Rocket
Rocket had suspected something was wrong the moment he saw the Ape King's face the next day. Caesar was usually a hard ape to read, but that morning, the deep crease on his leader's brow was recognized by Rocket as one not of anger, irritation or even suspicion – but worry. Deep, deep worry.
Not that he let it show in front of the rest of the colony. Rocket was pretty sure he was only able to tell because he and Caesar were as close as they were, because the Ape King wore a carefully constructed mask of authority and calmness as he handed out tasks for the day to the colony's members. To them, the expression was no different than Caesar's customary serious frown – they were all used to it by now and, given the trying times everyone knew lie ahead, it was probably also what they all expected from him. A hard expression and curt commands.
But Rocket knew better.
So did Maurice.
And so did Lydia.
Something was seriously wrong, and Rocket had a pretty good idea of what, or rather who the cause of his old friend's worries was. He might not be among the smartest of the evolved apes, but luckily, he had a mate who was – in his own, humble opinion. Well, that, and she had the benefit of being a very close friend of the Ape King's dear wife, who had not been herself lately. Especially not when she thought no one was looking.
Now, the balding male chimpanzee had never been one for deep, emotional conversations, nor had he ever felt that he was particularly good at comforting those in distress. Not even his own son, who had more often than not gone to his mother when tears began spilling from his eyes, back when he was still just a child.
He barely ever got a chance being an adult… The stray thought entered Rocket's mind, though he quickly banished it – It would do no good thinking about that now.
No, Rocket was very much a practical ape male.
And so, because of this, he didn't press his leader for answers once everyone had been sent to deal with their assigned tasks. Maurice was better at that sort of thing, whereas Rocket would make sure things were going smoothly and relatively conflict-free while Caesar saw to whatever it was that bothered him. It was like an unspoken agreement between the three of them.
Which is why Rocket was all the more surprised when the Ape King approached him, the mask of calmness fading entirely as he put a heavy hand on his old friend's shoulder. It was almost as if the weariness Caesar felt got transferred to him in that moment, and Rocket's face was claimed by an equally worn expression as the two made eye-contact.
"I know. Tinker must have. Told you by now…" The Ape King began, seemingly struggling to find the right words in this moment. Rocket just nodded at his leader in response.
Caesar's frown only deepened.
"It is true… Cornelia is still sick… Getting worse." He ground out lowly, his gaze shifting to the ground as he drew a heavy sigh. "Rocket… I will need. Your help. Keeping apes together… Many are still restless…"
Rocket didn't have to ask what his leader meant by that. It was clear that some were still unhappy with the outcome of Caesar's fight against Koba – these apes wished to fight. Wished to face the humans straight on with their own destructive metal weapons. Even worse, they wanted to continue the hunting and the terrorizing of them, which had abruptly been stopped once Caesar had reasserted himself as leader of the colony.
Others simply wanted to leave. Get out of the forest and as far away as possible from the battle-hardened humans who were on their way now. What was it Lydia had called such an action – "abandoning ship"? Rocket couldn't rightly remember.
He understood neither of the groups, honestly. Caesar had won a fair fight and Koba had, as Rocket had come to expect of the bonobo by then, employed dirty tricks to ensure he would win, using a human weapon against not only Caesar, but anyone who happened to be in his line of sight in that instant. Maurice still had the wound on his cheek flap to prove it, though it had begun to heal up quite nicely already.
Besides, facing a group of humans specifically trained to kill would be suicide, even with the added advantage of using their own weapons against them. The apes had lost the element of surprise by attacking the human colony, showing them exactly what they were capable of. They would not be caught unawares next time around, of that Rocket was sure.
And abandoning the colony was completely out of the question. Caesar had been a good and just leader of the colony for ten winters and the fact that some were willing to forget that and leave everything behind only made Rocket fume with barely-contained fury.
Cowards, he thought, scurrying like rabbits when the colony needs them.
He nodded resolutely at his leader and friend as it crossed his mind. He would do what he could to maintain order while Caesar did what he could for his sick wife. They had to stick together in these troubling times.
