Road to Rhohas – Chapter 10
Virdon had finally succumbed to exhaustion after their adrenaline-fueled night. He had dozed sitting up next to the entrance of their small cave, a crevice about three feet long that cut about two feet above the rock floor of the enclosure. After settling Burke to bed, he had assisted Galen with cleaning the claw scratches on his side. Fortunately, none were deep enough to require sutures, and should heal without a scar, not that it would be visible through his fur anyway. The two of them shared part of the meal sent by Gressa and enough of the leftover food Pete had stolen to stave off their growing hunger. Alan stared through the gloom at the sleeping back of his incorrigible friend as he chewed, reviewing the unlikely chain of events of the night, shaking his head at Pete's uncanny ability to do it all wrong but still get it all right. As he settled at the entrance, a blanket draped on his weary shoulders, he kept both spears at hand, and took it on his faith and Eurusi's old gods that he would hear Urko's patrols if a search came in their direction. Thinking of Galen's accented explanation to Gressa of the finer points of their plan,—calling it simply mad was a madness in itself—the man had grinned at the dark shape of the snoring chimp before his own eyes closed. After he spent some time with his family, he allowed himself to sleep.
The woods remained still, the scents of fire fading as the sun crested the horizon bringing light in golden streaks through the vegetation that veiled the cave. Alan woke slowly, the rock cool against his back while a warmth touched his outstretched legs. His groggy eyes blinked open slowly. A ray of light lay across his legs; his eyes followed the bits of dust dancing in the air illuminated by the narrow shafts.
Still here. He sighed, stretching sore muscles from sleeping upright.
He ran his fingers through his tousled hair then rubbed at the overnight growth of beard along his chin. He pulled his knees up and rested his wrists on each. Galen slept next to him, his arm draped over his eyes, his blankets twisted around his legs.
His attention wandered across the cave to Burke, his officer, his pilot, his headache—his best friend. He hadn't moved from where he and Galen had left him a few hours ago. Alan allowed himself a deeper sigh. He had done what he knew to do to help Pete heal from his physical injuries after the gorillas had beat him for days. Now a bullet wound—a bullet wound! You could have been killed, Pete!—that would need better cleaning and some way to suture if they could. Alan rubbed at the still painful scar along his side where a bullet had been embedded nearly taking his life. They had been able to get help from Kira, Galen's former fiancé, but such assistance was more often out of reach. Even Kira had been hesitant at first. As with most problems they faced, they had to find their own way to survive.
During their time in this world of their future, they had learned a little about what plants to look for to lessen the physical pain and fight infection. Not as strong as modern day, well our modern day, analgesics, and antibiotics but something that would help his body to heal. Finding the plants was another problem to solve. And a bath. They may need to risk a trip to the river to get all the caked mud out of Burke's clothes, his face, his hair. But the real problem, the 250-pound chimpanzee with glasses sitting in the room that they needed to talk about, was the mental repercussions of Pete's days of torture at Wanda's hands, and the help he needed to recover but wasn't receiving. Certainly not from his commanding officer. In fact, his breakdowns and uncontrolled behavior were getting worse.
Alan dropped his head into his hands. The problem was, he was an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. Commander of the most technologically superior starship ever built. He didn't know how to counsel his junior officer through his nightmares, whether waking or asleep. He didn't know how to assist him in acknowledging the trauma he had experienced and finding ways to move toward recovery. He didn't know what teas or other brews existed on this planet that might help him control mood or depression or anxiety or whatever emotional stress was driving him to the irrational decisions and risk-taking excessiveness, even for Burke.
Virdon knew every function of his ship and how to coax maximum performance from its components. He knew how to recognize obstacles to the mission and adjust strategies to complete the assigned directives. He knew how to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of his crew, mold them, direct them, utilize them to achieve the best and brightest outcome.
