The Worlds Collide
#15 of Love Letters - The Whole Story
Speckle just wants to have some quiet lunch, but the world has other plans for him.
The Worlds Collide
Hello, everyone!
Here's Gruffy, and presenting these two to you again, and...well, things are interesting, as always! I hope you enjoy the story as much as I do, and look forward to your feedback! Do remember that all votes, faves and watches will help others to find these stories to enjoy as well.
Ta ta!
*
" Mi madre no puede comer nada!"
_ _
I frowned a little while listening to the jaguar speaking, and looking at the small, miserable-looking woman sitting on the edge of the gurney while the younger one hovered about by the two of us.
"Duele cuando tomo una mierda", the woman muttered.
"Si, senora," I said while glancing at both of them in turn, "eh... ¿cuánto...ah...tiempo has...lastimado?"
"No puedo dormir y mi cabeza gira!" the woman shook her head miserably.
"Por favor, ayudar a mi madre, doctor!" the daughter implored.
"Si..." I mumbled, "
"Me duele aquí cuando respiro profundamente!" the jaguar pressed a paw onto her chest.
"Ella no puede dormir y ella simplemente se queda viendo la televisión toda la noche!"
"Ueh... ¿Cuándo usted último vio a su médico?" I tried.
"Mi corazón late tan rápido y me siento débil!"
_ _
Médico, es ella muriendo?" the daughter tugged on my sleeve.
Damn it.
"Un momento, por favour," I said.
"Médico!"
"Un momento," I told them before I stood up from my stool, pulled the curtain, and stepped out of the cubicle. Whitney was working up the next patient, a sullen-looking fox with a cut on his paw.
"Whitney, where's Mrs. Fields?" I asked.
"Next door, doing a pelvic on a suspected spontaneous abortion," Whitney replied, "I'm setting up this suture tray for her when she comes back."
"I better ask her to deal with this...uh...Mrs Martinez in the cubicle, she's just...there's a bit of a language barrier going on here."
Whitney chuckled.
"Didn't do your Spanish homework when you were a kid, Speckle?"
"This is a bit beyond my proficiency level," I replied, glancing over at the striped curtain. "I think it's better I ask her if we can swap, and I can do this...simple lac, was it?"
"Yeah, I'm just going to irrigate it. Seems to be a simple single layer closure."
"You'll be doing my job before I know it," I chuckled. "I'll pop by to Mrs. Fields."
I took off my gloves and dropped them into the hazardous waste basket before I stepped through the swinging door into the corridor outside. Things seemed to be at the usual swing, everywhere, with noises coming from the trauma section, and One-Eyed Albert sleeping off on one of the gurneys in the hallway while waiting for the banana bag to drip empty into his arm.
I pushed the door into Exam 6 open and peered in, to see the outline of my colleague behind a screen, and Chapel standing upright and overseeing.
"Cheryl?"
"What's up?"
"There's a lady with many complaints here and only communicates in Spanish and you know how I'm with Spanish, so can you take a look? I already promised Whitney I can take that fox with the paw lac if you like to swap."
"is she ready?"
"Pretty much," I said. "And the Spanish lady is stewing back there."
"Okay," she said. "Will be there in five."
"Thanks, Cheryl, you're a sweetheart."
"Only for you," she smiled before diving back behind the screen.
*
The fox's paw was a breeze, Cheryl saved us from the wrath of Consuela Martinez and her irritable bowel syndrome, and the next three ear infections, one sprained tail, one jock itch and one acid reflux, before it was...how suitably, time to hit the cafeteria for something to eat during my break. They seemed to be serving meatloaf -
And look what was there, too - sitting on one of the little plastic tables and oh ever so conspicuous...
_ _
_ _
"What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed when I slipped my tray onto the table and sat down opposite to the lion who looked very much pleased to be in my presence.
"We brought in an MI and then Pete took the rig back to the station and I stayed here for a bite to eat since I knew you'd be about," Daniel said. "Since you didn't take a packed lunch..."
"Is the meatloaf any good?" I asked him for an affirmation while I tried to make my tail not to wag quite so much under the hems of my white coat.
