A Heart’s Understanding

Two more regular dreary months passed. Though her heart dulled to a numb pain, Crystal found every distraction possible, mainly discussing motherhood with her sister who was no less excited about her second birth due in another month.

Roars and howls suddenly shrieked from the distance and from Spears on the lookout. He sprinted down from his treetop hut down to Brian and they took off towards the mobile van where the x-ray machine was kept. They sped off towards the border patrol that had sounded the alarm. All they knew back at camp was that they had found someone injured at the border. The whole pride gathered around to see what the commotion was. Brian jumped out of his van next to the group. They had a bloody lion, nothing but bones and half shaved, barely breathing. Without hesitation they loaded him into the van. Spears jumped into the driver's seat and took off so that the doctor could stabilize the patient. Brian froze. "This… is this?" His whole body shuddered. "It's Jay," Roman responded. Crystal broke into tears as she saw them carry him by in camp on a stretcher and immediately chased after them to the medical den.

Brian had his brother on the operating table for hours, Jewel and Diamond helping him. There wasn't much on or in the poor guy that wasn't lacerated or broken. Basically his entire body was wrapped in casts and gauze by the time they were done with him. Logan walked up to his son's side. "Alright doc, tell me it all." "Well it looks like he was tortured pretty awfully Dad." Brian said solemnly. "Whatever they did to him, his healing factor is really slow. His limbs have been broken several times. There's scars on his head where they shaved him, possible brain exploration I'm guessing. Also there appears to have been unprofessional surgery and what looks like whippings along his abdomen. Lastly, he seems to be temporarily blind." Logan began weeping. "Oh God! Who would do this to my baby boy?!" he wailed. "We'll find out the whole story when he wakes up. For now he needs to rest and heal," Brian said coolly.

Crystal came in to lay next to him for the rest of the day. Though he was still unconscious, Crystal spoke softly to him; told him that everything was going to be okay and that he was safe now. "I wouldn't tell him about the kids yet. He might not be able to handle it," Brian said gently, standing in the background stocking medical supplies. "Jewel honey, keep an eye on your uncle please. Make sure there is no bleeding or seizures. I'll be in the back resting, that surgery was exhausting."

A few days passed with no change, Crystal barely leaving his side. Every now and then Jay twitched and gruffed with what seemed to be nightmares. One was finally so bad he woke up screaming, fully awake flailing in his cast. Brian had to hold him down. "NO... NO! NOOOO!" Jay yelled. "It's okay, it's alright!" Brian yelled over him. "You're home! It's Brian, you're brother." Jay settled down a little and then started to struggle again. "NO! This is another trick! Let me out of here!!" "WAIT Jay! I can prove it!" Brian yelled. "You… You remember when we were ten we put honey and slugs all over Uncle Roman while he was sleeping? Then he woke up sticky, slimy, and covered in ants? But...but then he found out and sat on us for an entire hour while Dad took pictures? It was my idea but I still blamed it on you. Sorry." Jay laid silently and still for a few moments. "Yeah. You jerk. I couldn't feel my legs for two days." he said sitting up. They both started laughing and Jay coughed up a little blood. "Ugh. I feel so terrible." Jay said laying back down, just amused and happy to be home. "Ha, you don't look too great either." Brain replied. "Now I've got you blindfolded for now. Your eyes are... damaged." "Uhh. Yeah I know," Jay signed. "I've been blind for a couple weeks now, and was light deprived the entire time in my cell." "Hold up brother. We don't need to talk about this right now. You just need to focus on physically healing right now, we can go through the emotional muck later. Diamond has become the unofficial psychological consultant of the tribe. She never seems to stop reading and has advice for everyone it seems." "Okay then, Doctor bossy. How y'all doing anyway?" Jay wheezed out. "Oh. We're great! Yeah. She's pregnant again. We're expecting two this time." "Oh. hahaaa. Ugh. Don't make me laugh. It hurts too much." Brian laughed back at him. "Alright old man, I am gonna go tell Crystal you're actually awake today. She's hardly left your side, I had to make her go eat." Jay shuddered a deep emotional breath and then yelled "Thanks! And you're just as old as I am!" as Brian was leaving the hut.

Crystal ran in, nearly slamming into Jay, immediately embracing him despite his grunt of pain. "OH! I'm so happy you're alive!" she cried out. Jay started to cry too, as soon as he heard his mate's voice. "I'm SO sorry!" he wailed. "This is all my fault." "No. No. No. It's alright," she said kissing him. "All that's important now is that you're home with us, safe, and that you're gonna be alright." He rested his head against hers. "I love you Crystal, with all of my heart and soul." he whispered. "You're the only thing that kept me going." "Jay darling, the hope of you returning to me one day was the only thing that kept my spirit from dying, and I love you more than I have the words for at the moment... I should let you rest now." She went to leave, and with his arm still broken, he clutched her hand just a little tighter. "Please don't leave me," he said. She let out a small purr and curled up next to him, soaking in his scent. She would never let him go again.

