by Ben Cass
Ellie struggled to find her words. “What...how...”
“Theonus, what did you do to poor Elowyn?” called Doyle, jogging up from behind, his face contorting in pain. He gave the creature an affectionate pat on its leg and leaned against it, catching his breath, one hand pressed against his ribs.
“Huh?” Ellie looked around, confused. Doyle knelt down and took her hand.
“Just breathe deeply. Look at me. Hey, over here.” He took her chin and turned her head to look at him. “Ignore him. Focus on me.” Without turning his head, Doyle said to Theonus, “Would you please get her something to drink, Theonus?” The giant creature turned and went back into the barn. It returned a moment later with a large bucket of water with a rope handle and a cup attached to it. The rope was tied to a long pole, which was somehow clenched in the massive jaw. “Thanks.” Doyle dipped the cup into the bucket and held it to Ellie’s mouth. “Here, drink this. Slowly, slowly. Don’t rush it.” Ellie sipped, watching as Doyle glanced over at Theonus. “So what happened?” Doyle asked.
Ellie heard the deep voice in her head, responding to Doyle. She heard my humming and found me and begged to see me.
Doyle frowned slightly. “Hold on....she spoke with you? She can hear you?” He shook his head in what looked like surprise to Ellie. “Damn. That’s unexpected. Well, don’t worry about it, Theonus. She had to meet you sometime.” Doyle eased himself down to the ground, still supporting Ellie. “That’s it. Just relax, Elowyn. Don’t go into shock on me.” He wrapped his arm around her.
Ellie’s eyes went back to Theonus. Although her heart hammered with a mixture of fear and curiosity, she studied the giant creature, taking in everything, including the impossibly apologetic expression on its face. Her hand sought Doyle’s and she gripped it. He squeezed back, which comforted her. Theonus set the water bucket beside Doyle and then settled himself onto his haunches. He lifted his hind leg and scratched vigorously behind his ear.
“What...in the hell... is that?” Ellie had finally found her voice, although she kept it very low. She let go of Doyle’s hand and locked onto his arm, squeezing with all her strength.
Doyle shifted his body, moving so he was again kneeling in front of her, and gently pressed his forehead against hers.
“That is a Wiler,” he murmured. “A very ancient and noble breed. They’re terrors to their enemies, but very loyal and protective of their loved ones.”
Ellie gulped and took a deep breath, trying to force herself to think and act rationally. If Doyle could be calm, so could she. She obviously wasn’t in any danger, and even if she was, there didn’t seem to be anything she could do about it. The...dog?...could eat her in one gulp if it so decided. She stole a glance around Doyle’s body. “Wiler? What’s a Wiler?”
If I may? Theonus’s voice had a pleading sound. Doyle nodded to him.
You thought of me as a Rottweiler when you first saw me. That is a less evolved version of my species. They are to me what a housecat is to a lion. Ellie’s heart rate was quickly coming back to normal. Despite her initial fear, she was getting interested.
“You can talk.” Fascinated, she released her death grip on Doyle’s arm.
Not really. My mouth isn’t moving, is it? Ellie realized it wasn’t, and looked up at Doyle, confused.
“Nothing verbal. It’s all in your mind,” explained the coach. “Theonus communicates telepathically.”
That’s why I was surprised you could hear me humming, explained the giant dog. There aren’t many people who can hear a Wiler. Perhaps one in a million, although that might be a bit high of an estimate.
“Somehow, that doesn’t stop him from trying to talk to them anyway,” Doyle remarked with a smirk. Ellie ignored his flippant comment, but then she saw Theonus roll his eyes. The gesture was so human, and reminded her of what Doyle had done in his room while talking to Kira, that she felt a giggle building inside and hoped she wasn’t about to have a nervous breakdown. She forced the thought away and cast about for a logical question. The image of Doyle and Kira helped ground her and led to her next question.
“Can Kira hear you?” Theonus shook his furry head, a rather frightening image. The great ears flapped against the massive skull and the fangs gleamed in the light.
No. She is part of my pack, of course, as she has known me almost since I was born, and we can communicate with each other in a different way, but she cannot hear me. Most Kiamadans cannot, as I said, nor can the others.
