Widow Tweed was more than grateful for the help Andy provided, the teen even offering to hold little Binx and his leg still while she wrapped it up properly. "Just a little more and...there" the widow said as she tied the last bit of the cloth to bind Binx's injured leg, "a right nice job if I do say so myself" she said, placing her hands on her hips.
Andy chuckled slightly at the widow's self praise and then, turning to Binx, gave the little fox cub a pat on the head, "Yep, you'll probably be just fine" he said soothingly to the little cub. The widow smiled, "Now see Andy" she said, "You know you aint cut out for all this hunting nonsense, you've got to big of a heart towards these poor critters".
Andy sighed, "Mrs. Tweed, you know I'd never hurt one of the young ones, and I don't go out there a shootin' everything I see, but that doesn't mean that I don't see an amount of fun in taking Chipi out to the woods for a hunting trip to gather furs and meat, both of which I do use and therefore it isn't unjustified killing". The widow sighed, "Andy I really don't understand how a sweet kid like yourself can possibly enjoy...".
At that point, the conversation was halted as a slight scratch was heard on the door. Both of the humans in the room turned and watched as Tod poked his head through the crack and cautiously entered. Binx gave a happy little squeak sound at the sight of his father. Widow Tweed smiled, "Well hello there Tod" she said sweetly, bending to pick the fox up. Andy turned to regard the widow, "Tod? Ya--ya named the fox that Mr. Amos was tellin' me about Tod?" he asked with a slight smile as if it amused him in some way.
Widow Tweed nodded, somewhat perplexed, "Why yes? But why on earth...?". Andy shook his head, "Nevermind, I...I just like the name is all" he said. He turned a smile down to where Tod sat in the widow's arms. Andy reached out to take the critter and, while the widow didn't try to stop him, Tod shifted slightly uneasy in the widow's arms. He remembered this human and his hunting stick from the quail incident.
Andy smiled, "Oh don't worry little guy, I'm not gonna hurt ya" he said as he gently picked Tod up, "There now" Andy continued as he set Tod to sit comfortably in his folded arms. Tod eventually did ease up and from here he found that he had a better view of where Binx lay on the table. Tod's face creased in worry and Binx immediately tried to reassure him with one of his classic mischievous smiles.
"Oh don't worry 'bout him" Andy said, petting Tod a bit as he saw where the fox's gaze was, "Why Mrs. Tweed here's done a real nice job a fixin' your cub up and I have no doubt he'll pull through just fine". Andy set Tod on the table where Binx was and the fox immediately moved to his son's side checking to make sure Binx was alright. The widow bent down and did her own examination of how the cub was holding up.
"Well, he's gonna be fine I think" she said, "but I think we need some more of that special antiseptic those rangers have down at their station, I'd very much appreciate if you would help me carry some of the boxes" she said to Andy. The teen smiled hesitantly and shifted uncomfortably, "Actually Mrs. Tweed...I...I don't think the rangers are all that fond of me right now, maybe I should".
"Oh nonsense!" the widow exclaimed, "As long as Amos Slade aint with ya you'll be fine, that man just attracts trouble, now come on" she said. Andy sighed and followed the widow out the door, "Ok, but I have a bad feeling about this!" he said as they closed the door behind them.
Through the now opened door to the hallway from the room he was in, Tod noticed Chipi slowly sneak into view. The puppy glanced down unsurely, "Uh, how's he doing?" she asked. Tod smiled, yet before he could reply, Binx beat him to it, "Oh hey Chipi! Come on in" he said. Chipi looked both happy and also a bit confused to see Binx doing so well and in such high spirits. As she made her way into the room, Binx slowly raised himself up to stand on the table, trying to show off to Chipi just how fine he was.
"See" Binx said with a smile, "I'm just fine!". He held his head up and took a few steps across the table to prove his point, unfortunately for him he only got two steps before the pressure on his leg forced him to have to sit down. "Well...still a few kinks...but I'll be prefect tomorrow" he assured as he winced and sat back down. Chipi nodded at all of this information, "Well, as long as you're alright" she said, "I am really glad to see you didn't get killed or nothin' ".
