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CIRCLES (UN)BROKEN

II.

ANTON

---

Anton didn't remember much about the moments after he and Sam got out of the mines.

He remembered walking along the desert for what seemed like miles with his arms around Sam's shoulders... or perhaps Sam's arm around his shoulders. Details were fuzzy.

He remembered the smell of blood however, as well as the cool, dry desert air... and then the scent of earthy, dusty ground.

Had he fallen over? He couldn't remember.

The next thing he knew, he was staring at the ceiling of the ward room in Dr. Avery's clinic. The doctor himself was hovering above him, stitching up his face.

"Try not to move, you have some pretty nasty wounds," the stag had advised.

"Oh..." was all Anton could say.

"What exactly happened to you and Sam?" the doctor asked.

Anton was about to answer before fatigue overtook him and he blacked out.

His dream was a confusing mess of images. There was shouting, screaming, putrid stench of corpses, and endless labyrinthian caverns, with disembodied, bloodied claws and fangs.

And then he was at the ranch.

It was just as he remembered. The three-storey house... the barn... the cornfields... and the rolling mountains in the distance. However, everything was wrong.

The sky was blood red, and the ground was black as soot. The air was deathly silent, except for the crackling of fire.

Everything was on fire.

The cornfields were burning like a brilliant sea of embers, sending thick, inky black smoke to the sky. The barn and house themselves were lit brightly like two massive bonfires.

Anton could hear the screams, a cacophony of ugly, distorted voices vibrating deep to his bones.

The wolf felt drawn towards the house's front doors. He trudged up the steps, feeling the heat of the flames as he got closer. The doors fell from their hinges as they burned into blackened husks All he could see through the open doorway was a sea of flames.

Dozens of disembodied eyes flickered in the flames.

All of them staring. Judging.

Abomination, they screamed.

Worthless.

Disgusting.

Vermin.

Despicable.

Vile.

And then he was running, but the eyes followed him. They were everywhere. He could never outrun their stares.

Fiery claws, long and deformed, reached from the burning house to him and tore him apart. He wanted to scream, but there was only dull pain as his being was being ripped piece by piece until he was nothing.

Anton came to consciousness with a huge, half-panicked gasp. His body screamed in protest from the sudden movement from lying down to sitting up. His heart was beating wildly against his rib cage, and his head was throbbing painfully.

The wolf let out a groan of discomfort as his senses were immediately assaulted with the sharp scent of antiseptic and herbs. He rubbed his head in an effort to dispel the throbbing headache and the afterimages from the nightmare but stopped when he felt not his fur but bandages.

Blinking in confusion, Anton looked at both of his arms, which were bandaged up to his elbows. He felt around his head and found more bandages wrapped around his neck as well as the top of his head as well. Even his left shoulder was wrapped up tightly.

Huh... had he really been injured that badly?

"Anton? You... alright?"

The wolf slowly turned his head to look at Sam who was sitting up on the bed next to him. Like himself, the cougar was shirtless, allowing Anton to see the bloodied bandages around the feline's chest, head, and arms.

"I felt like I'd been run over by a train," Anton replied with a stiff wave. His voice was hoarse. "You good, Sam?"

"Could be better I suppose," the albino cougar let out a sigh.

Anton turned to the window and saw that it was light out. Probably around mid-morning. "How long was I out?"

"Two days," Sam replied, much to Anton's surprise. "You developed a fever and kept going in and out of consciousness, but your fever has gone down though," he said reassuringly. "Dr. Avery said you should be fine when he checked on you this morning."

"Ah, well... that's a relief," Anton said with a sigh. No wonder he felt so disoriented.

"Yeah..."

There was a moment of silence.

"So uh... who brought us here?" Anton asked.

Sam scratched the side of his bandaged face. "It was Nik."

Anton tried to remember who it was. "Nik... the badger?"

"Yes, him," Sam nodded slowly.

Ah right. It's hard to forget the massive, dour-faced badger who was Sam's regular for the better part of the year. Anton had never really interacted with the badger, other than trading pleasantries, and had only known the badger's name from off-hand conversations with Sam.

