Boys Will Be Boys - Chapter One -
Boys Will Be Boys
Chapter One
(c) Cederwyn Whitefurr (aka: Anthony Wain)
May, 2010,
All Rights Reserved
"Talis - watch out!" someone screamed, and the young Toolache wallaby's head snapped up, before he squealed in alarm and snapped his glove up - but too slow.
The cracking sound of leather against fur made nearby anthros cringe and wince as Talis was violently thrown backwards by the impact and lay on the ground, clutching his short, pale arms to his chest and choking. It had been a screamer of a baseball, driven with a much force as the wolf could put behind it as he sought to drive the ball out of the park and score a victory home-run. As Talis' team came running to the stricken wallaby's aid, the cheers of the fellow students, and those from the neighbouring school, soon faded and the wolf slowed, then stopped, looking up at the wallaby at far out-field, who still lay sprawled on his back and didn't seem to be moving.
All thoughts of continuing the game left everyone's mind, especially the wolfs, his ears flat against his head and eyes widening, as he tore across the pitch with great ground-devouring strides. Some of Talis' team-mates who had been closer were already at his side, kneeling down beside him; and one lifted a paw and began frantically waving in alarm. Both coaches and the Umpires came quickly and two stretcher bearers ran as fast as they could - everyone fearing the worst.
Talis lay flat on his back, his dark eyes closed and blood trickling from the edge of his muzzle, staining the white chin and dripping onto the ground. He was a pretty wallaby, with a distinctive black blaze from his nose to just below his eyes, black ear tips and with a soft, almost silky, dark brownish-grey fur from his ears to his rump, where his tail was a distinct pale colour, which matched the fur from his chin, down his throat, belly and feet. Along his narrow cheeks, the fur was a pale cream, and just beneath that, in a broadening band from the top lip to the ears, was coloured a brownish grey. Just up from his legs, on his upper, middle and lower hips, across his slender back, was four distinct dark brown stripes, which widened as they moved towards his tail. His pale feet were a surprise to many, being quite slender, and a cream colour, but about midway down the 'foot' it turned a almost black, ending in the three toes - his middle toes having long, curving nails.
He wasn't tall for an anthropomorphic wallaby, barely reaching five feet two inches when fully upright, but there was no mistaking the turn of speed and agility he had despite his long feet and those sharp nails. He dressed simply, in a loose grey T-shirt, two sizes too big for his slender frame, a broad billed cap over his head, his ears folded down under the cap, and tight fitting shorts, his long tapering tail poking through. He was so quick off the mark - a natural throwback to his animal ancestors - and with his tail streaming behind him, that he could stop, snatch up a ball and throw it, in less time than much of his school mates could even cover the ground to get there.
Yet at the moment, he lay unconscious on the ground, blood trickling from his muzzle, and his concerned team mates, both coaches, umpires and some of the other team clustered around him. Shouldering his way through the crowd, the tearful wolf who had laid the young wallaby out knelt, then ever so gently picked up Talis; then, cradling him like he was the most fragile thing in the world, turned and carried him from the field, the tears sliding down his muzzle, as he looked down at this sweet, shy, young wallaby and prayed he would be alright.
*
Talis woke an hour later, then tried to sit up, but the agonising pain lanced through his chest and he crumpled back onto the narrow bed on which he lay, gasping and sobbing. Beside him, the Wolf looked down, then gently stroked Talis' paw and tried to comfort him.
"Talis...my God - I...I'm so sorry -" stammered the wolf, as he sniffled and wiped a paw across his eyes.
Talis cracked his dark eyes open, then gasped and squeezed the wolf's paw with his own, much smaller one, then managed a weak smile.
"Zak - it...it wasn't your fault, please," Talis winced again and drew a breath, a faint, wheezing sound, before he shivered and looked up at the wolf again. "It...was a good hit - it was my fault. I - I was..."
"You cost us the game!" snarled Talis' coach as the human stormed into the room, then slammed the door, making both anthros cringe as the crash echoed off the walls.
