Chapter Six: Dreams Unraveled
Chapter Six: Dreams Unraveled

Buddi closed his eyes and Ursa dumped another bucket of warm water over his head. The blood ran off in small rushes, trailing down his bare body. It stung but Buddi tolerated it. He knew it would hurt. So he gritted his teeth and took it. Ursa gave him fair warning when to close his eyes and she tried to be gentle.

"I know it hurts, Buddi." She stated as she wiped some blood off his arms with a washcloth. "But I have to be able to see the wounds before Grubbi or I can help heal them."

Buddi winced, as she wiped over a gash in his left arm. "I…I know Ursa. Are we done yet?"

Ursa smiled. "Almost. Just a few more should do it. Close your eyes."

Buddi complied and Ursa poured another bucket of water over his head. Blood flowed down his body again but in lesser amounts. Ursa repeated the process until clear water flowed down his arms. When that occurred, she reached for a warm towel and grabbed Buddi in it. Wrapping it around him, she stood and rinsed the tub out. It was stained with blood. Seeing that and knowing all that blood came from her small cub, an undersized child, made her sick to her stomach with worry and anger.

She walked towards the infirmary, Buddi cradled in her arms, perched on her hip. Buddi was breathing hard, evidence of blood loss and his face was a shade lighter than normal. But Ursa knew that he had not lost enough to be life threatening. But he was considerably weaker. He laid his head against her chest and closed his eyes.

Ursa smiled and ran her fingers through his wet hair. He, in response, leaned deeper into her side. She opened the door to the quarters of medicine and placed the cub on an examination table. Grubbi came in shortly after.

"Ouch," he winced himself as he examined Buddi's wounds. There were so many! Buddi tried to keep still but it hurt. He was squirming. Grubbi gestured Ursa over. She nodded, sat on the tabletop and pulled Buddi into her lap. Her strength held the fidgeting cub still as Grubbi examined the major wounds. Buddi didn't cry or shout in pain. However, he did grit his teeth tightly, to suppress the pain.

When Grubbi stopped, he smiled at the cub and patted one of his cheeks. Then, he turned to Ursa. The adults spoke in Barbic, which Buddi could follow but they were using words Buddi didn't understand. He heard the regret in Ursa's voice and her hesitation but she nodded. Buddi swallowed, hard. He didn't like Ursa's hesitation. He looked up at her.

Ursa gazed down at the tiny child with a small smile. Buddi didn't buy it. He knew something was wrong and the shimmer in his eyes told Ursa that. With a sigh, she said,

"Buddi…you have too many wounds. We can't clean them individually. We have to do them all at once. So, we're going to give you a bath in those cleaning herbs. Then-"

Buddi interrupted her. "NO! Gum, Ursa those herbs sting!"

Ursa bit her lower lip. She knew he'd protest. She said to him in her stern voice,

"You're getting it, Buddi. We have to clean those cuts and wounds. That's the fastest way. You can comply or not but either way you're getting it."

Buddi's face fell. Ursa's voice softened.

"Buddi…I know they sting. They're supposed to sting. It lets us know they work. Grubbi originally said he'd do it alone. But-" she added, seeing the cub's horrified face, "I convinced him to let me stay with you. We'll try to be fast alright?"

Buddi nodded, his eyes wet. Ursa picked him up and carried him into the adjourning bathroom. Grubbi poured some herbs into the water, which turned a pale blue tint. Buddi tightened his grip on Ursa's neck. Ursa gestured to Grubbi. The elder Gummi nodded and plucked the cub from Ursa's arms.

Buddi squeezed his eyes shut and Grubbi felt his muscles tighten and condense. He hated doing this but honestly saw no alternative. He nodded for Ursa to stick close and gently lowered the cub into the waters.

The cub's scream nearly burst his eardrums.

"NO! OW! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! MAKE IT STOP!"