Binx laughed, "Not even close!" he said, waving a paw dismissively as if his entire ordeal with Chief had been a cake walk he had under control the whole time, "It'll take more than that old, loud mouth hound, Chief ta get ta me!". Chipi smiled and shook her head, "Oh, ok" she said. Tod sighed and figured that his son was going to need a lesson in not being overconfident around Chief, Tod himself had made that mistake enough times to know when he was Binx's age.
Just then a slight tapping sound brought everyone's attention over to the nearest window. The little paw of a raccoon could be seen knocking at the window. Binx and Chipi both smiled, "Midnight!" the called together, Midnight's little head soon followed his paw and appeared at the window. He smiled and waved, "We were just checking up" Midnight called through the glass of the window.
"Will you hurry up and pick the lock!" Scuff's annoyed voice shouted from below, "Some of us are getting tired of carrying all your weight!". Binx and Chipi both laughed. "Hey Midnight, you can come on in, the window's unlocked" Binx called. Midnight nodded, "Oh, good" he said.
"What!" Scuff's voice came from below again, "You mean we've been spending an hour figuring out how we were going to get up there and then I had to hold you up all this time and now it's not even necessary!". Midnight pushed the window up and then crawled through onto the ledge. The raccoon then turned and helped pull Scuff up and into the room.
Tod smirked and shook his head as he watched the small little group make their way into the widow's house and then scamper about the floor leaving their dirty little foot prints, the fox wondered slightly if his old caretaker would mind this little intrusion too much.
Andy sighed as he followed along behind the Widow Tweed carrying a large stack of blankets which was packed on top of some boxes, all of which was packed so high he could barely see over them. From where he stood, leaning against the wall, Amos Slade just shook his head as the widow walked over to get another blanket from one of the Game Preserve associates. "She's turning you into a pack mule, boy, mark my words!" the hunter said, waving his pipe in the teen's direction. Copper stood next to his master and just tilted his head as he raised one ear at this strange sight Andy was quickly becoming, some of the blankets were even draped over his head.
Now Amos Slade being inside of the Game Preserve headquarters was a rare sight indeed, yet the hunter had insisted on coming after pulling it out of the teen where he and the widow were going as they exited the house. Amos insisted he was needed to keep the widow from dragging the boy into any trouble and, after the widow made Amos promise more than once to behave himself and not badger the employees or make any off comments, he had been allowed to go.
"Alrighty" the widow said as she set the last blanket she was holding on top of Andy's stack, "that's the last one. Now the vet assures me that these are all the things we need to take care of an injured young fox cub". Amos shook his head, there was no way any varmit required this much stuff he thought (shoot, dog owners rarely bought this much stuff!) yet Amos refrained from commenting since he had promised.
The widow left Andy standing where he was with the stack and walked over to the desk, ringing the bell. A young employee with brownish/red hair and looking no more than 19 years old stepped out from somewhere in back of the headquarters and walked up to where the Widow Tweed stood at the desk. "Yes mame" he said, "How may I help you?".
"I need the sign out form..." the widow began, yet she didn't get to finish her statement. From the moment the young employee had spoken, Andy had frozen and then quickly shuffled his feet to turn slightly so that he could get a side view over the stack he was holding to the desk at the opposite side of the room. It couldn't be! Andy's eyes widened as he spotted the employee.
"Tarnation!" Andy shouted, suddenly letting go of his stack in surprise and causing the blankets to all fall to the floor as Amos rushed forward and caught one or two of the more important boxes before they hit, he didn't need the widow yelling if anything got broken after all.
Both Amos Slade and the Widow Tweed sent a surprised look Andy's way, yet the teen seemed to not noticed as he rushed forward. "T-Todd!" he asked, looking absolutely taken by surprise.
The employee behind the counter looked just as shocked, "Andy? G-Goodness Gracious! Andy!" he cried. He rushed over and quickly leapt over the side of the counter and rushed over to where Andy stood as Andy himself rushed to meet him in the middle of the room. Immediately the two boys began an exchange of alternate handshakes, claps to the back and even outright hugs every now and then as they excitedly stuttered and tried to bring out actual sentences in their reunion.
The widow still looked confused and Amos Slade could only scratch his head and stare down at Copper in what he assumed was a shared sense of complete bewilderment before turning to regard the scene once more of his apprentice hunter joyfully greeting a Game Preserve employee as if he were a long lost brother.