pain, but Gloria still took care not to be too rough.
As Gloria worked, she had her own fears that Rob could be badly injured. Like she'd told him, the medicine she'd given him could cover up the pain, but if Rob had injured himself badly enough then he might not be in a good enough condition to be released, & that would put hers & Tulio's plans for that release at risk. After removing the ruined bandages & cleaning off his feathers however, she was able to examine Rob's wings & leg more closely, & Gloria was relieved to discover that whatever Rob had been up to had aggravated his injuries, but he hadn't actually made them worse. He was still on course for recovery if he just got some rest.
"Your injuries haven't gotten worse Rob." She said out loud, which came as a relief to all 3 Birds in the room. "…But I'm afraid that I'll still need to replace your bandages." She added.
Gloria had expected that Rob might be hesitant, even difficult about this as the Birds she treated often were, but to her surprise Rob nodded eagerly, & with a quick movement he leaned down & picked up the bandage roll in his beak & held it up to her, looking expectant.
"Uh…Thanks." She said, slightly nonplussed, as she took the bandage roll from his beak. Off to the side, Blu & Jewel looked slightly surprised by Rob's eagerness too. Did he like wearing bandages?
Regardless of the reason, Rob held still as Gloria carefully & expertly applied the bandages, wrapping the upper part of his wings & hiding his yellow feathers from view once more.
When she'd finished, & Rob was gently flexing his wings, looking over his fresh new bandages with approval, she gave him a smile & said: "Rob, I just need to go sort out some of your records. Please wait here, & I'll be right back."
Rob looked up at her, & nodded once more. Gloria then turned & seeing Blu & Jewel looking at her, she said: "Don't worry guys, He´ll be fine, please keep him company until I come back, OK?" She said as she walked towards the door.
Blu & Jewel nodded in agreement, & Gloria smiled as she went out of the room. The 2 Spix's Macaw's then wasted no time in flying over to & landing on the desk next to Rob.
"How do you feel?" Blu asked worriedly. He still felt terrible at Rob's state being at least partly his fault.
"I'm fine Blu. You heard Gloria, there's nothing to worry about." Rob answered positively.
But Rob's words didn't seem to reassure his friend. "Oh, Rob, I won´t forgive myself for this!" Blu cried in despair. "I'm responsible for stressing you so much & jeopardizing your health! If only I hadn´t…" He went on, but Rob held up his wings.
"Whoa! Whoa Blu, please, calm down." He interrupted his friend. Rob knew how bad Blu felt, so he thought quickly, trying to find a different topic so he could distract Blu from his worries… suddenly, he recalled what he had wanted to tell Blu earlier, before his little fight with Jewel. "I've got news." He said.
As Rob had hoped, this statement distracted Blu, & both he & Jewel looked mildly surprised.
"News?" Blu asked curiously. "What news is that Rob?"
"I discovered what species I belong to." Rob declared with a note of pride in his voice.
Blu looked at him, looking a little confused. "Dis…discovered?" He asked with a slight stammer.
"Yes. I'm happy to say that I'm a… Scarlet Macaw!" Rob stated proudly. "I learned it earlier after doing some research. I wanted to tell you before, but I couldn´t."
"That… is great… news, Rob. Congratulations!" Blu said with a smile, but to Rob's eyes, it looked a little forced. "I hope… you recover your memories soon." He finished with a quick glance at Jewel, who looked just as uncomfortable & slightly guilty as Blu did.
Rob frowned. Both Blu & Jewel didn't look as happy about Rob's discovery as he had hoped. Rob suspected that what had just happened was weighing too heavily on their minds for them to focus on much else, & he resolved to do what he could to solve that problem right away.
So Rob put on a serious expression, & said: "Blu, Jewel, there's' something else I need to tell you, something important, & I want both of you to pay close attention." He said seriously.
Seeing his serious manner, Blu & Jewel exchanged a slightly surprised & uncertain look, but looking back at him, they both nodded & listened carefully.
Rob took a breath. "Blu, you mustn't blame yourself for anything that's happened to me. The only one responsible of all of that is… me." He said in a firm voice.