Ursa swiftly grabbed the child in a hug and put one hand to the back of his head, on his soft spot. She moved her fingers gently in a massage. It helped a bit but she could still hear her child's screams and shouts of pain. It ripped her heart open. She kept massaging as it seemed to help but she still longed to be able to take the pain for him.

"Hang in there, kid," Grubbi said gently as he started to wipe down the wounds.

The child's screams did not cease. To Buddi, his body was being scalded with fire and ash. He had never been in so much pain. Tears were flowing freely down his cheeks. Granted, Ursa's massage helped a bit but it still hurt. The time dragged on for Buddi. It only took about ten minutes but to Buddi, it felt like ten years.

But when Ursa finally lifted him out, he clutched her tight and whimpered like a baby. She normally would have reprimanded such behavior but he was hurt and she knew how much those herbs stung, even on a small cut. But still, that was how they determined if they worked.

"Ursa!" the cub wailed as Ursa carried him back into the main chamber of the sanitarium, clutching her around the neck, "make it stop! It stings!"

Ursa squeezed him gently.

"I know Buddi. But that's how we tell if it works. We can patch you up now. Just hang in there. The pain will dull and then disappear, I promise."

Buddi nodded and tried to bite down the pain. Ursa smiled and fingered his hair as she sta him down. She gestured Grubbi over. He brought salves, ointments, and bindings over. He handed a few to ursa and then sat to work on the cub's frontal wounds while Ursa concentrated on the back.

Grubbi finished swiftly, being more experienced. Ursa had done her share of wound dressing as the cub had grown but these were profuse! Ursa noted Grubbi was finished, so she pressed Buddi down onto his stomach, making the wounds on his legs easier to reach. He had several minor wounds that would heal practically by morning

The few that were major were not life threatening.

As Ursa tied the last dressing, she pulled the cub up. She motioned for Grubbi to bring her something. The next thing Buddi knew, he was being dressed into his nightclothes, as if he were five again. But every movement hurt so he did not mind as much. But that did not mean that he didn't blush.

Buddi looked a Ursa. He tried to tell her what he saw but she put a finger over his lips and plucked him up to set him back down on one of the few beds they had in sickbay. Buddi's first impulse was to try and get up. But the mattress sank under his weight, like sand. The pillow caved in under his small head. Ursa pulled the sheets tight around him, saying,

"Rest Buddi. You lost a lot of blood. Rest and we'll talk later."

Buddi's eyes gave her a simple request. She smiled and with a nod, said,

"I won't leave, Buddi. I'll be right here when you wake up."

The cub started to protest, when Grubbi held a handful of broken stems under his nose. The child's vision slowly blurred. Then, sleep overwhelmed him and he dreamed.

* * *

Ashes, fire, smoke.

Trees, falling growing.

Darkness and red.

Darkness and red.

Smoke and blood.

Smoke and blood.

Blood, blood, and more blood.

"Evil comes again…"

Buddi screamed and sat straight up. Ursa, true to her word, was right by him and gathered him into her warm arms. He climbed into her lap, trembling. She asked,

"That dream again, Buddi?"

He nodded.

Ursa slowly stood up, Buddi still cradled in her arms. She walked out into the hall and down towards the main chamber. Buddi looked at her. She sighed,

"The others have been having the same dreams Buddi, although less clear. I have an announcement I need to make to all you."

Buddi just nodded and waited until they came into the room before looking up.

Ursa said swiftly, without preamble.

"We have to take action. So many dreams, so similar may be a coincidence but I cannot take the risk that they aren't. Gritty, Mari, Lundi, you go with me. Grubbi, until we get back, you lead."

Buddi tugged her sleeve.

"What about me?"

Ursa hated herself for what she was about to say but she had to say it.

"You come with us, Buddi."

Gritty caught on. "Ursa, you don't think…"

She nodded. "We have to trail this problem back to its source, the place Buddi knows inside out.

Everyone paused and only Buddi could say it,

"Home, we're going back where Barbic Woods was."