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  "description": "Here is Part 7 of Dangerous Games, the story of a friendship that develops between 2 foxes (18y, 11y) over a rather shady background.\n\nIn Part 7, everything has hit the fan. A gun has gone off, but who's? \n\nNow, I say this every time, but it really applies here. If you've not read the previous parts, then reading this part will give away literally everything that I built up in the first 6 parts.  So if you think you might like the story and haven't read any of it yet, go back and read Part 1 please. Repeat: Massive spoilers ahead!",
  "description_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>Here is Part 7 of Dangerous Games, the story of a friendship that develops between 2 foxes (18y, 11y) over a rather shady background.<br /><br />In Part 7, everything has hit the fan. A gun has gone off, but who&#039;s? <br /><br />Now, I say this every time, but it really applies here. If you&#039;ve not read the previous parts, then reading this part will give away literally everything that I built up in the first 6 parts.&nbsp;&nbsp;So if you think you might like the story and haven&#039;t read any of it yet, go back and read Part 1 please. Repeat: Massive spoilers ahead!</span>",
  "writing": "Disclaimer: This story is part of a series, entitled “Dangerous Games”. The series contains non-human anthropomorphic animal (“Furry”) characters of varying ages, adult and cub. While there are no overt sexual acts depicted in this series, the stories will contain adult themes, topics, and situations, which may not be legal in some jurisdictions. These include: frank discussions of sexual acts and character sexuality, alcohol and drug use, criminal acts, violence, adult language, weapons including guns and knives, bloodshed, grievous bodily harm, death, and events which depict underage characters in peril.  \n\nIt is up to the reader to be aware of the laws regarding depictions of such material in their place of residence. If you are not allowed to read such material, due to age, religion, place of residence, or any other factor, do not continue.\n\nThis story and all characters are copyright Shryke. This is a work of fiction. All events and persons depicted are fictional, and any similarities with actual events or persons is purely coincidental. \n\n\n\n\nNow, I say this every time, but it really applies here. If you've not read the previous parts, then reading this part will give away literally everything that I built up in the first 6 parts.  So if you think you might like the story and haven't read any of it yet, go back and read Part 1 please. Repeat: Massive spoilers ahead!\n\n\n\n\n\nDANGEROUS GAMES\nby Shryke\nPart 7\n\n          The muzzle of Victor's gun erupted in a flash, accompanied by a near-deafening bang. Angelo's upper body pivoted sharply to the left as he was stuck, then he crumpled hard to the floor like a marionette whose strings had been suddenly cut. \n          Jack had been ready to charge at the ferret as soon as the gun was no longer pointed at him, but the suddenness of Victor's movement caught him off-guard. The report from the gun was a shock to him as well: it wasn't like he always saw in the movies, where guns sounded like dynamite going off yet nobody seemed to be bothered by the noise. It was actually quite the opposite on both points: this was essentially just a very loud “pop”, and it left Jack's ears ringing and feeling like they were stuffed with cotton. \n          The teenage fox quickly regained his focus. In one motion he reached back with his right paw to the hunting knife in the back of his belt, while simultaneously throwing his weight forward to rush at Victor the way he would have when he played football. He was only two or three running paces from the ferret. \n          Victor's arm was bent at the elbow, the gun pointed at the ceiling as he regarded the young fox lying in a heap. A cruel smile formed on his black-masked face. He lowered the gun back towards the inert gray-furred form, but must have detected Jack closing in on him. With a striking look of surprise, Victor started to turn the gun towards the charging fox, but Jack launched himself at the ferret before he was able to bring the gun to bear. \n          It was a takedown worthy of a professional wrestler: Victor fell backwards to the floor with Jack straddling his chest. It was very reminiscent of when Jack had attacked the tiger friend of Gazz's who had ambushed Jack and Angelo – indeed it was the same basic tackle, pulled from his mental football inventory. But whereas that time he had only brought his knife to the tiger's throat and held it there threateningly, this time Jack did not stop. \n          With a primal scream, intensified by the view of Angelo lying motionless out of his peripheral vision, Jack summoned all his upper-body strength and plunged his knife into the side of Victor's neck, aiming it upwards towards the center of his head. \n          Victor arched his back and let loose a guttural sound Jack had never heard a living being make. It was not so much a scream as it was a prolonged “ack” sound. His paw loosened on the gun he still held, causing it to loop upside down around his finger before it dropped to the floor. Victor stared into Jack's eyes with shock, his own eyes wide open. \n          The adrenaline was still raging through the 18-year-old fox as he held onto the knife in Victor's neck. It was still only a matter of seconds since the gunshot, and the implications were only just penetrating through the raw instinct and into Jack's rational mind: Victor shot Angelo... Victor killed my boy. With another scream of rage, Jack pulled the knife handle sharply sideways, pivoting it in the ferret's neck, then pushed it back downwards with all his weight, cutting from side to side.\n          The fountain of blood spraying from the wound was quite impressive, and once again, nothing like Jack had seen in movies. Victor's eyes seemed to focus now on nothing in particular as he continued to emit that croaking shout while his body twisted and convulsed beneath Jack. For a second Jack thought he could see the blade of his knife in the back of Victor's throat, before blood obscured it as it pooled in the ferret's maw. \n          Jack sat on Victor's chest, keeping him pinned to the floor as he kicked randomly and squirmed, all the while staring into the ferrets face and maintaining a tight grip on the knife as spraying blood soaked his paw-fur. The kicking and squirming stopped after a few more seconds. Victor lay motionless under Jack with his mouth open and filled to the edges with blood, eyes rolled back in his head. The spray of blood slowed to a trickle and stopped. Victor Morrison was quite dead. \n          It took a moment for Jack to realize this. His ears were beginning to clear from the concussion of the gunshot, and the loudest sound he heard was his own heart pounding. He continued to stare down at Victor, half expecting him to continue fighting back as they always did in the movies, but then released his grip on the knife and let his paw drop limply to his side. \n          From his left he heard a sharp whimpering cry which instantly cleared his head. Angelo! He looked to where the boy lay and his heart leaped as he saw the gray-furred tail twitching, and one foot-paw moving. Jack jumped up from Victor's chest and practically flew to the little fox's side. \n          “Ange?” Jack said, touching the cub's shoulder. Angelo was lying on his left side with his legs awkwardly crossed and drawn up against his body. His head was tucked down into his chest, teeth visibly gritting, but his eyes were open and tear-streaked. “Ange,” Jack said again, nearly crying at the sight, both in despair for his condition, and joy that he was still alive. \n          Jack pulled backwards on Angelo's shoulder to turn him onto his back, but stopped halfway as the boy let out a shrieking yelp, which only seemed to get worse when Jack stopped. “Sorry,” Jack exclaimed, pulling his paws clear and holding them up. \n          Angelo was half-turned onto his back, and with another yelp and a kick of his foot, he rolled the rest of the way and lay flat, though his legs were still crossed and setting off at an angle from his torso. His blue denim jacket was stained crimson on the upper-left portion of his chest by the pocket. He let out a prolonged wail which turned into sobs through his gritted teeth. \n          Jack moved to Angelo's right side, away from the wound, and took the kit's paw in his own. Angelo looked at him and managed a weak smile. His sobs quieted to heavy panting, but he didn't say anything. Still breathing hard, he looked towards the ceiling and closed his eyes. \n          “Stay with me, bro,” Jack said anxiously, touching the side of the kit's muzzle with his unbloodied paw.\n          Angelo opened his eyes and looked back to Jack. “Uh-huh,” was all he said. \n          “Shit,” Jack muttered to himself, unsure what to do. His head swiveled, taking a quick inventory of his surroundings, when he saw the telephone on the wall. “I'll be right back,” he said, jumping to his feet and sprinting to the phone. It slipped somewhat in his paw from the blood that still coated it, but he managed to keep his grip on it, and with a very shaky finger tapped out 9-1-1. \n          “911, is this about the gunshot?” a voice said on the line before Jack even heard it ring. \n          “Gun... gunshot... yes!” Jack said, wondering how they knew that. \n          “Ok,” said the voice, “we've gotten calls about that already. The police are on the way. Are you in the apartment where it happened?” \n          “Huh? Yes... yes we are,” Jack stammered, looking back at Angelo. “I need an ambulance too, and fast: there's a cub here that's been shot!”\n          “Ok, did you say a cub? How old?” \n          “Yeah,” Jack said, “he's shot in the chest. He's eleven”\n          “Did you shoot him?” the voice asked. \n          “What? No!” Jack shouted angrily. \n          “Stay calm, sir,” the voice said patronizingly, “I'm just gathering information. Who did shoot him?” \n          “This... this other guy,” Jack said, still agitated. “He's dead though.” \n          “How did he die?”\n          “Look,” Jack said, increasingly frustrated, “just get me an ambulance please? I'll explain everything to the police.”\n          “Yes sir, the ambulance is on the way. We know the address from your phone number,” the operator explained. “Are there still guns in there?”\n          “What? Uh... yes,” Jack said. “There's two guns and one knife. I'll throw them to the other side of the room, if that's what you're worried about.” \n          “Jack,” Angelo called weakly. \n          “I gotta go,” Jack said hurriedly into the phone. \n          “I need you to stay on the line,” the operator said. \n          “Angelo needs me,” Jack said, not thinking or caring that they didn't know his name. \n          “Sir, I...” the operator began to protest before Jack hung up the phone. He stooped down to where Victor had dropped his gun and picked it up by the muzzle. He looked at it hatefully for a second before tossing it to the far side of the room and returning to Angelo's side. \n          “I'm here, buddy,” he said, taking the kit's paw again. He reached over to pick up the gun that Angelo had dropped, and sent it after its fellow to the far side of the room. \n          Angelo was not panting anymore, but was taking long deep breaths which he exhaled rapidly. “You killed Victor,” the cub said, looking at the ferret's body a few feet away. \n          “Yeah,” Jack said flatly. He did not want to think about that right now, though. There was something far more important. “How are you doing?” he asked gently. \n          Angelo smiled slightly at the question, which Jack realized must have sounded comically absurd under the circumstances. “I'm dyin', Jack,” he finally said, sadly. \n          “Shh, no,” Jack said, smoothing back the cub's head-fur. “Don't talk like that. The ambulance is on the way. They'll fix you right up.” Jack was trying to reassure himself as much as he was Angelo. \n          “No,” Angelo said, “I am. I can feel it coming... every breath...” he breathed in deeply again, and did seem to be having trouble doing so. “Every breath is...” Another deep breath. “Harder than before. Pretty soon...” \n          “No...” Jack said, almost a whimper as he felt a sense of despair and panic welling up. “No, don't...” he trailed off, not knowing what to say. \n          Angelo squeezed Jack's paw. “It's ok,” he said weakly. “I'm not afraid, and... and it doesn't hurt much if I don't move. I'm just glad... glad that we...” Speaking seemed to be getting difficult for him. \n          “Shh,” Jack said, tears now freely flowing. “Save your breath,” he said gently, then looking towards the door, shouted, “Where the fuck are they?” He noted that the front door was still unlocked from when Victor came in, so the rescue crew should have no issue getting in once they arrived. \n          “Just promise,” Angelo said in between labored breaths, “promise you won't... won't forget me?”\n          Jack could not hold in his sobs at that. “I swear,” he whispered, squeezing the little paw with both of his own and touching his lips to the dark paw-fur. The wail of a siren could be heard in the distance. Jack lifted his head and cocked his ears straight up to listen more intently as it grew louder. \n          “Here they come,” he said through excited sobs. “Just keep on breathing for me, and they'll be here before you know it!” Angelo smiled slightly. \n          In fact Jack could now hear several sirens, at least two, of different tones approaching. Police and ambulance, he figured. Police. Things were about to get interesting for him, he thought, looking back over at Victor's body with Jack's knife still protruding from his neck. \n          The sirens got very loud as they pulled up outside the apartment, then stopped. Jack could hear car doors opening and closing. He wanted to get up and run outside to meet them, but besides not wanting to leave Angelo's side, he figured a blood-soaked stranger running out of an apartment where a shooting was reported would probably not be the smartest thing to do. \n          Jack remained where he was, squeezing the younger fox's paw and maintaining eye contact. Angelo didn't seem to be getting any worse, though he was still taking labored breaths. Jack heard voices just outside the apartment door. \n          “Get the hell in here!” Jack shouted towards the door. Voices on the other side continued for a moment, then the knob turned and the door was pushed open slightly. “Get in here,” Jack yelled again, now certain that they could hear him. \n          “C'mon,” a voice said from outside. \n          “Wait,” said another, “wait until we secure the scene.” \n          “I got a cub dying in here!” Jack screamed, nearly hysterical at the back-and-forth he was hearing from what he assumed were the police and the paramedics. \n          “Ah, fuck it,” the first voice said, and the door burst open fully, pushed by a cat carrying a large medical bag with a Red Cross emblazoned on it. He hurried into the room, and rushed to where Angelo lay, kneeling down at his left side near the wound.\n          “What happened?” the cat asked, opening the bag and pulling out some gear. \n          “That guy,” Jack replied, indicating Victor, “shot him. He was gonna shoot both of us, so I...” He just trailed off. The rest wasn't important right now. \n          “Fuck,” a voice from behind him muttered. Jack turned to see a rabbit carrying another medical bag and wearing the same uniform as the cat: obviously the paramedic's partner. He was standing in the doorway taking in the scene, then quickly knelt down next to Jack on Angelo's right side. \n          “What's your name?” the cat asked Angelo, as he pulled a pair of scissors from his belt and began to cut Angelo's jacket off, starting from the cuff and running up the sleeve. \n          “Angelo,” Jack hurriedly replied. The cat glanced at him sideways before turning back to the cub. \n          “Angelo,” the medic said, “I'm Rick. How're you doing?” \n          Angelo was still struggling to breathe, but let out a chuckle. “Oh just fine Rick,” he said, “though I have... this weird pain in my shoulder.” Another laugh. \n          The medic laughed as well before continuing. “Well, that's why we're here. I mean, though, are you cold? Thirsty? Anything like that?” \n          “He's shot!” Jack exclaimed. “What kind of questions are...” He stopped as the cat shot him another look, which was both stern and compassionate. A look which said “I'm trying to help here”. \n          “Cold means shock,” the rabbit paramedic said softly from where he knelt next to Jack; he had started cutting Angelo's jacket off from that side. Jack looked at him stupidly. “And thirst means blood loss,” he continued. “They're just quick checks to see what we've got. A lot quicker than any of this.” He indicated the stethoscope and blood-pressure cuff that he had deployed from the bag. \n          “I...” Jack said, then sighed. “Sorry,” he said softly which was answered by a supportive pat on the shoulder from the rabbit medic. \n          “A little cold,” Angelo said. “Not thirsty.” Both sleeves of his jacket had now been cut lengthwise up to the collar and laid open. The knife which Angelo always carried was plainly visible, sheathed in the left side of his jacket. The medic Rick then proceeded to cut the boy's t-shirt off as well. Angelo's white chest-fur was cruelly stained crimson on his upper-left side. \n          “He is having trouble breathing,” Jack said, his tone now more helpful and calm. “He said every breath is harder than the last.” \n          “Mmm-hmm,” the cat acknowledged as he moved his stethoscope over Angelo's chest, listening intently as the boy struggled to breathe. After a moment, the cat leaned back and pulled the stethoscope from his ears. “Left tension pneumothorax, compound fracture left clavicle,” he said to his partner. “Get vitals, start an IV Ringer's, and prep a Bolin seal.” The cat opened his bag and dug into it, pulling out several items in plastic bags. \n          “Pardon me, sir,” the rabbit medic said to Jack, as he leaned in to wrap a blood-pressure cuff around Angelo's arm. Jack was still holding the boy's paw with both of his own. Jack just leaned back to give the medic room, never loosening his grip on the young paw.\n          “Sir, can we have a word with you?” said a voice from behind Jack. The fox looked up over his shoulder to see a tiger policeman standing immediately behind him. Behind the tiger were two other officers closer to the door. \n          “Umm,” Jack stammered. He looked back to Angelo who was looking back at him helplessly. Jack turned back towards the tiger. “Please,” he said, a lump welling in his throat, “not... not right now? I promise I'm not going anywhere.” \n          The tiger looked at him for a moment, then his countenance softened. He just nodded and stepped back, though still watching. \n          “BP 135-over-90, pulse one-twenty, O-2 at 93, dropping,” the rabbit said rapid-fire, bringing Jack's attention back to the matter at hand. \n          “Yeah,” Rick said, “we gotta do this. Hold off on the IV.” He leaned in towards Angelo, who was still focused on Jack. “Angelo,” the cat said gently. \n          Angelo's gaze lingered on Jack for a second, then he looked at the cat, but didn't say anything. Jack noticed the medic now had an array of needles and tubes laid out on a mat in front of him. \n          “Angelo,” the cat repeated, “that bullet hole is what's making it hard to breathe.” He looked up to Jack for a second; he was explaining to both foxes as he continued. “See, when you try to take a breath, some air goes in your mouth and some goes in through that hole where it does no good. We need to get that extra air out, then you'll be able to breathe just fine.” \n          “Uh-huh,” was all Angelo said. He seemed to have noticed the equipment that the medics had opened, and looked between the mat and the medic's face.