"Not as good as when you make it but it's okay," he licked his lips.
I chuffed, but smiled a little, before I dug my fork into the meatloaf on my own plate, along with mashed potatoes, steamed peas and gravy.
He looked dangerously handsome in his paramedic uniform, epaulettes and all, and a utility belt - who got to wear those nowadays? He was like a real life Batman...Lionman this time around, though equally handy with his...equipment? Maybe I shouldn't think of anything naughty while at work, though the temptation with Daniel around was...great.
"And did you have any excuse on why you'd voluntarily subject yourself to the hospital cafeteria?"
"Told them I was seeing my handsome boyfriend?"
"Well that's laying it a bit thick isn't it?" I chuckled.
"Your tummy will be thick soon if you keep drinking Pepsi for dinner," Dan grinned, tongue tip between his teeth while pointing at the can on my tray.
"I thought you like me with something to grab onto?" I suggested. I knew I was thin as a stick for most part, so it must've been silly enough.
"Just have to watch out for that visceral fat," the lion replied, round ears flicking about.
I shook my head, playfully, of course.
"I thought I was the one doing preventive healthcare," I replied, "you're the one who picks them up once I've failed."
"It's been a quiet day," he said, "Only one LOL, one playground incident, and a passed out drunk in a nice neighbourhood."
I chuckled.
"Not One Eyed Albert was it?"
"Is he in?"
"Yeah."
"Wonder if we could get him into a home," I mused, "I heard a rumour that he's a Vietnam vet."
"I know that 'Spare a Dollar Danny' was a Desert Storm veteran, back in Chicago," he said.
"It's always a shame when they turn out like that," I said. "Not sure who to blame, really, besides the state for having all these wars that break all these furs and then not cleaning up the mess they make on our streets as a result of letting them back to the general population with no support network."
"Except us," my meatloaf-munching lion said.
"Our very own battle."
"So how's life in the trenches for you? Besides One Eyed Albert?"
"It's the walk-in clinic, they generally don't come in with anything too spectacular. And if they start going south, I'll just push them over to the other side of the corridor," I smiled. "Just the usual stuff you see. It becomes a blur."
Dan chuckled.
"Is this the point when we become cynical and disillusioned with the system and everyone and we just...lose hope?"
"I've felt like that after every shift for the last eight years," I said, "especially after the times I get puked on."
"I mostly just get puke inside the rig," he said.
I looked at my plate. The gravy kinda made the meatloaf to look a bit like puke.
"Beats running into burning buildings?"
"I kinda miss the calls to kittens who climbed up a tree and then they were too scared to come down on their own."
The can of soda opened with a satisfying swoosh and a click and tasted like lifeblood for a busy ER medic.
"Suppose that's a small regret...I do miss the Nomex sometimes."
"Hahah," he rumbled, "the sight of it, sure. Try wearing it for a few hours and tell me otherwise then."
"Hahah."
*sluuurp*
"Guess we did a good thing with this whole 'let's get each other through school so that we can make a better life for ourselves' plan," I smiled.
"We'll be paying it for a while but...yeah," he chuffed. "I guess everyone has to pay."
"It's a good investment, I think," I smiled.
"And just think of all the tax breaks we'll be getting soon..."
I felt a pleasant tingle in my belly, and it wasn't just the bubbles in the soda, and with the nice warmth on the insides of my ears, I had a fairly good idea where it was all coming from.
"That's a super romantic way to put it, Dan."
He gave me a super-big cat smile.
"Well, would you rather discuss whether you want to be Mr. Augustine-Hobbes or Hobbes-Augustine?"
Now it was my time to chuckle.
"That'd be a bit of a monster on the ID tag."
"Your fault, obviously," he pursed his lips. "Yours is too long."
"Oh, right?"
"Uh-humm," he said.
"You're stupid," I said, "and mean."
I adored him, really.
He pouted.
"Guess I'll have to make it up to you by cooking and cleaning and taking the trash out before you come home," he said, "maybe also clean the drains, go shopping, wash the windows...change the sheets..."
