Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC Willow and any alterations to the original storyline plot her presence creates to various readers amusement everywhere across the globe.
Born To Lead Chapter 28
Too much time had passed. Ellie and Alex were beginning to get nervous. The thought of Malcolm getting caught by an enemy patrol or killed was a possibility neither wanted to contemplate. But as time wore on those kinds of scenarios became even more likely.
Alex was sitting on the floor, legs curled into his chest, leaning against the side of an armchair. Ellie knelt beside where Caesar was laid out on the sofa holding his hand while rubbing his arm soothingly.
The front door opened startling them, but when Malcolm walked inside holding his backpack they relaxed rising to meet him.
"I got it," said Malcolm, handing the backpack to Ellie. She immediately stuck her hand inside the surgical kit. "How is he?"
Ellie opened her mouth to answer but stopped short.
Exhibiting caution Blue Eyes warily walked inside holding his gun read incase this ended up being a trap of some kind. Instead, he found Caesar lying immobile on the couch weakened, but very much alive. Blue Eyes stared blankly at his father unable to comprehend what he was seeing was actually the truth.
In response, Caesar smiled weakly at his son.
Blue Eyes looked back and forth from the gun in his hand to Caesar. Slowly he set the gun down against the wall and approached his father
"Your Mother…Brother," breathed Caesar. "Safe?"
Nodding, Blue Eyes signed"For now."
Gasping Caesar collapsed onto the couch cushions in relief a single tear escaping.
"And…Sister," questioned Caesar.
Blue Eyes flinched at the inquiry ducking his head. He didn't say anything. Too ashamed of his inaction to say what he'd done. This caused Caesar to instantly become suspicious. If Willow had known, like Blue Eyes, that he was alive she would've come barreling over her to see for herself. So why wasn't she?
It was then Blue Eyes registered the bullet wound in Caesar's shoulder the hair surrounding the hole thickened with blood old and fresh.
Furious Blue Eyes spun around snarling at the humans putting blame on them, believing they were responsible for this. Shaken by Blue Eye's act of aggression they hastily stepped backwards.
"No," said Caesar, softly, grasping Blue Eye's wrist to prevent him from lunging at his saviors, shaking his head. "No. Not human."
Blue Eyes turned back towards Caesar in shock. If it wasn't any of the humans then who…
"Koba," said Caesar, sullenly declaring the manic bonobo as the culprit.
The truth seemed to seriously rattle Blue Eyes' cage. Koba tried to assassinate his father and Blue Eyes followed him unconditionally to war against the humans, humans Caesar tried to make a treaty with to protect the tribe. Koba's provocation was built on a lie. They had been manipulated by Koba's treacherous deception into doing his bidding and Blue Eyes fell right for it. Blue Eyes felt like he was about to be sick to his stomach.
"Malcolm," murmured Ellie.
Nodding, Malcolm said "Yeah."
"Caesar," insisted Ellie, walking around Blue Eyes to kneel at his head taking the necessary medical supplies out of the bag. This would take two people. Malcolm would be her assistant. "We need to do this now."
"Son," said Caesar, prompting Blue Eyes to lift his head, extending a hand palm up.
Blue Eyes looked to his father a tear slipping from the corner of his eye.
Father and Son braced themselves. This wasn't going to be pleasant.
The operation was tiresome physically and mentally for both humans and apes. By the end of it, all were extremely exhausted. Malcolm, Ellie, and Alex stayed outside while it was safe in the abandoned Pacific Heights District, allowing the apes inside some much-needed privacy, before moving on to other sections of the house.
The lack of sufficient tools and anesthetic took its toll on Caesar. Halfway into the surgery, he lost consciousness. If it weren't for his inner strength he would surely be dead.
Blue Eyes stoically stayed by Caesar's side during the bullet extraction. Now, as the hours went by, he dutifully sat vigil for Caesar to awaken. On the table were some rations Ellie had set aside for him to eat when he got hungry. In his hands, Blue Eyes held an old photograph preserved in a wooden frame. Examining the picture he recognized a younger version of his father as a toddler and an unknown human. Blue eyes discovered humans had raised his father so this house must've been his home and the human in the picture was the one who'd taken care of him. This explained Caesar's for being so sympathetic and compassionate towards them and their hardships.
Suddenly the awakening of his father startled Blue Eyes. Caesar woke coughing, grunting in pain a hand to his newly stitched wound. Blue Eyes set the picture frame on the table taking a seat on the arm of the couch.
