Leo knew he must look ludicrous as he walked down the hall wearing oversized blue scrubs. The whole outfit was ridiculously big on him. The neckline hung off one shoulder and the hem fell almost to his knees. The pant cuffs had had to be rolled up two or three times so he didn't trip and he was desperately trying to hold his pants up. No matter how tight he tried to tie the drawstring the pants were just too large for him. They kept slipping down his narrow hips despite his handful of blue material as Attar had insisted they hands as they walked saying people might get nervous that he was under no restraints at all. Leo had flatly refused to wear the color and leash so this had been the compromise, though Leo was pretty sure no one would get nervous if he weren't holding Attar's hand. He looked like a little kid, not a dangerous animal.
Attar stopped to say hello to a number of apes as they walked down the hall but didn't allow any of them to touch Leo, for which Leo was extremely grateful. He trusted Attar but still had a problem with other apes, especially gorillas. As they entered the cafeteria Leo couldn't repress the shudder that ran through him at the sight of so many apes. The cafeteria was huge, at least the size of a football field and packed full. He noticed absently that the different kind of apes seemed to stick together with very little intermixing. The apes wearing lab coats seemed to be the exception. They were all huddled in a corner talking animatedly over their lunch trays. 'Just like back home' Leo thought. The officers and the grunts never mixed and even within those two groups the races usually distanced themselves from others. The scientists were always the exception. They loved to get together and talk theory with no thought as to the appearance or rank of each other.
Leo was pulled out of his thoughts as Attar led him deeper into the cafeteria, tugging gently on his hand to keep him close to his side. Leo was more than happy to oblige. It felt like all eyes were on him as he and Attar made their way through the cafeteria. "Leo, I need to have both hands when I go up and get food so I'm going to leave you with my friends Ari and Zira. They're really nice so don't be scared ok?" There was a ripple of laughter from the apes nearest them as they heard Attar talking to him. Leo clenched his teeth together to stop himself from shouting. He knew he couldn't blow their surprise and start talking but he hated being ridiculed like he was just some dumb animal. He was so busy trying to keep himself in check he hardly noticed when they stopped walking. Startled he looked up into the friendly faces of two chimpanzees and almost fell over from shock. Ari was here. What were the odds that she would be in this facility and friends with Attar. Playing dumb around Ari was going to be even more humiliating than playing dumb around the other apes. "Ari, Zira, this is Ulysses. Is it ok if I leave him with you while I go get some food for us?"
Attar couldn't help but laugh as his friend's faces lit up at his suggestion. He knew that they were as interested in humans as he was and had been dying to see Ulysses. His laughed died away as he looked down into Leo's stricken face. Poor human, looked scared to death and no wonder. Everytime Attar left him alone something bad happened and he ended up with more injuries. Crouching down Attar gently grabbed Leo's chin and looked him straight in the eye. "Don't worry Leo, these are my friends and they've been really excited to meet you. I promise that they'll keep you safe, alright? You have nothing to be afraid of." He gave Leo one last hard look before he stood up and gave Zira his hand. "He's had some bad experiences with apes, so take good care of him, ok?"
"You can count on us!" Ari said confidently, grabbing Leo's other hand. Attar had to admit they made an adorable picture with Leo in his oversized clothes threatening to fall off his slight body, holding the hands of the two chimps.
"Thanks so much girls, I'll be right back." Attar tore his gaze away from Leo's reproachful look and went in search of food. "Now what would Leo like?"
"Talking to yourself again Attar." The mocking voice of one of his chief rivals for research funding floated over. "I see you brought your pet human in for a little show and tell. Looks kind of scrawny to me. I hope your taking good care of him." Attar glared at the mocking chimp.
"What? You think you could take care of him better Martin? Sorry to inform you it takes a brain to accomplish that. Oh yeah, and a soul. Too bad you don't have either." Attar ignored whatever comment Martin made and walked away. 'Arrogant prick! Self-righteous little toady! Like he could take care of a human.' Attar fumed to himself, 'he wouldn't even know where to start with one!'
Leo looked up apprehensively at the two scientists as they led him over to a table full of apes. 'They're just a bunch of monkeys, and you are a Captain, one that travels the galaxy and has faced all sorts of danger. You can handle this.' Leo squared his shoulders and allowed himself to be pulled towards the table. Almost immediately he changed his mind as he was swarmed by apes. Hands were everywhere, touching his hair, his face, any exposed skin. It was when he was pulled onto the lap of some random gorilla that he decided captain or no captain he was going to have a heart attack if Attar didn't come back ASAP.
Eventually someone did put a stop to all the manhandling but it wasn't Attar or even Ari or Zira. "Enough!" Everyone stopped at the growl from the diminutive chimp. "You idiots don't know how to handle a human. That moron Attar should have never left him with you fools." The unknown chimp glared at everybody for a moment before he grabbed Leo's hand and started to drag him away.
"Now wait just one minute Martin. That human doesn't belong to you. No matter what you think he's Attar's and Attar left him in our care. We won't let you just take him away." Zira planted herself in front of Martin as Ari reached out to grab Leo's other hand. Next thing he knew he felt like his arms were being pulled out as the two battled over him. Others joined in and the argument got louder and louder and the pull on Leo's arms got stronger and stronger. It had to stop eventually. When Leo felt his left arm being torn out of it's socket he couldn't hold in the scream of pain. Both chimps were so startled they dropped his arms and he collapsed to the floor clutching his arm. Silence settled around them as everyone realized what had happened. When Zira crouched down next to him and tried to look at his arm Leo bolted. He couldn't help himself. All he could think of through his haze of pain was that he needed to find Attar. Everyone was too shocked to react in time and Leo managed to run out of the cafeteria and disappear into the maze of corridors that made up the base.