Blu & Jewel blinked at that, & exchanged another quick look, but before they could say anything, Rob went on: "Let me explain. You see, If I fell & you found me it was just because of something I was doing." He said. "You couldn´t have prevented this from happening, you just did your best to save me, something I´m deeply grateful for."
"But…because of me, you´re injured again." Blu interjected in a low voice, but Rob shook his head.
"That was totally my decision Blu." He said. "I knew there would be consequences for myself if I helped you, but I didn´t care. I made the choice to help you & I'm fine with it." Rob then looked over at Jewel as he went on: "I already told Jewel I don´t regret having met you…& I can tell you, that I'm glad I did."
Both Blu & Jewel looked moved by this, & Jewel looked down at the red feather she was still carrying in her claw.
Rob then gave the duo a very direct & serious look. "So Blu, Jewel…" He started. "…please…let´s forget about all those things that make us feel guilty, or in debt to each other, & just be friends. What do you say?" He then spread out his right wing & held it out in front of his body, towards Blu & Jewel & with his primary feathers spread out level with the floor.
The two Spix's Macaws looked at each other & then to Rob. Then as one, they spread out their own wings & placed them on top of Rob's, one above the other.
"Good." Rob said. "Let's call this a clean slate. No one owes anything to anyone, ok? Is it a promise?" Rob asked.
Blu & Jewel nodded at this comment.
"I´ll do my best to keep this promise to you." Blu said.
"Me too." Jewel added, & then looked again at the feather in her claw. "I think I should give you this back." She said a bit embarrassed as she lifted her claw to show the feather to its previous owner.
Rob smirked. "It probably won´t fit me anymore." He said as turned his head to see his tail. "Consider it a symbol of our friendship, you can keep it."
"Uh? Thanks…" Jewel said a bit awkwardly, but accepted the strange gift.
"Just kidding, you can throw it away." Rob conceded.
The three Macaws laughed as the mood lightened, & Rob was relieved to see that Blu & Jewel looked much more relaxed. Rob then made a general comment about how interesting he'd found the jungle outside the Center, & this was a cue for the 3 Birds to start a much more light-hearted conversation about it & its inhabitants.
.
.
Gloria was in Tulio's office looking for Rob's file. As she did so, she thought about all they had done in order to avoid… That Law. The Law that forced them to send injured Birds that spent too much time within a cage to a Zoo or a research program instead of being released, arguing that they weren't capable to live in the wild anymore.
Both Gloria & Tulio (as well as most of the Center staff) considered it was a crazy law, whose only real objective was to assure a specimen supply for all those institutions that required them for research or exhibition, since capturing wildlife was now forbidden. Why ill animals weren't included in this law was obvious, they weren't interested in a Bird that was too weak to be trained or pass through laboratory tests.
Fortunately, Tulio & Gloria worked hard in order to find ways around that Law. It was in fact easy; as long as they made sure that time between the Birds being injured & being released was as short as possible, then the Birds never became subject to the Law's qualification. This meant that on the Center's official paperwork, the status of Birds went from 'injured' to 'treated & released' very quickly, & skipping the 'recovering' phase that the Law was focused on. Many Conservation Centers in the country had copied this tactic & only the few Birds who the researchers genuinely felt would be better off in such places had been sent to these Institutes or Zoo's, but in general the researchers made full use of the loophole to save as many Birds as possible from that fate, & would continue to do so while appealing for the Law to be officially revoked.
Finally, Gloria found Rob's file. It turned out not to be in Tulio's filing system but was actually on his desk, just below Ruby's, & Gloria remembered how she & Tulio had been discussing both their cases, so she really should have expected that Tulio was interested enough in both cases to have kept the files close to hand.
As she sat down in Tulio's chair (she knew he wouldn't mind) & opened the file on the desk, she reflected on how she & Tulio had agreed that letting Rob wander the Center freely was a way to gain them some time, but the Macaw's 'injured' status couldn't last too much longer, or questions would start to be asked by the officials who enforced the law, who were always on the Center's back because of their suspicions that that Law was being subverted (which was, actually, true). Both Tulio & Gloria agreed that Rob should be set free, but if they wanted to ensure his freedom they had to work fast.
