Chapter 4 Gradually Trusting Human

As she reached inside the tent once again, she retrieved a sizable jug and proceeded to fill the bowl with fresh water. He waited for her to retreat; once she had put a fair amount of distance between herself and the bowl, he advanced towards it and began quenching his thirst with the refreshing liquid. He drained the bowl, then retreated back to his original position. He eyed the bowl before turning his gaze to the jug in her hands.

"Do you want more?"

This time, he responded with a chuff, waiting for her to refill the bowl. Slowly, she walked over to the bowl and replenished it. After she retreated back to her original position, he approached and consumed the liquid, leaving the bowl slick with his saliva and blood. Now that his hunger and thirst were satiated, the pain from his wounds returned with full force.

Yet, he decided to trust this mortal woman. Gradually, he lowered himself to the ground, grunting in agony as his shattered ribs shifted within the wound. Finally resting on his side, he placed his head down and closed his good eye. Several minutes passed before he heard her movements. He allowed her to get close before opening his eye and meeting her gaze. He did not move his head, simply laying there and looking up at her.

"What happened to you? That appears to be a bullet wound. Did someone shoot you for attacking them?"

In her haste, she spoke her questions in rapid succession, her anxiety evident. He continued to gaze at her, unmoving. Eventually, realizing that he had no intention of doing anything besides looking at her, she calmed down and took a closer look at his wound.

"How are you still living with that gaping hole in your side?"

This time, her voice held genuine emotion; she was truly concerned and in awe of this massive creature.

"You must possess the same toughness as your size."

After one last glance at the wound, she met his gaze and seemed to come to a decision.

"If our agreement still stands, I will dress your wounds."

For several seconds, he gazed into her eyes, noting that they were a deep shade of green with flecks of gold. No deception lingered in her gaze;

The gaze held no trace of deceit, only a profound concern for the injured being in front of her. He inhaled deeply, exhaling through his nostrils, forming small droplets of blood. Taking this as a sign of his acquiescence, she retrieved her backpack and pulled out a first aid kit. He observed her closely as she unpacked several packets and tubes. She opened a packet of gauze, cautious of any reaction from the massive wolf. To her relief, he remained still as she began to soak up the blood from his wound. When the gauze snagged on a jagged rib, he let out a grunt of pain, but didn't move.

"I apologize for causing you pain."

She continued to clean the wound, being extra careful not to get the threads caught on the sharp edges of the broken ribs. Once the wound was clean, she applied a tube of antibiotic cream, carefully rubbing it into the edges of the wound.

"I'm unsure of what to do with a wound of this size. I've never encountered something like this before. It's too severe for me to attempt stitching it back together."

She knelt next to him, her hands resting on her thighs as she stared at the wound with a look of desperation. Slowly, he lifted his head and gently licked the back of her hand. Startled, she pulled her hand away, realizing that he had moved.

She had been so focused on her task that she hadn't noticed the movement. When she realized that he had simply licked her hand and not tried to bite, she relaxed and met his gaze.

"I'm lost, i don't know what to do."

Her voice was filled with desperation, mirroring the look on her face. He nudged his muzzle under her hand, slowly guiding it towards the largest packet of gauze that she had.

Upon his second attempt to nuzzle her, her instinct was to withdraw her hand, but his gaze stopped her in her tracks. She allowed him to guide her hand onto the oversized gauze pad, and was immediately taken aback.

Could it be that this wolf knew exactly what she had set out and what it was intended for? How could this be possible? What kind of wild animal could have any knowledge of first aid, let alone the English language?

She had asked questions, and the animal had responded as if it perfectly understood her. Was this some sort of surreal dream? Had she ingested poisonous mushrooms, resulting in this bizarre hallucination?

When she hesitated to pick up the gauze pad, the wolf nudged her hand and pushed the pad toward her. As she stared blankly, he nudged her again, and she slowly reached for the gauze pad.

"What are you? This can't be real. It must be some sort of twisted dream."

At her words, the wolf simply looked at her and made a puffing sound, causing flecks of blood to spray onto her hand and arm. He then opened his mouth slightly and grabbed the corner of the gauze packet, ripping it open. She shuddered at the sight and took the gauze out of the wrapper.

"Fine, fine. I understand. I'll cover the wound with the gauze. Just stop spraying blood all over me."

She unrolled the gauze, folded it into a square large enough to cover the wound, and secured it in place with tape.

"I don't know if the tape will hold with all that fur, but as long as you don't try to get up, it should stay in place."

Her stern gaze was met with a look reminiscent of a scolded child, and the wolf rolled his remaining eye in response. At the sight of his expression, she couldn't help but laugh, the first time since encountering this peculiar creature. As she inspected his face more closely.