But the most technologically superior starship ever built crashed and burned over a thousand years out of place under his command. His throat constricting, he lifted his moist eyes to stare at the dark head laying so still, so close and yet so seemingly out of reach. Alan feared Pete was condemned to a similar end because he failed him. Failed him as his commander. Failed him as his friend.
He sucked in a deep breath. The shafts of light had moved. His face reformed from one of regret to one of resolution. Colonel Alan Virdon was not giving up without a fight. All he could do was what he knew how to do and that began with structure and discipline. And a promised ass chewing. And that had to start now.
"It's morning, gentlemen." Alan pushed to his feet. "We need to assess our little charade and see if Urko took the bait."
Galen stirred at the sound of his voice. "'Morning, Alan," he greeted after a leisurely stretch. "Did you get any sleep?"
"Enough." He granted him a brief smile. No similar movement followed on the other side of the cave. "Come on, Pete. We need to have our 'Come to Church' revival meeting. I saved you the center seat on the first pew." Alan's fists went to his hips as he stared at the unmoving form on the ground. He knew Pete was a light sleeper even before the need for survival made it a necessity, and he could feel the heat rising along his neck in response to Burke's childish attempt to avoid him again. Galen maneuvered to a sitting position against the wall, dragging a waterskin to him for a drink, then holding it in his lap. He watched quietly with his head down.
The colonel raised the volume as he spoke, "Ignoring me isn't going to work." He paused, but the young man refused to react.
"You aren't doing yourself any favors here. We are going to talk about last night, and the crazy risks you keep taking." The commander took purposefully loud steps to cross the cave. "Pretending that you can't hear me just delays the inevitable." He paused another beat.
"Damn it, Pete! Grow up!"
Alan reached down, and roughly rolled the other man to his back realizing several things at once: His head drooping like a ragdoll, Pete sprawled over with no conscious response. Dark red stains spread as wide as Alan's open hand on the rolled-up rag Burke had used for a pillow. Virdon dropped to his knees next to him, his hands flying over Pete's body as more images slapped Alan across the face. Bright red liquid oozed from a jagged crease across the entire side of Burke's skull, the thin clotted scab torn apart when Virdon moved him. The crusty mass in his hair the older man had erroneously assumed to be nothing but mud included large mats of dried blood. Vomit dripped out of the right side of Pete's mouth; a drying mound of yellowish goo puddled on the stone floor. And he was cold, ice cold, so cold Alan thought he was dead…
"Oh my God," Alan gasped. He leaned down with his cheek next to Pete's mouth and felt a faint, warm breath touch his skin, heard a rattle in Pete's throat, saw Pete's chest rise slowly.
From somewhere far away, he heard a frightened chimpanzee ask, "Alan? What's wrong?"
Virdon had no time to respond. He pulled Pete away from the wall to give him room to maneuver. He rolled Pete back on to his side. Alan did a sweep of his mouth to remove the sticky residue that remained caught between his teeth and gums, praying that Pete hadn't aspirated any of it. Once his mouth was cleared, Virdon put him back on his back, looking for pulse points on his neck, his wrist. A thready pulse. He pressed his ear to Burke's chest. Faint, irregular, his heartbeat fluttered. He pulled back Pete's eyelids Pupils wide with sluggish reaction to light.
Alan heard the anxious chirps over his shoulder and dragged Galen to the ground beside them. "Lean back against the wall. Hold him as tight as you can. He needs your body heat."
The chimpanzee responded quickly, pulling his friend between his spread legs; Alan assisted in lifting his body up, Pete's limp head falling back against Galen's shoulder. The chimpanzee wrapped his arms around the man's chest in a tight hug.
"He's freezing—," Galen whimpered. Alan raced through the cave bringing every blanket they had to tuck around Burke's shoulders, swaddle his legs.
"He's in shock. Must have a concussion. Damn it! He's got a head wound and took a punch to the face. Damn it! I didn't see the blood in his hair. Too dark. The slurry speech, slow to respond, lack of balance. I thought…I thought…it doesn't matter what I thought. Concussion. All the symptoms and I didn't see it! Damn it!
