Chapter 16: Wounds of War - Part 2

The smurfs managed to travel a few miles away from the battlefield, and found a rather decent cave where they be safe while tending Brainy's wound. Once they were inside Snappy and Nat carefully lied Brainy belly down on a flat rock situated near the back of the cave.

"Snappy, Sassette, go help the other smurfs, and set up camp at the mouth of the cave," Brainette ordered as she took off her pink jacket, "Nat and I will do what we can to save Brainy!"

"Ok," Snappy nodded before running off with Sassette. They knew without doubt, there would not be any more journeying anywhere until Brainy could be patched up and able to travel.

While Brainette gave instructions to Snappy and Sassette, Nat had already taken off his backpack and pulled out his emergency operation equipment. He also took out some candles and placed them on as many flat rocks as he could find. Then, lighting each candle until it was bright enough to see in the dark cave.

Brainy let out a loud groan, catching Nat's attention. Concerned, he bent down at eye level to his older brother.

"Don't worry, Brainy," Nat tried to assure him, "We are going to do everything we can for you."

Brainy does not answer him, but instead let out another groaning sigh, before he rolled his eyes up into the back of his head and fell limp. For a moment, Brainy appeared lifeless.

"Brainy…?" Nat whispered in a quivering voice. For one terrifying second he worried perhaps his older brother may be gone. "Brainette!"

Brainette turned around quickly and leans over Brainy anxiously, checking his pulse. After a few tense seconds, she closed her eyes and leaned against the flat rock, letting out a small sigh of relief.

"He passed out, that's all," she assureed Nat, "But his condition is deteriorating. We better act quickly and get started in taking out this shrapnel!"

"Right," Nat replied, picking up his razor-sharp scalpel.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sassette sat with her back against the wall just inside the entrance of the cave. The young smurflings sat on each side and huddled up against her chest.

Snappy and Slouchy sat on opposite sides of the smurflings. All five of them were nodding sleepily, barely dozing off. They felt exhausted, not only because of this war, which kept going on in the distance, but waiting anxiously for hours to hear the news concerning Brainy.

They could not even see into the back of the cave, for Brainette and Nat had rigged up a large blanket from wall to wall to block prying eyes. There wasn't anything the smurfs could do, but to keep on waiting patiently.

Eventually the sound of the approaching footsteps from deep within the cave causes Snappy to look up quickly and expectantly. It was Brainette, looking grim and wiping her hands in a dark-strained rag.

"Brainette?" Snappy nervously sat straight up. "H-H-How is he?" He stuttered, scarcely able to get his words out for fear the news may be bad. The smurfette elder paused for a moment before answering the younger smurf.

"He will survive." Brainette answered simply.

"YAHOO!" Snappy yelped as he leapt up, throwing his cap high into the air. "Brainy's alive! He's alive!"

His exclamations of joy abruptly woke the other slumbering smurfs and they all looked up at Brainette to confirm if it is indeed true. Brainette nodded in the affirmative. At this the smurfs started cheering loudly and hugged each other, rejoicing greatly while Sassette wiped tears away, too happy to say anything.

"Can we see him?" Little Sorcerer asked, scrambling eagerly to his feet.

Brainette shook her head slowly. "It will be best if you let him rest, little one." She replied. Then, turning to Slouchy, she gestured toward the back of the cave and requested, "Slouchy, why don't you go in and help Nat get cleaned up?"

Slouchy nodded before trotting to the back of the cave.

Sassette noticed that Brainette silently slipped out towards the opening of the cave. Concerned, Sassette sat straight up. "Where are you going Brainette?"

Brainette glanced at her and smiles briefly. "Nowhere, I just need some fresh air." She answered softly before continuing outside.

The bespectacled smurfette looked over to the orange-red glow rising up from over the hill. So much fire and smoke covered the sky, making it appear as though it was night when it was only mid-day.

By now we could have arrived safely at the border to Europe, she thought sadly and with some resignation.

Finding a large rock just around the corner, she sat down behind it - out of view from the other smurfs. Unable to hold in her emotions any longer, Brainette covers her mouth to muffled sob. Her shoulders shook as she cried. She prayed that Brainy will be all right, and that they would all survive long enough to make it home.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Brainy woke up with an enormous headache. He groaned softly and placed his hand up to his face. It took him a moment before he realized that he wasn't wearing his glasses. What's more, he was lying face down.

