FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The fox reluctantly agrees to guide Casey to his objective. The unlikely pair start to learn more about each other.

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Refuge

by TypicalFloof

Chapter 2: Trust

Chapter Theme: Whiney - Wasting Time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOeMfrmyTVY

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Nora awoke and groaned at the hard surface pressing into her back. Am I dreaming, she wondered. As her senses returned, dull, throbbing pain in her left side informed her that she was, in fact, still alive. Eyes closed, Nora twitched her ears as she heard scraping close by. She shivered. Her stomach knotted as her nose detected the sharp tang of sweat and blood. It was the human from before!

The events leading up to the moment rushed back to Nora. Her convoy had been ambushed; the Wasp and the leading transport were hit hard. Chalmers and the Otto brothers had been slaughtered. Was she the only survivor?

Her mind groped as though in a fog as she tried to recall what had happened afterward. She remembered the haze she'd been in when she struck the soldier with the knife. He recoiled and pointed his gun at her. She focused on the muzzle, terrified, until glancing up at the man's face.

Nora had seen shock and anger in his eyes. So why hadn't he pulled the trigger? She couldn't remember anything after that.

Nora tensed as she smelled the man approaching. He had captured her instead! What was he going to do to her? Her heart hammered as she felt the soldier lean in close. For some reason, Nora was unable to move her lower body. Thankfully, her arms were free. She steadied herself, waiting.

***

In the dim lantern light, Casey focused on the gash in the fox's side. Once he was sure she was stable, he had checked with the medical device and confirmed the shrapnel hadn't pierced any vital organs. Thankfully, her anatomy seemed identical to a human's. She was extremely lucky the device's DNA coder had been able to accept her genetic makeup. Already the wound was beginning to heal thanks to the gel. Because of this, Casey decided to try removing the shrapnel. He didn't want her to move and have it damage her organs if she shifted wrong.

Casey leaned over her and readied a syringe that contained a sedative. He didn't want to take any chances while performing such a delicate operation. His left arm throbbed where she had sliced him. He swallowed and lowered the needle to her arm.

He gasped as the girl's right paw clamped his wrist. Casey locked eyes with the terrified vixen. What could he do?

Cautiously, Casey opened his free hand and held out his palm. He willed a calm expression onto his face as he stared into the girl's bright blue eyes. He took a breath.

“It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just trying to clean your wound." Casey thought frantically before stumbling on an idea. Carefully, he reached behind him while the fox's eyes never left his.

Very slowly, Casey brought his hand forward and rotated the medical device so that the girl could see it. Her eyes shifted and focused on the red cross emblazoned on its side.

“See?" he said. “It's a medical device. I won't hurt you; I'm trying to help."

“What… what are you going to do," the fox croaked. “The syringe…" she trailed off weakly.

“Don't worry; it's a painkiller," he lied. “I need to clean your wound," he repeated.

The girl gradually loosened her grip on his arm. She seemed to be debating with herself. Finally, she gave a tired nod and lay back.

Casey poked the syringe into her skin and pressed the plunger. He saw the fox's eyes flutter and close as her body relaxed. He felt a little guilty about deceiving her, but he knew she wouldn't have let him attempt to remove the shrapnel.

Casey unwrapped a pair of tweezers and gingerly clamped the shrapnel in its grip. Ready with the other hand, Casey counted to three.

On three, he began pulling slowly but steadily. Fresh blood oozed out of the wound, but he continued. After a tense half an inch, the shrapnel was free. Casey inserted the nozzle into the wound and sprayed more gel. He checked the display. Good; no harm done.

Casey leaned back against the stone wall and looked up. He didn't know how far he had dragged the girl before stumbling on the small cave some distance off the trail. Inspecting it, Casey decided he probably wouldn't find anything better, especially since it was almost dark. The cave curved back to the right past the entrance, and though a bit cramped, there was enough room to spread out on. Casey had switched on a very dim lantern and was grateful that the cave was deep enough to prevent the light from spilling past the entrance.

He cast a glance over at the sleeping fox. Casey had positioned her on her back and swaddled her in a blanket to ward off the evening chill. The planet was entering its autumn season, which meant that the temperature was going to drop. Casey shivered, more out of shock than cold. Even so, he needed to stay warm as well.

