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Changes We Make

Chapter Seven

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

29th September, 2021

All Rights Reserved.

Next morning, Jennifer fed the joey, then Nicole, before she returned to the kitchen, Nicole following like an obedient pet. Turning around, Jennifer gasped and nearly dropped the glass of milk she held, seeing Nicole staring at her from only inches away.

“You scared me half to death!” Jennifer shuddered and leaned back against the kitchen counter.

Nicole flicked an ear and turned away, crouching down to drink water from one of the many bowls Jennifer had thoughtfully placed around the house.

“You want some more breakfast? Anything? I need to go shopping today, will you and the joey be alright?”

Nicole startled, water dribbling from her muzzle as she stared up at Jennifer, her eyes wide.

“Hey, its alright, you're safe here – I think. Only I know who and what you are Nicole, and I promise, I'll never divulge your true identity to anyone, I swear! I've left the back door open, so if you need to go out...”

Nicole grunted and growled, making her feelings about being left home alone abundantly clear.

“I can't haul you around in the van Nicole, what if someone seen you? How would we explain it? Our clinic is in ashes, I still have my doubts that it was an accidental fire...”

Nicole growled and stamped her left foot, then shook her head.

“I think I understand that!” Jennifer nodded, then reached out towards Nicole, holding her hand out. “May I?”

Nicole frowned, then her eyes lifted up as Jennifer gently stroked Nicole's long, tubular ears. To Nicole's surprise, it felt quite pleasurable, and she leaned into the gentle stroking and scratching.

“Feels good does it?” Jennifer smiled.

Nicole grunted and gently took Jennifer's forearms between her paws and looked up at her with an expression of absolute trust and respect.

“I like you too Nicole,” Jennifer smiled as she ruffled Nicole's ears tenderly. “Promise you'll be okay, now, one more thing...”

Nicole blinked, then her eyes narrowed as Jennifer left the room, returning shortly with the leather collar.

“I know you hate it, but it is for your own good...just a precaution.”

If they want a trophy, I don't think it'll matter whether I'm wearing a collar or not... Nicole sighed mentally.

You let a human treat us like some cur? Come the mental voice of the Therian within her. When I get free, she's going to suffer...horribly and slowly, I promise you...

Nicole winced and clutched her head, the voice sickening her as she whimpered and cowered. Jennifer's eyes widened and she hurriedly scrambled backwards, her back hitting the kitchen cupboard with a loud bang as she stared wide-eyed at Nicole who tugged her ears and screamed with a loud, feral-like cry of anguish and pain.

I'm dead... Jennifer's terrified mind screamed at her.

Nicole shrieked and clutched her head, shaking it violently, before she finally dropped to all fours and retched piteously, but nothing but water and saliva come from her throat and muzzle.

“Nicole...are you...” Jennifer whimpered, as she remained pressed against the cupboard.

Gagging, Nicole retched again, then she convulsed from ears to tail and very slowly, held up a paw in a warding gesture, before she coughed and nodded weakly.

“It's...bad, isn't it?” Jennifer whispered, wishing she could do something, anything, to help her friend.

Nicole swallowed and trembled, then managed a weak nod. As Jennifer looked at the water and saliva that had splattered on the floor, she reached for a cloth near her shoulder and Nicole snarled and stamped her hind foot.

“Woah...hey!” Jennifer squealed.

Nicole, without access to the laptop, tried desperately to communicate, pointing at the mess then at herself, before she splayed her furred fingers out in a negating gesture.

“You... your...” Jennifer blinked, trying to understand.

Frustrated, Nicole made a slicing gesture against her throat, then pointed at the ejecta again, trying desperately to make her point.

Frowning, Jennifer looked at the mess, then at Nicole, who growled and stamped her foot in rising anger and frustration. Finally, desperate to help her friend understand, Nicole pointed at the puddle, then at Jennifer, before shaking her head violently from side to side.

“Something...about it? Your... wait, your saliva? Something about that? I thought...oh my god... I thought only your blood...”

Finally... Nicole sighed and nodded.

Again, she pointed, then made a warding gesture with both paws, fingers splayed out and palms towards Jennifer. As well as she could, Nicole made a gesture with her paws, holding one up and sliding the other down towards the wrist.

“I'm no good at charades Nicole...” Jennifer growled in frustration.

Gloves! Nicole screamed at her, but all Jennifer heard was the guttural grunts and barks.

