WARNING: This story may contain content of an adult nature. If you are easily offended or are under the legal age to view adult content in your area, please exit now. This text is intended for adults only and may include scenes of sexual content or graphic violence. Reader discretion is advised.
Revelations by IndigoNeko
Chapter 24 – Life Lessons
Monday, June 1st, 2015
Hikari was surprised just how much of a difference being at school twenty minutes early made. The parking lot only had a handful of cars in it, mostly in the teacher's parking lot. In fifteen minutes, it would be nearly full. The japanese macaque squeezed the clutch and feathered the brake as he coasted his Honda Rebel into one of the motorcycle spots, then put it in neutral before hitting the engine cutoff switch.
After locking his helmet to the bike and locking the front wheel sideways, he walked towards the school building, glancing around. A trio of identical black BMWs and a newer blue BMW were all parked next to each other in the visitor parking. As he watched, the drivers of the first two of the black BMWs got out; a badger and a red-feathered cardinal, both wearing matching black suits and red ties and carrying briefcases.
The driver of the blue BMW got out next, a taupe-furred dark-eyed weasel wearing a black business suit but with a blue tie. He suspected that it was Terrence Stouffer, then became sure of it when a white and brown-furred weasel, Terrence’s wife Julia, stepped out of the passenger side. Julia stood up and ran her paws down the satin blue dress she was wearing that matched her husband’s tie. Charlotte climbed out of the back seat of the blue BMW, wearing a long dark turquoise skirt and blouse with a black corset that made her look surprisingly adult.
The driver of the third black BMW opened the door at that point, and something that looked like an anteater with scales stepped out of the third car. His suit matched the first two men’s. He vaguely remembered the species from one of his early biology classes. Pangolin? He shrugged. It didn't matter. He walked over to them, noticing as he came within talking distance that the suits they all wore must have been custom tailored, given how well they fit. They practically oozed wealth and power.
The three men in suits introduced themselves to him as Richard, Stanley, and Erik... names he remembered from the conversation with Terrence over the weekend. Introductions completed, the seven of them walked towards the school, Hikari following along behind them, feeling decidedly under-dressed in his black biking jacket and khakis.
The few students in the halls stared as the small group made their way towards the main office. Terrence pulled the door open for them as they all filed into the small main office. As they walked in, the secretary took the pair of oversized headphones off her large ears.
“I'll be with y'all in a moment. Would each of y'all please sign the visitor list ovah theah?” the secretary asked, pointing to a clipboard on the counter-top. The mouse continued typing as the four men signed the clipboard. The cardinal took out a phone and took a quick photo of the visitor list. The secretary frowned at that, but didn't say anything.
After they'd finished signing the visitor list, the mouse behind the desk stopped typing. “May I ask the nature of y'alls visit?”
The badger stepped forward, speaking with a strong British accent. “Hello. I'm Stanley Chase, from the Chase, Franklin, and Young law firm. These are my partners, Richard Franklin and Erik Young,” he said, pointing to the cardinal and pangolin. “We've been retained by Terrence Stouffer here,” he said gesturing to the ferret, “on behalf of Charlotte Schneider and Hikari Arakaki. Our firm, as of this morning, will be filing several claims with the State of Oregon for personal injury, negligence, and civil rights abuses on behalf of the two of them against the Tigard-Tualatin School District.”
The mouse behind the counter blinked, closing her mouth with a snap. “Ah see. If y'all hold on a moment, I believe it'd be best fuh y'all to speak with the Principal.” Almost before she'd finished speaking, she was out of her chair and quickly walking to an office in the back of the room.
The badger quickly set his briefcase on the counter and popped it open, pulling out a rolled sheet of black plastic before shutting the briefcase and setting it on the floor next to his feet. A moment later, a bald eagle wearing a dress shirt and slacks stepped out of the office, followed by the secretary.
“Hello. I'm Principal Eaglantine,” he said as he walked around the counter, bowing in lieu of the handshake that he couldn’t provide with wings. “I understand you have a grievance with the school?” the bald eagle asked.
“In a manner of speaking,” the british badger said, bowing in return. “As we just informed the lady at the desk here, I'm Stanley Chase, and these are my partners Richard Franklin and Erik Young, of the Chase, Franklin, and Young law firm. We've been retained by Terrence Stouffer here to represent Charlotte Schneider and Hikari Arakaki,” he said, pointing at each member of their party in turn. “They intend to file several claims with the State of Oregon against the Tigard-Tualatin School District for personal injury, negligence, and civil rights violations.”
