::Chapter Three::
"Still nothin'?"
Duke questioned as he entered the infirmary with two cups of coffee. Wildwing awoke with a start, immediately berating himself for having fallen asleep. Quickly he glanced at his brother, sighing inwardly when it looked like nothing had changed. Without really paying attention he took one of the cups of coffee that Duke offered him silently. He looked down at the swirls of steam coming from the mug.
"Thanks, Duke."
He said quietly, letting the cup sit and warm his hands.
"No problem."
Duke paused to sip his drink for a moment.
"You can't start, or continue rather, to blame yourself ya know."
Wildwing remained quiet, which the gray duck had expected. He grabbed a nearby chair and set it next to Wildwing.
"Come on, Wildwing. You know it, and I know it. You're not going to always be able to watch Nosedive 24/7, there's nothing wrong with that. He's young, he's smart, and he can take care of himself.for the most part. He needs you, that's what's important, but you can't expect to be able to keep an eye on him all the time, every single day."
"But I took him away from our planet. How could I do that? Look at all we, he, has had to endure here. Sure, this planet isn't all that bad, I rather like it.but it's not Puckworld, it's not home. Things are most likely okay back there, and Nosedive could be leading a normal life right now, instead of being stuck here with us."
The tone in Duke's voice grew a little firmer in response.
"Look, Wildwing, you know as well as I do that that just ain't true. In the first place, there's no way you would have left your brother there, who knows what could have happened to him, regardless of whether Puckworld is back to normal or not? And secondly, there's no way he would have left your side either, whether you had wanted him to or not. The kid adores you, idolizes you, that's easiest enough to see. If he doesn't listen to us, he'll always listen to you. He's always seeking your approval, and he's practically crestfallen whenever he ends up disappointing you. And we all know how much you love Nosedive, and that you'd do anything to protect him and keep him safe. You and I both know that the safest place for him is to be with you, to be right here with you now."
Duke paused for a moment, taking in a few more sips of coffee and allowing the younger duck some time to think.
Wildwing sighed inwardly. He knew Duke was right, he'd come to the same conclusion himself a little earlier. The two of them just couldn't be apart; it just didn't feel right to have one without the other. Nosedive needed Wildwing around just as much as he needed Nosedive. Dive was always so cheerful, always brightening the mood whenever Wildwing fell too deeply into thoughts and worries. He was goofy, lighthearted, and was a constant reminder to Wildwing that he was loved and that he also had someone that needed him. For Nosedive, he didn't know what he'd ever do without his big brother, and he never wanted to find out. His brother was always there to look after him, to keep him out of trouble, for the most part, and to be the constant presence of common sense that Nosedive needed to hear every now and again. Wildwing finally sipped a bit of his now lukewarm coffee. At first he had thought that maybe he should just have Dive play hockey and nothing else, no more helping them against Dragaunus. But even as he'd thought about it, he knew it was one of the stupidest ideas he'd ever had. They needed him, and more importantly, he knew there was no way that his little brother would ever forgive him if he tried to do that. But, Wildwing sighed. But, he couldn't deal with this happening, with the possibility of Nosedive being hurt again . . . or worse. Was there nothing he could do about it?
"I know what you're thinking."
Duke finally said as Wildwing pulled away from his thoughts to glance at his brother. The older mallard had been studying Wildwing as he had become lost deep in thought. Wildwing glanced up at him,
"Which is?"
Duke smiled.
"Wonderin' whether it'd be possible to prevent this from ever happening again."
He paused a moment, Wildwing's silence confirming that he'd been correct in his thoughts.
"I understand Wildwing. How you wish you could be in control of everything when it comes to your brother. But it's just not possible, ya know? Unfortunately, bad things are going to happen some of the time. The best thing you can do, which you've always been doing anyway, is to look out for him. There's really nothing more you can do . . . . You two, you two really have somethin' great. Somethin' I've never really seen before, even with how tight I was with some ducks in the Brotherhood of the Blade. This far surpasses anything I've felt or seen."
Wildwing stared at him quizzically.
"What do you mean, Duke?"
Duke smiled, chuckling inwardly a little. He was amazed that, as smart and alert Wildwing seemed to be, how oblivious he could be to something that was so easy for others to see.
"Love, Wildwing; brotherly love. I mean, you and Nosedive have it spades my friend. I've never seen anyone, on Puckworld or here so close, to friends, a sibling, anyone, as much as you and your brother are to each other."
He leaned forward in the chair, momentarily laying his hand on Wildwing's shoulder.
"And I know that that'll never change, ever. No matter how many bad things happen, what you two have will never fade, trust me."
With that he rose from the chair, taking the still pretty much full cup of coffee from Wildwing's hand and heading out of the room without another word.