But the setback in his condition that Gloria had just finished treating put their plans at risk. Gloria could only speculate that Rob had felt fine & had been playing with his friends, but had overdone it & aggravated his underlying injuries. They still had time for Rob to fully heal & be released properly, but they were now cutting it dangerously close. If those interfering officials took an interest in Rob's case & started to ask questions... Gloria could just imagine their reactions when they found out they had a Scarlet Macaw within reach of That Law. Gloria knew of at least one Zoo that would love to get their hands on such a fine specimen for their Aviary's...
But she & Tulio wouldn't let that happen. They would ensure Rob's freedom even if they had to bend the rules to breaking point. Subsequently, as Gloria updated Rob's paperwork, she made sure the notes as to what had actually happened to the Macaw were for Tulio's eyes only, while the paperwork itself simply continued to say that he was being treated & they were waiting to see how well he responded to the treatment.
Having made these notes, Gloria closed the file & placed it back where'd she'd found it, underneath Ruby's, but then she paused, sitting back in Tulio's chair as she mentally reviewed Rob's case.
Both she & Tulio had known that letting Rob wander the Centre was a risk, that he could've gotten hurt without 'real' supervision, & he had. But, as well as revealing how he'd aggravated his injuries, Gloria's examination had also revealed that (as she & Tulio had hoped) Rob's activities had had some positive effects in giving him some much needed exercise & fresh air, & she was sure that because of that his injuries should now heal rapidly… if he just got some rest. She'd therefore have to make sure that Rob got that rest, even if it meant keeping a closer eye on him for a while.
To that end, as Gloria glanced around Tulio's office, her gaze fell upon a reasonably sized cage in the corner. Tulio sometimes used that cage to house Birds that he wanted to keep an eye on while he worked on his paperwork, & the thought occurred to Gloria that it would be a perfect place the Rob to rest for the night in peace & quiet & without any interruptions, while also allowing Tulio himself to take a look at the Macaw when he returned. As such, when she walked over to cage & verified that it was ready for new occupant, she decided to do just that.
She turned & headed for the door, intending to return to Rob & move him to the Treatment Room so she could check him over one last time before bringing him to the office, but just as she got to the door, another researcher appeared in the doorway. It was Miguel.
"Oh! Gloria, I was just looking for you." He said as he saw her. "I need to tell you something."
Now what? Gloria thought. Miguel always seemed to be coming to her with some problem or other. For sure, supervising the other researchers was part of her role at the Center, but Miguel took it to the extreme. So she suppressed a sigh & just said: "What's wrong?" in a resigned tone.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but I just spoke to Jules." Miguel began. "He was looking for Tulio because he wanted to tell him about a Bird that had been left in the Rehabilitation Room, & I told him that we're using the Treatment Room to help with the space issues, but that shouldn't have included the Rehabilitation Room, so I also told him since Tulio's busy I'd investigate what had happened &…"
But Gloria had heard enough & interrupted him.
"You don't have to say anything else. I left that Bird in the Rehabilitation Room." Gloria spoke firmly, wanting to clear this matter up. "I had to give some unscheduled treatment & that's where my medical kit was. I'm heading back there now & I'll be moving the Bird across to the Treatment room myself so… problem solved." Gloria said as she walked past Miguel & out of the door to the office.
But just before she walked off down the corridor, Gloria suddenly realized that when she gave Rob a check-up it would be the perfect time to fill out his Release Forms. She wouldn't be submitting them right away of course, but having them completed & ready would allow her to fast-track Rob's release when he was fully recovered & avoiding any delays. As such, she turned back to Miguel & said: "Oh, Miguel, now we've got that sorted out & I know you don't have anything else to do right now, could you use Tulio's PC & Printer to print out some Release Forms for me, please? The Bird we were talking about is just about ready for release so we'll need those Forms, & you can just bring them along to the Treatment Room." She added, & upon receiving Miguel's affirmative nod, she turned & continued off down the corridor.
As Gloria walked down the corridor & out of Miguel's hearing range however, she muttered under her breath: "Honestly, I just left Rob there for a few minutes, & Jules & Miguel start interfering…." She grumbled as she made her way to her own office.