He noticed right away that his back is wan great pain, making it difficult for him to move around comfortably. As he tried to remember why his back hurt so badly, he felt a bit of a draft and discovered he wasn't wearing his red jacket or white shirt. Instead, a thickly woven bandage wrapped around his torso.

As his headache eventually subdued, he began to wonder where he was. In order to find out, Brainy started to push himself off the hard, uncomfortable surface so he could view his surroundings.

"Don't move, Brainy! Your back needs time to heal."

Brainy instantly recognized the voice. Desperately Brainy looked around, squinting his eyes in an attempt to locate the owner of the voice. "Brainette…?" He called out in a hoarse voice.

A hand rested gently on his arm. "I'm here, Brainy." The smurfette elder stated softly. "Now lie down and don't move. You've been injured."

Brainy tried to focus his vision on his mate and could only see a pink and blue blob. "I can't see you," he griped with a frown.

"Here, this should help." Brainette responded. She picked up Brainy's glasses from a nearby rock and placed them on his face.

"Yeah, that does." Brainy smiled warmly at her.

He took this opportunity to view his surroundings more clearly. With a concerned expression, Brainy brought his attention back to Brainette.

"Where are we? How long was I out?"

"We are a couple of miles from the Boer Camp. We should be safe here until you are well enough to travel again." Brainette paused. "And Brainy, you were out for a couple of days."

"Ah. And the others?"

"Gone to get firewood. They will return soon."

"Oh," Brainy then feel quiet, resting his chin on his arms as if he was thinking.

"Brainy, what's wrong?" Brainette asked anxiously, noticing an odd expression on his face. She wondered if he might be nauseous because of the pain.

"I'm just trying to remember what happened," Brainy squinted his eyes, as he racked his brain for any clue why he ended up in this condition like this.

Brainette takes a long breath. "Well, we were arguing on the hill, and that's when the humans' war became more aggressive. There were explosions, sounds of many guns going off and…"

"Stop!" Brainy ordered suddenly, covering his mate's mouth with his hand. "On second thought, I don't think I want to remember. It sounds like a very bad experience." He said shaking his head slowly.

"Yes, it was." Brainette nodded solemnly in agreement and then, with a half smile, she quipped, "But we survived it, and this could be quite something to tell the smurflings someday."

"Oh yeah, the smurflings," The injured smurf soon became lost in a reverie, knowing that he would soon be a parental guide to hundreds of young smurfs and smurfettes. This was something he had often dreamed of as a younger smurf.

Memories flooded his mind, taking him back to the days when pretended to be a leader, just like Papa Smurf. He would walk around the village calling his brothers his 'little smurfs'. Now, it would seem, his dream was coming true…

Brainy's reverie was broken when he noticed Brainette got up and walked off towards the campfire near the mouth of the cave. A steaming black pot hung over it.

"I made some vegetable broth. Would you like some?" She asked sweetly.

"Uh, sure, I'll try some." He replied uncertainly. Brainy was not sure if he was hungry at this moment, but felt he should humour Brainette by having something to eat.

"I hope it's alright," the bespectacled smurfette elder murmured as she poured the broth into a small bowl and brought it back to Brainy. "I didn't have many spices with me."

"That's ok. I'm sure it will be fine." Brainy breathed with a heavy sigh. Despite the sharp pain in his back, he attempted once again to push himself up, but realized he is too weak to succeed.

"Please lie down, I told you not to move - you were hurt really bad." Brainette scolded him. She sat on a smaller rock and brought the bowl up to his face.

"Really…hardly noticed…" The intelligent elder smurf grunted sarcastically.

Brainette smiled. "Come on, eat up. This will help build your strength." She said, dipping the spoon into the broth and raised it up to Brainy's mouth.

He harrumphed once before tentatively opening his mouth.

The taste of the warm broth filled his mouth and was delicious – he was hungry after all.

Almost immediately, the taste turned to an awful, metallic taste. Brainy instantly made a face but swallowed anyway. Noticing the expression on his face, Brainette sighed.

"I told you that my broth wasn't that good." She said regretfully.

Brainy shook his head. "It's not that. I have this metallic taste in my mouth."

"Oh," well at least it wasn't the broth. "It's probably from the injuries," Brainette nodded, feeling relieved. "H-Here, have some more broth? Perhaps it will wash away the metallic taste."

As Brainy accepts a second spoonful of Brainette's broth, he noticed her hand was trembling slightly.

Is she alright, he wonders.

The only other time Brainy ever noticed Brainette tremble was the day when they had to burn down the Old Smurf Village. His bespectacled mate attempted to smile cheerfully as she fed him a third spoonful. Brainy could see in her eyes were red. Apparently, she had been crying not too long ago, and was now on the verge of crying once more.

