Mine...Yours Pt. 10

"Please, put him on the mattress gently." He asked. He helped me do so, and we propped him up on the pillows. He paused a moment and placed his hand on Greg's forehead and eyes and began muttering something. I strained to hear it, but I couldn't make out the words. Maybe he had a poem to say when he was full of emotion. I would ask him later. He helped Mrs. Brooks up into the back of the truck and she sat beside my Master, then he looked at me, and really LOOKED at me!

I felt like I was in front of Mother again when I had broken her favorite reading chair because I had wanted to hear the stones tell me of their life. Mr. Brooks eyed me and for the first time I felt naked in front of a human. It felt Uncomfortable.

"You did not hurt my son?" He asked finally and I snarled at him claws flexing. He nodded in affirmation. "I had to ask, please sit in the back and ride with him. We are taking him to the hospital." He turned and headed to where you steer the vehicle, the truck. Like Greg's but bigger, and green. I climbed in the back with Mrs. Brooks who was sitting next to Gregs side and gently running her finger's on him.

"It's okay baby...Mommys' here, I'm here and you're going to wake up soon and we will all put this behind us, like a bad dream. I love you, my baby boy." She looked over at me and did a double take. I think that is what it is called. Greg says guys do it when they see an especially good looking female. It is where you look once then after looking away you look back again. It seems silly to me, why not just look one time for a long time?

"Lucretia...?" She asked in surprise. I had tucked my wings around my body and my long fingers gently held Greg's arm, my claws tucked neatly into my fingers.

"Yes...Mrs. Brooks?" I answered. I think she was trying to ask me a question.

"You look very..." Her voice trailed off as she looked me over. I watched as she reached out a hand to touch my arm. Her fingers trembled for a moment then I felt them firm as she grasped my forearm.

"You look very fierce, and cold. Aren't you cold with no clothes on?" She said in, I think, Surprise?

"I don't wear clothes like this, no I am not cold." I answered. Then I remembered she said I looked fierce. That made me smile a little and my Worry over Greg dissipated and I remembered the manners Greg had been trying to teach me.

"Thank you for the compliment Mrs. Brooks."

"What dear...?" She sounded distracted.

"The compliment? Saying I look fierce, thank you." I clarified, now unsure if she had complimented me or not.

Mrs. Brooks gave me a small smile. Then her eyes went back to her son.

"Who did it?" She asked softly. I shuffled a little bit in place.

"Some werewolves." I answered quietly.

"You weren't with him." Her voice was flat when she said it, but I felt Rage and Shame trying to talk to me and something that wanted to weep that wasn't Sadness but was close to it. Like Astar, my sister, is to me.

"No, he wanted to meet with you both alone, and I was at home...listening to music." I said finally. I pushed the emotions away with a snarl. Mrs. Brooks quickly looked up to my face and then she quickly reached out her hand to cup my cheek and it held me fast as if I had been wrapped in those chains again. I couldn't look away from her eyes as she stared into mine.

"It's not your fault sweetie." She said softly. I blinked. She repeated herself, more emphatically and continued. "Bad things happen, and we never know when they will happen. How could you know he would get hurt? The important thing is when he got hurt you came to help him...didn't you?" I nodded my head. I'd had all four of my stereos playing music while I was standing in the center of the room. Linkin Park, Nine in Nails, Barry Manilow, and Beethoven blaring all it once. The vibrations and noise just washing over me. Then that wrenching sensation in my stomach of my Master being hurt had yanked me to him. I might have broken my glass door getting outside to fly to him.

Her small finger's gripped my cheek and she pulled my head a little closer to hers so we were both leaning over Greg's body that was still oddly sleeping.

"Did you get them? Did you get those gobliny people who hurt my baby?" She whispered harshly. My mouth opened in surprise! Mrs. Brooks was a...Happy lady. She was always Happy, I had never her seen her like this, she was...Vengeful? Is that what this is? I tried to make sense of what I was seeing...this female had gone from sadness to, whatever this feeling was and seems to be handling everything alright. I needed to watch her, figure out how she does this. Then I remembered she asked me a question.

"Yes, I drained and killed them all then burned the bodies." I said. She patted my cheek and pulled me closer to kiss my opposite cheek.

"You are a true friend sweetheart!" She told me.

