Road to Rhohas – Chapter 4
She was small for a chimpanzee. Tiny even. More than once the individual at her door greeted her with, 'I need to see your mother.' But what she lacked in height, she made up in temper. And right now, she was in 'the-furnace-is-blazing' mode.
Kaykos stormed through the Rhohas town square, her medical bag banging against her hip, not sure where her patient had been taken. She paused for a moment, hands on her hips as she watched the human, Casper boring deep holes in the ground, long lengths of saplings laid out on the ground nearby. Timlin and Sam worked together to steady the wooden poles in place, one side complete and a second underway. Balden, the garrison commander, sat on his horse nearby, but she decided to ask someone who could actually give her an answer. She considered the gorilla an idiot. Well, to be fair, she considered most gorillas idiots.
"Casper, what are you doing?!" she demanded. The human looked up at the veterinarian from the hole he was digging. He gave her a wan smile as he wiped the sweat from his eyes. She had treated him many times. Delivered both of his kidlings.
"Mistress Kaykos," he acknowledged. "I am building a cage."
"And why are you building a cage?"
Casper responded with a desperate look, fearful of what answer he was allowed to give. Balden clicked at his horse and was coming towards them.
"They say that there are human rebels here," the dark-skinned man spoke quietly as he resumed his work.
"Rebels?! By the Lawgiver! What madness is this! Where is Gabin? I was told he was injured."
"Yes, Mistress. Bear. They took him to the jail." He did not look up as he pushed his shovel deeper into the ground.
"Mauled by a bear so take him to jail. Well, how utterly sensible!" Her sarcasm was not lost on the human. "Thank you, Casper."
She resumed her determined march. At least she now knew where she was going.
"Your creature is in the jail," Balden gestured in that direction as Kaykos drew closer.
"And I suppose that was your idea?" The chimpanzee had to tilt her head all the way back to glance up at the gorilla.
"Chief Urko wouldn't allow him to be taken until he was questioned," the gorilla shrugged.
"Urko? Chief of Security Urko? From Central City?" She shook her head in momentary disbelief. The human kid sent to retrieve her hadn't mentioned that.
Balden nodded. "He says he is looking for insurrectionists here."
"Ree-diculous!" the veterinarian pronounced. She had cared for the humans of Rhohas for decades, many their entire lives. She stomped a few steps before she heard Balden call after her.
"Kaykos—" He pulled his horse next to her, leaning down to keep his voice low. "—he can be a dangerous ape. Tread carefully."
Kaykos felt some of her anger dissipate. Kindness was not a trait encouraged among gorillas and Balden, though not mean, was callous. She patted the toe of his boot.
"I will. He's there?" Her eyes locked onto the jail as she spoke.
"Hmm," the gorilla acknowledged. "His hatred of humans is well known, and I'm guessing he wouldn't care much for their doctors," he gave her further warning. Her nose twitched as she smacked her lips.
"Well, I'm not here to care for him, am I?" She sniffed loudly. "Carry on with your cage then, Balden."
Kaykos was surprised to find the entrance to the jail partially blocked by a gorilla she did not recognize as she yanked open the door. He spun, lifting his rifle like a barrier to stop her.
"Name your business," he snapped.
"Let her in, let her in," she heard Osmur's voice before she spotted him sitting at the desk across the room, waving her to join him. Judan sat against the wall slightly behind him. "She is here for the human damaged in the woods." The trooper glanced to another she could not see before he moved aside and allowed her entry. As she stepped into the jail office, she located the previously unseen ape, a large silverback gorilla, wearing the tall helmet of a general. He bumped his fists together, appraising her. He raised his brow in surprise upon seeing her. Her nose twitched. Her stature surprised a lot of people.
Osmur stood, forcing his orangutan assistant to do the same. Kaykos scowled at the lot of them.
"Chief Urko, this is Kaykos. She is the veterinarian here. Kaykos, Chief of Security Urko from Central City," the chimpanzee made the formal introductions. "Your patient was placed in the hall between the cells."