\n          “Now,” Rick continued, “it's gonna hurt, I won't lie to you. I've never been shot, so I can't say if it will hurt more than that did, but... it's gonna hurt.” \n          Angelo nodded nervously, his gaze shooting between Jack and Rick. He pursed his lips and squeezed Jack's paw, then nodded. “Kay...” he said. \n          “I'll give you a countdown: 3-2-1-go,” the medic said, as one paw felt along Angelo's side, fingers probing for a precise spot. “When I say 2, take as deep a breath as you can and hold, ok?”\n          Angelo just nodded, and turned his gaze back to Jack. His eyes were watering as he squeezed the older fox's paw. His jaw chattered a bit as if he had the chills.\n          After a moment, the medic found the spot he was looking for on Angelo's side. Jack could not see the exact spot from where he sat, but he saw the cat pick up a large needle and bring it to that general area before it too was out of Jack's line of sight. He also noticed that the rabbit had moved over to the cat's right, above Angelo's head, and was holding the cub's left forearm to the floor, gently but enough to hold it down. \n          “Keep watching me, buddy,” Jack said as gently as he could, knowing what was about to come. \n          “Ready Angelo?” Rick asked. Angelo nodded to both of them, then locked his eyes on Jack's. \n          “3,” Rick said, both of his paws as well as his attention now concentrating on Angelo's side. The rabbit, still holding the cub's arm down, watched intently from his vantage point. \n          “2.” Angelo took a slow deep breath. Jack thought he heard a squish sound come from the cub's wound. \n          “1.” The boy seemed to shudder for a second then he shut his eyes hard, teeth clenched. \n          “Go.” Rick's paws seemed to move only a small amount as he pushed the needle into Angelo's side. \n          Angelo's reaction wasn't nearly as subtle. His eyes sprung wide open, staring at the ceiling. His back arched and his mouth opened in a silent scream. One leg lifted his lower body up slightly as the other kicked at the air. His tail thrashed between his legs and his ears twitched, the gold earrings he wore making soft tinkling sounds from the motion. \n          “Watch me, look at me,” Jack said insistently, trying to get his attention. He didn't know what good it would do, but from where their relationship was, he hoped he could bring some small amount of comfort. After a few twitches, the cub complied and focused on Jack. His eyes were still wide and his jaw worked open and closed as a high-pitched squeal came from his throat.\n          “You're doing good,” Rick said encouragingly as he worked his paws on the needle, still out of Jack's sight. After a second, Jack heard a hiss come from Angelo's side, and a smile formed on the medic's face. “Perfect,” the cat said, his attention on the needle. \n          The high squeal that Angelo was making changed to a lower but louder cry: a long drawn-out “oww” or “ahh” punctuated by a sob. He was quickly running out of breath, Jack noted, and hoped the medic's smile meant that the cub would find it easier to take his next one. \n          Angelo's leg, which had been lifting him off the floor slightly, also lost its energy and his whole body seemed to slump heavily. Even the boy's grip on Jack's paw slackened, which panicked Jack on an instinctive level. \n          The older fox gave the young paw a tight squeeze as he bent over him to try and fill his field of view. Angelo's eyes were darting around randomly, but did lock on Jack's when he leaned forward. Jack wondered if Angelo had felt the same thing Victor had, their reactions were so similar. He leaned back to his sitting position and was overjoyed that the cub's eyes followed him. \n          “And done,” Rick said. “Take a deep breath for me, Angelo.” He put his stethoscope back in his ears and placed the end over the cub's chest. \n          Angelo took a deep breath, which seemed to come very easy, and let it out. His face brightened with surprise, as if he had not expected it to work. Cautiously, he took another long deep breath, and exhaled, punctuating it with an almost giddy laugh. “I can breathe,” he said excitedly, and with a grin took yet another. \n          “That's what I want to hear,” said Rick, patting the cub's belly. “You were a trooper too!” Then turning to his partner, he said, “Ok, go get the stretcher, I'll close up here. We'll IV and seal en-route.” The rabbit nodded and quickly headed for the door. \n          “Where are you taking him?” Jack asked, realizing that they were going to take him on the ambulance, while Jack would now have to talk to the police and likely be arrested. \n          “General,” the cat said, referring to the hospital, “it's the closest one to here”. He was stuffing the used items, gloves, and equipment into a red plastic bag, while the unused items went back into his medical bag.\n          After a moment the rabbit rushed back inside with a stretcher, its legs closed up under it like an ironing board. “You... need to move,” he said gently to Jack, who after a pause, let go his grip on Angelo's paw for the first time and moved aside. The rabbit laid the stretcher down directly to Angelo's right side. \n          The medic Rick gently ran his paws under Angelo from his left side, taking great care to try and avoid moving the kit's left arm. The rabbit put one paw under Angelo's knees and held the edge of the stretcher with his other.           \n          “On 3,” Rick said. “1... 2... 3.” On the count of 3 Rick lifted the cub up and held him a foot or so off the floor. Angelo yelped at the motion and the compression of his arm. The rabbit likewise lifted, and with his knees and free arm he pushed the stretcher underneath the boy before both of them gently lowered him to the soft material. \n          “Alright,” Rick said. “Let's go.” The two medics lifted the stretcher, one from each end, and began to carry it towards the door. \n          “Jack!” Angelo called out. Jack rushed to his side from where he had been left standing. “Come with me,” the kit said. \n          “I gotta stay here now, buddy,” Jack said sadly. “I'll be along as soon as I can. I gotta talk to the police now.” \n          Angelo gazed at him for a second, then nodded. “I love you, Jack!”\n          “I love you too, buddy,” Jack replied, nearly choking on the words. He stepped back and the medics continued to carry the stretcher out the door. Once outside, the legs of the stretcher clanged into place, and Rick wheeled it down towards the waiting ambulance. A crowd had gathered in the parking lot, and were being kept back by another pair of police officers. \n          The rabbit medic came back into the room and picked up the remaining bags before dashing back out without a word. A cacophony of sounds filled Jack's ears. He could hear the clanging of the stretcher's mechanism as its legs were collapsed again for loading into the ambulance. There was police chatter audible from the radios they carried. He heard the ambulance doors slam shut, followed by the sound of its large diesel engine as it pulled away. Its siren began to blare once it left the parking lot, then faded into the distance. \n          One of the police officers closed the door. To Jack the world went eerily silent, as it was just him and 2 officers in the apartment's living room. Jack looked to where Victor lay: a once-white sheet covered his body, now soaked through with blood. The handle of the knife, still in the ferret's neck, was easily discernible through the sheet. \n          Jack turned his attention to where Angelo had been. His jacket and t-shirt were still on the floor where they had been cut open. It reminded Jack of a lobster tail at a seafood restaurant once the meat had been extracted. \n          The silence was deafening. Jack looked between Angelo's jacket, Victor's corpse, and the 2 police officers. He felt a sour burning in his throat and, dropping to his paws and knees, vomited on the carpet. \n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n          Jack sat in a detective's office at the police station, sipping cola from a can. He was not under arrest – following a brief interrogation in Victor's apartment, the police officers assured him that they considered it self-defense. When Jack had explained the reason why Victor wanted to kill the two foxes in the first place, because they had turned his heroin delivery over to the police, that sealed it in the investigators' minds. \n          The heroin “find” had been all the talk that morning at the police station, and when Jack positively proved it was him who made the 911 call, by reciting the code number he had left with the operator in the same accent, the narcotics detective who was working the case asked to meet Jack down at the station. This was well received, as Jack and the two police at the apartment wanted nothing more than to get out of that room. \n          Jack didn't think blood had a smell, but the amount that was soaking the wall and carpet gave off a metallic smell that nearly made him vomit again, so he willingly offered to come down to the station to meet the detective and give his official statement. The officers at the apartment told him that he was not under arrest. In fact, they pointed out that turning in the heroin like he did was the best thing he could have done to prove that he was one of the “good guys”. \n          The teen fox sat in the narcotics detective's office, along with a homicide detective, and one of the two police officers, the tiger, from the apartment. He had shed his blood-soaked outer shirt back at Victor's, and wore just a t-shirt. He had tried to wash the blood from his arm-fur in the police bathroom, with only moderate success. \n          The narcotics detective was talking, taking notes as Jack responded, as was the homicide detective. “So he was just a petty smuggler,” the narcotics detective, a white lion, said. \n          “Yeah,” Jack said, “something like that. 'Contraband luxury items' he called it: Cuban cigars, expensive booze. Caviar, I think there was one time.” \n          “Drugs?” \n          Jack thought for a moment how to respond. He and Angelo had jokingly discussed how they would tell their story to the police, and now it was time. “Well,” Jack said, slowly at first, “we did do one drop-off down in a... well, a bad part of town. That might have been drugs, pot maybe. It was a gym bag, soft and heavy. But I was ordered not to touch it or open it. Didn't matter to me anyway, so I didn't really think about it.” He hoped he sounded convincing. “In general, though, I don't think Victor could afford to buy drugs to sell very often. That's why he was so excited over this heroin buy.” That much was true, at least, he thought. \n          The lion nodded as he wrote. “It didn't bother you that you were moving illegal merchandise?” he asked. “Regardless of what it was, it was still illegal, right?”\n          Jack took a deep breath. This was where he could still get into trouble. Blame Victor, he thought. “It did, sorta. The way he talked, though, it was harmless stuff. He wasn't forcing it on anyone or feeding any addictions. Still, though...” he trailed off with a nod. “But,” he said with renewed purpose, “if it wasn't for Angelo being there, I know I would have quit right away.” \n          “The cub kept you there?” \n          “Yep,” Jack said before realizing that explanation was required. “What I mean is: I got to know him really quick, and I knew I had to find a way to get him away from there. So I just played along with Victor 'till I could find a way to get him safely out, then he and I would have both been miles away.” \n          “Why not just call the police?” the homicide detective chimed in. \n          “I would have,” Jack replied honestly. “But Angelo said that he would just run away if I tried to do that. And if I did it without telling him, he would run away from wherever they put him at the first chance he got. My plan was to find his mother, when I thought she had just abandoned him. That was... that was before Victor said... what he said.” He looked sadly at the detectives. “Did you... find anything about her?” He had explained back at the apartment about Victor's claim that he had killed Angelo's mother. \n          “No,” the homicide detective, a malamute, said, looking through papers on a clipboard. “Nothing from the morgue or from missing-persons.” He looked up. “Maybe he lied.”\n          “I hope so,” Jack said. “That would be the best possible outcome right now.” There was a moment of awkward silence in the room. \n          “So,” the lion said, breaking the silence, “getting back to Victor's operation...”\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n          The interview seemed to go on for an hour or more. Jack explained everything he knew about Victor's business, which was admittedly not much. Beyond the items being sold, and his direct interaction with the ferret, there was not much else he could say with any certainty. The detectives were interested in contacts and suppliers, as well as customers and how they contacted him to place orders or how Victor reached out to them. \n          Jack could only say that Victor kept referring to “The Russian”, but who he was, or even if he was in fact Russian, he could not say. Likewise, he was never involved with the customer lists or the order-taking process. It was probably done through e-mail, he suggested, but was quick to also point out that he had intentionally never given his own e-mail address to Victor as he wanted no part of it. \n          Jack explained how he met Victor and Angelo, how he had gotten started working for the ferret and how the deliveries progressed, what a typical day was like, everything he could recall Victor saying about the “next big thing” which turned out to be the heroin purchase, and especially the minute-by-minute of that morning. \n          He had left out the drug sales at the local schools, of course. He and Angelo had agreed to omit that back when they had discussed it. He also left out details of the personal time the pair had spent together, other than to say they had become close friends which had only made Jack all the more determined to save him from Victor – even to the point where the kit had finally agreed to let Jack search for his mother. \n          Jack hoped that the combination of his determination to save Angelo, along with the fact that they had turned in all that heroin, would work in his favor and keep him from being arrested. Even if he was arrested though, he had accomplished his main goal as best as he could: Angelo was free from Victor. He asked several times about the boy's condition as they talked, but the police could not get any information. \n          The interview was wrapping up. They had asked him some questions several times over, each worded in a different way. Making sure he was telling a consistent story, he figured. Nevertheless, they seemed pleased with what he told them. \n          “We'll get this all typed out,” the homicide detective was saying, “then we'll give you a call to come down and sign it. That will be your statement on this whole thing.” \n          “So,” Jack began, cautiously, “I'm not under arrest?” \n          The two detectives exchanged glances. “This looks like obvious self-defense to me,” the malamute said, which was echoed by a nod from the lion.\n          “What about the other... stuff?” Jack asked. \n          The lion thought for a moment, then replied, “Nothing specific on you,” he said. “We'll add all this to our organized crime file, and see if it fills in any gaps. Other than that...” he paused for a moment, then looked directly at Jack, “That's assuming you're not lying about what you knew.” \n          “No, I swear,” Jack said. “I told you everything I know about Victor.” \n          The lion nodded with a smile as the homicide detective spoke, “We'll run this by the D.A., he has the final say about how he wants to proceed. In my opinion this was self-defense, though. One way or another, you'll know in a few days. You may want to see a lawyer anyway, though.” \n          Jack nodded. He'd have to do that straight away, he thought, as well as the worst part: telling his parents. He didn't even want to start thinking about how that was going to go: “Mom, Dad? I killed a guy...” \n          The detectives stood up from where they sat, one in a chair and the other on the side of the desk. “Well, that's it I think. You're free to go, but please don't leave town for the next week or so.” \n          “What about Angelo?” he asked again. “Have you heard anything about him?” \n          “Let me check,” the uniformed officer said, turning to leave the room. \n          “I'm going to head down there,” Jack said, referring to the hospital. \n          “That might not be a good idea,” the lion said. “They probably won't let you into the Cub Ward if you're not a relative.” \n          “But,” Jack stammered, “I'm the only family he has!”\n          “You need to either be a relative, or be on the Allowed List,” the malamute offered. \n          “How do I get on that list?”\n          “The cub's... parents,” the detective said, pausing as he realized the conundrum, “have to add you.” He looked at the lion then back to Jack. “We'll figure something out. For now, just go home, get cleaned up.” \n          “I have to see him,” Jack protested. \n          “You need to do it the right way,” the malamute said. “They won't hesitate to have you arrested otherwise. That's one area they don't mess around.” Jack whimpered in frustration at the bureaucracy in play, then just sighed.\n          “No news,” the uniformed tiger said as he re-entered the office. “I wouldn't read too much into that,” he said, trying to sound reassuring. “When they're swamped, the paperwork is the last thing they worry about.” Jack was far from reassured though. In his mind that explanation just meant that the bad news was tied up in paperwork. \n          “Come on,” the tiger said, “I'll give you a ride back.” Jack had ridden down in the back of one of the squad cars that had responded to the apartment, so had no ready means of transportation available. \n          Jack leaned forward in his seat, paws on his face, then slid them up and through his hair, arching his back as he did. “Yeah,” he said resignedly, “yeah ok. Thanks.”