Amanda // Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Chapter 7

Daddy and I walked into the zoo with the stroller that held Caesar. As we passed the chimpanzee enclosures, Caesar pushed back the screen slightly. The previously quiet chimps started hooting and hollering at the sight of Caesar. Caesar quickly pushed the screen back into place, frightened by the noise.

Once we arrived in Dr. Caroline Arahna's office, Caesar hopped out and I lifted him onto the metal table.

"How bad is it?" Daddy asked.

"I don't know yet." Dr. Arahna stated as she looked at Caesar's cut. Caesar cooed.

"He likes you." Daddy mumbled. Ugh. Flirting adults.

Caesar clung to my finger as she stitched him up.

"Don't worry. It'll be over soon," I murmured.

"Then, we can go get a treat." Daddy reassured him. Caesar squealed in excitement.

"What?" He signed.

"I'm thinking ice cream," Daddy stated.

"You taught him to sign?" Caroline asked, as though it was unbelievable.

"Just a handful of things, basic stuff." Daddy replied.

Oh. My... I couldn't. I needed to teach maybe both of them some things about flirting.

"You should have dinner. With her." Caesar signed.

I snorted.

"What's he saying?" Caroline asked curiously.

"Nothing," Daddy replied, his face growing red.

I nudged Caesar, who looked at me, amused.

"So, when do you think we should come back?" I asked Caroline.

"Well, um, you won't need to come back, because these stitches are dissolvable. I would just say, watch for signs of infection. Fever, redness..." She looked at Caesar, who was signing again.

"Serious. Ask her," Daddy shook his head.

"He's not brave enough, Caesar," I teased.

"Whatever, Mandy." Daddy complained.

"Okay, what's he saying now?" Caroline asked again.

I snickered and sat next to Caesar on the table, enjoying the entertainment.

"Um, well..." Daddy shrugged. "He thinks that you and I should have dinner together."

About a week later, I was finally getting home from Satan's domain. School.

"Daddy?" I called.

No answer.

"Hello?" Almost immediately after those words came out of my mouth, I was tackled by a hairy body.

"Hey, Caesar!" I laughed as he cooed and clung to my arm.

"Where's Daddy?" I asked him. He pointed up to his room in the attic.

"Talking to nice doctor." He signed. I nodded and headed off to my room to do homework. Caesar followed me to my room, plopping himself down on my bed. He got up and looked at the picture of the window he had drawn. He traced it with his finger.

"Mandy?" Daddy called.

"Yeah?" I shouted back.

"Come on! We're going to take Caesar out!"

I was a little confused, but walked out of my room with Caesar. I shrugged on a hoodie and took Caesar's hand.

"Do you really need that? It's like 85 degrees out there!" Daddy called.

"Yup," I said, leading Caesar out the front door.

"All you wear are hoodies and leggings," I heard him mutter before I shut the door.

When we got to the forest, Caesar was already enthusiastic. He looked at me and pointed, as if to say "Are you seeing this??" I giggled.

"Doesn't need that leash," I grumbled to my father, who had insisted that Caesar wore a leash.

"He'll be fine, come on!" Grandpa exclaimed.

"Just to be safe." Daddy replied. He looked at Caesar. "Okay, if I take this off, you can not leave my sight. We'll never find you again."

He unclipped the leash. Caesar stood in front of me with his palm up.

"What's this?" I asked, confusion running through my mind.

"What's he doing?" Daddy asked, as confused as I was.

"I don't believe it!" Caroline cried.

"What?" I asked curiously.

"He's asking your permission," Caroline told me. "It's a supplicating gesture."

She took my hand and lightly brushed my fingertips along Caesar's palm. He looked at us. "It's okay!" I said. "Come on, Caesar. Off you go," I said. He backed away slowly, then started to run faster, his fists touching the ground.

Finally, he got to be a chimpanzee. He got to be himself. Experience the things a wild chimpanzee could. I ran after him, following, but from a further distance. All of a sudden, he disappeared.

"Caesar?!" Daddy called in a worried voice. "CAESAR!!"

I continued to run and found him standing in front of one of the biggest Redwoods there. (A/N: K sorry, but I have to mention that I thought Caesar was so cute in that scene like he's such a little small cute midget and it's so adorable)

"Come on, Caesar, climb!" Grandpa yelled.

Caesar clung to the bark of the Redwood and started to climb.

"Go higher! Higher! Climb!" Grandpa urged.

"Be careful!" I called. If he could even hear me.

Once he finally came down, hours later, he took my hand and looked at me. "Thank you, sister." I smiled and looked at him lovingly.

"You did a good job, Caesar."