Besides, had he still been the dominant male of the two and Tinker had been the one suffering, Rocket had no doubt Caesar would have done the same for him.
"Tend to Cornelia. I will watch the colony and make sure everyone prepares as planned." The balding ape signed discreetly, keeping watch of who was looking as he did so. It wouldn't do to have those still against Caesar see that his family was having trouble. After everything that had happened, Rocket had no doubt that some of the remaining opposers to his reign might take advantage of this vulnerable situation.
Caesar nodded his thanks, a softer look finding its way to his otherwise stern gaze. The Ape King patted him firmly on his back.
"I must find Ellie… Do you know if. Lydia is training them today?" He asked as he turned his head to cast a searching look across the colony. The new layout consisting of cliffsides and plateaus of varying heights, all coupled with a denser vegetation, made it hard to pinpoint where anyone was.
"They are practicing fighting again. Hand-to-hand. In the clearing south of the entrance." Rocket answered. Caesar hadn't been present when she ventured out of the inner sanctum of the colony with the trio, so she had reported to Rocket instead.
It was important to know where everybody was these days.
The Ape King nodded seriously and turned away from his lieutenant, intent on finding the one person he figured could help his queen. Rocket knew why he thought so – the medicine Ellie had administered before Koba's takeover had done wonders and would probably do so again.
At least he really hoped so. He didn't think Tinker could take another loss of someone she held dear so suddenly, and Cornelia was her best friend.
Furthermore, the balding ape didn't even want to imagine how Caesar would deal with it, should tragedy strike… He didn't share his feelings with Rocket as often as he did with, say, Maurice or even Lydia, but Rocket still knew that Cornelia was Caesar's anchor. His light. A guiding hand to pull him in the right direction when the Ape King began to doubt himself.
Their wives were very similar in this regard, really.
And to make matters worse, as Rocket was reminded once he saw Blue Eyes head out together with Orion, that it wasn't just Caesar who would suffer if the Ape Queen died. Their eldest son was sure to be affected, not to mention little Cornelius, who was only a few days old and nowhere near being able to survive without his mother. He was still nursing and had already been separated too much from her since his birth.
Not that it would be hard to find nursing females willing to take care of the Ape Prince, should tragedy strike – provided that Caesar would still be in charge by then. If things didn't settle down among those still opposed to his reign, the future did indeed look bleak for the Ape King.
Rocket looked at Caesar's retreating form as a sense of trepidation gripped at his heart.
Surely, the world could not be this cruel to someone so good?
Caesar
It didn't take long for Caesar to find Lydia and the others. Honestly, it was just a question of following the sound of loudly voiced instructions followed by pained groans. She was probably teaching Malcolm how to parry a kick again, Caesar concluded.
From the sound of his frustrated grumbles as the Ape King approached the clearing, it would seem he still had trouble doing it. Or perhaps Lydia was just giving him a hard time – again.
Either way, he would have to cut this lesson short. It was a question of life and death.
He pushed aside the vegetation surrounding the clearing in time to see Malcolm haul himself onto his feet, his pants dirtied from what Caesar assumed must have been a fall, courtesy of Lydia's powerful kick. She never had done much of this jiu-jitsu since she came to the colony, so it was quite a surprise to everyone once they saw exactly how proficient she was at fighting. She kept saying she only ever reached blue belt-level, whatever that was supposed to signify. All he knew was that she was skilled enough to kick down a grown human male, which was impressive in itself to Caesar, considering her slender built and somewhat smaller stature compared to Malcolm.
"You almost had it this time, Dad!" Alex called from the side lines, his tone one of encouragement as he watched his father receive what Caesar estimated to be the beating of his life. Perhaps it was a good thing the Ape King had to interrupt this lesson, if for nothing else than the sake of Malcolm's health – how long had they even been at it?
Looking at Ellie, it was clear she had already been subjected to Lydia's teachings, though the woman seemed less… roughened up than her mate. Her clothes were dirty, true, but she didn't sport the same blossoming bruises that Malcolm did. Instead, her hair was dishevelled, and she wore a flush across her cheeks from exertion, but looked overall satisfied and, perhaps, ready for another round of training.
