Surviving Zombies Was Easier Than Raising Beast Cubs

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Whose idea was it?

Tilla began crying harder.

"You are still recovering! Why would you follow them?"

"They friends."

"That is not an answer!"

"It is little answer."

Tilla hugged him so tightly he squeaked.

Swanly did not wait for Kael to climb out completely.

She reached into the opening and took Miko first.

Then Nilo.

Then Kairo.

All three cubs threw themselves at her.

"Mama!"

She dropped to the floor with them.

Her hands shook violently as she checked their faces, mouths, arms, legs and claws.

"Did the water touch you?"

Miko sobbed against her chest.

"Foot little."

Swanly grabbed his ankle.

A damp mark darkened the edge of his foot.

Her blood turned cold.

System, scan them now!

Golden light swept over all three cubs and Tavi.

One second.

Two.

Too long.

{No infection detected. Miko has a shallow rot burn on his foot. The contamination has not entered his blood yet. Immediate treatment is required.}

Swanly’s relief died before it could fully form.

"Yet?"

Miko’s tiny foot trembled in her hand.

The edge of his skin had turned red and raw. A faint gray line was already spreading around the burn.

{Rot water damaged the outer skin. If the contamination remains, it may enter the wound and begin an early infection.}

Swanly’s blood went cold.

"System shop. Infection medicine. Now!"

The shop opened across her vision.

Rows of supplies flashed past.

Bandages.

Pain medicine.

Antibiotics.

Then one item turned bright red.

{Early Rot Infection Treatment.}

{Use: Cleans shallow rot wounds and destroys contamination before it reaches the blood.}

{Cost: One hundred and fifty points.}

{Purchase?}

Swanly did not hesitate.

Buy it!

{Purchase complete.}

{Current balance: Two hundred and fourteen points.}

A small clear bottle appeared in Swanly’s hand.

Nahla rushed closer.

"What is that?"

"Medicine from my magic."

Swanly pulled Miko into her lap.

"Kael, hold him."

Miko’s eyes widened.

"Mama?"

Kael sat behind him and wrapped both strong arms around his tiny body.

Swanly opened the bottle.

A bitter, sharp smell filled the cave.

Nahla’s face changed.

"That will hurt."

Miko immediately tried to pull his foot away.

"No hurt."

Swanly caught his ankle.

"Baby, listen to Mama. The bad water burned you. This medicine has to clean it before it makes you sick."

Miko began shaking his head.

"No. Miko good now."

"You are good. But your foot is not."

"Mama blow it."

"I will blow it after."

"Papa lick?"

Kael’s face hardened.

"No."

Swanly nearly choked despite her fear.

"No one is licking an infected burn."

Miko’s lower lip trembled.

Swanly pressed her forehead against his.

"You have to be brave for one moment."

"Miko already brave in hole."

"I know."

Her voice cracked.

"You were too brave. Now let Mama protect you."

Miko stared at her wet eyes.

Then he sniffed and nodded.

"Small medicine."

Swanly lied immediately.

"Very small."

She poured it over the burn.

Miko screamed.

His entire body arched in Kael’s arms.

"Mama! It hurts! It hurts!"

Gray smoke rose from his foot.

The thin dark line around the wound twisted beneath his skin, then pulled backward toward the surface.

Miko kicked and sobbed.

"Take it off! Mama, take medicine off!"

Kael held him tightly, his own eyes red.

"Hold still, son."

"Papa help!"

"I am helping."

Swanly’s hands shook, but she did not stop.

The clear medicine turned black as it drew the rot from the burn.

Nahla quickly wiped it away with clean cloth.

"Again," the healer ordered.

Miko wailed.

Swanly’s heart broke.

Still, she poured the remaining medicine over his foot.

The second stream did not turn as dark.

The gray line beneath his skin disappeared.

The system scanned him again.

{Rot contamination destroyed.}

{No infection detected.}

{Treatment successful.}

Swanly nearly collapsed over him.

"It is gone."

Kael closed his eyes.

His arms tightened around Miko.

"It is gone," Swanly repeated, louder. "He is safe."

Miko sobbed against Kael’s chest.

"Mama hurt Miko."

Swanly’s face crumpled.

"I know. I am sorry."

She gathered him from Kael and kissed his wet cheeks again and again.

"I am so sorry, but Mama had to."

Miko wrapped both arms around her neck.

"No more bad water."

"No more bad water."

Nahla covered the cleaned burn with healing paste and wrapped his foot in soft cloth.

"He must not walk on it today."

Miko sniffed.

"Papa carry."

Kael answered immediately.

"Yes."

"Mama carry too."

"Yes," Swanly said.

"Snake carry?"

Everyone looked toward Soren.

Soren stood near the broken opening, his face unreadable.

After a moment, he said, "If necessary."

Miko’s tears slowed.

"Necessary now."

Soren’s brow lifted.

Even terrified and injured, this cub still knew how to collect carriers.

Swanly checked Kairo, Nilo and Tavi next.

Kairo’s palms were cut and bleeding.

Nilo’s shoulder was badly strained.

Tavi’s arms shook from holding Kairo’s weight, but none of them had touched the rot water.

{Kairo, Nilo and Tavi are clear of rot infection.}

Swanly released a breath.

"They are clean."

Kael immediately checked again himself.

He smelled every paw, every hand and every mouth.

His claws shook as he turned Kairo’s bleeding palms upward.

"They are hurt."

"Not infected," Swanly said quickly. "None of them are infected."

Kael closed his eyes.

For one moment, the huge panther male pressed his forehead against all three of his sons.

Soren climbed fully from the broken passage.

His expression was calm again.

Almost.

A dark line briefly spread beneath one pale scale where the rot water had splashed his tail. Heat burned through the flesh underneath as his venom channels destroyed the contamination before it could take root.

It could not infect him.

But his damaged core paid the price.

Soren quietly curled that part of his tail beneath the others before anyone noticed.

His gaze remained on the cubs.

Alive.

All four alive.

Swanly slowly placed Miko beside Kael.

Then she pulled Kairo and Nilo directly in front of her.

Tilla sat nearby with Tavi locked against her chest.

Swanly looked at all four cubs.

Her face changed.

The fear was still there.

Now anger rose through it.

Terrible anger.

"What were you thinking?"

Her voice shook the cave.

All four cubs froze.

Kairo’s little ears flattened.

Nilo immediately stared at the floor.

Miko buried half his face against Kael.

Tavi tried to disappear inside his mother’s arms.

Swanly pointed toward the broken tunnel.

"Whose idea was it?"

Silence.

No cub moved.

Swanly’s eyes narrowed.

"I asked a question."

Nilo’s small hand slowly rose.

"Mama..."

Swanly looked at him.

Nilo’s lips trembled.

"I found warm air."

"And?"

"Thought maybe tunnel."

"And you went inside?"

Nilo shook his head quickly.

"I told brothers first."

Kairo raised his hand too.

"I said we look."

Swanly turned toward him.

"You are the eldest."

Kairo’s eyes filled with tears.

"Yes."

"You are supposed to protect your brothers."

"I wanted protect Mama."

"By leading them into a hole filled with bones, black roots and rot water?"

Kairo’s face crumpled.

"No."

"That is exactly what you did!"

Her shout cracked through the hollow.

All four cubs jumped.

Kael opened his mouth.

Swanly raised one hand without looking at him.

"No. Do not save them."

Kael closed his mouth.

The cubs stared at their father in betrayal.

Papa had failed them.

Swanly pointed at Nilo.

...

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