The Miami Broncos

Chapter 15: Edwina

Written by Francois Guint-Riel (FGR)

I looked out of the narrow window of the hotel to see if the car across the street was still burning, probably out of boredom rather then actual interest at this point. I’d been in the rented room for the better part of three days, ever since the troubles started in the region. The press, both mainstream and underground, had been announcing the president’s defeat at the polls for months and student protests as well as ensuing hooliganism was no longer a shock to anyone as the self-styled intellectuals of the country rallied to turn the public opinion against him to a point where it wasn’t even necessary to actually go vote anymore to know he was going to lose his office. Signs that he knew as well manifested in a show of force that didn’t bode well for the eventual defeat, establishing strict curfews and hostile police presences wherever the possibility of a large gathering was determined. The result of this was an ever strengthening anti-governmental feeling that eventually led to violence against plenty of people, including government employees and our offices, as I witnessed and almost experienced firsthand, being an employee of the intelligence bureau. Our offices fell victim to arsonists, who then chased down a number of us inside, beating a few when they found them. That was Monday, and now it was Thursday, though I had only now taken refuge here Tuesday after the rioters who now ruled the streets became more agitated. The radio kept tabs of the action on the streets, but seemed more interested in the drama to continue then for peace to be reestablished, not an encouraging omen for things to come. With the government closing up on itself to defend its leader, who of course refused to accept the results of the election, I no longer received a paycheck and there was a limit to how long I could afford this refuge. Foolish me, I’d gone shopping a week ago and done enough of a number on my credit cards that I couldn’t count on them either. As for my actually home, it was in the heart of the unrest, only a few blocks from the Parliament, hence off limits. Actually, didn’t even know what had happened to it. All I knew for certain was that this place was a very, very bad place to be right now, and it would be best to leave the first chance I got.

My first and most rational thought was to the Urchin Clan in Tijuana, that unusual underground family that I had some unconventional dealings with a few years back, but my mind snapped back to the fact that they’d since left for Canada and hadn’t left any trace of their former network behind to be found. It made sense mind you, but right now, I would have rather they had stayed put. Less down-to-earth ideas then crossed my mind, from taking a cab to the coast with whatever cash I had and find a ride out of the country, visa nor no visa, or make a break at the border, anything to have my paws off Mexican soil.

And what my employers had done for me that I would have thanked them for, I growled. Sent me on a mission that could easily have been my last if the Urchins hadn’t been the gentlemen they turned out to be after strapping me behind a desk for three years, then put me right back behind it afterwards? Certainly, the small bonus had been something to look at, but it never compensated for the danger I’d put myself in. Just the memory of that small, almost magical period of my life was inspiring to me, inspiring to dream, at least. What would Don Ulrich have done, I wonder? Nothing too safe, certainly, but it would have worked, like everything he did, somehow. Imagine yourself, Edwina, speeding down a highway to freedom with sunshine in your dark jackal eyes and immutable faith in yourself. How hard would it be to boost a car? I’d never done it, nor even thought about to date. I hadn’t had a reason, of course, but now, survival was a powerful reason to stand behind. I put my coat back on properly rather then have it over my shoulders like a shoal, trying to adjust it to look at least somewhat appealing for a 34-year-old bookworm. I didn’t know the first thing about flirting and to be quite honest, I hadn’t had much company since Ulrich either. Now he had been something, oh yes, he’d been something else. All I had to do was find someone who would start a car for me, and then I was in business! I’d make a run for Guatemala and damn it all, I’d run the frontier! It was closer then the States and probably less hazardous as well. It would mean twenty hours behind the wheel but I was ready to do it at this point. Let’s go, Superwoman, your public awaits.

I had paid for the room that morning when the cleaning woman had passed by to offer something from the breakfast cart, which I had politely declined. Stress didn’t make me hungry, rather the opposite. I only had my purse with me, which wasn’t much of a signal to the staff I was going for good, but a wave of my hand was a much better signal, which they understood perfectly, wishing me well and counseling to stay out of trouble out in the town. The streets were a wreck full of broken windows and trashed anything, to put it simply. I could have easily imagined myself in some modern and probably slightly less derelict version of Mad Marx as I walked. A few places had escaped prejudice to date, but few, and those who had didn’t have enough ‘breakables’ to be worth the trouble at first glance. I feel a bit bad about it, but I have to admit to picked up a few discarded items here and there, though I was nothing compared to the dozens of other more thorough and professional looters that were also out and about, paying no heed to anyone but themselves. It was probably the oddest moment ever, but just as in the sequel to the movie I’d been thinking about, a carload of screaming twenty-something-year-olds came down the street, stopping their vehicle in the middle of the way before getting out with nothing but their bare hands and destructive appetites. The last one out was their driver, who seemed too busy with the idea of taking something apart for the simple primitive pleasure of wrecking mayhem to care much about the car. Out of nowhere, my body just moved on its own and I ran up to him and blurted out an offer for the car.
-Are you pretty much done with the car? I’ll give you a hundred for it.
-That’s the gas I put in it this morning and the rest if free, yelled the youth, grabbing the bills from my free hand. Muerte a Larenzo, muerte a los cerdos maldecidos!
- Muerte a Larenzo, I called back as he ran off to grab a discarded signpost and smacked a nearby potted plant with it. And it only cost me a hundred!
I the roof of the cabriolet vehicle had been ripped and torn off with something sharp, probably to fit the whole bunch of its former owners inside, but I didn’t care much about its looks. I tossed my purse on the passenger’s seat and passed my tail through the hole in the seat, a quite comfortable one, then put the monster in gear before doing a rough three-point turn to head in the right direction. A grin appeared on my face as I narrowed my eyes and pushed down on the pedal, rallying through the streets until I had the last of the suburbs behind me. The youth had been an honest soul, everything considered, for an instinctive glance at the gas gage before going onto the highway showed it was almost completely full, ready to carry me forth to something better. I’d sort of wanted to go on a long vacation anyway, I remembered as the signage passed by like a blur, and going solo in a stolen vehicle at over 140 kph down to the next sovereign state south was incredible. It wouldn’t have been one of my options at the travel agent’s, I’m sure, but it gave me time to put everything in perspective. I had nothing but open, straight road in front of me, and the radio had been removed from its mount, probably being sold to someone for a few bucks back in the city, so my imagination was pretty much the best thing I had to entertain me.

I must have been about two hours from the border, old memories of my childhood and friends I had lost track of decades ago floating in and out of my consciousness, when I saw another vehicle up ahead with a form waving its arms to get my attention. Maybe I was in a hurry, but I wasn’t that cold to my fellow creature either. Like Churchill once said, mercy isn’t something you can put aside if you have half a heart in you and want to retain some trace of goodness. I slowed down enough to pull to a stop in front of the van, as the vehicle turned out to be, as well as its driver, a well-built otter, wearing only a pair of jeans and sandals on his mostly palmed feet. He didn’t seem agitated or anything, but there was that look of interrogation when a stranger in need finds himself offered a helping hand in someone he’s never seen. I took the initiative, maybe with too much punch, but nonetheless, with gusto.
-Hey there, amigo, looks like you chose a strange place to park! There weren’t any other spots available?
-My gas tank decided that for me, replied the otter. I just have fumes in the tank, hardly anything. I take it you’re going out of the country?
-How did you guess?
-Why else would anyone drive out in this direction these days? Plus, I saw a few more people come this way, but none that stopped or slowed down, though.
-So you’re out of gas, I said as I rested my head on my hand. Listen, I still have a few good liters in the tank and all I care about it to leave Mexico.
-Then I may have an offer, smiled the otter. I was heading to a friend’s North of Palenque where I have transfer some things from my ride to a boat and drive it to Brazil. If you want, I have some friends over there that could offer you a place for a while too. It beats running a border with nothing but a purse.
-So we siphon my tank into your van, and we go the rest of the way, I completed. Fine! Do you have a tube?
-And a hand pump, nodded the otter, rushing to get the device to transfer the gasoline, starting the process with energy. My name’s Hermane, by the way.
-Edwina, I replied. The pleasure’s mutual, I suppose.
-Perfect coincidence, laughed Hermane, just perfect.
-By the way, just between us, because I doubt you want that many people to know, I suppose that those are drugs you’re hauling?
-Rather hard to get equipment for its production, stated the otter, waiting for my reaction. I hope that doesn’t make you want to call off our arrangement, but…
-Right now, I’m living an adventure I never thought I’d have to, I shot back to Hermane. Whatever it sees me deal with, I’ll deal with. Almost done?
-I got the last drops, smiled the man, raising the siphon to pour the last of the gas in his tank as the slight odor of the liquid passed by our nostrils. Now, are you ready?
-I hope the seat’s comfortable!

I climbed into the passenger seat, buckling up before Hermane turned the ignition, hearing a soft hum as we got back onto the asphalt. I didn’t feel like suffering the same sort of silence that I had to put up with in the cabriolet and just on cue, the otter started talking about Brazil, trying not to go too much into his business at first, until I dropped Ulrich’s name, which got a look from him before he asked me if I really wanted to go into that.
-You know, the families represent a lot, if not most of the business for us, said Hermane. Ulrich’s father was pretty well known, even to us. But before I babble on about it, are you really interested in what we do? I mean this isn’t a game or a hobby or something we do to be cool or interesting; this is what we do for a job, and we take it to heart.
-Go ahead, I nodded. And don’t worry! I’ve seen plenty of things in my life, on both sides of the law.
-If that’s your official stand, I’m glad to hear it, grinned the otter. We specialize in more expensive designer substances, generic copies of medical opiates and others on demand. Most are inoffensive, if properly consumed. Everyone who works with us have their own personal stocks put aside on request, though personally I don’t have any interest in getting into them myself.
-Very professional of you, I commented. I had a friend who had an addiction to Codeine, and it took everything for her to get out of it, though she always had to live with the memories of her hard years. I wouldn’t want to get into anything that makes life more complicated then it already is.
-Right, exclaimed Hermane, that’s just what I think too! The gentleman who we’re going to meet to get our boat is actually a Roman Catholic priest who we were surprised to have sign up with us a few years ago, Father Donaldino. He helps anyone in our group deal with the moral dilemmas that are sort of inherent to our line of work.
-How did he join up?
-Well, in an hour and a half, you’ll be able to ask him yourself, smiled the otter. A man’s life story belongs to no one but himself and only he’s the only judge of it before God.

It was obvious that Hermane had taken this road before and drove with a lead foot, commenting that he thought it took less gas, which I refuted with the remark he couldn’t be right on that point as he had still ran out of fuel, getting a good laugh from him in reply. It only took a few minutes longer then he’d announced for us to come into view of the coastline, but any trace of paved roads had vanished long before that. The scenery was beautiful though, with a clear view of the sea from where we were, one of the reasons why the drug runners were there, probably. Twenty minutes down the seaside, we parked in front of a quaint cottage home that could have been an eccentric millionaire’s any day of the week, including the very sleek yacht roped to the dock behind it that would certainly have been worth a half-million by itself. The security had a different flavor to it then what I was used to, very discrete and passive. There were at least ten guards here and there along the road and in the front yard, but rather then strand to with the tension and cold attitude of a soldier, they were sitting against trees here and there, holding their weapons with complete nonchalance, as if they didn’t think anyone would even try anything against the location or if they held some godlike status. I would have called them arrogant, but seeing where they worked and the remoteness of the residence, I had to hand it to them that they were probably right. Hermane gave a sigh of relief as we pulled aside the cottage, nodding in signal that we could get out. The air was sharp, full of the bitter salty sting that the sea procured the neighboring land, but it was warmer then I would have thought. I’d never gone this far down the East coast to date, rather spending my vacations on other side of the landmass, but if the weather held, I might have had to reconsider my preference. Someone called to us from the house, which both the otter and I turned to look at. A tall jaguar came out of the abode in a roman collar, shaking Hermane’s hand as the otter greeted him.
-Bless you father, said my driver, God sent me help on the road today.
-You ran out of gasoline again? Oh, this time you didn’t have the container, did you?
-No! Who forgot to put it back?
-I think that may have been me, grinned the cat. Oh well, Saint Christopher sent you an angel. On that subject, does the angel have a name?
-Edwina, I replied as he made a sign of the cross on my forehead. I understand you’ll be coming with us on the boat?
-Ah, so you are too? Well, this is quite the pleasant surprise! Some of our friends will take care of unloading the cargo, if you want to come in for a spell.
-I’ll take care of some of it myself, announced Hermane. I had a few broken beakers last time and I didn’t find it too funny. You two go ahead on without me.
-Then this way please, Edwina, said the jaguar. I’m sure you’ll be glad to rest a bit after the long drive here.

