Angel Of Mercy

Chapter 5

Koba sometime said that Maurice thought too much.

The Orangutan normally ignored that comment, but maybe Koba had a small point. While waiting until he could safely get away from the village, Maurice sat deep in thought. This usually comforted him a great deal. But, now it made him feel a lot more uneasy. Less than one day in to his trying to care for the human female, and already Caesar thought her food gifts might be tainted. And even Cornelia was now looking at him worriedly, too. Also, Koba's young Mary was treating him like a doddering old Ape whom might need her help at any moment.

How had things gotten so out of hand so quickly? But, it was some small comfort that Koba did not seem to be acting any different around him. The volatile Ape did not seem to be suspicious or even to care much what he did. And, sadly,

Maurice knew it was Koba who could cause the most trouble for the recovering human female. For her and for Caesar.

But as much as this concerned him, Maurice could not let it stop him. Later that night, there he was again, standing at the woman's house. Knowing his exact destination this time, and being able to travel freely through the trees without having to carry the injured human, he made the trip much faster than before.

Tapping on the woman's front door, Maurice was overjoyed. He could hear sounds of movement coming from inside the house. So, she was finally awake and moving around on her own!

But, should she be up and moving around so soon, he wondered. But at least she was able to move at all.

The old Orangutan made soft happy rumbling noises almost to himself as he waited while the sounds drew closer and closer. Maybe, very soon, he'd be able to communicate with her. It would be nice to at least know her name.

Then, the door was violently hauled open. Dim light spilled from inside the house, and Maurice took an instinctive couple of steps back.

There she stood framed in her doorway, her faced flushed, her clothing even more rumpled and more ragged then he remembered, her tangled black hair blowing in the wind, one small drop of blood sliding down her forehead, and a knife gripped in her hand and raised high over her head.

Their eyes locked. Maurice watched in fascination as her eyes slowly widened and the conflicting emotions played over her haggard face.

She was expecting someone else. She was expecting trouble, was his first thought.

And, she confirmed this a few seconds later

"You're ... not ... him?," were her first hesitant words ever to Maurice. "You are not him!"

Maurice nodded to her in agreement. She still had the knife, so Maurice hoped that by not being this obviously unwelcome him that that was a good thing.

"Are ... are you ... alone," the female asked. Her jerky hesitant speech reminded Maurice of many Apes who were still struggling to talk.