The badger's speech became rather clipped and terse as he quickly explained the details. “Most of those are directly related to the school's failure to take action when notified multiple times of the sexual harassment that preceded her being battered by another student, one Diego Ortega-y-Torres, and Ms. Schneider’s injuries resulting from that negligence,” he said, unrolling the sheet of plastic and holding up an x-ray of the canine’s skull with numerous metal rods and screws clearly visible.
The badger rolled up the x-ray again before continuing. “The rest are pertaining to civil rights violations resulting from the school’s zero-tolerance fighting policy. From the videos that we obtained from Officer Hoffman,” he said, holding up a USB drive, “we believe Mr. Arakaki's actions were both legal and fully justified under ORS 161.209. Regardless, the school has seen fit to give him out-of-school suspension.”
The bald eagle frowned, but nodded. “I see,” he said. Before the principal could think of what else to say, the badger began speaking again.
“We have copies for you of the claims we are filing,” the badger continued in a slightly menacing tone, “as well as rough drafts of the lawsuits we will file should the school district deny the claims or the school district’s investigation period pass without result. We will also be delivering copies to the district office on Sanburg street later today as well as copies for the district’s legal council.”
As the badger spoke, the pangolin stepped forward, setting his briefcase on the counter and popping the locks, opening it and pulling out a thick stack of papers which he set on the counter. He then stepped back, but left the briefcase open on the counter. The badger stepped back at that point, and the cardinal stepped forward.
“As Mr. Chase mentioned, I’m Richard Franklin,” the cardinal introduced himself. His voice was warm and friendly, almost casual, and devoid of any accents. “Regarding the claims of Ms. Schneider’s injury and harassment, I’ve included an attachment detailing the estimated final cost of Ms. Schneider’s medical bills after insurance, a few simple changes we’d suggest for the school’s harassment policy, and listed a small sum for negligence compensation. Should the school district find Ms. Schneider’s claims to be valid and agree all of that is reasonable, we have an out-of-court settlement form included with the attachment.”
The cardinal continued in his friendly, casual tone of voice. “Regarding Mr. Arakaki’s claims of civil rights abuses, we’ve included another attachment with two small changes to the school’s zero-tolerance fighting policy and listed a small sum for civil rights abuse compensation. Should the school district find Mr. Arakaki’s claims to be valid and agree all of that is reasonable, we have a second out-of-court settlement form included with that attachment.”
As the cardinal finished talking, the pangolin stepped forward and took four more sheets of paper out of his briefcase and set them atop the much larger stack he’d set on the counter a minute ago. The pangolin stepped back again, leaving the briefcase open yet again.
At this point Mr. Chase stepped forward, once again speaking tersely in his strong British accent. “Lastly, there is a third attachment detailing the estimated value of the out-of-school suspension on Mr. Arakaki’s G.P.A., his chances of attending various universities, and his lifetime earning potential. The change is rather drastic. Regardless of the results of the school’s investigations, we will be filing a lawsuit for that grievance, unless he is allowed to take his final exams.”
At this, the pangolin stepped forward once again, pulling one last sheet of paper out his briefcase and set it on the pile. That last sheet of paper was clearly a spreadsheet document. There were several columns listing grade percentages in various classes, a variety of universities admission requirements, estimated earnings for various degrees of education in various professions over decades, and an averaged sum at the bottom in red. It was several million dollars. The pangolin closed his briefcase and stepped back.
The badger checked his watch. “As he is required to leave the campus in approximately five minutes according to the terms of the out-of-school suspension, we decided it would be best to inform the school district of the consequences of his out-of-school suspension this morning,” the badger continued menacingly, “before it comes into effect and the results are irreversible.”
The room was silent for a moment, the only sound being the tick-tock of the large clock hanging above the office entrance. “Hmm. It would be a shame if something irreversible happened,” the bald eagle said, “It's probably best to take care of that first.” With that, he turned around and walked over to another office door, tapping on it and opening it. The barn owl seated inside looked up, surprised to see so many men in suits standing in the office.
“Greg, can you see what you can do about changing Mr. Arakaki's out-of-school suspension to an in-school suspension?” the Principal asked. “There might be some unanticipated legal consequences for the school district if he isn’t allowed to take his final exams.”
The barn owl's eyes narrowed as he focused on the primate behind the four men in suits. He looked back up, his voice carefully neutral. “Of course, Jon. Send him on in and I'll see what I can do.”
As the bald eagle and all three of the lawyers stepped out of the way, Hikari nervously walked past them and into the vice principal's office. As the door closed behind him, it felt like the temperature in the room dropped twenty degrees as the barn owl glared at him in frosty silence for several seconds before reaching for the computer keyboard.