I formed on the cat as he turned on a dime, following in his footsteps as he showed me back to the door from which he had exited. I knew that the place was worth quite a bit, and the inside simply took me aback, with rich dark wood paneling on the walls to mid-height and flat stucco for the rest of the way covered in local artisan masterpieces, from replica conquistador relics to paintings that Dhurer would have been proud of and everything in between, plus the thick sweet smell of pipe and cigar smoke, a few boxes of which were set on the mantle of a mock fireplace, short a chimney to be of actual use for any purpose other then to complement the decoration. The father showed me a fine leather seat to sit in opposite to him as he took one of the boxes and offered me a fine example of Cuban merchandise, which in the spurn of the moment I accepted as soon as  he’d cut it.
-This is more like it, grinned Donaldino as he lit our smokes. These taste wonderful, don’t they?
-Cinnamon, I commented, very light. Hermane mentioned your name was Donaldino, isn’t it?
-Indeed, such is the truth. I’ve been here for over five years, though I only met and joined Hermane four years ago. It’s such a nice place to live, I could get lost in my thoughts here if it wasn’t for our work.
-On that subject, I’m curious, what path leads you here if I may ask?
-Ah, I take I that I might as well confess to someone sometime, laughed the jaguar. Well, it’s a rather strange story that started six years ago. You see, I used to have a parish in Nicaragua, where I took life day by day without too much of a care as to that could come my way. To be honest, I probably push the envelope further then it would be recommendable for an ordained man, but I took, and still take, my vows of chastity rather lightly. I had a reputation of sorts because of that, though my kindness and the quality of my sermons compensated tenfold for any indiscretion I might commit.
-We’re only mortal, I nodded.
-Rather true, rather true… One day, someone started a rumor that I had abused a young girl from the parish, a falsehood that took immense proportions to the point that I couldn’t walk the streets without some offhanded comment or downright insult cast at me. I couldn’t take it anymore, even less when the local bishop started getting wind of the story and knew enough about my hungry heart that he couldn’t bring himself to outright cast it aside and stand by me. Without that much of a choice, I took off to try and find better pastures of walk, a search that brought me here.
-I saw that finger stroke your cigar back there, I grunted. Between us, where those rumors really lies?
-Since we are in confidence here, purred the jaguar, I will admit it. However, it wasn’t against either of our wills, fact aside she was perhaps young in the eyes of the moral majority. I hope you think no less of me for it…
-Yours wouldn’t be a life if it hadn’t its share of scars as anyone else, I shrugged. At least here you’re far from those regrets, separated by distance if not by anything else. Have you come to terms with it yourself?
-There’s always the odd time I’ll think about on it, sighed the cat after a long drag from his cigar. It was different, you know. Everyone who enters the order hopes to get a parish and start their career off until they get a call to rise in the church to a better position. I realize of course that I didn’t get that much time to do any of that, having only been there a handful of years, nowhere close to the period I would have expected to be behind the altar. But what would I have become, bishop, at best? There aren’t enough cardinals to have a reasonable hope to become one, let alone surpass that. This is different, less classical, and more exciting, perhaps.
-For all you left behind, you’ve found something new, I smiled, reaching out to take Donaldino’s paw and tapping some ashes off my cigar. Plus, look at the benefits…

I stayed in the cottage for a few more minutes, time enough to finish our cigars, before Hermane poked his whiskers in and notified us that the boat was ready to go when we were. Putting the butts in a bin aside the mock fireplace, we surrendered our seats and tailed the otter outside, down a winding path to the private dock and up the floating gangplank to board the beautiful yacht. Exactly as in the case of the building, the boat looked even more luxurious inside then out and the seats felt like they were sucking our behinds into them as soon as we got into the cabin. We heard a call from the dock as the ropes were thrown back over to the sailors already on with us, giving us the confirmation we were clear to start the motors and get underway. Hermane turned the ignition and slowly pushed the throttle forwards so we didn’t jerk forwards as the boat’s hull bit into the water and started cutting its profile in the fluid, a slight breeze coming in from the outside the cabin as we picked up speed. Even at full speed, the voyage would take several hours, hence the otter soon gave up the helm to another crewman to offer me something of a briefing about the operation that they ran in Brazil. They had set up shop almost two years ago in a location so remote only they and a few aboriginal people from the surrounding area knew that it even existed, and was concealed under the canopy and heavy camouflage so by air, it would pass completely unseen by any casual observer. They had some better chemists and a few actual doctors, without an official license, of course, to take care of the production of the pharmaceuticals, as well as a few well-trained technicians to look after the more routine procedures.
-Who exactly do you sell these to, I asked as one of the crewmen came with a trio of Mai Tai for us, if you can tell me?
-I don’t see why I wouldn’t, laughed Hermane. Well, our distribution network is pretty straightforward. The families find local doctors and other professionals who want less costly alternatives to the orders they usually place with big companies, and we supply them. Actually, the real irony is the fact that our products often end up going to less fortunate people who don’t have the money to buy over the counter medication they need and for who our friends act as middlemen to bring them our drugs instead. Believe it or not, we actually procure chemotherapy and HIV medication too. Not everyone can afford to pay for the big guy’s pills, but I feel that they deserve to live nonetheless, don’t you?
-Absolutely, I spat out instantly, without question! Ethically, this probably doesn’t even qualify as a crime, as far as I’m concerned.
-My thoughts too, smiled the otter, reaching over to rub my shoulder with his off hand, though I could feel it as strong as any good man I’d ever had grip me. That’s very nice, Hermane…
-Oh, that? Well, turn your back and put that drink down for a second. Pardon the claws, but unlike our beloved man of the cloth there, these don’t disappear with the flexing of a muscle.
-Out they go, in they go, chuckled the jaguar as he deployed and stowed his claws a few times.
We kept talking as the otter rubbed my back through my thin blouse, which tore a few whines from me once in a while as my eyes rolled back. Donaldino took over the storytelling about the operation, though I have to admit my mind wasn’t all there and most of the conversation went in one ear and right out the other without so much as slowing down to look at the grey matter en route. Quite honestly, the only thing I was thinking about was what Hermane would look like without his pants. If his fur stayed the same color as it went down, that would mean… oh, very nice, and worthy of eventual investigation…
-Edwina, I hear the otter say through my daydreams, Edwina?
-Hmm, sorry. What it is?
-Do you by any chance notice something out of place?
-No, I don’t think so, I moaned as I half-opened an eye to see Donaldino biting his lip not to laugh. What?
-Well, your hand on my crotch might be a bit forwards, though I suppose I’d have to say thank you for the honesty, giggled Hermane.
-Did I..? Oh, sorry Hermane, really! I didn’t notice…
-I love life, sighed the otter as I retracted my arm to my own lap, lowering his voice. Maybe later we could talk about this gesture again? You understand that space is limited at our installation…
-Hermane, I half-yelped, you have a lot of… fine, we’ll talk about it. We’ll see.
The otter’s erection was almost audible at this point after my languorous comment, though the only real sound was the priest purring as he tried to massage his throat to stop the reaction in vain. I had to correct myself when I’d stated that I hadn’t any talent in flirting. Apparently, I was quite good! Now for the hook, I thought… How does one catch an otter out of his shorts?

We had more then enough time to catch some sleep in the cabin by the time that we made it to the compound hidden inside a small delta under the cover of darkness, as night had since our departure, covering the land in its ink black cloak. There were subdued lights here and there in the tarp and debris-covered buildings, simple steel-clad kits that anyone could buy for a farm or anything of the sort, nothing apparently very complicated or fancy, though a certain number of electric torches were planted on the perimeter to light the way for the score of guards keeping watch over the installation, armed with reasonably impressive hardware. Hermane looked in the same direction as me from behind me to see what I was looking at, and commented about them with his usual wit.
-Well, you and I understand what we do and why we do it, but there are of course those that don’t think the same way as us.
-You mean the local authorities?
-No, drug farmers that cultivate less wholesome crops under the canopy. This is a very good stop, and we’re well set up, so we’ve had a few small encounters with them over the last months. They’ve been short lived though and their presence has started to simply return to the obscurity, where we like it to be.
-So you mean that the police never even try to find you?
-This isn’t very good territory to venture into without some serious conviction, exclaimed the otter with a wave of his arm over the area. We’re certainly not the most hostile presence in the region, but there are others around here that I wouldn’t want to run into at all!
-Who do you mean, I asked as we started off for one of the buildings with Donaldino in tow, the drug farmers?
-No, corrected Hermane as we entered what seemed to be a mess hall where he called for us to have something to eat to one of the cooks. You must have heard about the uprisings that plagued the country a few years ago?
-Yes, of course! The newspapers made it their bread and butter for a while.
-Well, the militias weren’t quite wiped out and took to the backcountry to reform and bolster their numbers again before they tried another offensive. Some of our spotters reported seeing small patrols of their people some kilometers away from here, still too close for my tastes. I don’t dream of confronting them, because we don’t have anything near the force required to uproot them, nor do I want to offer any sort of help to them. They’re nothing but terrorists after all, and I want nothing to do with that.
-So you stay on the sidelines and keep an eye on them, I continued. Very cautious of you, err… Hermane, you need a nickname. Whiskers, Hermy..?
- Barba Blanca, offered Donaldino.
-I like that, said otter as he stroked his chin and neck with a lazy hand. Sort of sounds like a pirate, doesn’t it?
-Hail Captain Barba Blanca, I said with a mock salute, getting one back and a nice laugh from Hermane. Captain, I think one of your salty seadogs wants to talk to you there.
-Oh, right. Francensi, come on over here! What’s the trouble?
-Sir, one of the spotters just came back with a report that a contingent of governmental forces is moving through the area on foot, heading west. If they stay on course, they’ll pass by dangerously close to us.
-How many of them?
-At least sixty, but they apparently have wounded. I think they might have run into the rebels to the east.
-Sixty, that’s a good number of them, grunted Hermane.
-Sir, they had a lot of wounded, perhaps a third if not half. Also, they weren’t very heavily equipped. We don’t know what to make of it at the moment, to be blunt.
-Hermane, started Donaldino, no creature with a decent soul would leave these poor people wandering the jungle without aid when it can be helped, be they potentially dangerous or not, when their lives are in the balance.
-I know, pondered the otter, rubbing his face. How to approach them to parlay is probably the real question. They’ll be on edge with all they’ve been through, so to simply walk up to them is too risky, but then the options are limited. Did they have radios?
-No sir, they didn’t seem to.
-There’s an easier way to lure them, I voiced. How about we simply play some music in the compound? There isn’t a sound beyond the drone of the forest, so it would certainly be noticeable. If no one is visibly armed, there’s no reason why they’d come in on the offensive. With diplomacy, we could offer them the help we’re talking about.
-Such a good soul, smiled the jaguar as he held his paw in anathema to me. My vote goes to that, sincerely.
-That shows mutual trust, nodded Hermane. We’re taking a huge risk, but there’s no price to a life, let alone sixty. Francensi, play some music on the emergency warning system, anything that we can get out here.
-Yes sir, right away.
-How long will they be?
-Over half an hour, sir.
-Good, time enough for us to have something to eat. Ah, vegetarian lasagna!

The meal went on silently, as our thoughts were rather turned to the upcoming encounter with the music from the encampment’s radio playing on the horns scattered throughout its heart. Outside, we could see a good part of the medically inclined staff getting things organized as to be able to offer a good welcome to the unfortunate souls who had been injured God knows whereby in the military’s ranks. We had plenty of time to finish and wait outside in plain sight of the supposed line of advance of the incoming group with coffee mugs, sipping at the comfortingly warm drink as ours eyes locked onto the dense brush. Once in a while, some of the forward observers from our camp would appear out of it to give some update to Hermane, who seemed to take it in stride and stay level-headed. The updates kept giving shorter and shorter distances separating us from our guests, until the forwards didn’t even leave the compound, instead resting nearby with as much fascination as us. A few minutes later, two figures in uniform emerged from the green, weapons resting at their sides without much fervor. Hermane decided to make the first move to break the deadlock between our parties, waving at them and calling that we were friendlies, which really we were, through our intentions at least. The figures stopped to wait for another ten of their colleagues to come out behind them, a few of them ranking officers, from what I could make out of their uniforms. They seemed to be protecting something behind them, which I suppose would be their wounded, a very sensible gesture at any rate. I motioned for Hermane to wait while I went to talk to them with Donaldino, getting a nod from the otter as we started forwards, slowing down to give time to one of the senior officers on the other side to give his rifle to the man aside him and do the same. As we neared with maybe ten feet between us, the leader addressed us in a neutral tone, though the exhaustion behind it was hard to miss.
-I’m Lieutenant General Carlos Tomas, said the coati, holding his hand out to us before I took it in a hearty gesture while Donaldino greeted him in his professional manner. Who exactly are you, and what is this place?
-Why we’re here might be something to discuss later, I voiced. For the moment, I’m Edwina Starlight, this is Father Donaldino, our friend there is Hermane, and we have facilities to treat your wounded and for you to rest and restore yourselves. We have very good staff with us here, so be assured that the care will be of the highest quality.
-In that case, I accept with my deepest thanks, said Carlos. Some of my men are in terrible shape, but we had nothing to assist them with out there.
-Let’s not waste a moment then, called Donaldino. If you could follow us, we will show you to the medical facilities.
The General turned and called orders to his men to gather the hit and form in single file behind us as we jogged to the structure that Hermane had asked be set up as an infirmary, inside of which almost the entire complement of the camp was waiting to get to work. One by one, the more critical cases where installed on whatever tables were available, and the doctors, six in all, at least six who could qualify as such, got their hands red without missing a beat. Carlos took a seat aside the entrance of the building, soon joined by those who had escaped harm or those who could make due with the first aid kits that some of the attendants handed out. The coati’s stare didn’t seem to focus on anything, but the tension in his face seemed to drop with each call from the tables as one of the cases was ready to be transferred to the bunks further from the entrance that were used as post-op for the time being. Hermane introduced himself in person to Carlos after he had made his own rounds in the vast room, trying his best to offer some compassionate comment to the leader.
-I’d offer you some refreshments, but I take it you’d rather be here with your men, said the otter.
-For now, yes, if it’s all the same to you, replied the coati. God, we never saw it coming…
-You ran into the rebels out there?
-Rather the opposite, corrected Carlos, they ran into us and they were ready for a fight. They came en masse, three times our numbers and simply overwhelmed our camp. We didn’t have a choice. We weren’t fully set up yet, not to resist something like that, so we had to make a break for it. We just picked up whatever we could to put up a running fight as we left the camp, aside from destroying everything we could get our hands on that we couldn’t bring with us so they’d get as little as possible back for their effort. Since, they kept pushing us hard and we’ve been unable to really get a foothold anywhere long enough to turn from the defensive. We just kept taking hits, even if we did return the favor quite a few times. I didn’t expect them to be this strong yet, never!
-They’ve been recruiting in the local villages, explained Hermane, as well people from the cities that make the long walk back with their sponsors. I don’t have much more then that, because we’ve kept well away from them.
-Right, that’s very understandable, sighed Carlos. Getting down to brass tacks, what’s your role here? I know you have a lot of medical staff and supplies, but we’re usually informed when there are NGOs somewhere.
-We’re non-governmental, that for certain. I’ll be honest with you because I don’t fell like putting up a front. We produce contraband pharmaceuticals we sell on the underground market a cut costs to those who can’t afford the commercial prices. It’s the same thing as what they’d get at the local drug store, just cheaper in price and tax-free, said the otter, grinning through his whiskers with the last comment. A shipment was scheduled to leave soon, so you needn’t worry about us running out of goods to offer your soldiers during their stay to help them recover from your hardships.
-We’re more then grateful for your help, smiled Carlos, gripping Hermane’s shoulder with a smile. Would you be so well installed here that you have radio equipment?
-Yes, replied Hermane. However, before that, do I have your word that we will remain known as an unlisted NGO?
-I’d deserve a place in hell if I even considered the alternative, stated the coati. I’m quite eager to let my superiors know that we made it out of the camp alive. Our last communication was frantic at best and was cut short when a grenade hit our radio tower, so I’m convinced they think we’ve all given up the ghost.
Carlos slowly got up and joined Hermane as they made for the door, though the otter offered me to come along while Donaldino stayed to offer comfort to the soldiers, as the attendants had notified him that some of the wounded wished to confess themselves to alleviate their heavy spirits and seek divine assistance in their trying moments. The semi-cylindrical building that served as a depot for the docks hid an antenna behind its bulky form, only fully visible as we walked around it to reach the doors to the offices facing the delta. The radio operator inside was happy to give his place to Carlos and give him a quick instruction on the setup’s workings before taking off for some rest and a little pick-me-upper in his quarters. The coati looked a bit nervous and apprehensive as he tuned the knobs to open frequencies he seemed to be familiar with, but his face lit up as a voice came over the speakers.
-Red knight, said the voice, please identify.
-Red knight, this is Lieutenant General Carlos Tomas, code Black Sword 756.
-Roger that, Black Sword. Welcome back! What is your present status?
-Present status is routed. Rebels overtook our camp but were offered minimal salvage. Present location is operation grid Chi by minus 5, requesting extraction or support to insure perimeter safety.
-Roger that, Black Sword. Six birds are on their way via the water with support onboard. Be advised that mission status is now upgraded to red. Gray Shield reported sightings of rebel scouts in vicinity and are preparing to repel an attack within the hour.
-What’s the ETA on the birds?
-Twenty minutes if their path is clear.
-Roger, we’ll set up in their backfield to assist Gray Shield.
-Roger, Black Sword. It’s good to hear from you, over and out.
-By birds, I suppose you called helicopters, commented Hermane.
-Probably three combat, three transports, nodded Carlos. We need to break the militia offensive as soon as they start moving against our positions to the South. Our first objective was to delay them long enough for those positions to be set up properly before assaulting the rebels and them to push them straight into their area.
-If you could use a few more people I’m sure that I can find some volunteers here, said Hermane.
-I wouldn’t have to rely on it, but the harder we hit these bastards, the better. After all, I have at least then guys who are combat non-effective, so they can borrow their gear and put it to good use. In the meantime, I could use a few winks…
The otter pointed the coati in the direction of the living quarters, an offer the soldier didn’t even consider refusing as he made for it, leaving us to reflect on the storm that had come to rest over our otherwise quiet situation.

