Her eyes fluttered open and I gasped with joy, I started licking her and she muttered, “Aerik? Is that you?”
“Of course it is, I’m so happy you’re alive, you had me scared silly.”
“Where are we?”
“By the river bank were not that far from home.”
I nudged her up the hill as she hobbled beside me. She yelped and fell, sliding back down to the bottom, “Aerik… Aerik where are you?” she panicked
“I’m right next to you honey, are you okay?”
“Yeah… Yeah I’m fine just out of it you know.”
“Of course but the other way is a lot easier to climb
up lets go this way.”
I walked on leading the way, but she stumbled around on the bank looking everywhere, “Where are you?”
I knew what this meant, but pushed the though far back into my head. She couldn’t be going blind. Could she? I ran to her aide and guided her across the river and threw the hunting grounds, in till we got home. “Were home.” I smiled and led her to the deer pelt where she flopped to her side and let out a depressing sigh.
They pups ran to her, “Momma we missed you!”
Brooke yelped when they climbed on her but smiled and responded, “I missed you too.”
Sam tilted her head and nudged closer to her, “Are you okay Momma?”
“Yeah, I’ll be okay sweetie.”
Sam and Sage looked unconvinced but the boys wagged their tails, as Alex spoke up, “Wanna go swimin’ Momma?”
But Sage interrupted before she could answer, “Can’t you see Momma’s hurt, she can’t swim right now. Go play army with Yukon.”
Yukon growled, “It’s not army it’s Sniper!”
Sage rolled her eyes, “Whatever.”
The boys scampered out of the den. I nuzzled the girls, “Thank you both.”
“Anytime Daddy.” And they too ran outside
I sat in front of Brooke and a tear fell down again when she shook with fright when I nuzzled her. “Maybe we should get you to a doctor?”
She growled, “No, I hate doctors.”
“Well what about the doctors dog, he watches the doctor and isn’t so bad himself?”
She sighed, “Okay…”
I howled calling for the doctors dog to come as fast as he could. I looked at her wounds myself and noticed how bad they were. Her right front paw was defiantly broken. Her sides were scratched up and she was covered in blood, some not even hers. Her eyes were scratched as well and when I looked closer I noticed a filmy milky white shade of clouded blue colored her eyes. That’s what I had feared, “What happened out there?”
“Well my old alpha Sean wanted to kill me…” She went through her whole story, never missing a detail.
“Well I’m proud of you; you weren’t going down without a fight.”
She smiled, pride glowing from her. She stiffened, “Someone’s here.”
“Who, I don’t smell anyone, or see anyone?”
She lifted her nose in the air and sniffed, “Oh it’s just the doctor’s dog.” Brooke rested her head on the pelt as I went to greet the dog.
He introduced himself, “Hello, I heard this was an emergency and I came as quick as I could. My name is Scout.”
Scout is a Mastiff; he trotted over to my mate and inspected her wounds. Scout pulled off his pack on his back and got out some herbs and leaves. He rapped her wounds in the different leaves and put the herbs on her paw. He looked at the paw again and shook his head, “I’m afraid that we’ll have to re-brake your paw for it to heal straight.”
She nodded weakly. I nuzzled her through it all as Scout put her paw in his mouth and broke it; a piercing yelp rang through the trees. I wiped away her tears; Scout re-set her paw in the right spot and put it in a splint. He wrapped it together with the leaved and spread the herbs over her face, “I’m afraid you might have lost your vision for good.”
“For… For good?” She questioned holding back tears
“Yes, but it may come back bit by bit to a degree.”
She smiled, “Will it ever be the way it was before?”
“I’m afraid not, never 100 percent the same but it could come close.” He looked at me, “You have to rub this on around her eyes and on her eyelids for a couple of weeks.”
I nodded and he went on, “I’ll be back in a week to see how you’re doing. Try not to move much okay? Feel better.”
“Thank you.” We both responded
“Pleasure to be of assistance.”
I watched as he left, and then turned to Brooke, “Ready to go to sleep?”
“My eyes have been sleeping all day, I’m not tired.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s always foggy now so I just sleep to get rid of it and then I see perfectly.”
I chuckled, “Your tired, just take a little nap?”
She huffed, “Fine.”
“I still see you’re as stubborn as ever.”
“Something’s never change.” I smiled as she said this; she still had her humor at least that wasn’t gone. As well as her free spirit, which is why I loved her, she could never be broken; she never gave up on anything.
*BROOKE*
I lay on the deer pelt for hours. Hours turned to days. Days turned to weeks. Weeks turned to months. I never ate or drank, only when forced by my family. My own tears stained my fur around my eyes. My beautiful eyes… my beautiful sight… blue as the ocean, as clear as a starry night sky. And now… as foggy as steamed up glass, as unclear as a dirty cup, as milky white as the moon. I was lost. Lost… never to be home once again…
I moaned and curled my tail closer to my body, my paws tightened to my body as well. I picked my head up. Someone was there I could hear them. He walked into the den and slid over to me. I jumped up and skidded to the corner of the cave and snarled. He then spoke in a depressing tone, “It’s me… Aerik. Don’t worry no one’s gonna hurt you, just relax. Remember… strongest wolf alive…” I could tell he was puffing up his chest and he was smiling, “Just calm down okay? Want to join us on a walk? Were just gonna enjoy the scenery; watch the pups snag a few rabbits? So what do you say?”
I flopped back down on the pelt, “Sorry.”
He sighed, “Alright then… if you change your mind you know how to call us.”
“’K, have fun.”
He left; I licked the pelt for some reason. Just to clean it I suppose. Just to pass time. I looked up, seeing nothing but shadows and fog, fog, never ending fog, a thick blanket of it. I growled under my breath. Stupid Sean has to go and ruin my life. I stood up, and slowly skidded across the den ground. I hit my right paw on a stone and yelped. I couldn’t take it anymore I just snapped, growling and scratching at my face, my stupid, stupid eyes! I snarled and rolled on my back moaning in pain. I whined and pawed at my eyes, why couldn’t they work. I stood and limped over to the pelt and shoved my face in the fur. I ran in circles and growled and barked. I snapped and I lost it, out of control because the blindness drove me insane. I didn’t even care when six wolves came through the den, I hoped they would just kill me, save me from the pain. The largest of the pack came to me and cooed, “Calm down dear you’re okay, you’re gonna be okay.”
I slither out of his grasp and hide in the corner, “Who are you?!”
“Calm down please, it’s Aerik, and the pups.”
“Oh I’m sorry.” I relaxed my position
“What’s wrong?”
My head fell, “Do I really have to answer that question?”
Bailey yipped, “Whats wrong Momma? You’ve been acting strange for a long time.”
Aerik answered, “Your Mom has a tummy ach.”
“What’s the point Aerik? Lying to them? It ain’t right! They need to know the truth.”
Aerik shook his head, “Its alright dear you don’t have to say anything.”
“Wanna know what’s wrong with me pups?”
They nodded and replied, “Yeah.”
“I am blind. I’m as useless as a rock. I’m good for nothing. I can’t do anything anymore.”
Sam spoke, “That ain’t true Momma, and you are the best!”
I limped out of the den and through the woods, not really knowing where I was going just wondering. I bumped into a tree and cussed under my breath. I sat and let the sun warm me, I couldn’t see it but I could feel it.
Then it hit me… I can’t see but I can feel, smell, hear, and taste. Maybe I wasn’t useless after all. I could still live my life. Though I would never be able to see the birds again, or watch as the sun set or rose. I could still live… but I would deffinatly have to be making a few changes...
END OF PART TWO