Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: The Official Movie Novelization

39

Caesar had returned to the village still undecided about whether he should have killed the human or not. Twice he had given the humans a chance. And twice they had betrayed his trust.

He did not blame Malcolm, but Malcolm led the humans. If they did not follow his leadership, then Caesar could not speak to Malcolm as a leader. If the humans did not have a leader, there was no way to avoid a confrontation that was driven by fear. These thoughts stewed in his mind on the short ride back. He could not see a solution other than separating ape from human forever.

They would have to live without their lights.

His thoughts had been broken off when he saw the two midwives standing outside his dwelling, waiting for him with fear plain on their faces. He pushed past them, already knowing Cornelia was the source of their worry. Who else could it be? Blue Eyes and the baby had been with him.

When he saw Cornelia, he knew with terrible certainty that she was going to die. She looked around without seeing, making meaningless noises and rolling her eyes. They were yellow where they should have been white. The midwife with her saw Caesar enter and immediately signed.

She does not hear what we say. She will drink no water. She burns.

Blue Eyes and the baby had followed him in then, and Blue Eyes went to his mother, carrying the baby, who sensed the adults’ concern and squeaked his own. He clung to his brother’s hair and looked around in fear.

Caesar went to Cordelia. He stroked her head as he always did. She did not appear to notice. Resignation overwhelmed him. He realized that he had begun a deathwatch when he entered his dwelling, and he resolved not to leave until the last breath left Cornelia’s body.

The humans could wait.

Or so he thought until a pair of apes entered a short time later, followed by another pair—each grasping the arm of a human. Malcolm and his woman.

Caesar rose from the bedside. This was the last time the humans would intrude.

Malcolm saw the look on Caesar’s face, and he started talking because he knew he would only get one chance.

“If we go back to the city now, men will come back here with more than just a few guns. Men I can’t control.”

“Let them come,” Caesar growled. “Apes will be ready.”

“Ready for what, a war? I know that’s not what you want,” Malcolm said. “You’re too smart for that. There must be another—”

“No!” Caesar roared. “Do not trust you.”

I don’t blame you, Malcolm thought. He was about to say as much when Ellie shrugged off the grip of the chimp holding her arm and walked toward the bedside, dropping her backpack from her shoulders and reaching into it. Their chimp escorts caught her immediately, pinning her arms as Caesar and Blue Eyes both turned to intercept her, as well.

Ellie kept her focus on the ape on the bed. Malcolm was no expert on medical issues of chimpanzees, but he could tell she was in bad shape.

“She’s sick,” Ellie said to Caesar. “I can help her.”

Malcolm saw a chance.

“Caesar,” he said. “Ellie was a nurse.” Caesar looked at Ellie. He hadn’t spoken to her before, and Malcolm saw him taking her measure, the way he had taken Malcolm’s the first time they saw each other across the river.

“Nurse?” he said, trying to prompt the other apes. “Hospital?”

Caesar looked from Ellie back to Cornelia. She hooted something and then coughed, hacking up an ugly-looking phlegm. Caesar signaled to the apes that were holding Ellie’s arms. They released her and she went to the bedside. From her backpack she took a small case and opened it. It held several small glass vials and a pair of hypodermic needles. The sight of the needles provoked a reaction from the older apes. God only knew what they’d been through when they saw needles before, Malcolm thought.

Sensing the reaction, Ellie showed all of the apes a needle and a vial in either hand. “It’s okay,” she said. Caesar came closer to her, close enough to stop her from doing anything to his mate, if that’s what he decided. “Antibiotics,” Ellie said. “Medicine. It will make her better.”

Caesar hesitated. Malcolm took another chance, stepping forward and carefully placing a hand on Caesar’s shoulder.

“Maybe I don’t get to say this right now,” he said, “but I’m going to anyway. Trust.”

Caesar looked at him, then at Cornelia, then at his sons. He nodded.

With the smooth quickness of long practice, Ellie drew several milliliters of fluid from the vial into the syringe. She injected it into the sick ape’s arm as Caesar watched. They all watched her on the bed, struggling for life—except Caesar’s older son, who was watching Malcolm. He looked confused and hostile. Malcolm had a pang of sympathy for Caesar. That kid was probably a handful.

“One day,” Caesar said, still looking Cornelia. Then he turned to Malcolm. “You stay one day.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Malcolm saw the older son’s reaction—incredulous anger. He nodded to Caesar, dipping his head to convey gratitude. But one day wasn’t going to be enough. There was no way five people could get all the necessary work done.

“We might need more time,” he said carefully.

“One day,” Caesar repeated. Then, after a pause, he surprised Malcolm again. “Apes will help.”