[sylvie]

Luther's out for a run when he hears it: the weirdest high pitched wailing he's ever heard. Loud enough that while he can't see a source, it still catches his attention, but nothing he'd mistake for a car alarm or anything mechanical. A hurt animal, he guesses, and after he's made that guess, continuing his run seems wrong.

He tracks down the sound quickly enough, finding a small, murmuring group of people standing in front of a gated driveway. The people, a couple of other runners, some kids and an old lady, break apart when Luther gets close. He's used to that; what surprises him is the deer caught between the metal bars, pinned and heaving, letting out that wailing sound.

"We called Animal Control already," one of the runners tells him. "It's pretty stuck in there."

The deer's not only stuck, it's matted with blood on one side, its leg jutting strangely. Luther watches its eyes, the whites rolling around the dark, and steps forward. Not exactly a kitten in a tree, but helping defenseless creatures has always been one of the motives keeping him tied to the Academy path. "I've got this," he tells the crowd. "Stand back, just in case."

And with that, Luther kneels down, shucking his hoodie and getting his hands on the metal bars. They shriek too, as he forces them further apart, but they give and then Luther has his arms full of wounded deer.

"Hey, buddy, you're okay, we'll, uh, we'll find a vet."