Author's Note: I love Jungle Book, this takes place one year after Jungle Book 2, Shanti=10 years, Mowgli=10 years, Ranjan=5 years...Somewhat going along with the cartoon Jungle Cubs how Khan used to be friends with everyone...Don't forget to Review!

Summary: A virus has infected the jungle animals, and the JB crew has limited time to cure the wildlife, but the cure lies in Shere Khan's past and betrayal...

Disclaimer: Sadly...but no...

Chapter Three

When They Hear...

February

Bagheera sighed a little as he watched Baloo sleep, partially from pain-induced exhaustion.

Three guns had gone off, one bullet had hit Shere Khan's lame foot.

One bullet hit Baloo, right in his left shoulder.

The last was a stranger's tranquilizer gun, and the dart's needle hit Baloo right in the neck, the bear was out before he hit the ground.

Shere Khan had fled at a bloody limp, disappearing and leaving the village in an uproar. (No pun intended)

Bagheera glanced around the barn; Chandra, who was supposed to be watching over the bear and panther, was snoring in a corner; Baloo was sleeping roughly in the corner diagonally across from the man, his wounded shoulder swollen and sore.

Messua abruptly entered the barn, the tired Ranjan in her arms, yawning and whining; the noise awoke Chandra with a snort and Baloo with a low groan.

A child stood in against the half open door, the moonlight giving off a nearly indistinguishable shadow.

"Let 'em sleep in here, my dear. Everyone needs decent rest."

Chandra took Ranjan and set him on his lap, the boy drifting off before Messua was even to the figure at the door.

The shadowed child stood with tired shoulders slumped, head hanging low, and right arm bulky and held to their body.

The child was Mowgli.

Bagheera stood up, and waited a second for the dizziness to fade, "Oh man-cub...what happened Mowgli?"

"Louie...he...*moan*...didn't see me...fall...rocks at bottom..."

Bagheera lowered his gaze from the boy's face for a moment, his heart aching at Mowgli's pain, and the tears that slowly tracked down his tired face.

"It's alright man-cub, just get some rest...things'll be better in the morning..."

Bagheera was rambling, trying to calm Mowgli; he was probably exhausted, cold, and in shock. Which probably wasn't a bad thing since Mowgli didn't need to be in pain that fought his need for sleep.

"Baggy?"

The panther tipped and ear to hear Baloo shift to lean against the heap of straw in his corner, though the bear was high on the sedative drug, he understood what Mowgli really needed as he sat up.

"Mowgli?"

The boy followed Bagheera's gaze to Baloo, it only took a second for recognition to set in. And a second later Mowgli had literally jumped into Baloo's arms and clung to his guardian's neck. (The only part he could reach all the way around.)

Baloo just held Mowgli, not feeling the tears soak his chest; the boy was shaking for crying out loud. Louie had screwed up big time. Mowgli was scared and hurting; no kid, jungle-raised or not, should have to go through this because of someone else's carelessness.

"Shsh...it's alright...just breathe kid, can't have you turnin' blue now can I?...It's alright Mowgli...you're safe...Papa Bear's not gonna let you go..."

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Baloo didn't know how long it took for him to get Mowgli to fall asleep in his arms, he did know that he had slept until late the next morning since the other humans were gone from the barn and Bagheera was deeply in the middle of his late morning nap that would last until late afternoon if the panther was lucky.

Mowgli was still soundly slumbering, breathing deeply and evenly, the hitching breathing had leveled out completely from the night before.

Baloo grinned at the sleeping man-cub in his arms.

Careful of the neatly bandaged arm that rest on his chest, Baloo shifted and gently rubbed Mowgli's back, the boy shifting and mumbling sleepily.

"You awake yet little britches?"

"Mm...mmm..."

Baloo smirked then winced as Mowgli jarred his shoulder with his moving.

"...*hiss*...hey Mowgli...*wince*...Could you move a bit...*groan*...oh...ow..."

Mowgli sat up after having to nearly shove Baloo's bad arm off him, "What's wrong Papa Bear?"

Baloo grinned past the throbbing in his shoulder, "Boy, it's good to hear you say that little britches."

"What d'ya mean Baloo?"

"You weren't...*groan*..." Baloo slowly forced himself to sit up, "really talking last night kid, took me awhile to get you to...*groan*...fall asleep...*hiss*..."

"What's wrong Baloo?"

The bear sighed, "You remember gettin' back to the village yesterday?"

Mowgli shook his head as he settled back against Baloo's chest, earning a gentle smile.

"Shere Khan brought you back from Louie."

"WHAT?"

ROAR!

Baloo groaned loudly as Mowgli sat back after jerking upright, and right into Baloo's arm, the bear couldn't even see straight it hurt so bad.

"Baloo? Please Baloo...I'm sorry...what's wrong Baloo..."

Baloo tried to ignore the pain in his shoulder, only halfway able to hear Mowgli's words; he hated having to ignore the kid, but Baloo wouldn't risk accidentally lashing out at the kid.

"Ba-baloo...please..."

The bear growled as a sharp ache suddenly twinged through the rest of the pain, then mentally kicked himself when Mowgli flinched.

"It's...alright...*moan*...ooooooh..."

Baloo slumped back against the hay, exhausted already; Mowgli sat on his chest, bandaged arm arm in his lap, shoulders slumped, and head hanging low.

"Com'ere kid," Baloo eased Mowgli closer with his good arm, ruffling the kid's hair and letting Mowgli lean against his elbow joint.

"Like I was trying to say, Shere Khan brought you back from Louie yesterday,...now don't you go and shoutin' again kid." Baloo clapped his paw over Mowgli's mouth, really not wanting or actually able to handle a jerk to his shoulder.

"Just hold still, little britches...let me finish..."

Mowgli nodded and Baloo removed his paw and sighed a little, "Your arm got bumped adn you woke up screaming for anyone you could think of. I came looking for you and Shere Khan..."

Baloo's voice dropped in volume to the point Mowgli nearly asked again, "...and the guns went off..."

The boy looked down at his lap, silent while Baloo yawned and started to lie further back into the hay, nearly dozing off.

"Hey Baloo?"

"MmHmm?"

"Why hasn't Bagheera woken up?"

Baloo opened his eyes and tilted his head enough to see the panther, still soundly unconscious.

The barn door opened, lighting up the dim area with bright sunlight that made your eyes squint.

A tall teenage boy stood in the doorway, "If Bagheera is the panther...then he's been drugged."

"Oh...wait what?"

Mowgli and Baloo somehow said that in unison.

The boy smirked and stepped out of the light and to Bagheera's side, gently pressing his fingers to the cat's wrist.

"He was in so much pain he couldn't breathe, so I gave him a sedative to let him sleep."

Mowgli tipped his head to one side, "I haven't seen you in the village before..."

"That's 'cause I'm not from this village."

"Then where are you from?"

"U.S.A."

Now most people in that village would have gone nuts and ask gazillions of questions when they hear that someone is from somewhere completely new, but Mowgli hadn't a clue, and while Bagheera would've reacted, he was asleep, but Baloo sure remembered...

Well? Whatcha think? Review please!