Sleep Apnea

The moment I awoke, I knew something was wrong. I was…cold? Not the slight chill you get when the wind would blow your fir in the night, but the kind of cold you get when you fall asleep without a blanket. The only problem with this theorem was…I don't nor have I ever slept with a blanket. So why…? My eyes shot open as I registered what was missing.

The runt.

Every night, no matter how far away from him I am when we kicked back, I would wake up to find some part of him touching me. Be it his back, head, rump or legs. Something is always touching me.

And it annoys the heck outta' me.

Normally whenever I wake up to find him sleeping by me – which is always – I yell and growl at him, telling him to get lost. The runt would then mutter something about, not knowing what he did in his sleep, and that he was sorry but that it wasn't his fault and I need to stop overreacting. Then we'd move on with life. Never thought that I would notice, let alone miss having him sleep next to me, but I did.

I made a mental note to pick on him more than normal today for disrupting my daily life.

I scanned the dark cave we had decided to camp in earlier that night looking for that stupid runt. I blinked, and looked over our lair once more. There was the Jerk, lying in a half sitting position, his head tilted to catch the last rays of moonlight that fluttered through the cave entrance. I was about to look away when his upper lip pulled back in a snarl and he kicked his hind legs a bit, catching me in my calf. I had to bite my own lip to keep from snarling myself, and giving that loser a good bite. But I did not want the guy wakening up to find me looking for the Runt. It wouldn't sit too well with my reputation of being an uncaring, self-centered jerk.

Fatty was on his back, feet in the air, mouth lulling open, with a stupid grin on his face while he muttered something along the lines of "yeah, I like it like that". There are only two things he could be dreaming about. One, food, and two…I grimaced. I don't even want to think about that. Guy needs to get a life…or a girlfriend.

Out of the whole experience of watching the guys sleep, I worked out three things: one, the Jerk is jerk even when he's sleeping. Two, Fatty's a perverted gluten, and three, the Runt was not there. I bit off the panic that threatened to spring up out of my chest and put on the best aloof look I could conger up which, with all the practice I've had over the years was pretty good. Standing, I exit the cave in as cool, and calm a way as I could muster. I'm not going to take the chance that the others might wake up and ask questions, but if they did I'd just tell them I hate them and want to be alone. Yeah, that'd work.

The cool wind bites into me as hard as the Jerk's teeth. It worries me to think that the Runt is out in this weather. Though, I'll be dead, burnt, and eaten before I tell anyone that.

Tilting my head to the sky I inhale deeply, sifting through the scents the wind sent my way until I found his. Leaning my weight against the strong wind I ran towards him. He smelt like prunes, human, wet dog, and more prunes. But at least it was an easy sent to follow. Before I'd meant him I hadn't believed that a wolf, or anyone for that matter, could smell that repulsive.

His sent was strongest towards a mid West direction. Were a full moon shone like a night sun. I don't have to look far before I found him sitting under a rock crevice; his legs were pulled in close to his body with his thin arms wrapped around them. His scruffy red-brown hair dangled down across his Child-like face. I'm assuming that he chose his night post well judging by how little the wind seemed to affect him. His Left arm was held out a little ways from his body, and he stared solemnly at the silver bracelets that dangled there. He looked like he was about to cry, if he wasn't already or hadn't by that point, or…well whatever.

The Runt's always been a happy sorta pup, and if he's not happy it's normally because of something Fatty and I said, or when he's trying to comfort one of us in that stupid way of his. Whenever I see his more serious side it always throws me. Stupid, moronic, happy-go-lucky, idiotic Runt, making unnecessary work for me.

I grimaced. Looks like I'm going to have to play Dad for a while…again! If I'd known how much of a bother it was going to be to take care of the Runt I would have just left him with the Jerk to begin with.

I got the feeling that it would wound what little wolf pride the Runt had if I just popped up at saw him looking like this. Silently I suck back the way I had come, making sure not to make a sound or let my scent reach him. When I was a good fifty paces from him and out of sight I started back, making the biggest racket possible without losing my pride. By the time I had made my way back to the overhang the Runt was on his feet in perhaps the worst battle stance I have ever seen looking ready to fi — well, maybe ready to run and hide.

"Toboe?" I asked, putting on the charade of ignorance. "The hell are you doing out here?"

Thank you for reading this story. I'll update it as soon as I finish then next chapter. Please flam me as much as you like since this is my second story I'll need all the help I can get ^-^