"We owe him one then," Anton chuckled.

"That we do," Sam said in agreement, before he sighed. "He said he wanted answers."

Ah, right.

"You know... you could tell him the truth," Anton suggested, to which Sam looked at him as if he had grown two heads.

"Look, Sam. What you did was in self defense. You're not gonna hang because of that."

The cougar looked extremely doubtful, but didn't argue further. Anton could see that things were weighing heavily in his mind so he decided to change the subject.

"Did the doctor say when we can be discharged?"

"You know, this is the third time you asked that particular question, Anton," came Dr. Avery's voice from the doorway.

Anton turned to look at the stag who strode into the room with a tray of medical supplies. He looked concerned.

The wolf blinked. "I... did?"

Dr. Avery set his supplies down and went to work.

"You asked that when you're being stitched up the day before," the stag said as he began to check on his wounds. "You asked the same question again yesterday when I was changing your dressing."

He did? He didn't remember waking up at all...

The doctor must've seen his confused expression because he began asking questions.

"What is the last thing you remember, Anton?"

"Uh... me and Sam running into the desert," he replied.

Dr. Avery blinked.

"And before that?"

Anton shook his head, which began to throb painfully. "We were in the mines... uh... there was some problem. Can we talk about this later?" he grimaced. The question came out more sharply than he intended.

The stag doctor looked nonplussed and merely hummed. "I see... Well then, can you state the current day, month and year?"

Anton wracked his brain. It took him embarrassingly a while to remember. "It's... Friday, May 21st 1915... right? But Sam said it had been two days?"

Dr. Avery nodded. "Yes. Today is Sunday," he replied. "Can you give me your name and your current occupation?"

"Anton Novak. I'm... ah, a pianist at the uh... er..." he clicked his fingers a few times as he tried to recall the name of the saloon, "The Saguaro's Hip. Yes, that's it."

The stag hummed and nodded, writing a few things down on a notebook. "Any headaches? Dizziness?"

"Just... dull throbbing in my head," said Anton.

Dr. Avery clicked his tongue as he folded the notepad into his pocket. "Well, you're suffering from a concussion. Your speech is slurred, and you have some trouble recalling your memories." he said. "I suggest that you lie back and rest. No strenuous activities for the entire week."

"Yeah, like I haven't been doing that for the past two days," Anton replied dryly, massaging his temples.

"I will give you something to alleviate your headache," the doctor said kindly. "In the meantime, lie down and rest."

The stag gave Anton a cup of something that smelled strongly of herbs and instructed him to drink it. He then turned to Sam.

"By the way, the sheriff has been looking for you. Both of you, in fact. He wants to know what happened."

Sam let out a small groan.

"I told him that you both are still recovering so he wouldn't be bothering you for a while," Dr. Avery added with some sympathy.

Sam grumbled something intelligible while rubbing his face. "Thanks. Do you suppose we can return to The Hip by tomorrow?" he asked.

Dr. Avery hummed, considering the request for a moment before he gave a nod. "That can be arranged. But only if I deemed you are stable enough to move."

Sam laid his head back down to the pillow. "Thanks, doctor."

"Well I shall leave you to rest. I'll have Brett bring you lunch soon," said the stag as he moved back out to the door.

Anton drank the medicine slowly while trying not to move his head around too much. He felt something move in his pockets when he tried to make himself more comfortable on the bed. Reaching down, his fingers made contact with something small and metallic.

"Sam?"

"Mmm?"

"I think these are your coins."

The cougar turned his head so quickly that Anton thought he heard something snap. From the way Sam suddenly grimaced and rubbed his neck, it looked like he had pulled a muscle. His eyes went big when Anton placed the three gold coins on the small table between their beds.

"Where... how did you..."

"Found it on the ground before that bastard attacked us for the second time," Anton answered.

"Oh..." Sam scooped up his coins, staring at them for a moment before letting out a sigh. A degree of tension seemed to have left the cougar.

"Thank you. I thought I'd left them in the cave," he said as he pocketed the coins, sending Anton a grateful smile.