"I'll love you forever if you do," I said, "I'm already exhausted, and I'm sure the minor cases have piled up even while I'm sitting here. When I go back, I bet One Eyed Albert has woken up and is in need of some suitably invasive procedure."
"Ever the optimist," he smirked.
"Oh, always..." I flicked my ears as much as they did. He was smiling, too.
"I was thinking of trying something with aubergines," he said.
"Are we on a diet now so that you'll fit into your graduation tuxedo for the wedding?"
My lion puffed out his uniformed chest.
"All muscle, baby, I don't want to get rid of any of it."
"I don't want you to get rid of it," I gave him an admiring look that wasn't too lurid for the public, I hoped. He could tell it, too, because his smile only seemed to widen.
"Maybe you can watch me work out..."
Oh, pump those glutes...
"Mmmmaybe!" I spluttered. My cheeks started to feel quite warm while thinking about my lion's cheeks.
"Hi, Speckle!"
_ _
I glanced over towards the source of the call, to see the scrubs-wearing, white-coated wolf going along the service counter, and looking over to me with one paw raised. I flashed a quick smile over, and lifted my own paw, and gave a wave, while mouthing 'hello'. I looked back to Dan, who was giving me a curious look.
"Someone I know from work," I told Dan, "he's a junior doc at the ER."
Dan glanced over to the wolf, who was currently paying his meal, before looking at me.
"Pretty swishy-tailed isn't he?"
"He's just young and a bit wet behind the ears," I said, "he kinda looks up to me."
Daniel chuckled.
"So now not only you do to the scut work for the docs, you also teach the kid doctors for them?"
"I find it flattering," I said. "I learn a lot in the progress, too. And the more I learn, the more responsibilities they'll give to me."
"Do you really need more work?"
"More interesting work, perhaps?" I said.
Then he was upon us, looking eagerly and expectantly down to the two of us sitting there.
"Hi, Speckle, is there room here?"
"Of course," I nodded towards one of the empty seats on the small table," more the merrier."
The wolf put down his tray and pulled the chair for himself, with a loud screeching noise that made his ears bounce.
"Is the meatloaf any good?" he asked.
"It's okay," I said, "haven't felt like PV:ing yet."
Dan chuckled. The wolf glanced at him curiously.
"Oh, sorry, here's Dan," I flicked a paw towards my lion, "Dan, here's Nev, from the ER."
"Hello," the wolf offered his paw, which was dwarfed by my lion's, when he squeezed the wolf's paw into his fingers.
"How's it going?" my lion asked.
"I am fine, thank you," the wolf said, "are you well?"
"Even if I'm the hospital, believe it or not," Dan chuffed.
"Heheh," Nev laughed politely, "work for the EMS?"
"Guilty as charged," Dan smiled, "dropped off a patient and thought I'd hang out for a moment to see Speckle here."
More curious looking from Nev. This might get interesting. I could see that Dan was enjoying it.
"Oh, that's nice," Nev said.
"We were actually discussing the upcoming wedding," I said.
Dan's ears bounced.
"Oh, really?" Nev seemed interested. "A mutual friend getting married?"
Dan chuckled.
"You could say so," he said.
I cleared my throat. Dan was still grinning like stupid.
"Nev..." I looked at the wolf," I'm getting married."
His ears perked.
"We are getting married," Daniel said.
The fork about to dispose meatloaf into his muzzle made an amusing stop, while his pupils increased in size.
I put my paw into my collar and pulled my ring out into the open.
"In case you ever wondered about this, Nev, it's not a chastity pledge ring," I showed the ring to him on my palm.
"Uh..."
"The polite thing to say here would be 'Mazel tov' , I think," Dan chuckled.
"Eh..."
"Speckle's told me all about you," he said, "he says you're cool."
"He has?" the wolf looked at Dan.
"Of course he has," Dan grinned, looking all...handsome and attractive while chatting to my colleague, "he always keep talking about the ER, anyway."
"I did tell you that I live with my fiancé, didn't I?" I told the wolf, "Surely the nurses gossiped to you who it was..."
