Fighting Flatlines (War Over Mobius Saga: Rebel Route #2)

Self-Denying The Truth

The next day, Gadget had cooled off from the incident with the new rookie and was stroking Nadia's folded down ear. Even though she was still covered in blood-soaked bandages, he still thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world. 

Gadget looked up in surprise as the door suddenly opened. He began to snarl, creeping towards the door. 

The doctor, who was a lean golden lioness clad in medical scrubs, walked in with arms raised in surrender. Her name was Kimberly, and she had been permanently assigned to Nadia's room due to the wolf's critical condition.

Gadget stopped snarling, but his ears drooped down below his head. He sadly walked back to Nadia's bed on all fours, before placing his hands on her bed and whimpered, setting his head down next to Nadia.

"Oh, Gadget, I know. I can't imagine how much you want her to wake up." 

Gadget nodded, then used his claws to wipe away tears from his eyes and looking at the lioness somberly.

"Is she getting better?" His voice was muted with queued tears.

"I have no idea." Doctor Kimberly replied to him, giving a solemn look.

"Is she getting worse?" Gadget whimpered.

"No."

"Then she's getting better." He concluded, looking at Nadia's lifeless form for confirmation.

Kimberly returned her focus to Gadget without a change in expression. "That's not exactly how it works."

"Then how does it work?" Gadget asked, beginning to snarl again.

"They're either better, worse, or neutral."

"She's getting better." Gadget restated, ears flattening on his head.

Kimberly frowned, then attempted to talk some sense into him. "Gadget...."

"She's getting better!" Gadget insisted.

"Gadget! She's not getting better! There's no change at all!" Kimberly snapped, before her heart realized that she was too harsh on him.

Gadget's ears drooped and he whimpered, recoiling backwards. He curled up into a ball before running behind a curtain.

Kimberly instantly reached a gentle paw out to the teenaged wolf, hoping he'd listen to her now.

"Gadget.... I'm sorry I yelled at you." She softly called to him, it wasn't his fault that all this had happened.

He poked his head out, ears still drooped, and tears already soaking the vermilion fur around his eyes and fogging up his glasses. "Maybe.... I should go." Gadget left the room, glancing sadly at Nadia as he crept out.