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In the smaller building just north of the high school, the bell rang just as Alex entered her 4th grade classroom, hopping along on her crutches. Elizabeth held the door open for her.
“Hello Alex,” a female bald eagle said brightly, standing up from her desk near the front of the classroom before brushing off her pant-suit and walking over to them. “I'm glad you could make it back to school this week. We were all sad to hear that you'd broken your leg. And thank you, Elizabeth, for helping her. Did you get the homework packet all done?”
“Yes, Mrs. Eaglantine, it's in my backpack,” Alex said, resting one of her crutches against the wall and tugging the straps of her black and orange backpack off.
“Fantastic. Thank you for giving it to her, Elizabeth. I knew I could count on you,” the teacher said with a smile and taking the thin packet of papers from Alex.
“Have a seat after you've gotten your backpacks put away and we can get started with roll call.”
The rest of the morning passed uneventfully as the class started with a bit of reading time and some math word puzzles before they got their first recess. Mrs. Eaglantine followed the line of cubs out the door as they went through the classroom's outer door, heading around the building for the playground. She kept pace with the little tigress on crutches and her weasel friend who were trailing behind everyone else.
“I don't think I've ever seen you wearing skirts before, Alex,” the slender bald eagle said. “They look good on you.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Eaglantine. They're easier to wear with this stupid cast,” the tiger-cub replied.
“So, how did you break it?” the teacher asked. “I think your mother mentioned something about a snowboarding accident.”
“Yeah, I was up on Mount Hood, and I took a really big jump and biffed the landing,” Alex explained.
“I've never been snowboarding, myself. Though I have gone skiing once or twice. I didn't think that there would still be any snow left on Mt. Hood this time of year, though,” Mrs. Eaglantine commented.
“Yeah, it stayed open a bit longer than normal this year. It was more ice than snow though. I can't wait for winter to come again,” Alex said longingly.
The eagle's eyes widened. “So you'll be doing it again, even after breaking your leg? That's brave.”
“...and stupid,” the tiny stoat muttered, having been silent thus far. “You could have died, you dumb cat!”
Alex's ears went flat against her head. “Sorry,” she muttered.
“No you're not! If you were sorry, you wouldn't do it again!” Elizabeth said, heatedly.
“Hush, Elizabeth,” the bald eagle said, trying to calm the irate stoat. “I'm sure she's considered just how dangerous it is.”
“Actually... Dad and I had a long talk about that on the drive home from Mt. Hood on the way to the hospital. I'm going to have to wear full-body armor from here on out, like the motocross riders wear. I'm going to look ridiculous,” Alex said with a derisive snort.
Elizabeth sniffed, loudly. “Better than being dead.”
Shelly Eaglantine smiled. “I see you paid attention to the word sheet in your homework at least. Can you spell ‘ridiculous’ as well?”
“Arr, Eye, Dee, Eye, Cee, Yew, Ell, Oh, Yew, Ess,” the young feline recited dutifully.
“Great! Oh, I just had an idea,” the teacher said with a smile. “Would you like the other children to sign your cast when recess is over? It's sort of a tradition.”
“Umm...sure, I guess,” the tiger-cub hesitantly agreed.
“Great! I'll get out the colored markers then.”
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Hikari sighed as he flipped the scantron sheet over and turned the page in the booklet. Standardized tests were possibly the most boring thing in the world, and this was the first of four. Worse, they weren't even the tests for his final grade. And he was going to be stuck in this same boring beige room for the entire school week, with only the vice principal for company. The stuck up old owl had already made it crystal clear that Hikari was not to talk while in in-school suspension.
The japanese macaque glanced up. The owl was watching him over the top of the thick book he was reading. Hikari squinted, trying to make out the title. 'Sein Und Zeit'. At the edge of the table was another book, 'The Idiot'. Hikari snorted. Poorly written existential philosophy, and rambling Russian literature. No wonder the vice principle was so stuck up. He sighed and went back to filling in scantron bubbles.
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Alex hopped out of her mother’s black SUV, just outside the clinic they had been going to since the young tiger’s birth, then tugged at the cuffs of the black capris that had ridden up her legs. She pulled a pair of crutches out from under the seat. She glanced longingly across the street at Atfalati Park, then sighed and followed her mom across the parking lot into the clinic. The tigress watched the hem of her mom’s dress rustling in the breeze as she swung along on her crutches.
As the two tigers walked up to the counter, the robin perched on the stool behind the counter looked up. “Hello Mrs. Andreyev. How's that leg doing, Alex?” the secretary asked.