"Coach - " Talis gasped, then closed his eyes and whimpered piteously.
"Hey!" Zak growled, as he rose to his six foot three height, then stared into the humans eyes. "It was an accident - do you think I wanted - "
"Thanks to this bumbling wallaby - " Snarled the coach, as he stared down the wolf. "You school gets to keep the Pennant - the game was called off! Months of work, wasted for nothing, because butter-paws here was daydreaming, out in the field!"
Zak bristled, his dewlaps curling, and furred paws slowly clenching, then the human got right into his muzzle and stared back with a look of pure, malicious spite.
"Just try it pup - I'll kick your head through your asshole..." growled the human quietly.
Zac backed down, then turned and placed a paw on Talis' shoulder, who looked up gratefully and managed a sickly smile, before he coughed and moaned softly. Zac pushed past the human, then left the room, passing two paramedics who had just arrived.
"He's in there -" Zac growled, gesturing with a paw, as he shoved past them, then left.
Both paramedics exchanged glances, sensing the anger in this hulking wolf, before they shrugged and entered the room.
"You godforsaken fucking klutz!" screamed the Coach at the cringing Talis. "What the hell were you thinking - I've half a mind...."
Talis whimpered and cringed under his Coach's merciless tirade, wishing he could just sink into the bed, then through the floor.
"Sir - if you wouldn't mind stepping outside - " One of the paramedics asked as the other knelt, then looked at Talis and began pulling on latex gloves.
"That little bastard -" raged the coach, his face suffusing with blood.
"Sir - please...step outside...that...wasn't a request." spoke the paramedic calmly, his voice under remarkable control.
With a final snort of disgust, the Coach left, and the paramedics set about their work. One took notes whilst the other gently touched Talis' body; then the young wallaby shrieked, his paws grasping the bedsheets, and the Paramedic nodded and placed a gentle hand on Talis' forehead and stroked comfortingly, then slipped a mask over Talis' muzzle and gently tightened the straps on the back of his head.
"Here - breathe this - it'll help ease the pain." one said, then smiled down at him.
Talis obediently tried breathing, and the muzzle mask fogged as he gurgled and drew a short, whistling breath, then the Paramedic lightly laid a stethoscope against Talis' chest and listened attentively.
"Mmm - can't confirm, but I think at least two fractured ribs - possibly broken. Now, how did this happen?"
Talis wheezed again, then squeezed his eyes closed and shivered, before he replied, his voice faint and raspy.
"I...we were playing baseball - I was in the outfield - my assigned place..." Talis winced and took another breath. "I wasn't...paying attention - Zac...my friend - "
"That wolf that left here, looking fit to tear someone's head off - " muttered the other paramedic, as she affixed a cuff to Talis' slender upper arm and began checking his blood-pressure.
Talis coughed then moaned softly and took another feeble breath, then managed a weak smile and nodded. "That's him - oh, don't let him fool you - he acts all tough and such...but he's...really a big softy - him and Coach Peterson...well - Coach Peterson is blaming Zak..."
With raised eyebrows, the Paramedic's nodded to each other, then began packing up their equipment.
"Well - how would you feel about a trip to hospital, young man?" one asked, as they double-checked the mask and gently stroked Talis' sweating head. "We can't be sure, but you took a heck of a blow to the chest, and there's some noise there that I don't like when you breathe - so we best get you checked out."
Talis whimpered and his wheezing, gasping breathing continued for a few moments, as he shuddered, imagining what the Coach would say about this incident. They tenderly moved Talis onto a gurney and lifted it up, locking the supports, then covered him in a thin blanket and began wheeling him out. Talis kept his eyes tightly closed, more from the pain every time he breathed, rather than to look at Coach Peterson, who stood outside, then glared down at Talis.
"Mr. Peterson - we're talking Master Talis to the hospital - we suspect he's got fractured ribs at the least - possibly broken, and will need to be seen too." One told him. "We'll need you to fill in the paperwork and..."
