Chapter 4
He sheds his coat, shoes, and shirt before he plunges into the river and gasps at the artic sting. It was like being put in cryostatis all over again: the shortness of breath, the needles of frozen, liquid pain stabbing at his skin, the tightness of his chest. He bellows out Little Wolf's name while his hands frantically churn the water.
He looks in vain for her head to appear on the surface. Khan waits for a sign or a signal—anything—to give away her location. Nothing. Not even as much as a scream or a choked, shuttering inhalation. Her head doesn't so much as break the water's black, opaque surface.
"LITTLE WOLF!" He bellows into the crisp air.
Something claws at his leg. Without even thinking, he dives downwards. His strong hands search out the source and grab ahold of fabric: her jacket. He roars back to the surface and drags her limp body with him. When he breaks the surface, he rushes wildly to the bank with Little Wolf thrown over his shoulder like a rag doll.
Within minutes, he has a fire going and the small child is gasping for air. He wraps her tightly in his jacket and positions her close to the life-giving flames. Violent tremors wrack her body and Khan shivers quietly next to her as he wills for his pants to dry. He slips his large socks onto her tiny feet and smirks a little when he sees the fabric swallow her tiny foot and stop just below her knee. Then he pulls his shirt back over his head and shrugs into the thick, dry fabric covering his torso.
An hour later, after kicking the idiot, who wished harm upon his young companion, brutally into the river, he carries her, still wrapped up in his jacket, back towards Sharp Quills home. She still hasn't woken up.
…
Sharp Quill takes her into her room and, even though the child's clothes have long since dried, she redresses her and wraps her tightly in a thick, blue quilt. Khan then carries her downstairs and deposits her on the couch before lying down beside her. He stares up at the roof and listens to her breathe softly and reassures himself that each breath she takes will not be her last.
That night, he snores...but no one puts tape over his mouth.
He wished they did.
…
When he wakes up, Little Wolf is curled into his side. When he makes a move to get up, she wriggles closer and shivers from the cold. Sighing internally, he stays still and waits for her to wake up. She does, eventually. Her eyes open and focus on him groggily. Her small fist rubs her eyes and she yawns quietly while she takes in her surroundings. Suddenly, she sniffs and wrinkles her nose before looking Khan in the eyes.
"You smell bad, John. You need a bath. A long bath." She proclaims with another yawn.
Khan tickles her in retaliation before tears stream down her face and her voice turns a little hoarse. She runs up the stairs and Sharp Quill smiles for the first time since they arrived. Khan questions the elderly woman's motives.
"Feeling better, eh?" The old woman questions the child and Khan is instantly on guard.
"Yep." Little Wolf yawns again.
"Good. I need more wood. Have at it."
"But I…" Little Wolf starts and Sharp Quill gives her a look and the girl sighs. "Fine."
Khan smirks and follows her and Zevi as they brave the wind and trudge slowly into the forest. Khan chops the woods they bring him and follow them into the safety of the forest lest another foolish man decide to attack. After they've gathered a decent supply of timber, Sharp Quill sends them out in search of dinner.
They return with a young buck and a basket of berries—the last of the berries in the area until spring.
…
"So, where is your family, John?" Little Wolf glances at him from the corner of her eye as she sketches something Khan can't see in her notebook. Fawn watches her draw over her shoulder and smiles toothily: two of her front teeth are missing.
"See the stars?" Khan asks and Little Wolf frowns and glances out the window of the hut before giving him a solemn nod. "They're out there somewhere. Some bad people have them; I intend to save them."
"Oh." She goes back to her drawing.
"And yours?" Khan asks quietly.
"My little brother is at the orphanage in Riverweed. I don't know where my mom is. That's why I'm trying to find her: she went missing."
"And your father?" Khan arcs his back as his he stretches befor straightening his posture and watching the children with his sharp blue eyes.
"I never knowed him." They sit in silence for a moment.
"Do you miss your family, John?"
"With every cell of my being." He stares up at the unforgiving night sky and his brain whirls a thousand miles a minute as he tries to plan out how he'll save them but his mind keeps turning blank.