Alex shrugged. “Broken.”
“I'd be surprised if it weren't, considering it's only been a week. You should be able to get that cast removed in a few more weeks and start wearing an air-cast. They're much easier to deal with. Anyway... I thought your blood test wasn't for a few more weeks. So, what brings you two in today?” the cute little bird asked.
“Actually, I called a while ago to have the test moved up a bit, and I called this morning to see if Dr. Nez would be willing to see me as well.” Raenne said.
“Oh. Well... Everything the same?” the secretary asked. “Address, phone number, insurance, etc.?”
“Yes,” the older tigress said, nodding.
“In that case, why don't you two have a seat, and we'll have a nurse out in a moment to get your vitals and into the doctor's office.”
“Thank you, Sandra,” Raenne said with a smile.
It wasn't more than a few minutes before a heavyset hippo in blue scrubs stepped out into the waiting room and called their names. The nurse had both of them step on a scale and took their blood pressure readings before leading them to an exam room. Both of the tigers sat down on the uncomfortable plastic chairs. Alex promptly pulled out her phone and started playing a snowboarding game she'd found called Alto's Adventure. It wasn't more than a few seconds before someone knocked on the door and a river otter poked his head in.
“Raenne and Alex! How good to see you two again!” the otter said with a smile as he walked into the room and closed the door behind him, his lab coat twirling around him.
“Hi Dr. Nez,” Alex said with a small smile, glancing up from her game.
“Hello Jim,” Raenne said with a grin.
If anything, the otter's smile got wider. “Ha! You remembered! So, what can I do for you two today? Other than poke you with needles, that is.”
“Well, Alex here has apparently decided to become sexually active. So in addition to her usual hormone testing, I'd like her tested for STDs just to be on the safe side, and... would it be possible to get her on some kind of contraceptive? For that matter, would it be possible if I could go on one as well?” the older tigress asked.
“Absolutely,” the otter agreed. The doctor quickly pulled some swabs, disinfectant, rubber bands, and a pair of vials and syringes of the drawers before sitting down on the stool in front of the computer stand and wheeling it over.
“So, you're growing up, huh Alex?” the otter said as she held her arm out. “Guess it had to happen sometime. Hold still a moment. Gotta get something to feed the vampires in the basement,” he said with a smirk.
In seconds he had a rubber band around the cub’s arm and had it swabbed down with alcohol, quickly parting her fur in a few places until he found a vein. Before she could blink, he'd stuck a syringe in her arm, snipped the rubber band, and was slowly filling a tiny vial with dark red blood.
“Alex, have you gone pee in the past few hours?” the otter asked as he pulled the vial out, quickly pulling a pen from his pocket and marking the side of the vial before setting it on the counter.
“Umm... no. Why?” the tiger-cub asked.
Dr. Nez quickly placed a cotton swap over Alex's fur before withdrawing the needle and setting it on the counter as well. He quickly wrapped her arm medical gauze, finished with the procedure. “Because in order to have you tested for STDs like your mom wants, I'll need you to pee in this cup,” he said as he pulled a small plastic cup with a lid out of the drawer, scribbling on the side of it with his pen and handing it to her. “When you're done, put the lid over the top so it doesn't spill and set it in the cabinet next to the toilet. Do you remember where the bathroom is?”
“Yep,” Alex said as she put the phone in her pocket and hopped off the chair, pulling the door open and stepping out of the room.
“Sexually active? At nine?” the doctor asked incredulously the moment the door had shut, turning to face the older tigress. “I presume you've got sex-ed planned?”
“Yes, sexually active at nine. With her nine-year-old best friend, no less. We've been having to cover the basics of sex-ed ourselves since they don't teach sex-ed here until high-school,” Raenne explained.
“Wow. Okay,” he said, shaking his head as he picked up the remaining equipment and began tying a rubber band around Raenne's arm. “Hold still please.”
Raenne raised an eyebrow, but didn't object when he started swabbing her arm. “And what, pray tell, do you need my blood for?”
“Taste test,” he quipped. “Sorry, kidding. It's so I can get your estrogen levels and tell you exactly what options you have with regards to contraceptives,” he said as he quickly injected the syringe, snipped the bandage, and drew a vial of blood from Raenne's arm.
“Now,” he said as he took the vial out, marked it, and set it on the counter. He quickly bandaged Raenne's arm as well. “Just so you know, Alex will also need a vaginal swab for a full STD test. I’d recommend you have a gynecologist do that, though I can if necessary.”
