{"sf1_id":228147,"sf2_id":"XekblQA1","title":"Land of the Free and Home of the Slaves: Chapter 3","author":"Revresbo","words":3832,"posted_at":"2011-03-06T18:04:00.000Z","tags":["Dog","Jaguar","M/M","No-Yiff","Slavery","Wolf"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/228147-land-of-the-free-and-home-of-the-slaves-chapter-3","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/XekblQA1","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/3b/d4/3bd496ea-f3a5-4529-9ec0-ffaaff71663f","description":"#3 of LFHS","content":"Author's note: I'm not a doctor and have no experience with first aid, so please forgive any and all errors in the scene to follow.\u0026nbsp; If I ever go mainstream (doubtful), I'll take greater efforts to make it more realistic.  \n\u0026nbsp;\n\nChapter III: Canine Wounds  \n\u0026nbsp;\n\nDaniel stared, open-mouthed, at the silent and ominous tableau before him.\u0026nbsp; He didn't need to be a creation of Arthur Canon Doyle to deduce that someone had been in his house.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; To say the place was a mess would be understating the situation.\u0026nbsp; It was a disaster.\u0026nbsp; His eyes drifted across the scene, the rest of him too shocked to move.\u0026nbsp; The pictures on the living room wall to his left were knocked askew, and one had fallen off the wall entirely, the glass in its frame scattered across the carpet.\u0026nbsp; The shards looked oddly beautiful as they reflected the dying light of the sun coming through the large living room window.\u0026nbsp; One couch had been overturned, and the other looked like someone had been jumping on it.\u0026nbsp; The formerly neat end and coffee tables were in states of disarray.\u0026nbsp; The carpet, usually a uniform cream colour, was pockmarked by footprints.\u0026nbsp; Whoever had been in the house hadn't removed their shoes.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Daniel kicked off his own shoes, more be reflex than by conscious thought.\u0026nbsp; He took a step forward, attention still on the carnage in the living room.\u0026nbsp; He felt something wet on his bare paw-pad and slipped.\u0026nbsp; His arm managed to catch the short half-wall that separated the entryway from the living room, and having steadied himself, he crouched down to investigate the cause of his near-fall.\u0026nbsp; A glance was all that was needed to make his blood run cold.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"David?\" he called.\u0026nbsp; \"Hello?\"  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Silence answered him as he went past the stairs to the second floor and the living room to enter the kitchen.\u0026nbsp; It hadn't fared much better than the living room.\u0026nbsp; A couple of plates had fallen to the floor, and the cupboards doors were open.\u0026nbsp; The point of entry was also apparent.\u0026nbsp; The back door's window had been shattered and the screen cut threw, giving the vandal or vandals access to the dead bolt.\u0026nbsp; It was a double cylinder, but the key had been left inserted on the inside, mocking Daniel's security.\u0026nbsp; He quickly proceeded through the kitchen and down the four steps to the right of the back door to enter the den.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; This room had escaped the damage of the living room and kitchen for the most part, but a glace ascertained that things were missing.\u0026nbsp; Daniel didn't pause to take inventory, but went through the den to the south wall.\u0026nbsp; The side door and garage door were secure, and while looked in, the washroom and spare bedroom had mostly escaped notice.\u0026nbsp; He cut back through the den and went to the already opened door leading to the basement.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The rec area also didn't show signs of violence, but several expensive items were conspicuous by their absence.\u0026nbsp; The door to the crawl space seemed to have been ignored, and a red light blinked every couple of seconds around the corner of the stairwell, indicating the office had been left alone.\u0026nbsp; Daniel cursed himself silently.\u0026nbsp; It looked like his alarm system would have done more good had it been covering the exterior of the house rather than his office.\u0026nbsp; He hurried back up to the den and u-turned at the corner at the top of the stairs.\u0026nbsp; From there, it was another four steps up to bring him full circle back to the entryway.\u0026nbsp; Once again, he turned 180o around the corner and headed to the second floor.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Whereas the den and downstairs were still mostly clean, the upstairs showed signs of struggle.\u0026nbsp; Claw marks had gouged the paint in the wall in a couple places, and small stains in the carpet matched the liquid on which Daniel had slipped.\u0026nbsp; A quick inspection confirmed that the storage room and the closet had been ignored.\u0026nbsp; The washroom door's latch had been broken, and the mirror was cracked, but Daniel still hadn't found the object of his search.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; David's bedroom stood out in that it appeared completely untouched.\u0026nbsp; Everything was in place, and Daniel suspected whoever had broken into his house had thought nothing of value could be found in a slave's room.