"Chief Urko." The female took heed of the advice she was given and held in check the sarcasm that wanted to erupt. "We don't usually receive such… notable guests in Rhohas."
"This is not a social call," the deep voice of the gorilla rumbled in response. "You may proceed." He waved to the doorway toward the cells, dismissing her.
Kaykos saw Osmur blanch, his eyes begging her to hold back her well-known bite and simply begin her task. Hmm, both Baldur and Osmur then with warnings. Her eyes narrowed, she squeezed the strap of her medical bag and spun to swing open the hallway door, slamming it closed behind her. Judan winced, Osmur blinked rapidly in relief while Urko turned back to gaze out the window to hide his smirk.
When the chimp burst back through the door into the office area approximately twenty minutes later, whatever resolve she had made to keep her anger in check was lost. She had heard their voices as she worked but had no time to decipher what was said through the thick stone walls and heavy wood door. No one seemed to have moved while she frantically bound Gabin's wounds and then discovered the prisoners—
The dark cloud on her face prompted Osmur to stiffen in his seat. He silently begged her not to be Kaykos. Not today. Chief Urko remained at the window, apparently watching the construction of his cage. He didn't even turn as she made her presence felt in the room. She growled as she strode to stand before the Prefect and his assistant, ignoring the gorilla. She barked her instructions without preamble.
"Judan, inform Kelgar that the human Gabin is restricted from work duty for at least the next three days. He may not survive, but there is a chance. Obtain a litter for Gabin and assign two humans to take him to my clinic. They may place him in the clinic bed. One of them will wait for me, providing sips of water only should he awake before my arrival. I prefer Thasius, if available. He is familiar with my requirements. I will provide an update when I know more, Prefect."
Judan's mouth worked silently as his knuckles whitened against the arms of his chair. He had barely made his way back into Urko's presence. To have the animal doctor give him instruction was yet another blow to his very difficult day.
"Take care of it," the Prefect nudged Judan quietly. The orangutan snapped his mouth closed and obeyed. He pushed past the guard at the door and slammed it shut. Osmur noticeably relaxed as it seemed the long-time veterinarian was going to show proper decorum for a change. He was tired and missed the low chuckle emanating from the window where the large gorilla stood causing a reactionary spark in the female's eyes. She whirled and moved her tiny frame inches away from the tall gorilla with no hint of feeling intimidated by the massive ape.
"Chief Urko. I must speak with you," she announced.
Urko paused, forcing her to wait. His day had progressed so marvelously, he wanted to savor the continued hold he owned over this shabby town. He took a deep breath, and lowered his gaze to the chimpanzee, and realized he needed to drop his head even farther to meet the fury in her brown eyes.
"Proceed," he allowed with a nonchalant wave.
"I am filing a formal protest," Kaykos informed him. The raised eyebrow caused her to temper herself, and she added, "Against your guards. First, according to your own trooper stationed in the cells, the humans have been given no food or water since their imprisonment this morning."
"Oh? Must have been an oversight," Urko purred. "I am quite certain the Prefect meant no harm."
"Wait, what?!" Osmur pulled forward in his seat, his hands flat on the desk.
Urko turned congenially to face him. "We have been very busy. I am sure he will make arrangements now. Isn't that right, Prefect?"
The male chimpanzee wanted to object that Urko had made clear his total control over his jail but knew this was not the battle he wanted to fight. He cleared his throat and pushed himself up from the desk. "I will have Judan address it. Now that you have granted permission."
"And second?" The gorilla dropped his eyes back to the female, hearing, although not responding to Osmur's bait. Urko noted that she barely stood taller than his own eleven-year-old—no, twelve, now—wearing Festival dresses—daughter.
"Secondly," Kaykos met his eyes defiantly, "several of the men were injured during their interrogations. I was not notified. Two have injuries beyond normal interrogation techniques."
"I determine what interrogation techniques are required—Kaykos, was it? As long as I determine that I need them alive, you may provide treatment. Is there anything else?" the Security Chief continued his air of cooperation. The chimpanzee twitched her nose aggressively. Balden was right. This was a dangerous ape.