Raenne shrugged. “I don’t know the current gynecologist on staff. I got a message a few months back saying that mine had left and someone else was going to be taking over for them.”
“Well, I haven’t heard any complaints about Charon’s work, and I’d rather let her do it, seeing as it’s her specialty,” he said, picking up the syringes and depositing them in a plastic bin on the wall. “After we’re done I’ll see I can pull her aside for it.”
“Well, okay then,” the tigress said.
“Excellent. If you will hold on real quick, I'll get these samples off to the lab and start running the hormone tests. Those only take about thirty minutes to run, so I'll get those started and we can discuss the second order of business. The STD tests take a full day, so there's no rush to get that started,” he said, picking up the vials and stepping out of the room.
A few moments later, Alex stepped into the room and sat back down while pulling out her phone again. While they waited, Raenne asked Alex what she'd like for dinner. Alex was currently in favor of either Thai food or Indian, like she usually was, but far more interested in her video game than what she was having for dinner. A few moments later, the doctor knocked on the door and stepped back inside.
“So, while we wait for the test results, you mentioned contraceptives. Has Alex gone through menarche? I mean... has shi had hir first period?” Dr. Nez asked.
“Not that we’re aware of. Although she has had her first wet dream,” the older tigress said. “Luckily both she and Lizzy seem to be amenable to using condoms, though I wanted to see what other options there might be.”
“I see,” the river otter said, scratching the fur on his chin. “Menarche won't be far off then. Early, but not terribly so. That in and of itself poses no problem, but it does pose problems with regards to contraceptives. Also, there are no contraceptives that work on both sexes; separate contraceptives are required for each sex. One to prevent siring children and one to prevent bearing children. I assume by contraceptives, you're referring to ‘The Pill’?”
Raenne nodded.
“While ‘The Pill’ might work for you, I'd be very, very hesitant about putting Alex on it. First, it could screw up hir hormone balance. Second, it may not even work on hir, being a hermaphrodite,” Dr. Nez cautioned.
Raenne frowned, but nodded again.
“That's not to say there aren't alternatives. The one that I would recommend, so as not to make any changes to hir hormonal balance, is an intrauterine device called ParaGard. It's a small piece of copper-wrapped plastic shaped like the capital letter ‘T’. Good for at least ten years, and you can have it removed at any time. The only downside is that there's a chance shi'll have heavier menstrual cycles than usual for the first few months, unless shi turns out to have an allergic reaction to copper. There's also a very tiny chance that it can perforate the uterine lining, causing some bleeding. That usually happens when it's inserted, if at all.”
“I hadn't thought of that. I could get it as well, right?” the older tigress asked.
“If you wanted to go that route, yes,” the doctor explained. “The only catch is that, while I can prescribe drugs for you two, I wouldn't want to do an IUD injection. I can, but I'd much rather have a gynecologist do it. You need Alex’s STD swab done too. Hmm. It might even be possible to do all of this today. I'm pretty sure Charon is around here somewhere.”
“Oh. Okay. Alex still has her hymen, so that might be an issue. I'd like to talk it over with her father, I think,” Raenne explained, reaching into her purse.
“In that case, I can definitely schedule a meeting for you to come in later this week...” he trailed off as Raenne pulled her phone out and started dialing. Then raised an eyebrow.
“I'll keep it short. I promise,” the tigress said as the sound of ringing came through the tiny speaker, and she held the phone up. “David?... ...Yes, we’re at the clinic. We can get Alex put on an IUD, called ParaGard. However, it has to be physically inserted, and that means they'll have to break her hymen... ...Yes... ...Heavier monthly flow and potential injury during insertion. Well? ... ...Okay, love. Bye.”
With that, she hung up. “Okay, that's a definite option for keeping Alex from bearing cubs. Is there anything other than condoms to keep her from siring them?”
“At the moment, condoms and spermicides are pretty much it, unless you include surgery, which I do not recommend. Though Vasalgel might be coming on the market in a few years,” the otter said.
Raenne sighed. “Alex? Stop playing that a moment and listen to the Doctor and me.”
Alex paused her game and put the phone down, looking up at her mother, then at Dr. Nez and back.
“I know you haven't done anything with anyone other than Lizzy, and I trust you to make sure you use a condom,” the tigress said to her daughter, “but if you start experimenting with boys, it's entirely possible someone else might use a condom that's too big or too small, and accidentally get you pregnant. So Dr. Nez here has offered a solution. The doctors here can put something inside you called an IUD that will keep you from becoming pregnant. They'll have to remove your hymen to put it inside you, but once it's in you can leave it there for years without worrying about getting pregnant. I'm going to get one as well.”