Back in the doorway of Tulio's office, Miguel just shrugged, & then he turned & walked over to Tulio's desk. Sitting down, he then used Tulio's computer to bring up the document Gloria had requested, & clicked 'Print.'
An error message then immediately appeared on the screen however, & Miguel groaned as he read it. "Printer Out of Paper?" He said out loud. "Why is nothing ever easy?" He complained under his breath, as he rose from the chair, & headed towards the door, on his way to the Stationary Supply cupboard.
.
.
"…Yes, after we show you the city we´ll take you to the Club, you'll love to meet Nico & Pedro. They're true friends." Blu was explaining to Rob, when the door opened.
"I'm back." Gloria announced as she reentered the Rehabilitation Room.
The three Birds turned to look at her, & as she approached the table, Gloria continued: "Now that I'm finished with your paperwork, I'll need to move you to the Treatment Room for one final check-up, & after that to Tulio's office. You can rest there in peace & quiet, & this rest is vital to ensuring that you heal properly, as without it, you could end up getting worse." She warned.
All 3 Birds looked a little worried at that, & looking up at her, Rob nodded. She gave him a genuine smile, & then picked him up carefully.
As she began carrying him from the room & Blu & Jewel took to the air to follow, Rob couldn't help but feel guilty. He may have been able to settle his issues with Blu & Jewel, but Gloria's warning reminded him that his balance sheet with Gloria & Tulio was still in the red, & he should be as cooperative as possible, such as resting wherever she said.
As the Human & the Birds came to the Treatment Room, Gloria opened the door & let the 4 of them inside, & then she walked over to a table in the middle of the room & placed Rob down upon it. Blu & Jewel landed next to him.
Gloria then addressed the Spix's Macaw's directly. "Ok guys, thanks for your help." She said, & the Birds squawked in response, which Gloria took to mean 'no problem'. She went on: "Like I said, I just need to give your friend one final check-up & make sure I've given him all the Treatment he needs…" She then looked up at the door with a frown however. "Though I better go see what's keeping Miguel. He should have brought me those Forms by now."
She looked back at the Macaws. "He'll be fine here though guys, so you can go home whenever you want." She explained. "I know you might want to stay with your friend, but please trust me, he needs peace & quiet right now so he can heal properly." She said earnestly. "So you really should get along home & let him rest. You can see him again later." She finished.
Blu & Jewel exchanged a Look, & then looked back at Gloria. They nodded again.
Gloria looked pleased. "Great. Well, I'm going to see what keeping Miguel. Honestly, how hard can printing off some Forms be?" She complained rhetorically as she turned & walked off towards the door, & exiting the room.
Once she was gone, Blu turned to Rob. "You should listen to her." He said earnestly. "She knows about these things, so please stay here & get some rest. We don't want you to get worse." He stated worriedly.
Rob gave a rueful chuckle. "Don't worry Blu. I don't want to get worse either. I'll be a good boy & do what she says." He said humorously. Blu smiled at Rob's little joke, but then Rob looked around at the room they were in. "Even though staying in a room by myself will be a little lonely." He added.
Jewel couldn't help but nod in agreement. "It can be certainly…" She muttered as she looked around; but then she noticed something. "…hey, wait, Look over there!" She exclaimed. "There´s someone else here." She said as she pointed her primary feather towards a cage on one side of the room.
The two male Macaws turned to see the cage that Jewel was indicating, & Rob recognized both it & it's inhabitant. "Oh, she's still here!" he exclaimed, causing Jewel to look at him curiously.
"Do you know her?" Jewel asked, & both Rob & Blu (that also recognized her) nodded in response, so she went on: "Oh…. then we should go & say hi, right guys?" She encouraged happily.
But this suggestion didn't get the response she was expecting. Blu & Rob exchanged a look, & Blu spoke up: "… I… don't know if that's a good idea Jewel." He said hesitantly.
Jewel felt rather put out by this response. They were all Birds weren't they? They needed to stick together right? Especially in a place like this. So she frowned & said: "What kind of attitude is that, Blu?" She scolded. "She's all alone in here. What's wrong with showing her a friendly face?" She demanded.
