After Dark, Part 1, Chapter 1: Do you have any idea how much of an idiot you are?
#2 of After Dark
Do not read if you're under 18, (or the legal age of consent in your jurisdiction.)
If you do read it despite the above, for gods sake, don't tell me about it.
[Do not read if you are bothered by gayness or diapers.
If you do despite the above, only tell me about it if you liked it, or have something more compelling and constructive to say than "Hurr durr, babyfurs!"]
Chapter 1: Do you have any idea how much of an idiot you are?
"Do you have any idea how much of an idiot you are?" The cop said lazily.
Issac groaned a little, his eyes fluttering open as a nurse hovered by his IV, pressing buttons on the machine. It beeped. Machines all around him were beeping, monitoring his heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, blood sugar, temperature and other things, with the results all being put up on a large monitor above him, along with a full body scan with the damaged section indicated in red. The large cat gave a soft whimper, and shut his eyes again.
"C'mon, I need a statement, Zac. While it's fresh?" The cop pleaded a little, and Issac opened his eyes again. "I went-" he groaned a little. Fresh pain rising as he talked that served only to wake him up further from the painkillers, and he looked up at the uniformed officer. "Went for a run, and to the Seven-Eleven for some Red Bull and snacks. Got my stuff, and two guys came in as I went to pay... then I think a third afterwards. They went..." he rubbed at his eyes a little, suddenly zoning out.
"Nurse?" the policeman said, his face getting a worried look as he glanced up at the monitor his eyes roaming the unfamiliar territory of SPO2 readings. "Zac, are you all right?" The tiger blinked a few more times, then looked back at the officer while a male nurse checked all of his lines, Issac flashing them both a wry grin. "Sorry, painkillers... where was I... Oh, yeah, the two went in back. As I was getting my money out, a third customer walked in that I didn't see... guess it was that wolf. I paid, then they came back and pulled a gun... he pointed it at the cashier, then at me, I think... tried to smack it out of his hand, and got shot." He recited it dryly, wanting it out of the way so he could get some more drugs and go back to sleep. "That enough?"
The cop laughed. "Yeah. You left out the part where your boyfriend fawned over you, but that's alright. The important part checks out. 'Sides, the place was wired for full 3D surveillance. Want a peek?" the cop offered, waving a pair of goggles at the cat. Issac grabbed them, having a little trouble putting them over his face, and finally just held them on. Fawned over? He watched the scene play out, just as he remembered it, himself get shot again in high definition 3D, the whole recording only lasting a minute. The gunshot was followed by the two punks running out, and both the cashier and the wolf skidding to a stop as they ran to kneel by him.
The wolf looked down at him, a look of fear etched on his features as he pressed down on the wound with one hand, his other holding a phone. "Oh god, beautiful, don't die on me like this... yes, I need an ambulance right away... someone's been shot. Seven Eleven on Fifty Sixth avenue and Remmington... please hurry, he's bleeding everywhere..." The wolf dropped the phone, and Issac watched himself reach up to stroke the wolf's cheek, then pass out.
He reached up and pulled the glasses off of his face, his mind reeling a little. The cop looked at him, and reached over, patting his arm and taking the glasses. "S'alright, Kid." he said, watching the tiger's face, "Not easy to watch yourself get shot." Issac just looked up at him. "Who was he?" he asked in a soft voice. "The... guy who called the ambulance, I mean." The cop paused in folding the glasses away, and broke out in a little grin. "Not boyfriend, eh? He's just some college kid that happened to be out at the same time as you, then... guessing you didn't know him?" Issac shook his head, and looked down at the sheets.
"Well... he stuck around for about two days. He finally left this morning. You were in surgery, then asleep for a while. You lost a considerable amount of blood, they tell me. Those two saved your life." As the officer talked, a nurse walked in, waiting for him to finish speaking before interjecting "The doctor needs to see him now," He looked reproachfully at the police officer, "He needs his rest." The cop smiled. "I'll leave ye be. The two thugs got picked up, and there's enough evidence to convict them without your testimony, but we may call you anyway, for the thoroughness of it. Keep your phone on." he smiled, tipped his uniform hat, and walked out.
