The Story of a Lonely Wolf Chapter 10: A Pack Reunited
"Just pull up here," Hige said as he told Cassi where to go.
"Stop here?" Cassi asked and looked around. "Why here, there isn't anything here except some old buildings."
"Well, my friend is over here somewhere," Hige replied looking around, trying to remember which building Kiba and Toboe were hiding in.
"You're not in a house?"
"No… not really," Hige replied.
"Oh I see," Cassi said in a sad quiet voice.
"Hey, don't worry, we'll be fine," Hige said with a smile as he got out.
"Well ok… but I really don't like this. I mean look how high the snow has gotten, and how much colder it is. Your friend could get very sick out here," Cassi said.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Hige replied.
"Ok… but if he really gets bad bring him by. I don't have any problem with you coming over and I'm sure Josh would be happy to have you back," Cassi said.
"Ok, thanks I'll keep that in mind," Hige replied.
"I really don't think that will be necessary," a man said as he came up behind Hige.
"Uh…." Hige said and turned around fast, "Oh Tsume, it's you. You scared me there for a minute," Hige replied with a nervous laugh.
"Yeah I bet…" Tsume replied in an annoyed voice.
"Cassi, this is Tsume…. He's ummmm…. Well, he's not a friend…. But he hangs around with us so…. Ummm…. yeah…." Hige said trying to think of the right thing to say. He didn't want to sound weird, but he didn't want to make Tsume angry by saying the wrong thing.
"Oh really, that's interesting," Cassi said with a little laugh.
"So where's the Runt?" Tsume asked.
"Now that's not nice," Cassi said.
"What's not?" Hige asked.
"Calling him a name like that," Cassi replied.
"Why? We do it all the time," Hige said.
"Well I think…" Cassi began then was cut of by Tsume.
"Who the hell cares what you think? It's none of your damn business."
"Hey now, you don't have to be like that," Hige said to Tsume.
"I can do whatever I want," Tsume replied.
"Yeah, that's the problem," Hige snapped back, "You think you can do whatever you want when you really can't."
"What'd you say?" Tsume replied angrily.
"Boys, boys, calm down," Cassi said about ready to get out of the car. "I'm sure you don't need to fight about a little thing like this."
"You're right," Tsume snapped angrily. "It's a waste of my time to fight someone like him. I'd have him down screaming like a baby within the first two minutes."
"Yeah right…" Hige replied.
"Come on now, you're acting like children," Cassi said.
"It's Porky here who's acting like a kid," Tsume replied.
"You both are…." Cassi said as she raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, yeah we get ya," Hige said. "We'll be good… maybe….I guess… anyway…"
"Maybe…" Cassi replied, "No one likes a maybe."
"I like it just fine," Tsume said.
"I bet you do…" Cassi said under her breath.
"Yeah…" Tsume said with a bit of a growl as his eyebrow twitched. He could hear whatever Hige and Cassi said under their breath.
Oh man, he's really pissed off now, Hige thought to himself as he saw the look in Tsume's eyes. Hmmm…. I don't think he'd do anything but I'd better make Cassi leave just to be safe.
"What? You got a problem?" Tsume snapped as he saw Hige staring at him.
"Uhhh…. No, not really…" Hige said in his usual tone. He was trying his best to get Tsume to calm down a little. "Wow…" he said looking in the window and seeing the clock in Cassi's car, "Hey, it's getting kinda late don't you think…. Maybe you should get going. I'm sure Josh is wondering where you are."
"Uhhh?" she replied and looked down at the clock, "Oh my gosh yes, I can't believe how late it is. It's almost 11 o'clock."
"Yeah…." Hige replied with the best smile he could come up with.
"Well I better go, see you around, and don't forget to bring your friend by if he needs it," Cassi said as she put her car in reverse.
"I won't, don't worry…. see you later…." Hige said and waved as Tsume just gave a look of disgust. "What?" Hige asked as he turned and looked at Tsume after Cassi's car was on longer in view.
"I can't believe you went with that human like that," Tsume replied.
"Yeah well, at lest I got what Kiba wanted, geez you don't have to bite my head off about it."