Just minutes before the announced ETA, a few dots appeared over the water far from the delta. I counseled Hermane against waiting at the last minute to tell Tomas, prompting him to send guard to advise the good coati our allies were almost parked on our lawn. His response was quick, the able-bodied members of his group scrambling to distribute the borrowed equipment to the guards who were willing to participate as well as us, myself getting a thick flak vest that was just right for my height though it must have been a man’s as I could feel my breasts pressing against me even if I wasn’t all that voluptuous, seriously understating the fact that I was flat enough that I could get away with a camisole when I wasn’t on the period, and even so. Carlos also sent word that he’d really appreciate for Hermane and his head of security to be with him during the operation to share their knowledge of the area while I was safe and sound in the air onboard one of the helicos rather then stomping through the bad bush. I was ready to protest as I turned to the otter, but he took me completely by surprise by wrapping an arm around me shoulders and pulling me into a long kiss, not that I resisted at all when our lips met and his long mustaches tickled my face. As soon as we parted, I just opened my mouth before he put his finger on my lower lip to stop me from speaking and said ‘think about that when you’re up there’ with a wink before heading to join Carlos, who had made his appearance on the grounds.

Groups formed around the landing zones for the choppers and I decided to stand with one of the smaller ones, only two members strong at the time, thinking that I’d have plenty of legroom if there were only going to be three passengers onboard. I was in for a surprise that challenged that idea the moment our newest friends landed, for while the transport vehicles did land first, they did so across the grounds near Hermane’s band and their neighbors, not ours. Instead, those near us as well as ours had the attack helicos land in front of them that looked to be in an even greater hurry to get back in the air. The two I stood with ran for the passenger bay as soon as the copilot gave a thumbs-up through the window, so not wanting to be a burden for nothing and impede on their work, I did the same. Not only was there less room in the seats then I’d hoped, two of them were positioned such that they allowed the soul sitting in them to man absolutely huge mounted guns who’s three-foot-long multiple barrels sat retracted inside the doors for the moment, though I was sure that they wouldn’t stay that way long. The third was a jump seat for the other crewman to look after the electronic countermeasures console installed in the floor of the craft, but it was also the first to me taken. In short, I found myself sitting in the port gunner’s seat and as soon as we were strapped, we lifted off and a call came over the headphones I’d donned for us to deploy defensive systems, which I rightly interpreted as meaning to unfold the six-barreled monstrosity I was to use and lock it in position to fire. I didn’t get a word of advice from my fellow passengers, as if we were all supposed to be specialists at what we did and to say anything of the sort would be insulting, though in my case that was a gross exaggeration. Still, the view of the forest below was breathtaking and the deafened sound of the rotors was soothing to listen to. My eyes trained on the green as a smiled climbed on my face, thinking about how nice it would be to just reach out and touch the treetops as if they were just within arm’s reach to feel their humid leaves. That euphoria was to be short lived though, as I soon saw movement in the more rarified canopy under us, which I kept my sight on until I decided to tell the man at the electronics console about it. He glanced over my shoulder as I pointed to the shapes and instantly, he pressed half a dozen buttons on his console and the radio on the headphones blared and echoed with calls about positive contact and orders for ground troops to land and deploy. I felt the other gunner reach over and give a knuckle rap on my headphones, which I returned to him before he jumped on his gun and started opening fire. His eyes were keen and his grip infallible for I saw a few shapes drop under the hail of bullets he rained on them. I swallowed hard as my heartbeat picked up and my mouth became a bit dry, realizing that it was time for me to put my own equipment to good use. I looked down the irons and carefully aimed the device at the forms, then finally pulled back the trigger, which felt more like a remote control’s button then something mechanical. I totally expected for the weapon to start shaking convulsively and for me to loose control of it entirely, but my utmost respect went to its designers as the barrels spun like an overrated carrousel and a steady flame lit at the end of the topmost one to signal lead was pouring from the barrels upon the land beneath while I only felt a slight vibration as the linked munitions hurried up the guide rails to be fired. With that relief, I concentrated on moving my red-tinted munitions with the targets, though they seemed to get harder and harder to find as both my fellow gunner and those in the other choppers had joined the fray whole-heartedly in addition to our friends on the ground who I could make out easily enough to avoid entirely. The adventure didn’t stop there though, oh no!

As I closed my eyes and licked my lips to try to rehydrate, listening to calls for a cease-fire and to ease the pressure on the enemy, they were soon replaced by orders to follow the retreating rebels back to their encampment and prepare to assault it. My throat tightened at the orders but I didn’t have time to say anything about it as we lurched forwards and accelerated to lead the charge and ‘soften up the camp’ as I heard mentioned. Another headphone knocking later we were looking at a group of buildings in a cleared patch of land at a low angle, just enough for us to aim at it without presenting a decent profile to be shot at, something I guess I could appreciate. I wondered why we weren’t moving any closer to be able to do what we’d come to, but the answer came in another warning on the radio about ‘the sky is falling’. I raised a questioning eyebrow at the other gunner, who replied by pointing to an object that seemed to be coming straight from the sky down towards the rebel camp. Seconds later as it came in hard and fast, the camp simply turned into a fiery dust cloud and debris showered all around from the explosion. A missile! I’d remembered seeing a few explosions like that during Desert Storm on CNN, but I’d never have thought I’d see one in person. Further orders came in to ‘clean off the rubble’, a signal for us to scour the zone for any remaining hostiles, starting an hour-long search that once in a while found itself interrupted by some brief gunfire.

It was getting dark by the time we landed back at Hermane’s compound, but the exhilaration of the combat still hadn’t worn off me and I found the fur on my hands and arms smelled like gunpowder. I must have been simply filthy with it, but there was some magic to it that I liked somehow. Still, I was glad to fold the gun back into it’s stowed position and compare the weight of my casing recovery bag with the other gunner, finding mine a lot heavier then his, which he laughed about for a bit before calling ‘you a nice chick, but you gun like a damn mean bitch’ and giving my headphones another rap before we hit the ground. I hopped out of the bay and jogged away from the craft with my eyes narrowed as I tried to spot Hermane, who I saw just getting out of his own ride with Carlos. I snuck up behind him as he moved to safe distance from the rotors and grabbed him against me, getting a squeal from the otter before he turned to grab me too, laughing loudly.
-I saw you up there, said the otter. My God, you’re dangerous, Edwina! We hardly got a chance to engage this dozen-men squad when they just fell dead. I look up, and whom do I see?
-A damn mean bitch of a she-jackal with a grin on her face and a big gun in her hands, I replied with a yelp.
-Oh, muttered Hermane as he gave me a kiss in the neck, I’d never use language like that about you, but it certainly could describe it.
-And did seeing that she-jackal up there get anything going for you, I asked as I discretely felt the otter’s crotch, finding him stiff and hard. Oh, it did...
-Carlos, we’ll just get out of your hair for a while, called Hermane. You’ll be good?
-Just perfect! Can I use the radio again?
-What’s mine is yours and vice versa, he replied. Let’s sneak off, Edwina...
My eyes glittered as I followed the otter back to the barracks after we’d returned our borrowed goods to a few nearby soldiers. I knew what he was thinking, and he knew what I was thinking. The eagerness in him was more overt, his hand fumbling a bit with his keys before opening the door to the building for us to get in, then again as we reached the door of one of the larger suites, obviously his. The moment it was unlocked and he’d pushed the door open, I took him by the shirt and spun inside with him, thumping him against the door to close it shut while I gave him a long kiss, though his response was simply to pick me up against him and carry me to the bedroom and toss me on the bed before jumping aside me on the mattress and wrapping me in his arms. He was even stronger then I would have hazarded to guess, but I could feel he was careful with me, delicately undoing my blouse’s buttons with a playful grin on his face. I reached down and untucked the muscle shirt he’d been wearing since we’d gotten presentable for the arrival of the soldiers from his pants, pulling it off him and while I was at it, took off his belt. The otter chuckled as he cooperated with our progressing plan and pulled off his pants and boxers, arching away from me far enough so I could do the same. Maybe I was odd, and I still am, but when it came to sex, I wasn’t big on foreplay. Actually, at that point, I had pretty much imagined a variety of scenarios that would have been played out depending on Hermane’s tastes and I was first of all too impatient to wait, and second, my clit was already soaked. My partner gave a rising hum as he ran his hand between my legs, looking at me as I to find some cue to go on from there. I formed an evil smirk and put my legs aside to give him an open field and without further ado, I had two hundred and something pounds of sweaty, muscular otter heaving and moaning over me as eight inches of thick, scalding otter cock rammed in and out of my vagina as fast as a good speed metal tune’s downbeat.
-Edwina, you sweet black back, called Hermane as I felt him go deep. God, you’re so good…
-Harder, Hermane, I replied, holding my breasts. Suckle on these a bit…
-Yeah, yeah, moaned the otter, changing position to be able to cooperate with my request, though his movements became faster as well. Oh, this is too good…
-Isn’t it, I groaned, pulling him against me. Come on, I know you can go harder…
-Sure I can, half-giggled Hermane as he really opened up. I think I’m going to…
-Too late, I laughed out as I felt him come in me. Yes, now that’s the trick… Oh, you’re a good boy, yes you are! Yes you are!
-Glad to see you like it too, burst the otter as he pulled out to lie down with me. Sorry if I got you with my claws at some point.
-Same, I replied, showing my own filed claws to him. But that really is a huge cock…
-And that’s really a hot clit, returned Hermane as he glanced at me and ran his hand on my crotch. Perfect match…
-Aren’t we, I said absently, though the meaning of my words slowly started to sink in as we drifted into sleep under the covers.

