“Is he going to be alright?” Joe asked. He hovered over his brother in the middle of their driveway.
It was a beautiful, sunny morning. The two of them had decided to take their dog for a walk when their pup had noticed something in the corner of the driveway.
“I don’t know,” Lucas replied shaking his head. He squatted down beside the wounded creature. “The bird looks like he’s just a baby. It was really windy last night, I wonder if he fell out of his nest.”
Joe straightened his back and looked up at the sky. “We don’t really have any trees around here though. I mean, we have some in the back yard, but I can’t imagine a baby bird would have been carried by the wind all the way over here.”
Lucas stood up. He put his hands in his jean pockets still staring at the small, helpless creature. “He’s probably pretty light. Depending on how strong the wind was last night, then yeah. The bird could totally have been carried such a long way.”
Joe reached down and pat his dog on the head. “You’re being a good boy.” He said quietly. He was surprised their dog wasn’t trying to get at the bird at all. Joe was also surprised at how patient he was being. They told him they were going for a walk and here they were, standing in the middle of their driveway, for the past half hour.
“So, what do we do about this?” Joe asked.
Lucas shrugged. “I have no idea. I don’t know if maybe his mother will come looking for him?”
“We should look for the nest!” Joe exclaimed.
“And do what?”
“I don’t know…”
“We can’t put the bird back in the nest. We shouldn’t touch it.”
“I doubt he’s diseased. He’s just a baby.” Joe countered.
“I know some animals don’t go near their babies anymore if they have human scent on them. I’m not sure if birds are the same way.” Lucas explained.
“Oh,” Joe took a couple steps back. “I still think we should find the nest.”
Lucas sighed. “If that would make you feel better? I guess we could?”
“Come on, Frank!” Joe tugged on the dog’s leash and the two of them ran into the back yard. Lucas followed slowly behind still watching the baby bird. He had hoped nothing would get to it.
When Lucas made it to the back yard, Frank was running around loose and Joe was staring up at all the trees holding on the leash.
“I see a ton of nests.” Joe observed. “Which one do you think Eric belongs to?”
“Eric?” Lucas couldn’t help but chuckle.
“He needs a name.”
“He does not need a name.”
“Everyone needs a name.”
“What if it’s a girl?” Lucas asked.
Joe pondered that for a moment. “Erica.”
Lucas laughed. “Alright, then…”
“Wait!” Joe pointed up high. “I can see little beaks coming from that nest. Maybe it’s that one. Where’s the mom?”
“Maybe she’s getting food for them?” Lucas guessed.
Joe turned back around ran toward the front yard again with Frank close behind him. Lucas followed slowly once again. When he caught up, Joe and Frank stood to the side.
“The mom is with the baby.” Joe whispered.
Lucas started at the two birds in surprise.
“Do you think she’ll be able to get him back to the nest?” Joe asked.
Lucas sighed. He had seen a mother squirrel carry her baby back to the nest. He wasn’t sure how a bird would do it. “Uh, yeah. I think so.”
Joe let out a sigh of relief. “Good! Time for a walk?”
“Sure,” Lucas agreed.
Frank, as soon as he was attached to his leash again, led the way.
Words: 631
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