FSE

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Changes We Make

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

8th September, 2021

All Rights Reserved.

Once again, Nicole lay on the bed in the back of the van, as Jennifer drove them back to the veterinarian clinic.

Nausea filled Nicole's stomach as the twists, turns and rocking motion of the van gave her motion sickness.

Strange... Nicole thought to herself, her eyes frowning as she placed a paw against her stomach. I've never experienced this before, then again, I've never been shot through with so much tranquilliser either...

As if sensing the Kangaroo's discomfort, Jennifer quickly glanced in the rear view mirror and glanced at Nicole, whose ears were slicked flat and her mouth open like she was panting and in distress.

“Not much longer, I promise!" Jennifer called back to her.

I know exactly how long it takes – Nicole thought again. I wonder, can a kangaroo even vomit? I think I'll find out if this takes me much longer...

Sitting up didn't really help, as her narrow feet slipped and slid on the vinyl matting on the floor so she lay back down and clutched a pillow tight against her belly, hoping it'd ease the increasingly discomforting sensations that filled her. Her salivary glands began excessively excreting, making her swallow again and again. Her heart thudded in her chest, way higher than usual for a kangaroo, but not dangerously so, but that too was an unhappy experience.

*

Pulling into the surgery, parking around the back, Jennifer quickly slid out the drivers door and opened the double doors of the van, then watched as Nicole weakly crawled from the van and stood in the pool of light cast by the overhead light.

“You...you okay?" Jennifer asked, as she crouched down and gently lifted Nicole's chin up to look into her eyes.

Nicole shook her head weakly, then began crawling towards the door of the surgery. She was unsteady, her pelt growing wet with sweat and the sickening nausea feeling like her stomach was being twisted. Jennifer touched her card to the door and it hissed open. Nicole crawled through and moved purposefully to the nearest recovery room where she slumped onto the floor and began shaking.

“No, don't you dare!" Jennifer wailed, recognising the onset of shock.

Nicole couldn't help it, she felt like she'd been locked in a freezer, her internal temperature plummeting, heart racing and even her blood felt like it was turning to ice water in her veins. Jennifer snatched up a blanket and covered Nicole with it, before she frantically began searching the cupboards.

Quickly, she found heat packs, which she broke to activate their contents and placed them against Nicole's body, two on her back, one just below her arms and one just below the pouch. For twenty minutes, she kept rubbing at Nicole's shivering body, stimulating the blood vessels beneath the fur until at last Nicole shuddered and laid a trembling paw on Jennifer's forearm.

“You scared me half to death - “ Jennifer moaned, as she tenderly stroked Nicole's ears. “Are you thirsty?"

Nicole gave a weak nod, then moved as if she wanted to stand, but Jennifer gently pressed her back down.

“No, stay put - “ Jennifer told her, gently but firmly.

An unmistakable expression crossed Nicole's face as she stared up at Jennifer.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to talk down to you, like some...some animal..." Jennifer sighed. “Gods, what do I do? What happened to you Doctor? Can we fix it? Can we...can we do anything?"

Nicole trembled beneath the blanket and frowned, she was just as lost for answers as her assistant was. Frustrated, she grunted and growled, but Jennifer only frowned at her, then gently placed a hand on Nicole's head.

“I'll be right back, I promise, please, stay here and try to stay warm?"

Watching Jennifer leave, Nicole sighed inwardly and clutched at the blanket as another shiver ran through her.

I know nothing... Nicole thought to herself. A feral Doe, I accidentally cut myself whilst doing surgery... No, its just not – it can't be real! Some...creature out of a B-grade horror movie? How...

Frustrated, Nicole slapped the floor with her paw, angry, scared and frustrated. Her rational mind wanted answers and solutions, but there were none to be had. As she tried to stand, her legs wobbled beneath her and she fell heavily as her long legs splayed out in opposite directions.

I can't even stand – what is wrong with me?

Jennifer returned a few moments longer, pushing a medical cart in front of her. Nicole sighed again then she blinked as Jennifer placed a bowl of water down and on a tray usually used for holding medical instruments, was a collection of vegetables and a small handful of Marsupial pellets.

Looking at the food, Nicole looked up and shook her head, before she fumbled and managed to slide the tray away.

“Doctor, please!" Jennifer pleaded as she crouched down. “You got to eat something, please? At least have some water?"

