Day 38: Repercussion

"How long has he been like this?"

"Been this way since early morning, unfortunately."

"And you've tried everything??"

Zimi shook her head with reluctance, paws to her thighs as she admitted her struggle to her closest friend. "I'm sorry. I tried, I have been trying since we've returned but mom didn't teach me how to help for this. I... I don't know, if the remedy would work for him then he would be fine."

"Can't we just stockpile a bunch of that stuff until it works?" Emyri cried out in concern, feeling flustered and anxious. Zimi recoiled from the pressure, her ears twitching in the process. Laying on the floor was their hunter curled up on his side, with his back exposed. He was shivering and sweating profusely, his jaws repeatedly crashing where his front teeth met. On her knees, Emyri felt as if she were laying on soiled dirt despite the nearby fire at the den's center.

Cyri stood near the entrance listening to their conundrum. Her ears could make out the numerous whispers and worried pouts the girls were making outside, even if none were surrounding the entrance. It's difficult to ask a friend to pretend their is nothing wrong, especially the children who grew fond of the boy. Seeing him hold her daughter away from danger, that memory replayed itself in her head often since that day. A man protecting his woman is one thing, a monster hunter rescuing a monster girl?

Her thoughts faded into obscurity as she moved in to meet the two, pressing a paw on the hunter's arm. He was asleep somewhat, but the heat in his body was radiating and his touch felt moist and soaked. Leone was sick, that was obvious to tell. But the source stemmed from the injury he faced the other day, which Zimi had confirmed he had contracted an infection from the bear girl's claws. Which troubled them, because Monster biology differed from humans.

"If we just place his body under the herb, it wouldn't do much other than waste our resources. Using it on him is ineffective, because his body responds to it differently then ours."

"What if he-what if he was mated?" Zimi's eyes widened at the suggestion. "It would work right? We would do the thing and he would become like us?"

Emyri turned back when she felt her mother hold her paw. "Emy, if he were mated is one thing but mating isn't something you can wish for at the flip of a switch. It's sacred, an emotional bond between two consenting souls. Look at him, he is in pain."

"I know that, but I'm just... just thinking ideas that's all. Because it sounds like I'm hearing that nothing can work to treat him and I know that's not true."

Zimi sighed and shrugged. "Nothing in our possession can treat this. The cuts can heal, but his symptoms match an infection which entered from his wound. He needs medicine, human medicine, and we aren't human."

"We're not giving up! What if we make it ourselves?"

"Do you know how to make human medicine?" Zimi called out, raising her voice. "Do you know what goes into it, or what type we need, or what dosage? Tell me right now what type of infection he has, tell me!"

"I don't know! But I'm not letting him die like this!" She turned away and crawled out, leaving her friend falling back with a rough look on her face. Cyri felt awkward in her position, with Zimi rubbing her arm as her tails placed her medical equipment away.

"What should we do, Mother?" She asked in a low voice. "Because I feel useless here."

"I don't know, hun. But you did all you can, don't mind her she is upset and concerned. We all are."

"I'm not mad, I agree with her. I'm no good for this, maybe mom taught the wrong girl."

Cyri shook her head, reaching in to give Zimi a hug and pet her head. "Your mother taught her best girl, don't ever doubt yourself like this dear. Stay and keep watch over him, I'll go check on Emy." She nodded, sitting up on her knees as Cyri crawled out to find her daughter slouched over the outside fire. She had her head hung down, her hair concealing her face as the other girls around the fire kept quiet and awkward. Cyri motioned them that she would handle it, sitting next to her with a sigh.

"I understand you're upset, but yelling at Zimi isn't helping anyone."

Emyri kept quiet, staring at the fire.

She continued. "She is doing her best, but we don't have the medicine or knowledge to help treat him. I'm afraid he may need to recover on his own."

"How could you say that? He taught us so much, helped us live this far and now when he depends on us we just leave him?"

"That's not what I mean."

"It certainly sounds that way." She huffed, folding her arms in. "I'm just... pissed. I'm scared, okay? There, I said it. I'm scared."

"Honey you did your best."

"I can do better, I have to Mom! If I give up now then what happens when you're gone? When I'm in charge then what? I can't even help a friend who needs me, some Head Mom I'm going to be. You should have picked my sisters, they knew better. Always did, and I'm just... a screw up."

Cyri paused, her tails tightened around her waist. Once Emyri kept quiet long enough, she felt her mother's arm wrap around to pull her in close, placing her head to rest on her shoulder.

"You do know better, baby. But you'll find that sometimes in life, we can't win sometimes. Better to know when we have lost then to fight ourselves in a losing battle."

They looked up when some of the girls shrieked, both mother and daughter sprung up to their feet and followed the noise. They stopped when arriving to a visitor, a familiar one towering over them on her hind legs. Plenty of the girls were hissing at her with their claws ready, their children holding their breaths behind their mothers for comfort.

"She's not going to hurt you, please. She's here to thank you."

Cyri arrived with her paw raised high, licking her lips as she approached the Grizzly. Eyes raised up to meet the visitors gaze, she kept her claws in control and displayed a calm presence in hopes of settling down the adrenaline that remained thick in the air filled with tension and fear.

"What do you think you're doing here? You need to leave."

The Grizzly looked startled, raising her paws and stuttering in her words. "That's... harsh but reasonable. Can she just... are you in charge?"

"What do you want?" Emyri hissed as she stepped up to her mother's side. "Or did you drop in for another fight?"

"She didn't." She answered, closing her eyes and breathing in. For a moment, they heard her muttering to herself something like a chant in a whisper. "The water is her spirit, be tranquil and calm. The water is her spirit, flow like a stream."

Emyri looked at her mother, whose eyes never left the Grizzly. Looking back, she patiently waited before the Grizzly finally addressed them. "Sorry, it-it's a thing, we have... things to work on. Issues."

She shook her head before giving them a serious look, breathing in once more. "We wanted to... t-to thank you girls for alleviating her of that poking stick back there. It was driving us insane, and well when you've been without a mate at her age, you-"

"Okay, message received. Leave." Emyri ordered, the girls behind her watching quietly.

The Grizzly raised her paws together and turned her back to them, seemingly talking to... no one? They could hear her speech, she was talking only her words were directed to no one, or was she talking to herself? Her tone was subtle but rising with each sentence, almost like she was having a conversation with herself. After one last word, she calmed herself down and turned back to them.

"Can I... say sorry Nukka, say sorry. No! I try but they are mad, so mad.. of course they are mad you hurt someones mate-stupid! Ack! I mean to say! ...can I say? ...will I say sorry?"

Emyri and Cyri shared a puzzled look, was this woman okay upstairs?