"I need fresh water from the well. Immediately," she demanded.
"Osmur, take care of that." Urko returned his gaze out of the window. The cage lacked one wall, a gate, and the roof. It appeared that once again his mandate would be met, and he would herd his prisoners in front of the town before nightfall. He heard the blustering sound of Osmur's unspoken protests and ignored it. It was the most glorious day.
Kaykos left the town hurriedly to make the half-hour walk to her cabin to see Gabin. Chances were slim that she could save him, especially when the gorillas allowed him to bleed out all afternoon before calling her, but she would provide whatever chance she could. She had walked to town with Dara, the human kid sent to retrieve her, forgoing riding Reggis, her horse. She didn't mind. The walk was so familiar that even in the deepening dusk, she could travel the western road allowing her thoughts to wander. She felt the peace of her seclusion surround her as she left the road to begin the weaving, uphill trail another half-mile through the woods to her home.
She came to Rhohas as a young chimp, fresh out of university. She chose to be a veterinarian. Her parents tried to talk her into becoming a real doctor, but she knew her calling from the time she was ten.
She had found the human lost in the forest. In addition to all the bruising, he had a large, oozing knot on his head, held his broken arm against his side, and was unable to bear weight on one leg from a bullet imbedded in his thigh. His clothes were as strange as his words. Despite his imprisonment by the apes, he had clung to an odd token, a black oblong object that he slipped from a pocket hidden inside his boot. As she approached him, his hand moved, and a blade was in his hand. Tears had come to her eyes, both in fear and sadness, at the condition of the animal. She remembered her voice squeaked when she told him, "I just want to help you."
As soon as the human recognized she was a child, the blade slid away, and he returned the object to his boot. He spoke of coming from the past—through a portal—trying to find someone, to stop them in time. His ramblings never explained in time for what. Two of them, maybe three, but one in particular. It was his mission, he said. She didn't know what that meant and assumed his incoherent talk of travel from a past time was related to his fever, but she recognized pain, and she had a place to hide him.
Gorillas had come, searching the woods, asking about her human, but no one in her village had seen him. Only her. The gorillas had caught him when he entered a nearby town demanding answers, not acting human at all. He had been punished, but he had escaped. The troopers warned he was dangerous, a threat. Now he needed to be found. Kaykos knew then who caused his injuries. She would not allow them to inflict any more.
He lived only one more day, but she made sure he was cared for to the best of the ability of a 10-year-old chimp. As he fell further into delirium, his words made even less sense, but he spoke with conviction, with purpose—as the gorillas warned—not like a human at all. She didn't care. He would not harm her. His odd behavior caused young Kaykos to question what she had always been told: humans were nothing more than dumb animals who could be taught simple tricks. She buried him herself but took the black object from his hand—he had clung to it as he lay dying—and carried it with her for years as she grew to adulthood. Her human had become a part of her in ways she never imagined possible. His presence remained with her, still.
As she grew older, she studied and saw for herself that humans had a deeper sense of self and understanding than the other animals she looked after. She knew that she could make a difference in improving the care they received. She remembered walking through the Rhohas square for the first time 30 years ago. Her fur was deep brown then, now ribbed with hints of gray. Her step was light and full of adventure, now slowed by the small aches of her joints. The town was much smaller. Her cabin was an hour walk to the town then, situated closer to the mine where most of her skills were needed. She planned to stay two years to meet her education obligation. Two turned to three when the fever illness struck claiming 19 lives. Then three became four when a kidling influx came after the blizzards, and all were locked in their homes for weeks. Four became five when a shaft in the mine collapsed, trapping both apes and humans for days. The presence of the apes was the only reason a rescue was attempted. After that, she quit making excuses and acknowledged she had no plans to leave. This was her home. There was a great need as the humans dug deeper into the mines, and the population grew. She assumed she would be buried here.
She chuckled to herself that she almost made that happen today. She left town without a mark, but not before she confronted Urko again. He had turned to her with his empty smile. Kaykos wondered if he meant to pacify or provoke her. Probably a bit of both. He was enjoying himself, watching others suffer. She was enjoying herself now as she walked, the night sky blossoming above her, remembering the look on his face as if he were slapped.