Nicole twitched and her claws clicked against the bowl, but unable to hold it, Jennifer took over and held it up to Nicole's muzzle. Taking a few deep gulps, Nicole pulled her head away and Jennifer placed the bowl to one side. Standing back up, she picked up the laptop and set it down before Nicole again.

“I've set it up already - “ Jennifer told her. “Please, if you can think of anything then like you did at my farm..."

Nicole pondered, her eyes narrowing as she thought long and hard, before, slowly, a single letter appeared, then others, quicker and quicker as Nicole pecked at the keys with her claws.

“I still do not understand - “ Come the words on the screen. “Go to the theatre, get some things to do a blood test, you know what we need..."

Nodding, Jennifer quickly left the room, returning about ten minutes later with the necessary equipment. Nicole watched as Jennifer laid out some collection vials and then looked down at Nicole as she frowned.

“Where's best to do this? I mean, I'm nowhere as knowledgeable as you are when..."

Frustrated, Nicole looked at her forearms, then pondered. Turning her wrists this way and that, she pressed leathery paw pads against the slender wrist until at last she felt the pulse. Looking at Jennifer, Nicole tapped at her wrist and awkwardly twisted it over.

“Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you!"

Nicole sighed mentally and held her wrist out again, paw facing upwards.

Gently, Jennifer took the wrist in her hand and using her fingers, she sought out the pulse and the vein. With one hand she uncapped the needle and as she looked into Nicole's eyes, she shuddered.

“Please try to hold still..."

Nicole trembled, she couldn't help it, before she suddenly snatched her paw away and held her paws up in a warding gesture, grunting, clucking and stamping a long foot.

“What? I haven't..." Jennifer squealed in alarm.

Nicole stamped a foot again, then crawled over to the wall where she stood up and clawed at the shelf, trying to show Jennifer something. For a few moments, Jennifer didn't make the connection until with an annoyed growl, Nicole looked purposefully at the box.

“Gloves...oh, of course, I'm an idiot..." Jennifer nodded then plucked a pair of latex gloves from the box.

Hardly an idiot, my friend. Nicole thought, but had no way of expressing it.

Watching as Jennifer slipped on the gloves, Nicole stood, then held her wrist out again. Jennifer tenderly took the paw in her hand and as she slipped the fine needle through fur and flesh, Nicole twitched and watched the vial fill with her blood.

Slipping the needle free, Jennifer pressed a cotton ball to the spot and left Nicole to hold it.

“Okay, we've got a blood sample – this is so out of my area of expertise... I do not do bloodwork, I don't even understand what I'm meant to find – if anything!"

Turning back to the keyboard, Nicole slowly began to peck at the keys again.

Anything, unusal, we both know what is normally found in the blood of our patients, under magnification – you will have to do it for me, I can't...

As if to empathasise, Nicole looked down at her paws and shook her head.

I can not operate the microscope, obviously, so...please hurry!

Jennifer bit her lower lip, then with Nicole following, they headed towards the small laboratory near the back of the clinic.

*

What is that? Come the words on the screen slowly as Nicole carefully poked them.

“Doctor? I wish I knew!" Jennifer sighed. “I'm so out of my expertise here, we tested your blood, it looks, well, normal – for one of your species.

What's that supposed to mean?

"I mean, its normal looking, I think, for a Kangaroo...yet its not...right, you understand?"

Nicole snorted then stared at Jennifer, before gesturing at herself.

“Point taken Doctor - “ Jennifer sighed. “I wish we could understand... Wait, you remember..."

Quickly, Jennifer turned Nicole's laptop around and sat it on the table as she hurriedly brought up a internet browser and began searching. Confused, Nicole crept around behind Jennifer and stood beside her.

“Here..." Jennifer murmured, as she turned the laptop to make it easier to Nicole to read the news article. “Years ago, there was a massacre of humans and animals, remember that?"

Nicole frowned, then quickly read the article and waited for Nicole to scroll it down to keep reading.

“Well, that small township...well, I was reminded of something, someone told me, who had heard it from someone and so on..."

Nicole growled in annoyance, her ears slicking back.

“Doctor...what if those rumours were true...that these...creatures – really do exist? Those humans hunted their kind down and...oh no..."

Jennifer's eyes filled with tears as she turned to look at Nicole, then back at the laptop as she kept reading.

“They hunted them, tortured them and..."

Jennifer turned to stare horrified into Nicole's equally wide and scared expression.

Killed them... Nicole thought, her body starting to tremble.

To Be Continued...