Hermes's POV is not going to appear in this chapter I:} perhaps because the character is not feeling so well *laughs maniacally* *stops laughing* Why am I being so evil, you ask? I'm an author, what can I say.
…
Priya's POV
I'm very worried about Hermes. I saw him run past me earlier, and he looked incredibly ill. And now I can't find him anywhere.
I go worriedly to Perry's office to find my mate in conversation with Terry the Turtle. Seeing my friend there makes me realise something: Terry never started a family. He has dated a couple of times but he has no mate or children. I guess he never wanted a family but now that he's over twenty years old, that option has been taken away from him.
Terry catches sight of me first. Perry sees that he's distracted and turns in his chair. "Priya, hey. Is everything okay?"
I awkwardly shuffle my feet. Terry gets the hint. "I'll see you later then, yeah?"
"Yeah, see you."
I step aside so that Terry can leave. Once the orange turtle has gone down the corridor and vanished, I edge further into the office, still holding the file that Pinky had given me.
"Are you okay?"
"It's Hermes," I say hesitantly. "About forty-five minutes ago, he ran past me and he looked really upset. He stopped and started to talk to me but then it was like he suddenly got a lot of pain and he ran off again. I haven't been able to find him since. No-one's seen him and I've phoned Pearl but he's not at home. I'm worried about him."
"Then we'll go find him," says Perry determinedly.
He gets up from his chair and we turn to leave. As we do, we bump into Teddy and Hazel, who are just coming into the office.
"Mom? Dad?" says Teddy, looking at our anxious faces.
"Hermes is missing," I tell them. "We have to find him."
Teddy and Hazel both nod. "Okay, I'll check with Apollo and Artemis," Hazel volunteers. "And Carl and Major Monogram. Maybe they've seen him."
"I'll check the grounds," offers Teddy.
"Perry and I will search inside," I say. "Oh…I hope he's okay."
…
Teddy's POV
I head towards OWCA's back door. When I get there, I see Patty the Panda sitting on a chair outside the admin office, which is just by the back door. She's reading a magazine, but she looks up when I approach the door.
"Oh, Teddy. Are you looking for your brother?"
My heart leaps. "Yes, have you seen him?"
"He went out here about half an hour ago. Hasn't come back, as far as I know."
I quickly burst out through the back door and start running across the field. I couldn't bear it if anything has happened to Hermes. He's my brother, the only brother I have, and I love him. I'm glad we had that bonding moment at the birthday party last week. I would not have guessed that Hermes is claustrophobic like me, but I guess it makes sense. After all, he spent three and a half years of his life in a cage.
I stop running in the middle of the field. Breathing hard, I anxiously run my fingers through my three hair spikes. The fairly tall grass is twirling in the wind, slapping me in the face with the fact that this field is incredibly large. If Hermes is out here, I don't know if I'll be able to find him.
I continue running, wishing I had the power to fly, just so I can get an aerial view and find him quicker. I could have asked Nick or someone else who can fly, but I didn't think of that…
After ten more minutes of searching, I find the frail body of my brother. He's on his side, his eyes closed. He looks like he's asleep, but his brown fur is pale and he has obviously thrown up. I throw myself down beside my brother and shake his shoulder gently. "Hermes?"
He doesn't respond. I quickly feel for a pulse, immediately after which I hurriedly check his breathing.
There's nothing.
"Hermes!" I yell in panic, shaking my little brother. "HERMES!"
…
Short and evil chapter I:}
I have given a warning like this before, but I'm going to say something slightly different: don't assume that because this story is entitled "Hermes's Struggle" that the eponymous character is going to survive. HE MAY NOT SURVIVE. Just warning you now.