\u0026nbsp; There was only one more place to look.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Daniel placed his paw on the handle to his bedroom door and paused for a moment, suddenly afraid of what he might see on the other side.\u0026nbsp; He inhaled deeply, closed his eyes, and turned the knob.\u0026nbsp; He then let the breath out, pushed open the door, and opened his eyes to take in the room.\u0026nbsp; The blinds were drawn and the lights were off, but his feline pupils had no trouble discerning the room's features despite the dark.\u0026nbsp; The dresser and shelves were a little more bare than usual, but it was the addition to the room that made him gasp.  \n\u0026nbsp;\n\nAt first glance the room appeared empty.\u0026nbsp; The black-tiled floor probably had something to do with that.\u0026nbsp; If one were to enter the room right then, they would probably believe they were alone until a small sigh alerted them to the room's occupant.\u0026nbsp; Then, perhaps, they would notice the white tuft of fur on a wolfen face that was mostly obscured by a black tail.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The wolf sighed again.\u0026nbsp; For once rather than a sigh of pain or frustration, it was simple boredom that brought his breath to his lips.\u0026nbsp; The only benefit of \"training\" is that it is hard to bored when you are being beaten.\u0026nbsp; As it was, all the wolf could do was wait to go back through the system and get auctioned off again.\u0026nbsp; _At least I'm waiting in an auction house,_ the wolf thought.\u0026nbsp; He was going to be transferred out of the city, an uncomfortable prospect, but his sad condition on arrival convinced the owners that he could not be sold immediately.\u0026nbsp; Sales happened only once a week in the small community he was going to be shipped to, so they kept him to be sold on recovery.\u0026nbsp; He expected to be sold soon, not because he was healing rapidly, but because the auction house had ways to cover up injuries.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Bruises, however, did not need any special covering.\u0026nbsp; In most cases the fur sufficed to hide them.\u0026nbsp; This was fortunate for the furs working in the auction houses because they often added a few to the slaves before selling them.\u0026nbsp; The wolf was still a punching bag, but it was the odd blow here and there rather than concentrated abuse.\u0026nbsp; The times spent in the auction houses were some of the most peaceful the wolf had had in the last few years.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; This particular moment was even more peaceful than usual.\u0026nbsp; Normally, he would be in one of the slave cages, surrounded by other miserable furs.\u0026nbsp; Instead, he was in an examination room in the infirmary, waiting for the doctor to check on his progress.\u0026nbsp; The doctors in the auction houses, in his experience, didn't really care unless a slave was dying or going to lose a limb, but it was better than nothing.\u0026nbsp; Once, a doctor had cared enough to keep him off the block for two weeks, much to the house's owners' displeasure.\u0026nbsp; In order to maximize their profits, they sold slaves as quickly as possible.\u0026nbsp; Slaves were often sold within hours of their arrival.\u0026nbsp; The wolf had seen this doctor before and suspected that his time of sale was near.\u0026nbsp; The doctor hadn't passed comment on any of his injuries.\u0026nbsp; He still had a couple of broken ribs, and his tailhole was slightly sore, but he didn't have any infections or gaping wounds, so it was likely he would be spending the night in a private residence.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The door opened, revealing a harried-looking rat.\u0026nbsp; He must have been dealing with serious injuries.\u0026nbsp; He had looked calm and collected the last time he had checked the wolf, but this time his glasses were askew on his pointy nose, and he looked ill at ease.\u0026nbsp; The wolf smelled something metallic and realized the rat's white coat was slightly bloodstained.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The wolf enjoyed the doctor's momentary confusion when his patient wasn't immediately apparent, but the canine decided to lift himself slowly rather than anger the doctor for wasting time.\u0026nbsp; The rat straightened his glasses and gestured towards the bench that was the room's sole piece of furniture.\u0026nbsp; As the wolf stood and crossed the room, he caught sight of two orderlies just outside the door.\u0026nbsp; A lynx and a bear were clearly itching to enter, but the doctor still stood in the doorway, preventing their entry.\u0026nbsp; They were big and looked like they worked out several times a week.\u0026nbsp; This auction house had held the wolf before and knew of his tendency to escape.\u0026nbsp; The wolf merely sat on the bench docilely.\u0026nbsp; There was no way to escape from here, and he wasn't stupid enough to try.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The rat stepped further into the room and the orderlies started to crowd in behind him.\u0026nbsp; He sensed their movement and turned with an exasperated sigh.\u0026nbsp; The wolf watched with interest while the doctor made a cutting gesture with his hand and made to close the door on the pair.