Casey stared at the vixen's face. She resembled a feral red fox, in that her fur's orange coloration extended to the sides of her face before transitioning to cream-colored fur around her muzzle. Her small black nose twitched a few times. The girl had long, straight dark hair that was gathered in a ponytail. But her vibrant eyes were her most remarkable feature. They were a shade of deep blue that Casey had never seen before; when she'd locked eyes with him, they shone like a sunlight-suffused ocean.

Casey squeezed his hand into a fist. He needed to quit stalling and get it over with. He gathered his supplies and grimly peeled the bandage off his left arm. The knife wound was shallow and long, running around four inches along the inside of his forearm.

With resignation, Casey sliced a small strip from his shirt and stuffed it between his teeth. He took a curved needle in hand and lowered it to his arm. Never was very good at sewing, he thought sarcastically as the needle shook in his fingers. Clamping down on the shirt in his teeth, and grasping tweezers in his left hand, Casey pierced the skin and brought the needle through the underside of the wound. His eyes teared up in pain as he pulled the needle and filament through. He wrapped the line around the tweezers with painstaking care and grabbed the other end of the filament. Pulling it taut, Casey saw the knot successfully form.

One, he thought mirthlessly as he brought the needle to his skin again. Two.

Sweating and panting, Casey tied off the knot on the final stitch. Gingerly, he disinfected the area and wrapped his arm in a clean bandage. He sanitized his tools and replaced them in his medpack. Casey slumped against the wall, utterly spent.

Much as he wanted to join the fox in her slumber, Casey rose and grabbed his rifle. He wrapped himself in a blanket as he propped himself up against the cave entrance to keep watch. Nestling against a convenient rock, Casey tested the strength in his left arm by bracing the rifle on top of the rock and looking down the scope. Steady enough, he thought, taking the rifle down. At least for a short period.

Casey popped a caffeine tablet and chewed, washing the taste out of his mouth with a sip from his canteen. He surveyed the outside world as rain continued to pour in sheets. It was going to be a long, uncomfortable night.

Casey jerked awake to the sound of chirping birds and the deafening silence of no rainfall. He squinted at the sky and noticed that it was beginning to lighten. How long was I asleep? He cursed at his indulgence. Someone could have snuck up on him unawares and gutted him like a fish while he slept.

Hearing the girl stir, Casey got to his feet, wincing as his tight muscles complained. He rolled his neck from side to side and took a long pull from the canteen. Seeing that the fox's eyes were open, Casey slowly walked over and knelt beside her.

“Hey," he said softly. “Water?"

The girl stared at the canteen, obviously wanting a drink. After a minute, she gave a small nod.

Casey put his right arm under the fox's shoulders and gently helped her into a sitting position. He was careful not to move too quickly for fear of aggravating her wound. She winced but allowed herself to be moved. Casey brought the canteen to her lips and gave her a small sip.

The girl swallowed and coughed painfully.

“More," she said. Casey obliged and let her take a long drink. He set the canteen aside and put his hand on the girl's shoulder, causing her to flinch.

“Easy," he said. “I'm just trying to set you against the wall."

Casey helped her prop herself against the cave wall, and she pulled the blanket across her legs, shivering a little.

“That wasn't a painkiller last night," she accused.

“Breakfast first; questions later," Casey deflected. A loud growl from the fox's stomach underscored his point, and he hid a small grin.

Opening one of his small ration tins, Casey handed it to her.

“What is it," she asked suspiciously.

Casey popped open a similar tin and held out a forkful. “Eggs," he said, shoveling the food into his mouth. The girl hesitated, but her hunger won out, and she soon joined him in devouring breakfast.

Setting the empty tin aside, she asked, “Is there more?"

Casey shook his head. “We need to conserve what we have."

She sighed and leaned back before shooting him a sharp glance.

“We? What the hell do you mean, 'We'?" she spat.

“You're not going very far without help in your condition," Casey said patiently.

“I don't need your help!" The fox tried to push herself up but gasped and laid back. Her ears flared back and she stared at the ground. “Okay, fine! Maybe I'm not going anywhere."

Casey grunted and fixed her in his gaze. “Now that we've established that, what's your name?"

The girl glared at him defiantly and remained silent. Casey sighed.

“Your name?" Still she didn't reply. “Alright," he said. “I'll just call you Fox from now on. My name is Casey."

“So Casey," the fox dragged out his name. “What did you drug me with?"