"Galen. He needs a doctor. Do they have a doctor?"
The chimpanzee's mouth opened and closed rapidly, trying to think as he pulled Pete tighter. "Y-y-yess. Yes—A veterinarian—."
Alan gave him a sour look. Their luck with doctors for humans had not been a positive experience. Most saw their primary duty as returning the animal to work as quickly as possible rather than providing health care. He wet a rag and began to clean the spittle, and now visible blood splatters from Pete's face.
"No, she cares. She really does," Galen assured him, then he winced, "but she lives on the other side of the town, near the mine."
"No choice. We have to risk the gorillas. I won't sit here and watch him die." Alan pressed and held his hand against Burke's chest just to assure himself that his heart still beat.
"Damn it. Damn it to hell—," Alan muttered as he dropped his head. Crash and burn….
His hands pressed firmly against his hips, Urko swallowed the yawn that struggled to pry open his jaw. No weakness would mar his face in this place. He turned away from the bucket line weaving up from the river. The rising sun had turned them into a blurred silhouette. Another trail of humans snaked through the gutted shacks, little more than heaps of charred wood glowing orange as the embers continued to fight. His nose creased. At least the overwhelming smell of smoke and sulfur masked the stink of the vermin.
He paused in his revolving assessment spying the prefect and his wife, heads together, behind the wagons serving as the shelving for food and supplies being distributed next to the opening of the mine itself. Fire pits had been constructed warming the large pots that had been salvaged from the mine mess before it caved in filled with whatever the female chimp—Gressa, her name was Gressa—had brought from the town. Urko felt momentary, begrudging respect. Unlike many of the chimpanzee elite of the City, she had not collapsed in the disaster, but had fully organized the human females into productive crews preparing and cooking for the ape and human responders. Unfortunate, her relation to the Traitor Galen. His nose twitched watching her speak to Osmur, one hand motioning an emphasis to whatever they were discussing. He snorted. Still trying to avoid their inevitable end, no doubt. Too late for that.
The Security Chief considered the executions of his Rhohas rebels in light of the enormity of this destruction. That, and he needed to identify believable suspects from the human slaves here. His eye wandered along the bucket lines for any who appeared likely. None drew his attention, but then, his attention was pulled from one disastrous scene to another. He needed the town present and attentive to his successful strike against the rebellion. He would need to delay until tomorrow for the proper effect. Maybe he would burn them. Although condemned by some as barbaric, it wasn't unheard of, and he chuckled at the symbolism. You survive another day, Prefect. There won't be a second.
"Ullic!" he shouted out as he concluded his turning tour. His baritone carried even through the overlay of lingering smoke. He had to call a second time before the weary gorilla, the white V on his black vest hidden beneath the grime of charred residue, emerged from the rocky area leading to the river. The ridiculously inept chimpanzee introduced as Gustus trailed him, his rifle slung loosely over his arm. That fool is going to shoot someone, Urko's mandible chewed. Where's that other fool, Meelar?
"Report," the commander snapped as the lieutenant approached.
"Most of the ore troughs were salvaged. There is no damage past the visible rock line," Ullic turned to point to an area behind him. "The mine itself was protected, but all of the common structures were lost. The labor quarters are destroyed and over half of staff residences are gone with the other having some damage." He waved up the hill. "I will have to get the little chimp for you for an update on casualties. Ape injuries were largely superficial although smoke inhalation caused some to need her emergency intervention. The mine horses and mules were pulled before the stables caught fire but some of the banded labor had to be carried to her."
"And the cause of this destruction?" Urko moved his almost congenial gaze to Gustus, the labor supervisor. The chimpanzee tugged at the rifle, his feet rocking, but kept his eyes averted.
"There's evidence of sabotage, sir. I can show you—," Ullic replied, turning back toward the direction from where he had come. Urko lifted a hand to forestall him.