\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n          Officer MacAllister, the tiger police officer, was rather chatty on the ride back to Jack's apartment. Perhaps he was trying to keep Jack's mind off of Angelo, or maybe that's just how he was. Jack asked about how his case would proceed, about which the tiger expounded in great detail: \n          After Jack signed his statement, and the officers finished their investigation and reports, it would all be sent to the District Attorney to review. The D.A. would probably talk with the various police who were involved for their opinions. If he felt that Jack had indeed acted in self-defense, he would likely prepare a statement to that effect, and barring any new evidence the case would be closed. \n          If the D.A. felt that Jack acted criminally, or if he felt more investigation was required, he would submit all the reports and statements to the Grand Jury who could then indict Jack for a crime, or dismiss the case themselves. An indictment, of course, would mean a trial with all of its possible consequences. The officer didn't think that would happen, though he admitted that there were many intangibles; it could even come down to what kind of day the D.A. was having when he reviewed the evidence. \n          The tiger was also very sympathetic to Jack. As a father himself, he could understand why Jack would go along with Victor for that long, if his only goal was to get Angelo away from him. The look on Jack's face back in the apartment, when he asked the officers to wait until Angelo was stabilized, affected him particularly strongly. “When I saw the pained look on your face,” he had said, “I knew you were telling the truth.” \n          The patrol car pulled into the apartment complex. As they approached Jack's building, he could see there were still several police vehicles in front of Victor's, along with a handful of residents watching from outside the cordon of yellow tape that had been set up. As the car pulled up in next to Jack's car, several of them turned to look, talking among themselves. It was nearly three in the afternoon.\n          “Ok, here you go, Jack,” the tiger said, shutting the engine off. “I'll check up on the cri... on the team in the apartment.”\n          Crime scene, he was going to say, Jack figured. “Ok,” Jack said. “I just want to...” He trailed off. He didn't know exactly what he wanted to do other than run to the hospital which was out of the question. Curl up on the floor, perhaps, he thought to himself. \n          The officer nodded, as if he understood perfectly. “I hear you,” he said, as he got out of the car and opened Jack's door.  “Get cleaned up, get something to eat. I'll be in touch. Here.” He offered Jack a yellow piece of paper. “This is a list of lawyers that work our district, in case you don't have one, or can't afford one. They do pro-bono work... free, that is, though you may have to call a few of them to find one that's available now. Still better than the Public Defender, but don't tell anyone I said that!” He winked as he said the last part. \n          Jack took the paper and chuckled. “Thanks,” he said, getting out of the car. He looked over to the gaggle of residents, some of which were still watching him. \n          “Go on inside, Jack,” MacAllister said. “Don't worry about them, and actually it's best if you don't talk to them, or to any press that might show up.”\n          Jack agreed completely. The last thing he wanted to do was relive this day yet again through another description of the events. He nodded to the officer, who patted his shoulder. Without another glance towards Victor's door or the crowd, he walked to his door and went inside, quickly locking it behind him. \n          For the second time that day, Jack found the sudden silence overpowering. He coughed loudly and took a deep breath, just to make some sound to fill the room, before grabbing the TV remote and turning it on. He tossed the remote back on the couch, not even caring what was on the television, as long as it made noise. \n          Jack briefly considered flopping down on the couch, but one look at his blood-spattered clothes dissuaded him from that. He pulled his shirt off and balled it up in his paws, pondering what to do with it. Should he just launder it with the rest of his clothes? The blood would leave stains that would probably never completely vanish, he figured. A lot of this day would never completely vanish, he mused. \n          Suddenly angry, he went to the kitchen and threw the shirt into the trash can. He did not want to be reminded of this, of Victor, every time he wore this shirt. He regarded his jeans and came to the same conclusion, stripping them off and depositing them in the trash as well. For good measure, he removed his boxers and socks, sending them off after the others, then tied the trash bag closed. \n          Jack stood nude in his kitchen, arms at his side, staring at nothing in particular and feeling helpless and alone. He acutely felt Angelo's absence, and hoped it was not some sort of cosmic knowledge of the cub's fate. \n          Shaking off the feeling he went towards his bedroom. There was still one more bit of blood to take care of, that being what was still caked in his arm and neck fur. A long hot shower would take care of that as well as relax him so that he might be able to sleep, though the prospects for that seemed dim at the moment. \n          Jack stopped abruptly as he reached his bedroom door. There on the floor were Angelo's clothes from the night before, where he had shed them before bed. A lump welled in Jack's throat as he looked at the little bundle. Angelo had left his clothes there, expecting to simply come get them after picking up the drug car. That seemed like ages past now, though it had been only a matter of hours.\n          The teen fox turned and went into the bathroom. The towel Angelo had used for his shower that morning was hung on the towel bar next to Jack's, and the shower stall itself still had not yet dried completely from the morning's use. Jack stared vacantly at the shower stall, as a flood of thoughts began to rush in. Shaking them off, he reached in and turned the water on as hot as he could stand it. \n          \n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n          Jack sat on his couch, wearing only his boxers after his shower. He had run all the hot water out – the second time that day, he mused with a smile – but had managed to get all of the dried blood out of his fur as far as he could see. The TV was still on, though Jack had lowered the volume significantly, no longer disturbed by the relative quiet of his apartment. \n          He sat with a notepad, writing out things that he needed to do, hoping to be able to better sequence them. “See Angelo” was written at the top, underlined heavily. “Tell family” was one that he had not figured out where to put on the list. Part of him wanted to get closure from the police first: they would either decide to prosecute him or they wouldn't, and he would then tell his parents once the immediate course was known. \n          That would mean he could not avail himself of his parents' lawyer ahead of time, though. “Get a lawyer,” he wrote on the sheet, then set the pad aside and picked up the yellow sheet the tiger had given him. There were many names and phone numbers of lawyers on the sheet, most with their areas of specialization listed: DUI/DWI, personal injury, domestic violence, and the like. \n          Jack perused the sheet, looking over the ones that had no specialization listed, or had “criminal defense” listed. His eyes stopped on a name which seemed to jump out at him: Maxwell Cartwright. He stared at the name, certain he had seen it before somewhere. \n          Suddenly he jumped up and ran to the kitchen, to where he had left his wallet when he discarded his jeans. He opened the wallet and fumbled through one pocket, then extracted a card. He stared at the card: Maxwell Cartwright, Attorney at Law. This was the card given to him by the otter lawyer that he and Angelo had delivered a sizable load of Cuban cigars to on the first day they worked together. \n          This was the same lawyer that had given Angelo a “cub-sized” dose of cocaine, Jack recalled with some displeasure. But he was the logical choice for Jack to call: he knew Angelo and Victor, and had met Jack during the delivery, so there was some semblance of a connection. The card also had his personal cell phone hand-written on it, making a more likely channel than the main business line given on the card and the police yellow sheet. \n          Jack picked up his cordless phone and sat back down on the couch. He took a deep breath and dialed the cell number written on the card. \n          “Cartwright,” a voice said. \n          “Hi,” Jack started awkwardly, “Umm, hi Mr. Cartwright. My name is Jack Archer, I'm a friend of Angelo? You remember Angelo right?” \n          “Oh yeah,” the otter said, suddenly with energy. “Angelo's my guy! I remember you: red fox right? You guys brought me some presents?” \n          Jack chuckled, remembering the animated nature of the otter and how much it had amused Angelo. “Yep, that's me,” he said. \n          The otter laughed cheerfully. “I thought so! So what can I do for you, Jack?” \n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n          Jack hung up the phone. His ear was warm and sweaty from the length of the call: over an hour. He had told Max – the otter insisted that Jack call him that – everything, re-telling his story one more time. Max was furious at him for having spoken to the police without a lawyer, and he told Jack that from that moment forward only he would speak to them on Jack's behalf. Jack would need to sign his statement still, but the otter said he would review it and discuss it with the police first. \n          For his part, Jack made it clear that he was willing to take whatever consequences came; he did what he had to do to save Angelo from Victor, so his conscience was clear. The otter was initially dismissive of this attitude, saying the prisons were full of people who were in-the-right in their own minds. His attitude moderated somewhat as Jack related the depths of his story. \n          Max felt pretty good about the self-defense case, though he echoed the message from earlier, that it would all come down to how much the D.A. felt like investigating. Even though Jack's killing of Victor was obviously self-defense, all of the other criminal activities that Jack had admitted to participating in while working for Victor could come under scrutiny. And while Max felt that such an investigation would probably dry up for lack of witnesses, it could still hang over him for a very long time. \n          Jack sat back in his couch and laid his head back against the cushion, staring at the ceiling. It was nearing dinner time yet he had no appetite, despite not having eaten anything since the night before. His mind was trying to sort out all that Max had told him about what was going to happen, and what still could happen. Nothing has happened yet, he kept telling himself, trying to stop before he let his imagination run away with possibilities once again. \n          He stood up to clear his head, and walked to the front door and looked through the peephole. He could see activity over at Victor's apartment still, though the crowd of spectators had dwindled since he returned home. He was particularly glad that nobody had knocked on his door, whether from the press or just a curious resident. \n          Jack walked back to his bedroom, pausing for a moment yet again at the sight of Angelo's clothes pile, before dropping heavily on his bed. He lay on one side of the bed, and regarded the other side where Angelo had slept the previous night. He could picture the little grey-furred fox laying there, smiling over at him. \n          He dismissed the vision with a shake of his head, and threw an arm over his eyes to shut out the light that bled in through the window blinds. “Angelo,” he said sadly, then sighed. A moment later his abdomen began to shake as silent sobs beset the teenage fox.  \n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n          The ring of the telephone roused Jack in an instant. He sat up abruptly, and noticed it was now dark outside. As he reached over to grab the phone next to the bed he saw the clock: 10:43. \n          “H- hello,” Jack said into the phone, his head still groggy from the sudden awakening. \n          “Oh, sorry, did I wake you up?” a cheerful voice said. It was Max, the otter lawyer. \n          “Yeah,” Jack grunted, then inhaled deeply and gave his head a quick shake. \n          “Well, pardon me,” Max said still cheerfully, “but while you've been getting your beauty rest, some of us have been getting things done!”\n          “Max,” Jack said, finding the otters demeanor somewhat irritating, given the circumstances, “I've had a rough day.” \n          There was silence on the phone for a moment. Then, “I know, sorry,” Max said in a more subdued tone. “But I figured you'd want to hear about Angelo,” he said, slightly more animated, but not  nearly what he had been.\n          “Angelo!” Jack exclaimed, now wide awake. “What about him? Is he...” He couldn't bring himself to continue. \n          “He's fine,” Max said quickly, as if he sensed Jack's state of mind. “He's got a broken collar bone, but the doctors say he'll be 100% before you know it. He's got a private room at the hospital!” The otter laughed at this comment. “As soon as they heard the State was picking up the bill, they put him in the most expensive room they had!” Another laugh. There was silence for a few seconds. “Jack?” the otter asked. “Still there?” \n          “Yeah,” Jack said, his voice audibly choked as a stream of tears ran unchecked down his face. He took a deep breath through his sobs. “Yeah, I'm here.” He laughed and cried at the same time into the phone, not caring who heard it. \n          “I figured you'd want to know as soon as possible,” Max said gently after letting Jack release for a few seconds. He continued, “I called the officer running your case to introduce myself, and asked him to call over to the hospital. So yeah, he's fine and resting comfortably.” \n          “Thank you,” Jack said, finally able to find his voice. He also felt suddenly very hungry, as a wave of anxiety left him. \n          “It gets better,” Max said, starting to perk up his tone again. “You... are now on the Allowed List to go see him!” \n          “Wha... how?” Jack said excitedly. “I though only family...” \n          “Well,” said Max, now sounding proud of himself, “I'm your lawyer, right? So, now I'm his too! And since there's an active investigation going on, all 3 of us need to be able to meet. Bing-bang-boom: Allowed List!”\n          “Can I go now?” Jack blurted out, looking again at the clock. \n          “No,” max said with a laugh. “Only family can be there overnight. But 9am tomorrow visiting hours open.” \n          Jack audibly laughed another relieved laugh into the phone. “Max, wow,” he said, “that's... thank you!” \n          “Hey, I'm on your team now,” he said. “I do what I can. So get your red butt over there first thing.” \n          “You better believe it!” Jack said happily, now wondering how he was going to get any sleep that night. \n          There was a long pause on the phone, then Max said, “There's... just one more thing.” \n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n          Jack got off the elevator on the Cub Ward floor. It was just before 9:00 in the morning. A line of visitors was formed in front of a glass window, behind which sat a nurse taking IDs from people and passing them forms through a tray at the bottom. \n          The teenage fox clicked his tongue in nervous irritation. Max had told him that visiting hours opened at 9:00, but he didn't think to expect a line, though in retrospect he felt slightly selfish for thinking he was the only one with a loved one inside. Loved one... the thought made him smile openly. He waited in line patiently, and in five minutes or so it was his turn at the window. \n          “ID,” said the nurse flatly, a rabbit lady who had probably gone through this routine thousands of times. Jack slid his driver's license under the window. The nurse took it and typed on her keyboard. “Patient name,” she inquired. \n          “Angelo Cole,” Jack said, still nervous, though Max assured him he was on the list. \n          “Fill this out and sign, please,” she said, passing a form under the window. She continued typing as Jack filled out the form which was basically just his name and address, and several paragraphs of text saying what the rules were. A section at the end was for him to sign, stating he would abide by the rules. \n          Jack signed the form and slid it back through the slot in the window. The nurse was typing away still, looking at his drivers license every so often. She stopped and looked at her computer screen, brow furrowing slightly, which made Jack suddenly nervous again that something was wrong. Finally she hit one button on the keyboard and a white paper sticker, about paw-sized, printed out from a little cube next to her monitor. \n          “Room 135,” the nurse said, tearing off the sticker and handing it through the window slot. It was a visitor badge, with Jack's name and what room he was allowed in, printed in large enough type for anyone to easily see. “Through the doors, down the hall, second left, and it will be down on your right.” \n          “Thanks,” Jack said, affixing the badge to his shirt and turning from the window. The doors directly adjacent to the window buzzed loudly and clicked unlocked. Jack pushed them open and went through. He heard the door buzz and click locked behind him. \n          The hallway inside the door went fairly far ahead, with intersecting hallways evenly spaced. Doorways to patients' rooms appeared regularly on each side of the hall, broken up only by the occasional workspace containing a computer terminal and various cabinets. Lining the hallway in any available space was an assortment of empty beds, wheelchairs, mop buckets, and other hospital equipment.\n          Jack walked down the hall and noted his target, the second left intersecting hallway ahead. As he passed room doorways, he took a quick glance inside. Most opened into double-rooms, with a cub visible in a bed and family members standing or sitting nearby. A curtain drawn halfway through the room obscured the other side, though Jack did see an occasional fur visible past it. \n          Every once in a while, Jack saw a cub in the bed with nobody else in the room. He almost wanted to go in and talk to the youngster, but his badge clearly had “--135--” in large letters printed on it, and he wondered what would happen if he tried to go elsewhere. The sight of a uniformed police officer standing at a nurse's station up ahead left him little doubt. \n          Jack reached the specified intersection, and turned down the adjoining corridor. It stretched ahead similarly to the last one, though not nearly as long. A larger nurse's station was placed halfway down the hall, and the hall itself had the same array of equipment in open-storage as the main hallway. \n          Every nurse, orderly, and janitor he passed took a glance at Jack's badge to make sure he was in the right place. Jack counted off the room numbers as he proceeded down the hall. 129, 131, 133... 135.  He stopped and took a deep breath, his heart pounding, as he read the label on the wall next to the door: “Cole, Angelo J.,” followed by his date of birth, and some two-letter codes hand-written below that. A clipboard hung on a hook by the door.