\u0026nbsp; The lynx opened his mouth to protest, but the doctor beat him to the punch.\u0026nbsp; \"No.\u0026nbsp; I can't concentrate with you two crowding me.\u0026nbsp; I nearly took out that rabbit's eye when you started breathing down my neck.\"\u0026nbsp; The bear made to speak, but the rat preceded him once again.\u0026nbsp; \"There's only one door out of this room.\u0026nbsp; If he breaks out, you'll still catch him.\u0026nbsp; Now, give me a moment of peace.\"\u0026nbsp; Having finished his speech, he forcefully shut the door.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The wolf looked more closely at the rat, his respect for the doctor greatly increased.\u0026nbsp; The brown-furred doctor turned back to face the wolf, running a hand through his greying hair.\u0026nbsp; His green eyes looked hazy at first, but he blinked and sharpened his gaze on the lupine before him.\u0026nbsp; \"Okay.\u0026nbsp; Let's take a look at you.\"  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The rat looked closely at the wolf's left ear.\u0026nbsp; While the bite had drawn blood and hurt like hell, the wound had not been too serious and was well on its way to being completely healed.\u0026nbsp; The doctor ran a finger over the scar.\u0026nbsp; The ear twitched, but it was more from reflex than pain.\u0026nbsp; The doctor let out a satisfied grunt and started working his way down.\u0026nbsp; The wolf's muzzle earned a cursory glance as did the side of the wolf's head where the buffalo had kicked him.\u0026nbsp; How the wolf had avoided a concussion was beyond both the canine and the doctor.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The rat gently pressed on his patient's sides.\u0026nbsp; The wolf winced, and his ears went flat for a moment.\u0026nbsp; The doctor sighed and continued his examination, getting the wolf to stand so he could check the lower body.\u0026nbsp; The wolf's legs were fine, but when the rat lifted his tail, he couldn't help flicking it back down and turning quickly to face the doctor.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Running his hand through his hair again, the doctor sighed.\u0026nbsp; \"Look, buddy, that's the last thing on my mind right now.\u0026nbsp; I'm heterosexual, and I'm so tired I couldn't if I wanted to.\u0026nbsp; I'm just taking a look.\"  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The wolf turned, abashed.\u0026nbsp; He hadn't really expected the man would try anything, but it had become ingrained in him: if they grabbed his tail, they wanted sex.\u0026nbsp; He halfheartedly raised his tail and let the doctor lift it the rest of the way, though he shuddered as he did so.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Odd,\" the doctor said.\u0026nbsp; \"Have you been using that lotion twice a day?\"  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"What lotion?\" the wolf asked, confused.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"The--\"\u0026nbsp; The rat paused, and the wolf could feel his sudden hostility.\u0026nbsp; \"You weren't given any medications since our last visit?\"  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I didn't know I was supposed to have any.\"\u0026nbsp; The wolf was now even more confused.\u0026nbsp; The only time he had received medicine since becoming a slave had been when one of his wounds became infected.\u0026nbsp; Other than that, time was the only healer he had been given.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The doctor relinquished his grasp on the lupine's tail and grabbed the wolf's chart of the wall.\u0026nbsp; He began scribbling furiously, eyes narrowed behind his glasses.\u0026nbsp; The wolf could see the chart, but the doctor's handwriting looked like meaningless scribbles to him.\u0026nbsp; \"It's a bloody miracle anyone leaves these places alive,\" he grumbled.\u0026nbsp; \"Too little food, too little water, inadequate accommodations, and heaven forbid any money be spent on such _trivialities_,\" he spat out the word, \"as medicine.\u0026nbsp; It's no wonder they can't find any good doctors to come to these places.\u0026nbsp; First that rabbit, now you.\u0026nbsp; You know,\" he said, speaking up, \"when I told the owner you'd need recovery time, he offered me a hefty sum to give you a clean bill of health.\u0026nbsp; I had a syringe in my hand and more than half a mind to shove it right up his ass.\"  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The wolf was rapidly revising his opinion of those in the medical profession.\u0026nbsp; It certainly explained a lot if the auction houses were paying doctors to release slaves for sale early.\u0026nbsp; Any honest doctor would refuse to serve the houses, and only the bad apples would stay.\u0026nbsp; The wolf fully understood the doctor's aggravation at being asked to lie.\u0026nbsp; He respected honesty.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"There,\" the fuming rat said.\u0026nbsp; \"I'm going to check on the others I prescribed drugs for as well.\u0026nbsp; Either you're going to get your meds, or I'm going to hold back everyone with so much as a hangnail.\"  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The wolf felt a little bad as the doctor stormed out of the room and one of the orderlies entered to take him back to the cages.