"Let's gather everyone, shall we?" the security chief maintained his friendly tone. Both Ullic and the chimpanzee cringed at the velvet in his voice. "Find the prefect and overseer. Oh, and Meelar. He claims to be the liaison here. Bring him along, too." Urko dismissed the two apes in front of him with a jerk of his fingers.
"Yes, sir," they responded one after the other as they separated and moved into the crowd of workers. Urko resumed his attentive position, hands on hips, and waited to be served.
"You asked for me?" Osmur spoke as he came up behind the gorilla.
Urko kept his eyes straight, not acknowledging the prefect other than announcing, "We'll wait." The security chief subconsciously spread his chest further securing his control of this operation as the chimpanzee settled at his side without speaking again. They stood in silence. Urko stole a side glance of the chimpanzee noting that Osmur was not as nervous as Urko had hoped. In fact, he was calm, too calm. Surely the cretin realized that his life was about to be as devasted as the area they surveyed. No matter. The gorilla relished his moment before the Council when his flames would be unleashed on the complacent chimp. He smiled thinking about his crumbling face then.
A few minutes passed before the overseer, Vulko, stormed down the hill, Gustus trotting to keep up. Ullic returned from the area toward the river with a properly downcast Meeler and the huge gorilla, Hafva. They formed a half-circle in front of the security chief.
"That…that… female chimp took the humans inside! Inside my cabin!" the overseer yelled. "Claimed she needed to be away from the smoke!"
"You seem to have plenty of buckets, Vulko," Urko drawled. "Give them some brushes and have them scrub it when she's done. Ullic, your report," the chief ended any further complaints from the overseer.
"I need to show you. This way, sir," the lieutenant addressed his words solely to his commander. He spun on his heel and walked crisply in the direction of the river bucket line. They made a wide berth around the still sparking heap of the former explosives hut and entered the rocks that jutted up near the ore troughs.
"A lot of the ground evidence has been trampled," Ullic pointed as he spoke, "but we did find proof of Gustus' story," he continued as they stopped between two pale boulders. Dark red, viscous pools, one round, almost a foot wide close to the rock and another two, no more than three feet away diagonally from the larger, looking like a broken stick, puddled on the hard ground. The lieutenant squatted and tapped the congealing liquid of the larger, breaking the drying crust then raised his hand to show the reddish residue on his gloved fingers. He then brought his thumb and finger together as he sniffed the substance adding, "Tacky. Blood alright. He shot something." He straightened then gestured toward the river. "Trail goes that way."
Vulko rocked on his heels, his agitation growing. The prefect remained disturbingly calm.
"Tell me again," Urko prompted almost seductively, his eyes falling full on Gustus. The chimpanzee gripped the wood stock of the rifle pulling it in front of him as a weak barrier between him and the silverback whose eyes did not carry the welcoming tone of his voice.
"I saw a hunched figure run from behind the explosives shack into the boulders. I called for it to halt but it continued to move away so I fired—several times. It yelled out so I thought I hit it. And I must have!" The chimp gestured toward the blood. "Before I could finish it off, the explosion knocked me to the ground."
"And this figure, what was it?" the gentle voice coaxed.
"What was it?" Gustus' eyes darted between the dark visage of Vulko clouding with a warning, and the unreadable, but all too dangerous, face of the general. His heart pounded. "It was dark," Gustus went on. "The figure was no more than a shape running in the shadows." The ape could feel more than see the threat rising from the huge commander whose eyes bore into him. Yesterday, when issuing the orders that placed the rifle in his nervous hands and lit the fires that sent the banded labor to the mines to work into the night, Vulko had revealed that General Urko sought a human threat. That he sought to point a finger at the mines as fomenting a human insurrection. The General had already ensnared Rhohas in this plot. Gustus decided he was not going to have Urko's finger pointed in his direction. If Urko wanted a human, he could have one. "I saw a slim, bent figure escaping into the night. I could clearly see it was a rebellious human that I shot after it set the explosion to destroy the mines," Gustus proclaimed, standing a bit straighter as he spoke.