"Well…nothing Jewel, but she may not be in the mood for visitors." Rob warned.
But Jewel waved this concern away. "Oh don't be silly. I'm sure she'll love to at least see someone. But, if you 2 don't want to go, I will. It won't take long." She said as she turned, opened her wings & took to the air, heading over to the cage on the other side of the room.
Blu & Rob exchanged another look, but didn't say anything. They just looked over towards the cage, expectantly.
.
.
Jewel landed next to the cage, ready to say hello to her new acquaintance.
"Hi there! How are you? I'm Jewel, nice to meet you." Jewel introduced herself as she approached the cage.
To her mild surprise however, there was no answer. The Bird in the cage (who Jewel could see was a Greenwing Macaw, but with some bald patches on her wings) acted like she hadn't even heard her, just continuing to sit on her perch, all hunched up & with her back to Jewel.
"Oh, are you ok? I'm talking to you." Jewel inquired with concern.
This at least got a response. "Go away!" A voice answered.
"Hey, you don´t have to be rude. I´m just asking for your name, that's all." Jewel said as she moved around the cage, trying to see the Macaw's face.
"If you really want to know, I'm Ruby. Now go away!" Ruby snapped as she turned around on her perch, keeping her back to Jewel.
It appeared that Blu & Rob weren't exaggerating after all; this Bird seemed to have an attitude problem, but Jewel knew how to handle this.
"It's ok, I won´t disturb you." Jewel said. "I just wanted to look at the beautiful sunset." She said as she walked past the cage to the window that was near to it, & looked out.
"Do whatever you want. I don't care." Ruby huffed.
Jewel let a short silence pass by as she looked out of the window. The sun was just starting to go down & was producing a beautiful sunset, so after few moments, Jewel gave an appreciative sigh, just loud enough that she was sure that Ruby wouldn't miss it. "Oh… that's such a beautiful view…" She commented, & then she looked discreetly out of the corner of her eye to see Ruby's reaction. As she'd hoped, Ruby had been curious enough by Jewel's comment to turn her head back & was attempting to lean over & look out of the window, but as she caught Jewel looking at her, she quickly turned back around again.
Jewel sighed internally. It looked like Ruby had been mistreated badly enough by Humans that the marks ran deep, so she'd have to be a bit more direct in trying to get her to open up to her own kind.
So, Jewel turned around & walked back over to the cage. "You don't have to hide." She said sympathetically. "Beauty such as that sunset is something that can help get you through your stay in this place." She encouraged.
Ruby didn't respond or turn back around, but Jewel thought she saw her back stiffen. Was it something she'd said?
"Hey…come on, you don't have to act that way." Jewel tried again as she walked around the cage, bringing Ruby's face into view once more… & Jewel was concerned to see that she was glowering. Not at Jewel, but seemingly at the world in general.
"You can´t imagine why I'm acting this way." Ruby said as she turned around once more, putting her back to Jewel again.
"Well, if you tell me what's wrong I won't need to imagine it." Jewel tried once more. "Everyone needs to talk about their problems. Believe me, I learned that the hard way." She suggested.
But Ruby didn't take this advice well. She spun back around to face Jewel & fixed her with a glare. "You´ll never understand my problems!" She stated, upset. "How can you?" She added; but then, she seemed to get herself back under control, & took a deep breath as she appeared to calm down. "Look… Jewel, just… just take my advice. Don't Trust Anyone." She declared, pointing her primary feather towards Jewel.
But Jewel couldn't leave it like that. Whatever Humans had done to Ruby, Jewel felt an obligation to let her know about the conclusions she'd come to earlier, that Birds should stick together. So she once again looked sympathetic, & began: "Hey, Ruby, I don't know what the Humans did to you, but I'm sure that if you just…"
But Ruby cut her off. "I'm not just talking about Humans!" She interrupted. She turned to glower at the window as she continued: "Birds too... they're greedy, cruel & ready to stab you in your back when you most trust them." She said; her voice was a mixture of anger & sadness. "How can you trust someone, if… if they always want to take… take advantage of you?" She asked, her voice breaking a little, as she turned her back on Jewel once more, but not before Jewel saw a glint of water around Ruby's eyes.
