The Lost Experiment

Chapter 3 Guardian of the Forest

Chapter 3 Guardian of the Forest

10 Years later

Gabrielle's POV

I was now in my 20's and quite close to the colony of apes that I called family. Caesar became the father I had never known; well second father, Maurice was the first and Cornelia the mother I had never known. I was out walking around when I heard a gunshot and a scream of one of the apes I called brother. I took on one of my other forms and ran through the forest, my paws pounding the dirt. I reached the pair, Blue Eyes, the infant I had pulled from the river and his friend Ash. Ash had been shot by a human. I leapt down in front of them taking on my human form before the human could see that I had been a tiger but moments ago.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I shouted.

"I shot him!" the human said.

"No shit and I wouldn't be taking pride in it." I tilted my head back and howled, calling Caesar to me. The man cocked his gun at me.

"What are you?" I took the gun from him and hit him with the butt of it.

"Guardian of the forest, get out!" Just at that moment Caesar arrived as other humans surrounded the man that shot Ash. "Get out, all of YOU!" One of the males in the group moved forward and I grabbed the gun I had taken and pointed at the group.

"We mean no harm, Carver here is an idiot." All the apes were deadly silent as Rocket moved to his son.

"They're just apes, do you think they're going to understand you?" the man who had shot Ash asked. So that was Carver. He was an idiot. I growled at him.

"Do they look like just apes to you?" I heard the apparent leader ask. He started to move forward again and I pointed the gun at him.

The leader said something to them but I wasn't paying attention to him. I was focused on listening for a command from Caesar. "GO!" he shouted. They scrambled to get out of there. "Koba, follow." I removed the firing pin from the gun and turned to Ash. "Gabrielle, take him to your tent and treat him, I'll dispose of the gun." I nodded pulling Ash onto my back before taking on my tiger form again and running back to my tent five miles away.

I could hear a few apes following, most likely Blue Eyes and Rocket. I didn't have time to stop if I was to save Ash. The humans would be back, and most likely in greater numbers. I arrived at my tent and put Ash on my bed and retook my human form and gathered the supplies I would need and quickly got to work. I knew Caesar asked me to do the medical work because I could get the bullet out, his medical apes couldn't. Their fingers were too big to fit in the small hole and they didn't have the tools they needed.

As I worked I explained to Ash what I was doing till the meds had him sleeping but I kept explaining as his father Rocket and Blue Eyes were in the room. It didn't take long to get the bullet out and the wound cleaned, closed, and wrapped. I gave him a shot of antibiotics just to be safe so he wouldn't get an infection.

~"Thank you,"~ Rocket signed.

~"You're welcome,"~ I signed back. "He'll need to rest for a few days before he can be moved. You're welcome to stay here. It'll be a few weeks before he can do anything like hunting or lifting anything heavy. The stitches have to heal."

~"Thank you,"~ Rocket said grabbing my arm and pulling me into a hug.

"Anytime Rocket," I replied returning the hug. "What about you Blue Eyes, are you all right?" I asked.

He nodded, ~"They just scared me. How can some humans be so cruel?"~

"Humans are stubborn creatures; most of them don't change their ways or their points of view. Some like Koba says are evil, yet others are kind hearted. Others are confused because they have been lied to and believe the lie and when confronted with the truth it takes a while before they accept they were lied to. Yet there are those who will always believe the lie, no matter what."

~"Which one is Carver?"~ Blue Eyes asked.

"I think he's just scared and fear makes people do stupid shit. I don't like or trust him," I replied. Blue Eyes nodded as I pulled him in for a hug, he had become a little brother to me and I hated it when people scared my brother. Just then Caesar came into my camp site.

~"How is he?"~

"Fine, he'll make a full recovery. He'll have to stay here for a few days before going home but he still won't be to do any hard labor for a few weeks."

~"He can help Maurice with the children. Is Rocket staying with you?"~

"Yes, I invited him and Blue Eyes to stay if they wanted," I replied still holding Blue Eyes. Caesar nodded.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."