"Who is Burke?" she demanded an answer.
"What is it to you?" his voice dropped dangerously low, but she was angry and ignored it. She did not miss observing the trooper at the door stiffening as she said the name.
"I have been in Rhohas for 30 years. There has never been anyone of that name, but you beat one of my patients mercilessly, demanding he speak of this Burke."
"Your vermin is confused."
"He said that as you struck him, you said the name repeatedly," Kaykos persisted. "You obviously want this Burke. You seem to think you can find him here. I want to know who he is."
"Ask your Prefect," the gorilla growled. "He knows very well about Burke. Don't you, Osmur?"
"Umm, no, Chief Urko." The Prefect looked confused. "I don't know that name."
"Burke—Virdon—GA-len," the gorilla took steps to the desk as he pronounced each name and dropped his fists to the surface, leaning into the chimpanzee's face. Urko nodded agreeably as he watched Osmur turn suitably pale. "I thought so," Urko pounded his fist against the wood.
"Chief Urko," Osmur shook his head in a panic, finally understanding the true target of this investigation, and grasping the perilous place he stood. "Galen has not been seen in this territory for years. Neither my wife nor I know anything of his activities."
Kaykos tilted her head, perplexed. Galen? Gressa's cousin? The personable young ape whom she had met some five years ago?
Osmur was stammering, trying to calm himself as he spoke. "Of course, word reached us of his traitorous behavior. Horrible. A terrible insult to us all."
"He is a renegade who runs with humans! Protects them! Enemies of the State! Treacherous! Dangerous! They pretend to be equal to apes! Their perversion must be stopped! Destroyed! Virdon—Burke—I will rip that smug look from his face! I will see their blood soaking the ground at my feet!" the gorilla exploded, expanding his already large frame into a threatening pose. The guard took a step back, his hands clenching the rifle in front of him.
"Thank you, Chief Urko." Kaykos laid a soft hand on his arm, attempting to diffuse the tirade which she instigated, having obtained a valuable piece of information. "All apes thank you for your protection against treachery."
The gorilla took deep breaths. He realized that he had said far more than was wise. He provided the damnable Prefect with an appeal against his findings. His perfect day disrupted by those three—again. He sniffed as he released his anger and took the offer the female gave him.
"It is my duty. I will always do my duty." He tugged at his gloves as he straightened. "Prefect, I want the prisoners moved now."
"Yes, Chief Urko. We can begin."
Kaykos had waited for the prisoners to be brought out. She felt the urgency of reaching Gabin but knew the greater danger for her humans lurked here. A crowd had gathered as the Security Chief stood like a monument before them, demanding their admiration for his presence among them. Urko made an obvious production of moving the accused humans into the cage constructed in the square. He reminded them all that no human could leave the area without his personal approval. He had Ullic, his lieutenant, announce each name of the humans held in the jail followed by the Security Chief's pronouncement of his findings. Several were released to the grateful sighs of their families. Six were held as the apes had whispered their curiosity and the humans lowered their heads dejectedly.
She had tapped her hands in thought as Trayus and young Phyn were the last to be roughly pulled across the square. Based on her conversation with them and the nature of their abusive questioning, Kaykos had expected them to be detained. She couldn't help but notice that even his troopers pushed harder as they were shoved to the ground into the cage. She didn't understand the connection between Trayus and Phyn to Urko's Virdon and Burke, but the troopers obviously recognized the need to curry the favor of their commander and treated them accordingly. Urko had given her permission to treat them and treat them she would, and perhaps uncover more of this mystery.
Kaykos had reached the open yard of her clinic and her home. Braying, neighing, clucks and caws greeted her as her family recognized her arrival. Great wings flapped on the large perch built next to her cabin, and the silly goats leapt into the air with happy kicks. Dark eyes banded in black looked up to her as chitters welcomed her—or in his case, may have been a scolding for her delayed return. A sleek, tawny body attempted to wrap around her legs. She promised them she would see to them soon, but she had a patient who needed her first. She had taken longer than she intended and planned to feed Thasuis before she released him from his bedside duty. Her own hunger had grown as she walked.
