Why a Wolf Cries by Julie Steimle (interesting books to read .TXT) 📕

Chapter Four

In the groggy damp morning, the Bruchenhauses pulled up camp. Maris sat hunched on a log, sniffling, with her arm in a homemade sling, while her mother packed her things. Audry got help from her father to heave down the hammock, and check on her wolf-eggroll to see if he was still alive.

He was breathing. His eyes were closed.

They set him gently on the ground. Her father folded up the hammock, saying very little. No one addressed the issue with the wolf, as Audry was determined to save him no matter what. He had, after all, saved Maris’s life—an argument that even Doug could not refute. The wolf deserved a chance to live.

Skyler took down and packed Audry’s tent and sleeping bag for her as she unwrapped the blanket to check over the wolf’s wounds. The wolf was out cold, sleeping, so she tried not to disturb him. In the daylight, she could see the sheer amount of blood covering him, seeping through the bandages. She could also see that she was correct. It was her wolf.

His rust colored fur was matted down by the cougar blood, but its real color, evident in his beautiful fluffy tail was that reddish brown that always made her think of Rick Deacon. Audry checked his teeth as he slept, adjusting his muzzle so it was not too tight. They were startlingly clean for a wild animal. She then gave him a little more sedative, this one from a thin syringe which she filled from a vial in her rescue case. Then she proceeded to change his soaked bandages.

While she was doing this, Jean did the same for Maris. In the sunlight, Maris’s mother could see what she could do better, cleaning the wound while Maris whimpered in her father’s arms as he held her this time. Grandma Bruchenhaus was now making breakfast.

“Clover, is it ready?” Audry’s father got up from packing their tent, heading to the lowered cooler where all the foodstuff was being taken out to be repacked into separate bags again.

“Almost, dear,” her mother said.

Audry looked over, sighing. This was not how the campout was supposed to go. They usually spent a week hiking and exploring a place they had never been to before. They had planned to go all over the area. And they were only on their second day. The next few days would have to be spent in a hospital, and it was not likely anyone would be up for roughing it afterward. Besides, Maris did not look good. Her eyes were wide, she was pale, shaking and sweating. She still had to be in shock. Audry was also sure Maris never would want to hear an animal story again.

Audry bandaged up the wolf again, then wrapped him up once more in the blanket, but not as tight, just to keep him warm. He was probably in shock too. She needed to get him some water.

As she went to the creek to fill up her special soft plastic water bottle with the bent pipet spout, her father came up to her and said, “You need to talk to Maris. You need to let her know you’re taking the wolf with us.”

Audry glanced back to her.

“You need a good explanation,” he said.

She shot him a look. Then it occurred to her then that she had only thought her argument about the wolf deserving to live due to it saving Maris’s life. She had never actually vocalized it.

Filling the bottle to the top, she then screwed on the lid. Rising up, Audry walked over to the log on one side of the fire pit. She sat across from Doug and Maris, meeting their gazes while thinking of the best words. “How are you feeling? How much does it hurt?”

Maris lifted up her arm, then winced. “It hurts a lot.”

Peeking once to Doug, Audry took hold of Maris’s hands then scooted in closer. “You know that wolf—?”

Maris shuddered, eyes wide, pulling back.

“—the one who saved your life?” Audry added, making sure that sunk in.

Maris’s eyes widened differently this time, blinking, as the idea had not even occurred to her. She looked up to her father who also stared, the idea also entirely foreign to him. What did he think? Both animals were fighting over Maris for dinner? The wolf attacked the cougar. It bit out the cougar’s throat. It wasn’t even trying to go after Maris. If it had, he would have gone for her leg or something, and there would have been a tug of war over her as meat.

“That wolf is my wolf,” Audry said. She then slipped her cellphone out of her pocket. Though it had no bars, it still contained pictures on it and power, supplied by her charger. One of them was of the wolf. It had been a lock screen at one point. She had only switched it out due to teasing. Audry flipped to that picture and showed Maris. “See? It’s him. He would never hurt you.”

Maris took the phone from Audry’s. She stared at the picture. “He came to save me?” 

Audry shrugged, peeking to Doug who was looking unexpectedly thoughtful. He was glancing back at the blanket-wrapped wolf.

“I don’t know. But…” Audry sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t know how he is here. But I know the wolf was trying to stop the cougar. He wasn’t trying to hurt you. I can promise that.”

Tears rolled down Maris’s face. She looked up at Audry, eyes wide. “Is he gonna to be ok?”

Shrugging, tearing up also, Audry said, “I don’t know. But I am going to try to save him.

“Now, I’m going over to give him some water. He’s lost a lot of blood. And just like you, I’m going to carry him back where he can get fixed up.” Audry rose, lifting her special water bottle for rescue work. “I’ll be back in a second.”

