The Story of a Lonely Wolf Chapter 17: A Talk Between Two Wolves
"Tsume," Kiba said as he sat down next to Tsume on the front porch, "Cassi would like to speak to you."
"Why the hell should I care?" Tsume replied he was still thinking about the loss of his old pack.
"She wants to know why you didn't help Josh when he was screaming."
"And what should I say? That I couldn't help him because I was the one attacking him?" Tsume asked annoyed.
"Come on, just make up something," Kiba replied as he looked up at the sky. He couldn't see the moon because of the dome roof.
"Why should I even bother talking to her?" Tsume snapped.
"She's helping Toboe, that's why," Kiba replied in his usual tone, "He would have died already if it wasn't for her."
"He still could die you know. Why should I waste my time talking to her?"
"Why did Josh think you killed his father?" Kiba asked thinking it might be a good idea to get the subject off Toboe.
"Probably because I did," Tsume answered as he stared at the concrete sidewalk.
"What?" Kiba asked now staring at Tsume. His eyes widened at what Tsume had just told him.
"I killed him and I don't give a damn," Tsume replied angrily.
"But why?" Kiba asked.
"It's none of your damn business, and why the hell are you so upset... you've killed before too."
"Only when I was protecting myself," Kiba replied.
"Well I was protecting myself too," Tsume said.
"Are you sure it's the same person… maybe you got Josh's father confused with another man," Kiba said trying to get the truth out of Tsume.
"No it was him... I remember that kid…. and his stench. It's the same sent that idiot had," Tsume said, his eyes still staring down at the sidewalk.
"Is that why you attacked Josh? Because of his father?"
"No, I didn't know they where related until a few minutes ago… I thought I had smelled that sent before. I can't believe I didn't get it until now."
"I see," Kiba replied, "Was he trying to kill you?"
"It was just a big misunderstanding… human idiots… they can't do anything without causing problems," Tsume growled.
"What happened?" Kiba asked again. He was determined to find out what had happened.
"I told you before, it's none of your business!" Tsume snapped.
"Well then if you won't tell me then will you at least go talk to Cassi?"
"I'd rather get shot by that drunken idiot then talk to her," Tsume replied.
"Must have been bad… if you hate her this much…" Kiba said. "She didn't even do anything…. Her husband did, it's wrong. To take it out on her."
"This is why I'm sick of friends…" Tsume growled.
"Huh?" Kiba asked confused. He couldn't really tell if this sudden talk of friends had anything to do with Cassi and her family or not.
"First her damn husband kills them and now Toboe… this family… they just bring death."
"What?" Kiba asked still confused. "But they didn't kill Toboe… they haven't even tried. They've been trying to save him."
"I told myself I should of just left that Runt when I first saved him from that drunk and his dog... but no I came with you and Porky… now the damn Runt is dying… friends aren't worth it," Tsume said.
"Tsume, you're not making and sense," Kiba replied.
"When you get involved with other people... they always die… that's why it's better to be alone. Friends are just a waste of time and effort," Tsume said.
"From what you're saying… and by how much you hate this family… they killed someone very close to you, didn't they?" Kiba asked.
"They destroyed my whole pack," Tsume snapped in anger, "There I told you. Are you happy now?"
"No…" Kiba replied as he too was now looking at the sidewalk.
"What?" Tsume asked. He was expecting Kiba to come up with a stupid comeback, but then again, this was Kiba he was talking to not Hige.
"You should never be happy when someone or something is killed," Kiba said with somewhat of a sad look on his face. "Will you go talk to Cassi now? She really wants to talk to you and she is really starting to scare Hige and Josh," Kiba said with a little smile.
"She would," Tsume replied with a little bit of a smile at the thought of Hige being chewed out by Cassi.
"What are you going to tell her?" Kiba asked.
"What if I don't tell her anything?" Tsume replied, "I can just stand in the hall can't I. I can hear what she has to say. Then when she's said whatever crap she wants to say I can leave. That should be enough. Besides she's a human, does she really need a reason?"
"Need a reason?"
"Humans do things without any reason to all the time… so why should I give her a reason?" Tsume asked in his usual tone.
"Excuse me?" a woman in a lab coat asked as she walked up to the two wolves.
"Yes?" Kiba asked and stood up.
"Is this where the injured dog is?"
"Yeah," Tsume replied as he stood up too.
"Good," she replied with a sigh. She was a short woman, brown eyes with glasses and brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. "I thought I was lost for a minute."
"Well you're not," Tsume replied somewhat annoyed.