Now that's a rare sight. A genuine smile, not a small quirk of the muzzle, or a smirk.

"Don't worry about it," Anton waved him off as he finished his medicine. He made a face. It left a very bitter aftertaste in his mouth. "I think... I'm going to lie down."

"Alright."

---

Anton knew he was dreaming again when he opened his eyes.

He was on a train, traveling across the country. Or was it a wagon? He couldn't be sure.

The air was dry and hot, like Echo in the height of summer. He couldn't see if there were others with him. Details of his surroundings were fuzzy and out of focus.

And then, there came a sensation of disorientation and weightlessness... before sharp, agonizing pain wracked his entire body.

He choked, tasting blood in his mouth. He couldn't breathe, nor feel his limbs. The air was thick with smoke and he could feel fire burning all around him... burning the very air he was trying to breathe... burning his fur and flesh.

Everything suddenly shattered like glass, as if the scene before him was a mere stained glass window. The pain disappeared as he felt himself falling into endless, cold darkness.

There were unintelligible voices. Whispering. Screaming. Pleading. Accusing.

The wind roared in his ears.

There was a distinct sensation that something was watching him through this unending pitch black darkness. Like he was its prey.

He had never felt so terrified in his life.

And then he impacted against something, hard.

It took away his breath, and something... loomed above him. He just knew that he was staring at the maw of a terrible beast.

This is it. He was going to die. Devoured by the darkness.

But then the ground cracked and shattered like glass, and he was falling once again.

Falling... falling... falling...

Something roared in rage in the distance.

---

Anton blinked blearily as he woke back up. He felt really drained.

The first thing he noticed was that it was already late in the afternoon. The sun was already setting and the sky was painted deep orange. It took him a while to notice that there were a couple of visitors in the ward room as well.

Sam was having a hushed conversation with an enormous badger with gray and black fur. It was hard not to notice the badger who towered over everyone else in the room. His sturdy, hefty build would intimidate anyone.

That was Nik, Anton realized. He couldn't help but stare at the strange, almost tender look on the badger's face as he sat next to Sam's bed, listening to what the cougar was saying. Nik must've come straight from the mines. His shirt, trousers, and suspenders were stained with dirt. His hands and face were surprisingly clean, however.

The other person in the room was Sheriff William Adler, who was sitting on a chair in the corner of the ward room, smoking. Broad shouldered and muscular, Adler still cut a quite intimidating figure, even if he was smaller than Nik. The coyote was wearing his usual button-up shirt and suspenders, coupled with a scarf around his neck. His dull, silvery sheriff badge glinted from his breast.

It didn't take long for Adler to notice that Anton was awake and he stood up. "Feeling better, Novak?"

"Better than this morning, that's for certain," Anton replied.

Sam and Nik had noticed him now and stopped talking. The two of them turned to look at Adler, who returned the look with a raised eyebrow, before they turned their attention back to Anton. The wolf immediately felt that something was amiss.

"Right... how long was I out this time?" he asked. His throat felt dry.

The sheriff went over and handed him a glass of water.

"Thanks," Anton said with a small grateful smile.

The coyote smiled as he gave Anton's uninjured shoulder a squeeze. The sheriff then proceeded to sit at the edge of the wolf's bed.

"You slept through the rest of the day yesterday," Sam finally answered. "You were lucid enough to have your medications this morning but you quickly blacked out again."

"...huh. I see."

"You were mumbling something in your sleep earlier," Adler pointed out. "Sounded like you were in pain."

Anton rubbed the back of his head. "Not sure what I was dreaming... I'm still aching all over," he said with a wince when he touched a particularly tender spot where his shoulder met his neck.

"Well, the doctor seemed confident that you two can be discharged soon," Adler said, folding his meaty arms over his chest. "Are you good enough to eat?"

Anton considered the question. His stomach was in knots for some reason. "As long as it's light," he eventually said.

"The doctor left you some sandwich and water," Adler said, gesturing to the side table.

Sure enough, there was a single slice of sandwich and a glass of water. Anton ate it gingerly. It didn't taste much of anything, but he did feel marginally better after he finished it. The water certainly helped his sore, aching throat.

