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Sanctuary Secrets

Part Two

Chapter Three

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

5th March, 2024

All Rights Reserved.

The atmosphere in the operating room was thick with tension – and Jackson's mind was distracted by the overpowering scent that lingered from Rachel's inadvertent orgasm. Dr. Owen and Dr. Mercer strapped Chris to the bed, inserting the cannula and administering the anaesthetic.

“It... won't hurt? Right?” Chris asked, his fear adding to the scents that filled the room.

How I envy you humans – Jackson sighed mentally. You honestly can't smell – that – scent and this one's fear?

“Jackson?” Dr. Mercer snapped at him, then clicked thumb and forefinger before the startled Therian's nose.

“Huh? Oh, sorry, I was off in the fields, mentally I mean. I'm sorry Doctor, I'm here now – and... I guess I'm ready... I'm...” Jackson's voice began to falter.

Carefully, Dr. Mercer placed a comforting gloved hand on the quivering kangaroo's shoulder. “I understand, I do, truly – if you don't think you can cope...”

“No, I can do it – I promise... Just... just be... you know...” Jackson hugged Dr. Mercer close, whispering into his ear. “If I don't... come back, I don't want to...”

Dr. Owen hurried out of the operating room, only to return swiftly, clutching a tranquilliser rifle in his hands. The black and red striped dart he loaded into the rifle seemed to carry an ominous weight, and Jackson couldn't help but shudder. As Dr. Owen closed the rifle and armed it by pulling the plunger back, a sense of nervous anticipation filled the room. Jackson swallowed, fully aware of the potent substance filling that dart – a substance that would swiftly euthanize a Therian.

The room held its breath as the tranquilliser was prepared, and the tension mounted. Jackson, grappling with his own apprehension, couldn't escape the gravity of the situation. The impending effects of the dart – what it'd do – were clear – a rapid and permanent plunge into unconsciousness at first, then death.

In the midst of this, the air was heavy with the scent that betrayed Rachel's inadvertent release. The combination of fear and arousing scent added a deepening distraction to an already tense emotional atmosphere. Amidst it all, Dr. Mercer and Dr. Owen worked to secure Chris to the bed, administering the necessary preparations.

“I'm... ready.” Jackson shuddered, as he took a few panting breaths and nodded.

Dr Mercer made a small cut, and as the blood flowed, Jackson crouched down and gripped Chris's forearm with his paws, his lips pressed over the wound. Instantly, Jackson's eyes went pure black, as the iron-like blood surged and he bit down, making Chris gasp in pain.

“Wait!” Dr Mercer gasped, holding a hand up and stopping Dr. Owen from raising the rifle. “Please...”

Jackson's gaze turned predatory, his eyes narrowing as he sucked at the wound, his paws gripping tighter as Chris began to moan, then cry out in rising pain.

“Jackson, stop!” Liam shrieked, before he leaned back on his thick tail and with everything he had – he kicked his brother hard in the ribs.

With a snarl, Jackson's body tumbled head over tail, before he leapt back to his feet and pounced on his brother. Liam shrieked and struggled, fighting to ward off the violent, cruel therian that'd seized his brother.

“This isn't my brother!” Liam wailed in fright. “You're not my brother! Let him go – give me back my brother...”

Fur flew as the dark therian Jackson had become, kicked with sickening power and strength, but Liam fought back, eventually wrestling the larger buck into a powerful headlock and exerting all his strength, forcing him down to the floor.

“Now, please I can't hold him...long - “ Liam pleaded. “Please, put him under... now!”

Dr. Mercer grabbed three pre-filled syringes and in two hands, slammed them home into Jackson's rump, then added the third. Jackson's struggles began to grow weaker, then he struggled once more and finally, collapsed down on top of Liam, who grunted under his therian brother's weight.

“No, please...” Liam whimpered, as Dr. Mercer grabbed the unconscious buck by the nape and wrenched him away. “I know him... he's...he'll be alright... Please, Dr. Owen, don't! Don't kill my brother... please!”

“He's... turned, Liam... you know that once one of your kind...” Dr. Owen sobbed heart-brokenly.

“I know my brother!” Liam pleaded as he crouched down protectively, his brother behind him. “He hasn't turned, I swear...”

Their attentions turned instantly to the convulsing human, whose eyes suddenly snapped open...

Instead of the warm, woodland brown...

They were an unremitting coal black...

Chris... was gone – the dark therian within him destroying his psyche in seconds, crushing it beneath its malevolence and violent nature. It began fighting against the restraints, until Dr. Mercer triggered the cannula, setting it to full flow.