“Umm... how much will it hurt?” Alex asked the doctor.
“Well, with a topical analgesic, removing your hymen should be painless other than just feeling weird. Inserting the IUD is painful, but only takes about fifteen seconds. You might have a stomach ache and cramps for the next eight hours or so after that, but we'll give you some ibuprofen to help with that,” Dr. Nez explained.
Alex looked back and forth at her mom and the doctor. She wasn't sure why condoms weren't good enough, but if her mom was getting one too, there was probably a good reason. She shrugged. “Okay.”
“Good. Let’s get that done. Today, if possible. Please.” Raenne said.
“Well, that's settled then. I'll see if Charon is free to do the procedures and I’ll get the STD tests started. It might take a little while, since I've got to get some paperwork out of the way so she can see you. You two don't mind waiting here for a bit?” he asked.
Alex shook her head, picking up her phone again as Dr. Nez vanished out the door. Raenne leaned over and kissed Alex on the top of her head before snagging a magazine from the rack by the door. It was nearly fifteen minutes later when a tap sounded at the door.
“Yes?” the older tigress asked, looking up from her magazine.
A small female whitetail deer in a lab coat hesitantly pushed the door open, peering in.
“Hello, I'm Dr. Charon Brohan, the gynecologist,” she said, speaking quietly. “I assume you two are Alex and Raenne Andreyev?”
“Yes,” Raenne said with a welcoming smile, trying not to show any teeth. The gynecologist smiled back and stepped in, closing the door behind her.
“So, Dr. Nez said you two were looking to get ParaGard implants,” she said softly, holding a clipboard to her chest. “I think it’s a good idea, all things considered. It's probably the only long-term contraceptive that won't cause other problems for Alex. I'd still recommend condoms and diaphragms, but I understand that sometimes those aren't good options, especially for children. As for you, Mrs. Andreyev, there might be some alternatives, but ParaGard is still perfectly fine. However, I can't do the procedures here. We'll have to head back to my office.”
Dr. Charon waited until both of them were standing and then led the two of them down through the halls, dodging the occasional nurse and doctor and led them to another room with a gynecology exam table. When the two of them were sitting in the room, the doctor sat down and quickly reviewed all the pros and cons of getting an IUD with both of them, going over the potential side effects as well. When she was satisfied both of them were making the right choice, she stood back up.
“Okay. There's one last thing to check then. I just need to go look at the results for the tests Dr. Nez is running. I'll be back here in a moment. Oh... one last thing... Alex, do you mind having your mother in the room while we perform the procedure?” the deer asked.
Alex shook her head. “I don’t mind.”
“Okay then. Would you go ahead and take off your pants and underwear, put on this gown, and hop up on the table there?” the gynecologist asked, pulling a child-sized patient gown from one of the cabinets and handing it to the younger tigress. “I'll be back in a few moments.”
Charon stepped out of the office, pausing just outside the door to take a deep breath and center herself. She still couldn't believe she'd let Dr. Nez con her into this. Performing an STD swab on a nine-year-old was beyond the realm of sanity. Not only was the kid only nine years old, but the child was a hermaphrodite, for God's sake! She'd never worked on a hermaphrodite before. Hell, she hadn't seen any male genitals since college. Not that she wanted to. She shuddered and shook her head, walking towards the lab.
True to her word, the whitetail deer returned in less than a minute, just as Alex was getting settled on the table. Dr. Charon knocked on the door and stepped in, still holding a clipboard which she was currently flipping through. The room was silent for a few moments as the doctor read from whatever was on the paper, then glanced up, staring Raenne straight in the eyes.
“Mrs. Andreyev, when was your last menstrual cycle?” the gynecologist asked.
“Uhh... well, the last two days. It should be over tomorrow. My cycles are very mild, usually just a few spots,” the tigress said.
“Has that changed at all? Is it heavier or lighter than usual?” the deer asked.
Raenne blinked. “Umm...yes, actually. It hasn't really started. I just figured it was just late... or light.”
“Well, Mrs. Andreyev, it looks like your chorionic gonadotropin levels are sitting at six mIU per milliliter. That's just above the threshold for being ‘not-pregnant'. Oh, and Dr. Nez sends his congratulations,” she said with a small smile.
Raenne's paw rose to cover her mouth as she stared at the doctor in shock, while Alex looked back and forth between them, wondering what was going on.