She ran Urko's words through her mind a final time before she had to focus on Gabin. As she stepped her foot on the stone of her porch, she froze remembering what he had shouted— 'They pretend to be equal to apes!'
A chill ran through her as other words from decades ago echoed in her mind. She never knew his name, her human who did not act like a human, but he was insistent on his mission. He had to find two humans, maybe three, who had to be stopped in time. Before what? Ravings of a dying man… She rubbed at her arms as she soaked in the serenity of her home. Perhaps some mysteries were best left alone before they pulled her in deeper than she ever wanted to go. The chattering at her feet returned her to the present.
"Yes, I know," Kaykos acknowledged the creature pawing at her leg. "There is work to be done." She pushed open her door.
Pete moved stiffly as they prepared camp. Galen snuck glances his way watching as the man rotely gathered thin wood branches from bushes and scrub to begin a fire in the cluster of boulders where they laid down their packs. The light would be hidden from view, and the smoke lost in the night of a waning moon. Burke informed them of his every move… Going to get kindling… setting up the fire… getting water from the spring. The chimp also watched Alan; he kept his face stony, but his eyes gave away his growing concern. Galen's anxiety ran all the way to his fingertips as he cut and diced Pete's plunder for their meal. Who would have guessed humans were so challenging! A year ago, he thought them common beasts, some capable of learning basic tasks. He was lost in the complex relationship of these two men—commander and pilot, colonel and major, and best friends that were breaking away... He wanted to say something to bridge the gap that was spreading between the two but feared if he said the wrong thing, it would only push them farther apart.
As Galen scooped food into their chipped wooden bowls, with eyes down, he peeked at Alan sitting next to him, leaning against a rock, absently whittling on a wood block he had been carving, then tossing the chips into the flames. He handed the blond man a bowl and a slice of bread with a grin. "Careful. Still hot."
"Thanks, Galen. Smells great."
He had to stand and walk several feet to where Pete had pushed himself against another set of boulders, his knees pulled up in front of him. He had placed his make-shift pillow behind his head and leaned back on the rock, his eyes on the stars twinkling into view. Galen found his quiet disturbing. Pete always had something say, but his days in captivity had silenced his voice. He handed him a steaming bowl with bread.
"Oh, thanks, Galen." He held it for a moment then set it down beside him.
"Are you feeling all right?" the chimp asked gently.
"Yeah," the young astronaut answered so softly Galen would have missed it except for his sensitive hearing. The man's eyes returned to his study of the sky.
Alan took a bite then dropped his spoon in the bowl. The frustration flashed. He was doing his best to be patient with Burke. He understood he had been hurt, understood he had been mentally assaulted, but he couldn't fight back the suspicion that Pete wasn't even trying to get passed it.
"So, you take a dumb risk for supplies and then don't even want to eat it?" Alan knew there was an edge to his tone. He wanted his junior officer to hear it.
Pete straightened, allowing the pillow to drop to the ground behind his back. He reached for it and put it in his lap, patting the fabric as he sarcastically replied, "I thought you sent me to bed without any supper."
The colonel in him opened his mouth to snap back, but the friend took a deep breath, remembered Galen's scolding from this morning's blowup, and said, "Do what you want." He had not intended the biting tone in that one.
Pete heard the troubled chirp of the chimpanzee who hovered over him. He glanced his way apologetically as he pulled the bowl onto his lap and pulled the spoon out with a bite filled with carrots and potatoes. He lifted it toward Galen then put it in his mouth.
"Tastes great. Thanks," he uttered before he swallowed.
