Rat Tale Ch.5 First Cut
Being late to work was not an option. At least not for Gerald. Sure I was the doctor and he was the fry cook, but I had more leeway in my time than he did. I had little to no patience to see most days , but everyone ate at "Zilla's" every day so someone needed to be there to feed the masses. We both scrambled to get dressed and out to our cars. We didn't shower, didn't make our lunches, I don't think we locked the front door on our way out.
The usual morning traffic seemed to be fighting against us keeping us from our destinations, or at least that's how it was for me. I wasn't sure how Gerald would deal with being late, his boss was less than understanding. No one would care if I showed up late to work just as long as I showed up and got my work done, but it was a professional need that I had that made it a priority to be on time.
Let's be honest, I knew people didn't take me seriously, and it's not because I was young or because I was a newer doctor. I don't like to bring race into the conversation, but I wasn't naive enough to believe that my being a monkey had nothing to do with my lack of patients. I would often fight with myself over the issue in my head. People couldn't honestly be that prejudice, could they? Long car rides leave plenty of room for self doubt, and even more space for gloom.
But even with my already low mood that morning I wasn't prepared for who was waiting to see me when I walked in. Mason. He wasn't scheduled to see me until the next day, Friday, like usual. He got to his feet and greeted me in the waiting room.
Mason - Doctor Parker
Parker- Parker, what are you doing here
Mason - you pushed back our appointment tomorrow for the afternoon, I have a photo shoot around that time so I thought I'd see you today
There was something different. He wasn't sad. I don't mean that in an emotional way, he just wasn't giving off that vibe. If anything he felt almost warm. He still wouldn't look me in the eye, but the fact that he shook my hand... something was different l.
Parker- yes , well you can wait for me in my usual room in the back , I need to sign in and get your usual tests ready
Mason- sure , yea, take your time
Very strange, peculiar really, the way he interacted with me that morning. I took his blood sample and urine sample like usual, in fact the entire procedure took less time than it often did. I walked him out of the examination room to send him on his way, but he stopped.
Mason- I forgot to ask...
Parker -yes?
Mason- what did you guys decide, I forgot to ask last week
Parker -what did we decide?
Mason- you and your boyfriend
Parker- oh , that , why the interest
Mason- you take care of me Doctor Parker, can't I care a little
Warm. That's what he felt like. There was definitely an undertone of cold waiting to poke through the warmth of the usual depressed lion, but he seemed to be trying something new.
Parker- We're going through with it
Mason- it must be scary right?
Parker- a little, but we're adults , we can be open minded and stay together through...experimenting
I hoped.
Mason- well I hope it works out
He started to leave but with a hand on his shoulder I stopped him one last time.
Parker - you seem better
Mason- I feel better
Parker- you know we don't have many more of these left, if I remember correctly you have 3 more appointments before your done
His face took on a slight frown.
Parker- I'm happy that you're doing better, and I hope that you know you don't need a court order to come see me
Mason- really
His face lit up if only a little.
Parker- yes , I could become your main care provider , I wouldn't check you for substances anymore but I could help you continue to be healthy, and hopefully happy
Mason- as my main care provider?
Parker- yes
Mason- and what if I want something outside of medicine
Parker- I'm sorry, what do you mean
He took a breath and looked away. He didn't look in my direction the entire time he spoke again, but his forcing himself to speak even through his unnecessary embarrassment was enough to tell me there was gravity to what he wanted to say.
Mason- coming here is the one time I get to see someone who cares, at least I think you care, and I need that
Parker- Mason what are you saying
Mason- would you be around me if...if it weren't your job , if I weren't your patient... like a friend
Parker- Mason, I'm your doctor
He cut me off before I could utter another word.
Mason- you know what , don't worry about it, it's stupid of me to even. ..
He walked away, and it didn't feel right to stop him so I let him go.
I didn't have time to process what had transpired between Mason and myself because only seconds later my phone began ringing. It was Gerald.
Gerald - They fired me
Parker- they what
Gerald- I saw it coming, they've been looking for a reason to for so long
Parker - your late one time in your entire life and they fire you, why would they want you gone
Gerald - I was a rat in the kitchen
Parker- the fuck does that mean
Gerald - you know my boss is human, was human, they
Parker- They're a bunch of racist assholes, you need to sue them
Gerald- what
Parker- this is wrongful termination, bigotry, speciesism
Gerald - I'm not about to sue Zilla's
I could here him taking a breath through the phone.
Gerald- I'll see you when I get home
Parker - alright babe
I hung up the phone and only then did I realize just how loud I'd been. Standing in the back area of the building I'm sure the patients didn't hear me, but the other doctors likely heard everything.
Everyone faced some amount of discrimination, it didn't matter what kind of fur you were there were stereo types for everyone. Cats are mean, dogs are stupid, monkeys are gross. But humans were different. Humans fought about race for so long before furs came along, and for a while it might have seemed as though we were above the bigotry, but I think it's safe to say humans rubbed off on us in that way over time. Furs as a people should have been more together, but it's because of preconceived thoughts and ideas that humans had so long ago that we eventually started to believe them ourselves. I knew most of the other doctors could understand how I felt. But doctor Lane, the only human doctor who worked at the clinic, I wasn't sure if she would understand.