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David snagged the laptop off the passenger seat and stepped out of his car, slamming the door behind him and tapping the key fob to lock it as he started walking towards the front door. After he was inside, he quickly locked the door and stepped over to glance into the kitchen. Spotting his wife, he stepped over to her and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Sorry I'm late. Did I miss dinner?”
“Nope, you're just in time. Let me call Alex down,” Raenne said before stepping out into the hallway. “Alex! Dinner's ready!”
Meanwhile, David headed over to the office where he dropped off his laptop and removed his jacket. Then he headed back to the dining room and sat down as Alex came down the stairs.
“My God, Alex, what did you do to your cast?” David asked as Alex walked into the dining room that evening. “Use it as a paint brush?”
“Everyone in class signed it with colored pens,” the little tigress replied as she propped her crutches against the side of the dining table, gingerly sitting down at the table. “Mrs. Eaglantine said that it was a tradition to have people sign your cast.”
“Well, she's right. I broke my arm when I was a cub, falling off a bicycle, and the kids at school signed my cast. Looks like you got more than just signatures though,” he said, leaning over to look at the cast under the table. “I see a horse, some rainbows, a car, a shark...”
Alex rolled her eyes as Raenne came in, carrying two large bowls of thai food. Alex's eyes lit up and she took a deep breath as the bowls of stir-fried chicken with basil and red curry slid into position in the middle of the table.
“Yum! Thanks, mom,” Alex said.
“You're welcome kiddo. Thai iced tea?” the older tigress asked.
“Yes, please,” the younger tigress replied.
As Alex and David began scooping the stir fried chicken into their plates, Raenne disappeared back into the kitchen and reappeared a few moments later with three tall glasses of the sweet orange beverage.
“So, how was school?” Raenne asked as she began filling her own plate like the other two had.
“Well, I didn't get to do much at recess, so me and Lizzy sat and talked,” Alex said while filling a small bowl with white rice and red curry. “My paws kind of hurt right now. So does my stomach.”
“Well, part of that's from using the crutches too much, kiddo,” David piped in. “Either your armpits will hurt, or your paws will hurt. As for the tummy...” the white tiger’s voice trailed off and he glanced at his wife.
“The stomach ache is probably from the IUD you got at the clinic. It should be fine by tomorrow, but we'll check to see if you're bleeding after dinner. As for your paws, I can write a note to your teacher asking if she can let you stay inside during recess, so you don't have to use them as much,” Raenne offered.
“No, thanks. I'll be okay,” the tiger-cub said.
“Well, let me know if you change your mind, kiddo.”
The rest of the dinner passed mostly in delicious silence; Thai food was Alex's favorite, so she didn't spend any time talking when she could be eating instead. David and Raenne spent a bit of time quietly discussing finances. After she was full, Alex sat for a moment, listening to them discuss house payment before she interrupted them.
“Mom, didn’t you have something you were going to tell Dad?” the young tigress asked.
Raenne gave Alex a quick smile. “Yes, kiddo,” she said, taking a breath. She looked at David.
“So, Alex is going to need to go on testosterone blockers to balance things out, since her levels are so high. Also, she got the IUD implanted with no problems. I was planning on getting one myself as well, but when they ran the blood tests, they detected trace amounts of the gonadotropin hormone. They recommended holding off on giving me an IUD for a few months and getting another test in about two weeks to confirm that I’m pregnant,” she said with a smirk. “I told you that you were too rough with me last week, jerk,”
David's mouth hung open as he stared at Raenne in utter disbelief, his fork clattering on the plate as it slipped out of his fingers.
“Anyway,” Raenne continued, “we'll probably need at least one extra bedroom-”
“You're pregnant!” David yelled as he shot out of his chair. He grabbed Raenne around the chest in a massive hug, literally picking her out of the chair, alternating between yelling the phrase and kissing her over and over. Alex grabbed at her glass of tea when they bumped into the table. Hers was the only glass that didn't wind up spilled all over the table and dripping onto the carpet.
__________________________________________________
After dinner, Alex played racing games in the living room while her parents sat hugging each other on the couch next to her, watching as she continued to learn how to drive a virtual car. Later, they decided to watch a bit of television together before heading upstairs for the evening.
That night, Alex lay in bed, unable to sleep. Her leg ached and so did her tummy, behind her navel, even with the medicine that was supposed to help. It had taken hours before she'd fallen asleep on Sunday night too. She sighed, remembering how good she'd felt after waking up with Lizzy. Rolling over, she smacked her pillow a few times and rested her head on it again. The faint sound of the air going through the vents in the floor seemed loud, and she heard the rustle of a page being turned from her parent's room. No matter how long she waited, it seemed like the sandman simply did not want to visit her this evening.