Issac laid back and waited for the doctor to come in, wriggling a little to assess the rest of his body, and stopping cold as he heard a crinkle. Okay, probably rubber sheets... or not. He pressed his legs together, then sighed a little, reaching down to check himself. Soaked, as usual after sleeping. Mosaic always gave you strengths, but some weaknesses crept in as well. With him it was weak bladder control. It was probably on his chart. He wondered why they hadn't put a catheter in him, but let the thought drift away.
The doctor walked in just as he was hurriedly pulling his hand back above the sheet, which earned him a smile from the young Asian doctor. "Are you wet? I'll have the aide come in and change you in a little while... sorry about that. We don't like to cathetereize patients with IUMS, too many variables affecting that when briefs work just as well."
She looked down at his chart while his face turned pink, blushing hard enough to be seen through the fur. "Well, the surgery was a success. You'll probably have some discomfort and swelling for a while. The bullet fractured your humerus bone quite badly, I'm afraid you'll have to keep a cast on it for several weeks at least, and take some time release medication to aid in the healing process."
She tapped the chart, flipping the page. "Is Doctor Levi still your primary care physician?" She looked up, and chuckled a little as she noted his blush. "Oh, dear me. You don't need to be embarrased, dear, it's a common side effect of Mosaic blending. Well, more common than in the general population. We're still not sure why." He swallowed. "Y-yes, Dr. Levi is my doctor..." he said softly.
She nodded. "I'll send your chart to him when you're discharged later today. Now, how are you feeling? Any discomfort?" He nodded, and she smiled a bit. "I'll prescribe more painkillers, and give you a prescription to take home. I'll keep you for observation overnight, but you can go home in the morning." she said, tapping out the orders on the pad in her hands and calling the nurse in.
Issac nodded to her, still blushing as she left, and a few moments later the human nurse walked up with a soft grin, holding a thick overnight diaper under his arm. "Don't worry, big boy, this isn't the first diaper I've changed. Not of yours, either." Issac looked up, then his head slumped back on the pillow.
The security guard looked alarmed as Issac walked back in. "Issac! are you okay? When you didn't come back, I..." he trailed off, standing up as the tiger walked in. Issac's right arm was in a sling, and he flashed him a soft grin, the bag of meds in his good hand rattling a little as he walked up the steps. "Just fine, Robert. I only got shot, it's not like anything bad happened." he said, smirking a little, and the security guard cracked a smile, which faded almost instantly as he added, "The director wants to see you."
The tiger groaned, and put his good hand over his face. "Haven't I suffered enough?" Robert shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "It's not the worst thing in the world. You'll probably live. Just go see her after you get your stuff stashed." The tiger nodded and walked off, saying over his shoulder, "Sorry for worrying you." Robert smirked, and waved him off, sitting back down and tapping his phone to bring his movie back on.
Issac walked back to his tiny room, setting the bag of pills and supplies on the table and poking at his computer, finding a few messages, each in increasing urgency ending in a few 'get well soons' and a link to a short newspaper article describing the incident. The tiger groaned softly and facepalmed, sitting only long enough to sort out his prescriptions and pop a pill, knowing he'd be in for pain.
He stood up, and walked to the door, walking down the hallways he rarely if ever traveled, towards the Director's office. On the way, a few of the other people in the state-run orphanage nodded at him politely, one or two wishing him a speedy recovery. He smiled a little to them, and nodded back. There was rarely any violence in the facility, because those who were violent and were caught went to see the director, and few people crossed her.
He got to the door, suddenly feeling itchy and hot, for a moment remembering the first time he'd stood in front of her door, six years earlier nearly to the day, and spoke to her the first time.
She had introduced herself as Miss Williams, and asked him his name, before pausing and looking at him closely for a little while. "You'll be seen as different here..." he remembered her saying, her voice echoing across the years in his memory. "You will stand out, and feel like you are apart. Even from the other Mosaic children. For that, I am sorry. I wish I could help you with that. But you will not be harmed, I promise you that. We will care for you here as we do for any other of our charges."
