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Changes We Make

Chapter Five

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

28th September, 2021

All Rights Reserved.

“I do not know what you're on about!" Come the voice from Alice, who placed her hands on her hips and looked at two smartly dressed men who had fronted up at the Veterinary clinic.

“About a month ago, a kangaroo was brought to your surgery..." One began.

Frustrated, Alice frowned and looked between both men. Something about them just didn't feel right to her, some primitive, gut instinct almost. They'd come unannounced, flashed important looking badges and to her quick glance – official – looking ones...

“Wait..." Alice muttered, as she frowned and turned to the computer and began hurriedly typing on the keyboard. “Kangaroo, about a month ago..."

Her attention distracted by the files she was skimming through, she did not pay attention to the two men, who looked at each other with knowing glances.

“Kangaroo, Megaleia Rufa, female with joey and..."

A loud click made her freeze, as she looked up and found herself an inch away from a silenced pistol that was pointed directly at her forehead, held steady by one of the men.

“I'm through asking, so it will be for the last time... What happened to that beast?" Snarled the man with the gun.

“Don't even think about it..." Quietly warned the other man, as he moved around the counter and the one with the gun gestured for Alice to move against the wall.

Alice's eyes went wide, as she pressed herself back against the wall, the one with the gun holding it on her, whilst the other one looked over the file.

“Dead, corpse disposed of – apparently died in surgery but... her offspring was taken to the sanctuary, did we hear from the operative we sent there? Wait – there's a sub-note about..."

“An accident!" Alice burst out, tears streaking down her face. “Doctor Nicole, our senior vet - “

Waving his gun at her, the man holding her indicated she better tell her story quick.

“During the surgery there was an accident and Dr. Nicole accidentally cut her finger, whilst she was doing surgery to save the kangaroo and..."

Once again, both of them exchanged looks.

“There's a rogue out there..." One spoke to the other, a look of cruel, predatory rage sufficing his face. “Call the others, this just a got a lot more interesting..."

“You'll let me..." Alice wept, holding her hands before her in a pleading gesture.

“Go?" Come the low voice of the one who held the gun on her. “For aiding and abetting a..."

“I'm afraid not..." Spoke the other quietly.

*

Jessica sprawled on the couch, cuddling the orphaned Joey and holding a bottle with teat to its muzzle.

“Come on little one, just a little more, please?" Jessica whispered, as she rubbed the latex teat against the joeys mouth.

Squirming, the doe joey pulled her head away and used her small claws to push at Jessica's fingers.

Watching, from where she lay on the floor, Nicole shook her head, ears slapping from side to side and grunted at Jennifer.

“I think you're right Nicole, I think the little one isn't hungry..."

Tenderly wiping at the spilt milk, Jennifer gazed down adoringly at the joey, who blinked and looked back at her, her dark, soulful eyes expressionless.

“How old do you think she is?" Jennifer asked Nicole. “Think she can spend a little time out of the pouch?"

Nicole thought for a few moments, remembering what she knew of their development and with an approximate age to go off, Nicole nodded twice.

“Alright little one, don't worry, I'll be right here."

Jennifer climbed off the couch and gently set the joey down. At first, it trembled and clutched at her, making that strange coughing and grunting sound.

Poor thing is scared, I can't really blame he. Nicole thought to herself. Orphaned, raised by strangers and...wait, if she really is one like what I am...

Nicole grunted quietly and stood up, before she crouched down and crept a little closer to the joey. It glanced at Nicole, then back at Jennifer and clawed at her again, as if begging to be picked up or allowed back in the makeshift pouch.

That didn't work – did she not understand me? Sure, it was just a nonsensical noise... what if I tried...

Nicole frowned and crouched lower, before she uttered a series of strange clicks, grunts and a coughing type sound. To her surprise, the Joey quit trembling and glanced over her shoulder at Nicole.

“What did you..." Jennifer murmured.

Nicole glanced quickly at Jennifer, then turned her full attention on the Joey again, before making that strange cough again. Timidly, the Joey released her grip on Jennifer and turned about, crouching down and stretching out towards Nicole, who reciprocated the gesture.

Fearfully, the Joey sniffed at Nicole, who held her breath and crouched as low as she could, fearing she would terrify the joey. Timidly, it sniffed at Nicole again then moved a half step forwards towards Nicole's splayed out paws.

I got no idea what to make of this. Nicole thought to herself. She seems curious, yet oh so very afraid – I know I don't smell like her dead mother, but maybe, something will help...

Taking another cautious movement towards Nicole, who remained crouched and ears partially flattened, the Joey sniffed and nuzzled against Nicole's forearms, then trembled and made that strange, frightened chattering sound.

“Stand up, carefully - “ Jennifer suggested.

Partially rising into a semi-crouched position, Nicole watched as the joey crept closer and snuffed at her, then began scratching and nosing at the tightly contracted pouch muscles.