\n          Jack stepped into the doorway and looked within. Angelo lay in a bed with the head end propped up to a 45-degree angle, putting him in a reclined sitting position. He wore no gown that Jack could see, though the sheets and blankets on the bed, adorned with teddy-bears and paw-prints, were pulled up to his mid-chest level. His left arm was in a sling, and his left shoulder sported what looked like football padding over white bandages. The television was on, set to some cub cartoon, but Angelo was staring straight ahead, his face neutral as if lost in thought. \n          “May I come in?” Jack asked. Angelo's demeanor immediately changed as Jack's voice got his attention. \n          “Jack!” the little fox exclaimed, his ears perking up and a huge smile splitting his muzzle as he held out his right arm towards the door. \n          Jack nearly sprinted the short distance to the bed. He wanted to scoop the boy up and swing him around, but settled for crouching to Angelo's level and wrapping one arm around his neck, being very careful not to touch his shoulder, or to squeeze very hard. “Angelo,” Jack said softly, the tears flowing again. \n          Angelo hugged Jack with one arm as hard as he could, and pressed his face against the older fox's muzzle. “You came,” he said, sounding as happy as Jack had ever heard him. \n          “Of course,” Jack said through his sobs. “I promised!” The two held the awkwardly-formed hug for what seemed like several minutes. \n          Finally Jack broke the hug and stood up. “How are you?” he asked, taking in his young friend. \n          “Better now,” Angelo said happily. \n          Jack laughed the lingering sobs away, then continued, “No, seriously though, how are you feeling?” \n          “I'm ok,” the boy said. “A lot better than yesterday. Kinda' sore,” he said looking at his shoulder, “but it's not bad if I don't move it.” \n          “Good, good,” Jack said, smiling at the eleven-year-old. “I was... worried,” he said. He regarded his young friend, taking in every detail of him like he had not seen him for years. “You know, this might be the first time I've seen you without your earrings!”\n          Angelo wiggled his left ear with a smile. The three small gold rings he wore at the base of the ear, and the black diamond stud he wore at the tip, were conspicuous in their absence. The kit had worn them in the shower, in bed, at the pool, everywhere. \n          “Yeah,” he said, “they took 'em out when I got here. They're around, somewhere. I don't care though... I don't want 'em anymore, since... he... paid for them.” He pondered for a moment, then his tone becoming a little more serious, he said, “So how are you doing?” \n          Jack took his meaning immediately, and was moved by the kit's concern. Jack had, after all, killed someone – even if done for all the right reasons, that plain fact was still there. “I'm...” Jack began. He had not spent a lot of time thinking about it, having spent his time between the police and worrying about Angelo. “Ok too. I guess. I don't really...” \n          Angelo nodded again as Jack trailed off. “I... tried,” he said. “I really was going to shoot the bastard. But...” A slight smile crossed his face. “I guess he got the drop on me.” \n          Jack patted Angelo's head-fur. “I'm glad you didn't,” he said somberly. “I don't want you to have that on your conscience.” \n          “It would have been justice,” the cub replied softly. He looked away for a moment, then back at Jack with an unsure expression. “Do you think,” he started slowly, “that... he was... lying?” He looked fully into Jack's dark eyes, his own blue eyes so full of expression. \n          The older fox crouched down to his level again and stroked the side of his face with the back of one finger. This was what Max had thrown in at the end of their conversation the previous night. “Ange,” Jack said, not sure how to phrase it. “Well... he wasn't.” Angelo's expression didn't change much, but Jack could read a world of emotions roll through those bright eyes. \n          “The police...” he continued. “they had found a... murder victim last year in Lake Royal. A fox lady. She had been...” Jack paused, though he knew Angelo had already heard the details from Victor, and he was just re-stating them. “She'd been shot in the head twice. The date matches up, her age matches up, and...” He stopped as Angelo slowly turned his face away to look out the large window in the room. Jack could only pat his shoulder in support. \n          “And,” Angelo said softly after a moment's silence. \n          Jack sighed. The boy wanted to hear it. “And,” he went on, “the bullets were the same kind that were in Victor's gun yesterday. They're doing a full DNA test against you, but the preliminary one they ran said that she was definitely a close female relative.” \n          “I only had one,” Angelo said quietly, still turned away from Jack. He did not appear to be crying, or even trying to stop himself from crying. He was just staring. Finally with a deep sigh he turned back to Jack. \n          “I... hated her,” he said sadly. “For a long time. Because of what Victor told me. And now... that it wasn't true...” \n          “I know, bud,” Jack said. “It's not your fault.” \n          “You don't understand,” he said. “I mean, I hated her.” He looked away again, and closed his eyes. “I don't...” Another deep sigh. “This is gonna take... I... I dunno.” \n          “I'm here for you bro, you can count on that,” Jack said, completely unsure of what, if anything, he could say to help. Angelo clearly knew he was going to have to work through this in his own mind. He put a paw on Angelo's good shoulder again, and the little fox reached up with his own and squeezed as another silent moment passed. \n          “How's my patient?” a cheery female voice said from the doorway. Jack and Angelo both turned their heads towards the door. An ocelot lady in a white lab coat stood there, smiling, with a clipboard in paw – the one that had been hanging on the door to the room, Jack figured. \n          “I'm ok,” Angelo responded fairly brightly, a swift change from his mood a moment prior. \n          “That's good,” the ocelot said walking into the room. “I'm Dr. Finnegan,” she said, extending a paw to Jack. “Everyone calls me Dr. Finn.” \n          “Nice to meet you, Dr. Finn,” Jack said taking the paw. “Is he really ok though?” \n          “Oh sure,” she said, walking over to the other side of the bed where she could better access Angelo's wound. “The bullet hit right on the collar bone. You couldn't have aimed better if you tried!” \n          “And that's... good?” Jack asked, not following. \n          “Most definitely,” the doctor said, putting her stethoscope in her ears and applying the other end to Angelo's chest. “The bone absorbed just about all of the bullet's energy,” she explained as she moved the stethoscope about. “It broke the bone into three pieces, but didn't tear up any blood vessels or nerve bundles as a result. And it was a small caliber, which helped too.” \n          “I see,” Jack said. “What about the air in his chest that the medics talked about?”\n          “Pneumothorax,” she replied. “Also called a collapsed lung. Any time you puncture the chest wall you can get that, because the air has another way in. Fortunately those are easy to fix, as you probably saw.” \n          Jack nodded. “So, he's really going to be ok?” He had to fight down the urge to break out smiling at the thought. \n          “Oh yes,” Dr. Finn said cheerfully. “Kits this age are healing-machines!” She smiled to Angelo as she gently lifted the padding from his shoulder and looked under it. Jack could see a swath of pink skin from where they had shaved the fur around his wound. “I want to keep him here in bed for a couple of days so the bone sets properly, but after that there's to reason to keep him here.” \n          She addressed Angelo as she continued. “You'll be in a sling for a few weeks, with that pad on so you don't bump it into things. Then just take it easy for a few more weeks. By Halloween you'd never know anything had happened!” \n          “Wow,” Jack said, overjoyed and surprised at the same time. \n          “All good,” she said with a smile as she repositioned the pad back over the wound. \n          “I... I can't thank you enough,” Jack said earnestly. \n          “My pleasure,” she said, curtseying slightly. “Just don't go getting shot again,” she said in mock warning. \n          “Right there with you,” Angelo replied happily. \n          “If you need anything, just hit the button,” the ocelot said, then left the room with a wave. \n          “Nice,” Jack said, patting Angelo's good shoulder. He didn't want to go back to the conversation before the doctor arrived, and fumbled in his mind for a topic. “So,” he said after a moment, “how's hospital life?” \n          “Ugh,” the cub groaned, “I hate it! The food tastes like cardboard. They take blood samples every few hours, even at night. They won't even let me stand up!”\n          “How do you... you know,” Jack said, then pantomimed standing at a urinal. \n          Angelo's ears flattened back somewhat. “Oh, you don't want to know, trust me.” \n          “What, a diaper?”\n          “They wanted to!” Angelo said incredulously. “No way in Hell I was doing that!” \n          “So what then?” Jack asked.           \n          Angelo stared for a moment, paw flexing on the top edge of the bedclothes. Finally he pulled the blanket down below his waist. He was naked in the bed, and Jack saw a thin plastic tube protruding from the end of his penis, disappearing under the sheets. \n          “Whoa,” Jack said before quickly looking away. Angelo pulled the bedclothes back up to chest level. Jack made a face of disgust which made the kit laugh. “So that's number-one, what about... you know, number-two?”\n          “That's pretty gross too,” Angelo replied. “I have to pull my legs up and they stick a metal bowl under my butt, and... fire away!”\n          “Holy crap,” Jack said, missing his own pun, though Angelo giggled. “Hospital life sucks!”\n          “Yep,” the little fox replied. “At least last time I could walk around.” His face took on a wistful look as he pondered something. “This is my third life now, I guess.” \n          Jack's ears perked. “How do you mean?” \n          “Well, the first one was when I was born,” the boy said. “In a hospital, right? I lived my life for a while, then went back into a hospital. Everything changed and I was in a new life when I left.” \n          “Oh wow,” Jack said, catching his meaning. “And here you are again.” \n          “Yep,” Angelo said, “Naked in a hospital again. And I'll be in a completely new life again when I leave.” He thought for another moment. “I want to live with you,” he said, slightly hesitantly. \n          “Ange,” Jack said gently, as he brushed the fox's white cheek fluff, “There's nothing I want more.” His response was a broad grin from his young friend. \n          The telephone next to the bed rang, startling the two foxes despite the low volume of the ringer. Jack cocked an eyebrow at it as it rang; he couldn't imagine who would know that Angelo was here. He was going to pick it up, but Angelo reached over and grabbed it before he could. \n          “Hello,” the kit said, himself looking unsure about the caller. He listened for a moment, then his ears perked up somewhat. “Oh hi, Max,” he said with a smile. “Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't think you'd be calling me. How did you know...” He listened some more, then his eyes looked to Jack and he smiled again. “I gotcha'. Yep he's here, want to talk to him?” After another moment he held the phone out to Jack. “Your lawyer,” he said with a grin. \n          “Yours too,” Jack said, fuzzling the fox's dark head-fur before taking the phone. “Hey Max,” he said. \n          “Everything cool there?” \n          “Yep, everything's good,” Jack replied. \n          “Good, good,” the otter said. “Listen, I heard from the police on your case. Your statement is ready for you to sign. They sent me a fax of it – it doesn't look too bad.”\n          “Ok,” Jack said. “Do I come to your office then?” \n          “Nope, this is just a copy. You have to sign the original at the station,” Max replied. “They reiterated that you would not be arrested when you come down.” \n          Jack was relieved every time he heard that said. “When should I go?” \n          “I would do it today,” Max said, “as soon as you can. You definitely should get it in before the weekend, and the more workday we can give them to process it, the better.” \n          “'Kay,” Jack said, understanding the need to get this done before the week ended, but he didn't want to leave Angelo's side now that he was there. “This afternoon maybe...” he said evasively. \n          “They're going to throw you out at noon for a couple hours anyway,” Max told him. “That'll be the perfect time. You should be back there before the afternoon visiting hours open back up.” \n          An odd sense of admiration for the otter on the phone flashed in Jack's mind. Max had divined the precise reason for his evasive attitude towards when to leave, though Jack had not said anything, not consciously at least. Perhaps one develops that kind of insight when training to be a lawyer, he mused.\n          “Ok perfect,” Jack said, “I'll go then.” \n          “Great, I'll meet you down there,” Max said. “Give Angelo a fist-bump for me.” \n          Jack laughed. “Will do”, he said, and handed the phone back to Angelo. The cub listened into it for a second then hung it up. \n          “Max is a good guy,” Angelo said. \n          “He is that,” the older fox agreed. “I gotta go down to the police station and sign my 'official statement',” Jack continued, making quotes in the air with his fingers. \n          Angelo cocked one ear. “What did you tell 'em?”\n          “The truth,” Jack said. “I gave them everything I knew about his operation. Told them about how you and me got to be friends,” he continued, which was met by a grin from Angelo, “how we hung out, that I played along 'till I could find a way to get you out of there, that sort of thing.” \n          “You left a few things out, I hope,” the kit said with a smile. \n          Jack laughed. “Let's see, there was a train if I recall, a schoolyard or two, and a fire. And a couple other things that are nobody else's business.”\n          Angelo nodded happily. “They're going to want to talk to me too, I bet.”\n          Jack nodded along. “Probably,” he said. \n          The little fox giggled. “I wonder how many times they'll ask who molested me!” The older fox cocked an eyebrow. “That seems to be everyone's biggest concern here,” Angelo continued by way of explanation. “Doctors, nurses, social workers, everyone: did Victor rape me, did you rape me, did customers rape me... Like that was everyone's motivation for everything they did. Doctors even checked my tail-hole out to make sure.” The cub grimaced slightly as he said this. \n          “I hope you set them straight,” Jack said. \n          “I told them the truth,” Angelo said plainly. “Anyone who would have tried to force me to do anything I didn't want would have gotten my knife in their chest.” He instinctively reached to pat his left abdomen, where his knife would have been under his jacket, then stopped with a sheepish look. “I guess I won't be getting the knife back, huh?” \n          Jack shook his head. “Mine either,” he said, picturing it jutting from Victor's neck before dismissing the thought and getting back to the topic at hand. “Did you tell them about that doctor who wanted... you know...”\n          “Nah, not specifically,” Angelo said. “I told them that Victor had offers for... me... from some clients. I didn't get down to names. I still might though. That doctor never actually did anything to me, but... he might try it with someone else.” \n          “That's my Ange,” Jack said proudly, “Saving the world!” \n          The young fox grinned cheerfully at this.\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n          Jack stayed with Angelo as long as he could. The boy was not exaggerating when he said how often they took blood samples, as they were interrupted once by a nurse coming in for just that purpose. “Save me a little, would you?” Angelo had requested with a friendly smile. \n          At noon the morning visiting hours ended, and all non-family visitors had to leave. The afternoon hours were from 2:00 to 6:00, which gave Jack a window to meet Max at the police station, sign his statement, and hopefully grab a bite of lunch before returning to the hospital in time for the afternoon hours. \n          Jack rode the parking garage elevator to the basement level where he had parked. Despite the noon hour, very little sunlight made it to that level of the garage, which was lit instead by overhead lights.           \n          As the fox walked to his car he noticed that many of the lights were burned out, giving the garage a twilight feel. A darkness which, for once in the last few days, did not match his mood. Angelo would be fine and would be out of the hospital soon, to begin as the cub had put it, his third life which Jack hoped to share as much as he could. \n          A voice from a darkened section of parking spaces interrupted Jack's thoughts as he walked. “The little fox, he will live?” The male voice was deep and thickly accented, and sounded like every Russian spy or army officer he saw in movies. \n          Russian. Jack stopped abruptly and slowly turned towards the voice. He could see several figures in the shadows of a darkened parking space, partially obscured by a large concrete pillar. One of them had a lit cigarette in his mouth, and from his position seemed to be the speaker. “Yes,” Jack said weakly, then cleared his throat and repeated, “Yes, he'll be fine.” \n          The lit tip of the cigarette seemed to bob, as if the fur smoking it was nodding. “Mmm,” the voice said, before a shadowy paw raised to the face and removed the cigarette. “Is good. This shooting of cubs is nasty business.” \n          “Yes it is,” Jack said plainly. He saw the ember of the cigarette return to the shadowy fur's mouth. This had to be Victor's “Russian”, or at least a representative. They obviously knew what had transpired, and were here to... what? Jack's heart suddenly raced at the logical conclusion. After a moment he said, “So you're... here about Victor?” \n          The form seemed to chuckle. “You are nervous perhaps?” \n          Jack took a deep breath and pictured Angelo's smiling face. If Jack was to be shot here in a parking garage basement, he wanted the boy to be his last thought. “I am,” he said softly, with audible sadness. \n          A nod of the cigarette tip again. “Do not be,” the voice said. “Victor.... he was headed for this one way or other. If not you, I know ten others wanting to.” Audible chuckles came from the furs accompanying the speaker. “Where he was, he should be happy, but he want too much too fast. Ten years, it should have taken before latest product. He want it in two.” The ember moved from side to side, as if the speaker shook his head. “Not cut out for this life.”