Once Lydia had pulled Malcolm to his feet, it was almost like she sensed someone was staring at her, for she snapped her head in Caesar's general direction with a raised eyebrow, reminding him of the time he had caught her bathing all those years ago.
He quickly shoved the thought out of his mind.
"Caesar! Is something the matter? Have the army arrived?" She spoke worriedly, drawing the remaining humans' attention to his presence. She must have read his expression and drawn her own conclusion – she was almost as good at reading him as Maurice was by now, courtesy of their countless nights spent talking of everything and nothing at the same time.
He shook his head solemnly, his lips seeming to be permanently stuck in that deep frown he had felt etched onto his face all morning. It was barely three hours past sunrise and he already felt exhausted beyond measure just from trying to keep up pretences around the other apes.
"No… I need to speak. With Ellie. And you." He replied cautiously, trying with all his might to convey to Lydia how serious whatever he wanted to speak about was and that it should be kept private.
Malcolm, Ellie and Alex all shared looks of worry while Lydia only nodded seriously in Caesar's direction.
"Okay then. We'll end the lesson for now." She agreed, already stepping towards the Ape King when Malcolm spoke up.
"Nothing we can help with?" He questioned, gesturing to his son as well. It didn't sound like he was feeling offended by being excluded – only curious and wishing to help, as Caesar had come to learn was a habit of this man.
He paused to think about it – he had originally thought to ask Ellie and Lydia for help because they each had been there when his mate had gotten better again – administering the medicine and supporting Cornelia through her sickness while the drugs took effect. He never even considered Malcolm and Alex might be able to help as well in this matter.
He nodded his head and waved them over to make them follow him back to the colony. They weren't going to tell a soul about Cornelia's sickness, of that Caesar was sure.
And his wife needed all the help she could get – she had barely finished feeding Cornelius that morning before she went to lay down again, fatigue seemingly overtaking her all of a sudden.
No one said a word on the way back, Caesar's severe expression enough to make the humans keep their questions to themselves. Lydia walked beside the Ape King with long strides, her deerskin coat trailing behind her dramatically as they entered the tunnel that marked the entrance to the inner sanctum of the colony. Few took notice of them, seeing as the human trio wasn't an uncommon sight in the Ape Colony by now, not even as they followed Caesar and Lydia with obvious curiosity.
Caesar had to restrain himself from not shooting his wife a disapproving look once they reached their nest and he saw that she was up and about, performing her duties as the leader's mate even with her face looking beyond tired and her stature slumping ever so slightly. She really was stubborn sometimes.
A few females were sitting together with her, weaving baskets and signing avidly about something to do with the children playing too close to the waterfall, while Cornelia obviously did her best to keep up a healthy façade. It might have fooled most of the females present, who didn't know the Ape Queen as well as he did, but Tinker, who sat beside Cornelia, kept shooting her friend worried looks, even as Caesar entered the cave with his human entourage.
The Ape King had no doubt that Tinker had figured out what was going on by now, but for the sake of keeping up the illusion that everything was fine, he dismissed all the females, no exceptions, reasoning that he needed to speak with his wife and the humans in private about a sensitive matter – not exactly a lie, per se, but also not the entire truth either.
Truth and lies… How he hated balancing between the two.
Tinker looked about ready to protest but seemed to think better of it after sharing a look with Cornelia, who nodded imploringly at her friend before redirecting her gaze towards her husband and the humans he had brought.
Once everyone had cleared out, Caesar inclined his head towards the area near the couple's nest, indicating for Lydia and the others to sit down as he went to help Cornelia relocate to the nest itself. She seemed slightly out of breath as their youngest son still clung to her chest, his bright, inquisitive eyes scanning the faces of the newcomers.
Once the Ape King finally sat down beside his wife and child in their nest, he drew a heavy sigh before looking up at the humans in front of them with tired eyes.
He didn't get to utter a word, Lydia beating him to it and hitting the nail right on its head.
"Cornelia… you're still sick, aren't you?"
The soft smile which had previously graced the Ape Queen's features disappeared in that instant in favour for a hopeless expression which Caesar didn't think fit his wife's face at all. Like she thought she was being a nuisance to those around her with her persistent sickness.