"Yeah…." Tsume replied still in his pissed off voice, "So where's Kiba and the kid anyway?"
"I dunno. They're in one of these buildings…" Hige replied as he put the bag down for a moment and put his hands in his pockets.
"Great…." Tsume said with a look of annoyance on his face, "Porky doesn't even know where they are…"
"Hey, they are on this street somewhere. Come on, it's no big deal, I'll just follow my nose," Hige replied and sniffed the air and picked the bag back up, "There see, I told you. They are right down this way. Mmmmm… that sure smells good," Hige said as he sniffed in the bag as well as the air. "I worked hard tonight. It wouldn't hurt for me to have a bite," Hige said and pulled some bread out of the bag.
"Hmmmm…" Tsume let out a noise that let Hige know he was very annoyed. "Just find the kid. I'm getting really tired of looking for him."
"You were looking for him?" Hige asked with a mouth full of food, "Wow Tsume, I'm impressed. I never thought you cared."
"I don't care," Tsume snapped back, "It's just his howls for help were getting very annoying. I just wanted to put a stop to it, that's all."
"Uh huh… come on, they weren't that loud. Kiba and I didn't even hear him, we smelled him," Hige replied.
"Whatever, I really don't care," Tsume replied as they walked down the street.
"Sure…." Hige replied with a bit of a sigh. "Hey look, I see Kiba," Hige said and pointed to Kiba who was standing outside once again.
"Hey, what took you so long?" Kiba asked in his usual clam voice as he walked over to them.
"Well, I had to do some things to get these, here," Hige replied and handed Kiba the bag.
"I see…" Kiba replied as he took the bag.
"What he means is, he forgot where you were," Tsume replied.
"Uhhh…. Yeah, I guess I did…" Hige said rubbing the back of his head.
"Well at least you got the stuff. Toboe really needs it," Kiba said and turned to walk back to the building that Toboe was in.
"Yeah…" Hige replied with a bit of a smile and put his hands in his pockets again and followed Kiba. "How is he anyway?"
"Not to good," Kiba replied as he got on his hands and knees so he could crawl into the hole and back to where Toboe was.
"Well yeah, I knew that already…. You could tell that just by looking at him," Hige replied as he and Tsume followed Kiba.
"He has lost a lot more blood and has a very high fever. I'm a little afraid he won't make it…" Kiba said.
"What the hell are you worried for? Of course he'll make it," Tsume replied.
"Let's hope," Hige replied. "Where is he, Kiba? I don't remember having to crawl back this far last time."
"Not too far. I moved him to the back so it would keep him just a little warmer."
"Oh I get it, good idea, I guess..." Hige replied.
"This is ridiculous," Tsume said as he crawled through the dirty, spider web filled, building. "Why the hell did you leave him down here? There's so much dirt and crap he's bound to get an infection."
"I know that, but he would have frozen to death outside," Kiba replied.
"Yeah, Tsume and we have medicine to help if he gets any infections remember?" Hige added.
"There he is," Kiba said as he let his barrier down so he looked like a wolf.
"Man, he looks a lot worse," Hige replied as he and Tsume let their barriers down as well.
"Yeah, that's because he got shot…." Tsume replied in his annoyed voice.
"I can see that…" Hige said as they watched Kiba begin cleaning Toboe's wounds.
"Let's just hope this helps…" Kiba replied as he continued cleaning and wrapping Toboe's wounds. "Man, why is there so many empty wrappers in here? Did she give you her garbage bag?"
"No, it was full of food until Porky had a picnic," Tsume replied.
"Hey, I was hungry, ok?" Hige snapped back.
"Stop it you two, this is no time to fight…" Kiba said as he watched Toboe gasp for air.
"Why is he making those noises?" Hige asked.
"Because he was shot in the chest. The bullet probably ripped a hole in his lung and it's filling up with blood making it hard for him to breathe," Tsume replied.
"Do you think he'll make it? That sounds really bad," Hige said.
"It is…" Kiba replied, "He looks very grave right now. We've helped him all we could. Now we just have to do our best to keep him warm and change his bandages when needed."
"And keep his fever down," Tsume added.
"Yeah that too," Kiba replied.
