Chapter Nine Recovery

When I wake up, I hurt all over and I am being smothered by Simba's red mane. I feel I am under a sea of russet hair. I start croaking, " Simba, Simba,'"

Simba lifts his head and looks at me with relief. He nuzzles my face. "I am glad you are back Pumbaa. Don't ever leave me like that again!"

"Next time, I try to charge a lion, talk me out of it, okay!" I laugh weakly.

"Will do, friend. Let's see if you can stand. " I try to stand. It seems my legs are not broken but I am just too tired. I collapse weakly again. There is no way I can climb out of the gorge.

Simba decides he will have to carry me. I am too tired to hang on to his back. He puts his jaws around my neck gently and carries me back to Pride Rock. He gently puts me down when we reach the den and tells Zazu to fetch Rafiki. Timon is frantic. "What happened to my poor buddy? Simba talk to me.!"

"Pumbaa was injured killing Pretty Boy! But he is alive and I am sure he will be all right!"Simba tells Timon. "We will both take care of him.!"

Rafiki shows up and says I have no broken bones but I may have torn ligaments in my legs. He says I will have to rest for a week. And take short walks to recover. Then he slaps some red salve on my wounds. He will come and visit everyday.

Timon seldom leaves my side. He is always bringing me grubs. Kiara and Kovu help Timon bring them. Timon acts like a nurse and he drives me crazy. When I get up to exercise, he tells me to rest. Simba is just as bad. I try to go outside to look at the sunrise and he makes me go back to bed. Simba spends time with me when he is not doing his royal duties. And he has Kiara and Nala nurse me as well. I really do not like all this attention since I am the one who usually does the giving.

Simba decides to have a heart to heart talk with me.

"Listen Pumbaa,"he says. " I am sorry I said you were naive and stupid after you tried to talk to me about Kovu. It turned out you were right. I did not really know him. I was so upset at losing Kopa that I was really overprotective of Kiara. I just did not want to lose her too. "

"I understand Simba," I reply.

"You should have told me you were unhappy, Pumbaa. Timon and I both noticed you were spending a lot of time alone but we thought you might have liked it that way. But you were not really talking to me at all and I began to notice the barrier between us. I was so busy with my duties that I thought I would wait until you came around. Kiara began to notice your withdrawal too and she pointed it out to me. After that I really began to notice that you were not speaking to me much. If that happens again , confide in me, okay. I have always loved you and Timon both but I am a little closer to Timon because he and I both like to joke around and be sarcastic. But I still love you and value your friendship."

"I have always loved you, too. Simba. I could not be more prouder of you than if you were my own son which you are." We hug each other then and I cry.

"Listen, Simba, I am sorry about that but I really am a sensitive guy."

"Don't be ashamed of your emotions, Pumbaa. It does not make you any less brave or strong. In fact, Vitani told me that she thought you were a good fighter and protector. Believe me this pride needs you and we value you." This makes me feel proud. I really am valuable to Simba and he needs me. Mufasa and Sarabi were right.

Soon I am up and around again. Simba is angry when I sneak out of Pride Rock without telling him. But I insist that I have to do my exercises. I feel great. Soon I start taking longer walks and I am ready to run. A month has passed since the injury. Two more weeks pass before I am ready to bowl for buzzards and patrol the Pridelands.

As I heal and feel happier, my life starts to change. Both Nala and Kiara are pregnant. Nala gives birth to a beautiful golden cub with a tuft of red hair. Kovu and Kiara have twin cubs. One is a golden cub that looks like Simba and the other is a beautiful brown girl with green eyes. Nala's cub is called Kion. Kiara and Kovu's children have different names. The golden boy is named Klondo and the brown girl is named Klara. Simba is proud of all of them. Kion will not be king but he will run the new lion guard. Timon and I have families as well. Timon met an adventurous meerkat named Tamara. Tamara was friends with a cheetah. We met them when the cheetah decided to make her home in the Pridelands. Tamara rode on her back. The cheetah named Falana came here to have her daughter Fuli. Fuli and Kion are friends. I have met someone as well. Some of our sounder decided to live in the Pridelands and one of the warthogs is a female with the same scent problem I have. Her name is Valerie. She is just as nice and protective as I am and she loves to entertain our lion friends.

Timon married Tamara and I married Valerie. We had the wedding on top of Pride Rock with Rafiki and all of us in front of Simba's whole pride. The lions roared their congradulations. We expanded our den to include our growing families. Timon has a daughter called Talia and I have a son called Plato. Plato does not have the same scent problem I have and Simba tells me he is a handsome addition to that Timon and I are uncles to an adventurous honey badger named Bunga. We often have to watch him more than our own kids. He is more adventurous than Simba was at his age but Kion keeps him in check. Kion is smart and plays by the rules. He reminds me of Kopa and I love him just the same. He is almost like my own son.

I think about how rich my life has become. Because I have given love I have received it in return. I have had many adventures but I feel my life is measured by my relationships. I am thankful that I have two of the best friends that I have invited into my life and have become so much like family, Timon and Simba. They started my family and now it includes meerkats, warthogs, a honey badger, and a pride of lions. All of us have loved and are loved in return. If I had just kept to myself, I would not have the life I have now. It all started when I was willing to give my life to befriend a meerkat and raise a lion cub. The three of us may have been different but we are a family and we will always will be.