Cornelius, seemingly sensing his mother's change in mood, cooed softly and reached up to touch her cheek with his little hand. The level of empathy his second born son showed at this early age never ceased to amaze Caesar, who reached an arm around his mate to try and provide some reassurance as well.
The Ape Queen nodded subtly, running her fingers through the fur on her infant son's back to distract herself.
Caesar decided he would lead the conversation, seeing as his wife clearly didn't feel up to the task. It was quite understandable, after all.
"She is…" The Ape King replied to Lydia's question, shifting his gaze from his wife to the humans. "Sleeps bad and has fever. Growing weak again. Slowly but steadily."
Lydia and Ellie nodded along with mounting worry clear in their gazes while Malcolm and Alex seemed at a loss for words.
"I thought this might happen. I told Lydia it might not be enough with one day's treatment. We should have continued for a few more days…" Ellie spoke clinically, though her eyes told Caesar that she was truly concerned about this recent development.
The Ape King remembered how he had given her only one day to make his wife better, only to be confronted about it by Lydia later that same day and reluctantly agreeing to give Ellie more time.
For his mate, Caesar would do anything – he had only felt too betrayed and angry at the time to listen to reason until Lydia had spoken with him.
The treatment would have continued too, if it hadn't been for Koba's betrayal which lead to the humans being chased away, separating Cornelia from the source of the medicine she still needed.
Would Koba continue to cause Caesar and his family harm, even from beyond the grave?
"Can you help?" He asked Ellie gently, rubbing Cornelia's arm comfortingly.
Lydia turned to the woman as well, a small flicker of hope in her blue eyes that Caesar was certain was also present in his own green orbs.
It was extinguished almost as quickly as it appeared when Ellie shook her head sadly, her expression almost as anguished as Caesar felt in that instant.
"I-I'm sorry, Caesar… I don't have any more antibiotics. I used what I had left on you to make sure you wouldn't get a fever after I removed the bullet…" She explained gently, her shoulders slumped, and her face contorted into an expression of defeat – the same look she had worn when telling Lydia that Roy couldn't be saved.
Before he could reply, Alex spoke up as his eyes darted from the Royal Ape Couple and back to Ellie and Malcolm.
"Isn't there something we can do to get more? We could go back to the city and find some drugstore. Or look through the colony again."
Malcolm shook his head solemnly at his son.
"The place is in ruins, Alex. If there is anything left, it's buried beneath several feet of rubble by now…"
"What about a drugstore, then? Granted, most stores I have been to have been ransacked by addicts, but there's bound to be some in the lesser known areas of the city." Lydia inquired, backing up the adolescent human. Caesar could see a desperation in her eyes that he hadn't witnessed in days.
He knew Cornelia meant the world to Lydia as well, seeing as it was the Ape Queen who had talked Caesar into bringing Lydia back all those years ago – he knew for a fact that she would do everything to save his wife, whatever the cost on her own part.
"We might find something, but after so many years I wouldn't risk it. If we did find the antibiotics we need, it's most likely expired after ten years unless it's in the form of pills. We treated Cornelia with liquid antibiotics last time by means of injection, but if we find something like that lying around, it wouldn't be potent enough to treat the infection anymore." Ellie estimated matter-of-factly.
The way she approached the problem in such a clinical way reminded Caesar greatly of Will back in the days when he was still living in the Rodman household.
"But if we went to the city and found pills? Would they be enough? Are you saying there's a chance, Ellie?" Lydia questioned further. Caesar noticed how her knuckles turned white from clenching her hands in her lap.
Ellie looked doubtful as she replied.
"I don't know, Lydia… The chance of us finding the antibiotics we need are slim as it is, and from the way the infection is spiking up so suddenly again, I'd say we'd need either a powerful dose or pills to last for a week, just to be sure…"
Caesar felt a sense of hopelessness overtake him as he looked at Ellie's defeated expression. Lydia's slumping posture at the information didn't make it better. Each woman was an expert in the fields that would have an impact on whether or not Cornelia would get better – Ellie knew what medicine was needed, and Lydia knew where to scavenge to find it. If they both thought it was far-fetched – hopeless, even, then Caesar knew there was nothing to be done – his wife would have to fight off the sickness herself, or she would die.