I was almost cross at the sun for interrupting our rest, but the sensation of Hermane’s soft fur against my face while I rested against him was too nice for me to be bothered. The otter sat up half way and pulled me up with him for me to rest propped up on his stomach, just perfectly comfortable and in perfect position for me to look up at him and catch kisses while he passed his hand over my breasts, holding them loosely as we let the soft pillow talk roll from out tongues and I felt his hot breath blow on me. After all, there was nothing to bring us out of bed for a while, nor rebel fighters, nor soldiers in peril, not even a shipment of meds to send out. Only after another hour of the same quiet talk and a quick jackal ride did we get a shower and hop back into decent attire before walking into the sunlight shining on the compound grounds. Another helicopter had landed during the night, flagged in by a few burned-out flares planted into the dirt, but to some general relief, it bore nothing but medical markings. While we were looking at its crew directing staff carrying the wounded from our infirmary on stretchers, Carlos walked up and greeted us with refreshing enthusiasm, accompanied by a stunning red panda holding his hand.
-Good morning, said the coati. As you can see, I called in an airlift to evacuate the men you so generously looked after. By no coincidence, I’m certain, onboard was my beautiful wife, Red. Red, this is Hermane and Edwina.
-An honor, chirped the woman. You have a place in heaven, both of you, along with your staff here. Carlos told me about what you do here and it serves a noble, greater cause then most could understand, though be assured I do.
-Many here in Brazil could use your kindness, seconded Carlos. I don’t know how you operate for distribution, but there is a network in the city we call home for black market goods led by good souls that control most of the underground trading, at least its more recommendable assets. They’re the result of a few conversations we had with a mafia Don who we met years ago, and who helped set them up as a bona fide Family with good links overseas.
-I suppose that it’s you call in the end, started Red, but it might be good for all involved if you would meet them. It could procure you with some more clientele without that much effort, plus they’d be right next door, so there’s for transportation.
-I suppose so, hummed the otter. Look, things are usually quiet here and with the rebels up in smoke, it’ll be even quieter. I think that I can make time to go along with you if you plan on returning sometime soon.
-We’ve got marching orders to get our tails back home as soon as we can, replied the coati. This was a search and destroy mission, after all, and we’ve done just that. I had eleven o’clock in mind for our departure, if that’s not too soon for you.
-I’ll tell my lieutenant here, nodded Hermane. Edwina, do you…
-Read my mind, I smiled.
-You’re coming too, grinned the otter. All right, so we’ll pack up as soon as I tell the right people.
-We still have some people to coordinate, added Carlos, so we’ll get out of your hair. See you later!
-Getting clients through the armed forces, smiled Hermane as we walked towards the offices, I’d never have dreamed of. Still, local contacts are good, aren’t they?
-What, I yelped, you’re asking me? I suppose so, if it leads to mutual good. Plus, like Red said, it’s no problem for transportation. You could just have it driven there, with some half-decent protection and extra gas.
-I’ll never get to forget that, said the otter, but seeing as how it lead to meeting you, I’ll always remember it.
-Aww…

Around quarter to eleven, we waited for the signal from the aircrew of the last transport chopper to get onboard. I hadn’t really brought anything along, considering that all I had brought from Mexico was my purse and the clothes on my back, which I’d aired out to try and somewhat sanitize during the night, but Hermane had a pretty good knapsack with him that’s he’d packed with all sorts of things, including samples of his wares and a few tees he said I could steal if I needed anything to change into before we went shopping for me. We hopped on and strapped in on cue for the craft to lift off the ground and rise in altitude to get in formation with the others already in the air, lurching at an angle to pick up speed quickly, sort of killing my hopes of admiring the scenery which passed by too fast to really appreciate as much as on my little tour of duty, though on the other hand, the choppers hadn’t been refueled in some time and I could understand their pilot’s hurry in getting them home safe and sound. I eventually fell asleep along with my otter boy as we steadied out and cruised at altitude, waking up to see roads and buildings slowly replacing the wilds. As it was, we came around just in time to feel the helicopter start going down towards a wide tarmac enclosed in a base near the heart of the city. The main building didn’t look like a pound of concrete poured in a bucket as I would have expected it to, but rather like a historical building that had been brought into the present century with a few extensions here and there, rather nice in its own way. We had a welcoming committee waiting for us, mostly for the evacuation helicopter, which was emptied within a few minutes of its landing, leaving the rest of the non-essential passengers of the other vehicles the chance to get off and walk inside to get a load off out paws in a large lounge the officers seemed to know and love as a place to kick back after a mission, as grubby and tired as we looked and felt. Carlos and Red sat with Hermane and me at a four-seat table, just talking about our lives in all three tenses, though my otter boy couldn’t have expected for me to pull the federal agent card from my deck.
-So you were really with the authorities, he asked, putting an arm over my shoulders, were you? Or are you just trying to get me going here?
-I sure was, I insisted as I took out my ID card from the purse and put it on the table.
-Wow, bad fur day, grinned Red as she put her own in from of me, but I can’t say I look that hot either.
-Never as much as you do in person, I giggled as we traded our identifications. Anika Burnham? British parents?
-In the family, nodded the red panda. What are you though? Starlight doesn’t really have a ring to it.
-Egyptian descent, I replied, but I don’t speak a word of the language. My first tongue was Spanish.
-Huh, interesting, smiled Carlos. I’m pure Latino, that’s no secret. What about you, Hermane?
-My name is a joke, grinned the otter. I came to Brazil from Spain a few years back to seek fame and fortune with a few others guys, most of who returned their homeland after having gotten too impatient. In Spanish, as I suspect you know, Hermane means ‘twin’, so with my species, you get ‘Twin Otter’.
-The airplane, snapped Red, I get it! Well, it fits you well, gliding about the world like you do.

We didn’t hang around much longer after that, instead taking to the barracks to get back in presentable shape so we could go out and see our potential clients, who Carlos mentioned were only a few blocks from there under the cover of a pawn shop, the basement of which was apparently a treasure trove to anyone who got far enough to see it. The only words that really hit past the blur that I felt had taken over my consciousness was Hermane offering a water fight in the bath tub we had in the suite the coati had assigned us for our stay, however long it might be, good host he was, in one of the newest extensions to the monastery, as he informed us the HQ had been in yesteryear. The moment we were out of the public eye, walking down the corridor to our place, I took hold of a good handful of the otter’s ass claws first, getting a high-pitched squeak from him in reply before he took me over his shoulder head first and ran for our suite, still getting a few goods swats from my tail before he made it inside where he tossed me on the bed like back at the compound. This time I was ready though, and as he jumped to land on me, I did an odd summersault to actually flip over my axis and land on him, looking at his air of surprise with his face sunk into the pillows as he gave a low grunt, trying to grasp what had just happened, how I’d transgressed the laws of physics and traveled through solid matter. I didn’t give him much time to do so, instead pulling down his pants around his knees as I sat on his back and sucked on his balls, taking his attention away from his deeper thoughts to the task at hand. Ah yes indeed… now did I mention how huge his cock was..?

(Switch to Red)

-So you’re sure about getting them to meet the Túnel Preto?
-They trusted us even more by letting us walk into their place in full gear, replied Carlos. Plus, the sort of debt of honor we have between us is stronger then any suspicions I might have. It trumps my doubts, really.
-I get what you mean, I nodded as I helped the coati put back his, hung up in the closet aside the showers while weed taken ours. Well, I’m certainly glad that’s over with.
-Over and done, called Carlos, motioning swatting something with a wave of his hand. This time, there’s simply no way that they can recover and form another front. Those were the best they had we took out, period. Boy, funny how time in the field can make you appreciate your desk job, eh?
-You’re just so housebroken now that it’s scary, I laughed as I put my head on his shoulder and nibbled his ear. Well, on that, did you intend on putting in that request for removal from active service? I mean, after all, you’re sort of getting past that point in a career when you’re spry and ready to go out anytime anywhere, not meaning to stomp on your ego or anything.
-I suppose I could, shrugged the coati. I think I may have a few more years though, maybe.
-If you need another reason, I added, lifting the bottom of my shirt, we’re going to be parents soon.
-What… you mean that you’re… you’re expecting?
-Expecting is a big word right now, but there’s one in the oven, I smiled. I did an analysis last week, with one of my best junior nurses attending, and it sees that we finally hit the jackpot.
-I’ll be! That’s just wonderful, Red! I’ll fill that paperwork tomorrow and rush it through. No reason to take a risk of getting thrown into another mess now! Do you know…
-It’s only a month old, I giggled, you couldn’t see. But for what it’s worth, it’s another…
-Another..?
-Hermaphrodite coati, I completed. I know maybe you thought…
-I knew that your genes are superior, cut Carlos, and I’m actually impressed it’s one of me, because red pandas are strong too.
The coati and I prattled about our soon-to-be child as we left the hospital room that we’d been monopolizing, one of the few that remained with the men from Carlo’s group occupying the others. Hermane’s people had done a very good job, for the most part, and there was little left for my staff nurses to do but keep an eye on them while they recovered and healed. I could go into a few cases that field medics had looked into and came back to us in such horrible shape that they would have been much better off without any medical attention at all, but for the moment, it was nice to have the bulk of the work done for us. The otter and she-jackal were in the small lounge that we’d given as our rendezvous, looking at the small television set that sat on a shelf, blaring out a few rock videos from the charts, Edwina nice and comfy in her man’s arms, almost with her eyes closed as a smile covered her lips. We almost felt bad for intruding, but Hermane noticed us first and sat Edwina up before getting up and asking if we were ready for a walk. Carlos nodded and waved for the two to come with us as we headed out of the building through one of the side doors and made for the pawn shop we both knew pretty well at this point. I’d personally been channeling extra supplies of medicine to them for proper redistribution, while Carlos had sold off a few cases of canned goods that he had no use for but were automatically given out when his group was out on mission. It was rather a gesture of goodwill then anything of a financial nature, but since Ulrich had been the middleman for some of the framework of the family’s formation, the panther had made quite sure that the Black Tunnel treated us both with proper respect. Our transactions were made to keep up our relations and make sure that we knew what was up in our backyards. The place was just opening for the day as we approached, but the llama that operated the front was quick to unlock the front door for us and welcome us in, showing us into the back of the store to the stairs leading to the second level, home of the underground operators. There was hardly anyone there that day, just the Don of the Clan, another llama everyone called Miguel, whose real name he’d told us once but we’d both forgotten just as quickly, along with a few of his entourage, who prepared a few chairs for us as soon as the long-necked creature had asked them to. The place was pretty clear compared to what I would have thought it would have by this point, with all the money that the folks were making. Miguel looked calm and almost asleep, but the gaze he gave us was enough to tell me that it was a front he put on and he was fully aware of the situation as we sat down at the coffee table were he was resting his arm at an odd angle to us.
-Carlos, I take it that everything went well in your ongoing campaign against the rebels, stated the Don as he offered chocolate truffles to the each of us from a box aside him before gobbling one himself.
-Nearly a disaster, if we hadn’t run into these good people who offered us hospitality and medical assistance after an unpleasant encounter with a good onslaught of the very wicked souls we’d come to reap, said my coati.
-I have to say that it’s always a pleasure to have you here, said the llama. I know the place doesn’t look like much yet, but things have been quite busy as of late and we don’t really have the time to look into it, to be honest. I see you’ve brought more distinguished company?
-Yes, said the otter, shaking Miguel’s hand. I’m Hermane and this fine lady is Edwina. We have a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in the wilds of the jungle were they produce quality products, some of which I have samples of here if you are interested to review them.
-Business, smiled the llama as Hermane opened his case to show the vials he had brought with him. Interesting, but I’m not quite the expert when it comes to these. If you would, I’ll have one of my advisors come up to do so.
-Please, replied Edwina as one of the guards left for a moment, returning with a wiry-looking rabbit with a crazed look to him that spoke volumes of his personal expertise in substances.
-Friends, this is Sniff, my advisor on pharmaceutical products and their acolyte. Sniff, this is Hermane, Edwina, Carlos and Red. Have a seat, Sniff.
-Thanks, said the rabbit as he slumped down in one of the chairs, steadying his balance long enough to grip its arms and shake his head to clear it. By the way, while I’m here, Miguel, that batch of coke from down south is clear to go! Very good quality snow!
-I see that, grinned the llama as he motioned to his associate to wipe his left nostril where there still was a bit of dust.
-Here, grunted Hermane as he picked one of the vials and handed it to the rabbit. Thorazine…
-Oh joy, sighed the lagomorph as he opened the container and swallowed three of the tablets. Occupational hazard, you understand…
-This’ll get you over the bugs too, added the otter as he took his arm, giving him a needle of morphine. There, feel better?
-Ah, moaned the bunny, like a million bucks! Wow, I already like you people! I suppose that I was asked here to look at this inventory for an arrangement to be made between our parties?
-That’s the most verbose I’ve heard you in a while, smiled Miguel. Was that a shot of literature you got there?
-Morphine makes me a poet, replied the rabbit as he looked through Hermane’s stash, picking a few vials and inspecting their contents. Mind if I sample?
-It’s an open buffet with festival seating, grinned the otter as he passed a few other pills to the rabbit. So, for your critique?
-Perfect marks across the board, replied Sniff. As for what we’ll make of them, I know a few runners that complained they had some private clinics that had approached them to buy some of these meds, but of course we didn’t have access to enough to supply them on the long term, and all we could give them was expired stuff we get from a few pharmacies that we have deals with. I think that all and all we could start with a good list of products and expand as we get more demand. I’ll make a full inventory of what we’d be able to buy from you at first, here…
-Nothing usual, said Hermane as Sniff gave him a few lines scribbled on a piece of paper his Don had given him, though his handwriting was anything but legible to the common mortal. And you, Red, would you want anything? I know that you probably get the majority of your supplies from legitimate sources, but just in case, we could smuggle in some freebies.
-Actually, we get all of our drugs from the same company and I wouldn’t mind getting rid of them, I replied with a growl as I thought about the screaming tirades I’d had over the phone with our suppliers. They’re incompetent, rude and they always manage to fuck up something we ask for each and every time I order anything from them, excuse my language. If you could insure that we get timely deliveries of our entire inventory, we’ll dump them, deal?
-Wow, startled the otter, that’s unexpected! But what has been lately?
-We’d be glad to serve as a go-between, commented Miguel. A single delivery is always easier to manage and we’re so close that it’s hardly any trouble. We can work out the particulars…

