FSE

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"Oh god you mean I'm stuck in here?" Nym howled, his claws flicking out of his paws and attacking the bars. Harsh screeching wailed off of it, intertwining with his cursing and thrashing. Two bear arms pushed through the bars, heavy paws landing on Nym's thin shoulders, and shoving him back.

Nym stumbled, his tail swinging wildly around him. He managed to catch himself on his rear paws, touching the ground with his bloodied forepaws.

"Come on, kid, calm down. It's one AM. Just wait it out 'til morning and your parents will probably come around." The officer said coolly, watching Nym stumble back and on to the concrete bed.

Nym's tail twitched impatiently. "What the hell do you mean?"

"You got parents right?"

"I'm twenty-freaking-two."

"Look younger."

"Did you even look at my identification?"

"Not my job." The bear already walked away. His greying fur looked even deader in the gritty fluorescents. Nym watched him stride away, watching the massive thighs tremble with each step. If Nym could hate each individual hair on that bear, he would. He gritted his teeth, his red fur bristling around his muzzle.

"This is asinine! You gave me no ethos, I hope you know."

"Kid, shut up!" Another officer, a hound, called out to him.

"You shut up!" Nym launched himself at the bars again. He threw his stringy arms out between the bars and swiped at the air. Droplets of blood flew from the base of his claws. "I'll rip you to freaking shreds!"

"Says you." The hound fumbled for his pager and made a call, uttering some number.

"What are you doing?" Nym screamed, his maw gaping louder than even he knew possible. "Sedating me? Calling the f--"

"Hey."

Nym rounded on the cell next to him. He stopped cold. He felt his heart thundering in his chest, a caged bird ready to escape. He sniffed loudly, trying to compose himself. It wasn't until then that he noticed how exhausted he was. His legs trembled beneath him. He crept back to the concrete bed and sat down, still staring at his inmate.

"Who are you?" He hissed.

"Helix."

The massive big cat, a snow leopard with bulging, oblong muscles under each inch of his fur including his spotted neck, stared at him with careful expressionlessness. His tail was curled around his knees. His arm were crossed. One large paw rested atop his elbow, tapping to the rhythm of some internal song.

"I'm Nym." Nym also realised he was breathless. He gazed up at the hound, who had his head turned. One of his pointed ink-black ears swivelled towards him.

"Wait a sec, kid." He said.

Nym pressed his lips together.

"Why'd you make so much noise? I was sleeping." Helix said calmly. Nym turned his attention back.

"I, uh, didn't see you there. Was a little caught up in my own crap."

"Foxes should have a better sense of what's going around them."

"Yeah I guess."

Nym rested his back against a wall he was sure hadn't been cleaned in at least two decades. He brought his knees to his chest and rested his muzzle on his sweatpants. He smelled like adrenaline and just a dash of alcohol.

"I didn't do anything bad."

"DUI?"

"No..." Nym shook his head. His tail finally smoothed out. How tense had he been? Soreness began to blossom down his muscles.

"Hm."

"What are you in for?"

"They brought me here only about an hour before you. We're heading off to prison tomorrow, I guess." Helix sighed, his large chest rising and falling. Nym watched him with on vivid green eye.

"Prison? You're JOKING right?"

"I'm not a comedian."

"Ha."

A door swung open. Several locks loudly unlatched. Nym lifted his head towards the noise. A thin equine nurse walked in, scrubs and all. Her long face stared at Nym with increasing boredom. She turned to the hound. Helix's tail began to twitch.

"Which? Twenty-seven?"

"Yeah, twenty four calmed him down a bit it seems." The officer didn't bother to whisper.

"Still want me to sedate?"

He turned his massive, sleek head towards Nym, prying at him from between the bars. His eyes gave nothing away.

"What'll it be, kid? You gonna stay quiet or should Miss Edna put you to a cozy sleep?"

"Does it matter what I say?" Nym felt his blood pressure rising.

"Sit down." Helix whispered in a low, bass whisper. Nym felt some sort of gravity dragging him back down. He sat, hitting the concrete painfully.

Miss Edna walked forwards, her heels clicking against the floor. Or maybe it was her hooves. Nym couldn't tell from his position. She reached into the cell and took hold of his arm. He didn't fight back, though he had a distinct feeling that this wasn't proper protocol. He was about to say something, his mouth sliding open, but Miss Edna cut him off by letting go and turning away briskly.

"He's drunk."

"No, really?" The officer barked.

Miss Edna shook her head. "I'm not dealing with you tonight."

"Oh come on, baby, why don't you stick around a second more?"

Nym rolled his eyes away and tried to lie down. He wasn't drunk. Was he? He could see clearly, except for the thick haze clouding his mind and vision. No, really, he was perfectly fine. He lowered his head on to his elbow and curled up, his tail meeting the underside of his chin.

"I sure hope no one interrupts your sleep now," Helix muttered. But his tone was different, Nym detected before leaping to anger, for once.

"Grudging much?" He asked.

He glanced up once more at Helix, who was looking at him with rapt interest. A pink scar carved one side of his face, but started in the middle of his stomach and cut jaggedly upwards. Dried blood matted at his naval.

"What happened with you?" Nym said, struggling not to yawn.

"What didn't?"

. . .

"Wake up sunshine!"

Nym startled awake. "I'm up!" He cried out, before lurching forwards. A bucket had been expectantly set before him. He grasped it with both hands, his back arching. Unseemly noises escaped him for almost ten minutes. No one seemed to notice. It seemed the officers were already used to it.

He felt arms grabbing him and something cold clasp down on his wrists, latching them behind his back.

Oh, yeah. That whole even the night before hadn't been a dream. Nym felt withdrawal from reality.

He glanced up and saw that, luckily, the snow leopard from before wasn't a dream figment either. Despite everything, a thin smile wanly splayed across his face. He felt a jerk at his side and a shove forwards. He stumble, his green shirt beginning to smell foul.

"Oh great..."