As Brainy mused, he was slowly remembering the last few minutes – just before a large metal fireball comes hurtling down toward them. The things he had said to her in anger.

How could I be so mean? He blamed himself.

"I'm sorry," Brainy suddenly blurted. Brainette stopped spooning the broth toward him and looked up in shock.

"For what...?" She asked tentatively.

Brainy tilted his head and looked at her. "For all the mean things I said to you back in that field. I guess I really was jealous of the way Khalid spoke to you." He replied sheepishly.

Brainette was taken aback. "Oh, d-don't worry about it. It's forgotten," she shrugged, trying to show him it was no big deal.

"Not to me it hasn't," Brainy said firmly. He reached out with one hand, snaking it around behind Brainette's neck where it meets the back of her head. "I want to show you how sorry I am."

"Wh-What are you d…" Before Brainette could finish her question, Brainy pulled her up to his face, and kissed her gently on the lips.

After a few moments, both smurfs pull away. Stunned Brainette stared at Brainy. Subconsciously, she placed her hand to her lips

"Why did you do that? It's not like you to do something that random," She whisperd, still unable to believe that Brainy had just kissed her.

Brainy shrugged. "Guess a near death experience can do that to a smurf." He quipped, and raised an eyebrow when he noticed that Brainette now has a smirk on her face. She rubbed her cheek closest to her mouth. "What's so funny?"

"Your beard…it tickled." She giggled bashfully.

"I see," Brainy smiled, "So is this your way of saying you liked it?"

Brainette blushed. "Maybe," she cooed, not willing to give him a straight answer.

"Would you mind if I kiss you again?" He asked hopefully.

"I-I don't know…"

Brainy decided to take the chance; he pulled her in again for another kiss. To his relief Brainette did not resist.

A minutes later Sassette and the smurflings arrived at the mouth of the cave, each carrying an armful of wood. They took one look and their jaws dropped open in shock, hardly believing what they saw.

"Eeew," little Sorcerer scowled, his tongue stuck out as if he was about to be sick.

"Shh," Sassette hissed, putting a finger to her lips. "Let's give them a moment. Come on." So saying, they carefully put down the wood in a pile and then Sassette ushered the smurflings back outside.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Brainy woke up abruptly by a loud explosion not too far off. The boom rumbled so loud that it woke up the other smurfs from their slumber as well. They all look around in panic.

"Those humans are still fighting?" Brainy cried in astonishment.

"They hadn't really stopped since that morning…well, I don't think they did!" Snappy replied groggily.

Another loud explosion went off, and the sound echoed through the cave. "They sound as if they are getting closer!" The bespectacled smurf elder said anxiously.

He suddenly did not feel safe being in the cave anymore. Desperately Brainy tried to get up from his flat rocky bed.

Brainette noticed her mate struggling to get up. Concerned, she quickly jumped out of her sleeping bag and rushed over to him.

"Brainy, I told you to stay down. You are not able to travel anywhere just now." She reminded him firmly, grabbing him by the shoulders and attempting to push him back down.

"No!" Brainy spat aggressively, "Please, for once, just believe me when I say we have to leave! The humans…they are moving towards us!"

He looked pleadingly at Brainette. For an instant, it seemed that they just had a telepathic link. The same thought crossed their minds and the words -'protect the smurflings. They're the ones that matter the most' - echoed through their ears.

"You know I'm right, Brainette. We have to get out of this cave – NOW!" Brainy barked.

Brainette had to concur to that; the situation indeed became quite dangerous. She nodded once, turned abruptly to the other smurfs and gave orders once again.

"Sassette, Slouchy, grab our things. Snappy, Nat help get Brainy up. Come on Smurflings, we are leaving!"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The smurfs made it only half a mile from the cave, but it was enough to remove them out of the danger. From where they were, the smurfs watch as a group of humans come running towards the small cave they had just evacuated with the enemies following them closely. The enemy cannons from some distance away fired at the Boer people, and right at the entrance of the cave. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left of the once sanctioned spot of the smurfs.

Slouchy trembled on the spot where he stood. "That was a close call." He said with relief.

"Those poor humans! I wish we could do something for them." Sassette shook her head sadly, feeling guilt.

"But we can't, Sassette," Brainette gave her adopted sister a consoling hug. "We must move on and find a better shelter."

While they journeyed, Snappy and Nat were walking at a slow pace, side by side with Brainy between them, trying to support him so he could walk.