\n          Jack breathed a sigh of relief. “So,” he began slowly, not wanting to push his luck, “why are you...” \n          The speaker laughed audibly, though quietly. Then: “I come to see face of fox who did this. Victor talk about you: he said you dodge train, nerves of steel.” Jack nodded, intending to confirm what had been said, but didn't want to talk openly about that since he had omitted it from his police statement. \n          “I want to see if perhaps you want job,” the voice continued. “Job with proper employer who knows right way to run business? Right way to treat his people.” \n          Jack took a deep breath. They were offering him a position in their organization, most likely to replace Victor in this territory. The 18 year-old knew his answer immediately, but took a moment to make sure he delivered it properly. \n          “I,” he began slowly, “don't think I want to be part of that world anymore...” He trailed off. He was considering adding an expression of thanks and respect, but the shadow responded immediately. \n          “Is not for everyone,” the voice said. “And... you are smart enough to see this.” The form took a drag from his cigarette then continued. “You and little fox go live good long life.” \n          “That's my hope, sir,” Jack said. \n          The form nodded again. “And now,” the voice said, “I think we never see each other again, yes?” \n          “Yes,” Jack said, understanding the deeper implications of the statement. “Thank you.” \n          The shadowy form nodded again and stepped back further into the shadows, as did the surrounding shadowy forms. Jack took this as his cue to leave, and turning back in the direction he was originally headed, walked briskly but not hurriedly towards his car, making a point not to look back. \n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n          Jack sat in a very comfortable leather chair in Max's office. He had met the otter at the police station, where Jack's official statement had been printed out and was awaiting his signature. Max read over the statement carefully, as did Jack. The otter did not find anything unexpected, as he had been faxed a preliminary copy, but he said he wanted to make sure they didn't sneak anything new into it. \n          Once both were satisfied that this was what Jack's official testimony would be, the teen fox signed the form, which was promptly notarized by one of the officers in attendance. Officer MacAllister was there, and once the paperwork was done, the tiger made a request of Jack. \n          “We would appreciate it,” he said, “if you don't go back to the hospital today.” \n          Jack was surprised and concerned by this. “Wha... why?” he asked. He desperately wanted to return to Angelo's side. \n          “Well,” the tiger said, holding up Jack's statement, “we need to talk to the boy, and get his statement too. He's probably got a lot more information about Victor Morrison, and we need that to complete the investigation.”\n          “I'll need to be there too then,” Max interjected. “I'm representing both of them.” \n          “No,” the tiger said, “actually you're not. Cub Protective Services is involved now, and since he has no family, their attorney has set himself as the attorney of record.”\n          Max nodded, visibly irritated. “Fine,” he said, and turned from the room. \n          “We just need to get his account of what happened, and as much dirt on that ferret as we can,” MacAllister said to Jack, sounding apologetic. “It will probably take a few hours, and by then visiting hours will be over anyway. You can come back tomorrow morning, Jack.”\n          Jack took a deep breath and sighed. “Yeah, ok,” he said. He knew that this was just another piece in the bureaucracy, and that officer MacAllister was just doing his job, but he still found it annoying. He left the station and found Max outside, who suggested they return to his office to discuss the case in more detail. \n          He now sat across the desk from the otter. They had gone over the time-line in Jack's statement again, and this time Jack told him of some of the things he had omitted from the statement, such as the stolen car and how he and Angelo had disposed of it. Jack also hinted at selling pot, but didn't go into all of those details. \n          “I kind of figured there was more,” Max said. “Just put that in the back of your mind and never think about it again. At least until this is all years in the past.”\n          “Is that something they could... get me for?” \n          Max shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. But if they find out about it, and that you knowingly left it out, that will basically kill any good-will you had in their minds.” \n          “Right,” said Jack. He felt good talking about it though, if just to get it off of his chest. “What about my parents?” \n          “Don't tell them about that either,” Max said. \n          “No,” Jack said, “I mean... I haven't told them anything yet. Unless my name's in the papers, they don't know any of this has happened.”\n          Max gave a soft whistle in surprise. “Well,” he said, sitting back, “it's up to you if you don't want to tell them. I don't know what kind of relationship you have with them.” \n          Jack laughed. “No, we're fine. Just... when do you think I should tell them? Right away, or wait 'till this police situation is resolved?”\n          “Look at it this way,” Max said, pulling a plastic lunch container out of a small refrigerator next to his desk, “If it goes badly, the first call you make to them might be from jail.” Then after a pause, “You mind if I eat while we talk?” \n          “No, no,” Jack said, “Go right ahead.” He pondered what Max had said. If the police decided to arrest him, they would almost certainly not give him any notice, just in case they thought he might try to run. So his first indication would be them showing up at his apartment, or the hospital, or wherever he might happen to be at the time. \n          Perhaps it would be better if he told his parents right away, he thought. If it all blew over then it wouldn't matter, and if it did go badly they would already know what was going on when he called them to come bail him out. \n          Jack's thoughts were interrupted by a sour smell hitting his nostrils. He looked up at Max who had opened the plastic container, which looked to be full of oysters, still in the shell. The otter picked up a metal egg-shaped paperweight, gold-colored, from his desk and was about to use it to crack open one of the shells. “Are those... oysters?” \n          “Yep,” Max replied cheerfully, smashing the gold egg into one of the shells with a loud crack. “Want one?” \n          Jack's stomach turned. “Ugh, no,” he said. \n          “Suit yourself,” the otter said, before sucking the contents from one through the hole he had made. “Food of the gods!” he exclaimed after swallowing it. \n          “I think I'm going to be sick,” Jack said, only half-jokingly. \n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n          Jack walked down the hospital corridor in the Cub Ward, slowly and slightly nervously. It was the next day, Saturday, and visiting hours had just opened. The fox was doubly nervous as he arrived. Firstly, since Max was apparently no longer Angelo's attorney, Jack feared he might have been removed from the Allowed List and would be turned away at the reception desk. As it turned out, he was still on the list and was let into the ward with no difficulties. \n          As he walked down the final corridor towards Angelo's room, he tried to keep a calm and neutral facial expression, despite the contraband he carried in his pocket. As before, everyone he passed in the corridor took a glance at his badge to make sure he was allowed there. Every time they did so, Jack was sure they knew that he was up to something, though nobody stopped him. He finally reached Angelo's room, and went inside. \n          “Jack!” Angelo said happily as soon as the older fox crossed the threshold. The little grey-furred fox grinned a happy grin as Jack went to his side and put one arm around his friend. \n          “How's my boy?” Jack asked. \n          “Can't wait to get out of here,” the kit said. “Doc says any time now.” \n          “All healed up?” \n          “As much as I need to be to get out, I guess,” Angelo replied. “I can't wait! I don't think I can take much more of the food here!”\n          “Oh really,” Jack said innocently, yet conspiratorially. “I might just have a fix for that.” He turned his body so his right side pocket was right next to Angelo's head, with Jack's body obscuring it from outside view. The red fox slid a paw into his pocket and pulled out a still-wrapped, though somewhat flattened chicken biscuit from Burger Joint. \n          Angelo let out a muffled cry of delight as he saw the wrapper. “You rule!” he said, grabbing it with his good paw. \n          “Eat it quick,” Jack said, turning and angling his body so as to keep Angelo's head hidden from outside view as the little fox tore into the biscuit, making short work of it. \n          “Mmm, that was good,” he said as he finished the biscuit and licked his fingers. “I really needed that!” \n          “My pleasure,” Jack said, taking the wrapper and returning it to his pocket to leave no evidence, though a slight smell of the food lingered in the air. “So, the cops talked to you yesterday, I hear,” he continued, pulling up a chair next to the bed. \n          “Yep,” Angelo confirmed, having cleaned his fingers and had begun picking the tiny crumbs from where they may have fallen on his chest-fur or the blanket. \n          “What did you tell them?” \n          “I gave them all the dirt on Victor that I had,” he replied. “Told them about you and how we... he... hired you on, and what we did for him.”\n          “Everything?” Jack was slightly uneasy. He hoped he knew Angelo well enough by now to know what he would and would not have said, but there was still a constant underlying anxiety which flared up at times like this. \n          “Almost,” Angelo said. “You know, like we talked about yesterday. I told them about how you and me hung out, too. Not a whole lot about that though, you know? I wanted to let them know that you were on my side.” \n          “Did they...” Jack began cautiously, “did they give you any ideas on whether...” \n          “Whether they were gonna arrest you?” \n          Jack sighed. “Yeah,” he said. \n          “They didn't really say,” Angelo said sadly. “I kind of got the feeling that they agree with what you did.” \n          “So,” Jack said, trying to lighten the mood, “how many times did they ask who molested you?”\n          The little cub laughed. “A bunch! There were two cops and a social worker. The cops asked about Vic... Victor that is, and the social worker asked about you.” \n          “Jeez,” Jack said. “I wonder when they'll believe you.” \n          “I guess they want to make sure I'm not hiding anything, and maybe they'll catch me in a lie or something if they keep asking.” The kit pondered for a moment. “Or maybe they just see how sexy I am, and figure that everyone wants a piece of me!”\n          Jack chuckled and fuzzled the little fox's head-fur. “Goofball,” he said, as Angelo giggled. \n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n          \n          As had happened the previous day, the staff made Jack leave at noon when the morning visiting hours closed. This time he had nowhere to be, so went down to the hospital's cafeteria for lunch. \n          It was quite crowded, as apparently this is where many other furs went when the staff kicked them out. The cafeteria was buffet-style: furs lined up to take a tray and proceeded down the buffet, picking out what they wanted to eat, and paying a cashier at the far end. \n          Jack stood in the long line, waiting his turn. He was normally annoyed by long lines, but was in no particular hurry, as he had two hours to essentially waste until he could get back upstairs to Angelo. \n          “This isn't the same food they serve upstairs is it?” he jokingly asked one of the attendants when he finally got to the buffet. \n          “No sir,” the server, a canine lady, responded dryly and with a forced smile. She must have heard the same comment dozens of times each day, Jack reckoned, which made him feel slightly embarrassed. \n          Jack paid for his food and sat down at an empty 4-place table. As he ate, he surveyed the patrons of the cafeteria. Some were by themselves as he was, while occasionally there would be a dozen or more family members all huddled around a table that was too small to accommodate them all. Some furs, very often by themselves, looked emotionally exhausted and Jack could only sadly wonder what they were dealing with upstairs. \n          The food was surprisingly good, Jack noted with some surprise. He wondered why the same food was not generally available to patients, though after a moment's thought he figured the bacon-cheeseburger on his plate would not be considered healthy, and that the hospital would not serve that kind of thing to patients. \n          Jack did wonder how their breakfast food was, and perhaps he could sneak something up to Angelo the next morning. He smiled, remembering the sheer joy that his illegal biscuit had brought to the young fox. \n          The teen fox took his time with his lunch, taking most of an hour to finish it, including going back for drink refills several times. With an hour to go still, he went out to the main lobby of the hospital and into the gift shop, which was little more than a newsstand with snacks, books, and gift trinkets in addition to a fairly comprehensive newspaper and magazine selection. \n          Jack thumbed through some magazines for a while, before heading back out into the lobby and idly walking about, inspecting the floor-plan map of the facility, and generally just killing time. With 15 minutes to go until the afternoon visiting hours opened, he took the elevator back to the Cub Ward floor, and got in line behind the rest of the returning visitors. \n          At 2:00, the receptionist returned to her seat in the booth and began taking IDs from the visitors. Anyone who had already been cleared that morning only had to show their ID again and were given back their original badge, so the line moved quickly. Within 2 minutes, Jack was back at the booth. \n          “Angelo Cole, 135,” Jack said handing his ID through the slot in the window. \n          “Yes sir,” the receptionist said, glancing at the computer before picking Jack's badge from where it had been stored for lunch. “He's being released,” she said, handing him his badge and ID. \n          “What, right now?” \n          “That's what it says here,” she said looking back to the computer monitor. \n          “Well heck,” Jack replied, “Nice of them to tell me.” The door buzzed open next to him. “Thanks,” he said to the receptionist and walked through the door. \n          He walked quickly down the corridor, unsure what was going on. Angelo had said that his doctor was ready to release him – “any time now” he had said. But Jack had thought that they would have coordinated with him before doing so, unless...\n          He turned down the second corridor that led to Angelo's room. Up ahead he could see several furs crowded around Angelo's door. Jack broke into a near run, adrenaline pumping. Something was wrong here. \n          “Mac,” he heard a voice ahead of him say. A fur facing away from Jack turned around: it was officer MacAllister, and the voice who spoke was his partner. The tiger put up both paws as Jack rapidly approached. \n          “Hold up, Jack,” he said, blocking the entry to the room with his arm. \n          “What... what's going on?” Jack could see inside the room. Angelo was sitting in a wheelchair, dressed in a blue sweatshirt and sweatpants. Beside him were Dr. Finnegan, an orderly, and 2 stern looking cat ladies in business suits carrying clipboards. They reminded him of some of his school teachers, the ones he didn't like.\n          “Jack,” officer MacAllister said again, trying to restrain Jack from entering the room. \n          “No,” Jack said loudly, which caught the attention of those in the room. “What's going on here?” Angelo waved to Jack with a sad expression, his ears drooped. \n          “He's being released to state custody,” the officer said gently. “Cub Protective Services.”\n          “What? No, you can't do that,” Jack exclaimed. \n          “We can, and we are,” one of the cat ladies said, smugly. “And you will be arrested if you try to interfere.” \n          “Where are you taking him?” \n          “That's none of your concern,” the other cat opined. \n          “No,” Jack said, his voice quieting somewhat and with an audible tremor forming. “After... after all this, you can't... just take...”  \n          “Officer,” the first cat lady said with an expectant tone. \n          “Come on, Jack,” the tiger said, leading Jack away from the door. \n          “Please...” Jack said, his voice a whimper, ears flat against his head. “Not after...” \n          “It's the law, Jack,” MacAllister responded, as he and the other officer moved Jack clear from the door, and stood between it and him. One of the cat ladies nodded to the orderly who pushed Angelo's wheelchair out the door. The young fox locked eyes with Jack but didn't say anything. Jack could read in his watering blue eyes what he was thinking though. \n          The orderly pushed the wheelchair down the hall, with the doctor and the CPS ladies following. Angelo turned as much as he could to keep his eyes on Jack, who had to bite his lip to keep from screaming. As they approached the next hallway, Jack could see Angelo mouth “Bye, Jack,” before the orderly made the turn and he was gone from sight. \n          Jack broke down in sobs as the remainder of the party disappeared around the corner. Officer MacAllister released his restraining grip on the fox, but gave his shoulder a supportive pat. After a moment, Jack composed himself to where he could speak. \n          “After... after all that,” he said, his voice choked up, “they just can take him away? After all we've been through...” \n          “It's the law,” the tiger repeated delicately. \n          “Then the law's fucked up!” Jack didn't care how that sentiment would be received. \n          “Jack,” the tiger replied gently, “it's hard for me to disagree with your right now.” \n          This was not the response Jack had expected, though he remembered that the officer had a family, and could identify with Jack's relationship with the eleven-year-old. “Then why...” \n          “Because it is the law,” MacAllister repeated yet again. “We may not always agree with it, but we don't get to pick and choose which ones we obey.” \n          “So that's it then?” The urge to cry had subsided, and Jack now only felt a hole in his soul, like part of him had been ripped out. \n          “For now,” the other officer said. “Whatever you do, though, it has to be within the law.” Jack nodded gravely and went into the now-vacant room. He sat down heavily on the bed, which was still slightly warm. He stared at the floor. \n          “You going to be ok?” \n          “Yeah,” Jack said back to the tiger, his voice emotionless. The tiger patted his shoulder again, then he and his partner withdrew from the room and slowly made their way down the corridor. \n          Jack sat staring at the floor, his mind numb. He stared for several minutes until his eyes began to lose focus on the floor and it became an abstract shape in his vision. His mind was too stunned to even think about what he would do next; indeed nothing mattered to him now. \n          Within the law. The phrase echoed in his mind, Suddenly his ears perked and he bolted upright. He reached for the phone next to the bed and dialed the number that he had by now memorized. \n          “Cartwright.” \n          “Max,” Jack said gravely. \n          “Holy shit, what happened,” the otter said on the phone. He could obviously tell by Jack's voice that something was wrong. \n          “A.. Angelo,” was all Jack could say. \n          “Oh... oh no,” Max said with audible emotion. \n          “No, no nothing like that,” Jack said, stabilizing his voice. \n          “Whew, ok. So what then?” \n          Jack said the words before he even realized he was speaking. “How do I adopt him?”\n\n\nto be continued...",
