Instability

A "Winds of Change" Story

By Brian Eirik Coe

There is simply no way to describe the feeling of flight.

You can't talk about the scenery, because there are no words in the English language to do it adequately. The view of the mountains, lakes and streams that extended from one end of the horizon to the other was absolutely incredible. The sky was clear, through a tight morning fog was clinging to the ground, giving the Oregon countryside a slightly ethereal look. Just above the thin layer of clouds, four gray and black birds slowly glided.

You can't talk about the feelings either. I've heard a few other bird morphs use the word freedom, but that seems like such a small word. How do you describe the ability to go absolutely anywhere without hindrance? How do you talk about the ability to control even the very height at which you can see the world?

I sighed (a funny, whistling sound in norm) and looked over at Kim flying only a few feet on my right. I wondered, not for the first time, if we'd have had feelings for each other if we'd not shared a similar new form. I didn't know, and I'm not sure I wanted to know. All I really cared about was that we were together.

Side by side, the two of us were almost identical in this form. If we were sitting on opposite sides of a room, I'm not sure that Jon, Bryan or Jack could tell who was who. Side by side, it was a little easier. In this form, she was heavier than me by at least five pounds. Not much until you consider that I only weigh nine like this. It made her a much larger bird. Oddly, in morph we were almost exactly the same size. It probably had to do with the lower degree of her change.

She looked over at me and nodded her head. I nodded back and started gliding toward her a little more. We'd decided to try something a little...different. I'd found a reference in a book about a behavior unique to bald eagles that sounded odd. They'd been known to lock talons and tumble through the air for hundreds of feet. The upshot was that apparently no one knew why they did this. Kim and I had thought about it for a while, but neither of us could decide what the reason could be.

So, naturally, we decided to give it a go. What was the worst that could happen?

We were a little unsure how to do it. I adjusted my tail feathers a little and moved a little farther over. My wing glided briefly underneath Kim's, then I closed my wings partially, flipping over in the air. I lost lift, and started to fall a little as Kim dropped lower and grabbed my talons. I instinctively opened my wings and tail wide, an action Kim repeated.

It was like the wildest roller coaster that I'd ever been on...only without a seat belt. My heart was in my throat as we both tumbled end over end. We both called out from the excitement. When I started feeling a little dizzy, I opened my own talons. It took Kim a second to realize that I'd done it and she did the same.

I tumbled a little more free from her grip. After a few seconds, I stabilized myself in the air, but my head was still a little swimming. I was wobbly in the air, and a quick look at Kim seemed to indicate that she was too. I still had no idea why we did it, other than the fact that it was fun.

Of course, that might be the reason that natural eagles did it themselves.

As my head cleared, I glanced at the horizon and noticed that the sun was just coming up. I sighed. I still hadn't told Jon about these morning flights, and I certainly didn't want him along this morning. As it was, Kim and I had been up here for almost an hour, as soon as we saw first light.

It seemed that we were both early risers. I liked that.

By this time, we had drifted about fifty feet apart. I started to glide over when something slammed into my back.

The wind was knocked out of me and one wing reflexively folded in from the shock. I abruptly rolled over in the air. I saw what had slammed into me: A large gray white bird. It was easily twice my weight and looked angry.

In a quick motion, I swept my eyes over the sky and counted three others. The four birds that I'd seen before when Kim and I were so high up. I identified the birds and suddenly two thoughts sailed through my head: Kim and I had stumbled into the natural habitat of a group of ospreys, and ospreys were not all that fond of bald eagles.

I called out to Kim, who I saw had already realized that we were in some trouble. I started to fly over in her direction, but had no time to do more than flap once before the streak of white slammed into her.

My body felt cold as I heard her scream out in pain and begin to fall from the sky. My mind went into automatic. I didn't even realize it, but I had shifted to morph again and was already diving toward her. I could see that she was desperately smuggling to stay in the air, one wing seemed to be twisted oddly. I got right above her and quickly drew an arm under her chest, stopping her uncontrolled fall. I moved my other arm beneath her feet, and she gripped with all her strength.

I felt two more impacts above me, the ospreys still trying to drive us off. My shield had turned on, though, and the majority of their attack was dissipated across it. I shielded Kim from any other attacks as best I could.

As we got closer to the Springfield, the ospreys stopped, having driven us away. Only slightly more relaxed now, I looked down at Kim. "Is your wing hurt bad?" I asked. She nodded. "It looks broken, Kim. I'm taking you to a hospital right now. She nodded again, shuddering from the shock. I could tell that she was in some pain, and that made me move all the faster.

I scanned the small town for the tell tale signs of a hospital, but didn't see anything. I did spot a small building that bore a sign that said "Urgent Care". Hoping that it was some type of hospital, I changed course and flew straight at it.