"Well then. If you don't mind, may I ask a few questions?" Adler asked after Anton had put away the plate.

Sam gave the coyote a forlorn look. "Must we do this now?"

"No time like the present," the coyote said with a shrug.

Sam looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. However, the cougar took a deep, calming breath and exhaled in a resigned sort of way. "If you say so."

Nik gave the cougar's shoulders a comforting squeeze.

"Right," Adler nodded. "What exactly happened to you two? I don't believe you're the kind to go out of town in the middle of the desert in the dead of the night to have a brawl to the death."

"It certainly looked like it when I found you two," Nik agreed somberly.

Sam grimaced, as did Anton. Of course it would look that way.

"We were attacked by... someone," Sam eventually said.

Nik and Adler's eyebrows rose a little.

"Oh? By who?" the coyote prompted, turning his attention to the cougar.

A flash of fear crossed Sam's red eyes and he began to stammer. "I... I don't--"

"Was it a highwayman?" Nik asked. His body language turned somewhat aggressive, as if he was ready to fight whoever had hurt them.

"Sam?" Adler asked patiently. "Who attacked you and Anton?"

Sam wouldn't look anyone in the eye.

"It was Jack," Anton replied when Sam didn't seem to want to answer, and everyone's attention turned to him.

"Jack?" Adler turned to Nik.

"He's one of the miners. Tall, scraggly mutt, smooth talker. Smells dusty," Anton added.

Nik looked thoughtful before he nodded. "Yeah, that'd be Jack. What did you mean he attacked you?" he turned to Sam, who still avoided everyone's gaze. The cougar's tail flopped about in agitation.

"Sam had sneaked out of the saloon to meet Jack outside the town," Anton said slowly. His throat ached a little as he talked. "I followed them since Sam had been acting funny all day. They went into the mines, and there was talk of hidden gold deposits that Jack had managed to mine for himself."

Nik gave Sam an incredulous sort of look, and Sam's shoulders slumped. Adler prompted Anton to continue with a gesture of his paw.

"And... I think Jack said something about wanting to give Sam the gold," Anton continued, "When Sam was distracted, Jack hit him with his pickaxe, twice."

Sam instinctively went to touch the top of his head where he had been hit. Nik let out an audible growl.

"When I came to, Anton was fighting Jack," the cougar said quietly.

"He was looking for your money," Anton added, turning to Sam. "He stole it when you were out cold, and I couldn't let him do that."

"And he nearly killed you for interfering," Sam pointed out.

Anton felt around his neck and grimaced. It felt extremely tender. "Bastard was stronger than he looked."

Sam managed a stiff nod. "That he was..."

"So not only Jack had tried to rob you, but also attempted to murder you two. That bastard," Nik was growling openly. He then turned to Anton. "Did you get him good at least?"

Sam stared at the badger before he slowly let out a hollow laugh.

Nik and Adler began to look concerned.

"I killed him, Nik." Sam gasped between breaths. "I... I killed him."

There was a tense silence. Nik and Adler exchanged looks.

"How?" the sheriff prompted.

Sam shook his head. His shoulders began to tremble. "It was all a blur. He had his pickaxe... a-and he... he..."

"He was about to kill you with it," Anton pointed out firmly. "But you overpowered him."

"I drove... the pickaxe back through his s-skull..." Sam finished with a whisper.

For a moment, no one said anything. Adler took out a cigarette and lit it up with his lighter. He inhaled deeply, and exhaled.

"Good for you."

That surprised Sam, if his expression was anything to go by. "What?"

"I must say, that's the least idiotic thing you had done," said the coyote. There was an approving sort of smile grazing his scarred muzzle. "And here I thought you don't have a backbone."

Sam still looks stupefied. "But I... I killed him, Will."

"Look, Sam. You didn't do anything wrong," Nik said, giving the cougar's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Jack is a disgusting bootlicker and he's been trying that gold scam for months now to the other miners. We thought he had grown tired of his scheme but it seems like he tried it on you instead... and he actually tried to kill you when you resisted," the badger growled audibly. His large fists were clenched tight.

