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 Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:07 pm
Lucas immediately tensed as the leg went up, then shot out of his seat toward the dog. "No! Outside! Outside!" Grabbing the dog, he picked him up and started for the door.
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:09 pm
Reuben allowed himself to be manhandled- though, at seeing the outdoors looming, wriggled to get free- ecstatic at the thought of being able to run again.
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:14 pm
Rushing for the door, he spoke over and over, "Not yet. Not yet." He was not expecting the dog to get so excited when the door opened. Unable to keep his grip on the wriggling dog with only one hand, Lucas dropped Reuben.
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:19 pm
When his paws hit the floor- they bolted.
Reuben skittered out of the duplex and off into the main area of the village, his paws kicking up a ream of dust as he went.
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:23 pm
"No! Come back-" There was a pause. "Dog!" He wished he could remember the dog's name.
Glancing at Em, he hesitated for only a moment. She would be all right for a little while. He just knew he couldn't let the dog head off alone. It would devastate Em is she lost him or anything happened to him. Shutting the door behind him, he took off after Reuben, letting out whistles and whatever commands he could think of.
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:29 pm
Reuben bolted about in front of the duplexes, tearing a wild streak through the village proper- only hesitating to hear the series of whistles and calls that Lucas ran through. None of them sounded quite like Emelyn's commands- hers often came with hand signals and those claps that she could manage, muffled by the fur on her palms- but even he recognized them as some indication that he should return to the man. He didn't comply, however, until he'd emptied his bladder in front of one of the duplexes- directly on their door. Then he ran back to Lucas and darted around his legs, happy and barking. The only thing that would make this day better is if his mother were with him. This tall man was fun, and smelled interesting- but Reuben's loyal, if limited dog-brain still wondered why the hedgehog-girl wasn't with them.
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:41 pm
Lucas panted as he finally caught up with the dog. He watched as Reuben made his mark on some poor Islander's door and grimaced. Looking around, he hoped no one saw that. He was done with cleaning up messes.
Not about to take any chances by letting the dog walk back himself, Lucas gathered Reuben into his arms and hurried back to his duplex.
"You are rather troublesome. How on earth does Emelyn keep you under control, Lucky? And yes, until I know your name your name is Lucky. Not the best name, but it's better than 'dog' and I don't think Em would appreciate 'Cujo'." He laughed a little, then sighed.
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:47 pm
Reuben wagged his tail all the way back to the duplex, glad for the sake of this game- and for the stream of dialogue that Lucas supplied to him. He was used to the rambling, incomprehensible mish-mash of words that his owner poured out into the air... it comforted him.
When they were back in the duplex, he lost no time- as always- and ran over to the bed and jumped up near Emelyn and jumped on her legs. It was the easiest way of waking her up, he knew from experience. There were many mornings where his nocturnal-lady would be unwilling to rise to greet the sun, and Reuben would have to jump on her legs and nose at her side to wake her up.
Emelyn stirred, at that, and rolled onto her side, a slight moan coming from her lips.
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:54 pm
He shut the door and started for the couch when he heard Em moan. Noticing Reuben was uncomfortably close to her foot injury, he walked over. "Sorry, Lucky, but that's not a good place for you." Lifting him up, he tried to get the dog to take a spot resting beside Em, rather than on top of her. When he felt he'd succeeded he turned his attentions to Em. He couldn't tell if she was waking up or just reacting to Reuben laying on her foot. Taking her wash cloth, he disappeared into the bathroom to moisten it again.
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:56 pm
"Reuben... get off," the words that came from Emelyn were muffled, and ill-placed, as the dog had already been shuffled off her legs. "I'll... take you down.... later."
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:01 pm
Returning in time to hear Emelyn's muffled words to Reuben, he knelt down beside the bed. "Emelyn?" He checked her forehead, then set the washcloth on her head again. "Hey. You've been asleep for a while."
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:05 pm
A gentle voice cut through the hot fog, and threaded back into the light with it- just enough of Emelyn for her to be able to answer.
"Mnn? Where... what happened?" She moved then, stretching her arm out to touch the figure in front of her- see if it was real, and closed her eyes against the light.
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:08 pm
"It's Lucas. You are in my duplex. I wish I could tell you what happened, but I don't know. I was hoping you could tell me." Lifting a hand, he turned the light off near the bed. "I think you were attacked. You've got a few cuts."
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:13 pm
The realization took several seconds to fight its way through the cloud of her fever. When it did, she shifted her position- not far, as there would be little good in flattening the spines up against her back in a painful bend- and rubbed her hands along the bedsheets in a fevered, compulsive sort of way.
"No. No no no no no... no no no." Her voice was soft but insistant, until the words bled into one long moan.
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 10:15 pm
"Em? Are you okay?" He didn't know what she meant. "No what?" He also had no idea what to do.
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