Jewel was taken aback. Her chat with Ruby had only lasted a few moments, but her idealized conclusions had already been dealt a harsh blow. Birds hurting other Birds? That couldn't be right! She must have misheard, & Ruby had meant a Predator like a Hawk or something, because no Bird would ever…
"Going somewhere… Pretty Bird?"
The voice & the memory of that white-feathered, leering face, suddenly popped up in Jewel's memory, dealing the rose-tinted view of other Birds that Jewel had been constructing in her mind another blow, this time strong enough for it to start to fall apart. Her own experience should have reminded her that Humans weren't the only cause of the problems Birds have, that there were Birds out there who hurt other Birds, not by accident or for hunting, but just because they wanted to.
What Ruby had said brought that harsh lesson back in full force. Jewel had no idea of what could have happened to her, but whatever it was, it was proof that Jewel had been naïve, even Blind to assume that Birds were all on the same side just because they were the same (or similar) species. The Bird world wasn't perfect, something that Jewel really should have factored into her thinking.
Unware of how she'd dealt such heavy blow to Jewel's assumptions, Ruby spoke again, in a low, sad voice. "Now… please… go away." She said with her back still to Jewel.
"… Yes… of… of course." Jewel muttered, still a little shaken at having her earlier conclusions fall apart like a badly-constructed nest. "I'm… I'm sorry to have bothered you." She said.
Ruby didn't respond to this, & Jewel turned, opening her wings & preparing to fly back to where Blu & Rob were waiting, but not before she heard what sounded like a quiet sob from Ruby's direction, a sound that made her hesitate briefly before taking off, & stuck in her mind as she flew back over to her partner & new friend.
.
.
As Jewel landed next to Blu & Rob, they were looking at her with inquiring looks. They'd been too far away to hear what Ruby & Jewel had been talking about.
"So…. how'd it go?" Blu asked curiously.
The short flight across the room had been just enough time for Jewel to pull herself together. "Oh! She's… nice". Jewel answered carefully, & with no trace of the mental shakeup Ruby had inadvertently inflicted upon her. "Very interesting to talk to." She added. And she gave me so much to think about. She thought to herself.
"Well… um… I glad you 2 got along." Rob said, giving Jewel his own curious look, but Jewel didn't react to it. She didn't feel right talking about what had just transpired between her & Ruby… or at least, not right now.
A slightly awkward silence then passed between the 3 Birds, before Blu spoke up: "Well! I hate to say it Rob, but like Gloria said, you need to rest, & it's also getting late, so Jewel & I should probably get going." He stated.
"Yes… It is getting late." Jewel said. "And Blu & I should be getting back to our hollow." She added. Blu glanced at her with trace of worry in his look, & catching his gaze, Jewel gave him a wry look back. "Don't worry Blu. I haven't forgotten what we discussed. When we're both ready, & not before. Certainly not anytime soon."
Blu looked both relieved & a little embarrassed, & the 3 Birds shared a chuckle. Rob then spoke up: "It's ok guys, you get going. I'll be fine here, & you can get some well-earned rest too. It's been a long adventure, hasn't it?"
Both blue Macaws nodded & smiled.
"You can say that again." Blu confirmed, stretching out his wings as if to show how fatigued they were.
"We´ll visit you soon." Jewel promised. "Take care Rob." She said as she turned to Blu. "Ready?" She asked.
"Yeah, let's go." Blu answered. He turned his gaze back to Rob. "Rob. Please take care." He said with genuine concern in his voice.
"I will. That's a promise." Rob reassured him with a smile, & Blu smiled back.
"Good night Rob." Blu said. Then both Spix's Macaws turned, opened their wings & taking off from the table, they headed for the door.
"Good night." Rob called after them happily as they left the room. Then he closed his eyes & focused on his first priority: rest.
But it appeared he wasn't going to get it just yet. "Finally! I thought they'd never leave!" A loud squawk sounded across the room.
Rob opened his eyes again, & looked across the room to Ruby's cage, where the comment had come from. He & Blu hadn't been able to hear Blu & Ruby's conversation earlier, but 2 Birds could call loudly enough to make themselves heard across the distance, if they really wanted to.
