Chapter 92 - A Friend in a Dark Place
The five animals piled into Gon's car, with Legosi and Pina in the back with Louis in between them, while Bill got in the front next to the old tiger, who began driving when everyone was settled, hoping this was just some lucid dream he was having.
Legosi held the ice to his head, eyes shut and groaning slightly.
The principal turned his head to Bill. "So...how have classes been going?"
The other tiger crossed his arms. "It's only been, like, one day..."
"Just show him where to go, Billy," Pina said, from the back seat.
Bill sighed and began navigating them.
Meanwhile, Louis kept his head down, trying to ignore the fact that he never wanted to set foot in the black market again and Legosi promised he wouldn't return. But this was serious. The panda would be able to help.
Legosi stirred, rubbing against the deer. "Lou..."
Louis looked up at him. "Yes?"
"I'm sorry..."
"For...?"
"Mmmph...giving you all trouble...you're all doing this for me...I'm sorry."
"No! We want to do this for you! Right, everyone?"
Pina put a reassuring hand on the wolf's shoulder, rubbing it gently. "Yeah, don't worry about it, Legosi! We're your friends!"
Bill nodded. "Even though this sucks..."
Gon sighed, staying silent.
"Gon-san...Gon-san...I don't think...I can get that drop out paper signed by grandpa to you in time…" Legosi stated, regretfully.
"We'll figure that out later," the principal muttered.
The wolf huffed. "Everything's...blurry. I can't see...I think...I dropped the medicine Jack gave me..."
"You might have hit your head," Gon explained.
Louis frowned. "B-but you're okay..."
"He woke up, so that's good. Probably just a concussion," Pina observed.
The deer sighed. "Okay..." He truly felt sad.
Legosi let out a sigh, leaning into Louis and attempting to rest his head on his shoulder. The ice pack on his head fell off and caught on an antler.
The deer removed it and pressed it against his head gently. "You need this more than me."
The canine turned and licked his cheek. "Love you..."
Louis moved to grip his hand. "I love you, too."
Gon looked at them in the mirror and smiled, lightly. "Is there anything that can stop the love between you two?"
Pina looked at the couple next to him and then to the young tiger in the passenger seat in front of him. Could they ever have that?
The two felines were staying silent, minus the directions and affirmations between each other.
The sheep took Legosi's free hand and started to rub it up and down from his arm to his wrist, feeling helpless. He remembered the times he antagonized the wolf when he suspected him of being the killer. He wished so badly he could have started off on the right foot for him. He was truly a good guy.
Louis resumed looking down again.
Eventually, they arrived at their destination, and Gon parked the car. "We're here." He looked into the back seat.
Bill was already getting out. They were parked on the street near a subway entrance. The young tiger had mentioned it was the most inconspicuous entrance to the black market.
Louis put a hand on Gon's shoulder. "Thank you so much for all your help. Please have a safe drive home." His head turned. "Pina?"
The other herbivore exited the car, pulling his bat from his backpack and looking at the deer. "Yeah?"
"I was just waiting for you to get out." He followed behind him and stretched, then went to the other side and opened the door.
Bill silently came forward and grabbed Legosi, sliding him out of the car and lifting him once more.
Gon rolled down the window. "Be safe, boys. And...have a good night."
"Goodbye...Gon-san." Legosi looked after the tiger with a sadness in his eyes.
The principal looked sadly back, then rolled up the window and began to drive off, waving as he left.
Faraway lights from the city as well as some on the streets illuminated them enough. The dog looked around. "I know this place...it's where I found Aoba after I got out of the market..."
"Do you know where the panda is?" Bill asked, looking down at him.
Legosi looked around, sniffing the air. "My nose is still not good...but I think we have to go down that alley over there." He pointed to the area he was talking about.
The trio began moving. Louis made sure he had his gun out and ready. They walked between two buildings and already felt like they were being consumed by darkness. Pina brought his phone out and turned on the light despite Bill leading them.
Louis stayed close to the group, trying to keep his breathing under control. Just knowing that he was back in this place was enough to make him nervous.
Legosi, despite his injuries, seemed to do a good job recalling where to go. At each turn, he barely hesitated to point in a direction to proceed. That was, unless he was remembering it all wrong. Nobody wanted to think of that possibility.
Heavy footfalls soon resounded behind them. "I really hope you kids are lost," a deep voice echoed across the alley.
They all turned around, seeing the large, muscular panda standing there.
"P-panda!" Legosi called out, holding his head after the outburst.
"Y-you? What are you doing back here? Who are all of these animals?" the panda's previous tough exterior slightly faltered.
Louis stepped forward. "Sir. Please help him. He was attacked by another carnivore and he told us you'd know what to do."
