::Chapter Two::
"I'm so sorry, Dive."
Wildwing whispered, still beside his littler brother's side, which he hadn't budged from for the past seven hours since they'd arrived back at the Pond. Tanya had immediately begun checking their youngest member out once they had gotten him into the infirmary and onto one of the beds. She had Wildwing pull off Nosedive's upper armor in order to check out his chest as she pulled off his boots. His right ankle already had a large, dark bruise showing easily through his feathers. Once she was sure it wasn't broken she began wrapping it with a large bandage. Wildwing had glanced down as he was laying his brother's upper armor to the side; seeing the bruised ankle sent a sharp feeling of anger pulsing through his body and he found himself clenching his fists. How could he have let this happen? He should have made sure his brother had been right beside him . . . how could he have left him on his own . . . with Siege no less? Tanya, moving closer to him in order to check out Nosedive's chest and abdomen, shook him away from his thoughts, momentarily at least.
"How is he?"
"Well, uh, certainly not his best, that's for sure."
The bespectacled duck began. She had Wildwing prop Nosedive up a little so that she could bandage most of his chest as she continued addressing his question.
"But, overall, I think he'll be okay. Nosedive, you know, he always bounces back pretty fast. Eh, but he wont be bouncing around for a few days with his ankle in that shape, of course. And he's got a few broken ribs, not to mention his entire torso being about as bruised as it could get."
The words, she could tell, visibly affected Wildwing who let out a low sigh.
"Thanks Tanya. Why don't you get some sleep, I'll watch him."
"Wildwing, are you sure? You haven't left his side since we got back. One of the others or myself will gladly watch Nosedive for a few hours."
She knew that what she was saying was pointless, in fact she probably would have had more success with a brick wall, but she attempted to persuade him nonetheless. He shook his head as she expected, promptly sitting back down in the chair he'd spent a few hours on already. Giving a last once over of Nosedive, Tanya quietly made her way out of the infirmary for the night. Wildwing edged the chair closer to his brother, slipping his much larger hand tightly around his brother's limp one.
"Dive, can you hear me? Please wake up soon. I'm so sorry, baby bro . . . I should have been there to watch you, to protect you."
Wildwing sighed again, his thoughts tearing him up inside. Was this all his fault? His brother was so much younger than all of them, just a teenager whereas the rest of them were in their twenties and thirties. He realized that they all put a lot more responsibility on him then he deserved, and though he acted his age, he did always pull through for them. Always worked hard at practice, never missing a game, giving it his all no matter how tired he might be. He might be impulsive and had risked his neck a few more times than Wildwing cared to think about, but Nosedive also had incredibly quick reflexes and a sharp mind to boot. Perhaps that's why it had never occurred to Wildwing that his brother was so much more different than the rest of them, and how differently their situation affected him. He was just a kid, still was a kid really, when the Saurians invaded Puckworld and took over. Wildwing swallowed hard as he reflected back on those few harsh months during which he and Dive had been in the camps. He thanked the stars that he and his brother hadn't been separated or that one or the other hadn't experienced the same fate as their parents.
Wildwing closed his eyes tightly for a moment. He had never told Nosedive, who had stubbornly held onto the belief that their parents were most likely in another camp, but he knew for a fact that their parents were gone. The house, their neighborhood, had been one of the first things demolished, and some close friends of the family had told him that their parents had been killed early on in the invasion. No way he could, or would ever tell his baby brother that. He'd seen too many other people change so drastically when such a tragedy came upon them. And he couldn't bear the thought of his brother never having that youthful energy, that optimistic outlook on life, ever again. There was no way in Puckworld that he would have left his brother behind either, like Canard had wanted when his friend had found the two of them a few months later in the camps. The safest place for Nosedive was being alongside his brother, nowhere else. Nosedive had no one else, and Wildwing would never be able to make sure that his brother was safe unless he was with him. Canard had understood that of course, but he also didn't want to risk being responsible for a child, nor the possibility of the kid actually dying. Wildwing would have never forgiven his best friend if something like that happened, but Canard knew that he'd never be able to part the two brothers, and in the end, he really didn't want to.
Wildwing yawned tiredly, trying to force his eyes to stay open and focused on his brother. He couldn't fall asleep, not just now. What if Dive woke up, needed him? He had to keep alert. Of course his body had other plans, and despite a few more minutes of struggling, sleep finally consumed the leader of the Mighty Ducks.