“A sedative. I needed to put you to sleep to take the shrapnel out." Casey pointed. “Look for yourself."

With a start, the fox looked down.

“Luckily, it didn't go in too deep, and it went in-between your ribs," Casey continued. “By some miracle, it also missed your spleen and pancreas. I was able to get it out and stop the bleeding." He shrugged. “Now, here we are."

“What is that … thing you showed me last night?" she asked.

Casey pursed his lips. “It's a diagnostic tool that dispenses some kind of tissue-repairing gel. I don't know all the details of how it works, but the gel has remarkable healing properties. Your wound should be healed in a day or two, I'd wager."

She examined her side more closely before looking back up at him.

“Who the hell are you anyway? You don't look like a Capellan."

Casey saw her eyes roam his jacket. The only accoutrements on his fatigues were the rank patch on his shoulder and a strip across his chest that read “JENSON."

Casey smirked. “I'm not." He met her eyes and didn't say anything more. The silence persisted until the fox asked another question.

“Why did you save me back there?"

A serious look came over Casey's face as he pondered how to answer. “I don't really know," he said quietly. “I was looking for a map when you sliced me—" the girl winced at the remark— “and … those kids in the back of your transport?" He shook his head sadly.

“There wasn't anything I could do for them. I just couldn't shoot you after seeing all that," Casey said without a hint of accusation. “But enough about me. You must have a map or something, or at least have an idea of where we are." Casey's eyes bored into the fox's.

She wavered under his intense stare. “I don't have a map. But yes, I know this area," she admitted.

Casey nodded. “Good," he said. “Because I want to go east. And you're coming with me, Fox."

“East," the fox repeated. “Why do you want to go east? And what makes you think I'll go with you, anyway?"

Casey sighed. “We've already been over this. On your own, you'll die out here. You need this," he said, brandishing the medical device. “And I need a place to regroup, for one. Two, I did patch you up, but you should still see a doctor. And three, my stitching job wasn't the best, so I'm not looking forward to taking them out myself."

“Why don't you just use that magical doohickey you have," the girl asked in an irritated tone.

Casey shook his head. “It doesn't work like that, Fox." He glanced painfully at his watch but scowled as he saw it wasn't working. “It's time we get going. We're heading to your village."

The girl's eyes flashed and he saw her tail twitch. “No human's ever been allowed there." She bared her teeth and gestured to Casey's rifle. “What makes you think I won't take your rifle and off you in your sleep?"

“The thought had occurred to me," Casey said dryly. He raised an eyebrow. “But you need me—" he held up a finger to forestall the fox's interruption— “because you don't know how to work the medical device. You'll need regular doses of the gel every few hours to allow your wound to continue healing at its accelerated pace. Don't get me wrong; I don't think you're stupid," he said. “It's just that this thing is very complicated. By the time you figure it out, it'll be too late."

Casey saw the fox's ears flatten. “Fine," she said quietly. “Let's get moving then."

“You need more gel first." The girl's eyes flared as he knelt beside her. “I'll be quick, but this is going to hurt." She let him part her jacket to expose her side. The edges of the gash were pinker and appeared less raw than they had the night before. Lowering the nozzle until it was almost touching her skin, Casey asked, “Ready?"

She nodded. Before she had a chance to reconsider, Casey pierced the outer layer of gel and sprayed into the gash. The girl gritted her teeth and gasped as he removed the device. Wiping it off, he stowed it on his belt and packed his rucksack while she recovered.

Casey helped her to her feet. Her body brushed his side as she swayed. She tensed, fur bristling. “I'm fine," she snapped, yanking her arm away and taking a few unsteady paces toward the mouth of the cave.

The two stood at the cave entrance while the fox gathered her bearings. She frowned, feeling empty slots on her belt.

“I'm not very trusting," Casey said. He had safely stowed her stun baton and knife at the bottom of his pack. Ignoring the girl's scowl, Casey stepped out of the cave. The pair headed east, along the trail. Casey had the girl walk a few paces in front of him.

As the morning grew later, Casey surreptitiously checked her for signs of weakness or faltering. He firmly focused his gaze above her waist. He wasn't a creep, and the last thing he needed would be for her to catch him staring at her ass. Surprisingly, the girl seemed to be holding up well.

The MechWarrior's eyes roved for signs of hostiles, rifle slung in front of him. He flexed his fingers and wondered if he could rely on the strength in his left arm.

