looking after Danny,” he said.
She smiled. “I think he was the one looking after me. I was worried.”
“ Really,” said Joe. “Worried about me?”
Grace’s cheeks went red. “Yeah. Bill too of course.”
Joe nodded. “Oh. Well, we’re both okay, luckily.”
“ What happened down there?” Mason enquired.
“ There were some monkeys that got inside.”
“ Crab-eating macaques,” said Mason.
Joe raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“ They’re crab-eating macaques. If they’re the same ones that were at the staff room window, that is. Not usually dangerous, but a large group of them can get into a frenzy.”
Joe nodded. “Okay, well, these… macaques …had nearly gotten the door open when we got there and there were several already in the corridor. They were attacking Victor when we got there. Luckily we managed to get it closed again and secured it with the tables.”
“ What happened to the macaques that had already gotten inside?” Mason asked.
Joe glanced at Bill, who looked away sheepishly. Joe didn’t feel the need to freak everyone out with the gory details. Victor had just done what needed to be done. “Well, erm…Victor sorted them out. Managed to grab them and throw them back through a gap in the door while we held it open a crack.”
Grace was next. “What’s Victor doing now?”
Bill answered. “He’s securing the door some more. Making sure it’s nice and solid.”
Everyone seemed satisfied with their version of events, so Joe changed the subject. “Do we have anything for my arm?” He looked down at Danny, who had put his head into his hands when he’d seen his father’s blood. He whispered, “I don’t want Danny upset. The wounds look worse than they are.”
Mason slid back his chair and stood up. “Of course. I apologise for the delay. I should be able to find a first aid kit in one of the labs.”
“ Labs?”
“ Yes. We are in the zoo’s research wing, after all. There are several laboratories, for testing and examinations, as well as a veterinary surgery that is used to treat the animals here. Unfortunately, none of the vets are in today.”
Grace laughed. “Think we’ll have to play doctors and nurses ourselves then.”
Mason smiled back, but the gesture was strained. “Quite.”
Joe watched Mason walk away and hugged his son around the shoulders with his good, uninjured arm. “I’m gonna be okay, buddy. Just a few scratches.”
Danny didn’t lift his head from his arms, and Joe wondered whether he was sobbing. “How can you look after me,” he mumbled, “if you can’t look after yourself?”
It hurt Joe to hear his son had such little faith in him, but it was probably warranted given the circumstances. Joe continued patting him on the back as he spoke. “Even heroes get hurt, Danny. How about when the Warrior had a curse put on him by Papa Shango? Or when Macho Man got bitten by a snake?”
Danny lifted his head slightly then put it back down. “Or when the Model Rick Martel blinded Jake the Snake with his cologne?”
“ Exactly,” said Joe. “They all got hurt, but it didn’t stop them, did it? I’m still fighting, and I’m still going to protect you.”
Finally, Danny looked up. He gave a smile, but his face didn’t wear it correctly amongst the tears.
“ Don’t cry, Danny,” said Grace. “Your dad is a hero. He’s been saving people all day. Nothing will happen to you with him around.”
Danny giggled. “Do you like my dad?”
Grace blushed.
Joe saved her the agony of answering. “Danny! Don’t ask people questions like that.”
Danny’s laughter turned sour. “Sorry, Dad.”
Joe tousled his hair. “Okay. No problem, buddy.”
At that moment, the door swung open and Victor stepped through. He was no longer covered by blood except for the staining on his clothes. Everyone in the room was quiet, but he didn’t seem to notice their reaction. “All done down there,” he chirped. “Those hairy bastards
She smiled. “I think he was the one looking after me. I was worried.”
“ Really,” said Joe. “Worried about me?”
Grace’s cheeks went red. “Yeah. Bill too of course.”
Joe nodded. “Oh. Well, we’re both okay, luckily.”
“ What happened down there?” Mason enquired.
“ There were some monkeys that got inside.”
“ Crab-eating macaques,” said Mason.
Joe raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“ They’re crab-eating macaques. If they’re the same ones that were at the staff room window, that is. Not usually dangerous, but a large group of them can get into a frenzy.”
Joe nodded. “Okay, well, these… macaques …had nearly gotten the door open when we got there and there were several already in the corridor. They were attacking Victor when we got there. Luckily we managed to get it closed again and secured it with the tables.”
“ What happened to the macaques that had already gotten inside?” Mason asked.
Joe glanced at Bill, who looked away sheepishly. Joe didn’t feel the need to freak everyone out with the gory details. Victor had just done what needed to be done. “Well, erm…Victor sorted them out. Managed to grab them and throw them back through a gap in the door while we held it open a crack.”
Grace was next. “What’s Victor doing now?”
Bill answered. “He’s securing the door some more. Making sure it’s nice and solid.”
Everyone seemed satisfied with their version of events, so Joe changed the subject. “Do we have anything for my arm?” He looked down at Danny, who had put his head into his hands when he’d seen his father’s blood. He whispered, “I don’t want Danny upset. The wounds look worse than they are.”
Mason slid back his chair and stood up. “Of course. I apologise for the delay. I should be able to find a first aid kit in one of the labs.”
“ Labs?”
“ Yes. We are in the zoo’s research wing, after all. There are several laboratories, for testing and examinations, as well as a veterinary surgery that is used to treat the animals here. Unfortunately, none of the vets are in today.”
Grace laughed. “Think we’ll have to play doctors and nurses ourselves then.”
Mason smiled back, but the gesture was strained. “Quite.”
Joe watched Mason walk away and hugged his son around the shoulders with his good, uninjured arm. “I’m gonna be okay, buddy. Just a few scratches.”
Danny didn’t lift his head from his arms, and Joe wondered whether he was sobbing. “How can you look after me,” he mumbled, “if you can’t look after yourself?”
It hurt Joe to hear his son had such little faith in him, but it was probably warranted given the circumstances. Joe continued patting him on the back as he spoke. “Even heroes get hurt, Danny. How about when the Warrior had a curse put on him by Papa Shango? Or when Macho Man got bitten by a snake?”
Danny lifted his head slightly then put it back down. “Or when the Model Rick Martel blinded Jake the Snake with his cologne?”
“ Exactly,” said Joe. “They all got hurt, but it didn’t stop them, did it? I’m still fighting, and I’m still going to protect you.”
Finally, Danny looked up. He gave a smile, but his face didn’t wear it correctly amongst the tears.
“ Don’t cry, Danny,” said Grace. “Your dad is a hero. He’s been saving people all day. Nothing will happen to you with him around.”
Danny giggled. “Do you like my dad?”
Grace blushed.
Joe saved her the agony of answering. “Danny! Don’t ask people questions like that.”
Danny’s laughter turned sour. “Sorry, Dad.”
Joe tousled his hair. “Okay. No problem, buddy.”
At that moment, the door swung open and Victor stepped through. He was no longer covered by blood except for the staining on his clothes. Everyone in the room was quiet, but he didn’t seem to notice their reaction. “All done down there,” he chirped. “Those hairy bastards
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