"Yes," Urko purred with a deepening grin. "That is what I see, too."
"Don't die on me, don't die on me," Alan's words sometimes escaped from thought to whisper, his eyes continuously flitting to the pale face barely visible on the mummy wrapped figure he carried in his arms. Although it was more difficult and tiring to move him in this manner, Virdon assumed a need to keep Pete's head elevated rather than dangling down if a fireman's carry was utilized. He and Galen took turns as they picked their way cautiously through the woods. Alan refused the idea of a litter due to the time it would take to construct. He just didn't think Pete had the time to spare. The chimp had proposed they stay in the shelter of the trees for as long as possible as they would need to skirt through the open fields, including those plowed for farming that lay to the south of Rhohas. He suggested that once past the town, they needed to go back into the woods that bordered the west road to avoid being seen as they moved past the garrison. They couldn't risk following the river as it would bring them too close to the mines and every gorilla in the territory. Alan hated the thought of the extra time but recognized the need to avoid exposure to the gorillas.
At the cave, Alan had attempted to coax some water into Pete's system to overcome the blood loss, but his swallow reflex was sluggish, and he weakly coughed it back. Fearful of aspiration, he resorted to drizzling drops at a time into his cheek hopeful that some of the precious liquid would safely move through his throat. They had warmed him enough that his body began to shiver, and bumps prickled across his skin as the natural somatic reflex arc joined the effort to increase his temperature. But Pete's voice remained deathly quiet, not a whimper, not a groan.
Galen had moved ahead as a scout and waved to him as the trail they followed within the woods came to an end.
"It's clear." The chimp gestured toward the open land, bare of any place to hide should a gorilla patrol appear. "No one working the fields. They must still be at the mine explosion," he speculated.
"The sky is clearing. Less smoke," Alan noted. "How far?"
"A couple of miles, I think. Kaykos liked to stay to herself. Here, let me take him," Galen slid one strong simian arm under Pete's knees, the other slipped between the curve of his back and Alan's arm. The blond man paused to lay his hand across his friend's forehead after the exchange.
"He's too cold—," the human winced, his face clouded with worry. Galen simply nodded as he left the shade of the trees into the wide-open space before them. He hugged Pete closer to him, his head resting against his shoulder, and did his best to keep a quick paced walk as his sensitive hearing heard Alan mutter, "Don't die on me."
Mid-morning promised a clear day as Kaykos slid from Reggis' back outside her stable. Despite his nervousness, the horse had waited for her, taking steps in her direction whenever she emerged from the overseer's cabin into the yard filled with coughing, moaning victims of the smoke and flame. She had whispered thanks to the gods both old and new that he had lingered despite the tumultuous smells and sounds of the lawn. She rested her head against his wide shoulder, her hand stroking his soft neck, her weariness touching the far reaches of her soul. An insistent poking dropped her eyes to her ankles.
"Hello, Sake," she greeted the raccoon. "Do you think you could go start the tea?" A tawny, one eared bobcat rolled, belly-up, on the ground a few feet away to welcome her home. The goats pranced and chickens clucked anticipating breakfast. A donkey wandered through the open stable door before lowering her head to the grass to graze. Kaykos glanced toward the large rectangular shaped perch built near her cabin, but it was empty.
At the mine, the fires were down to embers and miraculously, no deaths, yet, giving her the chance to leave Vulko his cabin and hope for the best as the humans took over their own care. She doubted the apes would offer much. Gressa had brought blankets and clothing in addition to food, so they would have the very basic necessities. She would return this evening after she slept. She had treated deep burns, abrasions, blistered skin, lacerations, a broken leg, sprained joints, reddened eyes, and did what she could for the damaged lungs choked by the smoke. Even a few apes begrudgingly accepted her care. As large a town as Rhohas had become, it still sat in the Borderlands and no real physician chose to make it a home. The apes had to travel southwest almost twenty-five miles away to the trade town of Kiplen Cross for health care.