Fawn yawns and crawls into Khan's lap before falling asleep to the sound of his beating heart, her tiny head resting gently against his chest. Zevi gives a growl like yawn and watches them with sleepy, honey colored eyes.
"I think," Little Wolf yawns widely. "We should go to bed. Sharp Quill will get mad if we're up too late and hit you with her cane again."
Khan's fingers drift down to his ankle where (somehow) the bruise from earlier still resides. Little Wolf had found and brought home a heavily pregnant Great Dane and dubbed her "Roanoke". Sharp Quill had (somehow) blamed Khan for bringing—yet another—mouth to her home for her to feed. Before he fled into the stars, he was going to make that old woman pay.
Dearly.
…
"JohnJohnJohn!" Little Wolf shakes his shoulder and Khan's heart nearly stops from the look of alarm glittering in her eyes. "Wake up! Hurry!"
"What is it?" He's wide awake.
His sharp eyes quickly look over the room and his ears try to pick out any noises that shouldn't be there. Are they being attacked? Has Star Fleet found them?
"It's Roanoke! She's hurt, John! All her guts are falling out! We've got to hurry!"
Oh. He relaxes a little. All was fine; the dog was probably just going into labor. She must have just passed the first pup.
"John!" Little Wolf whines.
Khan sighs and walks towards the stairs. Little Wolf runs ahead of him and jumps up and down impatiently in the kitchen a few feet away from the new mother. Khan looks at the dog carefully. She had passed three pups so far. There seemed to be no complications.
He calmly instructs Little Wolf on what supplies to get and the girl rushes to do as she was told. Khan shows her how to break open the little sacs and stimulate breathing. Hours later, the delivery has finished and Roanoke suckles six healthy pups. All of them pitch black like her save for a blue female.
Little Wolf is curled into a ball on the cold dirt floor. Khan gathers her gently into her arms and deposits her carefully in her chair downstairs before covering her with a warm quilt. His hand ghosts over her forehead before ruffling her dark brown hair and wandering upstairs to check on the pups one last time.
Cooing greets his ears. He sees Sharp Quill sitting next to the large Great Dane. Her wrinkled hand pets the dog gently and a small smile ignites her features as she grins at the tiny lives in her house. Perhaps, the old bat had a heart after all. Smirking slightly, Khan sneaks back downstairs and lies down his couch. The pups will be fine.
…
The smell of clean water greets his nose.
Soft.
Clean.
Refreshing.
His eyebrows turn downwards in groggy thought. Why was he smelling water? He was inside…where it was warm…dry... Something cold and wet slap him in the face and temporarily cuts off his breathing. Gasping, he shoots up and sees Little Wolf giggling. An empty bowl snickers at him from her hands.
"You have a ten second head start." Khan growls irritably. Why would she even do this? It wasn't even daylight out yet!
"Ten seconds?" She cocks her head to the side in confusion.
"Five seconds." He amends and he sees her frown.
"What?"
"You had your chance." He says calmly before giving a bloodcurdling roar.
She shrieks in surprise as he envelops her in her arms and carries her upstairs. Sharp Quill walks into the bathroom just in time for Khan turn the shower on and toss Little Wolf-clothes and all-right into the freezing spray.
"And they think I'm evil." The old woman smirks just as the girl shrieks and tries to jump out; Khan doesn't let her. "Just don't break anything."
"Done," he agreed swiftly to old woman's terms.
"Sharp Quill! Help!" The girl yelped and tried once more to escape. Khan stopped her easily. She looked, with pleading eyes, at Sharp Quill, who shrugged at the pair in the bathroom.
"Don't look at me, kiddos." The woman nods. "I was never even here. Good night; don't get water all over my clean floor or I'll dump your cold corpses in the river."
"You're not playing fair." Little Wolf scowls at Khan but he merely smirks at her coldly.
"Revenge isn't fair-particularly before sunrise." He walks away.
So, how are you guys liking it so far? Please review and tell me what you think.