Brother Wolf

Ch 9 Life

"The wheelchair, Little Brother?" I motioned toward the door as Sister laughed at the boy.

He went out to the hall and struggled to roll the wheelchair into the room. Sister came over to me, leaning against me to whisper in my ear, "It isn't his fault; he didn't want to."

"I heard," I whispered back, my eyes twinkling at her wide-eyed expression at my admission. I caught her hand as it came up to slap me, giving her my strictest look. She snorted at me, pulling her hand away even as she pushed her body tighter against me.

"Stupid wolf, don't you know anything?" she scoffed at Jax suddenly, pulling me through the doorway with her. "You have to unlock the wheels!"

I had her settled and was soon pushing her at a half-jog down the hall. She screeched in delight, gaining a stern look from the station nurse. Sister grinned up at me before tugging my sleeve and rolling her eyes toward Jax.

"Would you hurry up already?" Sister called out to him again as I spun her around in front of the elevator, giving the boy time to come out of his shock. "I thought Max said he could move! He's pokey, Brother," Sister pouted. Then she lifted her head in a distinct challenge.

I wanted to thwack her on the shoulder for pushing the unstable teen. He was more on edge now than he was before.

Jax suddenly pushed off against the wall, running down the hallway, answering her silent challenge. He leaped sideways, pushing off against the wall with his feet, ignoring the surprised shout from the nurse. Without losing stride, Jax flipped over to the far side of the hall, running sideways along the wall for a few steps before flipping around to land on his feet, twirling the last little bit to stop in front of Tammy. Jax was breathing hard, glaring at her defiantly.

Sister clapped excitedly at his little free-running parkour show. She grabbed him around his waist, pulling him down with all her weight. She threw her arms around his neck suddenly to give Jax a brief hug. I could smell the increase in the boy's panic. I threw Jax a warning look as the elevator doors opened, hoping he could control himself.

Sister didn't stop talking the whole ride down, asking me about Mahina and Simeon, if Cherokee and his son Josh were coming, how Mac was, what Running Elk was doing, and did I get the schedule from our coordinator, my cousin Anna. She was barely waiting to get answers from me before shooting off the next question. She fell silent as the elevator dinged, nudging me, sitting up straighter in the wheelchair to appear more regal. I pulled my paper crown from the back of the wheelchair and put it on my head, grinning at Sister. Her crown was her white knit hat with the pink tiara woven into the front.

The elevator doors slid open to a crowd of kids, many in wheelchairs. There was a moment's pause, then they all started clapping and hollering out. Many of them howled. There was a hush as I threw back my head and answered their human howls with a wolf howl of my own. I moved ahead, clearing a path for Sister.

"Well," I heard Sister stage-whisper behind me to Jax, "push me out there!"

I was already moving through the crowd, surprised to see the young boy I had encouraged way back when his family had visited my tribe. "I would know your howl anywhere, my brother! It's so good to see you again!" I told him.

His hand moved a toggle on the side of his new electric chair, showing me he was ready to dance with me. His head lilted to the side as he let loose his moaning version of a howl. I laughed and hugged the boy who was strapped to his wheelchair, fingering the fake wolf tail on the boy's lap that I had given him over a year ago.

I saw Anna's influence as I called out the names I saw on the stickers on their shirts. Their eyes lit up as I singled them out. It was the sort of thing that I wouldn't have thought of but was making a significant impression on the gathered children. Even the parents reached out to shake my hand or hug me.