Maris nodded.

Audry went to the wolf and crouched down. He was still unconscious, but that was understandable, considering what he had been through, though also the tranquilizer she had given him would keep him sedated. She wondered if he would be able to swallow the water if she squirted it into his mouth. Slipping the tube tip inside his long jaw, she squeezed the bottle to let in a little water. The wolf twitched. His tongue lapped up the liquid as best as he could with the muzzle on. He was definitely thirsty. She gave him more.

She could hear the wolf whimper.

His eye opened. It was largely unfocused, glazed. He was clearly in pain. But at the same time, she could tell he appreciated the water.

He was probably hungry too.

Rising, Audry paled. Looking around, she called out, “Hey! Skyler! Where is that fish jerky you were teasing me with earlier?”

Skyler popped up from the piles of packs he was filling. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!”

Moaning, Audry shook her head. “No. Do you have any left?”

He looked confused at her, but nodded. “I put it in the hanging cooler for food last night.”

She went over to get it. Normally, she didn’t like handling meat—but this was for a carnivorous animal who just could not handle a vegan fare.

“I can’t go vegan,” echoed in her head a memory of something Rick said.

Audry looked back to the wolf, a shiver rippling from her scalp own her spine, causing tremors down her arms and legs.  

She quickly shook off that ridiculous thought when Skyler ran up to her to help her find the dried meat.

“It’s salty,” he said, digging out the plastic bag. Audry eyed the bag cynically. Skyler saw it. “We wash and reuse them.”

Audry shrugged, banishing her judgmental thoughts about her sister-in-law’s use of cheap plastic. She took what Skyler held out then went back to the wolf.

He followed her. “Is he really your wolf?”

“Yes,” Audry said for the umpteenth time, crouching down next to the wolf on her knees. “Look at his fur. It’s the same rust color. And his eyes… the same gray.”

Skyler shot her a side look. “But… can’t other wolves look like that?”

She shook her head. “I’ve told you dad the same thing. I’ve never seen one exactly like this. He’s like a cross between a red wolf and a gray wolf. Besides, you know the bullet I pulled out of my wolf’s leg?”

Skyler nodded.

She pointed to the wound. “That’s where I dug it out.”

He got close and inspected the wolf’s leg, which hung out the other end of the blanket.

She broke off smaller pieces of dried fish and tucked it into the wolf’s mouth, past the muzzle. “Here you go. I can’t unstrap you. I’m sorry. I have to think of the safety of others here.”

The wolf licked up the salty fish jerky though. He made a face, reacting to the salt, but he did not pull back when she offered him more.

 “What else can we feed him?” she murmured, not sure the jerky was enough. I was hardly anything.

Skyler looked back to the fire. “Um… Nana’s making eggs. Mom might have brought sausage. I don’t know.”

Audry sighed. Sausage. Was he serious? Had they gone that far off the vegetarian diet?

“Hey,” Skyler said, “Aunt Audry, don’t get mad. It’s all natural.”

“Do you know what sausage is made out of?” Audry grumbled.

He shrugged. “Sorry. It’s just, Mom could not do it anymore. She said she was having vitamin deficiencies, no matter what all the vegan manuals said. She doesn’t know how you’ve survived.”

“By cheating,” Doug cut in, sauntering up while gazing down on them. “Are you feeding the wolf?”

“Cheating?” Audry rose. “How am I cheating?”

He chuckled. “Oh… let me think. Protein powder in morning shakes? You still eat eggs and dairy, but you don’t let people see? And you cook on cast iron.”

“How is that cheating?” Audry propped her hands onto her hips, meaning the cast iron. Cast iron pans were not animal products.

Doug laughed. “You claim to be vegan, but you are actually an ovo-lacto vegetarian. You break your own rules, and you don’t think other people can see you.”

Her face flushed hot.

“Just admit that you aren’t vegan, and I will give your wolf a sausage,” he said, grinning with a smirk.

Audry colored deeper. She was trying to be vegan. Didn’t that count?

“It’s not a sin to like eggs and milk,” Doug whispered near her ear. He then looked down to the wolf whose eye had opened. “Consider the health of your wolf. Let go of your pride. Just admit it.”

Audry shoved his face away and walked up to her mother. “Mom, can I get some eggs and any other meat for the wolf.”

“Don’t give it to her!” Doug followed after her.

Shooting him a dirty look, Audry said, “I’m not going to submit to your power play. This is about the wolf. Not about what I choose to eat.”

Doug groaned. He protested, “It is about you—and the way you have been looking at Jean lately because she is no longer trying to be vegetarian. I want you to stop judging my wife, and me.”

Lowering her eyes,