Take it out on me

It seemed he wasn't feeling any better. Damn. The longer he spent resting like he was supposed to when sick, the more guilt and stress overwhelmed his emotions. Such thoughts couldn't be beneficial for his health, especially at its current frail state. He couldn't push the worries aside - the flusters of abandoning his beloved pack and falling behind with his education. At least two of his fellow pack-mates had visited him recently, but that simply wasn't enough to comfort him. Although he wasn't in the best of shape to participate in the usual trainings, perhaps he could keep up with it all by summoning another guard. With the many days that had passed with his inactivity, it would be a genuine surprise to hear he hadn't missed out on any pack happenings. Maybe word would spread to the leader, creating a motivated impression on the developing boy and hopefully a promotion though it seemed a little far-fetched at this point. If he kept his expectations at a low, he wouldn't be so disappointed later.

He wouldn't travel far from his den - just a few metres where the protecting growth thinned out to a small clearing filtered with joyous sunshine. It was an improvement; only a few days ago he could barely leave the entrance before being utterly exhausted.  Now, energy still remained in his muscles and mind, though it wasn't enough for a full-on spar so he hoped he would be able to work on attacks or defences instead. A small cough rasped from his lips, but no matter how long or hard he coughed, his throat remained sore and scratchy, to his dismay. Taking a whimpered breath, he let out a wavering howl, summoning as much confidence and eloquence as he could though he was abruptly cut off by another set of coughs. As his head hung low in shame, he awaited the arrival of another pack wolf willing to help out, if anyone would show up at all.