"I'm so sorry, Dive."
Wildwing whispered, still beside his littler brother's side, which he hadn't budged from for the past seven hours since they'd arrived back at the Pond. Tanya had immediately begun checking their youngest member out once they had gotten him into the infirmary and onto one of the beds. She had Wildwing pull off Nosedive's upper armor in order to check out his chest as she pulled off his boots. His right ankle already had a large, dark bruise showing easily through his feathers. Once she was sure it wasn't broken she began wrapping it with a large bandage. Wildwing had glanced down as he was laying his brother's upper armor to the side; seeing the bruised ankle sent a sharp feeling of anger pulsing through his body and he found himself clenching his fists. How could he have let this happen? He should have made sure his brother had been right beside him . . . how could he have left him on his own . . . with Siege no less? Tanya, moving closer to him in order to check out Nosedive's chest and abdomen, shook him away from his thoughts, momentarily at least.
"How is he?"
"Well, uh, certainly not his best, that's for sure."
The bespectacled duck began. She had Wildwing prop Nosedive up a little so that she could bandage most of his chest as she continued addressing his question.
"But, overall, I think he'll be okay. Nosedive, you know, he always bounces back pretty fast. Eh, but he wont be bouncing around for a few days with his ankle in that shape, of course. And he's got a few broken ribs, not to mention his entire torso being about as bruised as it could get."
The words, she could tell, visibly affected Wildwing who let out a low sigh.
"Thanks Tanya. Why don't you get some sleep, I'll watch him."
"Wildwing, are you sure? You haven't left his side since we got back. One of the others or myself will gladly watch Nosedive for a few hours."
She knew that what she was saying was pointless, in fact she probably would have had more success with a brick wall, but she attempted to persuade him nonetheless. He shook his head as she expected, promptly sitting back down in the chair he'd spent a few hours on already. Giving a last once over of Nosedive, Tanya quietly made her way out of the infirmary for the night. Wildwing edged the chair closer to his brother, slipping his much larger hand tightly around his brother's limp one.
"Dive, can you hear me? Please wake up soon. I'm so sorry, baby bro . . . I should have been there to watch you, to protect you."
Wildwing sighed again, his thoughts tearing him up inside. Was this all his fault? His brother was so much younger than all of them, just a teenager whereas the rest of them were in their twenties and thirties. He realized that they all put a lot more responsibility on him then he deserved, and though he acted his age, he did always pull through for them. Always worked hard at practice, never missing a game, giving it his all no matter how tired he might be. He might be impulsive and had risked his neck a few more times than Wildwing cared to think about, but Nosedive also had incredibly quick reflexes and a sharp mind to boot. Perhaps that's why it had never occurred to Wildwing that his brother was so much more different than the rest of them, and how differently their situation affected him. He was just a kid, still was a kid really, when the Saurians invaded Puckworld and took over. Wildwing swallowed hard as he reflected back on those few harsh months during which he and Dive had been in the camps. He thanked the stars that he and his brother hadn't been separated or that one or the other hadn't experienced the same fate as their parents.
Wildwing closed his eyes tightly for a moment. He had never told Nosedive, who had stubbornly held onto the belief that their parents were most likely in another camp, but he knew for a fact that their parents were gone. The house, their neighborhood, had been one of the first things demolished, and some close friends of the family had told him that their parents had been killed early on in the invasion. No way he could, or would ever tell his baby brother that. He'd seen too many other people change so drastically when such a tragedy came upon them. And he couldn't bear the thought of his brother never having that youthful energy, that optimistic outlook on life, ever again. There was no way in Puckworld that he would have left his brother behind either, like Canard had wanted when his friend had found the two of them a few months later in the camps. The safest place for Nosedive was being alongside his brother, nowhere else. Nosedive had no one else, and Wildwing would never be able to make sure that his brother was safe unless he was with him. Canard had understood that of course, but he also didn't want to risk being responsible for a child, nor the possibility of the kid actually dying. Wildwing would have never forgiven his best friend if something like that happened, but Canard knew that he'd never be able to part the two brothers, and in the end, he really didn't want to.
Wildwing yawned tiredly, trying to force his eyes to stay open and focused on his brother. He couldn't fall asleep, not just now. What if Dive woke up, needed him? He had to keep alert. Of course his body had other plans, and despite a few more minutes of struggling, sleep finally consumed the leader of the Mighty Ducks.