\u0026nbsp; He had taken the rat's silence before as indifference when it was merely having nothing to say.\u0026nbsp; After all, the wolf couldn't provide anything for himself and was completely dependent on others to look after him.\u0026nbsp; It was one of the things he hated about being a slave.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; As he walked back to the cage he could temporarily call \"his,\" the wolf saw many eyes looking back at him.\u0026nbsp; Some looked at him with mild curiosity while others merely raised their heads to see if the footsteps were coming for them.\u0026nbsp; A broad range of emotions confronted the wolf: the ones new to slavery showed mixtures of anticipation and fear; those that were being resold showed depression or resignation.\u0026nbsp; One pair of eyes in particular jumped out at him.\u0026nbsp; One reason they stood out was their brilliant colour.\u0026nbsp; The sparkled a bright jade that caught the dim lighting and shone through the comparative dark.\u0026nbsp; The primary reason, though, was the emotion the wolf could see in them.\u0026nbsp; He could see that this slave had had a hard time.\u0026nbsp; There was a mixture of resignation, sorrow, and pain that spoke of years of ill-treatment.\u0026nbsp; The eyes seemed like the eyes of a youth, but they had lost their innocence.\u0026nbsp; However, beneath all of the fatalism and despair, there was a glimmer.\u0026nbsp; It had been so long since he had seen that glint that the wolf had passed by the slave before he recognized it.\u0026nbsp; He scoffed silently at the feeling.\u0026nbsp; Another master and the green-eyed slave would learn the futility of the emotion.\u0026nbsp; The wolf had abandoned it years ago.\u0026nbsp; It only brought pain.\u0026nbsp; As his cage was locked with him inside, he snorted softly.\u0026nbsp; He would not fall for its allure again.\u0026nbsp; What use had he for fool's gold?\u0026nbsp; Still he couldn't help but feel a little envious of those eyes and what they held.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Hope.  \n\u0026nbsp;\n\nDaniel didn't breathe as he took in the scene before him.\u0026nbsp; It was as if he had suddenly forgotten how.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't until the dark shape before him shuddered that the air started moving through his lungs again.\u0026nbsp; He slowly stepped into the room, still slightly unable to accept what he was seeing.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"David?\"  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The canine was completely obscured beneath the bedsheets, which had been flung into the far corner of the room.\u0026nbsp; The only indications that anyone was there were the smell of the Newfoundland dog and the occasional quiver of the sheets.\u0026nbsp; Daniel approached slowly, both because he did not want to scare his slave and because he was scared himself of what he might see.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"David?\" he called again, a little louder than before.\u0026nbsp; The pile shuddered at his voice.\u0026nbsp; \"It's me.\u0026nbsp; Daniel.\u0026nbsp; Your master.\"\u0026nbsp; He kept his tone quiet and soothing as he continued his careful advance.\u0026nbsp; When he reached the twitching bundle, he carefully crouched down beside it and gently grabbed one edge of the sheets.\u0026nbsp; He slowly tried to pull it back, but a black-furred paw prevented him.\u0026nbsp; \"C'mon, David,\" Daniel crooned.\u0026nbsp; \"Let me have a look at you.\"\u0026nbsp; He slowly tried again, and this time the sheet pulled back easily.\u0026nbsp; The sight that greeted him beneath the two sheets, he knew, would be much more difficult to pull from his memory.\u0026nbsp; A tear rolled down his cheek as he looked on his shaking slave.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I tried to stop them,\" David whispered.\u0026nbsp; \"But--\"\u0026nbsp; The canine's voice broke and fresh tears rolled down well-worn paths on his cheeks.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Shh,\" Daniel whispered, taking the Newfie in his arms.\u0026nbsp; The sheets still covered the lower half of David, affording the dog a little modesty.\u0026nbsp; Daniel could see the loincloth that David usually wore had been flung into the corner as well and could all too easily guess the reason it had been removed.\u0026nbsp; The slave wept in his master's arms while Daniel murmured, \"It's all right.\u0026nbsp; I'm here, it'll be okay.\"  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; It was abundantly clear, however, that things were not all right.\u0026nbsp; Even a cursory glance revealed that things had been rough for David, and Daniel was taking a closer look while he comforted the canine.\u0026nbsp; The black fur was streaked with red in a couple of places, and one blow had swollen his left eye shut.\u0026nbsp; Based on how David flinched, it appeared he was sore all over.\u0026nbsp; On closer inspection the wrists appeared chafed.\u0026nbsp; Daniel glanced over at the bed, and as he predicted, ropes were tied to the bedposts.\u0026nbsp; He turned back to his slave and saw that the poor dog had passed out in his arms.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Daniel was torn among three emotions as he looked at David.