Angel Of Mercy

Chapter 2

I really need to take more tracking lessons from Koba and the hunters, Maurice thought as he picked his way through the forest. He had never felt lost here before, but the old orangutan feared if he had to go much farther that feeling would be coming over him and soon.

It took forever!

Even for the extraordinarily patient Maurice, it felt like forever and a day before he finally found the human female's home. At least, he hoped it was her home, and that he was not just about to burst in on a bunch of strange and frightened or hostile humans, holding this unconscious female in his arms. He knew how he and the Apes would react were the situation reversed and it was one of their females being carried in injured by a total stranger.

The last time one of their young females was carried in to camp because she nearly drowned, her Father, Koba, had to almost be physically restrained. And Koba was usually uncharacteristically patient with Blue Eyes, who was certainly not a total stranger. But, no one except maybe Blue Eyes' Father, Caesar, ever got in Koba's way where little Mary was concerned.

Suppressing a chuckle at that memory, the Ape gently laid the human down in the softest patch of grass he could find. Then, he slowly approached the door. Raising a hand, he lightly tapped on it, and waited. He stood still, his head cocked, listening. No signs of life inside. But the woman's scent was strongest here. This had to be the right place.

Returning to the human, he lifted her up again in his arms. She was breathing very slowly and evenly but Maurice was still very concerned. Forcing down his fears about why she still did not whimper or stir in his arms at all, Maurice carried her slowly in to the small house. It was obviously rundown and very shabby, but clean and well organized for all that. Maurice liked its look immediately.

Heading towards the back of the house, he found a room with a bed that had obviously been recently used. The human's scent was strongest here, and he was now certain this was her bed.

Letting out a quiet huff of relief, he Placed her down on it. He paused then to both catch his breath and observe her for a moment. The blood had nearly stopped running from the cut on her head, and this was good. She did not wake up, however, and this might be bad, very bad. Maurice remembered human circus performers who fell and hit their heads, and a few were taken away never to be seen again. Even an Ape could get such an injury if he were hit hard enough.

Reluctantly leaving her to search through the house, he found several containers of water, and other basic supplies. But even after bathing her head, and pressing cold cloths to it, the only other signs of life he could see was that she blinked when too much water ran in to her eyes.

I suppose that is something, Maurice thought. It was very cold comfort, though. Right now, he would be happy if she even woke up and started screaming at him.

Tentatively, he began picking various bits of twig and other things from the forest out of her hair, being especially careful around her wound. He smoothed back her thick black hair with his fingers, Still, the woman did not stir.

He waited as long as he could, but the night was moving on. If he were late getting back in, there would be tons of questions. Caesar would already have questions that the Orangutan did not yet know how he would answer without revealing the woman's presence.

Finding more blankets and sheets in a small closet, he tucked the girl in, making the best most comfortable nest for her he could. Standing and looking down on her,

he heaved a forlorn sigh.

It was so wrong to leave her alone and unprotected like this, but what else could he do?

Please please don't be dead when I come back, he willed her silently, one hand stroking the top of her head with infinite gentleness. Then, forcing himself to turn away, the Orangutan trudged out of the humans' house, and made his way as fast and quietly as he could back to his own home..