  "writing_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>Disclaimer: This story is part of a series, entitled &ldquo;Dangerous Games&rdquo;. The series contains non-human anthropomorphic animal (&ldquo;Furry&rdquo;) characters of varying ages, adult and cub. While there are no overt sexual acts depicted in this series, the stories will contain adult themes, topics, and situations, which may not be legal in some jurisdictions. These include: frank discussions of sexual acts and character sexuality, alcohol and drug use, criminal acts, violence, adult language, weapons including guns and knives, bloodshed, grievous bodily harm, death, and events which depict underage characters in peril.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><br />It is up to the reader to be aware of the laws regarding depictions of such material in their place of residence. If you are not allowed to read such material, due to age, religion, place of residence, or any other factor, do not continue.<br /><br />This story and all characters are copyright Shryke. This is a work of fiction. All events and persons depicted are fictional, and any similarities with actual events or persons is purely coincidental. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Now, I say this every time, but it really applies here. If you&#039;ve not read the previous parts, then reading this part will give away literally everything that I built up in the first 6 parts.&nbsp;&nbsp;So if you think you might like the story and haven&#039;t read any of it yet, go back and read Part 1 please. Repeat: Massive spoilers ahead!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />DANGEROUS GAMES<br />by Shryke<br />Part 7<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The muzzle of Victor&#039;s gun erupted in a flash, accompanied by a near-deafening bang. Angelo&#039;s upper body pivoted sharply to the left as he was stuck, then he crumpled hard to the floor like a marionette whose strings had been suddenly cut. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack had been ready to charge at the ferret as soon as the gun was no longer pointed at him, but the suddenness of Victor&#039;s movement caught him off-guard. The report from the gun was a shock to him as well: it wasn&#039;t like he always saw in the movies, where guns sounded like dynamite going off yet nobody seemed to be bothered by the noise. It was actually quite the opposite on both points: this was essentially just a very loud &ldquo;pop&rdquo;, and it left Jack&#039;s ears ringing and feeling like they were stuffed with cotton. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The teenage fox quickly regained his focus. In one motion he reached back with his right paw to the hunting knife in the back of his belt, while simultaneously throwing his weight forward to rush at Victor the way he would have when he played football. He was only two or three running paces from the ferret. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Victor&#039;s arm was bent at the elbow, the gun pointed at the ceiling as he regarded the young fox lying in a heap. A cruel smile formed on his black-masked face. He lowered the gun back towards the inert gray-furred form, but must have detected Jack closing in on him. With a striking look of surprise, Victor started to turn the gun towards the charging fox, but Jack launched himself at the ferret before he was able to bring the gun to bear. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It was a takedown worthy of a professional wrestler: Victor fell backwards to the floor with Jack straddling his chest. It was very reminiscent of when Jack had attacked the tiger friend of Gazz&#039;s who had ambushed Jack and Angelo &ndash; indeed it was the same basic tackle, pulled from his mental football inventory. But whereas that time he had only brought his knife to the tiger&#039;s throat and held it there threateningly, this time Jack did not stop. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With a primal scream, intensified by the view of Angelo lying motionless out of his peripheral vision, Jack summoned all his upper-body strength and plunged his knife into the side of Victor&#039;s neck, aiming it upwards towards the center of his head. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Victor arched his back and let loose a guttural sound Jack had never heard a living being make. It was not so much a scream as it was a prolonged &ldquo;ack&rdquo; sound. His paw loosened on the gun he still held, causing it to loop upside down around his finger before it dropped to the floor. Victor stared into Jack&#039;s eyes with shock, his own eyes wide open. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The adrenaline was still raging through the 18-year-old fox as he held onto the knife in Victor&#039;s neck. It was still only a matter of seconds since the gunshot, and the implications were only just penetrating through the raw instinct and into Jack&#039;s rational mind: Victor shot Angelo... Victor killed my boy. With another scream of rage, Jack pulled the knife handle sharply sideways, pivoting it in the ferret&#039;s neck, then pushed it back downwards with all his weight, cutting from side to side.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The fountain of blood spraying from the wound was quite impressive, and once again, nothing like Jack had seen in movies. Victor&#039;s eyes seemed to focus now on nothing in particular as he continued to emit that croaking shout while his body twisted and convulsed beneath Jack. For a second Jack thought he could see the blade of his knife in the back of Victor&#039;s throat, before blood obscured it as it pooled in the ferret&#039;s maw. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack sat on Victor&#039;s chest, keeping him pinned to the floor as he kicked randomly and squirmed, all the while staring into the ferrets face and maintaining a tight grip on the knife as spraying blood soaked his paw-fur. The kicking and squirming stopped after a few more seconds. Victor lay motionless under Jack with his mouth open and filled to the edges with blood, eyes rolled back in his head. The spray of blood slowed to a trickle and stopped. Victor Morrison was quite dead. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It took a moment for Jack to realize this. His ears were beginning to clear from the concussion of the gunshot, and the loudest sound he heard was his own heart pounding. He continued to stare down at Victor, half expecting him to continue fighting back as they always did in the movies, but then released his grip on the knife and let his paw drop limply to his side. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From his left he heard a sharp whimpering cry which instantly cleared his head. Angelo! He looked to where the boy lay and his heart leaped as he saw the gray-furred tail twitching, and one foot-paw moving. Jack jumped up from Victor&#039;s chest and practically flew to the little fox&#039;s side. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Ange?&rdquo; Jack said, touching the cub&#039;s shoulder. Angelo was lying on his left side with his legs awkwardly crossed and drawn up against his body. His head was tucked down into his chest, teeth visibly gritting, but his eyes were open and tear-streaked. &ldquo;Ange,&rdquo; Jack said again, nearly crying at the sight, both in despair for his condition, and joy that he was still alive. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack pulled backwards on Angelo&#039;s shoulder to turn him onto his back, but stopped halfway as the boy let out a shrieking yelp, which only seemed to get worse when Jack stopped. &ldquo;Sorry,&rdquo; Jack exclaimed, pulling his paws clear and holding them up. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo was half-turned onto his back, and with another yelp and a kick of his foot, he rolled the rest of the way and lay flat, though his legs were still crossed and setting off at an angle from his torso. His blue denim jacket was stained crimson on the upper-left portion of his chest by the pocket. He let out a prolonged wail which turned into sobs through his gritted teeth. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack moved to Angelo&#039;s right side, away from the wound, and took the kit&#039;s paw in his own. Angelo looked at him and managed a weak smile. His sobs quieted to heavy panting, but he didn&#039;t say anything. Still breathing hard, he looked towards the ceiling and closed his eyes. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Stay with me, bro,&rdquo; Jack said anxiously, touching the side of the kit&#039;s muzzle with his unbloodied paw.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo opened his eyes and looked back to Jack. &ldquo;Uh-huh,&rdquo; was all he said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Shit,&rdquo; Jack muttered to himself, unsure what to do. His head swiveled, taking a quick inventory of his surroundings, when he saw the telephone on the wall. &ldquo;I&#039;ll be right back,&rdquo; he said, jumping to his feet and sprinting to the phone. It slipped somewhat in his paw from the blood that still coated it, but he managed to keep his grip on it, and with a very shaky finger tapped out 9-1-1. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;911, is this about the gunshot?&rdquo; a voice said on the line before Jack even heard it ring. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Gun... gunshot... yes!&rdquo; Jack said, wondering how they knew that. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Ok,&rdquo; said the voice, &ldquo;we&#039;ve gotten calls about that already. The police are on the way. Are you in the apartment where it happened?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Huh? Yes... yes we are,&rdquo; Jack stammered, looking back at Angelo. &ldquo;I need an ambulance too, and fast: there&#039;s a cub here that&#039;s been shot!&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Ok, did you say a cub? How old?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Jack said, &ldquo;he&#039;s shot in the chest. He&#039;s eleven&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Did you shoot him?&rdquo; the voice asked. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;What? No!&rdquo; Jack shouted angrily. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Stay calm, sir,&rdquo; the voice said patronizingly, &ldquo;I&#039;m just gathering information. Who did shoot him?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;This... this other guy,&rdquo; Jack said, still agitated. &ldquo;He&#039;s dead though.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;How did he die?&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Look,&rdquo; Jack said, increasingly frustrated, &ldquo;just get me an ambulance please? I&#039;ll explain everything to the police.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yes sir, the ambulance is on the way. We know the address from your phone number,&rdquo; the operator explained. &ldquo;Are there still guns in there?&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;What? Uh... yes,&rdquo; Jack said. &ldquo;There&#039;s two guns and one knife. I&#039;ll throw them to the other side of the room, if that&#039;s what you&#039;re worried about.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Jack,&rdquo; Angelo called weakly. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I gotta go,&rdquo; Jack said hurriedly into the phone. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I need you to stay on the line,&rdquo; the operator said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Angelo needs me,&rdquo; Jack said, not thinking or caring that they didn&#039;t know his name. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Sir, I...&rdquo; the operator began to protest before Jack hung up the phone. He stooped down to where Victor had dropped his gun and picked it up by the muzzle. He looked at it hatefully for a second before tossing it to the far side of the room and returning to Angelo&#039;s side. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I&#039;m here, buddy,&rdquo; he said, taking the kit&#039;s paw again. He reached over to pick up the gun that Angelo had dropped, and sent it after its fellow to the far side of the room. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo was not panting anymore, but was taking long deep breaths which he exhaled rapidly. &ldquo;You killed Victor,&rdquo; the cub said, looking at the ferret&#039;s body a few feet away. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Jack said flatly. He did not want to think about that right now, though. There was something far more important. &ldquo;How are you doing?&rdquo; he asked gently. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo smiled slightly at the question, which Jack realized must have sounded comically absurd under the circumstances. &ldquo;I&#039;m dyin&#039;, Jack,&rdquo; he finally said, sadly. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Shh, no,&rdquo; Jack said, smoothing back the cub&#039;s head-fur. &ldquo;Don&#039;t talk like that. The ambulance is on the way. They&#039;ll fix you right up.&rdquo; Jack was trying to reassure himself as much as he was Angelo. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;No,&rdquo; Angelo said, &ldquo;I am. I can feel it coming... every breath...&rdquo; he breathed in deeply again, and did seem to be having trouble doing so. &ldquo;Every breath is...&rdquo; Another deep breath. &ldquo;Harder than before. Pretty soon...&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;No...&rdquo; Jack said, almost a whimper as he felt a sense of despair and panic welling up. &ldquo;No, don&#039;t...&rdquo; he trailed off, not knowing what to say. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo squeezed Jack&#039;s paw. &ldquo;It&#039;s ok,&rdquo; he said weakly. &ldquo;I&#039;m not afraid, and... and it doesn&#039;t hurt much if I don&#039;t move. I&#039;m just glad... glad that we...&rdquo; Speaking seemed to be getting difficult for him. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Shh,&rdquo; Jack said, tears now freely flowing. &ldquo;Save your breath,&rdquo; he said gently, then looking towards the door, shouted, &ldquo;Where the fuck are they?&rdquo; He noted that the front door was still unlocked from when Victor came in, so the rescue crew should have no issue getting in once they arrived. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Just promise,&rdquo; Angelo said in between labored breaths, &ldquo;promise you won&#039;t... won&#039;t forget me?&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack could not hold in his sobs at that. &ldquo;I swear,&rdquo; he whispered, squeezing the little paw with both of his own and touching his lips to the dark paw-fur. The wail of a siren could be heard in the distance. Jack lifted his head and cocked his ears straight up to listen more intently as it grew louder. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Here they come,&rdquo; he said through excited sobs. &ldquo;Just keep on breathing for me, and they&#039;ll be here before you know it!&rdquo; Angelo smiled slightly. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In fact Jack could now hear several sirens, at least two, of different tones approaching. Police and ambulance, he figured. Police. Things were about to get interesting for him, he thought, looking back over at Victor&#039;s body with Jack&#039;s knife still protruding from his neck. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sirens got very loud as they pulled up outside the apartment, then stopped. Jack could hear car doors opening and closing. He wanted to get up and run outside to meet them, but besides not wanting to leave Angelo&#039;s side, he figured a blood-soaked stranger running out of an apartment where a shooting was reported would probably not be the smartest thing to do. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack remained where he was, squeezing the younger fox&#039;s paw and maintaining eye contact. Angelo didn&#039;t seem to be getting any worse, though he was still taking labored breaths. Jack heard voices just outside the apartment door. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Get the hell in here!&rdquo; Jack shouted towards the door. Voices on the other side continued for a moment, then the knob turned and the door was pushed open slightly. &ldquo;Get in here,&rdquo; Jack yelled again, now certain that they could hear him. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;C&#039;mon,&rdquo; a voice said from outside. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Wait,&rdquo; said another, &ldquo;wait until we secure the scene.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I got a cub dying in here!&rdquo; Jack screamed, nearly hysterical at the back-and-forth he was hearing from what he assumed were the police and the paramedics. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Ah, fuck it,&rdquo; the first voice said, and the door burst open fully, pushed by a cat carrying a large medical bag with a Red Cross emblazoned on it. He hurried into the room, and rushed to where Angelo lay, kneeling down at his left side near the wound.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;What happened?&rdquo; the cat asked, opening the bag and pulling out some gear. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;That guy,&rdquo; Jack replied, indicating Victor, &ldquo;shot him. He was gonna shoot both of us, so I...&rdquo; He just trailed off. The rest wasn&#039;t important right now. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Fuck,&rdquo; a voice from behind him muttered. Jack turned to see a rabbit carrying another medical bag and wearing the same uniform as the cat: obviously the paramedic&#039;s partner. He was standing in the doorway taking in the scene, then quickly knelt down next to Jack on Angelo&#039;s right side. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;What&#039;s your name?&rdquo; the cat asked Angelo, as he pulled a pair of scissors from his belt and began to cut Angelo&#039;s jacket off, starting from the cuff and running up the sleeve. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Angelo,&rdquo; Jack hurriedly replied. The cat glanced at him sideways before turning back to the cub. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Angelo,&rdquo; the medic said, &ldquo;I&#039;m Rick. How&#039;re you doing?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo was still struggling to breathe, but let out a chuckle. &ldquo;Oh just fine Rick,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;though I have... this weird pain in my shoulder.&rdquo; Another laugh. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The medic laughed as well before continuing. &ldquo;Well, that&#039;s why we&#039;re here. I mean, though, are you cold? Thirsty? Anything like that?