Story 1: The Stray Fox

Bear (The Stray)
Wolffine (The Vet)
Jax (The ???)


The day starts at the Happy Time Clinic with a mug of fresh coffee, then making the first rounds of the kennels. There was always some critter to take care of. A feline with a bent tail, a lizard with parasites, a parrot with a broken beak, but today was unusually quiet, Wolffine noted. Most of the cages were clean and empty, and of those occupied none needed immediate attention. The canine vet leaned back sipping their morning brew, with a book in paw, calm days like this were few and far in-between.


It was nearly noon before the faint chime of the door opening interrupted the vet’s peace. Looking up from their book the familiar sight of a large tiger dressed in the uniform of City Animal Control. “Officer Skruffs, always a pleasure. How can we be of service today?” Wolffine closed the steamy novel they had been working on and greeted the officer.


“Oh, the usual,” the tiger chuckled. “Got another stray that needs a full work up,” Officer Skruffs lifted a scrawny male fennec fox and deposited it on the counter. Wolffine immediately identified the poor creature was severely malnutritioned and suffered from a case of mange. 


“Yes, you are right. This one needs immediate care, please fill out the appropriate paperwork and leave it on the desk.” Wolffine pulled on a thick pair of protective gloves, and pulled their coat closed before helping the stray fox down. “What’s your name?” Wolffine asked as they held the fox’s paw, helping the male to steady himself.


“Bear,” the male responded as he was led into the exam room. His dirty torn clothes, barely rags, were carefully removed and deposited into a trash bin. Bear shivered in the cool room as the vet turned back towards them. Bear smiled at the friendly face,having lived on the street since he was a small kit, all it took was a simple kind gesture. First the big tiger had approached him, and that was scary till he was offered a candy bar. As he got into the officer’s truck the tiger promised him a much better life and plenty of food if he cooperated.


“That’s a good name,” Wolfine commented as they wrote down notes on the small male onto a clipboard. The small vulpine was short, even by fennec standards, badly in need of a bath, and a good meal. He was sexually intact, and seemed to be in their early twenties. “Well, good news it doesn't look like you are physically injured, let’s get you cleaned up first.” Wolffine declared, concluding the initial visual exam.


Bear nodded as the vet led him to a shower, it was little more than a stall with a hose and showerhead. Wolffine’s paws lifted him up and started to wash the street grime from his fur. The water was warm and pleasant and the vet’s fingers did wonders as they brushed medicated shampoo through his short fur. Bear closed his eyes, his tail wagged back and forth as his ears were thoroughly washed by something that smelt rather pleasant. 


All too soon the experience was over as he was rinsed, wrapped in a large towel, and carried to a large padded table. The towel was expertly rubbed over his body before being replaced by the hot air of a hair dryer. Bear was content to let out a happy “YeeeeYeeeeYeeee” yip as the dryer was guided over his ears, back, rump, and crotch by the vet. Soon after the dryer was replaced by soft bristles of a brush that worked from his ear down to the very tip of his tail. With the grooming complete Bear felt better than he had ever felt.


“Well the hard part is done,” Wolffine chuckled as they pulled the gloves off their paws, tossing them in the hazardous waste bin. “Now, how we proceed is up to you Bear.” 
“Up to me?” The fluffed fennec tilted his head, his muzzle scrunched up in confusion.


Wolffine gave a reassuring smile as he explained. “Yes. You can return to being an unregistered stray. In which case you will be held till your medical condition improves, sterilized, and microchipped, before being released. Though you always do run the risk of being caught again, and most clinics won’t treat a repeat stray.” Wolffine paused to let Bear process the info before continuing. “Though you can always choose adoption. Again you will be treated, sterilized, and chipped, but you will be registered as a citizen. Which means you would be afforded rights and privileges. Well limited at first but when you are young you’ll be well taken care of till you earn full status.”

Bear nodded, as he chewed on his lower lip. “But what if I want to have kits after earning the right?” he asked, not really interested in anything more than the info.


“Well, if you want we can take a sample before you are sterilized, but that's only if you choose to be adopted by a citizen.” Wolffine patted the fennec on the head as they started to prepare the rest of the stray’s treatments. “You don't have to pick right this second but I will have to know before I can release you.”