“I'll tear your fucking heart out – starting with... you... human...” Come the vicious barely human snarl.

Dr. Owen backed up against the wall, snapping the rifle to his shoulder and pulling the trigger - the soft puff of the dart gun going off, as the dark therian shrieked and fought...then after a few more seconds, it went limp, then a minute later – the heart monitor flat-lined...

“No...” Liam cried out, as he staggered, his paws gripping the corpse on the table. “No... no, it can't be...”

Sobbing like an orphaned joey, Liam collapsed over the dead human, his tears streaking down his muzzle.

Dr. Mercer shook his head, placing a comforting hand on Liam's back, trying to console the hysterical young buck. “Liam... we had to, you saw... his eyes. There was nothing we could do – it had taken him completely.”

“What went wrong? Why did... did that happen? Why?” Liam wailed, his grief raw and primal. “What did...”

“Easy,” Dr. Mercer comforted him as best he could. “It wasn't anything... I can only surmise, that he wasn't strong enough, physically or mentally, to dominate his darkness...”

With a gurgle, Jackson twitched and then violently threw up, weakly clawing at the floor, drugged off his head and barely conscious. Liam rushed to him, nuzzling and shaking his brother.

“Liam, back away!” Dr. Owen's voice was stern, but not cruel. He loaded another dart into the tranquilliser rifle, his gaze not moving from the semi-conscious Jackson. The weight of the imminent threat hung heavy around his neck, but a duty of care demanded he take swift resolution of the crisis.

However, Liam, fuelled by a brotherly love that surpassed reason, responded with a snarl, his paws curling into a threatening posture as he crouched down, his muscles tensing. His eyes blazed with a mix of sorrow, desperation, and an unyielding determination to protect his blood relative.

“Leave my brother alone!” Liam's voice resonated through the room, the anguish of the recent loss of Chris fuelling his anger and grief. His muscles tensed even tighter, as he was prepared to attack anyone who dared pose a threat to his family. His anguish and anger intertwined in his words, echoing the sentiments of a Therian who had endured too much.

Dr. Mercer, caught between empathy and the clinical demands of the situation, moved to stand before Dr. Owen and Liam, before he crouched down, trying to make himself seem less threatening. As he reached out a hand, Liam twitched, his lips curling back.

“You won't hurt me, Liam...” Dr. Mercer spoke soothingly. “I understand your pain, but we must ensure everyone's safety...”

Liam twitched as Dr Mercer placed a gloved hand on his shoulder, then the frightened kangaroo burst into tears and gripped him in a tight, emotional hug, burying his head against Dr Mercer's shoulder as he sobbed heartbrokenly.

“Please... please don't... don't kill my brother - “ Liam wailed in choking sobs. “He's not... he's not dark... I swear...”

“He's... right...” Came a choking gurgle from behind him. “If I... was... taken... you'd be... dead.”

Liam's eyes widened, as he spun about, then grabbed his brother in a crushing hug, smothering his older sibling in kisses and licks.

Watching on, Dr. Mercer gestured to Dr. Owen, who slowly lowered his rifle, shuddering as the tension drained out of him. With Jackson incapacitated under the heavy sedation, the responsibility for the final turning fell squarely on Liam's young shoulders. Dr. Mercer carefully dragged Jackson into a quiet, dark room to sleep off the drugs, before he returned to where Sara sat, clutching her head in her hands. Liam stood before her, gently patting her shoulder with his paws, as he sniffled and quivered.

“Sarah – it's... time,” Liam whispered, trying to be strong, but fearing what had happened to the last human, would happen to her.

Tearfully, he looked over his shoulder at Dr. Mercer, then shook his head. “I can't... I won't bite her – I can not... if my brother...”

“I understand Liam,” Dr. Mercer sighed quietly. “Sarah? Do you consent to the alternative option?”

“The...which alternative?” Sarah sniffled, wiping at her eyes.

Liam trembled, dropping his head as he slumped into a crouch. “I... can not risk taking your blood, Sarah. It nearly claimed my brother, Jackson – he's older and stronger than I am. If I succumb, I wouldn't... it wouldn't end well. I can either... oh gods, what will Stacy think of me...”

“Easy young buck,” Dr. Mercer spoke soothingly, gently patting Liam's back. “I'll explain it to her, there's nothing sexual about it – its an alternative and...”

Liam suddenly squealed, as Sarah gripped him by the nape, then pressed her lips against his. Before Liam or Dr. Mercer could stop her, her tongue meshed and entangled with Liam's – their saliva mingling and co-joining together. Liam's eyes were wide in fear and alarm, as Sarah pushed him hard against the wall and continued the assault on the young buck's lips and muzzle.