The conversation went more into business between Miguel and the two delegates from the jungle, leaving the rest of us to listen in with growing boredom, especially Sniff, who looked on the verge of going into convulsions, so stir-crazy he was by nature. Eventually, he offered us a tour of the place, which we didn’t mind accepting if only to actually do something more interesting then sit around. The rabbit set a pretty mad pace as we swung down a set of stairs we hadn’t even noticed, leading down under the pawn shop, into the legendary trove of the Black Tunnel. They lived up to their name, as they had literally taken over a part of the older, now abandoned and probably condemned city sewers, though they’d been drained and cleaned as to now appear more like a hollow, windowless cathedral then a waterway with lighting installed along their length. No space was wasted as crates lined the sides of some canals and to our surprise, there were even cars parked in some of them, sports vehicles destined to those who could afford them, driven in and out via rough, simplistic concrete ramps which Sniff told us led into an underground parking lot they’d bought off soon after having set up.
-It’s quiet around here, smiled the rabbit as we walked towards a pumping station’s reservoir as some spray-painted indications on the walls announced. Our lab is down this way.
-Interesting, commented Carlos as we took a set of stairs down into the reservoir’s tank, where tables were littered with drug paraphernalia and bag of assorted substances waited to be shipped off. This is your office?
-Is so happens it is, laughed Sniff as he cleared one of the tables and took out a bottle of hooch. So it’s flavor all around?
-I’m up for it, I announced. What’s the vintage?
-Our own homebrewed rye, replied the bunny as he poured three glasses of the malt. To you!
-And you, simply replied Carlos as we swung down the drink, which though bitter at first, settled into something decent. Hey, I might have to get a bottle for my desk!
-Have two, exclaimed Sniff as he took the bottles from a case aside the table.
-I don’t want to be greedy, retorted the coati as he pushed one of them back towards the rabbit, who put a hand on his to stop him.
-You’re not, really! It’s fun to have some company for a change down here. I sort of work alone most of the time… gets tedious, fast. Sort of why I turn into the stuff harder sometimes, I suppose.
-Why do you do that, I asked naively, isn’t there some inventory of tests you can perform to see if the products are all right?
-I guess I could, shrugged the rabbit as he looked around and picked up a hash pipe that he looked at in contemplation. You wouldn’t guess that I’ve been using for over five years, I suppose.
-Well…
-Eyes are a giveaway, eh?
-Yes. What brought you into it?
-I was actually a doctor myself, fresh out of college, when I got my first position at a clinic downtown. The pressure was just nuts…
-And you started taking some drugs to keep going, I completed.
-Right, nodded Sniff. You’ve never done that, I suppose?
-Never, I said, but I’ve caught a few of my staff doing it over the years. I helped them into rehabilitation so they could come back in good shape.
-I wish that would have been my supervisor’s reaction, muttered the rabbit, sinking into his seat as his face changed for the sadder. He reported me to the association and I had my license and my diploma revoked. Damn, sorry to go into the subject, it’s just a broken dream I wish I could still fix.
-Sniff, I said as I reached across to grasp the rabbit’s arm as he tried to turn away and hide the streams of tears, you could still contest it.
-I can’t, he corrected, taking his arm away from the table and fumbling across it to get to a box of hypodermic needles. Sorry again, I’ll just be a second…
-No, that won’t help that dream come back to life, I cut as I stood up and pushed the box out of his reach.
-Sniff, continued Carlos, look at us! If you decide you want to go back to those days, all you have to do is to put down the needles and pick yourself up by the bootstraps! If you want to return to the profession…
-I’ll hire you at the army hospital as an orderly, and then when you’re ready, I’ll try to help you contest the decision and get your papers back.

We couldn’t hold on to the rabbit anymore as he stumbled away from the table and huddled against a few boxes, sobbing like a cursed soul crying away its sins. I looked at Carlos who nodded for us to take our cue and leave Sniff to get his thoughts back in order before trying to talk to him again. It was sort of sad, but what choice did we have?

Hermane and Edwina had finished their congress by the time we got back to the pawn shop and were in the front, looking around for curios before noticing we’d popped out the back room. They didn’t have anything left to do with the Black Tunnel until they had their first order ready to be sent into town. The llama had been pretty generous from the figures that Hermane shot at us while we walked back to the HQ, something the otter seemed quite eager to pay us back for somehow. Carlos laughed it off and stated that if it wasn’t bad enough, we were ready to put them up for as long as they wanted to stay in the city.
-Call it Hotel Coati, said Carlos. Just a ballpark figure, what are your plans?
-Oh, maybe three day’s worth of shopping with my sugar otter, giggled the jackal, rubbing Hermane’s head.
-We’ll stay off your tails, he seconded.

By ten o’clock, I was in bed with Carlos, each reading our respective bedside novels of the day with nothing but the covers on. It was a trip we’d both taken to during the last weeks, mostly me. It was enjoyable and pretty comforting for me to finally snuggle butt naked with a good man, a far cry from my days of trying to hide my crotch as much as I could and skip over the detail I was a hermaphrodite. Poor Carlos! Stuck with a woman who liked for him to fuck her firm and hard as much as she loved to turn him on his stomach and plunder his butt! Well, he hadn’t complained to date, and even insisted that I teach him how to give good blowjobs too, God bless him for that! Actually, that was exactly what I had on my mind then and there, and putting aside my collection of letters between Jung and Freud, well edited in my opinion, I slowly reached over to put my hand on the back of his head and guide him towards my cock as I pulled back the covers. He didn’t resist, tossing his sci-fi bullshit novel in the general direction of a sofa and turned on his side to take me properly, pushing me up enough so he could get his head between my legs. He had to be pretty solid in his convictions of manhood, because I had as big a unit as he did, albeit my balls weren’t really visible between my cock and vagina. As usual, he managed to fit it in his cheeks, passing on me gently as I stroked his ears. Just to make it better, I felt his fingers start to run on my clit as my breathing started getting more and more irregular, interrupted by short orgasms. I simply gave up and lay down on my back as he picked up the slack and really started going to town on my equipment, chirping involuntarily right up until I gave a squeal to signal I was feeding him a free lunch. My mind was fried hard even as he took his head away from me, tough there was still some autopilot function running that had me roll over and push him into a crouch for me to suck him off, wrapping my arms around his waist while my mess of red hair flung around his midsection and my beasts beat against his knees. With a fresh load of coati cum in my mouth, I threw him down and kissed my man to share the organic tastes we’d been privy to, another fetish I’d embraced since becoming sexually overactive. Strands of it traced as we continue and licked each other’s faces, our glazed eyes out of focus and any trace of civilization turned to dust by primal lust. Eventually, after having thoroughly creamed each other, I drew two hand towels from my bedside drawer which I’d placed after the last time we’d gone insane and we did out best to return to some approximate facsimile of what we’d been before our minds had transferred complete control to our dicks. As I finished and tossed the cloth into the pile we put aside for laundry, the phone rang with the distinctive tone Carlos had set for the MPs at the gates, as they often called when they weren’t too sure about some visitor at the gates, the coati being one of the commanding officers here and everything, though they usually had the common decency not to call this late in the day, unless there was a serious reason for it. The coati rolled his eyes as a sign for me to get it if I wanted to because he wasn’t in the mood to deal with it. I grinned as I took the receiver and punched up the call, hearing the voice at the other end salute me.
-This is the front gate, said the voice. We have someone here who says they want to meet you as soon as possible. We tried to talk him away, but he seems very agitated. After a summary search, we found two bottles of alcohol on him as well.
-What species is he?
-A rabbit, a brown rabbit. He looks a bit peculiar, sir. Your orders?
-Have him brought to the infirmary ready room, I replied, as he is.
-Yes sir.
-Hey Red, grunted the coati, what was that about the ready room?
-It looks like Sniff took us up on that offer we made! Sort of an odd time, but seeing in what state we left him, I suppose it was to be expected. I’ll get ready…
-So will I, sighed my man as he got to his paws and searched for his underwear. My boxers have feet...

We changed into plain clothes, just tees and whatever pants were close at hand and I didn’t even bother to put on socks as I slipped into my running shoes. After all, the walk to the infirmary was all indoors, as we didn’t have to report to anyone, plus I doubted that Sniff would have dressed up fancy either. At the same time as we entered the ready room, the two MPs who had escorted the rabbit in left to stand outside the door in case we required their services. The underground man looked a bit better then when we’d parted company, sitting down at the table with a plastic bag on the table that appeared to contain the bottles he’d offered Carlos. He managed to smile as he saw us and spoke up in a steady voice.
-You forgot these, he said to the coati as he nodded to the bag. I’m starting to think that you didn’t like that glass.
-I did, it’s just that…
-I know, cut the rabbit, twitching an ear. Red, I pray you were serious about the offer you made, because I sort of tried to think it over and can’t see myself going on like this for the rest of my life. It hit me hard when we spoke because I had a medical exam a while back at the doc told me that if I didn’t stop using in the briefest delay, I didn’t have more then five years to live.
-You burn hard, you burn out fast, I commented. I was very serious… what’s your real name?
-Sylvain, Sylvain Freeman, said the bunny. I guess being called Sniff all the time sort of reinforces a part of what I want to get rid of. Before I say anything else, I’m sorry about the time. I suppose I got tunnel vision when I left the reservoir, but I just had to grab this chance while I still could.
-That’s fine, it’s good to know you made this call, I corrected. If you open the drawer of the cabinet behind you, grab one of the forms from the second folder from the back. There are pens in there too, I think.
-There indeed are, smiled Sylvain as he took the paper and started filling it out.
-Put ‘active professional’ in the previous employment box, I indicated. That’ll put you on active staff as soon as your form is processed, which should be as soon as the sun rises in the sky again. I’ll actually put you in tomorrow on the noon shift so you get a chance to get some rest.
-And I’ll just call up my father tomorrow and schedule a meeting for you. He’s our counselor here, and I’m sure that he’ll be glad to give you a hand with walking away from the needle.
-Along with the straw, the spoon, hollowed-out light bulbs and the rest of it, nodded the rabbit. I’m a bit sorry that I’ll be leaving Miguel, but I’m sure he’ll be able to find someone to replace me, someone with a little less baggage maybe. I guess I’ll leave you to your sleep if you’d tell me when I have to be here for the shift.
-Actually, seeing as how tomorrow will be your first day, you’ll have a lot of human resources paper to cut through and you’ll meet Carlos’ old man, so you’ll be probably be starting early, I stated. You can take the 3-B4 downstairs and kick it out until nine.
-I walked into paradise, laughed the rabbit, shaking about in glee. All right, all right, I’ll give you your peace!
-See you tomorrow, waved Carlos as the three of us left the room and the rabbit took the stairs down to his room.

(Switch to Sylvain)

This place was nothing to navigate around compared to the sewers, I thought as I followed the directions the coati had given me to get to my temporary quarters. Heck, temporary or not, they were a lot better then the cot I slept on in the back room of the lab, which had once been the pumping station’s operating room. The place smelled like oil most of the time, if not worst, though usually I wasn’t really in any state to bother with it. It was odd to have these two care about me, very odd. I’d grown up on strife, from the very start of my life. I couldn’t relate how violent my father had been, nor how much fear I constantly repressed to be able to live at home until I was old enough to start off in the world. Well, frankly, I wasn’t when I left, but then again, I couldn’t bare it anymore. I had already started smoking crack a year previous to try and take the edge off, as well as sleeping pills to be able to get any shuteye at all when the pain of living got to the heart of my soul. I dreaded the thought of what his reaction would have been if he had found out, and it became all too clear that I had made a choice for myself when I had gotten into the stuff, though at the time, it was the only one I could see other then lose my mind and one day simply have it snap in circumstances that surely wouldn’t have seen me survive. Images flashed by about the years I’d spent pushing, using and carrying all kinds of dope to pay for the rent in the roach paradises I’d called home through my early twenties while I studied at college until I met Miguel a few years ago and we tried to set up a better-looking and safer system for the soft drugs on the streets, along with a lot of other dealings he cherished to have his hand on. The llama was a sex maniac, just crazy with the hoes, but then again, who was I to say anything when I was the tester for any and all illicit substances we dealt?

Still, as Don, I would have hoped he would have cut me a better deal, though I suppose that my qualifications were pretty limited. It would take a while for me to get back into the game for any sort of surgery; I just didn’t have the hands anymore. Still, I’d known a few guys who worked for Miguel as underground stitch men that had been on heavy stuff before getting back to medicine, so with luck, I’d go down that path too. The key I’d gotten worked on the lock, giving me a clear way into the very nice suite. I only had a single thing in mind, which was a long, hot shower. It wasn’t much, I know, but I just needed to feel that water spray me down. That was another thing about dope! Jeeze, after a while, you forget what hygiene is, too focused on the craving and getting something to silence it long enough to actually put a few thoughts together. I’d smelled pretty funny a few times, even in recent memory, though as I took everything off, I wasn’t too fazed by what my nose reported. I stopped there to take a look at myself, what I had left to work with. My arms hid a lot of smaller pockmarks from needles, that was certain, but I’d never taken a bad needle, thankfully, so the overall damage was minimal. I had the habit of alternating between stuff, so I didn’t go so far that I didn’t recover from one of them. I was thin, pretty damn thin; probably ten to fifteen pounds underweight for my height and build, so I could pretty much feel any bone I wanted easily as I ran my hands over my sides. I sort of grinned as I reached down and took my cock and balls with both hands, feeling the longer fur around my equipment. It had been an unpleasant time when I’d caught crabs, but ended quickly after I’d basically taken a razor to my crotch and shaved my seat clean, ruining the critter’s home once and for all. It had grown back even thicker, and it felt sort of nice when I rubbed it.

What the hell, I thought as I lifted the toilet seat and put a paw on the rim to get comfy while I jacked off. That had been my biggest criteria in my usage. If I couldn’t get it up one day, it was time I called it quits. Miguel had sent a few working girls my way to keep up the maintenance, which sort of felt good, though I sort of longed to get a real girlfriend for a healthy change. After all, she should be happy with the seven inches of curvy bunny bizznatch I was yanking on and the long, steady stream of ejaculate that I slammed into the porcelain would do its job too. Pushing out the last of it, I flushed away any proof of my sin and spun to step into the shower, cranking up the dials to get some serious steam going while I poured plenty of the body lotion aside the tub over my fur, lathering up a storm that flowed off of me and into the drain as a stupid grin took over my face and I simply slumped against the tile wall and let the jet do the work for me. By the time I finished, I couldn’t see my reflection in the mirror for all the water that had condensed on it, but I was sort of curious about my looks after my clean up and I wiped a window through the fog with my off hand while my other finished drying me off. Somehow, I did have a better face then before, a bit fluffier, even, which drove me to take scissors from the cabinet and trim my sideburns to get them back to an even, clean length, finishing my metamorphosis. I could feel the need starting to seriously twist inside me though, since I hadn’t taken anything for over five hours now, which was longer then I could normally tolerate without passing out cold with the shakes. That too, I started to see, as my paws started to try and twitch from the tension, but I refused them that satisfaction and clenched them into fists to stress them back to normal. I’d be a train wreck tomorrow, I knew that, withdrawal being what it is, but still, better that then go back on my word to my friends, let alone myself. I lay down in the bed, eager to sleep and get some energy to face it, or at least brace for it.

