The Stinky Life I've Accepted

Chapter 12: Mystery

Ryker

I grapple in their hands, spitting and snarling as they carry me into the other room, the weird white coat lady following with a clipboard in her hand. 

"Kid, you're okay!" One of them mutters exasperated as they place me in a large contraption. They quickly restrain me to the padding underneath, ignoring my attempts to get out of this situation. 

"Relax. Ok? You're fine. We're just getting you washed up. Won't that be nice?" Another murmurs as he starts to stroke my head, glancing at his comrades. 

No! It won't be nice. I hate water. Detest it. Wish it never existed. 

Water rushes out of a certain part of the stone as the hands at my head gently grabs it, immobilizing it. They force my head up, and my eyes meet his. 

They soften and he smiles. "You're okay. I need you to understand this. We've been telling you this for a month now, and I need you to believe it. Have we hurt you at all? Hmm? We just want to help." This speech has been told to me every chance they had, and I'm getting sick of it. 

If they want to help, they. would. let. me. go. 

I grit my teeth, clutching the padding underneath me as warm water reaches and touches my body. It rises to my neck, and stops. 

"Shhh." The man at my head murmurs as the vapor from the hot water rises in the air. My growls and whimpers decrease with every breath, and something tells me they added some sort of tranquilizer to the water. 

They scrub me down gently and calmly, the man at my head speaking what he seems to think are soothing words. 

The only thoughts I have at the moment is that I need to get out here and I really want to tear these peoples' heads off.

Estriel

I sigh as I run my hands through the wild's hair, murmuring kind words to him. His eyes are frantic and well...feral. 

He hasn't listened to a word we've been saying for the past month now, and we really need to step it up. 

As we wash him, I think about how we can get through to him. He exhales briefly, and I shush him, running shampoo through his long hair. 

"You know the world is such a big place. I wonder how much of it you have seen. The fact we found you in New York not only astonishes me, but impresses me. You sure are an interesting one. You're also the most experienced rogue your age that hasn't become an absolute. Quite impressing indeed." I whisper to him, rinsing out the shampoo. 

I lather his hair in conditioner, humming. "Could you tell us where you came from? How old you are?" I ask, but he remains silent.