"Get your lazy, good for nothing furry ass off that bed, Buck - before I kick it!" Peterson snarled at Talis, who wished he could close his ears, as well as his eyes. "God damn it do you have ANY idea - what this will cost the school...any idea what so-ever?"
"Mr Peterson - " spoke a paramedic firmly. "Master Talis has been hurt, you were the teacher in charge - now, we can either do this the simple way - or...would you prefer us to note your unfriendly disposition and mention it too, say, your Principal, the Education Board, and have Talis' family sue you, your school..."
Paling, Peterson grabbed the clipboard and hurriedly filled in the required sections, then thrust it back into the waiting Paramedic's hands.
"Bah - take him, and be done with it - damn fool should have been..." he sighed, then shook his head and stormed off down the hallway.
Talis lay on the gurney, one black paw holding the mask, then other laying limply on the coverlet, as they wheeled him out and took him to the local hospital.
*
Hours later, laying in a bed that was three times his size, Talis winced and carefully pushed himself upright, almost being smothered by the pillows. A thick padding was wrapped around his chest, to protect his badly fractured ribs, and then tight compression bandages were wrapped around that, to further try and minimise movement. His doctor, a young, and to Talis' eye, quite pretty palomino mare, clopped over, then checked his sheet, before she looked down at him, and favoured him with an smile.
"You're a very lucky little wallaby - " She spoke quietly, flipping through his charts and double-checking the pain medication she'd ordered for him. "I don't know how, but it seems your natural flexibility saved you, from what could have been, a very very serious injury - possibly, even fatal. You've got three fractured ribs - two pretty severe, and that's the worst of your injuries. Now, little one, learn to catch quicker!"
She smiled at him, and Talis managed a weak giggle, before he gasped and gingerly touched the padding on his chest, before he took a breath of the mask and moaned weakly. She nodded sympathetically then gently ruffled his ears and smiled at him.
"Try not to laugh, I know it'll hurt, and you'll be sore for about free to six weeks, so no going out and playing rough with those boys!" she nickered, then turned to his chart and looked it over again, before writing some notes and looking down at him. "Okay, thankfully you've got no critical injuries, so I'll discharge you today, and I want you to go home and get plenty of bed rest! No heavy lifting or anything like that. I'll give you some strong painkillers, but only take them if you really need them. Go home, put your feet up, and rest, that's my diagnosis...oh, and next time? Either catch the ball - or duck!"
Talis gasped and coughed weakly, then smiled at her and nodded, before taking another deep breath of the mask and shivering.
"Thank you Doctor." He rasped.
"You're welcome - and I hope, I never see you in my care again!" she laughed, then turned and left the room.
*
Talis spent the next three weeks at home, caring for himself, as his parents were overseas, and he was sixteen now - and didn't need his overprotective mother hovering over him - so he just ate small meals and did his best to keep the house clean. He spent much of his time sleeping, often for only short periods at a time, as his fractured ribs slowly healed. Zak called by more and more frequently, for which Talis was grateful, and the wolf was more than apologetic, blaming himself for Talis' injury. Talis assured him, it was just an accident, but Zac still felt guilt, and wanted to make it up to his lifelong friend.
*
One afternoon, Talis lay on his back on the couch, propped up by some pillows, and he sighed then flicked idly through the channels on the TV - and finding nothing worth watching, he giggled quietly, then moaned and tenderly rubbed his chest and his slowly healing ribs. Being home alone, had rapidly become monotonous, and he needed some excitement - something - to liven up his life...and he settled on a foolhardy idea - he'd call up Zac, and invite him around - hell they could order some pizzas,which he was sure, Zac wouldn't mind picking up on the way over, and then just kick back with some video games and movies. Giggling to himself, he carefully reached over and picked up the phone with a trembling paw - then began punching Zac's number in. He listened as the phone made assorted beeps and clicks, before the phone answered and Talis hesitated, before smiling to himself and answering the inquisitive voice on the other end of the phone.
To Be Continued