And Rob wanted to. He couldn't let a jab like that stand against his new friends. "They're good friends! Ruby, you should try to make friends with them too!" He called back to her.
"You always make me laugh!" Ruby called back. "I´ll never be friend of those Birds; they're as weird as you!" She stated.
Rob rolled his eyes, & then he closed them again. It seemed there was no point arguing with her, & calling all the way across the Treatment Room wasn't the way to do it anyway. Having put in her Jab, Ruby appeared to agree & a silence descended as both Birds settled down.
It was only about a minute later though, when Rob heard the sound of footsteps approaching the room, & opening his eyes & looking towards the door, he saw Gloria enter.
As she came into the room & across to Rob however, she looked down at the desk Rob was on & looked upset. "No Papers? Where is he? What is he doing?" She asked, spreading her arms out in a helpless gesture. "Honestly, I ask him to do one simple thing, & he vanishes. Do I have to do everything myself?" She asked rhetorically.
Rob, of course, had no idea what she was stressed about, but he knew that he was in part responsible for that stress, so he just remained silent, feeling slightly guilty.
Gloria took a deep breath & appeared to pull herself back together. "Well… no matter. I have some spare forms in my office & we can swing by & pick them up as I take you to Tulio's. So… you ready?" She asked him with a smile.
Rob nodded again, & looking pleased by his cooperative attitude, Gloria carefully picked him up. She then carried him out of the room, along the corridor, & around the corner at the end.
.
.
Just after Gloria & Rob had walked around the corner, at the corridor's opposite end Miguel appeared, moving at a fast jog & headed for the Treatment Room.
"Oh man, oh man am I going to get it… " he muttered under his breath. After he'd returned from the Supply Cupboard with the paper, loaded it, & then once again attempted to print the forms, the Printer had then, & only then, decided to tell him that it was also out of Toner. Cursing under his breath about why it couldn't have told him that at the same time as the paper, Miguel had had to take another trip to the Supply Cupboard, but upon finding that for some inexplicable reason, they didn't have any spare Toner cartridges in stock, he'd then been forced to run over to the opposite side of the Conservation Centre offices to print the Forms off there instead.
But this had made him late, & Gloria would undoubtedly be wondering where he was. He'd just have to hope that she accepted that it wasn't his fault…
As he reached the Treatment Room however, his heart sank when he walked through the door & saw that Gloria was nowhere in sight. She'd probably lost patience with Miguel & gone to find the forms herself.
He sighed. She'd probably taken the Macaw with her, & he'd be sure to hear from her (in great detail) of how he couldn't do such a simple thing… but as he turned, intending to leave the room, he spotted a Macaw in a cage of the corner of the room.
That must be the Macaw Jules & Gloria were talking about. He thought, & his curiosity ignited, he walked over to the cage. As he got closer & looked in at the Bird however, his expression changed to one of surprise as he recognized her. "Uh!? You? She thinks you're ready?" He said out loud, sounding taken aback.
The Bird had been dozing lightly & Miguel's exclamation had woken her up. She looked surprised at the interruption, but then she looked at Miguel in irritation, as if to say: 'What do you want?'
"Well, I think it's too early for this." Miguel mused aloud, but then his face brightened. "But… she's the boss, if she says you're ready, then that's the way it is." He said with finality.
The Bird blinked, her irritated look changing to one of confusion, but Miguel didn't notice as he grabbed a chair, brought it in front of the desk the cage was on & sat down. He then spread the forms he was carrying out in front of him & looking back up at the Bird, his tone & manner became very professional. "Well, at least this is something I can do. Hopefully this will make up for my being late. I'll fill these out & put them in for processing right away." He looked down at the forms, checking their requirements. "Right. First things first, a full health check. I doubt anything will be different from your last one, but if Gloria says that it is… then it is." He said firmly.
The Bird frowned after listening to Miguel's comment; now realizing what was happening, ´more examinations´. Once again Miguel didn't notice the bird's reaction; he opened the cage door, reached in & gently picked her up, before placing her carefully down on the desk in front of him. She didn't put any kind of fuss or resistance to this; she just grumpily accepted the medical checkup for the nth time. Miguel simply interpreted this to mean that Gloria was right, & that this Bird was indeed ready for release.
