Angel Of Mercy

Chapter 17

The morning came way too early and unexpectedly for Maurice. One minute, Karin was lying peacefully next to the orangutan in the Healing nest. The next moment, she bolted upright with a gasp.

"Karin, what—" was all Maurice managed to get out before she was up and gone, dashing next door. In a few seconds, Luca's Aunt Sonya was out the door, running for the Healer, sparrow, and nearly trampling over little Mary, who was apparently up early to check on one of her favorite Uncles and her human charge.

"Uncle Maurice, what's going on?" Mary demanded, seeing he was wide awake as she stuck her head in the door. "Oh no! Don't you dare!" the ape child exclaimed, bounding forward, and pushing her uncle back on to the bed with uncharacteristic force.

"Go see what is wrong, Mary, please?" Maurice signed to the child.

"I will if you stay in bed?" the little ape girl demanded

Maurice simply nodded, and Mary headed next door.

The poor old Orangutan lay there helplessly worrying, suffering the sounds of female excitement or was it distress from next door.

Soon enough, everyone entered the hut where Maurice lay, even Cornelia and tinker were there now. The first thing Maurice noticed was that Karin's clothes were gone, and she was now wrapped from head to toe in a large animal pelt. The second thing he noticed was that their dear healer was in tears.

"Sparrow, please, it's not your fault," Karin was insisting. Maurice watched as she hugged the groups healer then turned to the others with a pleading look. "Will someone please tell her it's not her fault?"

A flurry of signs and soft pants and grunts followed as Karin let go of Sparrow and came to lean wearily against the healing nest.

Normally, he would never be so bold. Normally, he would ask permission. But these were not normal circumstances. Maurice reached out and took Karin's hand in a gentle but firm grip.

"What is not her fault?" Maurice demanded. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing to worry about, Maurice," Karin told him even as she fidgeted endlessly. "I've just had a tiny little reaction to some of the healing medicines put on my scratches. I should have asked what they were made of to start with. And I think I ate way too much good food last night. That's all it is, but poor Sparrow thinks she's poisoned me."

Maurice gently pushed back the pelt to expose Karin's arm, and gasped involuntarily. Lots of tiny angry red bumps covered Karin's pale skin. He had seen some few apes have reactions similar, but never that bad.

"Maurice?" Karin protested, pulling the animal skin back down again. "You're not helping! It's not that bad. I'll just run back home and get some medicine. I need to go home and get some things, anyway. I wasn't ready for a sleep over."

"No," Cornelia interceded, stepping forward firmly.

Karin blinked.

"NO?" Karin asked. "You mean, you won't let me leave?"

Cornelia shook her head.

"Not go... alone," she insisted out loud.

"Cornelia, honestly, I'm a big girl. I did make my way here in the dead of night and in a total panic to boot," Karin reminded them all. "I think I can get home and back again safely in broad daylight."

"No! Will not go alone!" Cornelia insisted, her pretty chimpanzee face set. She signed something to Tinker, and Rocket's wife left quickly to fetch someone.

"Now where is she going?" Karin demanded. "Maurice?"

Suppressing his amusement, Maurice only looked at his human friend and shook his great head.