The consequences of my decision to go cold turkey had been pretty heavy. I’d gotten up a few times in the night almost bathed in my sweat, my stomach wrenched in some undeterminable pain which had taken everything I had not to break from, though I’d be lying to say that I didn’t shed a few tears from the sensations. Still, I managed to get at least six hours of rest and I felt better as morning came, the need falling back as it started to realize its bitter defeat. I couldn’t help but smile as I took another shower, and yes, jacked off like a madman again. I was winning this one, hell yes I was…

I had grabbed a classic two-egg breakfast before walking to the infirmary where I saw Red looking after some paperwork, though her air at my appearance had some serious surprise to it. She motioned for me to come over and pencil in personal information on the forms she had with her, taking my pulse as I reached for the writing implement with a smile.
-Not bad looking, aren’t you, said the panda, when you take up arms against the poison?
-It wasn’t the best night of my life, but at the same time, it was the best I’ve had in a while.
-You’re a fighter; you pulled through. All right, here’s your next new friend there…
-Hello, I heard a voice behind me call as I turned to see a coati in his mid fifties holding his hand out for me to shake. I’m Stephan Tomas, Carlos’ father, and I suppose a friendly face you can talk to, if you like.
-Sylvain Freeman, I replied as I took his hand in a firm grip.
-Sylvain, repeated the coati. Do you have a few minutes? We could just walk and chat, if you feel like it.
-Red, do I?
-It’s only eight; you’ve got plenty of time, waved the nurse. See you later!
-Perfect, nodded Stephan as I followed him out of the room and down towards his office in the same wing. So, Sylvain, how do you feel today?
-Just great, I stated. Nothing since four o’clock yesterday afternoon and I got over the big hump during the night.
-Very, very good! You really want to beat this, don’t you?
-More then anything, I called as we entered his cabinet and he showed me to a big couch. I’ve always wished I would have stayed away from this monster and now that I can go back into medicine, it’ll be just perfect.
-Good! That’s strong spirit in there. Tell me, why did it happen?
-To hide the bruises my father gave me and hide the fear I had of his anger. When I was stoned, I didn’t have that anymore, just the dumbness I could live with. Yes, I should have made a better call, I know, I know. Still, for the time, it worked.
-Your parents, did they know?
-Absolutely not! It would have been the last thing I would have heard before he’d strangled me to death! Anyway, I left long before they had a chance and moved into a place hear the college while I rushed through the last years of my doctoral studies. I took the courses in accelerated so I’d have it behind me as soon as possible, but then…
-Yes, Red told me about that, whispered Stephan as he put a paw on my knee, giving it a friendly pat, you don’t have to go back on that if you don’t want to.
-It was just so… I don’t know… mean I guess? After all, I’d done a few small operations already without a single hang-up, though sure, I had taken a few things to get my head into the game, but it was mostly to forget about everything else and focus on my work. Then, after I’d gotten a prick from a sponge holder, my supervisor had me tested to make sure that I wasn’t infected, though I still suspect that it was to confirm his suspicions that I was using. Sure enough, the next day, he called me to his office and exposed the facts he’d uncovered to me and announced he had made arrangements for me to lose my license, going into a speech about our higher moral standards as professionals and that sort of tripe.
-Tripe? It’s not really tripe…
-Well, I insisted, we’re all mortal here and we all make our own errors! To have heard the same questions you asked up to now rather then the life-shattering noises that I did would have led me down a much different path, or at least given me a chance! I’m sorry, I’m just…
-You have to let it out, corrected Stephan, giving me another pat. After that, what happened?
-I just fell in the limbo I’ve been in for the last few years, I sighed as I smashed back into the seat. Nothing to look at, nothing to think about, save for the day to day. I could have died a good few times, but in the state I was in, it would hardly have made a difference to me, I wouldn’t have noticed.
-But now, do you still feel that?
-Of course not! Oh, look at the time though, Red told me I was going to start at nine.
-I won’t keep you, but if you want to talk again, feel free to walk in. I’m usually pretty free these days.
-Thanks, Stephan, I really appreciated the talk.
-Thank yourself; you said the most poignant things from what I can remember.

I glided to the hospital wing with a spring in my heels that I’d never managed to summon when I was on my daily cocktail and got my marching orders from the red panda as I gave her a quick thumbs-up.
-There’s still a few of Tomas’ men in the infirmary recovering from their injuries, said Red. I really don’t have anyone looking after them right now, save for a pair of orderlies. If you’re up to it, you could take care of them.
-Sure thing, I nodded. You use the standard monitoring charts?
-Yes, we sure do. If you need to give them anything, I’m trusting you with a key to the cabinet, said the panda as she gave me a set of keys on a lanyard. I know it’s a big temptation, but it comes with the position.
-Hey, you’re talking to a new rabbit, I replied with a smile. I’m off!

I found my way to the twenty-bed common hall where the recovering soldiers were resting, though only half the beds seemed to be occupied at the moment, giving them even more privacy then the curtains that were drawn between the beds. I tried to look as friendly as possible as I did my rounds and checked on each of them, getting a better picture of what I was looking at in terms of a workload. Most had been victim to firearm injuries, which had been operated with such skill that there was very little to be seen as far as long-term consequences. Two of them asked for pain killers to dull the stinging feeling that they had coming from their wounds, which I administered with a few comforting comments they appeared to find to their tastes. A few insisted on talking to me about a few personal thoughts they had coming to them in these hard times, which I suffered to listen to with the polite bedside manners that any medical practitioner should possess, trying to seem as interested as possible without yawning my front teeth out.

Three hours into the five-hour shift, I’d taken a seat near the door to the hall and picked up a magazine from the waiting room to try and kill the time, as most of my patients had passed out cold and hence didn’t have many requests to give me. I sort of read it sideways anyway, my own mind turning to ooze as it started to show me images of myself in a sport convertible wearing medical garb and a potato-sized Rolex hanging off my wrist. The vision was almost solidifying into a half-real projection as I heard a voice calling out my name from outside the room, snapping me out of it as I tossed the mag aside and shot to my paws, ready to offer my assistance. All I saw was Red waving her arms frantically in the corridor as she ran at me, calling for me to come along with her right away and drop everything I was doing. I did exactly that and tailed her as we raced down to the receiving area where I saw two paramedics flanking a stretcher rushing from the outside, redirected to the nearest vacant operating room by Red as she turned to look at me.
-Sylvain, I know this is asking a lot, blabbered the red panda as she waved her arms about, but we don’t have any emergency staff on hand today and the soonest we can is in an hour, though I don’t know if we have that long! I called two doctors in, but unless you can get in there and at the very least stabilize her, we’re going to lose her!
-Her, who? You mean the patient that just came in with…
-Yes, nodded the woman as she grabbed me by the arm and pulled me along to follow her to the OR. I’m not a surgeon, I don’t know enough to do it, but you do!
-It’s been a long time since the last time I touched a scalpel, I protested as we entered the prep room. You’re scrubbing in?
-You need a nurse, I’m your nurse.

I washed my hands and lower arms with an almost mechanical motion, slipping on the robes that Red passed to me as she did the same, getting the rest of our outfits on while we walked into the surgery. The sheer amount of blood on the stretcher was disheartening, but there was something that clicked in my mind as we got close, some sort of learned instinct, and my focus became sharper and sharper as I made a preliminary evaluation. We had a female collie in her early twenties with a compound fracture of the right tibia, though I didn’t trust the fibula to be in any better shape, as well as potentially three fractured ribs on the same side, one of which I lost track of, meaning it had gone into the chest cavity hence the potential for internal bleeding and organ damage wasn’t anything near negligible. I started with inspecting the leg injury, deciding that it was the lesser of the two evils we had to deal with, and wrapped the protruding bone and surrounding area in a position such that the leg was immobilized, giving us full confidence to get down to business on the ribs. I knew that it was a risk, but we had to go in and operate at least one of them, which had torn through the skin, responsible for much of the visible blood loss.

With Red aside me, handing me implements as I required them, we installed two small plates to reconstitute the bone and got the bleeding under control. While we had a way in, I opened the cut further to be able to work on the next rib, which only required one plate after having been repositioned. The third I didn’t want to go into right away, arguing with the panda that I needed an X-ray to know what was going on before opening a Pandora’s Box of a wound that I wasn’t sure I could close again. I conceded that we didn’t have time for that sort of luxury, coming to a consensus that we could try an echo first, which she prepared while I fixed the screen eagerly. What we saw was possibly the luckiest thing that I’d ever seen in my medical career, where a section of the rib had indeed broken and just twisted to the side, threatening to puncture the lung underneath but still not doing so at the moment. With the image to guide me, I fixed up the bone like its neighbors, at last closing the incision. The collie’s blood pressure had stabilized at this point, though her pulse remained a bit unsteady, as the trauma her body had been through simply stunning. By the time that we got her to the radiology station and the technician performed his magic, that last problem had been resolved with anesthetics to keep the woman under while we did our jobs. Half an hour later, two more metal plates were in place to secure the leg bones and we had installed a full brace to keep out work of art from coming apart. My call to the paramedics to wheel her into post-op was the most satisfying thing I’d felt for a long time, and seeing her leave the room with her drip and transfusion slowly waving like lanterns I didn’t have another thought in my head but to cast off my soiled uniform and take another shower.
-Wow, whispered the red panda as we got out of our operation garb, you really are a great doctor, Sylvain.
-I don’t know, I said. How long did that take?
-Two hours, she replied. Hey, that’s right, they others should have arrived, but…
-Is that them, I asked as we looked at two men looking in from the windows in the doors of the OR. Why didn’t they come in?
-That’s what I want to know, shot Red as she paced over to the doors, looking like she was going to bite their heads off. I thought I requested that…
-You requested that you have staff for an intervention, said one of the doctors, but it looked like you already had him in there.
-He seemed to be doing just fine, so we didn’t want to get in the way. Anyway, we only got here half an hour ago, just in time to see you both go back in the room.
-If there’s anything, we’ll be in the lounge, commented the first man as they paced out of the facility.
-I have to admit they were right, blushed Red, everything was under control here. Sorry I didn’t have more confidence in you, but…
-Hey, I’m surprised that I was able to do anything that didn’t qualify as butchery, I replied. God, it all came back when I was there… What happened anyway, who was that and how did she get those fractures?
-She’s General Cavali’s daughter, the senior commander here. She rolled her car after a truck cut her off on the highway. This was the closest hospital and the General apparently intervened himself to have her come here for the best care available.
-And she got me, I laughed, poor creature. Is… is he here?
-He was out of town on vacation on the coast, but he’s on his way back to be with her.
-The paramedics told you that?
-It was apparently one of their greatest concerns, grinned Red. You see, Cavali is very… well, he has a strong personality, sort of cavalier… so if she hadn’t been so lucky, I wouldn’t want to have been in the way when he came back.
-I think I’ll be transferring her to a private room after she’s ready to be moved out of post-op, I grunted. I suppose I’ll be the fortunate soul who’ll welcome the General…
-Good luck, giggled Red. Hey, look at it this way; if he likes you, you might be getting your license back a lot faster then you think. Then again, I wouldn’t mention that fact until he settles down a bit.
-Yeah, I figured that, I laughed out as we left to sit down in the reception area and take a breather.

We shot the shit for just under an hour over coffee brought by nurses, visited twice by Tomas as he came and went from a meeting on the other side of the campus. Red was fun to work with, more then cold old Miguel any day of the week, and I sort of saw that she was proud that her gamble in taking me into the staff had paid off. I was going to make a comment to that effect when the sound of boots pounding the floor came closer and a male collie in full uniform with more medals that I could count without going cross-eyed stormed into the infirmary, looking at us with a stare I supposed he thought was one of authority, although I could see there was more fear in it then would have been polite to point out. Before he asked, I jumped the gun and offered to lead the General to his daughter, the man following me close as we went to post-op. We hadn’t taken her off the drugs yet, mostly to give her a chance to recovery further before she started moving around. I sat the General down aside her bed and took a calm voice as I explained the situation to him, during which he piped down a good measure, taking off his cap and smoothing his hair while his gaze didn’t leave his girl.
-I should have seen this coming, muttered the man. She lives too hard, too fast…
-The accident wasn’t her fault, I commented, she didn’t have any time to react.
-I know what you mean, but pot and mescaline don’t help, stated Cavali. Sorry, do we have our privacy here..?
-Complete. So she uses?
-I only learned about it through a girlfriend of hers because they were coming back from a party and she took some pellets. She didn’t like the idea of her driving when she’d taken anything like that, nor do I.
-And after, I said as I saw the situation becoming all too familiar, did you talk to her about it?
-We… we had some bad words, he groaned. She didn’t really want to talk about it, but I really did and pushed for her to confess to it. I got mad, she did too, then she rushed out. That was yesterday, before I was supposed to go fishing with a few NCOs here. I shouldn’t have taken it so lightly, but we’ve never gotten along so well that we could talk about things like this, and when we do, it always ends up with bad noise. Sorry I’m emptying my bag here, but this is the culmination of a lot of problems, I suppose.
-I see, yes. Well, I’ll be just as honest with you, I used some stuff too before and sometimes all it takes to break the habit is a few kind words from another heart.
-So you’ve gotten through it, said the collie, turning his eyes to me, you’ve stopped?
-I did all right, and I’m sure your daughter can too. I’ll talk to her about it while she’s here, if you like. Of course, if she doesn’t want to, I have an obligation to go along with her wises.
-I understand, sighed the General as he put his cap back on and got up. Seeing me here would probably just get Marianna’s emotions on fire again, and that wouldn’t help her at all. If you can try, that’s all I can ask of you. Also, you can call me Rod, we don’t have a rank issue here.
-We’ll take care of your daughter, Rod. I’ll keep you informed as she gets better or if we managed to bridge the gap with respect to her problem.

I gave the man a good handshake as he went on his way, leaving me at the girl’s bedside, feeling like Ebenezer Scrooge after the visit of the Ghost of Christmas Past. Save for the beating I would have gotten, this was what I’d always feared would have happened. Poor girl, I thought as I fixed on her sleeping face, why did you start? My answer would have to wait, I supposed. For now, I left with the end of my shift and turned in for some rest after a heavy meal at the cafeteria.