Sometime in the mid-morning, the trail veered off to the right while the river continued straight. Here, the river was broad and shallow, and looked calm. The two unlikely companions stopped and glanced over the sight.

“We follow the river," the girl said.

Casey nodded. He had been expecting as much. The pair trudged down the shallow incline as they stepped off the trail. Walking by the water's edge gave Casey an idea.

“Stop a sec," he told the vixen. She turned with a questioning expression.

“It's getting about time for you to have more gel," Casey remarked, pointing to the pouch at his waist. “But I think a quick bath would be a very good idea. You should clean that wound."

The fox's eyes narrowed and her lips pulled back, revealing her pointed teeth.

“No way! You just want to stare at me naked, you fucking pervert!"

Casey held up his hands. “That's not what I meant! Look, I will stand right here, facing away from you, while you do your thing. I really do think you should wash the blood off you," he said.

The girl put her hands on her hips and glared at Casey. He held her gaze evenly. Eventually, she relented.

“You'd better fucking promise not to turn around, or I will shoot you when you're not looking, consequences be damned!"

“I promise," Casey said seriously. He took his pack off and tossed a bar of soap at the fox before turning and walking a few paces away. Scanning the forest around him, he heard the fox take her clothes off and step into the water.

“Brrrr!" she exclaimed. Casey chuckled in spite of himself.

After a minute or two of splashing, Casey heard the fox rapidly exit the water and the sound a dog makes when it shakes itself off to dry. He heard crunching gravel and saw the girl's shadow as she reached him.

“Can I turn around now," he asked in mock seriousness.

“Unless you want to stare off into the distance all day," came the reply.

Casey got up from his sitting position. He couldn't help the laugh that escaped him when he saw the fox's damp, matted fur.

“Not funny!" she said. If Casey didn't know any better, he would've sworn he detected a pout.

Grabbing the medical device, Casey motioned to the girl's side. She lifted her arm and gave him access. Appraising the wound, Casey was glad to see that it looked much better now that the surrounding area was clean. He checked the device's screen and was pleased to note that the internal trauma seemed to be healing as well. Adjusting a few parameters, Casey applied more gel and stowed the device on his belt. Picking up his rifle, he was careful to keep it pointed away from the girl as he gestured to it.

“Do you know how to operate this?"

“Of course!" she said. Casey raised an eyebrow. “In theory. Okay, look, I've never practiced with one, alright? The militia didn't let me."

Casey cleared his throat. “Well, first off, there are some important safety points you need to follow." He firmly explained them to her. The girl nodded and listened intently.

“Secondly, how to operate this rifle. It's not hard." He pointed to the safety selector. “This is the safety. You have safe, semi-auto, and full-auto." Casey flicked through the positions.

“Semi is one shot per trigger pull," the fox said.

“Right. If you need to use this, that's how I want you to fire," Casey said. “We have very limited ammo, and full-auto will chew right through it. Plus, it's best to take aimed shots most of the time, anyway."

Casey then explained how to remove the magazine, reload the gun, and work the bolt. He had the fox demonstrate a few times until he was satisfied. He went over stance, grip, and how to use the scope. Finally, he showed her how to use the sling to steady the rifle.

“I know it's heavy," he said. “Using this technique will help you tire less quickly, and give you more stability." With that, Casey left the rifle in the fox's hands and walked to the edge of the river. Carefully, he worked his shirt over his head and gently threaded his arm through.

Glancing over her shoulder, Nora was going to ask a question about the rifle that popped into her head. Blushing, she quickly averted her eyes when she saw that Casey was shirtless. Dammit, I am not like that!

Nora frowned at the mental image of Casey's back and tried to ignore his lean musculature. Her frown deepened at the large purple bruise that spread across Casey's right side, and the smaller one at the base of his skull. Why doesn't he fix those with that medical device, or his arm for crying out loud, she wondered.

Stripping the rest of his clothes, Casey stepped into the water with soap in hand. He shivered, quickly wading deeper. Casey scrubbed himself clean in record time. Finished, he dried off as best he could and re-dressed himself. He hiked over to the fox who stood at his approach. He held out his hand for the rifle.

“Still don't trust me," she asked, relinquishing it.

“No," he said, slinging his rucksack around his shoulders.

The two began walking and the day wore on in front of them.