Bill looked at the panda, blinking. Wish I had muscles like that...
The ursid looked between the wolf and the deer. "W-wait, aren't you Louis? From the Horns Conglomerate?"
The deer sighed. "Can we talk inside? Once everything has calmed down you can ask me all the questions you want."
The doctor looked at the wolf being held, bloodied and bandaged. "...Sure. Come on, follow me. And be careful! Keep right on my ass!" He walked past them, the scent of cigarettes wafting from him.
He led the group to a modestly sized building. A sign hanging from the side of it simply read "clinic". They all shuffled inside and Bill turned to the panda, questioningly.
"Here, follow me. There's an examining table to put him on in this room."
"Thanks, panda-san..." the wolf mumbled.
The bear turned to Legosi. "I guess it makes sense you forgot my name, so I'll excuse it this time, but I'm Gouhin, got it?"
Bill set his cargo down on the table and stepped back.
Louis came forward. "Are you okay?" He grabbed Legosi's hand once more, tenderly.
Gouhin eyed them, warily. "I'd step back if I were you." He turned back to gather some medical equipment.
"He's going to take care of you," Louis said, then let go and stepped away.
Pina eyed the table warily, noting the arm and leg restraints. He kept a grip on his bat as Gouhin moved past him.
"Put that thing down, pretty boy. I don't want anyone contractin' tetanus." The panda moved to the table. "Lay back, Legosi."
The wolf did as he was told as the bear looked him over. He felt various parts of his body, determining where each injury was before taking a light out and shining them into each of his eyes.
Louis leaned against the wall and looked at the floor, just wanting this to be over already.
"Who did this?", Gouhin asked, placing his equipment away and taking out some more bandages.
"I was...hoping you could tell me..." Legosi muttered.
Gouhin looked around the room. "Is that why you all came here? Were you all in the black market?"
"No, sir...I was attacked at school..."
The large herbivore just stared. "That don't explain why you came all the way here. Honestly, what is wrong with you all? Kids today have no sense..."
Louis looked over. "Can you tell us who the fuck did this, or not?"
Gouhin stepped over to him, heavy boots stomping on the ground. He loomed over the cervid with his impressive height. "I don't know what gives you the right to think you can talk to me like that, rich boy, but you'd better show me some GODDAMNED respect in my own fuckin' clinic!"
Legosi covered his ears at the outburst.
Louis leaned forward. "The longer you're distracted the less work you're getting done."
Gouhin sighed. "The three of you, out. Go sit on the couch in the other room while I examine him. Then I won't be so...distracted."
The deer crossed his arms and the three left the room.
Pina kicked his boots on the ground and flopped onto the couch. "Well, the panda guy exists. Don't know what he can do that a normal doctor couldn't, though. Aside from being completely under the radar..."
Bill went to the couch and sat down, pulling out his phone and pretending to be interested in it.
Louis huffed. "Maybe we won't have to pay..."
"Better not..." Pina mumbled. Though, after the way you spoke to him…
"And...we might finally know."
The group silently began to kill time, waiting for the panda to finish up in the other room.
After about ten minutes, Gouhin reappeared, pulling off some latex gloves and dropping them into a nearby trash can. "Well, he's got a concussion, as well as some pretty bad lacerations. Few cracked ribs as well. A chunk of his ear is missing, but that was obvious. He didn't have to lose an eye, at least."
Louis looked down. "..."
Bill looked up. "And do you know who did it?"
Gouhin scoffed. "Fuck if I know! I don't know who your classmates are or who works at that school! All I know is, goin' off my experience and...", he looked down at his own body, "...expertise in this particular matter, I'd say all signs point towards an ursid."
Everyone's eyes widened as they looked at one another.
Louis swallowed. This whole time...
Gouhin looked down at the deer. "Louis? Come with me for a minute." The panda walked into another room.
The buck followed. "Yes?"
The larger animal leaned against some cabinets and crossed his muscular arms. "What's your relationship with Legosi?" It was strange how small Louis was compared to him.
He took a moment to think about what his answer should be "I'm his...friend."
The bear breathed out slowly through his nose. "Do you know that I found him passed out in an alleyway here last summer?"
"I do know that."
"And you know that he tried to eat you?"
"Of course."
Gouhin grunted, caught off guard. "Psh. 'Of course', he says, like it's no big deal." He shook his head. "So, considering you're both friends still, he hasn't done...anything else?"
"What? No, of course not."
The other animal chuckled. "Your generation really is interestin'. Well, as long as you're both aware of the risks. I told him to cut ties with you, but I guess it turned out alright. He must have gotten control of his instincts." He grew quiet and observed the deer for a moment. "...Of course, when he told me about his deer friend that he almost ate back then, I never expected it to be you."
