The Awful Battle of the Pekes and What's Possible

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Jellylorum quietly continues to move medicines around and pack her bag, letting Jenny's words bounce around her head with conviction. As much as she felt she needed to stay and help Munkustrap, she knew she couldn't. Since the Jellicle Ball, Demeter has been in panic mode, refusing to leave the den, struggling to sleep, and since Munk went on his own fear induced power bender, it was Jellylorum's job to take care of Demeter. She wasn't much trouble, in fact, Jelly mostly just felt bad for the poor girl. All of this and her boyfriend couldn't even come home to her. But, as much as Jelly wanted to be, she couldn't be upset at Munkustrap either. He was just as broken by the hidden paw. The difference came in the way they dealt with it.

"Should I tell Demeter about Munkustrap?" Jelly said, heading towards the den's entrance. "If she's in the right headspace to handle it, I'd say go for it. She's an adult, she deserves to know what's going on." Jelly nodded, slinging her travel pack over her shoulder and heading out the door. She was hit with the sun shining up from the East like a slap to the face, eyes immediately squinting at the rays. The medical den wasn't far from Munk's and Demeter's since both were integral to the tribe. Knocking, though the polite thing to do, usually startled Demeter too much, so Jelly and her worked on a system to let her know that she was safe. She'd walk up to the window and pur against it. Enough of a rumble to get her attention, but not to frighten her.

This method of asking to be let in is especially important because of how Demeter might feel. It was less about startling her and more about how Jelly didn't know how she'd find Demeter. Sometimes, she was right as rain, but other times she was found in the middle of her own mind, in the corner of her den, trying to fight off a villain that wasn't there, but was put in front of her by her own mind. Jelly would enter differently depending on how Demeter was doing when she came to the window.

"Hi Jelly!" She turned, heading to the door and walking in it, letting it close gently behind her. "Hey Deme, how are you feeling today?" Demeter was up facing a counter, working on some concoction in a pot. "I'm feeling great! The medicine you gave me is really working wonders. I like not feeling like I'm constantly a target for murder!" Jelly giggled, leaning on the counter next to her. "That's good, that's how it should be." Silence fell over the two as Jelly let her smile fade from her last comment. "Ya know, Deme, I have some good news and some bad news. Are you comfortable enough to hear it?"

Demeter stopped what she was doing, her smile that was directed to the bubbled pot below her now turned to a line as she lifted her head to look at Jelly. "I have to give the bad news first though, then the good news can be a light afterwards." Jelly's mouth flatlined with her eyebrows. "The bad news doesn't make sense without the good news, so I kinda need to tell you that first." Demeter raised her eyebrow, placing a hand on her hip, indicating for Jelly to continue. "Munkustrap is back and safe in the medical den. Tugger finally was able to find him and get him to come down." Demeter tripped on her own breath. "Jellylorum! That's wonderful! It's been nearly a week. Is he not coming home?"

Jelly let that question ring out as she took a deep swallow, trying to get a hold of herself enough to prepare for however Demeter is going to react. "That's the bad news. He's not well. He deprived himself of food, water, and sleep since the ball-" Demeter cut Jelly off. "He didn't eat or sleep the night before the ball either-!" Jelly's eyes went wide as she rolled them, letting her annoyance slip through his face. "At least you know the type of man he is." Demeter stopped stirring at the pot, pulling her paw up to her mouth to nibble on her claws.

"How's he looking? On the verge of death or just showcasing his stupidity?" Jelly lifted her paw up, gently gripping the paw at Demeter's mouth and pulling it down, holding it in her own and letting her paw pad stroke her fur gently. "He was just barely holding it together, but he'll be just fine. It took him a lot of strength just to eat, then he fell asleep right after. I reckon that once he has the energy to keep his eyes open and his back straight, he'll be hungrier than a horse! We'll return him to the den when he's ready. I'm unsure of how long that will take though. If we send him out too soon, he may not be prepared and just try to work himself to death again."