Sam's ears drooped. He still looked unconvinced.

"Well, cheer up. Lots of smarter, more powerful men had fallen into ridiculous scams," said the sheriff in a tone that was meant to be supportive, but Sam looked even more miserable. "You don't need to worry. None of you will be hanging," he added definitively.

"But... I still murdered--"

"Sam. There's a difference between killing someone in cold blood, and killing someone in self-defense," the coyote interjected firmly. "The way I see it, what you did was simply defending yourself from a mad man who wanted to kill you. Unless... you've been lying to me?"

"No! I'm not lying!" Sam shouted.

Adler gave him a decisive nod. "Then there's that," he said. "I do have a question however. Where did you leave the body?"

Anton turned to look at Sam, who looked back. A look of understanding passed between them. However, there was also a minute flash of terror that crossed the cougar's eyes.

The thing in the mines. Anton could still remember the rancid, putrid smell and the unnatural sounds echoing from the depths of the mines. Had he been imagining it? He couldn't have, could he?

If that thing is still in there...

"I, er, we left Jack in the mines," Anton said. "Sam got spooked. We thought there's a... feral animal in the tunnels so we hightailed it out of there."

Adler blinked, and Nik gave them surprised stares.

"A feral animal?" Nik asked, perplexed.

"We didn't exactly see what it was, but..." Anton began, but Sam beat him to it.

"Something pursued us," the cougar said. When the badger and the coyote continued to stare at him and Anton, he took a calming breath.

"Look, if you don't believe us, then fine. But I dislike the idea of going back in there. Not without reinforcements," he pointed out.

Adler shared a look with Nik, who could only stare back, bewildered. The coyote sighed and shook his head.

"Right... okay. So..." Adler cleared his throat. "Were there any reports of someone finding the body while you were at work, Nik?"

The badger shook his head. "None that I know of, but if Jack's body is still in the mines, we'll have to retrieve it quickly... wait, where in the mines did you and Jack go?" he turned to Sam.

"It's... a natural tunnel and cave, I think? A quarter mile to the west of the main entrance to Site C... I think?" Sam's brows furrowed in thought. "There's a small natural opening on the hillside."

Nik nodded with a thoughtful hum. "I see... wait. How did you know about Site C?"

"I worked in the mines two years ago, Nik. Didn't last longer than two weeks, though," Sam said with a tired smile.

Anton had to admit, Nik looked comical with his mouth hanging agape in surprise. The badger recovered quickly however.

"Ahem. Right, well... like I said. It's been three days, and there are workers with extremely sharp noses. Sooner or later someone will detect the scent of decay and search parties will be formed to look for the body," Nik said. His expression turned serious. "My co-workers wouldn't appreciate finding a dead body in the tunnels, even if it's someone like Jack."

Adler pinched the bridge of his nose. "Right, of course. Think they would riot if they did?"

"With how conditions haven't improved much since last time, it's highly likely," Nik said with a grim sort of nod.

The sheriff took another long drag of his cigarette. "Alright, here's what we're going to do. We're heading to the mines to see and retrieve the body tomorrow afternoon."

Sam tensed up, as did Anton.

"Are you sure it's wise?" the cougar asked.

"You heard Nik," Adler gave Sam a look. "I know you two would not want to return to the mines so soon, but we need to collect the body or we will have trouble on our paws. I would prefer to keep things calm in Echo for the rest of the year."

Anton understood the coyote's sentiment. Three months ago, the mine workers went on a strike demanding better pay and equipment from the CSCG mining company. It ended in a small riot when the workers clashed with men hired by Hendricks and Briggs--the owners of CSCG.

Nothing was damaged, aside from CSCG's offices and some trashed equipment, but it had set everyone on edge.

Sam relented with a resigned sigh.

"Alright. I see your point."

"Good," Adler said with a nod. "It's settled then."

There was a knock on the door, and Dr. Avery opened the door and peered into the room.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," said the stag.

Adler shook his head. "No. Feel free to check on them, doctor."