How can human's do this! Jumping right from one emotion to the next so easily? Wait, she called me sweetheart. That was what Greg had called me right before he fell asleep and wouldn't wake up. I wanted to know what this word meant! Master couldn't tell me maybe his mother.

"Lucretia, we are at the hospital. Can you look like a person again and wear clothes?" Mrs. Brooks asked, I was a little Offended that she didn't consider me a person until I thought that she must be under some emotional strain, so I said nothing and turned human with my favorite hooded sweatshirt and pants and boots. I climbed out of the back of the truck and two men in identical clothing ran up to us. I didn't know who they were so I stepped in between them and my Greg with arms wide and snarled out, "Back off!"

They stopped and looked past me, I kept my position until a large hand settled on my left shoulder.

"Easy, they are here to help. Gentleman, this is my son. His left shoulder has been dislocated and his right foot is shattered, also I suspect there is internal bleeding..." I ignored whatever else he had to say, but remembered the word bleeding. So when something leaks blood they call it bleeding. So water leaks, but blood bleeds. Good to know.

They called for a stretcher and used the blanket that Greg was laying on to pull him out of the truck and take him inside of the hospital. I didn't like it! I didn't like it at all! I saw strangers touching my Master. Many of them. One tried to stick a needle in his arm! I was bout to stop him when I was surprised by strong arms around me, holding my right side. I looked and saw Mrs. Brooks holding onto me, holding my arms down.

"It's okay...it's okay Lucretia, they are helping him. This is what we do." She told me. I watched as they quickly wheeled him to another room and I stood there, watching my Greg roll away from me...away from me. Oh, Empty Void...away from me! I felt something twitch and then break in me and I dropped to my knees crying in the entryway of the hospital. I didn't know what to do, and Mrs. Brooks held me as I cried. I saw Mr. Brooks walk through the door and talk to a female at a desk in front before the paths turned. At the time though I was distracted by my own tears and for some reason I was trying to comfort Mrs. Brooks and it felt like she was trying to comfort me.

She would tell me everything was alright while I told her everything was going to be alright...and...and...I don't remember much.

Why am I writing this Gregory? Why are you having me re-live this? I didn't like it then and I don't like it now! Can we skip this part? They don't care about it! Whoever reads this doesn't care about how I felt for this piece here.

What? FINE! I...fine.

Mr. Brooks came back and helped us both to our feet and into chairs by the wall. He gave us both a paper cup of water. He kissed his wife then knelt down in front of me as I stared into the paper cups of water. He bent to see in my eyes and then once he had my gaze on his he spoke to me softly.

"This is what it means to be human...Lucretia. You are stronger than us, faster than us, and live so much longer than we do. Yet in many ways we are more than your kind." I stared at him, waiting to hear what he said next.

"We humans are...how to help you understand?" He scratched the side of his head in thought and his voice and the way he spoke sounded so much like Greg it made my throat tighten. Was I going to lose him? We have only been together a few months!

"Humans are I guess you could say...amphibious. Amphibians can live in water and in the air. We are both physical and spiritual..." he said finally. "You can split a person up into three main pieces, at least this is my belief and so far it has been proven to be true. You have your body, your spirit and your soul." He paused, watching my eyes to see if I was still following him. I guess I was because he put his hand on my knee and continued.

"Greg is a soul. His thoughts, feelings, his experiences...all of it are bound up in his soul. His body, the thing that you see hurt and bleeding, that is only a shell that he uses on this Plane. His spirit is what goes on to the next Plane. His soul, what he truly is...that will remain intact. Do you understand?"

I thought about it. It actually made sense. I come from a place that is mostly spiritual. I need to be given a body to be here, on this Plane. So, if humans are like that as well...that gives me more questions than answers!

"You are saying that Greg will still be who he is even if his body dies?" I asked. Mr. Brooks nodded. I bristled at him, water sloshing over my human fist as I crushed the paper cup. "But I want his body alive and well so I can hold him and tell him...!"

What? What did I want to tell him? There was a word that kept wanting to come to me but it kept on eluding me. Like when I tried to squeeze a watermelon seed. No matter how hard I tried to crush it it would always squeeze out between my fingers. Greg laughed at me trying to crush it until the seed hit him in the eye....then he told me to stop playing around.