Once the sun started to set, Casey looked for a place to set up camp. He found a suitable spot about a hundred yards away from the river, in between a rocky shelf and several pine trees. They would be shielded from the worst of any wind that picked up, and best of all, the bed of pine needles on the ground looked as soft as a fine mattress to the exhausted MechWarrior.

Casey rolled out his bedroll and motioned to the girl. “It's yours," he said.

She slid to the ground against the rock and yawned while Casey knelt by her side. Used to the routine by now, the girl gave him access to her side while he applied more gel. Once that unpleasant task was done, Casey fished in his pack for their dinner.

“Meals Ready to Eat. Three lies for the price of one," he quipped, tossing her a packet. As Casey prepared his own meal with the ease of long experience, he caught the vixen stealing quick glances in his direction. It brought to mind his first encounter with an MRE. The assortment of plastic sleeves wasn't the most intuitive way to cook a meal, he reflected.

Soon the two had finished, and they sat staring at each other across the small campsite in the dimming light. Casey wondered what was going on behind those blue eyes; he didn't have long to wait. The vixen pointed to his belt.

“Why don't you use that thing on your arm? Or your ba—" she let slip before clamping her mouth shut.

Casey chuckled. “Oh, so you didn't stay turned around."

“It's not like that!" the girl protested.

Casey waved his hand, grinning. “I told you earlier, it doesn't work like that. Besides, I'll have a cool scar when this is all over."

“No really. Why wouldn't you save yourself the pain?" the fox pressed. “Then you wouldn't have that… injury holding you back," she said carefully.

“I can't," he said. “This device is a prototype; advanced medical tech." He snorted. “Probably doesn't compare to lostech, but it's leaps and bounds ahead of anything else out there. We got them as part of our payment on a previous contract. As it turns out, planetary governors are rather grateful when you rescue their sons from pirates. My commander issued them to frontline troops to sort of test them out." He shrugged. “Seems like they work okay."

“You're a mercenary," the vixen said. Her tone was curious.

Casey nodded. “Yeah, I pilot a Locust for Baker Company." He saw the girl's ears perk up and she leaned forward.

“It was obvious you're a MechWarrior, but you drive a Locust?" she asked with interest.

“Well, I used to," Casey replied. His expression darkened. “Before my recon lance walked right into a Capellan assault lance. A Locust's no match for an Orion and a Marauder."

The girl gaped. “How did you survive?"

Casey relayed the events leading up to his arrival at the ambushed militia convoy. He shook his head. “The militia will be hard-pressed now that the Wasp is a pile of scrap. Those AgroMechs don't count for much."

The fox frowned. “The Wasp made himself too easy of a target. I knew he was going to get himself killed!"

Casey cocked his head. “What do you mean?"

“Well, for starters he could barely walk with the damn thing," the girl spat. “Also, he wasn't scanning for threats. The Wasp has good sensors! He should've detected something!" Her expression softened. “He didn't even fire a shot. He never stood a chance."

“How would you know what a Wasp's sensors are like? I doubt the militia would let you take it out for a practice run if they wouldn't even let you carry a gun," Casey observed.

The fox's eyes lit up with fierce pride.

“Because I've piloted one before! In sims," she explained. “And I'm damn good at it!" The girl relayed how she had won the contest at Vella's arcade.

Casey shook his head in wonderment. What other surprises would she reveal? He laughed good-naturedly before rising to his feet and grabbing the rifle.

“Where are you going?" the vixen asked.

“Go to sleep," he said. “I'm going a short distance away to keep watch."

The girl stood and took a step toward him.

“Not all night you're not!" she said. “I can see how tired you are. We have to stay alert."

Casey shook his head. “Go to sleep," he said again. “You need to rest for your side to heal."

“No," the vixen insisted. “Wake me up in four hours."

Casey sighed, seeing she wasn't going to change her mind. “Alright," he acquiesced. He turned and quietly walked away as the fox nestled herself into the bedroll. Secretly, he was glad she had insisted. Casey felt the weight of his exhaustion as he settled against the trunk of a large pine. He had probably only gotten an hour or two of sleep, at most, last night, and precious little in the past weeks. It was beginning to take a toll on him. Even so, Casey resolved to let the fox sleep for more than four hours. I'll give her six, he thought as he rested his head against the rough bark of the tree trunk.