With a groan, Brainy closed his eyes. Slowly, he leaned forward as if he was about to pass out. The pain became too much for him, and he got woozy as well as exhausted.

"Come on, Brainy! Snap out of it!" Snappy complained loudly as he began to realize just how heavy his older brother was.

"Hang in there, Brainy," Nat pleaded, "We will get you somewhere so you can rest, but for now please try to stay awake!"

Brainette noticed their distress, came running over to check on Brainy's condition. Her face became grim when she realized that it did not look good.

"He's not going to make it," she exclaimed. Tears swelled up not knowing what to do. "He lost too much blood during the operation when we took out the shrapnel!"

Nat looked alarmed. "Now what do we do, Brainette?"

"Smurfs!" A familiar voice called out from above, startling all the smurfs.

With surprise and relief, the smurfs looked up in time to see Khalid and seven of his strongest followers gliding down towards them.

"Boy, am I glad we decided to come back and look for you." The Fairy King declared in sheer relief. After we noticed the war brewing in the Boer Camps we became concerned to know if you had made it out or not."

Brainette wasted no time. "Khalid! Brainy is badly hurt!" She cried in a panicky voice, running frantically toward the old fairy. "Can you help us, please?" She looked up at him desperately.

The old king wrinkles his brow with concern.

"Then we must get him out of here! Naeem, Sulaiman, grab Brainy!" He barked out to his followers, "The rest of you help the other smurfs! We must fly them back to our shelter in the mountains!"

Khalid picked up Brainette and his followers gathered up the rest of the smurfs. Thus done, he and his Fairy tribe took off in a long flight, their wings hummed furiously as they headed back towards the mountains far away, leaving the still raging war behind them.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Present Day

"We were very fortunate that Khalid came for us," The white-haired Brainette said, sipping a warm cup of tea, "The healers of his tribe were able to give Brainy some medicines that saved him. Almost a month later, we were able to finally leave Africa and come home."

Brainette put down her cup before she continued. "Unfortunately, the injuries Brainy had suffered left him permanently in this condition," She sighed.

"Wow," Hefty gasped. He leaned back against the soft cushions of the couch, still mulling over what he had just heard. He was not sure what to think of his brother now.

"You said it, Hefty." Toughette agreed with the same stunned expression that was on Hefty's face.

"There, are you happy now? You are all caught up." Brainy grumbled in a cranky tone.

"Almost," Toughette spoke up. "What about how you smurfs suddenly decided to leave Europe and make home here?"

Sassette shrugged. "Well, it was either leave our home or face World War I."

"World War I?" Hefty and Toughette did not like the sound of that.

"That's right," Snappy nodded soberly. "Apparently the Boer War was only the beginning for all of Europe."

"We manage to leave our home with Cassandra, one of Gloria's Great-Great-Great grandkids, and her family before Germany attacked Belgium." Nat added in.

"Yeah, and eventually we made it to a country called Ireland," Slouchy said slowly, "There we boarded a huge ship…which ended up on the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean on its' first voyage, nearly taking us down with it."

Both Brainy and Brainette shuddered, and made a horrified, queasy face.

"I told you smurfs to listen to me," Brainette growled, shaking head as though to clear away the horrible memories, "Anything dubbed 'the unsinkable' is just screaming for trouble!"

Hefty and Toughette looked at all the older smurfs with shock and concern. They both felt they had been left out on so many of adventures the past five hundred years.

"After we were rescued by ships from Canada, we decided to cross this country until coming to the west coast here. Cassandra and her family found a decent place in the city while the rest of us eventually found this place and made it our home." He says stiffly. Brainy, than leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

"But…" Toughette wanted to ask more questions.

"It's late," Brainette interrupted her suddenly. She noticed Hefty letting out a huge yawn. "And you two are tired anyway."

"Brainette has a point." Snappy said, standing up and scratching his behind, "Why don't we show you where you will be sleeping?"

Once again, Hefty and Toughette looked at each other. With a shrug, Hefty looked back to Snappy. "Fine," He sighed. He then turned to his aged brother. "Are you going to be ok, Brainy?"

Brainy opened his eyes to look at his younger stronger sibling in surprise.

With an attempt to smile, Brainy once again addressed Hefty. "Yeah, you go on. I'll see you in the morning." He said reassuringly.

Reluctantly, Hefty nodded, rose up from his chair and followed Sassette, Sorcerette, Snappy, and Sorcerer out of the living room with Toughette right beside him.