Pete sighed. He realized he was very hungry and ate the rest of the bowl in a few bites. He also realized that the adrenaline rush of sneaking past the gorillas into the wagon had cleared his head for the first time in days. Headache gone. Stomach churn gone. Spinning edge gone. He actually felt good for the first time since the gorillas captured him over 2 weeks ago. Physically, anyway. It just seemed like he couldn't do right by his friends since he escaped, since his friends saved his life. It was the two of them with the aid of Galen's mother that pulled him out of the hell he was in. He would have been a gibbering idiot, or dead, from Urko's brain salad surgery if Alan, Galen, and Ann hadn't come for him. Risked their lives for him. He was a passive passenger who was still being carried along, doing nothing to support them. Alan was right. He had selfishly put their lives at risk. He winced as he looked up at his human friend, felt the disappointment radiating off him.
He pushed up from the ground and strolled to the fire where Galen sat, eating his meal. Both of his companions watched him approach, on edge, waiting to see what mood he was in this time. He saw their faces and felt the stab of guilt at the discomfort he had caused. It was time for 'life is a bowl of cherries' Pete to make an appearance.
"Is there enough for seconds?" he asked with a smile.
"Of course! Of course!" Galen responded happily, accepting the empty bowl, and refilling it. Alan, on the other hand, looked away, and took another bite of his own food. Pete masked the dig in his gut, knowing he had failed him again. He dropped down beside Galen, and started a meaningless conversation about peas and carrots, and how they didn't have any peas, and could he peas have another piece of bread. He didn't even hear half the words he said, but it made Galen laugh so he kept talking.
After they were done, and the pot had cooled. Pete gathered it, the bowls and spoons, and waterskins. He paused as he started in the direction of the spring and looked back in Alan's direction. "Gonna go wash up." He turned, then stopped again, saying over his shoulder, "Won't be long."
Alan stiffened as he watched the back of his dark-haired friend fade into the shadows. The spring they found was about a quarter mile away, but the shelter of the boulders provided a more secure place to camp. There was no sarcasm in Pete's voice, no insubordination. Just sharing info. Then why was it pissing him off so much?
Alan hadn't forgotten that he had promised his junior officer a continuation of their discussion—well, his admonishment—of Pete's behavior this afternoon when he realized it was about more than this afternoon. It was about that, and his almost childish response tonight of telling Alan about every move he made before he made it, and his damn refusal to open up about what he was dealing with after Wanda's torture despite the nightmares that he thrashed through every night. He was willing to talk to Ann, Galen's mother, who he just met, and he couldn't talk to him?! They'd been tied at the hip for the last five years. Shared everything together—and Alan put himself on the line for him—
A memory stirred. For months before lift-off, their crew was the public face of ANSA. The first men in history who would break the speed of light, to fly outside their own solar system, to walk outside of their little plot of space and shout at the universe, 'Here we are!' Their faces were splashed across newspapers, magazines, TV specials, talk shows. And Pete, with his charm and good looks, was a media darling, carried over from his athletic days when he churned out yards and set scoring records. He knew how important it was to stay on the good side of public opinion. Taxpayers expected their hard-earned money to go to heroes, not bums, and Pete knew going to a bar was a bad idea. Yeah, the brawl started cause the guy was knocking around his girlfriend, and Pete couldn't let it go, and the other guy swung first but when his bloodied face hit the tabloid rags, Alan had a fight on his hands to keep him on the roster with countdown at T-minus 5 months.
John Young, the Chief Astronaut and ultimate decision-maker on whose flight suit boarded the ship, planned to jerk Pete out. Burke was the most gifted pilot he had ever seen, and Virdon didn't want anyone else in that seat. The back-up crew had been working the same drills and their pilot was ready to step up. Chomping at the bit, actually. Alan never told Pete or Jonesy; the asshole had called him the next morning immediately after the story hit the airways with those exact words, 'I'm ready, Colonel Virdon. I'm ready to step up, if needed.'
Alan also remembered what he told Young later that day. "John, didn't I tell you at the start that I would handle him? I know his type. He just needs a firm hand. Yes, he's brash. He's impulsive. But he does the wrong things for all the right reasons. He's the kind of guy who'd take a bullet for his buddy and then carry him out of the jungle anyway. Loyalty, ingenuity, courage. Aren't these the qualities we are supposed to encourage in these guys? Because that's sure as anything what I want sitting in the chair next to me when we are on our own for five months. Don't take him off my crew. I need him."