"He's in here," Kiba said and opened the door to the house and took her down the little hallway to the living room, Tsume following behind them.
"Sara, I'm glad you're here," Drake said with a relived smile on his face.
"He is bad," Sara said as she kneeled down next to Drake and looked at Toboe's neck wound.
"See I told you," Drake replied.
"Alright we should get right to work. I have the supplies in the van. Would you guys please help us and bring it in?" Sara asked looking up at Hige, Kiba, and Tsume.
"Uhhh… sure I guess," Hige replied with a little smile.
"Thank you," Sara replied and led them out to her van.
"No problem," Hige said with a smile as he put his hands in his pockets and followed her back down the hallway. Kiba and Tsume not far behind him. "Sure looks cold out there," Hige said as he came out of the hallway and looked out onto the porch from the window that Cassi and Kiba had looked out earlier to check on Tsume.
"Come on, let's just go and get back here where it's warm," Sara replied as she left the house, the boys following behind her.
"So you're sure this will work?" Cassi asked she seemed to be in a more relaxed mood then before.
"We're hoping," Drake replied with a half smile.
"Don't worry, Mom. It will work," Josh said as he petted Toboe's head.
"Well I'm glad you feel so sure about this," Cassi replied.
"It's just right over here," Sara said as she led the boys a little ways down the street.
"Wow, this sure is a lot of stuff," Hige said when she open the trunk door.
"Yeah, but not all of this is for Toboe," Sara replied as she got some things out of the truck, "We also help out on the streets. If we see a dog or cat get hit by a car or shot we have at least some supplies with us to help it out."
"Is this all you need?" Kiba asked. He was kind of surprised. There really wasn't much to carry. Tsume didn't even have to take anything.
"That's all," she replied with a smile as she locked the van again.
"Really?" Hige asked. He was also surprised. He had a box, probably of tools and Kiba had a black bag, which he could tell was full medicines. He knew because he could hear the glass bottles hitting together inside.
"Shall we go then?" she asked.
"Yeah, it's cold out here," Hige replied, "My nose is freezing. Tsume, how did you stay out here so long?"
"It's easy when you're not a wimp," Tsume replied annoyed. He was in front of everyone else. Sara was a few feet behind him. Kiba and Hige were walking side by side a little ways behind them.
"Hey, I'm not a wimp," Hige replied as they walked thought the slush that was on the street and sidewalk.
"Too bad you're the only one who thinks so," Tsume said.
"Yeah well, it takes one to know one," Hige replied.
"What'd you say?" Tsume asked as he turned around and looked Hige dead in the eyes.
"Come on now you two, this is no time for a fight," Kiba said.
"I agree," Sara replied, "Your friend is in need of this operation and you're out here in the cold fighting like three year olds."
"What is it with women and calling us three year olds?" Hige asked with a sigh.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Kiba asked.
"Cassi called us three year olds when she took me back to that old building."
"She was only proving her point, much like the rest of us," Sara replied.
"What's that?" Tsume growled.
"Well when you fight like that you don't sound at all like adults. You sound like little kids out on the playground," Sara replied as they walked.
"Guess that answered my question," Hige said with a smile.
"Hmmmm…" Tsume replied with a bit of a growl and an eyebrow twitch.
"By the way, Kiba," Hige whispered low enough that not even Tsume's keen wolf hearing could hear, "Nice job, you got him to come in the house."
"Yeah," Kiba replied.
"Even if it was only for a minute and even thought he didn't talk to Cassi you still got him in. I was surprised."
"Thanks…" Kiba replied not sure if he should take the 'I was surprised' part as a complement or not.
"Here we are, back again," Sara said with a smile, "Now how about we save your friend?"
"Yeah, that'd be great," Hige said happily and ran to the front door. He was happy to get out of the cold.
"I told you he was a wimp," Tsume said in an annoyed voice as Hige rushed past them and into the house, almost dropping the box when he tried to open the front door.
"He's just cold, that's all," Kiba replied.
"Yes it is cold out here and you boys aren't wearing coats," Sara said as they walked into the house.
"Hmmmm…." Tsume replied with another one of his annoyed growls as they walked up the steps. "You aren't either," he grumbled under his breath.
"Hey guys what took you so long?" they heard Hige yell from the living room.
"What do you mean? You only got here a few seconds before us," Sara replied as they went to the living room.
Now we might finally be getting somewhere, Kiba thought to himself as he followed Sara into the living room. Tsume right behind him, I just hope this works…