They had been sitting in two comfy armchairs, facing each other, with a small table off slightly to one side, on which were two small mugs. The human lady with cropped brown hair poured some tea into each. "You will get some special treatment, thanks to my supervisors, which will push you even further away from your peers here, but do not expect different treatment from me." He had looked down, having never drunk hot tea before. She had smiled, and offered a plate of sugar cubes to him. "Here. Now... I try and speak with everyone that walks through these doors personally. You are... of course, by virtue of your rare blending, unique, in some ways. You do not need me to tell you this, you hear and feel it all the time." she paused. "What I am here to tell you is that you are not. People treat people differently all the time. Your difference is no better or worse than any other. I aim to make you feel as least different as I can."
He had mixed three cubes into his tea and looked over the tastefully decorated office. He didn't know it at the time, but over the years he would come to appreciate it. He remembered it looking quite unlike a usual school office, and featuring, on one wall, above a red lacquered chest of drawers and a vase of fresh flowers, an Asian-looking tapestry of a tiger. He looked at it, then back at her, unsure of what to say. "Um... thankyou?" He said, in a small voice. She followed his gaze, then smiled back at him, and she had some of her tea.
"You are quite welcome. Now... I have the feeling that we will see each other again. Visits to my office are not usually... pleasant, I warn you, especially those related to rules breaking. You will get a list of the house rules, which are quite strictly enforced, as well as a list of guidelines on how best not to break them. The main rule here is that, even if you are being kept apart, these children here are your family. I will not tolerate violence in any form, to them, or to yourself. Be polite to everyone you meet here, even if they are not polite to you, or we will meet again."
She had looked at him, and took another sip. "Now, do you have any questions?" he had looked at her, and fidgeted and blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, the childish question bursting out of him before he could stop it. "When do I get to go home?" he remembered asking, tears starting to well up in his eyes.
She stopped, pulling a biscuit out of a tin on the table and putting it on a plate, placing the plate on the table next to him, as well as moving forward a box of tissues. "Issac... this is your home now. Please... you must get used to that. I am not your mother, but I hope, in times to come, you will see me as someone you can come to talk to about any problems you may have in future... I am not an unkind woman, though I am strict." she had reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I can not imagine what sort of feelings are going through you, right now, but I can tell you you are not alone. Every child here has felt them, and I am happy to report that even those who are not adopted from here, as most children your age are not, I'm sad to say, tend to go on to college and from there, to good jobs and careers, as I am sure you will as well. I hope to help you achieve that in any way I can, Issac. This place is not the end of the world, just another stepping stone. You will leave here, hopefully, ready for what the world will bring you afterwards."
He had looked up at her, nodded a little, and pulled a tissue out of the box to dry his eyes with, blowing his nose clumsily.
He was startled back into the present by a voice from within the room. "Come in, Mister Dusk." Ms Williams' voice, in her quite proper British accent called. He immediately walked in, his eyes as always drawn to the tapestry that had hung in the same spot for the duration of his stay at the facility. Ms Williams' usually severe look was replaced by a softer one. "I am glad you are not hurt. Please, sit down and drink some tea with me?" she asked, the very same tea set on the small table. He sat down for the first time since the day he had arrived, in the comfy armchairs, looking down at the teacups, then back up at her.
"You're not angry?" Issac asked, and she shrugged a little, pouring the tea. "I gave you permission to go out at night, so long as you took your phone with you and did not stray too far from the premises. The event was not your fault, and I have reviewed the footage myself. You acted in defense of yourself and that young woman, even if it may have been inadvisable in some circumstances, those two had killed a blended convenience store clerk a few hours before."
She smiled softly, as he blinked, eyes widening. "Your actions may have saved more than your own life. In any event, they are in the past, and you are not fatally injured." She sipped her tea, pushing a dish with sugar cubes over towards him. "Three sugars?" It was apparent she was not the only one who remembered his first day here. He looked to the tapestry on the wall, feeling a little more relaxed in one of the two chairs, as opposed to the one in front of her rather imposing desk. "Miss Williams, may I ask a question?"
She looked along with him. "Please... call me Olivia. As to your question... Does the tapestry have anything to do with you? No, Mister Dusk, it doesn't." He shook his head. "Not that question... but do any of the other students ask that?"