\u0026nbsp; He felt anger at the perpetrators for their treatment of David.\u0026nbsp; Everything they had taken could be replaced.\u0026nbsp; Everything, except for David's innocence and sense of security.\u0026nbsp; He felt sorrow for the pain David had gone through and the psychological scars the Newfoundland dog would carry for a long time.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; However, the predominant emotion for Daniel was guilt.\u0026nbsp; He couldn't help feeling that he could have prevented this.\u0026nbsp; The marks in the house were fresh, and the blood downstairs still wet.\u0026nbsp; Had he taken a cab home, perhaps he could have been home in time to stop the break-in.\u0026nbsp; Furthermore, if he had found another slave earlier as he intended, especially one less submissive than David, the thieves might have been wary of trying to enter.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Carefully, Daniel picked up the physically and emotionally drained canine.\u0026nbsp; Despite the occasional missed meal, the dog was a large specimen, and Daniel strained a little under his weight.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't an excess of fat or muscle; it was merely the way David was built.\u0026nbsp; Daniel carried David into the bathroom, awkwardly shuffling sides through the doors.\u0026nbsp; The cracked mirror distorted their image, blending the two black-furred people into one ominous shape.\u0026nbsp; Daniel gently lowered his slave to the floor and leaned him against a wall in a sitting position.\u0026nbsp; He started running a bath and took a first-aid kit out of the cupboard.\u0026nbsp; The jaguar cast a critical eye at the cuts and scrapes David had accumulated during his struggle.\u0026nbsp; Most of the blood was dried or drying, and none of the wounds looked serious in nature.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; When the bathtub had filled with warm water, Daniel once again laboriously lifted David off the ground.\u0026nbsp; _Maybe I should start going to the gym_, the panther thought as he carefully placed himself and David into the tub.\u0026nbsp; Once they settled without incident, Daniel slowly and carefully started cleaning the still unconscious canine, paying especial attention any place the skin had broken.\u0026nbsp; The most time-consuming area was the dog's rump, which still bore traces of the ordeal to which David had been subjected.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; After the dog's appearance was restored, Daniel just lay in the bathtub with David in his arms.\u0026nbsp; He knew it would take a lot more time to restore the dog's confidence and good-humour.\u0026nbsp; He was trying to think of how he could speed the process when he realized he was sitting in lukewarm water fully clothed.\u0026nbsp; He had been so concerned about David that he hadn't even removed his tie.\u0026nbsp; Daniel sighed and prepared to get out of the bath.\u0026nbsp; When he shifted, David stirred.\u0026nbsp; Feeling Daniel's arms around him, the Newfie instinctively lashed out with his arm, impacting the panther's muzzle.\u0026nbsp; Working around the pain in his jaw, Daniel tried to soothe the slave.\u0026nbsp; \"Whoa, David, it's me, it's me!\"  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; David calmed at his master's voice and turned his head and torso to look at the jaguar.\u0026nbsp; Seeing him rubbing his jaw, David apologized.\u0026nbsp; \"Sorry, Master,\" he said, bowing his head.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"It's okay,\" Daniel reassured the canine.\u0026nbsp; \"I understand.\"  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; They held that position for a moment.\u0026nbsp; Then, Daniel said, \"Okay.\u0026nbsp; Time to get out.\u0026nbsp; Can you stand?\"  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I--I think so,\" came David's halting reply.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Daniel pulled the plug and helped David rise and step out of the tub.\u0026nbsp; Daniel grabbed a high-absorbency towel off the rack and gently dried off David.\u0026nbsp; Then, he removed his sopping clothes and dried himself.\u0026nbsp; After blow-drying both of them, Daniel lead them to David's bedroom, figuring that the master bedroom would still hold bad connotations for the dog.\u0026nbsp; Once inside they la y on the bed with Daniel spooning David.\u0026nbsp; The dog soon fell asleep, safe in his master's arms.  \n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The jaguar could feel his eyelids drooping when he realized he hadn't eaten since that muffin in the break room.\u0026nbsp; _Was that only today?_ he wondered.\u0026nbsp; The lighthearted repartee with Catherine felt disjointed from everything that happened since coming home.\u0026nbsp; He considered getting up but decided against it.\u0026nbsp; He didn't have much of an appetite just then, and he wanted to be there for David.\u0026nbsp; _I'll need to call in a few sick days,_ he thought.\u0026nbsp; Then, he joined David in the realm of Morpheus.\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"LFHS","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/221422-land-of-the-free-and-home-of-the-slaves-chapter-2.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/232732-land-of-the-free-and-home-of-the-slaves-chapter-4.json"}}