"Ummmmm..."
982 words
The Mearess strared at the little fox lying on the bed
"She hasn't moved at all?"
The water rat shook her head "Hasn't moved, hasn't spoken, won't eat or drink."
The bear sighed "Anything broken?"
"No. Just a few cuts, but I'm afraid she's severely dehydrated and all but starved."
"But she won't eat."
"Not a bite."
"Is she traumatized? "
"Quite possibly but by what?"
The Mearess turned to the shelf where the belt of daggers was laid "Well, judging by the fact she was wearing weapons and by the scars, she was likely a warrior. Perhaps from some wandering clan."
"Well it won't matter what she was if she doesn't get something inside her soon."
The Mearess turned from frowning at the deadly weapons "I suppose if she won't eat it herself we'll have to give her some help."
She picked up a tumbler of water and stepped closer to the white fox.
She studied the blank eyes first, they were jarringly differnt, one a too bright blue and the other a green similar to some sorts of poison the Mearess had seen, but they shared the emptiness.
"Well Bright eyes, come on," the bear slipped her paw beneath the fox's back and lifted her whole body up into a sitting position, then held the fragile head steady "This'll do you more good then you think."
She pressed the glass to the pale lips and let a few drops slip into the fox's mouth.
"I don't think she's getting any of it," the rat said, leaning close and squinting at the water dribbling down the fox's chin.
"I know," the Mearess tipped the fox's head up high "Lets try this again, hmm?"
This time as the water poured down into her throat the fox swallowed reflexively and blinked.
"That's better, isn't it?" the Mearess smiled and trickled down a few more drops of water into her mouth.
The white fox blinked, her brown wrinkling as she tasted the water, then she swallowed of her own will.
"Can she hold it?" The rat asked.
"I doubt it, she's not even holding herself up," The Mearess let the rest of the water pour into the fox's mouth "Is that typical of trauma?"
"Not in any cases I've seen. Perhaps she's paralytic?" She paused "Or..."
"Or?"
"Perhaps she's a simpleton. Halfwit. Can't control her own body."
The Mearess frowned as she looked down at the blinking eyes, still blank "Perhaps... She's like a newborn child. Should we try feeding her?"
"Something soft, maybe, some mashed berries."
"For a fox?"
"Oh. Well, some grounded fish then."
The Mearess slowly lowered the fox down onto the bed "Do you think she'll ever talk? Or walk?"
"Maybe. In time...Do you think we should give her a name?"
"Certainly wouldn't hurt. What do you think we should call her?"
"Oh..." the rat paused "Ummm...."
"We'll think of something later," the Mearess laughed softly "Let's just get some food in her first."
982 words
The Mearess strared at the little fox lying on the bed
"She hasn't moved at all?"
The water rat shook her head "Hasn't moved, hasn't spoken, won't eat or drink."
The bear sighed "Anything broken?"
"No. Just a few cuts, but I'm afraid she's severely dehydrated and all but starved."
"But she won't eat."
"Not a bite."
"Is she traumatized? "
"Quite possibly but by what?"
The Mearess turned to the shelf where the belt of daggers was laid "Well, judging by the fact she was wearing weapons and by the scars, she was likely a warrior. Perhaps from some wandering clan."
"Well it won't matter what she was if she doesn't get something inside her soon."
The Mearess turned from frowning at the deadly weapons "I suppose if she won't eat it herself we'll have to give her some help."
She picked up a tumbler of water and stepped closer to the white fox.
She studied the blank eyes first, they were jarringly differnt, one a too bright blue and the other a green similar to some sorts of poison the Mearess had seen, but they shared the emptiness.
"Well Bright eyes, come on," the bear slipped her paw beneath the fox's back and lifted her whole body up into a sitting position, then held the fragile head steady "This'll do you more good then you think."
She pressed the glass to the pale lips and let a few drops slip into the fox's mouth.
"I don't think she's getting any of it," the rat said, leaning close and squinting at the water dribbling down the fox's chin.
"I know," the Mearess tipped the fox's head up high "Lets try this again, hmm?"
This time as the water poured down into her throat the fox swallowed reflexively and blinked.
"That's better, isn't it?" the Mearess smiled and trickled down a few more drops of water into her mouth.
The white fox blinked, her brown wrinkling as she tasted the water, then she swallowed of her own will.
"Can she hold it?" The rat asked.
"I doubt it, she's not even holding herself up," The Mearess let the rest of the water pour into the fox's mouth "Is that typical of trauma?"
"Not in any cases I've seen. Perhaps she's paralytic?" She paused "Or..."
"Or?"
"Perhaps she's a simpleton. Halfwit. Can't control her own body."
The Mearess frowned as she looked down at the blinking eyes, still blank "Perhaps... She's like a newborn child. Should we try feeding her?"
"Something soft, maybe, some mashed berries."
"For a fox?"
"Oh. Well, some grounded fish then."
The Mearess slowly lowered the fox down onto the bed "Do you think she'll ever talk? Or walk?"
"Maybe. In time...Do you think we should give her a name?"
"Certainly wouldn't hurt. What do you think we should call her?"
"Oh..." the rat paused "Ummm...."
"We'll think of something later," the Mearess laughed softly "Let's just get some food in her first."