"Thank you," the doctor hummed cheerfully and began giving Sam and Anton a thorough check up, followed by a physical evaluation where they were told to move about the room and do some basic motions with their arms and legs.

Anton found that his headache had subsided and he could walk just fine, but he couldn't move his left arm very well on account of his injured shoulder. Sam was still wobbly however, and Nik volunteered to stand nearby in case the cougar fell over.

In the end, Dr. Avery deemed them well enough to be discharged. The stag and his assistant helped them to get dressed, and they were given several medicines to help their recovery. The doctor also gave them a stern warning to stay rested for the entire week.

He didn't look pleased when Adler told him that they'll be having a quick trip to the mines tomorrow to check their claims, but didn't object to that.

"As long as these two are not put to manual labor," said the doctor. "Walking is fine, but no lifting, no climbing, or god forbid, running."

"I'll be sure to remember that," the sheriff nodded.

Surprisingly, the doctor waved off the money when Sam and Anton attempted to pay him for his services.

"Don't think too much about it. Besides, the two of you had done plenty to help me during... ah, my needs," the stag had said with a wide grin.

Anton felt the skin under his fur heat up a little. Sam had a neutral expression on his face, but the insides of his ears turned red as well.

"You're welcome, doctor," Anton managed to say, which somehow made the stag laugh.

Adler and Nik escorted them back to The Hip. The four of them drew some stares from passersby, but no one gave them more than cursory, inquisitive glances. Nik stood close to Sam, who was limping a little as he walked.

Anton couldn't help but smile to himself when Adler placed a steadying paw on his shoulder when he stumbled over a lump in the dirt road. The coyote kept his paw there until they reached the saloon.

The Hip was starting to get busy, as was usual at this time of day. Benton was tinkling away at the piano by the stage, accompanied by his informal band, and Harlan was in his usual post at the saloon bar. Several guests looked up and stared when Anton and Sam entered with Nik and Adler, but they quickly turned their attention elsewhere.

Madam Dora, as expected, was immediately upon them. The doe was impeccably dressed in her dark, floor-length gown, bedazzled by a number of jewelry that complimented her outfit. She gave Sam and Anton a sharp look, but Anton thought he saw relief in the doe's dark brown eyes.

"I'm glad to see you both are still in one piece," she said as she took a whiff of her cigarette from her long cigarette holder, before turning to Adler and Nik. "Thank you for escorting my men back here, sheriff."

"Just doing my duty, ma'am," the sheriff said with a polite nod. "The doctor said that they must rest for the entire week."

"Ah yes, duly noted."

"But I must ask them to come with me tomorrow afternoon. Apparently they were witnesses to an incident and I'd like to verify their claims."

Madam Dora's manicured eyebrows rose. "I see. And this incident led to their present condition?" she turned to Sam and Anton.

"Pretty much," Sam said with a sigh.

"Well then, I'll clear your schedules for the rest of the week," said Madam Dora kindly. However, the intensity in her dark eyes promised that she would want answers.

Anton nodded, resigned for a round of interrogation from their employer later. "Of course, madam, and thank you."

Sam nodded, even though he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

"I'll meet you two here tomorrow morning, say around five?" Adler asked.

"I'll come with you," Nik added. "My shift ends at noon, and you'd need a guide to navigate the tunnels."

Adler gave the badger a look but he then shrugged. "That would be helpful. Well, I shall take my leave then. Have a pleasant afternoon, madam."

"Of course. We will be waiting for you tomorrow," Madam Dora nodded.

With that, the coyote left. Nik gave Sam a comforting sort of pat before he ducked out as well.

Left alone with Sam and Madam Dora, Anton stood there, not sure if he should excuse himself to his room or wait for the doe to tell them to meet in her office. Sam was already one foot up the staircase.

"Well? Go get some rest you two," Madam Dora said, an eyebrow raised, when she noticed the two of them were still standing there.

Anton and Sam scurried up the stairs as fast as their injured bodies could take them.

No sooner than they reached the bedroom hallway that Cynthia ran toward them. The desert fox was practically fretting over them both and began demanding answers from Sam. The poor cougar looked like he had just been reprimanded by a schoolmarm.