Gulping Bear tugged at his left ear, a bad habit from his kithood whenever he was thinking about something. He felt something small pressed into his muzzle. The strong bitter taste made him gag, but the warm paw of the vet wrapped around his muzzle and the other one rubbing his throat made him swallow. “Blech!” Bear stuck out his tongue as the paws retreated.


“I’m sorry but that was a pill to treat your mange. Most people hate the taste, and most strays won’t take it willingly.Wolffine pulled a fresh pair of gloves on and approached the fennec. Bear sat silently as the inside of his ears, nose and throat were inspected. He barely flinched as his heart, and lungs were listened to, complying with the much larger canine’s requests for deep breathes and releases. Even as his short sandy-colored sheath and scrotum were touched and swabbed he held still, his mind locked into a debate between freedom or security. 


“I think,” Bear trembled as he felt a sharp poke into his arm. “I want to pick being a pet.” Bear whimpered as he was guided to lay on the table by a nodding Wolffine. His eyes fluttered as he watched as the vet prepared a PICC, his eyes fluttered more as he started to drift off. 


“Sleep, lil fox.” Wolffine cooed softly while stroking their drowsy patient’s head fur. While the fox slept from the strong dose of ketamine, Wolffine shaved the fox’s left arm, down to the skin, followed by rubbing a numbing cream over the exposed skin. With the prep done, Wolffine scrubbed up and used an antibacterial spray to clean the site . With skill from years of practice the vet set the thick catheter into Bear’s arm, gently guiding the Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter into a vein. Using a small ultrasound machine, Wolffine guided the tube up past the bend in the arm till it was set just outside of Bear’s heart. After hanging bags of nutritional fluid on an intravenous pole while humming, the vet turned their attention to the next task on paw.


Once again the electric razor buzzed to life, making short work of the soft fuzz that adorned Bear’s crotch. Wolffine brushed the stray fur aside as they inspected the male animal’s goods. Normally they would just go right in and snip a stray, but considering the vulpine’s delicate condition Wolffine took their time, carefully tracing over the two small bulges held in the fox’s scrotum with a marker as they set out lines for incisions. 


“Ok lil, guy when you wake you’ll be a whole new pet,” The vet chuckled as they picked up a #3 stainless steel handled scalpel fitted with the customary rounded #10 blade, their personal fav. The canine vet worked quietly, deftly sliding the blade over the guides they had made, till the fennec’s testes were visible in the incisions. Setting the blade carefully down for the moment, Wolffine looked over to the sleeping fox’s vitals, while dabbing the wounds they had made with a sterile cotton ball and styptic powder. After the bleeding abated, the vet gently used a finger on each side of the vulpine’s testicles and pushed till the scrotum slipped and the two small organs hung freely from the slits.  


The pair were far from the most impressive they had seen, in fact not counting ferals they were the smallest, Wolffine mused as lifted one up to inspect. Satisfied they were at least healthy and that the pet wouldn’t need intensive care, the scalpel was picked up and the procedure continued. The sharp edge easily parted the tough membrane exposing a pale white orb and cords. Wolffine easily peeled back the tunica, with enough cord exposed the vet clamped the testicular artery and vas deferens with several forceps before ligating it tightly with several sutures. A swift cut quickly separated the organ from the unaware patient before it was plopped into a tray. The vet carefully inspected the cord stump, making sure nothing was bleeding before releasing the clamps to let it slip back inside the half neutered male.


Another 20 minutes later Wolffine was wrapping up the work, both of the stray’s testes laid in the tray as the vet stitched the incisions closed and finished by rubbing a greenish dye over the freshly neutered fox’s pouch. Smiling, Wolffine gently scritched Bear’s ears before carrying the tray over to a desk. Both small organs were carefully measured and weighed before being dumped into a small waste bin. The vet made several notations on the strays' file before glancing back over. The former male was still sleeping peacefully under the heavy sedation and would till morning. Leaning back in their chair, Wolffine picked their book up and continued reading from where they had left off in the morning.


Midnight, Bear slumbered, softly whimpering as an avian shadow crept through the veterinary clinic. It paused studying the sleeping patient before slipping into the vet’s personal office. It toppled the trash can and squawked with glee as it scooped up discarded fox treasures and stole away into the night.