That night, I was so anxious I couldn't fall asleep. The heap of leaves I and Ambrosia used as a bed was hard, and the wax floor was even harder. Ambrosia's chest was soft to lie down on, but the night was too hot and I got sweaty.
I turned around, only to find Ambrosia blinking at me drowsily.
"Nectus, go to sleep," she mumbled and turned to the side. "You keep waking me up."
"Sorry," I whispered, and tried to keep still.
But the sleep didn't come.
I tried to leave and perhaps go for a walk, but Ambrosia's hand stopped me from getting away.
Instead, she pulled me closer.
"Drone, where are you going again?.." she mumbled through sleep. "Reckless… Sleepy… Sleep."
I gave up. Couldn't worry my queen by disappearing on her again! Our hive was going through a tenuous period already.
Eventually, the nervous exhaustion cut me down, and I fell asleep on Ambrosia's soft and full chest.
I still woke up early—tired and anxious.
Ambrosia followed me when I hurried to the hive exit to send off B1054's scouting party. There, I stayed to wait impatiently for their return, while Ambrosia left to do her own duties—raising the next brood of our daughters.
Time passed. I calculated how much the scouts needed to find the missing patrol and get back, and watched 4000 Foremen Bees train inside the hive and under our pillar mountain.
By now, they stopped swinging hammers and were learning how to guard Foragers. Their training was approaching its end, and our food supplies were still going strong.
Around noon, among several Forager Bees carrying their bounty of nectar and pollen, the scouts returned.
The first Warrior Bee, panting, landed inside the hive—then two dozen others, just as tired. Some of them were bleeding from open wounds, or missing their hammers. The last Warrior Bee, and the most wounded, had to be pulled inside by her sisters.
She was covered in blood pouring out of the deep wound over her left upper arm and was still clutching a wooden handle left of her hammer.
The returned Warrior Bees immediately sat on the stone floor to rest. Around them, other bees paused in their tracks for a moment, then went back to their work. Since this didn't threaten the hive, they were entirely unconcerned, just mildly curious.
I, however, was *overwhelmingly* concerned.
I flew toward the scouting party and zeroed on the most wounded bee.
〔Forager Bee〕 〔Ally〕 〔Progeny〕
〔Active title〕: Warrior Bee
〔Species〕: Common Honey Bee
〔Remaining lifespan〕: 110 d
Flight, Barbed Stinger, Wax Production
Enhanced Intelligence X, Increased Lifespan I
She was on the verge of death!
"Father," B1054 greeted me tiredly and offered me her stick. "Ask others… for a report. Take the hammer, yes?"
I took the stick, but paid no attention to it. B1054 looked even worse up close. That hand of hers was holding seemingly on a thread and a bone; stench of blood was everywhere. I covered my mouth.
"B1054! Shit-shit-shit, what happened?!"
One of the two Warrior Bees who had helped B1054 get inside, stood up and looked at me. Her face was smeared with blood, but I saw a Sergeant's cross on her forehead. The system window reminded me that her name-number was B1013.
"A *bad* hunter. Um, what were they… A wasp, yes! With stingers and yellow-black chitin and sharp-sharp teeth and *big*! Like four of my heights tall—that's bigger than any wasp I've seen. It tore a dozen of us into bits with its teeth. But don't fear, the hunter didn't here."
The Warrior Bee B1024, who had also been helping B1054, nodded rapidly.
"Yes. B1054 was so *heroic*! Just… wow. She hit the hunter's wing with a hammer so hard, both broke. Lucky, because other hammers broke, and that did *nothing*! Then two more of these giant wasps appeared, but we flew away, and they didn't ."
B1013 pumped her fists in the air. I realized she lacked her hammer, and that some of the blood smeared over her was hers.
"Yeah, my hammer did nothing, but B1054? She was cool. Or was the right word 'hot'? Father, which is the right word for being very-very heroic and very-very strong?"
"Why do we even need other words for that? Just say it as it is, idiot! B1054 was very-very heroic and very-very strong."
B1054 barely blinked at the *idiotic* argument that was going on right over her head. I pulled at my hair.
"WHY ARE YOU ARGUING ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW?! Your sister is wounded! Half of you are wounded! We have to *do* something! Stop the bleeding, wash the wounds… Shit, someone should call somebody!"
I looked around frantically. B1054 was the most wounded around here—others had at least 6-8 health points left. And besides the wounded, there were plenty of bees around I could ask to bring something to use as first aid supplies.
Meanwhile, the wounded bees themselves stayed infuriatingly blaze about the entire thing!
"Father, why are you shouting? B1013 told you, it's fine," B1054 said.
I dropped my hands and stared her in the eyes.
B1054 shook her head with exasperation that reminded me terribly about her mother.
"I'm just dying—it's not the end of the hive. Really, Father… You act so weird sometimes. As if me and my sisters are irreplaceable or something."
I couldn't believe it. She was sassing me! While dying!
Suddenly, as if she was summoned by my thoughts, there was a buzz of wings behind me, and a whiff of familiar pleasant smell that overpowered the stench of blood. Ambrosia.
"Oh, Nectus, you are here already? I heard the scouts have returned. Is our hive going to be under attack?"
"Amby, dear!" I spun toward her. "No, but we need to help B1054 before she bleeds out!"