Here's chapter 71

As always the standard disclaimer applies: I do not own the Happy Tree Friends; they are the property of Mondo Media. I own only my own characters and this story.

71 – A CALMING PRESENCE

Lifty was transported to the main Animal Hospital on the second level of the Animal quarter of Metramegopolis. There he was put to bed in a private room and only Shifty was permitted to stay by his side. He was still unconscious but was also given a sedative so as to sleep better and ease the transition when he woke up. The attending doctor predicted that he would remain out of it through the night and would wake up with a beauty of a headache some time the next day.

Shifty fell asleep in a chair near Lifty's bed. When he woke up it was early morning. The sun was coming in through the window, bathing the room in a warm yellow light. Standing by the bed looking at Lifty with interest was a monkey dressed in a robe.

"Good morning" said the monkey noticing that Shifty was awake.

"Who are you?" asked Shifty. The monkey shrugged.

"My name is not important" he said, "but you can call me "the Buddhist Monkey." Most people do."

"Are you a Buddhist?" asked Shifty

"Certainly" said the Buddhist Monkey. Shifty looked at him with greater interest. He'd never met a Buddhist before, or a member of any religion for that matter. Most of the organized religions of the past had died out during the Before Times. Buddhism was one of the only ones that still survived, largely because it was more adaptable to a world where death was so common.

"What are you doing here?" Shifty asked.

"I'm your host" said the Buddhist Monkey quietly.

"Is that so?" said Shifty looking at him quizzically.

"Really. I was asked to watch over you while you're here. And" he went on, gesturing at Lifty, "I may also be able to help this one."

"Really?" said Shifty looking at the Buddhist Monkey doubtfully.

"Indeed" said the Buddhist Monkey, "it's a matter of calming his excited state. I know a technique that will ensure he awakens in a relaxed frame of mind. This will help him regain his control."

"Then do it" said Shifty.

"You must leave the room" said the Buddhist Monkey, "it's best that upon waking he not immediately see an object of his anger. Wait outside until I call you. Do not knock to see how I'm getting on with things."

"Are you sure?" asked Shifty.

"Very" said the Buddhist Monkey and there was something in his manner that would not be contradicted. To his own surprise Shifty left the room and sat outside in the hallway to wait.

A long time passed while Shifty sat outside Lifty's room. The Buddhist Monkey had closed the door after Shifty left and, try as he might, Shifty could hear nothing of what was going on inside. But he didn't knock. Although on the surface the Buddhist Monkey seemed like an innocuous, even strange character not quite of this earth, there was something about him that carried a lot of weight and which Shifty instinctively felt would be very bad to cross.

After he'd been sitting outside the room for a half an hour or so Shifty saw Toothy approaching him. The beaver walked with a purposeful stride which said quite clearly that he wasn't making a social call.

"Hello Shifty" said Toothy coming up to the raccoon, "how are things?"

"I have no idea" said Shifty.

"The Buddhist Monkey is still inside with your brother?" asked Toothy which startled Shifty.

"How did you know that?" he said.

"You forget" Toothy said to Shifty with a grim smile, "that I'm the leader of the animal community in this city. There's very little that goes on around here that I don't know about. I asked the Buddhist Monkey to be your host. Now he wants to see me. Excuse me." Toothy went past Shifty to the door into Lifty's room. Shifty got ready to follow him but Toothy raised a paw in warning.

"Not yet" was all Toothy said but it was enough. Shifty sat back down while Toothy went into the room and shut the door behind himself.

It seemed to Shifty that ages passed while he sat there waiting, waiting, waiting, and still waiting. At last the door opened and Toothy came out followed by the Buddhist Monkey. Shifty got to his feet.

"Well?" he asked Toothy but the beaver said nothing, merely smiled at Shifty, motioned toward the Buddhist Monkey, and walked away. The Buddhist Monkey, who was also smiling, gestured for Shifty to approach.

"Go in" he said to the raccoon. He stood aside to let Shifty enter the room and shut the door behind the raccoon without following him back inside.

Shifty found Lifty sitting up in bed looking out the window. The view outside showed a long flat plains that stretched on and on to the east as far as the eye could see with no hills or mountains to be seen anywhere.

"Lifty" said Shifty. Lifty didn't turn from the window.

"Look at that view" said Lifty pointing out the window, "have you ever seen anything like it? No hills, no trees, just grass everywhere. That's so different from where we live."

"That's true" said Shifty quietly.

"And they say that even further west of here there are huge mountains like nothing we've ever seen; big, rocky, tree covered, and snow-topped mountains. They must be magnificent!"

Shifty didn't know what to say to that so he remained silent. Lifty turned away from the window and looked at his brother. He was smiling in a dreamy way.

"Just think" he said, "when we leave here we'll have to go to those mountains."

"We will?" said Shifty startled by what Lifty was saying. Lifty nodded.

"The Marauder army is far to the west even now," he said "far, far back in the mountains. They're travelling slowly. They won't come out of the mountains for quite a while yet."

"Good" said Shifty, "there'll be better hiding places in the mountain country than there would be out there in that flat land." Lifty nodded.

"We should make out okay" he said, "we're usually good at hiding."

Shifty looked sharply at his brother. He had an urge to say "Who are you? And what have you done with Lifty?" But instead he said "you don't mind going now?"

"I still mind" Lifty said, shaking his head, "but not like before. No, not at all like before."

"What did that monkey do to you?" asked Shifty looking hard at Lifty. Lifty didn't look away.

"I don't know exactly" the younger raccoon said, "I seemed to come around very slowly. He was talking to me; he was already at it before I woke up; even when I was still asleep I could hear him. It was the most soothing thing I've ever heard, like he was taking control of my consciousness and relaxing it – that must sound really strange but I don't know how else to describe it. Whatever it was he did I hope he teaches me how to do it to myself when we get back. I haven't felt this calm in a long time."

"What did Toothy want?" said Shifty.

"Toothy? Was he here too? Oh yes, I remember him standing in the corner watching. He talked to the Buddhist Monkey a bit but I couldn't hear much of what they said. I think he was asking if I would be all right."

"Which is what I want to know" said Shifty.

"I'm fine" said Lifty, "never better."

"I'm sorry I got you into this" said Shifty.

"Never mind that" said Lifty, "we're here, so let's get on with it."

"If that Buddhist Monkey managed to help you this much I think I'm going ask him to teach me a few things too" said Shifty looking at his brother with wonder. Lifty laughed and reached towards Shifty. The two brothers embraced.

(To Be Continued)