“Mmmph!” Liam gurgled, deep in his throat, his paws pressed against Sarah's shoulders, as he struggled to get enough leverage to push her away.

“Sarah, unhand him, right now!” Dr. Mercer snapped, then grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back, so she stumbled and hit the wall, her head meeting it with a loud smack. Her eyes rolled back in her head and bonelessly, she slithered to the floor like a marionette with its strings severed.

“She...she...” Liam gurgled, sliding down the wall, his legs collapsing under him, leaving him lying with his back to the wall, his thick tail between his hind legs. “Why did she do that...”

Quickly, Dr. Mercer checked Sarah's pulse and then felt the back of her head. Other than a sizeable lump forming, there was no sign of bleeding, but he knew this was serious...

“Dr. Owen, medical emergency!” Dr. Mercer yelled.

*

Between them, they brought the unconscious Sarah into the operating room, Dr. Owen having removed Chris's body and covered it with a sheet, as they laid Sara on the table.

“What happened?” Dr. Owen shuddered, as he looked down at her.

“She... look, we don't have time for this, let's just focus on ensuring she survives... I'll need – damn it, we don't know if she's turned or not, so... restrain her, now! If she wakes and goes dark...” Dr. Mercer shuddered, as he began restraining the unconscious Sarah.

Dr. Owen monitored her closely, checking for any signs of improvement – or deterioration in her condition. Liam, still visibly shaken, hovered nearby, his concern over Sarah evident in every glance and nervous moment.

Once they were ready, Dr. Mercer began a thorough examination to determine the extent of her injuries and the appropriate course of treatment. Dr. Owen broke a capsule, its pungent aroma making them wince, before he held it under her nostrils. Within seconds, Sarah's eyes fluttered open, the two Doctors watching as they went from a watery blue, to a faint brown and back again.

“She's turning...” Dr. Mercer gasped. “We got to be quick!”

“Can I help?” Liam sniffled, feeling guilty and ashamed.

“Please, Liam, we need to focus on her, I don't know if you can help us, I mean – in this situation, do you know anything about how a concussion would affect one of your kind? Any lasting damage or... unforeseen side effects?” Dr. Owen quickly asked him. “We're almost blind here, we don't really know that much about Therian's. We can treat some things – sprains, broken bones, minor illnesses... but potential brain injuries are... a whole new level!”

“I, uh... no, sorry, I don't know anything. We Therian's, we heal from, well, most things, quickly...” Liam sighed. “I'm sorry, I can't be of any help...”

“No, wait, Liam!” Dr. Mercer turned to him. “You can help... please? Some blood, just a little, of yours – might be the tipping point between saving her life...”

Liam trembled, then crawled over, finally standing up and holding his left paw out. “If... it helps – there's no...”

He looked down at Sarah, then at both the humans who were struggling to save her life.

“These restraints will hold Liam, I promise. Now, just a little, I promise...” Dr. Mercer spoke soothingly, calming the frayed nerves of the kangaroo as he picked up a syringe and needle, peeling it from the sterile packaging. “Easy, a little sting...”

Liam twitched, he couldn't help it, as he felt the needle prick his skin and slide into a vein. With a deep shiver, he looked away, as Dr. Mercer drew about half the syringe in blood.

“Thank you, I mean that...” He spoke, giving the kangaroo a quick nod of thanks. “Alright, here we go...”

Carefully, he rolled Sarah's hand over, exposing her wrist. Wiping it quickly with an alcohol wipe, he slipped the needle home into her vein and injected the blood... Almost instantly, Sarah's back arched off the table as she began to convulse and foam at the mouth. Both Doctors struggled to hold her, Dr Owen using a suction tube to clear her mouth and throat, the sound making Liam wish he was anywhere but here...

Suddenly, Liam growled and shoved them away, his panicked state making him lose his words, as he tried to push them towards the door, gesturing wildly, reverting to his native language. Quickly, Dr Mercer and Dr Owen left, fearful of Liam's sudden urgency.

*

After fifteen agonising minutes, Liam finally opened the door and gestured, making a shush sound as he brought the two humans back inside. and the two horrified doctors approached, staring down at what lay before them. Instead of a human woman – now lay an unconscious female grey kangaroo, her slender legs held firm, but her forearms having slipped free of the bonds that had bound her former body.

“She turned...” Liam shuddered, shaking his head slowly. “I don't know the... the colour of her eyes, I think the pain of her transformation has put her into an unconscious state again...”

Dr Owen carefully approached, lifting one eyelid up and shining his penlight into it, before he breathed out “They're brown...”

TO BE CONTINUED...