I got over the parking lot next to the building, flared my wings and landed lightly on the cold asphalt. Kim tentatively leapt off my arm like she had done so many times before. Her form started to expand ever so slightly as she started to fall to the ground, but then she cried out in pain, shifted back to full norm, and landed hard on the ground. I quickly knelt down beside her. "What's wrong?" I asked urgently.

She looked at me with a look of panic and pain in her eyes. She couldn't speak in this form, but I had a feeling I knew what was wrong. It hurt too much to shift. I lowered my arm to the ground and she stepped onto it, gripping so hard that she left deep impressions in the scales of my forearm. "It'll be all right. Kim." I said as soothingly as I could.

I only hoped that it was true.

I jogged to the front door, relived to find it unlocked. Inside, a prairie dog in a nurses jacket and hat looked up and leapt to her feet as we came through. Her eyes went a little wider that I'd expect anyone just surprised by an unexpected visitor to be.

"Can you help us?" I said quickly. "Her wing is broken!"

She looked quickly at me and then at Kim. "Uh, of course. This way." she said as she walked to an exam room in the back of the building. I followed closely.

She led us into a room. "Okay. Have a... well, a seat or whatever. Go ahead and fill out this form, and I'll get Doctor Morton."

I moved over the exam bench and Kim gently stepped off my arm. Her left wing was hanging away from her body. Now that I could look at it more calmly it didn't look all that bad, but it seemed like it was definitely broken.

I started filling out the forms as best I could, but in truth I realized that I didn't know that many details about Kim's life. I knew that she was 25, I knew where she worked, but not where she lived. I didn't know her medical history at all. In the few minutes before the doctor came in, Kim did help me out, indicating with her beak some of the boxes to check.

The exam room door opened and a goose in a white lab coat entered. I almost smiled in spite of myself. His black feathered head poked out of the neck of the coat. There was a stripe of white under his chin that went up to his eyes. From the width of the jacket, I assumed that he was flighted. "Good morning. I understand that you've got a bit of an emergency." He said to me.

I shook my head. "Not me, her. Her wing is broken."

He nodded and walked over to Kim, gently touching the wing with his webbed hands. "Yep, it's broken, but it doesn't seem like a bad break. I'm more of a people Doc, though. Can you shift back to your more human self..." he glanced as the admittance sheet, "Kim."

She shook her head and looked at me. "She can't shift." I said for her. "She tried to in the parking lot outside, but it hurt too much."

He honked slightly in frustration. "That's going to complicate matters a bit. I'm going to need to bring a specialist in on this, I'm afraid. I've had this happen with a few others who have been injured in their norm shapes." He walked back the door and leaned out. "Lisa? Can you get Doctor Freedman on the phone? Tell him I've got an injured eagle stuck in norm."

He walked back in, "Okay, Dr. Freedman is actually a veterinarian for the Peregrine Fund. We've worked together a few times since the Change. Now, I need to get an x-ray of your wing, Kim." He reached down to let her onto his arm when I stepped in.

"I'll carry her in." I said in a very matter-of-fact voice.

His black eyes looked at me for a moment. Under most circumstances, I think that he would have told me to wait in the front. But most of his patients family and friends probably didn't have a stare that went through steel. He slumped a little and started walking out the door, waving his hand at me.

I grinned and reached down to pick up Kim. Despite the throbbing pain, she seemed a little amused by the exchange. I carried her into the X-ray room and set her on the exam table. At that point, Dr. Morton looked at me. "You have to leave now. Wait outside, please."

I bent over and touched my beak to her head briefly then stepped out of the room. Alone, and now able to think about what had happened, I started cursing at myself. I should have been more attentive. I should have protected her.

It was all my fault.

I heard a familiar voice down the hall. "Did a pair of bald eagle morphs come in here?" I recognized the voice as Jon's. I furrowed my brow (as much as I could). How did he know I was here? I hadn't called them at the hotel yet.

I started making my way down the hall as I heard the receptionist say, "Pair? No... We did have some sort of white falcon morph bring in a bald eagle in norm, though."

I stopped and glanced down at myself. For the first time, I realized that I'd shifted out of my bald eagle morph at some point, probably when I dove after Kim, but I didn't realize it. I'd been so concerned about Kim that I hadn't even realized I was in my Gyr morph form. I rounded the corner and saw Jon, Bryan and Jack all standing in the waiting area. Bryan saw me first.

"Brian? Is that you? What happened?"

I nodded. "It's me. Kim's been hurt. She's in the back getting X-rayed."

"What happened?" echoed Jon.

I sighed and leaned heavily against the wall. "I screwed up. I should've known better. Damn it, I should have known better."

The three of them looked exasperated. "Will you just tell us what happened?" said Bryan again.

"We were attacked by a bunch of native osprey. They broke her wing. She's okay, though. At least, I hope she is."

"Are you sure they were native?" asked Jack.

I nodded, "Yeah. There were four of them. The chances of Kim and I stumbling on each other was pretty small as it is, and there aren't many more osprey than bald eagles out there. Damn, it was my fault..."