She gave a little smirk, an expression he'd never seen on her. "Well, not in as many words. But I can tell they are thinking about it when they ask general questions about it." She smiled a bit. "I've always enjoyed people's reactions to it. And, yes, many people, both your peers and the other people I see in my office, look at that, and your name somehow comes up soon after... I'm sorry if your ears have inexplicably gone red more than once or twice." Her expression softened. "I was going to invite you here even if you hadn't been injured... your tenure here is ending at the end of the week... six years, it feels like only yesterday you came here though."
He smiled a little. "I'm sorry I never took you up on your offer... I'm... not good at sharing my problems," he said softly, looking down into his cup, sipping quietly. She nodded. "I was not offended. Truth be told, people rarely come to me with personal problems. It's a hazard of my position here." She smiled a bit. "Well, no matter. You are about to move on and be in a college dorm... something I am afraid I have not prepared you for here enough. No matter, you will not be the first."
He gave her a sheepish grin, and she smiled a bit. "I have a few bits of advice... stay away from anything that is inserted into your veins or up your nose, remember that you only get one liver, and you need a liver to live, hence the name, and that the heart is a fragile organ." She paused, watching his reactions carefully, and when he blinked expressionlessly, she went on. "When you fall in love, and I am sure this will happen quite soon... Just be careful with your heart... yours and the one you will share." She sipped her tea, smiling softly and patting his arm. "Anyway. Good luck in your future endeavours, Issac. I hope to hear great things from you. Please keep in touch?" He nodded, and they finished their tea in silence.
Issac walked in the Seven Eleven, the door peen-ponning behind him as he looked to the clerk, the same girl as before, and he smiled. She looked up, and practically dropped a customer's change, quickly shoving it in his hand in her haste to run around the counter, hugging him carefully once she got around it. "Issac! I'm so glad you're up and around!" she said, smiling. "Louis called me the day you got released, he came in an hour after you were gone. Are you feeling better?"
He smiled softly to her. "Much, thank you, Mary. I heal quick. The bullet did break my arm, though, so I get to keep it like this while I pack up for college. Not that it's a big deal, I don't have much to move," he said, blinking softly, Louis? She patted his arm softly. "Aww. I'm sorry. Would you like my help? I only have a little Civic, but I have two working arms, thanks to you." She grinned a little. "Actually, if you wait a few minutes, I clock out at seven," she said, looking up at the clock that read 18:54. "Isn't your dorm opening today?"
He blinked a little, and smiled. "Yes, but how did you know?" She chuckled. "Well, they all open today, don't they?" She grinned a little, and he smiled, bowing his head. "I would be delighted." She grinned. "It's the least I can do to pay you back. Anyway, lemme swap out with Celeste. I swapped over to day shift for a while." She paused a bit, and smiled at him. "It's good to see you again."
They walked out to her car, and drove the few blocks to his dorm, and she blinked a little, looking out at the three twenty four hour convenience stores they passed along the way. "Why do you come all the way to ours?" He chuckled a bit. "Two reasons: One, the owners of those stores all give me dirty looks when I go in there, and two, when I do my two mile circuit around the neighbourhood, your store is right at the end on my way home." She blinked a little, and said, "Oh," softly, shaking her head a bit. He smiled. "It's okay. I'm used to it." She looked at him for half a second. "I don't understand people... I mean, I've never seen the point to the Anti Mosaic thing..." He chuckled. "How old are you... twenty two? Mosaic has been around your whole life. For people that are older... it's harder." She shrugged a bit. "I guess." she said, and pulled up by the institute door.
The pair looked up at the imposing brick building, built perhaps before the turn of the last century, old brick and small windows. "Wow... nice architecture." she said, dryly. "You got moving boxes?" He nodded, getting out of the car, "Been waiting for this for months." he said, chuckling. They walked to the door, both smiling at a different security guard, who waved them in with a questioning look to the girl, but with a soft shrug when Issac wiggled his broken arm, then winced, waving them both in.