"Eh..." now his ears started to flop, and I suspected that he was feeling more flustered than before, "not really..."
"Nice to meet you," Dan said, "and it's true that Speckle has spoken about you."
Nev glanced at me.
"He hasn't talked so much about you, though," he said.
"I have," I chuckled. "I told you that I went to the movies last weekend to see X-Men: First Class with my fiancé. Before that I told you that I'd went shopping with my fiancé, and that I was planning a holiday with my fiancé..."
"Eh...yes..." the wolf said, "yes, you did..."
It was adorable, how flustered he was getting.
"It's called the transparent closet," Dan educated my workmate in an amused tone, "that means you don't make a big deal out of it, but you don't pretend to be anything you aren't."
"No made up girlfriends," I said.
"No talking about monster trucks," Dan said, "though we do like monster trucks..."
"Who doesn't?" I smirked.
"Ah...sure..."
"Hmm...cherry jello..." Dan licked his lips while spooning up some of his dessert.
"I'm still saving mine," I said.
"Do you have a girlfriend, Nev?" Dan asked, all manly.
"Uh...no..." the wolf's ears drooped properly now, "this job and dating doesn't really mix."
"Talk about it," I said, "if we hadn't met at work, I bet we'd still be single."
"You guys met here?"
"Nah. Back in the ED in Chicago," I said.
"Have you been together for long?"
"Since 2007," I said, "so...bout four years now?"
"More or less," Dan affirmed.
"That's...great," the wolf said.
*
"...so how come you didn't tell me you have a boyfriend?"
_ _
We were walking down the corridor, back towards the wing housing the emergency department, two whitecoated figures side by side. He was just a bit taller, and walked so quickly that I had to keep pace with him.
"Like I told you, Nev, I just don't make a big fuss about it," I told the wolf, "I'm gay, I don't have to talk about it. It's just who I am. I don't have to tell anyone to get any affirmation for me, my identity, or my relationship."
"I don't know..:" the wolf said, "I feel a bit strange now..."
I glanced at him.
"About me being gay?"
"No!" he yelped. "I mean...about everything...asking you out for drinks so that we could look at girls, coming to mind..."
I chuckled.
"But that's ancient history!" I smiled. "I told you I was seeing someone."
"And I was envious..." his ears drooped.
"Awww..."
"I mean, it's great you have a...a friend..."
"Boy_friend,_ Nev," I said, "and please don't start with the talk about you thinking it's cool, and how you know many gay furs, and that you've no issue with them. With us."
"I don't have any issues," he replied immediately as we moved to the side to pass a gurney on the hallway, "I mean..."
I clicked my tongue.
"Tut tut!"
"Ow..." he rubbed his muzzle, "I'm sorry, am I making a complete schmuck out of myself?"
"Just in a very cute way," I winked.
"Cute?"
"Yep."
We'd come to the elevators, and I hit the button to call it onto our floor.
"Cute how?"
"I don't know...awkward cute?" I said.
"You...think I'm cute?"
"Hope you're joking along there, Nev," I replied.
"Maybe?"
"Hah," I nudged his arm with my knuckles, "of course I think you're cute. But you're also straight and I've got a fiancé. So consider it a kind of a...latent intrigue?"
"Hmmm."
"You do know that I'm joking, right?"
He smiled.
"Of course I do," Nev replied. "I'm really happy for you, that you've found a good place for you, and a good fur, too."
"He is everything that," I said.
We stuffed ourselves into the elevator.
"That's great, it really is."
"Thank you, Nev," I smiled.
"And you really plan to marry soon?"
"When the law goes through, yeah," I said, "not right away, though. We aren't exactly planning to line up for it like those who want to rush to do it as soon as it's legal. We've still got things to plan."
"Uh...sure, I know how it can be, my brother's wedding kept everyone busy for a year...hah!" he huffed. "So, is it going to be a big event?"
"Why, you want to be a bridesmaid?"
Gotcha.
*
Thank you for reading! I hope you had a good time, and I look forward to your comments! See you soon!