"Still nothin'?"
Duke questioned as he entered the infirmary with two cups of coffee. Wildwing awoke with a start, immediately berating himself for having fallen asleep. Quickly he glanced at his brother, sighing inwardly when it looked like nothing had changed. Without really paying attention he took one of the cups of coffee that Duke offered him silently. He looked down at the swirls of steam coming from the mug.
"Thanks, Duke."
He said quietly, letting the cup sit and warm his hands.
"No problem."
Duke paused to sip his drink for a moment.
"You can't start, or continue rather, to blame yourself ya know."
Wildwing remained quiet, which the gray duck had expected. He grabbed a nearby chair and set it next to Wildwing.
"Come on, Wildwing. You know it, and I know it. You're not going to always be able to watch Nosedive 24/7, there's nothing wrong with that. He's young, he's smart, and he can take care of himself.for the most part. He needs you, that's what's important, but you can't expect to be able to keep an eye on him all the time, every single day."
"But I took him away from our planet. How could I do that? Look at all we, he, has had to endure here. Sure, this planet isn't all that bad, I rather like it.but it's not Puckworld, it's not home. Things are most likely okay back there, and Nosedive could be leading a normal life right now, instead of being stuck here with us."
The tone in Duke's voice grew a little firmer in response.
"Look, Wildwing, you know as well as I do that that just ain't true. In the first place, there's no way you would have left your brother there, who knows what could have happened to him, regardless of whether Puckworld is back to normal or not? And secondly, there's no way he would have left your side either, whether you had wanted him to or not. The kid adores you, idolizes you, that's easiest enough to see. If he doesn't listen to us, he'll always listen to you. He's always seeking your approval, and he's practically crestfallen whenever he ends up disappointing you. And we all know how much you love Nosedive, and that you'd do anything to protect him and keep him safe. You and I both know that the safest place for him is to be with you, to be right here with you now."
Duke paused for a moment, taking in a few more sips of coffee and allowing the younger duck some time to think.
Wildwing sighed inwardly. He knew Duke was right, he'd come to the same conclusion himself a little earlier. The two of them just couldn't be apart; it just didn't feel right to have one without the other. Nosedive needed Wildwing around just as much as he needed Nosedive. Dive was always so cheerful, always brightening the mood whenever Wildwing fell too deeply into thoughts and worries. He was goofy, lighthearted, and was a constant reminder to Wildwing that he was loved and that he also had someone that needed him. For Nosedive, he didn't know what he'd ever do without his big brother, and he never wanted to find out. His brother was always there to look after him, to keep him out of trouble, for the most part, and to be the constant presence of common sense that Nosedive needed to hear every now and again. Wildwing finally sipped a bit of his now lukewarm coffee. At first he had thought that maybe he should just have Dive play hockey and nothing else, no more helping them against Dragaunus. But even as he'd thought about it, he knew it was one of the stupidest ideas he'd ever had. They needed him, and more importantly, he knew there was no way that his little brother would ever forgive him if he tried to do that. But, Wildwing sighed. But, he couldn't deal with this happening, with the possibility of Nosedive being hurt again . . . or worse. Was there nothing he could do about it?
"I know what you're thinking."
Duke finally said as Wildwing pulled away from his thoughts to glance at his brother. The older mallard had been studying Wildwing as he had become lost deep in thought. Wildwing glanced up at him,
"Which is?"
Duke smiled.
"Wonderin' whether it'd be possible to prevent this from ever happening again."
He paused a moment, Wildwing's silence confirming that he'd been correct in his thoughts.
"I understand Wildwing. How you wish you could be in control of everything when it comes to your brother. But it's just not possible, ya know? Unfortunately, bad things are going to happen some of the time. The best thing you can do, which you've always been doing anyway, is to look out for him. There's really nothing more you can do . . . . You two, you two really have somethin' great. Somethin' I've never really seen before, even with how tight I was with some ducks in the Brotherhood of the Blade. This far surpasses anything I've felt or seen."
Wildwing stared at him quizzically.
"What do you mean, Duke?"
Duke smiled, chuckling inwardly a little. He was amazed that, as smart and alert Wildwing seemed to be, how oblivious he could be to something that was so easy for others to see.
"Love, Wildwing; brotherly love. I mean, you and Nosedive have it spades my friend. I've never seen anyone, on Puckworld or here so close, to friends, a sibling, anyone, as much as you and your brother are to each other."
He leaned forward in the chair, momentarily laying his hand on Wildwing's shoulder.
"And I know that that'll never change, ever. No matter how many bad things happen, what you two have will never fade, trust me."
With that he rose from the chair, taking the still pretty much full cup of coffee from Wildwing's hand and heading out of the room without another word.