She smiled a bit when she walked into the small room, noting the few posters of rock bands from the 60s, particularly the Pink Floyd one. "Hey, my mom loves them. She used to make me listen to "Wish You Were Here" every time she got drunk on the weekends." He chuckled. "Actually, these were my dad's... my parents died in a car crash when I was twelve." She gave another soft oh noise, looking down. "I'm sorry." He smiled and patted her shoulder with his good arm. "Not your fault... we weren't that close." She smiled up at him, and nodded. "I'm-... Okay, not gonna repeat myself." she grinned, and pointed to the slightly used cardboard boxes. "Got masking tape?"
They packed up the room, Issac blushing hotter as they cleaned up the desk, finished the closet, and finally he stopped, putting a hand on hers as she reached for the dresser drawers. "Uh, Would you-... uhhh." he stammered, blushing hotly, and she turned up, grinning at him. "Aw.. Okay, want me to turn around? I'm pretty sure I know whats in there, tho, I was in the hospital room for a while... and you occasionally crinkle when you come in and buy baby powder." He closed his eyes, giving a little whimper as he realized she must have known for quite a while, wrapping his good arm around himself as he got embarrassed.
She reached over, squeezing his left shoulder. "Don't be... I... I dunno. It's not like you can help it, right?" He nodded, trying to restore the pieces of his shattered ego. "I... er..." She chuckled. "Louis told me a little about how a lot of IUMS people have that problem." She smiled a bit. "You won't be the only one at your dorm." He huffed. She chuckled. "Want me to turn around, still?"
He sighed, and shook his head, "Prolly go a lot quicker with your help," he mumbled, opening the top drawer to reveal rows upon rows of thick large diapers. She helped him pack them up, grinning a bit, "You getting these on okay with that bum arm?" He blushed hotly. "Er... no... actually, the nurse..." He squirmed, giving a very kittenish whimper as he looked down at the floor.
Mary awwwwwed as she looked up at the big tiger and hugged him. "It's okay, Zac," she said, stroking his shoulder. "Look... you saved my life. I had six younger brothers. So long as you promise not to give me a shower in the process, I'll be happy to come tuck you in at night and help you with these." He shivered a little, nodding a very small nod. "W-wasn't sure how I was going to handle that. Cast needs to stay on for another two weeks at least, if not longer," he said, biting his lip and looking up at her. "You sure you don't mind?" She smiled and nodded. "Sure."
They packed up the rest of the drawers, the second one down containing changing supplies, the rest all containing ordinary socks and underwear. The tiger blushed even redder as she dug out a pacifier with a large bulb from the second drawer, a grin on her face. "Er... I had a problem with grinding my teeth as a kid... when I got sent here, it was in the stuff they sent me with... never threw it out." She smirked a little. "Uh huh," she said, and he folded his ears. She squeezed his shoulder. "I believe you," she said.
They finished packing up the room, putting the vintage posters in a mailing tube, making several trips to the car with stuff. She packed up his laptop and put it in his backpack, helping him to put it on. They walked out, and looked back in at the now empty room. "It's so small... Well, it's not a bad thing, you won't have a lot more room at the dorm," she said, smiling. He left the door open, and they walked to the car. As they got near the exit, they turned a corner and stopped, both jaws dropping a little.
The entire population of the orphanage was lined up along one wall leading to the exit. He had known this was a tradition for some people leaving the orphanage, people who'd made lots of friends, people who were athletes, or were leaving to get adopted... tears welled up in his eyes unexpectedly as he walked past the line, alternating between shaking hands, high fiving, and merely nodding to every one of them. As he got to the staff, the security guard, Robert, hugged him lightly.
"Good luck, Issac," he said, and smiled at him. Issac patted his arm. "You too, Robert." The rest of the staff each nodded and smiled, and when he got to the end of the row, Ms Williams reached out for his hand, shaking it carefully. "Goodbye, Mr. Dusk. It has been a pleasure being your guardian these few years... take care of yourself." She smiled, and he smiled back, rubbing at his eyes. "Thank you, Ms Willi-... Olivia." He chuckled, and turned, walking out the door. The silent human and the crying tiger got in the Honda Civic, and drove away.
~To be continued~