The whisper of pages turning came from her parents room once again, and she sighed, throwing back the covers and swinging her legs over the side. She reached over to the wall and grabbed her crutches, then hobbled her way over to her closet to grab one of her dad's old tee-shirts and slipped it on.
The shirt rippled around her thighs as she swung herself via the crutches across her room and down the short hall to her parent's room. At least one light was on, and the door was cracked just enough for her to peek in. Both of them were in bed, her mother laying on her side doing something with her phone while her father lay on his back reading a book. Alex knocked on the door frame and gently pushed the door open a few inches. Both of them looked up at her as the door creaked slightly, David raising one eyebrow.
“I can't sleep,” Alex explained.
Both David and Raenne glanced at each other. “I think I've got some Benadryl...” David said.
“You do. They're max-strength gels, though. She'd be half asleep at school tomorrow,” Raenne said, rolling onto her back.
“Can I sleep with you two?” the tiger-cub asked.
David and Raenne glanced at her and then back at each other again.
“Please? I had trouble falling asleep last night too,” Alex added.
David looked back at her. “I... um... I don't mind... but... um... your mom... is er....”
Raenne snorted, interrupting David's stuttering. “What your dad is trying to say is that I'm naked, and that he's nervous.”
Alex looked puzzled. “Umm... why?”
“I'm naked because I don't like to wear clothes to bed any more than you do, kiddo. As for his being nervous... that's complicated.”
“Oh. I just can't sleep, and I slept really well with Lizzy on Saturday, so I was thinking that maybe sleeping with someone else helps you sleep better.”
David turned to look at Raenne, who rolled her eyes and sighed.
“Well, it might. Sleeping with someone usually makes it harder to sleep though,” Raenne explained, “cause you'll wake up every time they move unless you're used to it or totally exhausted. Having sex, however, will help you sleep, which is probably why you slept so well with Lizzy. There are other things that work too, such as warm milk, like I used to make for you.”
“Uhhh... I knew about the warm milk...” Alex said.
“Good,” Raenne said, throwing back her covers and getting up. “How about I go fix some warm milk for you while you hop into bed here, and you can sleep with us tonight.”
“Okay,” Alex said as she watched her mother walk naked out of the room, apparently unconcerned about her lack of clothing. Alex hopped over to the bed and lay her crutches down on the floor before crawling onto the bed.
David folded the corner of a page in his book and set it down on the nightstand, then pulled the sheet down in the middle of the bed for her. “You don't have to wear a shirt if you don't want to, kiddo,” he said, knowing how little their daughter liked sleeping in clothes.
“Thanks, dad,” Alex said, taking a moment to pull her shirt off and toss it to the foot of the bed before she lay on her back, wearing only a pair of panties. The room was quiet for a few moments.
“Mom's really pretty, isn't she?” Alex asked quietly.
“Yes, she most definitely is,” David replied. “One of the prettiest women I’ve ever seen.”
“Do you think I'll look like she does when I get older?” the young tiger asked a few seconds later.
David turned his head to glance at Alex. “Of course. In another six years or so, I’m sure you'll look just like her. Though if you want to look as sleek as she does, you might have to work at it. Maybe start joining us in our nightly workouts after your cast comes off.”
A ding came from the downstairs microwave, and shortly afterwards Raenne padded into the room, carrying a lidded cup with a straw. As she sat down on the bed, she handed the cup to Alex. “Be careful, kiddo. It's very warm,” she said as she lay down, hands folded on her belly.
Alex sat up and sipped at the straw, glancing occasionally at her mom's chest.
“Dad says in a few years I'll probably look like you do. I'd really like that. Do you think I'll have boobs like yours?” the young tiger asked.
Raenne glanced down at her naked chest, then back over at Alex. “I don't know if they'll look just like mine. I mean, you might have a heritage trait and wind up with eight of them,” she said with a smirk.
“That would just look weird!” Alex said, then took several more sips from the straw, eventually making slurping noises as she finished the last of the milk. “Thanks mom.”
“You’re welcome. Now give me that and lay down, kiddo.” Raenne said, taking the cup and setting it on her nightstand. After Alex slid down the bed, Raenne pulled the blankets up to cover the both of them. Then the tigress rolled over and pulled their daughter against her chest, spooning the cub and kissing the top of her head. “G'night kiddo. Sleep tight.”
David reached over and turned his light off, rolling onto his side, facing his two girls. He smiled to himself in the darkness. Life was good: one beautiful wife, one beautiful child, and another potentially on the way.
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