Things smoothed over pretty fast when the woman Pete helped enjoyed her 15-minutes and made the talk-show circuit gushing about her 'special hero' who cared about ordinary people. That and the public statement Pete released apologizing for his actions which threatened the success of such an important endeavor and causing disappointment to all Americans who counted on him to complete the mission. His popularity soared.
Alan roughly pushed his fingers through his blond hair. Nothing had changed since he said those words, damn, almost a year and half ago, um, over a thousand and one and half years ago. He still needed him. But Pete's brash was on the verge of irrational. Alan wasn't worried about losing a pilot; he felt his best friend slipping away, and he couldn't find the grip to pull him back. The colonel sighed as he pushed himself off the hard stone. He told John he would handle him. He headed along the same path Pete had taken to the spring. It was time to handle him.
Alan waved at Galen as he left. The chimpanzee tortured himself for the next minute deciding what to do. With a twitch of his nose, he trailed along behind, just in case they needed him.
He shook his head, throwing water off his dark hair. He reached back into the water to wet his face again as he squatted next the spring, his shoes sinking in the mud. The filled canteens, washed cooking pot and dishes lay next to his blue, home-spun shirt a few feet away on the grassy bank. The water splattered into his partially opened mouth. He froze, locked away in another place.
Bars pressed against his back still stinging from the most recent truncheon blow. Water poured down from the top of the cage, too small for him to do more than desperately jerk his head toward the flow, catching most of it on his skin, only a few precious swallows finding his parched throat.
Pete didn't hear the approaching footsteps. He only heard her voice.
Wanda, staring down through the bars. "Burke, it is not my desire to see you in this condition. It can end at any time. Tell me—name, place, time of the humans who have helped you and it will stop.
"Who are the humans that helped you?"
Alan came up behind his friend, stripped of his shirt, leaning over the water. He had thought about his speech as he walked, and he clung to the words determined to make Pete listen for a change. He stopped a few feet back. Even in the dark, after two weeks, he could see the faint but healing bruises and scabbed wounds on his pale skin: a rounded blow half a foot wide at his kidneys, flat edge creases from his shoulders to the small of his back that looked like truncheon whacks. He guessed some of those marks would remain, scars serving as constant reminders of ape brutality. The two of them were gathering a collection.
Facing away from him, Alan didn't see Pete's face flinch over and over as faces bombarded him in quick succession.
Fists swinging toward him flashed like old projection movies slides—Urko—Ataxis—Urko—Rantix—Urko—Dad—Dad?—Urko—Ataxis—Urko—Rantix—Urko—Dad—Urko—Ataxis—Urko—Rantix—Urko—Dad—Urko—Ataxis—Urko—Rantix—Urko—Dad—Urko—
Alan acknowledged the stab of guilt but pushed it aside. He didn't need to comfort Burke. He needed to confront him. It was his responsibility. Pete, Galen, they depended on him. He was in command. Burke needed to be moving on, and his behavior was putting them at risk.
Pete's heart thumped against his chest as sharp, shallow breaths matched every fist that pounded his face, his head, his throat, his ribs, his stomach, his back, his arms, his legs—one after another without stopping.
Urko—Ataxis—Urko—Rantix—Urko—Dad—Urko—Ataxis—Urko—Rantix—Urko—Dad—Urko—Ataxis—Urko—Rantix—"Pete?"
The young man jumped, dropping his hand to the ground ready to push up and face the intruder until he saw Alan, and relaxed. Whatever thoughts he had been lost in dissipated and flitted away out of reach.
"Was I taking too long?" Pete asked, genuinely concerned he had given Al another reason to worry. He stood up and made a move toward his shirt.
Alan chose to ignore the jab. "I told you I wasn't through with you. Your behavior this afternoon was unacceptable—"
"I heard you the first time, Alan. Message received." Pete dropped his eyes to the ground, his hands on his hips. Alan wasn't using his colonel voice, so the major stayed tucked away as well.