In additional to the squeaking raccoon skittering in front of her, Vandos, the young bobcat, his right ear as bobbed as his tail, sauntered behind her into the stable as she pulled the saddle and bridle from the horse. Reggis entered his stall voluntarily looking over his shoulder at her then his empty feed rack. The cat moved to the covered grain box anticipating Kaykos' intention and rested his front paws at the top as she opened the lid.
"Get down, Vandos. You can go catch your own breakfast," she reminded the bobcat. Reggis received two scoops of the golden oats which he nibbled contentedly. The donkey wandered into her stall and flicked her long ears waiting for her share. Kaykos obliged with a worn sigh.
"I'll brush you later," she promised Reggis as she slapped at his rump, moving tiredly toward her cabin. Wisake moved in front of her and stopped, standing on his back legs, holding his front together. "You always remind me why I don't want a husband, Sake," she grumbled, "but you are right." She changed her direction to the well and drew a bucket to carry into her home. She had another important duty to complete before she could consider a time for rest.
Despite her exhaustion, she bathed Gabin, wrapped him in her prayers, and carried him to the sheltered cave where he could rest until she was able to speak to his mother. In her living room, which shared function with her kitchen, she tugged her shoes from her swollen feet, and dropped them next to the cushioned wood chair. She blew at the lip of a cup of hot feverfew tea intended to soothe her aches before she lay down to sleep when an insistent disruption rapped against her door.
"By all the fires," she muttered, then realized she could have chosen a better expletive. She left her undrunk tea on the side table as Wisake twittered and scrambled between the door and her feet, showing her the way. She swung the door toward her with a less than friendly, "Yes?!"
Before her stood a tall human with light hair, a stranger, his face awash with worry. What caused her mind to lurch, and a surge of energy to jolt her tired muscles, was the chimpanzee who pushed forward from the rear, carrying a second human, wrapped tightly in blankets, through her doorway before she could speak.
"I am sorry for the intrusion, but my servant has been injured." The ape looked back at her once he was inside. The other human slipped next to him. "It's urgent," the man pressed, his voice thick.
Kaykos blinked, before closing her mouth with a 'hmph' and pointed toward the cot where Gabin had lain, the curtains open. She hadn't had time to change the linens, but they would have to do. The chimpanzee displayed surprising gentleness as he lay the unmoving form on the narrow bed. He stepped aside as she began her examination.
"You," she motioned to the human, "Start a fire. He is far too cold. Place the bricks there just inside the fireplace. Not in the fire, mind." She indicated the large rock fireplace near her kitchen counter area. The man obeyed quickly, but she could see him turning his head to them even as he worked. She began to roll the thin body to unravel him from the layers of blankets. She paused, a question on her brow, and stared at the pale face with an ominous blue tinge.
"Let me help." The human's master reached out to remove some of the blankets. Kaykos glanced at him with a cursory nod. She was pleased to see the chimp had some sense about him in taking care of his property, and that he jumped to assist her without a request. She wondered why the creature was shirtless until she saw the red stained bandage to his arm.
She started to unwind the strip when a deep voice interrupted, "That injury is secondary. He has a concussion from a head wound." Kaykos' brow drew in. She didn't expect a human to speak without permission. She certainly didn't expect information of that quality from a human.
Turning back to the chimpanzee, she noted, "This human is caked with mud. What did you have him doing when he was injured?" She tried to keep her voice neutral, but the lack of sleep and general frustration with slave owners, especially those who called them servants yet allowed such injuries to occur due to their disinterest, tinged her remark with annoyance.
"We were traveling from the south. Coming up along the river. Petros fell from the high bank when we were startled. He cut his arm and head on some roots as he fell." Galen shared the story he and Alan devised as they walked, choosing a name similar to Pete's own so he might respond when it was spoken even if not completely aware of his surroundings.