Miguel then said: "Let's get started then Ruby…"
.
.
Far away from the Center where 2 different researchers were examining 2 different Macaws & filling out 2 different sets of release forms, Blu & Jewel arrived back at their hollow just as the sunlight was fading.
"'We made it." Blu said in relief as he entered the hollow, & carefully walked across the dark interior to his item collection.
"It's good to be back after all that's happened over the last few days." Jewel commented as she followed Blu into the hollow.
The hollow was pitch-dark, something that Jewel didn´t care about but made Blu nervous. As such even as Jewel began to relax, Blu's voice suddenly said: "Here it is!" & the hollow was suddenly filled with a bright light, which made Jewel wince & cover her eyes with her wing.
"Blu!" Jewel said. "I already told you I don't like that thing." She scolded.
"I know, but it is pretty dark." Blu explained as he turned the light pen away, angling it up & away from Jewel as he jammed the bottom of the device into the floor of their hollow, & left it there, standing upright. Jewel lowered her wing, & looking at the hollow, she was struck at what a good job the device did of illuminating their home, creating a gentle light that was enough to see by, but not blinding, & was certainly an improvement on the pitch blackness the hollow would have been in otherwise, & meant that both Blu & Jewel would have just avoided moving around as much as possible & just gone to sleep in their nest.
The illumination also allowed Blu to see that Jewel was holding something in her claw however, & as he looked over at her he said: "Hey… what do you have there?" He asked, pointing at it with his wing feather.
Jewel raised her claw & showed Blu a long red feather. "I couldn't throw it away." She said tenderly.
Blu walked towards Jewel & placed his wing around her. "Once I wished for a new friend…" Blu recalled. "…but I never thought we would find someone like him."
Jewel nodded slightly as snuggled into Blu's wing. "You're right." She muttered, & this was followed by a long silence.
Jewel then roused herself. "Well… it's been a long day, & we're both tired, right?" She asked as she looked at Blu, able to see his face clearly in the illumination the device provided. Maybe not all Human gadgets are bad… she started to think, but then she pushed the thought away. Sure, they could be helpful… sometimes, she admitted to herself, but it wouldn't do to get too dependent on them.
Blu nodded at her question, but then he said. "You go ahead. There's just one or 2 things I want to sort out, & then I'll be right along." He added as he inclined his head over to the corner of the hollow where the 2 of them slept together.
Jewel felt mildly curious, but she also felt tired. All that running from the Cougar earlier had really taken it out of her, & she would have thought carrying her & Rob would have tired Blu out too, but Jewel could see that although Blu did indeed look fatigued, there were some things he wanted to do before going to sleep, so she nodded.
Releasing her from his wing, Blu made his way over to his stack of personal items (they were a mess since he showed Rob some of them when he spent the night there) & Jewel made her way over to their sleeping corner. She placed the Red feather to one side & made herself comfortable while Blu was doing… whatever he was doing. She glanced over at him, but as his back was to her, she couldn't see what he was doing, & she was too tired to really care anyway.
Jewel glanced at the feather again, but then turned her gaze out of the Hollow entrance as she waited for Blu to finish up. So many things to think about: Blu; their family; her desire to live in the real wild; even that chat she'd had with Ruby that had made her reconsider her previous conclusions. Maybe she should sort out her thoughts before trying to talk about such subjects again. Not all Birds were on the same side, she needed to remember that, & setting up Birds on side & Humans on the other didn't really work…
"I'm done." Blu announced, drawing her attention. He turned & reaching out with his claw, he turned the penlight off. He then made his way across the dark hollow to her side & made himself comfortable, snuggling up next to her as she did the same to him.
Both Birds were exhausted because of all the events that had occurred recently, & with a "Good Night Jewel" & quick head nuzzle, Blu closed his eyes & lowered his head, preparing for sleep.
Jewel felt fatigued as well, so even though she would have liked to stay awake & think about all that happened, all she could manage was "Good Night Blu." before falling asleep.