Days had passed as Jay was settling back into his old self. "Ohhhh Briiiiiiiaaaaannnn! I'm bored damn it." Jay yelled in his most annoying brother voice. "Look you!. EVERYONE is busy doing chores. You're not my only patient and I still have crops to go harvest. Seriously Jay, you're blind and half immobilized. How are you THIS fidgety?!" "Uggghhhh. You suck." Jay retorted. Brian left for rounds and gave his nagging brother a ball to mess around with. He just groaned and shuffled it around. Suddenly startled, he said "Who's there?! I've never smelled your scent before." A quiet sweet, but nervous voice replied "I heard you needed a friend. Uh… my name is Dusk." "You sound pretty young. You here to babysit this old man?" he said laughing, throwing the ball towards her voice. "Not really," she replied. "I'm bored too." Throwing the ball towards him. He heard approximately where it landed and felt around for it. "Am I close?" he chuckled. "Yeah. It's a little to your left." His daughter sat patiently while he continued to look around for the ball. "Hey! I got an idea. Wait here." she said, dashing off for a couple minutes and then coming back. "I brought a snake rattler to attach to the ball so it's easier to locate." "That's brilliant!" Jay cheered. "It also smells funny so I can sniff it out." They continued to pass the ball back and forth. Dusk eventually broke the silence. "Got any fun stories? Everyone around here has stories." "Uhh. I've been through a lot of darkness lately sweetheart, haven't thought of any happy memories for a while. Uncle Victor's the real story teller in this family. Let me think a moment…" he said, wanting to entertain this young child. "It's okay…" she said quietly, fearing she overstepped a boundary. "Okay. Okay. I got one. It's not really a story, more of a memory. When I was learning to fly I used to silently swoop down and pick up my brother so he'd freak out. I only dropped him once, I swear. But now, I'm such a good aerial hunter from practicing that. The family really relies on me during the winter." "That is funny. I've never seen the doctor scared before!" "Let's see…" he went on. "There was one time I had a violin competition against the Devil and won. But we're good friends, so it's cool." "THE ACTUAL DEVIL?!" Dusk gasped. "Yeah. We hang out whenever I die, and sometimes he visits me here too for some fun. Best prankster ever! We once convinced some poor soul that the way out of Hell was through a volcano, he just poofed right back to the entrance. Now I know that sounds awful, but I occasionally have a sick sense of humor. Not so much anymore…" he trailed off. "Hey. Are you alright?" Dusk asked. "Uh...yeah. I'm just a little... (he sighs) broken." "You'll heal eventually. And hey! It's almost lunchtime, do you want some?" "Yeah actually, I do." "Okay. Wait here!" She ran off again, this time towards the center of camp. He didn't have the heart to crush her hope of healing, knowing full well the emotional damages were beyond complete repair. She came back a minute later with Brian carrying a haunch of meat. Jay's ears pricked forward and his whiskers twitched as they approached. "If you could see brother, you would have laughed." Brian said as he re-checked Jay's bandages. "This one was trying to carry this entire thing over here herself."

Brian left them again, amused by the entirety of the situation. Jay and Dusk shared the meal and spent the rest of the evening swapping stories, Dusk not giving anything away that he was her father. The sun eventually began to set and Dusk had to say her goodbyes. Eventually Crystal came to say goodnight as well, and they told each other about how their days had been.

A few more weeks passed like this. Jay's bones were healing fairly fast, but his organs were still toxic. Everyone in the family had come to visit him, even the ones he didn't know, saying they "wanted to meet the legend." This day Jay had plans and patiently waited for his friend to arrive. He finally scented her coming in. "Hey Dusk! Will you do me a favor, it will be fun, I promise." "Sure. What's up?" Snorting at Brian in the corner, he said "Doctor McDreamy over here FINALLY cleared me to go outside for some fresh air and a good stretch. Would you do the honor of leading me around outside, in camp?" "ABSOLUTELY! I'm so excited!" she said bouncing with joy. Jay hobbled out of the den after her, keeping the tip of her tail in front of his nose. "Slow down would you? I am just as excited as you, but I still hurt." His entire abdomen was wrapped in gauze. Jewel was following them too, still incharge of chaperoning him just in case anything happened. "So where should we go first?" Dusk chirped. He stopped and turned his face towards the sun and took in a deep long breath of freedom. He faced again towards Dusk, as if he were looking right through his blindfold. "You know the really tall pine tree just behind the King's den? It's a nostalgic place for me. It's like a right of passage for everyone around here to learn how to climb it." "Yeah, I know it. I'm too young to be allowed yet." "It's gonna change your life," Jay smiled, his fangs flashing in the sunbeams.

Jay instantly rubbed all around the tree when they reached it. "I am so sick and tired of smelling like medicine, and this…(sniffing the tree) this is relaxing." He reached out, extending his shiny metal claws and stretched on the tree, yawning. "Is the zipline still here?" "Yeah. You thinking something crazy?" "Heavens no! Just goals for when I'm better." he said with a mischievous smile. Logan walked up. "How's my boy doing today?" "Oh, I'm good Dad. Really good. My lovely friend here is guiding me around, but all I want to do now is take a nap if I'm to be honest. The walk over here wore me out, sorry kiddo that I wasn't more fun." he said glancing over at Dusk. "I want one right in the middle of camp so I can hear all of the commotion. Dad, will you bring me my guitar please?" "Sure, absolutely." "Thank you," he yawned out, nodding towards Dusk. He spent the rest of the day lazily lying in the exact center of the camp basking in the sun and playing music. Dusk joined her sister Dawn nearby and listened to his charmed singing that their mother spoke so highly of.