Just then, the door opened again. A non-flighted puffin morph walked in. He looked around the room quickly and his eyes fell on Jon and me. He seemed to grin a bit around his sizable beak. He looked back at the receptionist, "Hi Lisa. Dr. Morton needed me?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir. He's back here." She started leading him down the hallway of the tiny clinic.

I started to follow them back, but paused. I glanced back at Jack. "She's stuck in norm, Jack. I think that you'll be able to help. She can't talk to the doctors."

The three of them looked suddenly more worried, and for a moment I couldn't see why. Then I remembered, as if I could forget. I'd been stuck like that only last week, and they'd nearly lost me.

I'd nearly lost myself.

"She's still her." I quickly added. "It just hurt too much to shift back."

Jack nodded. "Shouldn't be a problem. Let's go."

We took a couple steps when I remembered... "Jack, how'd you guys know we were here? Did you track us or something?"

He brayed once, "No-no. Not exactly. I saw you fly right over the hotel a little while ago. I picked up that Kim was hurt, and we just went to the closest medical center that we could find."

The four of us all followed the doctor and receptionist back toward the exam room, but as the puffin entered, she turned and held up a hand. "Sorry, you can't go in there."

"Wait, I was with her when I came in! And my friend here can read minds, so..."

She shock her head. "Office policy. I can't let anyone back here right now. You can just let the doctors work and they'll let you know when they're done."

I glared at her, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Jon doing the same. Apparently, though, she was more interested in maintaining policy than she was nervous about having two predator staring at her.

A few seconds of silence passed when Bryan spoke up. "Why don't you just let us back. We won't be in the way."

Her face suddenly softened and she shrugged. "I guess it's all right. As long as you won't be in the way." With that, she walked back to her desk.

I looked at Bryan. "Thanks. I think I owe you."

Bryan had a funny expression on his ovine face, like he hadn't really intended to invoke his power but wasn't all that upset that he had. "Uh, don't mention it."

I walked into the exam room with Jack behind me. Bryan and Jon waited just outside the door, since there presence would crowd things a little too much. The puffin vet was looking over the X-rays. I walked straight over to Kim. "Are you all right?"

Kim looked at me a little bewildered, then at Jack. Her expression changed to understanding. I heard Jack behind me say, "Yes, I can pick you up just fine... Okay. Brian, she said that she's feeling better. The doctor gave her a painkiller"

I quickly looked at the doctor, who seemed to have only just noticed our presence in the room. "Is that safe? I mean, are they safe for birds?"

"Yes, they're fine. These have been used on birds for years before the Change. But, what are you two doing here? You should be out in the waiting room."

I glared at him. "My friend behind me is a telepath, so you can have a two way conversation with her, and I am not leaving." I was satisfied to see that neither doctor put up a fight at that.

The puffin vet cleared his throat. "Okay, Miss Moss, is it? Uh, well, there is a break in one bone of your wing. It's a clean one and should be healed totally in a fairly short time. I'm just sorry to say that we don't know anyone around here who picked up a healing power that we know of."

"Are there people like that?" I asked.

He nodded. "I've heard of a few, but only a few that have made there power public knowledge. The closest one that I'm aware of is in Denver. There are a couple in southern Alaska as well. I'm certain that there are more, but either they have yet to discover their power or they are unwilling to make it public."

I sighed and started rubbing her chest feathers. "What about her shifting back to morph?" I asked. "She wasn't able to do that before."

Dr. Morton looked concerned. "There is a certain element of risk here." he said. "The reason that she couldn't shift before is because the bones moved painfully as the shift started. Now, we can totally anesthetize her wing and let her shift back that way, but there are risks."

Kim and I looked at each other a second, then I turned back to the doctor. "What are the risks?"

He shrugged. "Hard to define. We're all still so new at this. I've had a couple of patients in similar situations who shifted before they healed. A few times, the injuries have become far worse." He looked straight at Kim. "Frankly, you're looking at the possibility of a far worse fracture of the arm than your wing if you shift now. I seriously recommend that we set the wing right now and let it heal."

I knelt down beside her. "It's up to you. Are you up to spending that much time like this?"

Behind me, Jack spoke again. "First, she says that she wants you to shift back to your normal morph."

I glanced at myself again and realized that I was still in my Gyr form. With a brief though, I shifted back to my bald eagle morph. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw both doctors get wide eyed.

"Good." Said Jack, still relaying Kim's words. "She says that she'd rather do this for a couple weeks or so rather than spend twice that or more with a broken arm. She just wants to know if your up to taking care of her." Jack added with a grin.

I playfully mussed up the feathers on her head. "Of course. Have I told you that I love you today?"

She opened her beak and let out a little squawk.

I looked up at the doctors, who were suddenly staring at me more than I liked. "Well, you heard her. Go to it."

Copyright 1997, Brian Eirik Coe

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