The three of them decided to retreat into Sam's room, which was slightly larger than Anton's room. Sam gave Cynthia an extremely summarized version of their misadventure. He left out the part where he had planned to skip town and when they encountered the mysterious entity inside the mines. There was no need to make Cynthia more worried than she was.

"I'm just glad that the two of you are alright," the vixen sighed, placing her tiny arm over Sam's larger arm. "And I'm glad you followed him that night, Anton. Who knows what might've happened."

Sam let out a dry laugh. "Could've been worse."

Cynthia sent him a sharp glare. "Don't you start, Samuel. I've been worried out of my mind! You and Anton suddenly disappeared and Madam Dora won't tell us a thing!"

Sam's ears fell flat against his head, and Cynthia took a few calming breaths.

"I'm sorry for my outburst," she eventually said, standing up. "You must still be tired, so I'll leave you to rest. But I'm glad you two are okay," she gave Sam and Anton a relieved smile before she went to hug them both.

Sam returned her hug awkwardly, and gave her a light pat. Anton managed to return the hug, but it was similarly awkward as he was so stiff.

Anton went back to his room afterwards. Slowly and carefully, he undressed and inspected his wounds.

Bandages covered most of his chest, his neck, his left shoulder, and the top of his head. The bandages on his head and chest had large patches of red, and they itch terribly. His face looked sunken and haggard.

All in all, he looked like a ridiculous half-done mummy.

Sighing, the wolf moved away from the dressing table and laid down on his bed and tried not to think too much about the events from the past couple of days. He just wanted to sleep.

Anton was woken up by Benton at ten minutes to seven. The sky was already dark outside. Benton was bringing him his supper, which was a rather simple affair of beef stew and potatoes, and wished him a speedy recovery.

He quickly finished his supper, which was delicious and filling. He left the dinner tray on his desk until would come and pick it up. As he felt more awake now, Anton decided to pass the time by reading one of his old novels that he never got around finishing.

It wasn't around an hour later when another knock came to his door.

"Yes?"

"It's Cynthia. Are you decent?"

Anton quickly buttoned up his shirt. "A moment!" he said, making sure that he looked more presentable, before he opened the door.

"You have a visitor," Cynthia said before Anton could ask.

The wolf blinked. "I thought I'm not supposed to be working for a week?"

Cynthia shook her head. "Not that kind of visit, Anton," she said with a patient smile. "Your friend has been looking for you."

"Oh! Er... which friend?" Anton asked while he began thinking which of his close acquaintances would want to talk to him at this time of night.

"The otter from the construction firm," said the vixen. "He's been looking for you since yesterday."

"Ah, him," Anton nodded, rubbing the back of his neck and winced a little when he touched a tender spot. "I suppose he's heard?"

Cynthia nodded. "I don't know how but he did, but yes. He was worried as well. We all are, Anton," she said with sympathy. "Well, he's downstairs now. Shall I send him up?"

Anton sighed and nodded. He can already guess how the conversation will go. "Of course. But mind giving him a little warning that I won't be looking my best," he added with a chuckle.

Cynthia nodded with a sympathetic smile. "Of course, Anton."

Anton eased himself into his armchair after Cynthia left. Not five minutes after Cynthia left, he could hear her footsteps climbing up the stairs, as well as the steps of someone taller and heavier.

"Here you are, sir," said Cynthia from the hallway.

"Alright, thanks," came the reply from Anton's friend before he rapped at the door impatiently.

"Oi, Anton, open up!"

Anton opened the door wide and came face to face with a thickly-built river otter who stood almost a head shorter than himself.

He was still in his work clothes; a dusty button-up shirt with the top few buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up, showing his thick biceps, and an even dustier overalls. His denim cap was clutched in his meaty paws.

The otter's piercing blue eyes immediately locked into Anton's bandaged face. Worry immediately creased the mustelid's face.

"Damn, the fuck happened to you?"

Anton sighed fondly. Ever the eloquent one.

"Good to see you again, Sydney."