"I wish I believed that! That stupid stunt could have got you killed! All of us killed!" Alan took a step forward, his hands out in front of him.
"I just needed a win," Pete murmured so softly Alan couldn't make out the words.
"If you have something to say, say it where I can hear it," the command voice started to sneak in.
"Nothing to say, Alan."
"I want answers, Pete." The older man came closer. "Tell me what is going on in your head."
"My head's a busy place right now. Not much room for anyone else."
"Bullshit, Burke! I know you think keeping everything bottled up inside keeps everyone out. And that has worked for you for years. Well, you better hear me, because I don't want to repeat it. You are stuck with me for better or worse. Among other things, Sally always called you my other woman, and she wasn't wrong about that. You are my best friend, and I'll be damned if I let you push me out. I know you are struggling but why in the hell you think you have to do this alone—"
"Me, too," a timid voice approached from the shadows as Galen moved beside the humans and stood next to Pete with a gentle pat to his arm. Both men looked at him surprised. Alan hadn't realized he had followed, but he also knew Galen needed to be here. Once again, to his chagrin, the chimp's instincts bested his own.
"For better or worse? That's a human phrase I at least understand. You can't push me away either, Pete. I won't let you—"
Pete dropped his head to hide the sudden moisture in his eyes. Alan and Galen. They were his best friends in this life and his previous one. No one else came close, and he knew he had been a lousy friend in return. But he also knew, he had no idea how they could help. He took a deep breath but kept his head down.
"Truthfully—Alan, Galen—I don't even remember most of it. Images, sounds, impressions, none of it good. Look, I know I wake you up with my fucking nightmares, and all I know is cold dread when my eyes open. I don't even know what my brain is hiding from me. Section 8. That's me."
"Trauma is not crazy, Pete." Alan gripped his arm and held it. The older man softened his tone, "I know it's been rough on you."
"We all have it rough. Today, I just saw a shot, so I took it. Couldn't stand being on the sidelines. Ever. I just, —I just needed something that was all me thumbing my nose at this fuckin' nightmare. I made it work."
"Maybe this time, but what about the next? Your life isn't the only one at risk here, Pete," Alan reminded him. The younger man flashed a hurt look his way, but Virdon pushed on. His friend was responding. He had to keep him talking.
"Galen and I—we are here for you. You don't have to throw yourself at an ape caravan to get our attention. C'mon, buddy, you just have to remember your decisions affect all of us, and we don't have much of a safety net."
Pete snapped his eyes closed as echoes of strange sounds and flashes of blood pools in the dirt entered his head. The words '…they always come back for you…' whispered in his ears. He shook it away and met his blond friend's earnest stare.
"I know, Alan. I'm sorry."
"Maybe if you tell us when you feel it coming, the images—the sounds—, maybe we can help you get through it," Galen offered, laying a furred paw on his elbow.
"Okay," Pete agreed as he leaned down to snatch his shirt from the ground and pulled it over his still damp hair.
"Well, I still say it was a dumb stunt," Alan slapped at his shoulder, "but gotta admit, it did make for a nice dinner."
Pete grinned briefly and met his friend's eyes.
"Alan. Really, I'm fine—going to be fine, but 'The Kids are Alright,' ya know."
"You think I don't remember the words to that song, Pete. You sang 'em a few times back at AGL." The older man flashed back to the dive bar, Above Ground Level, near Edwards Air Force base where they did their early training together.
"Sometimes, I feel I gotta get away,
"Bells chime, I know I gotta get away,
"And I know if I don't, I'll go out of my mind."
"Ok, busted," the dimpled grin acknowledged after a brief pause.
"Pete, I know you are working things out, and you want to do it on your own. I get it. But—."
"If you get it, then leave it alone. Please."
Alan lay a firm hand on his shoulder. "When you need us, talk to us, Pete."
"Please," Galen added, purposefully grasping both Alan and Pete by the arm to bring them together.
Pete nodded. "I'll try. I promise, I really will."
And he meant it; he simply didn't realize how impossibly hard it would be to keep that promise.