Red had penned me in on the early shift the next day to replace one of the nurses who had called in sick with flu, but I’d gone out like a light around eight, so getting to work at seven wasn’t a problem in the least. Two of the patients I’d seen previously were set to leave, as their condition had evolved such that their presence in a hospital was no longer required, so my first order of business was to pass them through the gauntlet of paperwork for their release and contact their folks to have them ready to go, together eating up nearly an hour and a half. The others only represented a few pen strokes and a needle of morphine, therefore by nine I was able to sneak off to see how Marianna was doing. I looked at her charts and saw Red had taken her off the anesthetics in when I’d come in, so she would be coming around soon enough albeit the pain meds in her drip would probably not allow her to feel anything. I poked at the installation for a moment before I had the sensation I was being watched and looking down, saw the collie staring up at me.
-Hello Marianna, I said as I turned to sit aside her.
-Hello, the Collie said in a weakened voice. Where am I?
-You’re in San Augusta Military Hospital, I replied while I checked her vitals and wrote them down on the chart, marking her awakening time as well. You had a car accident, but we were able to operate on you very quickly.
-What did I- ouch! My side hurts…
-Three broken ribs, I explained. Take it easy and don’t try to move if you really don’t need to. Also, you have a broken leg, so you won’t be walking on your paws for a while until it heals properly, and you’ll be scheduled for physiotherapy afterwards.
-Oh no, moaned the girl as she covered her face with a hand and started bawling in tears. Oh no, I don’t want this, I don’t want this!
-Easy, easy, I mothered as I took her other hand, which he tried to take away at first but then gave to me willingly and held tight. Easy, Marianna, it’ll be fine, you’ll recover fully from this accident and it won’t change your life in any way. In a few months, you won’t know anything happened.
-But I will, cut the collie as she put her hand on her side and stared at the ceiling. My father’s already ashamed I have any relation with him, and knowing that I crashed my car because I had taken some scag before taking the wheel is just what he needs to hear to put me out.
-He already came yesterday, I stated.
-Oh no, exploded the collie, this time almost doubling over in horror. It’s over isn’t it? I’m finished, he’ll never talk to me again!
-Marianna, calm down, I cut in, probably more dryly then I would have liked to. Marianna, he loves you, all right? He wants you to get through this problem you think you’ve befriended, because it’ll eat you alive before you know it. He knows what happened, but he loves you, because he’s a good father and you’re a good girl with nothing but the brightest future ahead of her. Relax, relax. Does your side still hurt?
-A bit, she muttered as I gave her a quick needle of painkiller. Who are you?
-I’m Sylvain. I operated on you because I chose to correct my life, but only days ago, I was a junkie, a hardcore junkie that would have been just as happy to swallow anything that would have wiped away my tears, as something which would have put me at death’s door. But I turned it around, sweet Marianna, and I can see in those eyes you can too. Now, we’ll be spending a bit of time together here, so if you want to talk about it, I’m here to listen, and I’ll do anything I can to try and give you a hand to climb the mountain.
-Swear that my father won’t hear what I tell you?
-There aren’t any microphones around here and I’m in your confidence as your physician. What we say, no one can hear.
-Okay, sighed the collie. Can you sit me up a bit? It’s not too comfortable like this.
-You have a remote here, I offered as I took the device and had it raise her position. Like this?
-Great, she said with a smile. You never tried pot, Sylvain?
-I went into much harder things a lot faster, but I’ve had a quite a few joints. Why did you try it?
-I don’t know... I just felt like trying something that I knew I could keep to myself. You have to see my father. He has to know everything that I do, meet everyone I know. It’s like having a guardian angel that just can’t leave you alone for a second. I felt like having my own thing and I figured it would be okay, you know, just once in a while.
-What did it feel like to have that secret?
-I didn’t feel anything, continued the girl. It was just like something else I did during the day, nothing special at all. I tried mescaline after, because I didn’t think weed was that fun. I mean, I smoked and then I fell asleep. Pretty boring, huh?
-Actually, it’s the better reaction to have to the stuff, I grinned. It’s either that or your start rambling on like a drunk, and sometimes say things that you regret pretty badly afterwards.
-Yeah, I suppose. I always did it alone though, because I was sort of afraid that if I did it with anyone, they might, you know, try something with me when I wasn’t all there. You guys don’t have to worry about it, but for me, I was worried. Same for mescal, I was always alone. I took it, then I got the whole rush and again, I fell asleep. I guess that’s what happened when I took my car there. It wasn’t the first time though, and I was able to handle it before. I don’t know why I wasn’t, but...
-Were you angry when your father found out about your secret?
-Well, it was my secret, she replied. I don’t know why, but I just felt stupid. I mean it felt sort of nice to have something only I knew, but then it was like I’d wasted a lot of time and God, money too, on something that he’d ruined.
-Why didn’t you stop after that?
-I needed mescaline, said the collie, looking at me a bit oddly. What, you think I could have stopped taking it? I’m addicted to it! I needed it! I didn’t want to feel bad like people do when they stop taking drugs. I heard it’s really painful and… what is it?
-Well, did you ever stop taking it for a while, I asked, trying to hide my grin, like for a week or so?
-Yeah, sometimes, when dad and I went on vacation. Why?
-Marianna, mescaline isn’t biologically addictive. You could have stopped anytime, and you wouldn’t have felt a thing.
-What? What do you mean, that I would never have gone through feeling sick or depressed or anything like that?
-No, I said as I shook my head, you’d be fine. That was it?
-Yeah, just in my head I guess. If I’d known…
-Who told you about this? The pusher you bought it from?
-Actually yes. He lied, didn’t he? Well, what should I have expected, right Marianna, you dumb girl…
-You’re not dumb, Marianna, I corrected, taking her hands. You just decided to try something, and now you know it wasn’t a good idea, right?
-I suppose… I would have liked to talk to dad about it, but he wouldn’t have understood. He would just have gotten angry, as usual.
-He doesn’t do anything else then get angry, does he?
-No, no, he just goes for a walk. Mother’s not with us anymore, so I sort of have time to think about what we say, but I’m so pissed, I usually just beat up a pillow or something to get it out of my system.
-You’re probably one of the most rational people I know, I chuckled, rubbing her shoulder. Anyway, think about what you’ll do with all that money you have now without buying mescal!
-I think I’ll need a new car, chuckled Marianna. Any I’ll get dad something. I don’t know, what would he like? You could ask him if he comes by?
-I’ll send him in to see you, I said with a wink. I think you have something to talk about, anyway, eh? Hey, get some rest now; you need it.
-I’ll have time for that later, smiled the collie as she took my hand again. Right now, do you have something to do or can we talk some more?
-Well, my job here is to make my patients happy, so if it makes you happy, talk away!

I stayed with Marianna for another hour, eventually losing her to sleep as she excused herself and knocked back her head on her pillow while I lowered her bed again back to the horizontal position. I didn’t dwell on the conversation too long, concluding that she was honest about her change. Well, if she wasn’t, I’d have time to reinforce her morale and give her a healthy push in the back in the right direction. I don’t know how long he had been waiting, but as I got out of the hall to mark the end of my shift, I caught a glance of Cavali sitting in the waiting room, looking through a boating rag without that much conviction, sort of how I’d been reading mine during my first shift. Initiative being a good thing overall, I went over and sat aside him, giving the collie a handshake before greeting him and welcoming him back.
-Good afternoon, Rod! I take it that you put your vacation to an end?
-Well, I think it was the wisest thing to do and everything, replied the soldier as he put aside the magazine. So, how’s my daughter doing, doctor?
-Doctor’s a flattering term, I commented with a grin, but she’s getting much better. She woke up a few hours ago, but she’s back to sleep now.
-And her injuries?
-Well, bones don’t heal very fast at all. Seeing as how a bone cell only replicates once an hour or so instead of once every five minutes as some others do, you can see that it isn’t an overnight stay. Still, everything stayed put nicely, so we’re in the right direction. She was comfortable and we’re still giving her very good meds to keep her numb, so her memories here should by rather painless.
-Did she have time to talk?
-Actually, yes, she did. We had a good conversation, partly on her problems with drugs, and I think we made remarkable headway in that regards as well. By the week’s end, I think that with a few more bedside talks, that’ll be a page in history that can be turned. After all, not to denigrate the scale of the problem, she wasn’t into hard substances so we’re not looking at medical rehab, just good advice.
-Your attention to her is admirable! She keeps good company, for the most part, like any teen, but I’ve never been able to really build a bridge to her through the years. This is hard work, Sylvain, very hard work, and the hours are unforgiving to family life. When you have children as a soldier, don’t think that you can do it alone like me without some strain in the relationship.
-Teen? Oh, I suppose so. Sorry, I never checked that on her file since she was admitted.
-She’s sixteen, specified Rod. It’s always something I worry about, you know, being around that age when things happen in their personal lives. I’d rather she wait, but then who am I to say anything when I was already with a few girlfriends at her age? Plus now that she’s here, I sort of like to check. You see, before Red took over as head of the department, there were a few cases of staff with long fingers, if you know what I mean, and one of the doctors covered for them.
-That’s against the very morality of the profession, I protested. I hope they were fired!
-Oh, they were put behind bars too, insisted the collie.
-Be assured that for me, a patient is a sacred thing, and even when I operate or anything where more is visible then decency should permit, all I see is a broken machine I need to fix, nothing else.
-I didn’t mean for it to imply anything towards you! I can plainly see you’re a better creature then that, doc bunny.
-Always important to clarify, I underlined. Well, I’m off work now, my shift’s up. I’ll go check on Marianna later anyway, but for now, did you have anything to do? If not, I’ll buy you a glass at the lounge.
-I never say no to a good scotch, grinned Rod. After you!

We marched out to the bar, trading jokes about the building being a maze which couldn’t be taken by any hostile troops because they’d get lost in the basement within an hour. The attendants at the lounge didn’t waste any time bringing us our drinks, not even mentioning the price until we were ready to pay. Red had made a good analysis of Cavali’s personality as he projected it to his colleagues, but one-on-one, he wasn’t that much of a tough cookie at all. He was a sweet man who missed his wife and regretted choices in life like anyone I’d ever met, but his education had been hand-on rather then a collegiate, evident in his speech as much as his somewhat narrow attitude on things. I tried to go into a few subjects, which we managed to debate about with our hearts on our sleeves, though Rod was amusingly stubborn at giving in and admitting I was right. We ended up trading calls for drinks to the other a half a dozen times before I saw Red walking in with Miguel in tow, who waved to me in a cordial manner as they approached. Cavali had already probably taken a few drinks more then his average at this point, and was pretty glad to call it a day and find a bed to sleep it off, giving me another handshake and a big hug before moving off, giving up his seat to the Don who didn’t disappoint the waiter by asking for a whiskey sour before turning to me and Red.
-You were right about this place, Sni- I mean Sylvain, sorry. It’s terrible to find your way in!
-I was just talking about that to the good General a while ago, I replied.
-Already hobnobbing with the higher-ups? You don’t waste time!
-What can I say; I’m a rabbit on a mission to live years I lost. So everything’s all right back at the treasure trove?
-Fine, business is great! I found someone to take over your lab, by the way. He’s not even a user, but apparently a chemical engineer with some experience in biology. Anyway, he passed a few tests I set up with ease, so I suppose that not only he’s trustworthy, but also pretty good at what he does. I’ll take him time to get as good as you, but still, it works. You seemed to like your work in the email you sent over this morning too!
-It’s everything I ever wanted to do, I answered. I love the people, I love the place, I just, well… love it!
-Glad for you, laughed the llama, slapping my back. I just thought I’d come and pay a visit and see this place for myself now that I have a legitimate reason to do so.
-Oh, the med shipments, right! Did Hermane and Edwina contact you about that more formally?
-Actually, you probably don’t know, but the two took off for their place yesterday, commented Red.
-As soon as they got there, they phoned me up via radio and we worked things out. Seeing as how you’re still technically a part of the Family and everything, I thought it might be practical for you to be our liaison here. Not that I don’t trust Red, but you have the experience to take care of it.

Miguel seemed just as talkative as Red had been when she’d welcomed me, and I had to come back on my declaration that he hadn’t wanted better for me. I could understand that in my state of mind at the time, to trust me with more responsibilities was reasonably senseless, though now that I’d flown the roost, he was even happier for me, sincerely. We left Red’s company after a while, leaving the military station to take the llama’s car back to the pawn shop where he’d had the first shipment for us prepared in a pair of crates, ready to go when I wanted. I sort of felt some nostalgia come over me, having been with the Black Tunnel for a while and everything, and eagerly asked Miguel to meet the fellow who’s taken over my job. The heavily nearsighted toucan had a rich vocabulary, but wasn’t so haughty as to flaunt it and kicked it down a notch for our meeting in the llama’s office. He used a series of chemical marker tests to get quality and concentration of key substances in the dope, which was quick and pretty accurate, as he’d already managed to single out a bad batch of heroin from overseas to reject based on it’s purity. Thoroughly impressed, I took my leave after a small demonstration on a sample of cocaine, a source I was partial to when I’d been in the mood to put some up my nose, which I certainly wasn’t, even when the toucan offered me some, probably the harshest test I’d had to pass to date. With the crates in the back of a Family-owned taxi, I rode back to the station, not getting so much as a peep from the guards, one of which seemed to have knowledge and deeply respect the fact I was charged with Cavali’s daughter, mouthing ‘poor bastard’ with a grin as I rolled on, parking near the entrance to the emergency department so I didn’t have to haul the crates too far before getting to the main storage room and drop them off. With the taxi gone, I got underway with sorting through our loot and checking it with the manifest one of them had included, noting only two of the more exotic meds had been delayed, overall more then Red had expected. I was signing off some of the inventory sheets when the panda showed up, tossing me a pager with a smile as I updated her on the contraband, obviously satisfied with the results.
-That’ll be everything we need for a week at least, including packs for squad medics, stated the woman.
-Seems to be enough for that, sure. The pager’s a bonus?
-Cavali’s own insistence, laughed Red. Guess he wants you to have a ball and chain to his daughter’s bedside, eh?
-And there it beeps, I giggled, hearing the device sound. I must swoop to her side, it seems...
-Swoop away, waved the panda.

