When Feral Kids meet Runaways

Chapter Fifteen = Safe and Bad News

Natali waited silently behind the barbecue as she had been instructed by Oki and Kitty to do. She was beginning to feel anxious the longer she waited without word.

She had just made up her mind to go in if she hadn't heard from anyone in five minutes, when Mark's voice came through to her walkie talkie.

"We got the girls Natali, on our way out."

Natali eased her legs underneath her ready to stand up when they got out. Natali watched around the edge of the barbecue as Polly and Harold stepped out, with Milli. Followed by Kitty helping Katy stay upright.

Her heart wrenched for them. Othelia came out the door next, with Brianne passed out on her back. Natali gasped and jumped up, abandoning all caution. Although she was all covered up Natali knew the girl would be in a heap of pain.

The small group joined Natali in the backyard, but the door had shut after Othelia and Brianne and not opened again.

"Where are the others?" Natali asked, worried about them. "Where is Mark and Oki?"

"They're okay," Polly said. "Well, Mark and Victoria are. They just slipped out the front door."

"What about Oki and Tanya?"

"They stayed back to make sure the girl's parents couldn't interrupt our exit."

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Natali led the group around the side of the house and down the road to where they had left hers and Polly's cars. Harold helped Kitty get Katy into Polly's car, while Polly helped Natali with Brianne.

Brianne was laid along the backseat, Natali knew she'd have to drive especially careful with her.

When Mark and Victoria arrived at the cars, Natali got Mark in the front seat of her car. They saved a final seat by Brianne's legs for Oki. Leaving Polly and Harold to take Katy, Milli and Kitty.

When everyone was set up and knew where they'd be sitting. Mark piped up, "Victoria and Othelia want to go back in for Oki and Tanya."

"I'll go with them," Natali said.

Mark jumped out of the car. I'll come too!"

"I'll be careful," he insisted. "Plus, three pairs of ears and noses are better than two?"

"Alright..." Natali relented. "But I want you to stay back, right at the door."

"Fine," Mark pouted, and dropped his dressing gown shifting to his deer form.

Their small strange group made their way back to the door, this time entering from the front. It didn't take the wolves and Mark long to show Natali to the cupboard.

They'd just opened the door when Tanya and Oki bounded up at them from the dark. Oki shifted to human, as soon as she reached the top, stumbling and using Mark to catch her.

"Close the door!" She almost shouted.

Natali began to shove it and Othelia threw her weight against the bottom, slamming it shut with a resounding clang. Oki grabbed the key in the keyhole and turned it, locking the door shut.

"Let's get out of here," Natali said.

Natali gave Oki a blanket from the boot of her car to cover herself with on the drive home. Oki and Mark slid into their spots.

"I'll see you back at the house," Oki told her pack.

With that the three wolves took off down the residential streets, Natali and Polly following behind. As the houses lessened and the trees grew, the wolves vanished into the forest. Natali couldn't even make out their shadowy forms in her headlight beams.

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Natali's house was abuzz with activity. Mark and Milli had been assigned the task of putting away the walkie talkies and dog whistles. Oki and Kitty were looking through some of Oki's old clothes, they needed something clean for Katy to wear and something for Brianne to put on when she woke up.

Polly and Harold were on border patrol with Victoria and Tanya. Their job was to make sure that Markus and Genoise hadn't got free and followed them or called someone to follow them.

Natali was making them all something to eat, when Mark and Milli finished putting everything away they returned to Natali and asked if there was anything else they could do to help.

"Milli, send Kitty down and help Oki," Natali said.

Milli ran off to do that.

"Mark, did you want to call in Polly and Harold."

"Sure!"

When Mark had returned with Kitty's parents, and Kitty had come downstairs, Natali gave the next lot of instructions.

She needed Polly's help in the kitchen and she wanted Harold and Kitty to look up remedies for bruises, she had no idea what to do for either of the girls.

She hadn't even looked at Brianne's back, although Oki had told her it was pretty bad.
She knew it would need disinfecting, but she didn't want to do it while the girl was unconscious.
Part of her wondered whether it would be better to, since the pain might be better to deal with that way.

Mark logged Harold into the laptop so he could begin his research, Kitty used her phone instead saying she would be able to find her way around it better.

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"I think I've found some stuff to help with Katy," Harold said to Natali as she began to dish food out for everyone.

"I'm listening," She said,as she turned a plate around.

"I'm just not sure if we have any," He said then added, "Arnica or Vitamin K creams."

"I think I have a tube of Vitamin K cream," Natali answered.

Kitty entered the kitchen at that moment. "Not great news... I found some info for Brianne... But..."

"We should rinse it with cool water, no soap or disinfectant. If it's still bleeding use a cool wet cloth and hold it over the wound with pressure, if it bleeds through keep adding layers. Only bandage it if it's going to be irritated by clothes."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad," Natali started.

"It gets worse..."

"Tell me..."

"If the wound is jagged, hanging open, is deep and she hasn't had a tetanus shot, (which she hasn't), and... if the blood soaks through the bandage or it doesn't stop bleeding after ten minutes of compression then... She'll need to go see a doctor..."

"And... The wounds?"

"Were jagged. Were hanging open, and we haven't looked to see how bad they really are."

"Polly, are you alright to take over here?" Natali asked, concern lacing her tone

"Of course. Go."

Natali and Kitty entered the lounge room in time to hear Brianne cry out in agony.