Ellie looked at Doyle, who was gingerly probing his left rib area. “What’s a Kiamadan?”
Theonus answered before Doyle could. The tone of voice was tolerant, as if speaking to a child who should know an obvious answer. Somebody from Kiamada. Somebody like Doyle or Kira or...
Doyle jumped in, silencing the Wiler with a glance. “That’s enough for now, Theonus. We don’t need to scare the poor girl again.” Ellie knew instantly something was again being kept from her, something very important. She had hated that as a child and she didn’t like it any better as a teenager.
She decided to let it go for now. The giant talking dog intrigued her and she wanted to know everything it was willing to tell her. “Kiamada? Is that where you come from, Coach?”
Doyle nodded. “Yes. I haven’t been back there in a while, though.”
Ellie frowned, thinking. “I’ve never heard of it, not even in Geography class. Where is it?”
Theonus laughed, his deep musical growl bringing a smile to Ellie’s face. Someplace you’ve never heard of, not even in Geography class.
Great. A talking dog with a sense of humor to match Doyle’s. Just what she needed.
“We’ll talk about it later,” Doyle told her. When she started to pout, he rolled his eyes. “Wait until your sister gets here. I promise you, I will answer all of your questions eventually. Deal?” Ellie kept pouting. Doyle started laughing. “By the way, I’m immune to pouting from girls. My sister and her friends broke me of that problem years ago.”
Doyle scrambled to his feet, giving a soft yelp of pain as he did, again grabbing his ribs, and offered Ellie his hand. The discomfort on his face, quickly wiped away, banished any thoughts of disappointment from her mind. For the man who had saved their lives, she would wait for answers. She let her pout vanish and took his hand. Ellie pulled herself up, staring at Theonus the whole time.
“May I...pet you?” she asked hesitantly. She could not believe how calmly she was reacting to this situation. She felt like it was a dream and kept waiting to wake up. She really hoped she wouldn’t, though. As a young child, she had really enjoyed the stories of Clifford the Big Red Dog, and now here was a real-life, giant talking dog. With saber-toothed fangs to boot.
Theonus lowered his head. If you like. Ellie stretched out one hand, while holding Doyle’s with the other, and gently stroked the side of the Wiler’s head. The fur was softer than she had expected, and her fingers sank into it. Ellie paused and then hesitantly touched the giant fangs, feeling their smoothness. The tiniest bit of dampness came off onto her hand, and she wiped it on her shorts, grimacing. Apparently, even giant dogs can drool.
She released Doyle’s hand and slowly walked around Theonus, stroking his sides as she went. The muscles under the fur fascinated her, and she could feel the giant lungs breathing in and out. She stepped back, and Theonus went into a luxurious, full-body stretch, rising to his full height, more than twice Doyle’s, maybe even triple.
“Your fur sure is dirty,” noticed Ellie, walking underneath his chest. “You’re covered in...what is that, ash? Pieces of wood?” She didn’t even need to duck while standing there, confirming her earlier thoughts about the barn doors: Theonus had to be around fifteen feet high, if not taller. His stomach was at least seven feet off the ground, and his body was several feet thick. The head and neck extended him up to at least a second-story window, if not a third.
Theonus sounded distressed when he answered. I haven’t had the chance to get a bath since last night. I got caught in some ash an
d debris, yes.
“When you covered Coach and me, right?” asked Ellie, walking out from underneath him and heading back to his head. Theonus settled onto the ground, sitting much like an ordinary dog would: half-sitting, half-laying. Sitting like that, he still towered well over her head, and even over Doyle’s head.
Yes. You remember? I thought you were unconscious by then. Theonus yawned, his mouth opening wide enough for Ellie to glimpse rows of ferocious, serrated teeth. She blinked and waved a hand in front of her nose.
Giant dog breath. Wonderful.
“How do you get a bath?” Ellie felt like a three-year-old with all the constant “how” and “what” questions.
“The same way a horse does.” Doyle pointed at the hose coiled up on the wall, which was right over a large bucket and a bottle of soap. “I soak him down and scrub him. Of course, I wouldn’t need to climb onto the horse’s back. If we were back in Kiamada, he would go splash around in the river and let the fish clean him off, but I don’t think the neighbors here would appreciate it.”