Mr. Brooks grabbed my arms and then hugged me. "I didn't mean it like that Lucretia, I...never mind me. I am just a little off right now. Let's wait and hear what the doctor's say."

We were in something called a "Waiting Room" which seemed appropriately named except that...I hate to wait! If I am hunting, that is different, one must have patience for their prey. Also, waiting, when it is quiet...gave me too much time to think. I kept thinking about what I could have done differently. Should I have killed that Alpha Judge person? Would that have made a difference? Or what if I had demanded to go with Greg, I would have been there for the attack and would the outcome be different? A voice kept speaking to me, loud and insistent telling me this was all my fault. If I had never come to this Plane, if I had never fought Greg, if I had said, "No!" to being bound, if had just done something different...!

"Shhhh..." I heard Mr. Brooks croon to me. I was sitting between him and his wife. His arm was around my shoulders with his hand on his wife's neck gently stroking her skin. At first I thought he had been talking to her, then I saw he was watching me. His eyes were kind, warm, and yet hard...no...that's not the right word. They were strong, not hard. Stone is hard, but it breaks. Wood is strong, but it will bend before it breaks.

"Greg is in good hands Lucretia, now we just wait and pray." He told me. Pray? Were we going to eat? It wasn't bed time so if we are going to pray we must be getting ready to eat.

"Are you hungry?" I asked Mr. Brooks. He blinked down at me then looked at his wife who had her hands folded and was murmuring to herself quietly. He waited until she was done and then asked her my question.

"No, but I should eat." She put her hand on my arm and smiled, a little Sadly, but I could see her Happy countenance begin to overshadow it. She took my hand in hers and we all walked to a place called the "Cafeteria." There were no calves there, or cows, or any animals, but the smells of food were strong so I assumed they must keep them outside so they were out of the way of people who were eating. I took a tray and chose a sandwich from a box and a small bag of chips that looked a lot like the bigger ones they have at the "Wal-Mart" store Greg goes to. Then I selected a can of Mountain Dew and grinned thinking I would not have to sneak it like I do with Greg's stash. Thinking of Greg made the Sadness return and I muttered the poem again. I had to get to the third line before it left and let me think clearly once more.

"What was that you were saying?" Mr. Brooks asked as he paid for our meals.

"It is part of a poem Greg had me memorize this morning." I told him. Had it been only this morning? Had all this really only happened in the space of a few hours? He had just been going to see his parents then go to work and...go to work...WORK! Who was going to do his job? His job was important to him, it's a "Responsibility." Responsibilities are very important.

"What is wrong?" Mr. Brooks asked. I guess my face was showing what I was feeling.

"Who is going to empty the dumpsters if Master is asleep?" I asked. Mr. Brooks paused and thought for a moment.

"I guess I will." He said. Then he sat down with his wife and motioned for me to sit across from him. I did and began to mechanically munch on my sandwich.

"You know how to do it?" I asked with my mouth empty enough for me to speak clearly.

"Yes, I sometimes went to help and to see what his job was. I just never thought I would have to do it for him." He took a bite of salad and considered his next words. "Responsibilities have to be maintained. If Greg cannot do it, it falls to me to help make up the difference. It restores balance." Then he gave me a little grin that made my chest ache, since it reminded me so much of Master!

"Besides, don't want my boy to lose his job do we?" Then he went back to eating his salad. Mrs. Brooks was eating with gusto and she took a drink of water before talking to her husband.

"It will be getting dark soon, honey. Why don't you and Lucretia go to Greg's work and I will call you if there is an update?"

Mr. Brooks frowned down at his meal, "I want to be here in case anything changes...I might..." his voice trailed off as his wife held his big hand in hers.

"It's out of our hands now, you and I have done all we can. No we have Faith, and we pray."

Faith...I have heard that word before. I had asked Greg what it meant and he had faltered in his explanation. He said that it was believing in something without any proof, but that you just believed it to be true. Which makes no sense to me at all! He told me it was like gravity, we see it working all the time but we can't truly understand it. So I immediately went on to the internet and found proof of it for him to read.

"So, now seeing this proof does it take away your Faith?" I had asked him. That made him laugh.

"No! It just means I need to explain it better..." He told me. He never got around to telling me. I really want him to explain those things to me. Not just about Faith, but other things, like why old women like cats when dogs seem to be a much better pet.