"I've...kind of moved past that whole thing," Louis mumbled.
"Oh? Well, none of my business. Just wanted to make sure everything was fine with my patient."
"..." The deer looked the panda over, trying to gauge how to feel or what to say to him.
Gouhin stepped out of the room without saying anything, opening the door to the room Legosi was and slipping inside.
Louis went to the door as well, wondering if Legosi was saying anything on the other side.
The panda reappeared, carrying Legosi on his back. The wolf appeared to be asleep and in his underwear. "I'm taking him to one of the spare rooms. He needs bed rest. I don't know what you lot are going to do, but I don't have enough rooms to spare for you all."
Louis blinked. "I refuse to leave him."
Gouhin stared down at the deer. "There's chairs in there. I'm not gonna play babysitter for you all, though." The panda walked off, grumbling under his breath. The three young animals trailed behind him.
The room the group entered was simple, yet comfortable. The doctor laid Legosi down on the bed, showing everyone just how many bandages the bear had applied to him.
His fiance came over and touched his arm. "Oh...Legosi..."
"He'll be fine. I gave him a painkiller, which in turn pretty much knocked him out." Gouhin walked over to a chair and pulled it up, sitting on it backwards. "Now it's all your turns. What's goin' on here?"
Bill looked away. He wanted nothing to do with this.
Louis sighed. "There's a predator at Cherryton. He's killed multiple students and the police haven't done anything."
Gouhin reared his head back. "Eh? Wasn't it just the one back in the spring?"
Pina took a seat as well. "There was another just a few weeks ago and there have been a few more before that. We know it's the same culprit because both victims were in our drama club."
The panda put on a thoughtful expression. "You seem pretty damned sure about that..."
Bill looked up. "We are. The other victim was my friend and the first victim had a crush on her..."
Pina snapped. "And! With your analysis of Legosi's wounds, we can determine that it's the bear in the club. He was also close friends with the first victim!"
Gouhin leaned back. "Ooooh. Yes, I know situations like that completely. Carnivores and herbivores becoming close friends...and then..."
Louis huffed. "It's...incredible that we know, now. And he doesn't know we know."
The bear looked over at the sleeping wolf. "Why'd he attack him then?"
All of the animals shook their heads.
"A carnivore attacking a carnivore...this bear knows that you guys have been snooping. Or at the very least, Legosi."
"But Legosi didn't do anything!" Louis argued.
Gouhin shrugged. "That's for you all to figure out. Now, what're you plannin'? Call the police? You want me to testify or somethin'?"
Bill shook his head. "After this, Pina and I are done. We should call the police."
Pina scowled. "You don't decide that for me, cat!"
"Well, you're obviously not doing it. So I'll do it for you."
"How can we trust the cops? They left this case dead in the water!"
"You're not like Legosi. Riz will fucking eat you! Do you understand?"
Louis sighed. "I think we should avenge Tem and Els."
Bill snapped his head to him. "Are you crazy?!"
"We've got him now!" Pina urged. "We have the element of surprise! We can get him!"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Gouhin's booming voice silenced everyone. Over on the bed, Legosi stirred and moaned. He looked up sleepily at the gathering of animals.
His partner was quickly by his side. "Legosi?"
Legosi looked up at him and held his arms out. "Lou...come here..."
The deer smiled and went into his arms eagerly, sighing.
Gouhin stared at the display, and then over to Bill and Pina. "Th-they're just friends?" he whispered.
Bill's eyes shifted. "Really good friends."
Louis sighed again, calming down. "You're okay. Just like I said."
Gouhin stood up and walked over. "He may be on pain meds, but be careful of his ribs."
The buck lightened his grip. "I should probably let you rest."
Legosi held him tight. "Mmmmph." He rubbed his furry cheek against the deer's own face.
The doctor cleared his throat. "Do you two...always do this?"
"Mhm..." Louis smiled softly. His face was hidden from the panda.
"I...uh..." For once, the old male seemed to be at a loss. "...I have work to do." Gouhin walked out of the room, leaving the four animals alone.
Pina sighed. "Alright, so we're stuck here now?"
Bill looked around. "Hospitals always give me the creeps."
Louis was too distracted with his mate to say anything.
Pina looked over to Louis. "Did you really tell him you two were just friends?"
The deer nodded against Legosi's chest.
"...Alrighty then." The sheep looked around the room, gaze resting on Bill, finally. He didn't know what to do with this tiger.
Bill looked away from him. He didn't know what to do with this sheep.
Pina's chest ached. He wanted to get close to him again, but that would pretty much be admitting defeat.
The feline's ear twitched and his eyes rested on the two engaged lovers embracing. Why can't we have something like that...? If he'd just listen to me...