The Ape King looked down at his infant son clinging to Cornelia's chest, just as any ape infant would cling to their mother for the first year of their life. He needed her – at this moment even more than Caesar himself did.
And what of Blue Eyes? Caesar thought apprehensively. His eldest son may be at the very threshold of adulthood now, but the Ape King knew that the mere notion of losing Cornelia would be devastating to Blue Eyes.
Right now, he didn't think of the possible consequences his mate's death could have in regard to his leadership of the colony. All he cared about was his family.
"I'm so sorry, guys. I really wish there was something I could do. You've done so much for us and here we are, all useless when we should be helping…" Ellie spoke sorrowfully, her whole demeanour emanating such sadness and guilt that Caesar couldn't help but feel for her as much as he did for himself and his family. This woman truly did want to help – she just didn't have the means to do so.
Malcom laid an arm around his wife's shoulders in much the same way Caesar was holding Cornelia, a matching look of sorrow in his own face as well. Beside the couple, Alex hung his head in sadness, wringing his hands in his lap.
If only a greater part of humanity had been like these people, Caesar pondered thoughtfully.
The Ape Queen leaned towards Ellie, laying a hand on top of the woman's own, staring sympathetically into her eyes once their gazes met.
"You have done everything you could. Ever since you arrived, you have done that. Even when it put your family in danger, you helped me and saved my husband." Cornelia signed gracefully, her movements in no way hindered by the presence of the ape child clinging to her chest. "I cannot thank you enough for that. I could never ask you for anything more."
Lydia translated Cornelia's words in a strained voice that sounded like she would begin to weep at any moment now, but as usual, she kept the tears at bay, though her blue eyes glistened clearly in the light which filtered through the waterfall nearby. She was just as affected by the prospect of losing Cornelia as anyone.
Caesar was, as he had been so many times before since he met his wife, impressed with her ability to express herself so eloquently and sincerely. He may be the one who spoke out loud most often and he may be the leader of the Ape Colony, but he knew it was his queen who possessed the ability to reach into people's hearts with her words. She could heal emotional wounds with just a few signs better than Sparrow could physical ones with all her herbs and salves, Caesar had known this for years.
It did also seem to have the same effect on Ellie, who smiled despite herself as tears had begun to trail gently down her cheeks. She wrapped her hand around Cornelia's and squeezed gently.
"Thank you" She spoke earnestly, Malcom kissing her temple softly in comfort.
Cornelia nodded, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she regarded the humans in front of her. Caesar adored those soft looks his wife seemed to lavish upon those around her. She really was the soft to his harsh. The gentle to his stern.
The Ape King nodded at the humans in front of him, grateful for their attempts to help. Even if he was disappointed by the fact that there was nothing to be done, it was at least reassuring to know that it was not due to a lack of willingness on their part.
"What if I went to the city?" Lydia spoke quietly, making Caesar's, as well as everyone else's head snap towards her. "I could search through some drugstores and see if there's anything we can use. I know it's a long shot, but… I want to at least try."
The look on her face told Caesar that she was completely serious – her lips were pressed together into a thin line, her was jaw set and her eyes had taken on a hard edge that usually only occurred when she was preparing for an argument – Caesar had seen it often enough to know this.
"No one goes alone." The Ape King was quick to remind her, shaking his head to underline his opinion on the matter. He did not want Lydia to go to the city – especially not alone.
"So send Spear or Rocket with me. Heck, send Luca! If anyone's left there at all, they wouldn't dare get close if even one of them was with me." Lydia challenged, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.
Caesar exhaled heavily – he wanted Cornelia to get well as much as Lydia did – even more so, in fact. It was his wife's health they were talking about here, after all – but he could not, would not risk Lydia's or anyone else's life for gathering medicine they might not even be able to use, much less find. The trip to the city they had made a few days ago had been risky enough as it was, even if the group going that day had been rather large.
