From The Desk of Madam Odette II

Red was airlifted from my home to the local hospital. I arrived another 4 hours later. Turns out that Red wasn't the only victim in Marcus' madness. Jeffery and Miller, who were standing guard at the front door were shot and killed. I had to leave someone else in charge while I went to the hospital. The ride was horrid. I sat in the back, alone, just waiting. I tried having a drink but it was a struggle to get a sip. I just feel so sick.

I keep running through the entire situation and all I can see is I should have had him removed when he walked in. I could have prevented everything from the start. As I sit in the waiting room of the emergency room I continue to roll his over in my mind. "Odette." A small otter calls my name snapping me up from my thoughts. The doctor saw me move and knew it was me, "Can you come with me please?"

The two of us go around a corner away from the waiting room, "I have no idea how to tell you this but Red will be ok." All my stress, all my worrying, just melted away. "But he shouldn't be. That's what we don't get. We removed one bullet that missed his vital organs and settled near his hip. He'll be walking funny for a while but that's not the weird part. One went through and through but the second went into his left lung and the third hit the lower right of his heart." I cover my mouth and feel the tears beginning to well in my eyes. "Calm down, that's where I cannot explain it. He should be dead." He beckoned me closer, "No manner of medical science or magic should have been able to save him but his body did it by itself. His heart was still beating with a partial hole in it while patching itself. His lung stopped working until it had a thin layer over itself. He's not normal."

"This may be strange to ask, but can I see him?"

"We're still stitching the wounds and replacing some of the blood he lost. I'll get you when we know he's stable but for now, just take a seat. If you need anything ask one of our nurses. We let them know what happened and they'll be sure to give you what you need."

I feel a lot better but I still got Red into this ordeal. It was another three hours of waiting before a nurse called me. She escorted me to a room where they had his name on the plaque. She knocked before opening the door for me. The room was cooler than the rest of the hospital. The window was wide open allowing some of the breeze to come in.

I slowly stepped in looking around. Sure enough Red was there, leaning against his bed that is propped up. He has his head forward, slightly to the side to look outside. He looks a little lost in thought.

I step in standing as still as I can continue to look at him. I can see a few of the bandages on his chest from the entrance wounds. I lean slightly over to try and get his attention but his eyes look empty. "Red?" He didn't move. "Red, are you ok?" He didn't move but there wasn't any inflection in his voice, "Are you scared?"

"W-what?"

"Are you scared of me?"

He asked me the same question at the house after he threw Marcus around the hallway. I can't help myself. I step beside him placing my hand on his shoulder. I move my hand to the side of his neck and then to under his chin. He closes his eyes as I place my head against his, "Red, I'm not scared of you." I can feel his body beginning to shake. I feel a tear hit my paw. Before he loses himself I grab him with both arms. One hand grabs his shoulder while my other goes across his stomach, "You, stop that. You shouldn't be the one crying. I almost lost you today because of my actions. You don't get to cry!"

I nuzzle his ear with my nose trying to stop myself from crying. He does calm himself down enough to talk again, "It's blurry but did I kill him?" I stop dead in my tracks. He doesn't remember what he did. I have to tell him something, "No, just badly burnt but he'll live."

"Why?"

I lean back to look him in the eye, "What?"

"Why are you lying to me? I can't lie to you so why are you lying to me?"

I lost, "I'm sorry." I didn't need to say anymore.

He sighed with a sad undertone. Before I could try to comfort him he asked a question that startled me, "How are the other two?"

"Other two?"

"The two outside. I caught a glimpse when I was loaded onto the helicopter."

He's talking about Jeffery and Miller, "They didn't make it. They tried to stop Marcus when he walked back in but…" His head droops again, "Red, you need to know something. Those two were hired because they served in the military across seas. They knew the risks of the job so they knew what they were doing and they did their job like they were supposed to. It's just unfortunate that it happened as it did. But what I really want to talk about is you." I take a deep breath, "I saw you release a controlled power that was beyond a master's level. You were able to control your immense power while under extreme mental and physical stress. It's probably the reason you're still alive. But I saw something else that I did not expect. Before you casted that spell, you split a second full tail."

It worked, he's intrigued. "Red, you have a power like no one else on this planet and I'd like to see you be able to use it to your fullest ability." He goes to say something but backs off from it. He's pondering something. With a slight physical nudge, he speaks up, "The day before you came I was stopped on the street by a mole. He started yelling at me this weird gibberish that didn't make sense."

"What did he say?"

"Something about smelling magic on me and a tale of 9 or something like that."

"Red, I don't think he meant tale as is a story but tail as in the one you use for balance." He's interested now. "After what I saw, you may very well be a nine-tailed fox."

He sputtered at the start, "A nine-tailed fox? You mean like the stories of the mythical beings that will come and bring havoc to the world?"

"Not exactly but yes."

He shakes his head while chuckling. "I am the plainest person you can be. I've done nothing impressive my entire life and you think I am some mythical animal set to bring chaos to the world?"

"I saw you with my own eyes and you showed signs. I may be wrong but if I am I'm still going to train you to be a better mage."

"I don't know if I want to continue anymore."

I'm shocked to hear him say that. He's spent months training his body to be ready for it, spent hours learning magical theory, and he wants to throw it away. "I don't believe that someone like me should have a power like this."

"Red…" I sigh, "I didn't give you the power. I'm trying to teach you how to properly use it. If I wasn't here, one day in your life something would happen and it would show itself to you and everyone around you, much like what happened today. I've seen those who don't learn and they have a lot of problems with it because they don't understand what they have." I move his face to look at me over his shoulder so he looks me in the eye, "I don't want you to be like that. I want you to be safe."

"Why? Why is it that you care?"

His words were sharp. They stung as he spits them, "Red, our families, yours and mine, have been working together for a long time. Your father learned from my great uncle, I learned from one of your cousins, and now you are learning from me. The system they made has brought about some of the greatest mages for generations."

"So you're doing this because you're required."

"It started that way. But after a while, you started to grow on me. You showed me your determination and strength so it changed. I began making a personal investment to make sure that you were ready for anything."

"And your personal 'interest' in me?"

"That… I…" He stumped me, "I'm attracted to power. It's not often that I meet someone better than me so when I do it's a rare treat for me. But I was honest with you when I said you were my first, for a lot of things."

I see a smile for a brief second before it disappears, "So what now?"

"Now, you stay in the hospital until they release you and then you come back with me. I'll see if your favorite ragamuffin and I can greet you when you get home."

Now I'm just teasing him. He's smiling and laughing so I know he's better. I feel better too. My heart still hurts from causing him such pain, and for the loss of Jeffrey and Miller, but I know it will be ok. "Did they tell you how long you would be stuck here?"

"They're going to keep me here for another two days to make sure there's no internal bleeding. I'll be stuck in this bed until then.

"I'll be sure to pick you up in a couple of days, OK? Just relax until then."

"That would be much appreciated Lady Odette."

He's a good kid. Maybe I shouldn't call him a kid anymore. No, he'll always end up being a kid to me. It will be strange not having him around for a couple of days but I'll be busy. There's still a mess at home that needs to be cleaned up and taken care of. It's going to be rough.