The Pride Lands (Amanda, Moka, kovu42)

[Panda-chan]

[Baboon, just like Rafiki. He's his older brother. He's larger and stronger than Rafiki and a little more gruff but just as wise. One of you can be him if you want.]
King Mbwana found Queen Busara under a rubble of rocks and pebbles. Thankfully, she wasn't seriously injured. As usual, she didn't say a word, but he could tell from her expression that she was worried for her daughter and the pride.
The King was worried too: half the pride was injured, two were dead, and there had only been about a dozen to begin with. He wondered if they'd ever recover.
But he felt the most worried about Uzuri; he just didn't like the idea of sending her so far off after almost losing her because she had wandered off. He'd never sent her on a mission as important as this one. Half the lionesses' lives, including Bakari and Khali's, depended on it. What if she didn't make it in time? What if she got lost? What if the hyenas were waiting to ambush her? Why had he sent her? Why didn't he go instead?
He shook his head to clear it of these horrible thoughts. Then he and Queen Busara made their way wordlessly to the Infirmary.

[Moka]

As the Pride made their way to the Infirmary, Auni was waiting for them. He was already searching for the most serious case. "Him!" he pointed to the barely concious Bakari, "Bring him quickly to me." The old baboon prepared a line of different fruits and herbs. As he tended to Bakari, the other serious cases were groaning in pain. They would have to wait. None of them looked as serious as Bakari.

[kovu42]

Bakari barely noticed that he was getting tended to as he drifted in and out of a deep sleep. "I'll be fine," he mumbled, "it's just a flesh wound." He was half trying to reassure himself, and half trying to make sure that the king didn't think he was trying to take up time and resources.

[Moka]

(Black Knight is always triumphant)

"Ok he's stable. I need to work on him some more but there is time for that later." Auni spoke to no one in particular. Then he spoke again, "Her" he pointed to a scratched and bruised lioness, "Bring her over here." They did as instructed and the baboon began to heal this lioness as he did Bakari.

[kovu42]

(I'm soooo glad you got that one!)

Bakari was finally able to relax and let his tense muscles take a good break. Then he remembered something. "Where's Uzuri?" he asked in panic. He tried to get up, feeling pain sieze his stomach and he fell back over, but he had to know how the lioness was. "Where's Uzuri? Is she OK?" He wanted to know that she had made it out alive and his efforts had not been wasted.

[Panda-chan]

"I'm here!" Uzuri came bounding in. "It's okay, I'm alright. How do you feel?"
She felt stupid that she hadn't been able to protect herself at lleast once in the fight; it was always Bakari or someone else getting her out of the trouble. And now, because of her, he was lying here, barely conscious. In fact, everything was her fault. If she hadn't wandered off in the first place, none of this would have happened. The two lionesses wouldn't have been dead, and half the pride wouldn't have been injured. She was so miserable she barely heard Bakari's response.

[kovu42]

"Uzuri? Did you hear me?" he asked, coughing slightly. Once he was sure he had her attention again, he repeated himself. "I said I'll be fine, but I know what is probably going through your mind right now. You can't blame yourself for the hyena attack, if they were really starving and in serious need of food, they would have come even if they hadn't seen you earlier. Also, don't think yourself useless. You did kill the hyena leader, and that act alone may have been what ended the fight!" He coughed again, feeling the pain still throbbing in his forehead where Jino had pummeled him. "Now go to your father, he must be worried sick about you." he said and he gave Uzuri a mischevious little smile before he laid his head down and tried to get some rest.

[Moka]

Auni finished with the last lioness and then turned to the King. "Sire, they should all be fine from now on. I would suggest not trying to fight off the same number of hyenas again...they should all recover fully, but it may take several weeks."

[Panda-chan]

"Alright. Thank-you Auni." The King said. The Shaman bowed and left.
Mbwana watched the lionesses for a while, then walked outside. He needed to go to the Old Tree Stump to see if anything was missing. On the way there he ran across Uzuri, who was lying on a large flat rock staring in the distance at the hyenas that were still running away. The King cleared his throat to get her attention.
"Ahem. I...er...I guess I owe you an apology then." The King felt himself turning red.
Uzuri turned to him, anger burning in her eyes. "No. You owe Bakari an apology, not me. It was him you did not trust. He tried to tell you but you would not listen. In the end, he risked his life trying to save our pride, which he doesn't even know." Uzuri never felt more adult. She could see that her father was embarrassed. For once, it wasn't her he was scolding, but the other way round.
King Mbwana, for once, was speechless. Finally, after an awkward silence, he said. "Very well. I'll speak to him when he recovers." He left hurriedly towards the Old Tree Stump to check on the food, but mainly to get away from Uzuri's accusing glare. He knew he couldn't argue with her because she had been right.

[kovu42]

Bakari's ears pricked as he heard Uzuri's voice raise and he turned his head to see the daughter scolding her father. "Well, you don't see that every day." he mused. He was having troubles falling asleep, the adreniline was still coursing through him. "Auni, is it? Do you have anything to help a guy fall asleep?" he asked the baboon.