"And if the soldiers come. While you are there?" The Ape King challenged back, his gaze regaining its usual sternness. Was she hell-bent on getting herself killed now that Roy was gone? Was that it? "How will we. Tell you? How will you. Get away unseen?"
It was a valid question. Malcolm had been unable to recover any working radios or walkie-talkies for him and his family to use and more importantly, the new colony was placed much further into the Muir Wood forest – further away from the city.
And there was no way of knowing how far Lydia would have to go in search of the medicine they needed – if it was even there to begin with.
Just as Lydia was about to counter him – he was certain it was a counter, her expression alone told Caesar as much – Cornelia interjected, hooting softly to gain everyone's attention before she began to sign.
"What about Orion? If you get captured? Don't say it cannot happen. You know it can."
Caesar had to admit it was a low blow, especially for his wife, to use Lydia's adoptive son, her only living family member, as ammunition in this discussion. Still, she made a fair point – Lydia was all Orion had left and if she got captured by the soldiers while searching the city, the adolescent would have lost both his parents in the span of just about a week.
Cornelia would never agree to risk it, and neither would Caesar.
"He still needs you." The Ape Queen added with an imploring look in her eyes.
Lydia looked less than impressed at this, though Caesar noticed that something in her eyes changed at the mention of her son. They grew softer, less guarded and Caesar knew then that his mate's reasoning had worked as intended.
Still, it didn't mean Lydia had given up completely. Her eyes strayed briefly, but meaningfully down to Cornelius, who had fallen asleep with his head resting against his mother's sternum.
"He needs you more than Orion needs me." She said softly.
Cornelia shook her head at that.
"He will have his father and brother. If you die, Orion will have no one."
The last of Lydia's will to argue seemed to leave her once Cornelia had finished that sentence, the human woman's shoulders slumping and her arms falling into her lap in defeat.
Ellie, who Caesar guessed had been able to follow the conversation based on Lydia's words alone, nodded sympathetically, as did Malcolm just beside her.
Before any of them could utter another word, screeching sounded from somewhere outside the cave and Rocket came rushing in on all fours, hackles raised and eyes wild.
The combined sight and sound immediately had Caesar's heart racing in dreading anticipation. He had a pretty good idea what this was going to be about.
"Soldiers!" Rocket began signing as soon as he had reached the group and made it back into an upright position. "They have arrived! In the water! Their ship!"
Both Caesar and Lydia immediately stood, ready to follow the balding chimp to see for themselves.
"What's the matter!?" Malcolm asked startled, scrambling to his feet as well, though with much more difficulty than either Lydia or Caesar himself.
"Rocket says they're here! In the Bay!" Lydia quickly translated before darting after the ape in question. Caesar only got to send his wife a lingering, worried look before he stormed out of the cave as well, hot at Rocket's heels.
Once outside the colony's grounds, Caesar hurried up the nearest of the enormous redwood trees, his fingers digging into the bark each time he hauled himself upwards with all his might. Lydia was not able to climb these trees, he knew. She would most likely stay at ground-level, looking worriedly up at the apes as they made their way to the treetops to confirm what Rocket had reported.
Caesar knew it frustrated her to no end. Climbing trees was one of the very, very few things Lydia could not do very well, especially not if she wanted to keep up with the apes. It was not ideal, but, being human, it was one of the limitations she had to live with in the colony.
The Ape King reached the very top of the giant tree just in time to see a large ship sail into the Bay separating the forest and the city of San Francisco, gliding under the Golden Gate Bridge at an agonizingly, almost tauntingly slow pace. On that very ship were the people who had been called to come and kill his apes, Caesar knew. The humans who had come to bring them hell.
He felt a sense of impending doom wash over him in that instant. The war Koba had started was here at last.
And Caesar had no choice now but to fight.
Fight as he had done years ago to secure the freedom of his apes.
Fight to maintain his position as leader while his mate was steadily getting sicker.
Fight to prove that Koba was wrong. Wrong about Caesar and the humans he swore could be reasoned with.
The vicious roar booming from the Ape King's chest towards the ship echoed throughout the Muir Wood forest, followed by the hundreds of apes who had now joined him in the treetops.
It was not a fight he intended to lose.
