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The Safety of Others

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Donald had to admit he may have wrapped the bandage around Scrooge's injured arm a little too roughly than completely necessary, considering he heard his uncle try (in vain) to hide a wince of pain. So despite the fact Donald was still angry he made sure to be much gentler when he continued to take care of Scrooge's arm.

"Donald…" He heard Scrooge sigh tiredly.

"Don't talk to me right now," Donald whispered back harshly, not raising his face to meet Scrooge's eyes.

"Come on Donald, the little tykes are fine," Donald heard Scrooge sigh again, this time in annoyance.

Clenching his beak Donald casted a quick glance over Scrooge's shoulder to the pile of sleeping ducklings on the floor in the back of the airplane before he returned his gaze to Scrooge's injured arm and the bandage.

"Only because you threw yourself in between them and the bandit."

"I kept them safe, didn't I? So why are you still angry at me!?" Scrooge exclaimed in a whispered yell, clearly beginning to lose his patience,
and would have thrown up both of his arms in the air too if Donald hadn't held down the injured arm.

"Do I have to yell it for you to understand, crazy ol' man?" Donald bit out through clenched teeth and finally met Scrooge's grumpy expression with his own glare.
"I want you to keep the Huey, Dewey, Louie and Webby safe from getting hurt - but not by risking your own life! Your job is to find a way to get all of us out of trouble unharmed, though you seem to have forgotten "all of us" also includes you!"

Ignoring Scrooge's momentally widened eyes of surprise Donald then tied a last knot to the bandage before he stomped around Scrooge and pointedly laid down next to his pile of kids with his back towards Scrooge. He only began to calm down when Huey and Webby unconsciously snuggled closer to him in their sleep and Donald got to hold them close again to remind himself they all were, despite everything, still safe. However with Donald's back turned against Scrooge he didn't see his uncle turn around to look at him, nor how Scrooge's surprised expression turned into a sad smile.

"I guess if you care enough to not want me injured," Scrooge eventually whispered to himself after he thought Donald had fallen asleep,
"it might mean you don't hate me after all..."

Donald didn't see Scrooge's small, but genuine, smile directed only towards him. However he heard his uncle's words,
though Donald was too shocked to say anything about them. Too shocked after hearing Scrooge seemed to have thought Donald hated him.

Neither did Donald see Scrooge quietly take a few steps forward and lean down over him.
Instead Donald only felt his uncle's familiar and comfortable hand gently ruffle through his head feathers.

Scrooge didn't see Donald's tears in his eyes when he in vain tried to ignore just how much he had missed that safe hand gently ruffle through his head feathers, just like it used to do when he was a small, sleepy duckling.

Neither of them truly saw how much the other was hurting because of the 10 years apart from each other. However perhaps...

…they were both now finally beginning to heal.

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The End

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