The image of the older residents of Groverton squawking about a Wiler in their river leaped to Ellie’s brain, and she smiled at the thought. Ellie moved underneath his head and started scratching his neck. Theonus’s hind leg twitched some as she rubbed. This reaction was so much like an ordinary dog that she started giggling.
“May I bathe him?” she asked suddenly. Her fear had completely disappeared. Doyle shrugged.
“If you want to. It’s a long process, though. Theonus?”
That would be lovely. I’m sure she would do a fantastic job. His voice was very sleepy and contented; apparently Wilers were suckers for a good scratching.
Doyle gave Theonus another affectionate pat on the leg. “In that case, I’ll leave you here with him. I’m going to give the hospital a call and see how your sister is doing. Kira’s there with her now.” Doyle started to walk away.
“Coach?”
“Yeah?” He turned back around, his posture reflecting patience and amusement.
“I heard you and Jen talking at the Rock the other day. Well, to be honest, I didn’t hear much, but I heard a little bit.”
Doyle didn’t look surprised. He stuck his hands into his pockets. “I know. I saw you before you called out the first time.”
Ellie’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s impossible. I was hidden behind some trees. You couldn’t have seen...” She shook her head. “Never mind. You seemed really happy being with her. If you’d had the chance, would you have kissed her?”
Instead of answering, he just smiled coyly and arched an eyebrow before he walked away, shaking his head. Ellie watched him for a moment, then went over to the hose, turning it on. She found the bottle of soap and squirted some into the bucket, adding water. She walked into the barn and spotted some mops with extendable handles sitting in buckets. Since there was no need for a mop in a barn, she deduced they were there for scrubbing down a giant dog. She grabbed a mop and carried it outside.
“Let’s get you clean,” she said to Theonus. “Come on over here.”
Chapter Thirteen
A gentle shaking of her shoulder roused Ellie from a deep sleep. She turned over, making her eyes focus. Doyle was leaning over her, smiling at her. “Hey, kid. Your friends are here to see you. Are you up to it?” He straightened up and grimaced, hand going to his ribs for a second.
She yawned and stretched. “Friends? Which friends?”
“Maddie and the twins,” Doyle told her. “I said I’d check to see if you were up for company.”
She looked around for a clock. “How long was I out?”
“Not long. An hour, maybe.” He grinned. “Who knew giving a dog a bath could be so tiring?”
Ellie laughed. It had been exhausting, but also one of the most uniquely fun experiences of her life. She’d gotten as soaking wet as Theonus, and had finally gone inside to grab a shower and change into some dry clothes. She’d curled up on Doyle’s bed again—he didn’t seem to care—and promptly fallen asleep.
“Let me use the bathroom and I’ll meet them downstairs,” she said. Doyle nodded.
“If you want to hang out up here, you’re more than welcome to,” he said. “My house is yours. I’ll let them know you’re coming down.” He tapped her leg and left the room.
Ellie climbed out of the bed and went to the bathroom. She emerged a few minutes later and made her way downstairs to the living room. She saw Maddie pacing nervously in the room, while Abby and Olivia sat on the couch holding hands.
“Ladies,” she greeted them, smiling widely. They all looked up, eyes wide, and rushed her as one, mobbing her in a group hug.
Ellie found it temporarily hard to breathe, since Maddie seemed determined to single-handedly squeeze all the oxygen out of Ellie’s lungs. They finally let her go and led her into the living room, sitting on the floor together.
“How are you, Ellie?” Abby asked, touching Ellie’s leg.
Ellie shrugged. “I’m fine. Coach got me out, and then used his body to protect me from the explosion. I...” She started to choke up, and took a moment to look away and regain her composure. Maddie leaned her head against Ellie’s, and the twins took her hands.
“It’s okay, Ellie,” Abby said gently. “You’re allowed to be totally freaked out. I’d probably still be curled up in bed, sucking my thumb. If you want to talk, we’re all here to listen.”
“And if you don’t want to talk,” Olivia added, “we’ll just sit here and hold you. Whichever works for you.”