Angry, Nicole stamped her hind feet, then desperately began clawing at the cupboard doors, trying to open them, but only succeeding in having her claws scratch at them.

“What? What do you want? I don't...wait...”

Jennifer began opening cupboards, as Nicole waited as patiently as she could, then when she seen what she wanted, she nodded and grunted loudly, trying to point them out.

“This?” Jennifer asked, as she touched a plastic bottle.

Shaking her head, Nicole crept up beside her, then awkwardly clutched the rubber gloves by their ends then dropped them.

“Gloves... once again, I'm a complete idiot, if your blood carries the...”

Jennifer pondered.

“What even is it? Is it a disease? Some...gah, let me clean this up then get your laptop, okay?”

Impatient, Nicole pointed at the gloves, then crossed her paws, the closest she could come to crossing her arms.

“Alright, point made...” Jennifer sighed. “I'll go get a mop...”

Nicole growled and stamped her feet, then glared at the gloves, before staring at Jennifer.

“Alright! I get it...” Jennifer sighed, then picked them up and put them on.

*

Jennifer stopped off at the service station and fuelled her car, having left the van back at her farm. Paying the cashier, she returned to her vehicle and headed for the supermarket, passing a black van that drove the other way.

Singing along to one of her favourite songs that blasted from the speakers of her car, Jennifer soon pulled into the shopping centre car park and headed inside.

“I probably should get some more Marsupial mix from the produce store and...”

Her mind otherwise occupied, Jennifer retrieved a cart and began heading towards the store.

“Jennifer?” Come a voice to her right.

Jennifer startled, then blinked. “Susan? Oh my god, how have you been?”

Thoughts of shopping slipping from her head, Jennifer embraced her friend and the two of them walked to the nearby bench seat, where they sat down and reminisced.

*

At the service station, two men in expensive suits slipped out of the van and walked purposefully into the office. Flashing badges, they confronted the clerk behind the counter.

“Excuse me sir,” One of them spoke. “Detectives Johnson and Patterson, we're investigating the disappearance of one of the Veterinarian's from town, have you seen this woman?”

“Who?” Come the startled voice.

Holding out the picture, one of the men waited, giving the clerk a good, long look at it.

“Oh, her! Yeah, she was just in here a little while ago, filling up her car. No, she's not a Veterinarian, she's one of the nurses, her name is Jennifer, she's a regular here... Is something wrong? Is she in trouble?”

“No, we just got a few questions for her, about the disappearance of the Veterinarian Nicole Summers, she worked with Ms. Summers and we've been investigating the disappearance. Would you say it's out of character for Ms. Summers to just disappear without telling anyone?”

“Uh...I'm not intimately familiar with that lady, but I did hear she just up and left town, or so the rumour has it...”

With a sigh, the two looked at each other, then back at the bewildered clerk.

“Its important, please, do you know where we can find the lady in the picture? She might have heard from Ms. Summers or even potentially know her location...”

“Oh, sure! Jennifer lives out at the old Blackwood farm, about, oh, ten or so miles from town? I can write down the address for you, her and I have been friends for years, been meaning to catch up and...”

Producing a pen and pad, the larger man wrote down the directions, then snapped the pad closed.

“You sure Jennifer isn't in trouble? I don't want to get her into some sort of trouble with the law and...”

“Thank you for your assistance, its been most helpful, good day!”

“Oh, anytime...” Muttered the clerk, before the two men left and returned to their vehicle.

*

One looked at the other, then their calm, polite facade fell away. One dialled a number on his cell phone, then after a few rings, another voice answered.

“Subject B is located at the following location, highly probably primary and secondary targets are at location. We have the surveillance video from the sanctuary, so we know what she looks like. Advise.”

“Proceed with preliminary investigation. Establish possible escape points and terrain examination. Team will be forthcoming. Do not engage, I repeat, do not engage. Await team, but carry out surveillance and initial sweep. Team will be on site in two hours.”

Hanging up, the man behind the wheel tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his face wreathed in a look of hatred and fury.

“That Veterinarian is going to get what's coming to her – that thrice cursed joey too...”

“What about the woman, what was her name? Jennifer?”

“When we're done with them...they'll beg for death, you know our creed and our training. Aid and abet a Therian? Your life is forfeit... There can be no mistakes, no slip ups and absolutely, no mercy...”

To Be Continued...