Angel Of Mercy

Chapter 19

WARNING!

The last section of this chapter contains some mild descriptions of past violence. So mild I don't even know if it warrants an alert, but I'm paranoid about ratings, so here's one anyway!

Maurice was almost positive that Karin had not slept through one night since her child was born, and not after the little girl died, either. He was absolutely certain that she had not slept through a single night since he had known her. So, after taking Sparrow's sleeping potion, when she did not wake up that night and the next morning or even that afternoon, he still was not overly concerned. But by the time the evening meal rolled around that day, and he had been up and walking about more than Karin had even stirred, slight concern changed into a gnawing and deep-seated worry, and he could not shake it. Sparrow's half-hearted reassurances next midday did little to comfort him. The big orangutan could see that their healer was worried as well.

So, when Karin finally began to move a little bit the next night, Maurice was instantly wide awake. If she hardly stirred for the last two days, she was making up for that now as she twisted and thrashed and moaned pitifully in her sleep.

He did not even have to think what to do. Maurice followed his second nature and did what he always did. He wrapped his long arms around the woman and pulled her tight against him. But it did not take him long to realize that this only made things ten times worse as she began to struggle against him. He reluctantly released her, and she wriggled a little away from him and lay panting and trembling on her stomach. Her clothes were now bunched up and terribly twisted around her body.

It broke his heart to lay there and watch. But after a little while, Karin grew still again. Maurice reached over and tentatively began to try and straighten her clothes for her. It just looked so restrictive and uncomfortable. His hand brushed her lower back as he pulled her shirt down, and the big orangutan froze. Feeling more than a little guilty, he slid his hand a little way under the back of her shirt, feeling the smooth softness of her skin there. Then his fingers traveled back down until they encountered the long deep rigids of the rough scars that marred her lower back and extended even lower beneath her clothing.

Very quickly, Maurice pulled her shirt back down, and settled her as best he could. But the gentle orangutan could not settle down, not now. The big ape was trembling inside with barely suppressed fury at the one who had done that to Karin.

But it was the deepest part of night. Everyone except the gorilla guard on duty were now sleeping, and none of them would have the answers he needed. Even Caesar did not seem to be up and about on one of his restless nighttime jaunts. The one time I wish he was up, Maurice fretted silently. So, there was no one he could speak to about this, not even Karin herself.

Taking several slow deep breaths, and forcing himself to be calm, Maurice slowly lay back down next to Karin, but he did not reach for her. Not doing this was harder for the orangutan than he ever expected. It had become almost an automatic thing to do. He wanted to hold her close, to keep her warm and protect her in his embrace, but his fear of somehow sparking those buried memories of her gruesome ape attack helped to suppress that longing, but only a little.

Maurice got no sleep for the rest of that terrible long night.

Sparrow was ready to send him back to his own hut the next day. She issued some very strict orders about not over stretching himself, no unnecessary lifting or climbing, etc. But Maurice had other questions for their Healer.

"Karin has scars," he told the female chimpanzee.

Sparrow gave a start of surprise, then made a sad mournful sound. "Yes, I know about them. We've seen them, some of us females. Oh Maurice, she didn't want you to see them."