Therian Shifters

Chapter 7: While Akira Healed:

As Akira was at home letting her bruises and left hip heal, Tyler, Shade, Rufus and Daniel were on their own. School was much harder for them as they got bullied worse than when Akira was present. Shade was busy healing up his friends' injuries as well as his own. And Mr Tolfree was still concerned about Akira. He tapped the table with his fingertips and looked at his phone frequently. But as he looked at his phone again, he got an idea.

How about I visit Akira to see how she's doing? Mr Tolfree thought to himself, as he rang up Akira's mother.

Meanwhile, at Akira's house, her father had left for work so it was just Akira and her mother. As she was preparing lunch in bed for Akira, her phone vibrated. She saw it was Mr Tolfree and accepted the call.

Mrs DarkTail: Hello?

Mr Tolfree: Ah, Mrs DarkTail!

Mrs DarkTail: Hello, Mr Tolfree!

Mr Tolfree: Since it is my day off today, I was wondering if I could maybe visit your daughter today for a few hours?

Mrs DarkTail: Of course! You can come up anytime you like.

Mr Tolfree: Thank you very much, Mrs DarkTail, I'll be coming at 11. Don't tell Akira yet.

Mrs DarkTail: Noted.

Mr Tolfree: Bye, I'll see you at 11.

Mrs DarkTail: Bye!

As Akira's mother hung up the phone, she brought in the tray, consisting of a bowl of water and some diced up beef.

Akira then ate the diced beef and drank the water at a steady pace, falling asleep after the satisfying meal.

As 11 came around, the doorbell went as Akira became alert. She couldn't stand up so she flopped back down on her right side, grumbling to herself.

"Hello, Mr Tolfree! Come on in!" Akira's mother welcomed him in, and Akira went to get up but her mother led her back down. "Calm down, sweetheart, you don't want to open up your wound."

Mr Tolfree came in and ruffled her mane, smiling as he found it a relief to see her again.

"Hello, Akira! Good to see you again. How is that cut doing?" Mr Tolfree asked Akira, yet she couldn't answer as Mr Tolfree's animal was a fox so he couldn't understand her. So he could, she nodded.

Akira's mother slid her finger carefully across Akira's black, padded nose, and nodded.

"She is healthy. Her nose is moist." Akira's mother said, as she playfully booped her daughter's nose, as Akira slumped on her front. "Tea or coffee?"

Mr Tolfree and Akira's mother sat at the kitchen table discussing the plan for Akira's return. Akira overheard the words "Akira's return to school" and immediately cowered her head.

"What's the matter, Akira?" Mr Tolfree gently stroked Akira's muzzle.

Akira started speaking in wolf, with a mixture of whining, whimpering and quiet barking.

"She said she's too scared to get hurt again." Akira's mother explained, translating her daughter's wolf words. "But at the same time, she doesn't want her friends to get hurt either."

Mr Tolfree looked concerned, as he looked at Akira's mother, then back at Akira. "She has been through too much since her first day. The scar, the nosebleeds, being tied against a tree, stones thrown at her, the cut on her hip and seeing her friends getting hurt. I feel so bad for her."

Akira's mother agreed with Mr Tolfree, as Akira nuzzled her mother and Mr Tolfree, and licked her mother on the cheek.

"I just want to try one last thing. I want to see her get better." Mr Tolfree remarked. He turned to his fox self and put his paw near her cut. A golden light shone around it, as the light made shapes that looked like vines and leaves growing. The cut started to heal. The skin was sealed and the blood was cleaned. The bruises faded so they would hurt no more, and her paw felt no pain. After Mr Tolfree healed her and turned back to normal, Akira led on her back, as her mother petted her belly, Akira kicked her left back leg with satisfaction.

"I'm guessing she'll have to rest to get her strength back?" Akira's mother asked.

"Yes, Mrs DarkTail. It'll only be overnight." He replied, as he petted Akira and headed out the door.

Meanwhile, at the school, Tyler sat on the grass where Akira used to sit, hugging his knees as he let out a sigh. "Sure isn't the same without Akira." He sighed as he slumped on the grass, the 3 boys agreeing as they sat on the grass too with low faces. A few minutes later, Mr Tolfree came walking up the slope towards the boys.

"Hello, boys! I've got some news!" Mr Tolfree leant against the trees with a gleeful smile on his face. "I went to visit Akira a few hours ago and she's coming back tomorrow!"

The 4 boys stood staring at Mr Tolfree with surprised faces with their mouths gaped open, as Tyler squealed with excitement. "YES! I mean... It hasn't been the same without Akira here, so I'm glad she's coming back."

The next day, Akira got out of the car outside the school.

"Sweetheart, it's ok. Those kids are gone." Akira's mother placed a gentle hand on Akira's shoulder. "Those 4 kids are gone, ok?"

Akira looked at the school, shuddering and shaking, as she hugged into her mother, terrified of what events would take place next once she stepped inside those gates. "But... Chase isn't gone completely. He's gonna be back in 6 days and I'm scared..."

As Akira hugged her mother, burying her face into her mother's chest with nervousness, Mr Tolfree came out of the English block and saw Akira standing outside the gates.

"Come on, Akira. You made it this far! You're being very brave! Come with me. You'll be ok. Your friends are waiting for you. According to Tyler, it hasn't been the same without you."

Akira kissed her mother on the cheek and walked forward. It was then from behind Mr Tolfree, a happy Tyler appeared.

"AKIRA, OH MY GOD YOU'RE OK!!!" Tyler screamed for joy. "How's your hip doing? And your bruises?"

Akira nodded as if to say, "They're fine."

Walking alongside Akira and Mr Tolfree, and into the forest area to see Rufus, Shade, and Daniel waiting for her.

They jumped for joy as they went to hug her, but Mr Tolfree stepped in. "Be careful, guys. Akira's bruises may be healed, but the skin is still tender, ok?"

They nodded, giving her gentle embraces one by one.

"Let me guess, there was a lot of patching up to do while I was gone, Shade?"

He nodded, showing an almost empty first-aid kit. "That reminds me, I still need to refill when I get home. Thanks for the reminder, Akira. And yep, there was a lot as you can see in my first-aid kit because I've only got a couple of bandages, plenty of needles, thread and numbing cream, but most of my patching up stuff is gone apart from those." Shade explained.

He then shut the case and slotted it back into his rucksack. The days were great, but as Chase's return day came, Akira was put on edge, terrified of the upcoming revenge of Chase Grieves's vengeance.