"When did this accident occur?" she asked as she checked his pupils, then turned his head, her fingers parting his hair to better visualize the wound. "This bruising on his face looks…"
"Last night," the chimpanzee replied as the human pressed into the room, leaning his hands against the raised footboard.
"Some of these injuries are much older," the veterinarian observed, pointing at his neck and ribs. "These bruises are almost healed," She raised an eyebrow at the chimpanzee. She studied his face; her eyes narrowed.
"Umm, a loading incident." The chimp glanced toward his other human.
"And did you also fall?" Kaykos tugged at the blood-stained tears in the chimpanzee's shirt. The blond human straightened, his back growing stiff.
"I, um, I tried to catch Petros as he fell—."
"Hmmm," the tiny chimp shrugged.
The next hour was spent warming the water that was already in the tub pushed against the exterior wall of her examination area. Under her instructions, the blond human stripped Petros of his remaining clothes and laid him in the water to cleanse him of the grime. The water turned a frightening dirty crimson as the mud and blood was rinsed from his very thin body, matted hair, the ugly wound that creased the side of his head, and the arm injury. His owner had chirped with concern and the face of the human companion grew dark at the sight. The human showed an unusual approving acknowledgment as she kept both open wounds out of the tub itself to avoid further exposure to the dirty water. She used clean water drawn from the well to rinse those injuries.
Galen and Alan exchanged a worried look when the veterinarian paused, water-filled ladle raised over him, to stare for an uncomfortably long moment at Pete's slack-jawed face once the grime and blood had been rinsed away. Galen supported Pete's head at one end of the tub, following Kaykos' instructions as she worked. Knelt over the tub to help wash his friend, Alan nervously licked his lips as he gave a purposeful nod in Galen's direction.
"Is something wrong?" the chimpanzee asked her. She inadvertently jerked, slowly pulling her eyes from the patient's face to the owner's. She poured the liquid over the head crease. The water finally drained clear.
"Other than the obvious, no. I can tell you more once we get him back to the bed," Kaykos responded in clipped tones but could not hide a shadow of fear that crossed her expression. Galen emitted a low, anxious growl. She pointed to Alan. "Lay some towels on the mattress then you can move him." He jumped to obey.
The patient's body temperature began to rise slowly, but he still trembled as he was returned to the soft cot with linens replaced, thoroughly dried, and thick blankets from Kaykos' shelves tucked around him. Both fingers and toes retained a blue hue. She lay the warming stones from the fireplace, wrapped in linens, along his sides and legs. He groaned through blue tinged lips as she applied the greenish cream she had used for Gabin liberally to both open wounds, bringing a brief expression of relief from the blond human. Kaykos raised an eyebrow. He obviously realized the return of vocalizations was an improvement in his friend's condition.
She snatched a rag, splashed water from a pitcher onto it and wiped her hands. She stood, setting the bowl of medicated cream aside before she spun to confront the other two.
"All right, Galen, tell me what really happened to Burke." Kaykos couldn't suppress her laughter at the shock on both of their faces. Her laugh faded when the human pulled a knife from a sheath hidden beneath his shirt, pointing it toward her.
"Look, I don't know who you think we are, but we can't take the time for games right now. We won't hurt you. Give us what medicine he needs, tell me what to do to take care of him, and we will go," the human demanded. All eyes jerked to the sound of a low growl as Vandos stalked into the room from the living area, his single tufted ear flat against his skull, his golden eyes locked on the predator threatening his den mate. Galen laid a hand over Alan's wrist and pushed down.
"We've had enough tooth and claws over the last day, I think," he spoke gently before returning his eyes to vet. The bobcat paused, remaining alert, and lowered himself to his haunches as the energy in the room relaxed.