Ellie took a deep breath and blinked her eyes several times. She finally looked back at her friends. “I’ve been a hell of a lot better,” she admitted. “If there was an award for shittiest weeks, I’m pretty sure Jen and I would win.” She lifted her head and used a fingertip to gently wipe her eyes. Maddie smoothed her hair back for her.
“Jen’s okay, right?” Maddie asked.
Ellie nodded. “She’s still in the hospital, but mainly for observation. They want to make sure she’s not concussed or bleeding internally or anything like that. I saw her earlier, and she’s fine. She really didn’t want me there, though, I think.”
“She probably didn’t want you to see her like that,” Olivia said. “If it was me, I’d try to keep Abby away, ease her stress some.”
“Yeah, because that would work!” Abby retorted, smiling at her sister.
They fell silent for a few moments, nobody really sure what to say. That was the great thing about close friends, Ellie mused to herself. Sometimes, words aren’t needed. Sometimes, just being there is more than enough.
“Holy shitballs!” Abby suddenly murmured, her eyes staring at something behind Ellie. “I’ve died and gone to heaven!”
Ellie turned her head and saw Doyle standing in what looked like a laundry room, over near the stairs. He’d taken the silk shirt off, and was studying the sleeve critically, his right side turned towards them, hiding the nasty bruise from their sight. Ellie could see a couple of the bandages on his back, but for the most part, they were also out of sight.
“Please turn around, please turn around, please turn around,” Olivia said under her breath. He seemed completely unaware of the four girls staring at him from across the house.
Then again, Ellie thought, maybe he’s perfectly aware and simply doesn’t care.
He finally shrugged and tossed the shirt in the washing machine. He turned to his right, giving the girls a full-on view of his shirtless torso, and grabbed some more dirty clothes from the hamper hanging on the wall.
“Heavenly deity of those who are attracted to men,” Abby said quietly, “we give you thanks this day for these bounteous blessings you have bestowed upon us.”
“Amen,” Maddie and Olivia echoed.
Abby suddenly grabbed Ellie’s arm. “What the hell happened to him?” she asked. “Look at his ribs!”
Ellie nodded. “We all think he has several broken ribs, but he insists they’re just sore.”
“Some men,” Maddie said derisively, “have to be macho about everything.” The other girls nodded in agreement.
“Please tell me Jen is hitting that,” Abby whispered. “I need to have my faith in humanity restored.”
“Am I the only one who’s noticed his pecs are bigger than all our boobs put together?” Olivia asked. Ellie rolled her eyes.
“He’s not that ripped,” she said.
Her friends stared at her in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?” Maddie asked. “You’ve been drooling over him since day one!”
Ellie shrugged nonchalantly. “Yeah, well, when he rescues you while being shirtless, then you spend the night in his bed, and get a kiss on the cheek in the morning after he walks into the room shirtless again...well. You kinda get used to that body.”
“Kiss? You got a kiss?” Abby demanded. Ellie grinned at her.
“A lady does not kiss and tell,” Ellie said.
A yelp of pain from Doyle interrupted the conversation. Ellie looked over to see him pressing his arm against his ribs, bent partway over in an attempt to get the laundry detergent.
Ellie scrambled to her feet. “Be right back,” she said, and went over to him. “I’ve got it, Coach,” she said, picking the detergent up. “You’re going to hurt those broken ribs even more.”
“They’re not broken,” he said defensively. “Just sore.”
Ellie raised an eyebrow and stared at him. She was aware of her friends watching, and decided to do something she never would have dared to before. She reached out, placed her palm on his chest, and pushed. Her heart raced as her fingers pushed his muscle in, but she tried to keep her cool. She saw Abby’s mouth fall open, which was the reaction Ellie had been hoping for.
Doyle must have realized what she was doing and allowed it to happen, because his body easily moved away from her. There was no other way she could have budged that giant, muscle-bound hunk of beef.
No matter what she’d just said to her friends, this might be the greatest moment in her life.
Doyle raised his hands in surrender, his left eye flicking closed in a wink, and Ellie removed her hand from his chest. Her fingers might have lingered longer than necessary, but could she be blamed for a slight nerve twitch in her hand, which rendered her temporarily unable to move her fingers?