Mr. Brooks stood and said, "Lucretia, will you please come with me? We are going to go to work." I shook my head, I wasn't leaving my Greg alone again, not after what happened last time! He came around the bench to crouch down in front of me.

"He is your master?" He asked.

"He is my Master." I replied, letting him hear the difference to my words.

"Then come with me so we can fulfill the duties of your Master..." He told me, and glanced from Mrs. Brooks then back to me.

"...his mother is more than enough to keep him safe. Have a little Faith Lucretia."

There was that word again!

"Faith in what!" I growled. I was tired of these words I didn't understand! I was tired of feeling lonely! I wanted my Master! I wanted my Greg! I didn't know who to turn to...

Mr. Brooks leaned in and held me firmly but gently...it so reminded me of Greg, but also of Papa! Unconciously my arms went around him and I burrowed my nose into his chest. The smell was similar to Greg but very different, the arms the same but different. It felt...Good.

"Have faith in Greg. I am sure he doesn't want to leave you alone. I am sure he misses you too. Let's make sure that everything is running smoothly so when he wakes up it will be just like he never left...okay?" He said quietly.

That I can do, I am still not sure what Faith meant, but I can believe that he will wake up. That is easy, I don't want to think of what would happen if he didn't wake up. I refused to think of that!

"Okay." I said softly. Mrs. Brooks was on the phone calling someone "Pastor" and I heard a man's voice say he would be over as quick as he could. From the tone of voice I could tell he was concerned and a friend. I let it go that another stranger to me was going to be around. Then Mr. Brooks took my hand in his and we walked out to where he had left his truck.

"We need to stop by my home first, I need to change clothes for work and pick up a few things...alright?" He asked me. I just nodded to him and stared out the window. Normally I would be asking Greg about things I was seeing, but now...could I ask his Dad? I cleared my throat, then asked.

"Why are motorcycles called motorcycles...they are just like a bicycle, but they have a motor instead of pedals. Shouldn't it be called a bimotorcycle?"

He thought about it, "It's too much of an awkward word, and there is more change than just a motor. It is an entirely different thing when it's all said and done. Look at a gas-powered bicycle, that is more of what you're describing."

I smiled while looking down at my hands. I knew it was a silly question, but I wanted to see if he would try to answer me, or brush me off.

When we got back to his home I followed Mr. Brooks into the house until he told me to stop. I looked around and saw we were outside of a room I had never seen before.

"Wait here please, Lucretia." He told me.

"What's in that room?" I asked, pointing at the door. He almost brushed me off then seemed to think better of it.

"This is my wife and my personal space, our bedroom. No one but us goes in here unless it's an emergency." Then he walked inside, closing the door behind him.

I could hear some movement and some clanking, then the door opened and my eyes went wide as I saw something I had only seen vaguely in movies.

He had a gun! Two of them...well sort of. He had something that Greg called a shotgun but different. It had two long tubes of metal that were hollow, one on top of the other. The other end was made of what looked like some type of plastic that you hold against your shoulder. I saw him put two rounds in it, why do they call them "Rounds" when they are long? Is it because the bottom is round? I guess that makes sense.

The other I think is also called a gun. It was in a container made of leather that sat on his hip under his work coat. It had a smaller handle that looked to be made of plastic, and I think you only use one hand to hold it.

He saw me looking at his guns and said, "Just in case..." and then walked past me to the door.

We got to the industrial complex after the sun went down and normally I am Happy to help with the dumpsters, I like finding all of the hidden treasures inside of them! Now the thought reminded me again, that Greg was hurt. As if I needed to be reminded! I kicked the side of one of the dumpsters and it left a dent in the metal. I saw Mr. Brooks look over at me and frown.

"I'm sorry..." I muttered Angrily then reached inside and popped the dent back out so it was mostly smooth again. I got back into the truck and Mr. Brooks put his hand on my shoulder.

"You are handling this a lot better than I thought you would have." He said to me. I looked down at my hands. Not trusting myself to speak. He sounded Proud of me! I liked hearing it, but also it pulled at something below my chest and just above my belly. It hurt but it felt good at the same time! I picked up his hand and held it against my cheek, Greg would do that sometimes. It felt like Greg's hand and it pulled harder on that something inside me. Would Greg's hand feel like this when he got older, would...would Greg get older? Was my Master going to die? Was....Grrrrrrr!