For a few moments father and son just stared at each other neither saying a word. They spoke with their eyes. Caesar smiled gently at his eldest child. Blue Eye's expression was filled with guilt. His eyes were red and puffy from crying.
"I'm so sorry," apologized Blue Eyes."For everything."
A lot there was left unsaid, but Blue Eyes didn't know what else to say, how to put the rest of what he was feeling correctly into words.
Caesar understood better than most. The emotions in his heart were coming from the same direction.
"No," whispered Caesar, hoarse, calmly. "I am to blame."
Confused at the admission, Blue Eyes signed "But Koba betrayed you."
"I chose to trust him because he is an ape," deduced Caesar, breathlessly, and calmly. "I always think…ape better than human. I see now…how much like them we are."
Blue Eyes actually listened to his father hearing him, something he hadn't normally been partial to. This one day apart had altered his drastically. He was very forthcoming, torn up inside.
"Where Koba now," asked Caesar.
"On the human tower," informed Blue Eyes. "Loyal apes around him."
"And those who not follow," asked Caesar, fearing the answer.
"Prisoners," signed Blue Eyes. "Maurice, Rocket…Koba killed Ash."
Caesar's heart went out to his children. Ash was Blue Eyes' best friend since childhood. They did everything together. He knew how much Willow and Ash loved one another. He couldn't imagine what she was going through. Cornelia was his everything. If he'd ever lost her like Willow had with Ash, well he didn't want to even think about it.
Koba wasn't a leader the tribe deserved. Not by a long shot.
"Fear makes others follow," signed Blue Eyes."But when they see you alive. They will turn from Koba."
"Not if I am weak," said Caesar, low and grave, thinking realistically. "Ape always seek the strongest branch."
Blue Eyes couldn't deny that logic. He signed "I still can't believe Koba shot you. I know you and him haven't agreed on much lately, but to try and kill you-."
"No," interrupted Caesar, knowingly, somber. "I was not…his target."
Shakily, eyes wide at what his father just implied, Blue Eyes signed "Willow?"
Caesar nodded.
Blue Eyes buried his face in his hands mentally smacking himself repeatedly for his stupidity.
"Son," said Caesar, eyes hard, stern, "Where is your sister? Why isn't she with you?"
Guilt-ridden, Blue Eyes signed"She's imprisoned alongside the others. When Koba killed Ash, Willow lost it. She attacked in a rage. Willow lost. She deliberately undermined Koba. She questioned his authority, and tried to get the other apes to rise against Koba. But no one did. Not even me. I…I just stood there the whole time and watched as they dragged her away screaming. I saw her afterward. Willow looked right at me, Father, she didn't know me." Blue Eyes was extremely embarrassed and disgraced. He felt unworthy of being Caesar's son let alone his heir.
Silence followed.
Blue Eyes feared his father's reaction, his judgment.
This bit of news pained Caesar. He was saddened that his daughter once so full of life had been brought so low. Reduced to an empty shell of her former self. Exhaling deeply, Caesar said "The past is the past. Nothing there can be changed, only the future remains unwritten. Understood?"
Nodding, regretful, Blue Eyes signed "Yes, but, Father, I overheard a couple of them talking. Willow…Koba's going to execute her. He's condemned her to die."
"I should've expected this. Koba cannot tolerate any kind of insurrection threatening his status as alpha. Willow is the only one left who can challenge him in my absence," stated Caesar, a low growl rumbling in his chest, grimacing in pain as he attempted to rise. "I must do something to stop him."
Blue Eyes wasn't having any of that nonsense.
Hooting softly Blue Eyes firmly forced Caesar to lie back down onto the cushions to rest. In his current state, Caesar was in no condition to do anything to aid Willow, the imprisoned apes, and the captured humans. The strain alone would destroy him inside and out. Blue Eyes wouldn't let that happen.
"Father," rasped Blue Eyes, his voice so rough and unused, speaking clearly for the first time. There was a fierce determination in his eyes that hadn't been present previous. "Let me help you."
Caesar stared at his son in pride cupping the back of Blue Eye's head. Finally, at long last, Blue Eyes was learning. Slowly Blue Eyes was working to become the ape Caesar always envisioned him to be.
Authors Note:
Next chapter is the escape. Something tells me you guys are just going to Love this!