She...what is she doing? Nicole wondered.

“Nicole? I wonder...can you... I mean, can you ease those muscles, relax them I meant..."

Frowning, Nicole looked down, then with what felt like a monumental effort of concentration, the pouch muscles relaxed and hung loose. Crying, the Joey clawed at the pouch and chattered, beginning to tremble from fear.

“Crouch down again - “ Jennifer whispered quietly, sitting on the couch and watching.

With a sigh, Nicole did such, placing her paws back on the ground, before the Joey fumbled at the pouch again, then without warning dived head first into it, tumbling head over tail as it swallowed her up, until only the tips of her toes, nose and pale tail tip showed from the now bulging pouch.

Oof! Nicole gasped, feeling the weight of the Joey in the pouch. Heavier than I expected and I've never... experienced this before...how do the kangaroo doe's do it?

“I - “ Jennifer blinked. “I've never... you're not her mother, I've never, admittedly with my limited knowledge – heard of another doe willingly letting a strange joey into her pouch..."

Nicole carefully stood upright, feeling the ache from the pouch and the heavy weight of the joey within. With a few quivers, the Joey settled and in moments, she drifted into a deep, restful sleep.

Carefully, Nicole placed her leathery paw pads against the fur of the pouch, feeling the Joey within, as she shuddered and frowned.

“How does it feel? She's not hurting you, or any discomfort or...I got so many questions!" Jennifer whispered.

Nicole could only shake her head, as she gently pressed her paws against the swollen pouch and felt the Joey wake for a moment and wriggle into a slightly more comfortable position.

Nicole thought for a moment, then frowned, before she dropped to all fours and began to crawl, instinctively tightening the pouch muscles as the joey squirmed and kicked painfully hard. Jennifer followed Nicole, who made her way to the couch, then with considerable difficulty, climbed up and lay herself down, one long leg folded over the other and adopted that half-lying, half-sitting pose Kangaroo's did so well.

“Such an adorable picture - “ Jennifer chuckled softly.

Nicole's ears flattened and she stared at Jennifer, who giggled and left the room. With a sigh, Nicole lay herself down, her furred head resting on the couch as she drifted into a light slumber. When Jennifer returned with a tray, on which sat a bowl of marsupial mix and water, Nicole was sound asleep, muzzle open and her breathing deep and regular.

“I guess you're not hungry then..." Jennifer smiled, setting the tray on the coffee table.

As her cell phone began to vibrate, Jennifer frowned and picked it up, glancing at the number before she crept from the living room, leaving the two newly bonded kangaroo's to sleep.

*

Nicole woke with a startled grunt, as Jennifer shook her shoulder. From deep asleep, to wide awake, it took a single heartbeat, and instantly, Nicole smelt the sickening stench of fear and the salt of Jennifer's tears that ran down her face.

“Nicole...the – the clinic, its gone!" Jennifer stammered, barely holding herself together. “There's police and fire services and..."

Nicole frowned, whilst her body was awake and alert, her human-like mind was still shaking off the vestiges of the sleep which had claimed it.

“Its gone Nicole – all of it, the whole place – burned to the ground..."

Shaking her head, Nicole frowned and looked into Jennifer's eyes.

Clinic? Gone? Burned? Nicole's mind whirled as she tried to comprehend what had happened. That... the clinic burned to the ground? How?

Jennifer rushed across to the TV and turned it on, flicking through the channels until she found a news feed.

“A few hours ago, fire broke out and destroyed the Cedar Grove Veterinarian Clinic - “ Come the hurried voice of the reporter, as he faced the camera. “It took six fire crews nearly three hours to extinguish the blaze. It burned with such an intensity, fire crews wonder what was the underlying cause of such an intense fire. It is unknown at this time if any staff..."

Jennifer snapped it off and she sank to her knees on the carpet, tears flowing and her breathing coming in short, panting gasps as she shock and horror filled her.

“Do you think, our friends – did they... Couldthey..."

Nicole herself was horrified, having seen the gutted remains of the clinic. Deep down, Nicole knew there would have been staff working there, they were a 24 hour veterinarian surgery...she could only pray the staff evacuated in time.

How? Nicole frowned and struggled to comprehend. We do not have anything in the clinic that'd cause a fire like that! Why would someone... no...

Nicole felt the familiar grip of fear lancing through her as her mind reeled, remembering what discoveries they'd made in the clinic. About the Therian's, what had happened to them – that had to be some fake story, written by someone as a practical joke...

Is that what I am to you? Come a voice inside Nicole's mind, a voice cold, cruel and malicious in its intensity.

Therian is what you have become, what we now are.

Nicole squealed, her guttural cries making Jennifer jump and turn to look at her. Nicole clutched at her furred head, her claws digging into the fur and flesh, as she sought to stop the voice in her mind.

I assure you...I'm no joke – It murmured to her, growing stronger and darker.

To Be Continued...