"Do you think a back country animal doctor has no memory, Galen?" Kaykos crossed her arms with a condemnatory stare. "I met you five years ago when Osmur was first assigned as Prefect, and you visited your cousin Gressa to complete your first-year university project. We talked on more than one occasion," she reminded him. Galen had the decency to look properly chagrined. "Here in the Borderlands, we don't hear a lot of news from Central City, but we could hardly escape the enticing gossip of the Prefect's wife's notorious cousin on the run from Urko and the High Council.
"And then Urko himself arrives with a vindictive agenda. This is obviously Burke. Poor Phyn suffered at Urko's hands even as he hissed his name. Meaning you are Virdon, bearing a resemblance to Trayus. Urko is unimaginative."
"We believed that you would help us. That you give humans a chance to live. Our friend needs your help. I need to know, we need to know, what are you planning to do?" the human replied avoiding confirmation of her statement, although he had the sense not to deny it. He presented a firm, commanding presence, but the doctor saw the fear in his eyes, not for himself, but for the one that he brought to her. She sniffed. He had good reason to fear, not from her, but for his friend.
"He is near death," she replied matter-of-factly. "Unless you came for euthanasia, you need to let me take care of him." Virdon took a protective step back toward the bed.
"Do everything you can to save him, Kaykos," Galen's strong voice ordered.
She gave a stiff nod then grabbed the hem of Galen's shirt, lifting it before he could react. "Let me treat these wounds of yours while you explain how Burke received his injuries. The truth this time."
"Neither of us were with him when it happened, but he said it was a bullet wound," Alan replied as he sat on the side of the bed. The knife had disappeared, back in its sheath, Kaykos presumed. His hand flicked to his friend's forehead to reassess his temperature yet again, then rested on Pete's covered shoulder.
"That will change my approach," the chimp explained as she efficiently applied the green cream and wrapped a bandage around Galen's ribs. "You'll heal," she announced.
"Now the two of you need to go. You can come back in two days."
"What? No!" Alan rose towering over the tiny chimpanzee.
"You came to me in trust. Trust me now. He needs constant care; more than you can possibility provide. Leave him and go."
"I can't leave him," the blond man was insistent.
"Urko remains in the area. Your presence here puts all of us in danger. Burke, alone, I can hide. Come back in two days, Virdon," her voice left no room for debate.
"Alan," Galen expressed softly, drawing him toward the door, "Kaykos is right. There's nothing we can do here but put all of us at risk."
The small chimp lay a hand on the man's other arm. "I will do my best for him," she promised.
"His name is Pete. Peter Burke," Virdon's voice was rough. "Let him know we are nearby. We didn't leave him."
"We will see you in two days." She squeezed his forearm then turned her attention to her patient. She was readjusting the warming stones when she heard the front door close. She studied the face of the one called Burke, laying the back of her fingers against his cheek. Pink was slowly replacing the blue tinge of his lips. His temperature needed to rise before she would consider him out of danger. A different chill stirred deep in her chest, but she pushed it aside—for now.
Wisake emerged from under the bed and moved to cuddle on the man's chest almost as if he knew the visitor needed the extra warmth. As she watched the raccoon with a peaceful grin, her head tilted. She realized that she had been addressing her comments to the human, Virdon, and not Galen.
"How curious," she said aloud to the closed front door. "It is no wonder Urko fears you."
Alan stared forlornly at the rugged wooden door. His brows pulled together as Galen felt the internal argument take place in the man's head.
"Why do I always feel like I am abandoning him? Like I failed him again." The pain in the question cut at the chimpanzee.
"Alan. Urko is not your fault. Wanda is not your fault. Pete makes his choices just as you do. He wanted to help. You wanted to help. You arrived at the same place from different directions. Perhaps you simply need to put the pieces of your maps together more often," Galen's tone was soft. The last thing he wanted was for Alan to think he was casting blame.
The man took a shuttering breath, lowering his eyes to the ground. "Galen, you keep giving me lectures. Are you doing the same with Pete?"
The chimp snorted.
"Twice as many. He only listens half as much."