I put everything down and avoided Red as she started her own tour of the new supplies, turning down the corridor at a good pace, hearing my beeper ring again while I was on my way. I managed to reach her collie’s room before it sang its song a third time, though she had the remote button in her hand as I peeked inside, which she put aside quickly with an embarrassed grin.
-Well, you must be getting better, I said as I walked in. Your painkillers are still working?
-Perfectly well, nodded Marianna. Actually, this is sort of embarrassing, but I had to ask. Would it be possible to get a sponge bath or something? I’ve been stuck with this bedpan and everything, and you know, it’s sort of...
-Oh, of course! I’ll see if an orderly is free.
-Actually, you’re already here, commented the collie. Is it possible for you?
-There’s a question of protocol when a good lady is in question, I hummed.
-This to protocol, grumbled Marianna, giving some imaginary victim her middle finger in a slow gesture. I smell weird and it’s not getting better here...
-All right, all right, I’ll get a water basin and towel, I assured her as I paced off to find the equipment and warn one of the attendants of what I was doing for the records.
Marianna gave a grin as I returned and closed the door and the curtains of the room, replying to the negative when I asked if she could manage with her gown. Taking a deep breath of the indeed stale-smelling air, I eased her out of the sheets, careful not to disturb her bandages or leg cast. While I was at it, I decided to take a look at her stitches, sort of turning her off any ideas about getting a sponge bath from me for a few minutes as I looked over the area, finding very minimal bleeding and good cauterization, even around the cut the rib had made, though I still changed the gauze as I wrapped her side up again. Her leg I didn’t take too much time with, instead reaching under her to undo the remaining buttons of her hospital gown and take her sleeves to pull it off her completely. I could tell from her air that there she took some pleasure in the treatment, the concealed grin on her face speaking for her as well as the fact the moment I started cleaning her shoulders and neck fur, her nipples perked out like crazy.
-Oh come now, I mused as I ensued to wash her seat, which was also a bit moist. I’m nothing to look at here.
-You’re kidding, right? You’re a vision of paradise!
-Paradise must be seriously overrated then, I laughed as I cleaned her legs. Toes are ticklish?
-Sure are, giggled Marianna as she held back a yelp. Okay, that’s good! They’re clean already! Hey, give me your hand...
-What for, I asked as I held my right to her.
-Doesn’t this feel nice, she smiled as she took it and put it on her breasts, rubbing it on them a bit, her left tit finding its way between my index and major. Just grip it...
-Marianna, there’s something in the deontology I’m bound by that sort of advises strongly against it.
-This to deontology too, giggled the collie as her finger went back up. Hold it, bunny, hold it tight.
-Against my better judgement, I sighed as I kneaded her flesh under the long coat that covered it. Well, it sort of feels like it did when you were on the table, but certainly warmer and more vivid.
-I hope it does, laughed the girl as she let my hand go and I returned it to my work. Listen, I was wondering like this...
-Yes?
-Without your rules in the way, is there anything that would turn you away from going out with someone like me?
-In a general way, or a personal way?
-Either, whispered Marianna. Is there?
-Well, outside the patient-physician relationship, I’m afraid I don’t you that well, aside from what we spoke about, so to pass any sort of comment is out of place. First impressions don’t really point anything out to me that would make me think you’re anything but a wonderful, sweet and lovable girl I couldn’t lose my heart to.
-Then I’d better start thinking about dating someone like you, grinned the collie. Dating at all, actually.
-So you’ve never really met anyone or felt a spark?
-Take a better look down there is you like, she said as she motioned to her crotch, nothing’s ever happened. Jeeze, the one time I tried to just do something myself, my father managed to find out and gave me a long talk about how it would be better for me to find someone who loves me to find those feelings.
-Harsh, I mouthed. Well, you’ll probably be out of these cold walls in just over a week, and then back in full working order in a month. If you can manage to hold out that long, hey, there’s no telling what can happen.
-Because nothing could happen here?
-Because there’s no way in heaven or hell to keep anything secret in a hospital, I corrected, especially things like what we’re discussing.
-Fine, patience is one of my better qualities.

Marianna had stayed one in my mind that night, and her words offered a lot of promise, for certain. It was strange but I could see it happen, for our strange match to work somehow. Her father would probably approve of a doctor, or at least a sort of medical practitioner who could qualify as a doctor when needed, so that wasn’t an obstacle, nor was ethics once she was released from care. Such thoughts of comfort made it easy to dream, and I could easily picture us in some quiet idealist bedroom somewhere making love as I sat on the sofa and jerked off to the imagery, blasting apart the tissues I’d taken with me to the point I had to run to the washroom to contain and clean the explosion in a laughing fit. Well collie, I hope you could handle this, I thought as my phantasm was swept down the sewers with a pull on the toilet chain. So the night passed, and a the following days as I visited her and once in a while hinted or simply declared what I felt about her, each time getting a beautiful look back and delicate touch from her, firmer and firmer as her medications were scaled back to nil. Nine days after her admittance, she was off anything but basic codeine painkillers to make it easier for her to deal with her leg and ready to head home on crutches, which I coached her to use, both of us walking around the room a bit with the cumbersome devices until she pushed me on the bed aside her and took me in a hug.
-So, she said with a smile, I’m going home, doc?
-Looks to be the way of it, I replied. I already called your father to tell him you’re ready to go and gave him a list of recommendations for your care. Plenty of TV, sleep, a warm bed to rest, and the indulgences go on.
-A warm bed to share with a bunny, she whispered in my ear as I felt a hand coping my privates, eh, bunny?
-In due time, indeed... oh, knocking! Just a second, eh?

I walked to the door, opening it to find Cavali with Marianna’s discharge papers and a smile, waving to her behind me.
-Just a last check on your girl before she left, I explained, and a how-to for those new toys she’ll be fighting with for two weeks. Is your car a two-seater, or four?
-Four, but it’s at home right now, started the General. It’s a bit of a problem that I have right now.
-Oh?
-Yes, see I’ve got an assignment for the next week out of town and I can’t really insure that I’ll be able to look after my sweetheart. Would it be possible for her to stay here until I come back?
-I’m afraid not, I replied. Once you got those papers, the best I can do is to see if there are free quarters here and arrange for her care there, sort of a home care arrangement. I’d see to it personally, of course.
-My spirit’s at rest then, said the collie as he gave me a handshake. Sorry for dropping this on you, but I didn’t get these until an hour ago, and I’m sort of in a scramble to deal with it right now. I’m not an NCO anymore and man, does it ever shine!
-You just think about your mission, commented Marianna as she gave her father a cuddle. Be careful!
-I will, nodded the General as he gave her a peck. I’ll be back before you know it. Take care, both of you!
-Strange how things seem to work out sometimes, I grunted to the girl as he closed the door behind him and paced off. I know for a fact that the suite aside mine is empty, so I’ll go talk to Red about transferring you right away.
I didn’t waste any time to go and see the red panda, who seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep at her desk by the time I got there. I put the suggestion for Marianna’s temporary accommodations to her, as well as my idea to look after her based on routing her room telephone into the infirmary to make sure that if she’d need anything, it would be looked after if I weren’t able to answer my beeper. She penned it in with a snap-bang finger motion, declaring that I’d just discovered a way to clear a few beds at the facility without having to discharge the patients.
-All right, she’s all yours, Sylvain, said Red. How’s she on crutches?
-Working out quite well, I replied. Her fractures seem to be healing pretty fast compared to what I would have expected too.
-I wouldn’t mind more cases like hers coming in, nodded the panda, nor doctors like you to take care of them. Speaking of which, I sent a letter out yesterday regarding the reinstatement of a certain rabbit into the professional association.
-Well, thanks a lot, Red! I can’t even start to say how much I appreciate what you’ve done for me!
-I can’t imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t been there that afternoon either, grinned the woman. Things just fall into place the way they’re supposed to when everyone involved plays their part just right. Now, you have a patient, don’t you, doctor?
-I do indeed, I smiled as I turned back to the collie’s bedside and helped her transfer into a wheelchair to roll her off to her room rather then put more strain on her then needed.
The room was huge as compared to the suite that she’d been squatting at the hospital, but she wasn’t going to occupy all of it. The small suitcase that her father had brought in for her didn’t have much more then the basic toiletries and clothes to slap on her back, so the larger closet that she was given wasn’t going to be very furnished, if at all. I let her take it easy and lie down in the bed under the heavy covers while I ran around and played fairy godfather to make the place more homely for the time she was going to call it her place.
-Not too bad, I said as I looked at my work. What’s your take, Marianna?
-More then I would have done, replied the collie as she propped herself up. Take a lie down, bunny.
-Oh yeah, I moaned as I carefully parked myself in the bed aside her, putting my arm across her shoulders and let her rest her head against mine. Life gets worst, doesn’t it?
-Occasionally, seconded Marianna as she reached up and tapped her lips with her finger. Put one right here, mister.
-Uh-huh, I muttered as I gave her a slow kiss, locking my front teeth across her fangs to give us a better contact.
-Hmm, I’ve never had anything quite like that, she blushed as she licked her lips. To be honest, that was my first one right there.
-Really? I hope the experience wasn’t too scarring.
-Hah, not in the least, laughed the collie as she stole another one. Yeah, I’ve been in private schools for as long as I can remember, but I’ve been taking my classes on the web for a few years. I like it better! I can really get into them more then in person.
-So you have access to the web, I commented, but you’ve never looked for anything, you know, out of bounds?
-That one time I told you about when I had my hand in my pants was one of the first times I came across skank. Since then, I haven’t really looked for it. I mean I didn’t really like you know...
-Masturbating, I completed. You can say it! We’re all mature here.
-Masturbating, repeated the collie. Yeah, it just didn’t really mean anything to me, and I’m not even sure I was doing anything right. Plus, I have a mirror in my room back home, so seeing myself slouched on the chair all crooked with my fingers down below was a real killjoy.
-Well, I can tell you I’m a pro, I laughed. I suppose I can’t even say when I started, but hey, it keeps me warm.
-A pro, eh? In that case, mister pro, growled Marianna as she rolled to her good side to pull down her panties as far as she could, prove it.
-How are your ribs, I asked before pulling the cover down to get to her genitals, they’re okay?
-Just great. Now, I’m waiting to be impressed...
I smiled as I arched her good leg to the side and started eating her clit out, pinching her urea between my long teeth and rubbing it, getting a high whimper from the girl as she hugged a pillow against her. Without even giving any explanations, I licked my index and slowly pushed it up her asshole, getting another whimper and a few tail waves at first, then saw her eyes roll back with a grin as I thrust it in and out while I continued the cunilingual session. I was better at sex then I bragged about, but this time I was downright maliciously seeking to blow any taboo that Marianna could have about the act, and without quitting my post, I pulled off my pants and briefs and turned to put them right in position for a 69er, getting exactly what I hoped for as she rubbing my balls with one hand and sucked on my cock with as much tongue and teeth as she could put into it, getting me more then in the mood after a half hour of stimuli. I looked down at her with a face that must have spoken my thoughts, and she replied with one that answered that she was even hungrier for it then I could imagine. I got off her completely and repositioned myself to raise her legs over my shoulders, and though her cast was heavier then I was super comfortable with, I didn’t care that much at this point. All I saw was her wet clit and my red, veiny cock, though I had enough wits about me to throw a jacket over it before I penetrated her in a measured push that didn’t even reveal as much resistance as I would have thought for someone who’d never gotten a dose of man in her, but enough to tell me she wasn’t bluffing. I put my hands to her sides and suckled on her soft breasts while my paws got a good grip on the mattress and I started my performance, getting more deep breaths, whines and orgasmic yelps then I could have imagined to hear in one relationship. By the time I came, I didn’t have anything left in the bag, and simply put her legs down before rolling off the collie and lying down aside her, throwing off my rubber into a nearby can with an exasperated call. Not having been through the ordeal before, Marianna was half-stunned, though thankfully still in a major cuddling mood, and we held in a few different positions and spooned until we fell asleep.

I was half awake when I turned my head to look at Marianna, who wasn’t even a single percent conscious. I knew from the drugs how it was when you had your first real, soft bed after being on sedatives for a long time and I didn’t want to bother her at all, so I just got up and took a warm shower to get my body back in a functional state. Technically I didn’t have to go anywhere, since Red had only slated me in for a short, three-hour shift in the afternoon, but I didn’t want to take the chance to wake the beautiful collie up and I was better off hiding in the washroom for a few until she came around. By the time I got out, I saw she had turned the television on and was gazing at it with growing interest.
-Well, look who came around, I said as I tossed a cushion behind Marianna’s head to make her more comfortable. Let me see that ribcage, eh?
-Sure, she replied as I checked her out. I’m okay?
-Looks fine, I nodded. Now, I suppose that with all this free time you have, either I get you a laptop to continue your studies, or something to keep you entertained at least.
-I can wait a while before going back to my courses, sighed the collie. I had just finished the exams for the courses I had taken before the accident, so I’m not interrupting any or anything, and I’m certain that their results were to my liking. I’m not just another pretty girl, you know.
-Did I say that?
-No, you didn’t, smiled Marianna as I sat aside her on the bed and hugged her against me. Personally, I’ll hopefully be getting my official license back soon enough, so I expect to be getting some more interesting work here after you’re back on your paws. Where’s your place?
-Oh, like ten minutes from here, she waved, I’ll write it here. There! My phone number’s on it too. Maybe I got my own phone, but I don’t know if my father would listen in or not, so I don’t know if speaking about any too personal would be a good thing other then in person.
-Right, I nodded. You don’t have any problem with us, I hope? I mean, I’m twelve years your senior here, after all.
-You don’t flap an ear over that, grinned the collie as she took one of my ears and nibbled on it. Do you?
-Nah, I laughed. Need another sponge bath?
-As it would be, maybe I do. Do I have a volunteer?
-If you can’t trust a doc, who can you trust, I chuckled as I helped her up.
-A rabbit, she replied. Hoppidy hop, bunny!
-Oh now, that’s just stereotyping...