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;He&#039;s shot!&rdquo; Jack exclaimed. &ldquo;What kind of questions are...&rdquo; He stopped as the cat shot him another look, which was both stern and compassionate. A look which said &ldquo;I&#039;m trying to help here&rdquo;. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Cold means shock,&rdquo; the rabbit paramedic said softly from where he knelt next to Jack; he had started cutting Angelo&#039;s jacket off from that side. Jack looked at him stupidly. &ldquo;And thirst means blood loss,&rdquo; he continued. &ldquo;They&#039;re just quick checks to see what we&#039;ve got. A lot quicker than any of this.&rdquo; He indicated the stethoscope and blood-pressure cuff that he had deployed from the bag. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I...&rdquo; Jack said, then sighed. &ldquo;Sorry,&rdquo; he said softly which was answered by a supportive pat on the shoulder from the rabbit medic. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;A little cold,&rdquo; Angelo said. &ldquo;Not thirsty.&rdquo; Both sleeves of his jacket had now been cut lengthwise up to the collar and laid open. The knife which Angelo always carried was plainly visible, sheathed in the left side of his jacket. The medic Rick then proceeded to cut the boy&#039;s t-shirt off as well. Angelo&#039;s white chest-fur was cruelly stained crimson on his upper-left side. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;He is having trouble breathing,&rdquo; Jack said, his tone now more helpful and calm. &ldquo;He said every breath is harder than the last.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Mmm-hmm,&rdquo; the cat acknowledged as he moved his stethoscope over Angelo&#039;s chest, listening intently as the boy struggled to breathe. After a moment, the cat leaned back and pulled the stethoscope from his ears. &ldquo;Left tension pneumothorax, compound fracture left clavicle,&rdquo; he said to his partner. &ldquo;Get vitals, start an IV Ringer&#039;s, and prep a Bolin seal.&rdquo; The cat opened his bag and dug into it, pulling out several items in plastic bags. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Pardon me, sir,&rdquo; the rabbit medic said to Jack, as he leaned in to wrap a blood-pressure cuff around Angelo&#039;s arm. Jack was still holding the boy&#039;s paw with both of his own. Jack just leaned back to give the medic room, never loosening his grip on the young paw.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Sir, can we have a word with you?&rdquo; said a voice from behind Jack. The fox looked up over his shoulder to see a tiger policeman standing immediately behind him. Behind the tiger were two other officers closer to the door. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Umm,&rdquo; Jack stammered. He looked back to Angelo who was looking back at him helplessly. Jack turned back towards the tiger. &ldquo;Please,&rdquo; he said, a lump welling in his throat, &ldquo;not... not right now? I promise I&#039;m not going anywhere.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The tiger looked at him for a moment, then his countenance softened. He just nodded and stepped back, though still watching. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;BP 135-over-90, pulse one-twenty, O-2 at 93, dropping,&rdquo; the rabbit said rapid-fire, bringing Jack&#039;s attention back to the matter at hand. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Rick said, &ldquo;we gotta do this. Hold off on the IV.&rdquo; He leaned in towards Angelo, who was still focused on Jack. &ldquo;Angelo,&rdquo; the cat said gently. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo&#039;s gaze lingered on Jack for a second, then he looked at the cat, but didn&#039;t say anything. Jack noticed the medic now had an array of needles and tubes laid out on a mat in front of him. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Angelo,&rdquo; the cat repeated, &ldquo;that bullet hole is what&#039;s making it hard to breathe.&rdquo; He looked up to Jack for a second; he was explaining to both foxes as he continued. &ldquo;See, when you try to take a breath, some air goes in your mouth and some goes in through that hole where it does no good. We need to get that extra air out, then you&#039;ll be able to breathe just fine.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Uh-huh,&rdquo; was all Angelo said. He seemed to have noticed the equipment that the medics had opened, and looked between the mat and the medic&#039;s face.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; Rick continued, &ldquo;it&#039;s gonna hurt, I won&#039;t lie to you. I&#039;ve never been shot, so I can&#039;t say if it will hurt more than that did, but... it&#039;s gonna hurt.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo nodded nervously, his gaze shooting between Jack and Rick. He pursed his lips and squeezed Jack&#039;s paw, then nodded. &ldquo;Kay...&rdquo; he said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I&#039;ll give you a countdown: 3-2-1-go,&rdquo; the medic said, as one paw felt along Angelo&#039;s side, fingers probing for a precise spot. &ldquo;When I say 2, take as deep a breath as you can and hold, ok?&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo just nodded, and turned his gaze back to Jack. His eyes were watering as he squeezed the older fox&#039;s paw. His jaw chattered a bit as if he had the chills.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After a moment, the medic found the spot he was looking for on Angelo&#039;s side. Jack could not see the exact spot from where he sat, but he saw the cat pick up a large needle and bring it to that general area before it too was out of Jack&#039;s line of sight. He also noticed that the rabbit had moved over to the cat&#039;s right, above Angelo&#039;s head, and was holding the cub&#039;s left forearm to the floor, gently but enough to hold it down. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Keep watching me, buddy,&rdquo; Jack said as gently as he could, knowing what was about to come. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Ready Angelo?&rdquo; Rick asked. Angelo nodded to both of them, then locked his eyes on Jack&#039;s. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;3,&rdquo; Rick said, both of his paws as well as his attention now concentrating on Angelo&#039;s side. The rabbit, still holding the cub&#039;s arm down, watched intently from his vantage point. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;2.&rdquo; Angelo took a slow deep breath. Jack thought he heard a squish sound come from the cub&#039;s wound. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;1.&rdquo; The boy seemed to shudder for a second then he shut his eyes hard, teeth clenched. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Go.&rdquo; Rick&#039;s paws seemed to move only a small amount as he pushed the needle into Angelo&#039;s side. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo&#039;s reaction wasn&#039;t nearly as subtle. His eyes sprung wide open, staring at the ceiling. His back arched and his mouth opened in a silent scream. One leg lifted his lower body up slightly as the other kicked at the air. His tail thrashed between his legs and his ears twitched, the gold earrings he wore making soft tinkling sounds from the motion. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Watch me, look at me,&rdquo; Jack said insistently, trying to get his attention. He didn&#039;t know what good it would do, but from where their relationship was, he hoped he could bring some small amount of comfort. After a few twitches, the cub complied and focused on Jack. His eyes were still wide and his jaw worked open and closed as a high-pitched squeal came from his throat.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;You&#039;re doing good,&rdquo; Rick said encouragingly as he worked his paws on the needle, still out of Jack&#039;s sight. After a second, Jack heard a hiss come from Angelo&#039;s side, and a smile formed on the medic&#039;s face. &ldquo;Perfect,&rdquo; the cat said, his attention on the needle. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The high squeal that Angelo was making changed to a lower but louder cry: a long drawn-out &ldquo;oww&rdquo; or &ldquo;ahh&rdquo; punctuated by a sob. He was quickly running out of breath, Jack noted, and hoped the medic&#039;s smile meant that the cub would find it easier to take his next one. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo&#039;s leg, which had been lifting him off the floor slightly, also lost its energy and his whole body seemed to slump heavily. Even the boy&#039;s grip on Jack&#039;s paw slackened, which panicked Jack on an instinctive level. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The older fox gave the young paw a tight squeeze as he bent over him to try and fill his field of view. Angelo&#039;s eyes were darting around randomly, but did lock on Jack&#039;s when he leaned forward. Jack wondered if Angelo had felt the same thing Victor had, their reactions were so similar. He leaned back to his sitting position and was overjoyed that the cub&#039;s eyes followed him. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;And done,&rdquo; Rick said. &ldquo;Take a deep breath for me, Angelo.&rdquo; He put his stethoscope back in his ears and placed the end over the cub&#039;s chest. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo took a deep breath, which seemed to come very easy, and let it out. His face brightened with surprise, as if he had not expected it to work. Cautiously, he took another long deep breath, and exhaled, punctuating it with an almost giddy laugh. &ldquo;I can breathe,&rdquo; he said excitedly, and with a grin took yet another. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;That&#039;s what I want to hear,&rdquo; said Rick, patting the cub&#039;s belly. &ldquo;You were a trooper too!&rdquo; Then turning to his partner, he said, &ldquo;Ok, go get the stretcher, I&#039;ll close up here. We&#039;ll IV and seal en-route.&rdquo; The rabbit nodded and quickly headed for the door. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Where are you taking him?&rdquo; Jack asked, realizing that they were going to take him on the ambulance, while Jack would now have to talk to the police and likely be arrested. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;General,&rdquo; the cat said, referring to the hospital, &ldquo;it&#039;s the closest one to here&rdquo;. He was stuffing the used items, gloves, and equipment into a red plastic bag, while the unused items went back into his medical bag.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After a moment the rabbit rushed back inside with a stretcher, its legs closed up under it like an ironing board. &ldquo;You... need to move,&rdquo; he said gently to Jack, who after a pause, let go his grip on Angelo&#039;s paw for the first time and moved aside. The rabbit laid the stretcher down directly to Angelo&#039;s right side. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The medic Rick gently ran his paws under Angelo from his left side, taking great care to try and avoid moving the kit&#039;s left arm. The rabbit put one paw under Angelo&#039;s knees and held the edge of the stretcher with his other.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;On 3,&rdquo; Rick said. &ldquo;1... 2... 3.&rdquo; On the count of 3 Rick lifted the cub up and held him a foot or so off the floor. Angelo yelped at the motion and the compression of his arm. The rabbit likewise lifted, and with his knees and free arm he pushed the stretcher underneath the boy before both of them gently lowered him to the soft material. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Alright,&rdquo; Rick said. &ldquo;Let&#039;s go.&rdquo; The two medics lifted the stretcher, one from each end, and began to carry it towards the door. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Jack!&rdquo; Angelo called out. Jack rushed to his side from where he had been left standing. &ldquo;Come with me,&rdquo; the kit said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I gotta stay here now, buddy,&rdquo; Jack said sadly. &ldquo;I&#039;ll be along as soon as I can. I gotta talk to the police now.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo gazed at him for a second, then nodded. &ldquo;I love you, Jack!&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I love you too, buddy,&rdquo; Jack replied, nearly choking on the words. He stepped back and the medics continued to carry the stretcher out the door. Once outside, the legs of the stretcher clanged into place, and Rick wheeled it down towards the waiting ambulance. A crowd had gathered in the parking lot, and were being kept back by another pair of police officers. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The rabbit medic came back into the room and picked up the remaining bags before dashing back out without a word. A cacophony of sounds filled Jack&#039;s ears. He could hear the clanging of the stretcher&#039;s mechanism as its legs were collapsed again for loading into the ambulance. There was police chatter audible from the radios they carried. He heard the ambulance doors slam shut, followed by the sound of its large diesel engine as it pulled away. Its siren began to blare once it left the parking lot, then faded into the distance. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One of the police officers closed the door. To Jack the world went eerily silent, as it was just him and 2 officers in the apartment&#039;s living room. Jack looked to where Victor lay: a once-white sheet covered his body, now soaked through with blood. The handle of the knife, still in the ferret&#039;s neck, was easily discernible through the sheet. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack turned his attention to where Angelo had been. His jacket and t-shirt were still on the floor where they had been cut open. It reminded Jack of a lobster tail at a seafood restaurant once the meat had been extracted. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The silence was deafening. Jack looked between Angelo&#039;s jacket, Victor&#039;s corpse, and the 2 police officers. He felt a sour burning in his throat and, dropping to his paws and knees, vomited on the carpet. <br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack sat in a detective&#039;s office at the police station, sipping cola from a can. He was not under arrest &ndash; following a brief interrogation in Victor&#039;s apartment, the police officers assured him that they considered it self-defense. When Jack had explained the reason why Victor wanted to kill the two foxes in the first place, because they had turned his heroin delivery over to the police, that sealed it in the investigators&#039; minds. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The heroin &ldquo;find&rdquo; had been all the talk that morning at the police station, and when Jack positively proved it was him who made the 911 call, by reciting the code number he had left with the operator in the same accent, the narcotics detective who was working the case asked to meet Jack down at the station. This was well received, as Jack and the two police at the apartment wanted nothing more than to get out of that room. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack didn&#039;t think blood had a smell, but the amount that was soaking the wall and carpet gave off a metallic smell that nearly made him vomit again, so he willingly offered to come down to the station to meet the detective and give his official statement. The officers at the apartment told him that he was not under arrest. In fact, they pointed out that turning in the heroin like he did was the best thing he could have done to prove that he was one of the &ldquo;good guys&rdquo;. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The teen fox sat in the narcotics detective&#039;s office, along with a homicide detective, and one of the two police officers, the tiger, from the apartment. He had shed his blood-soaked outer shirt back at Victor&#039;s, and wore just a t-shirt. He had tried to wash the blood from his arm-fur in the police bathroom, with only moderate success. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The narcotics detective was talking, taking notes as Jack responded, as was the homicide detective. &ldquo;So he was just a petty smuggler,&rdquo; the narcotics detective, a white lion, said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Jack said, &ldquo;something like that. &#039;Contraband luxury items&#039; he called it: Cuban cigars, expensive booze. Caviar, I think there was one time.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Drugs?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack thought for a moment how to respond. He and Angelo had jokingly discussed how they would tell their story to the police, and now it was time. &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; Jack said, slowly at first, &ldquo;we did do one drop-off down in a... well, a bad part of town. That might have been drugs, pot maybe. It was a gym bag, soft and heavy. But I was ordered not to touch it or open it. Didn&#039;t matter to me anyway, so I didn&#039;t really think about it.&rdquo; He hoped he sounded convincing. &ldquo;In general, though, I don&#039;t think Victor could afford to buy drugs to sell very often. That&#039;s why he was so excited over this heroin buy.&rdquo; That much was true, at least, he thought. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The lion nodded as he wrote. &ldquo;It didn&#039;t bother you that you were moving illegal merchandise?&rdquo; he asked. &ldquo;Regardless of what it was, it was still illegal, right?&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack took a deep breath. This was where he could still get into trouble. Blame Victor, he thought. &ldquo;It did, sorta. The way he talked, though, it was harmless stuff. He wasn&#039;t forcing it on anyone or feeding any addictions. Still, though...&rdquo; he trailed off with a nod. &ldquo;But,&rdquo; he said with renewed purpose, &ldquo;if it wasn&#039;t for Angelo being there, I know I would have quit right away.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;The cub kept you there?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yep,&rdquo; Jack said before realizing that explanation was required. &ldquo;What I mean is: I got to know him really quick, and I knew I had to find a way to get him away from there. So I just played along with Victor &#039;till I could find a way to get him safely out, then he and I would have both been miles away.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Why not just call the police?&rdquo; the homicide detective chimed in. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I would have,&rdquo; Jack replied honestly. &ldquo;But Angelo said that he would just run away if I tried to do that. And if I did it without telling him, he would run away from wherever they put him at the first chance he got. My plan was to find his mother, when I thought she had just abandoned him. That was... that was before Victor said... what he said.&rdquo; He looked sadly at the detectives. &ldquo;Did you... find anything about her?&rdquo; He had explained back at the apartment about Victor&#039;s claim that he had killed Angelo&#039;s mother. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;No,&rdquo; the homicide detective, a malamute, said, looking through papers on a clipboard. &ldquo;Nothing from the morgue or from missing-persons.&rdquo; He looked up. &ldquo;Maybe he lied.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I hope so,&rdquo; Jack said. &ldquo;That would be the best possible outcome right now.&rdquo; There was a moment of awkward silence in the room. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;So,&rdquo; the lion said, breaking the silence, &ldquo;getting back to Victor&#039;s operation...&rdquo;<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The interview seemed to go on for an hour or more. Jack explained everything he knew about Victor&#039;s business, which was admittedly not much. Beyond the items being sold, and his direct interaction with the ferret, there was not much else he could say with any certainty. The detectives were interested in contacts and suppliers, as well as customers and how they contacted him to place orders or how Victor reached out to them. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack could only say that Victor kept referring to &ldquo;The Russian&rdquo;, but who he was, or even if he was in fact Russian, he could not say. Likewise, he was never involved with the customer lists or the order-taking process. It was probably done through e-mail, he suggested, but was quick to also point out that he had intentionally never given his own e-mail address to Victor as he wanted no part of it. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack explained how he met Victor and Angelo, how he had gotten started working for the ferret and how the deliveries progressed, what a typical day was like, everything he could recall Victor saying about the &ldquo;next big thing&rdquo; which turned out to be the heroin purchase, and especially the minute-by-minute of that morning. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He had left out the drug sales at the local schools, of course. He and Angelo had agreed to omit that back when they had discussed it. He also left out details of the personal time the pair had spent together, other than to say they had become close friends which had only made Jack all the more determined to save him from Victor &ndash; even to the point where the kit had finally agreed to let Jack search for his mother. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack hoped that the combination of his determination to save Angelo, along with the fact that they had turned in all that heroin, would work in his favor and keep him from being arrested. Even if he was arrested though, he had accomplished his main goal as best as he could: Angelo was free from Victor. He asked several times about the boy&#039;s condition as they talked, but the police could not get any information. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The interview was wrapping up. They had asked him some questions several times over, each worded in a different way. Making sure he was telling a consistent story, he figured. Nevertheless, they seemed pleased with what he told them. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;We&#039;ll get this all typed out,&rdquo; the homicide detective was saying, &ldquo;then we&#039;ll give you a call to come down and sign it. That will be your statement on this whole thing.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;So,&rdquo; Jack began, cautiously, &ldquo;I&#039;m not under arrest?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The two detectives exchanged glances. &ldquo;This looks like obvious self-defense to me,&rdquo; the malamute said, which was echoed by a nod from the lion.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;What about the other... stuff?&rdquo; Jack asked. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The lion thought for a moment, then replied, &ldquo;Nothing specific on you,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&#039;ll add all this to our organized crime file, and see if it fills in any gaps. Other than that...&rdquo; he paused for a moment, then looked directly at Jack, &ldquo;That&#039;s assuming you&#039;re not lying about what you knew.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;No, I swear,&rdquo; Jack said. &ldquo;I told you everything I know about Victor.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The lion nodded with a smile as the homicide detective spoke, &ldquo;We&#039;ll run this by the D.A., he has the final say about how he wants to proceed. In my opinion this was self-defense, though. One way or another, you&#039;ll know in a few days. You may want to see a lawyer anyway, though.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack nodded. He&#039;d have to do that straight away, he thought, as well as the worst part: telling his parents. He didn&#039;t even want to start thinking about how that was going to go: &ldquo;Mom, Dad? I killed a guy...&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The detectives stood up from where they sat, one in a chair and the other on the side of the desk. &ldquo;Well, that&#039;s it I think. You&#039;re free to go, but please don&#039;t leave town for the next week or so.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;What about Angelo?&rdquo; he asked again. &ldquo;Have you heard anything about him?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Let me check,&rdquo; the uniformed officer said, turning to leave the room. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I&#039;m going to head down there,&rdquo; Jack said, referring to the hospital. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;That might not be a good idea,&rdquo; the lion said. &ldquo;They probably won&#039;t let you into the Cub Ward if you&#039;re not a relative.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;But,&rdquo; Jack stammered, &ldquo;I&#039;m the only family he has!&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;You need to either be a relative, or be on the Allowed List,&rdquo; the malamute offered. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;How do I get on that list?&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;The cub&#039;s... parents,&rdquo; the detective said, pausing as he realized the conundrum, &ldquo;have to add you.&rdquo; He looked at the lion then back to Jack. &ldquo;We&#039;ll figure something out. For now, just go home, get cleaned up.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I have to see him,&rdquo; Jack protested. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;You need to do it the right way,&rdquo; the malamute said. &ldquo;They won&#039;t hesitate to have you arrested otherwise. That&#039;s one area they don&#039;t mess around.&rdquo; Jack whimpered in frustration at the bureaucracy in play, then just sighed.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;No news,&rdquo; the uniformed tiger said as he re-entered the office. &ldquo;I wouldn&#039;t read too much into that,&rdquo; he said, trying to sound reassuring. &ldquo;When they&#039;re swamped, the paperwork is the last thing they worry about.&rdquo; Jack was far from reassured though. In his mind that explanation just meant that the bad news was tied up in paperwork. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Come on,&rdquo; the tiger said, &ldquo;I&#039;ll give you a ride back.&rdquo; Jack had ridden down in the back of one of the squad cars that had responded to the apartment, so had no ready means of transportation available. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack leaned forward in his seat, paws on his face, then slid them up and through his hair, arching his back as he did. &ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; he said resignedly, &ldquo;yeah ok. Thanks.&rdquo;<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Officer MacAllister, the tiger police officer, was rather chatty on the ride back to Jack&#039;s apartment. Perhaps he was trying to keep Jack&#039;s mind off of Angelo, or maybe that&#039;s just how he was. Jack asked about how his case would proceed, about which the tiger expounded in great detail: <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After Jack signed his statement, and the officers finished their investigation and reports, it would all be sent to the District Attorney to review. The D.A. would probably talk with the various police who were involved for their opinions. If he felt that Jack had indeed acted in self-defense, he would likely prepare a statement to that effect, and barring any new evidence the case would be closed. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If the D.A. felt that Jack acted criminally, or if he felt more investigation was required, he would submit all the reports and statements to the Grand Jury who could then indict Jack for a crime, or dismiss the case themselves. An indictment, of course, would mean a trial with all of its possible consequences. The officer didn&#039;t think that would happen, though he admitted that there were many intangibles; it could even come down to what kind of day the D.A. was having when he reviewed the evidence. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The tiger was also very sympathetic to Jack. As a father himself, he could understand why Jack would go along with Victor for that long, if his only goal was to get Angelo away from him. The look on Jack&#039;s face back in the apartment, when he asked the officers to wait until Angelo was stabilized, affected him particularly strongly. &ldquo;When I saw the pained look on your face,&rdquo; he had said, &ldquo;I knew you were telling the truth.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The patrol car pulled into the apartment complex. As they approached Jack&#039;s building, he could see there were still several police vehicles in front of Victor&#039;s, along with a handful of residents watching from outside the cordon of yellow tape that had been set up. As the car pulled up in next to Jack&#039;s car, several of them turned to look, talking among themselves. It was nearly three in the afternoon.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Ok, here you go, Jack,&rdquo; the tiger said, shutting the engine off. &ldquo;I&#039;ll check up on the cri... on the team in the apartment.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Crime scene, he was going to say, Jack figured. &ldquo;Ok,&rdquo; Jack said. &ldquo;I just want to...&rdquo; He trailed off. He didn&#039;t know exactly what he wanted to do other than run to the hospital which was out of the question. Curl up on the floor, perhaps, he thought to himself. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The officer nodded, as if he understood perfectly. &ldquo;I hear you,&rdquo; he said, as he got out of the car and opened Jack&#039;s door.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Get cleaned up, get something to eat. I&#039;ll be in touch. Here.&rdquo; He offered Jack a yellow piece of paper. &ldquo;This is a list of lawyers that work our district, in case you don&#039;t have one, or can&#039;t afford one. They do pro-bono work... free, that is, though you may have to call a few of them to find one that&#039;s available now. Still better than the Public Defender, but don&#039;t tell anyone I said that!&rdquo; He winked as he said the last part. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack took the paper and chuckled. &ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; he said, getting out of the car. He looked over to the gaggle of residents, some of which were still watching him. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Go on inside, Jack,&rdquo; MacAllister said. &ldquo;Don&#039;t worry about them, and actually it&#039;s best if you don&#039;t talk to them, or to any press that might show up.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack agreed completely. The last thing he wanted to do was relive this day yet again through another description of the events. He nodded to the officer, who patted his shoulder. Without another glance towards Victor&#039;s door or the crowd, he walked to his door and went inside, quickly locking it behind him. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For the second time that day, Jack found the sudden silence overpowering. He coughed loudly and took a deep breath, just to make some sound to fill the room, before grabbing the TV remote and turning it on. He tossed the remote back on the couch, not even caring what was on the television, as long as it made noise. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack briefly considered flopping down on the couch, but one look at his blood-spattered clothes dissuaded him from that. He pulled his shirt off and balled it up in his paws, pondering what to do with it. Should he just launder it with the rest of his clothes? The blood would leave stains that would probably never completely vanish, he figured. A lot of this day would never completely vanish, he mused. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suddenly angry, he went to the kitchen and threw the shirt into the trash can. He did not want to be reminded of this, of Victor, every time he wore this shirt. He regarded his jeans and came to the same conclusion, stripping them off and depositing them in the trash as well. For good measure, he removed his boxers and socks, sending them off after the others, then tied the trash bag closed. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack stood nude in his kitchen, arms at his side, staring at nothing in particular and feeling helpless and alone. He acutely felt Angelo&#039;s absence, and hoped it was not some sort of cosmic knowledge of the cub&#039;s fate. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shaking off the feeling he went towards his bedroom. There was still one more bit of blood to take care of, that being what was still caked in his arm and neck fur. A long hot shower would take care of that as well as relax him so that he might be able to sleep, though the prospects for that seemed dim at the moment. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack stopped abruptly as he reached his bedroom door. There on the floor were Angelo&#039;s clothes from the night before, where he had shed them before bed. A lump welled in Jack&#039;s throat as he looked at the little bundle. Angelo had left his clothes there, expecting to simply come get them after picking up the drug car. That seemed like ages past now, though it had been only a matter of hours.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The teen fox turned and went into the bathroom. The towel Angelo had used for his shower that morning was hung on the towel bar next to Jack&#039;s, and the shower stall itself still had not yet dried completely from the morning&#039;s use. Jack stared vacantly at the shower stall, as a flood of thoughts began to rush in. Shaking them off, he reached in and turned the water on as hot as he could stand it. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack sat on his couch, wearing only his boxers after his shower. He had run all the hot water out &ndash; the second time that day, he mused with a smile &ndash; but had managed to get all of the dried blood out of his fur as far as he could see. The TV was still on, though Jack had lowered the volume significantly, no longer disturbed by the relative quiet of his apartment. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He sat with a notepad, writing out things that he needed to do, hoping to be able to better sequence them. &ldquo;See Angelo&rdquo; was written at the top, underlined heavily. &ldquo;Tell family&rdquo; was one that he had not figured out where to put on the list. Part of him wanted to get closure from the police first: they would either decide to prosecute him or they wouldn&#039;t, and he would then tell his parents once the immediate course was known. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That would mean he could not avail himself of his parents&#039; lawyer ahead of time, though. &ldquo;Get a lawyer,&rdquo; he wrote on the sheet, then set the pad aside and picked up the yellow sheet the tiger had given him. There were many names and phone numbers of lawyers on the sheet, most with their areas of specialization listed: DUI/DWI, personal injury, domestic violence, and the like. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack perused the sheet, looking over the ones that had no specialization listed, or had &ldquo;criminal defense&rdquo; listed. His eyes stopped on a name which seemed to jump out at him: Maxwell Cartwright. He stared at the name, certain he had seen it before somewhere. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Suddenly he jumped up and ran to the kitchen, to where he had left his wallet when he discarded his jeans. He opened the wallet and fumbled through one pocket, then extracted a card. He stared at the card: Maxwell Cartwright, Attorney at Law. This was the card given to him by the otter lawyer that he and Angelo had delivered a sizable load of Cuban cigars to on the first day they worked together. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This was the same lawyer that had given Angelo a &ldquo;cub-sized&rdquo; dose of cocaine, Jack recalled with some displeasure. But he was the logical choice for Jack to call: he knew Angelo and Victor, and had met Jack during the delivery, so there was some semblance of a connection. The card also had his personal cell phone hand-written on it, making a more likely channel than the main business line given on the card and the police yellow sheet. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack picked up his cordless phone and sat back down on the couch. He took a deep breath and dialed the cell number written on the card. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Cartwright,&rdquo; a voice said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Hi,&rdquo; Jack started awkwardly, &ldquo;Umm, hi Mr. Cartwright. My name is Jack Archer, I&#039;m a friend of Angelo? You remember Angelo right?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Oh yeah,&rdquo; the otter said, suddenly with energy. &ldquo;Angelo&#039;s my guy! I remember you: red fox right? You guys brought me some presents?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack chuckled, remembering the animated nature of the otter and how much it had amused Angelo. &ldquo;Yep, that&#039;s me,&rdquo; he said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The otter laughed cheerfully. &ldquo;I thought so! So what can I do for you, Jack?&rdquo; <br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack hung up the phone. His ear was warm and sweaty from the length of the call: over an hour. He had told Max &ndash; the otter insisted that Jack call him that &ndash; everything, re-telling his story one more time. Max was furious at him for having spoken to the police without a lawyer, and he told Jack that from that moment forward only he would speak to them on Jack&#039;s behalf. Jack would need to sign his statement still, but the otter said he would review it and discuss it with the police first. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For his part, Jack made it clear that he was willing to take whatever consequences came; he did what he had to do to save Angelo from Victor, so his conscience was clear. The otter was initially dismissive of this attitude, saying the prisons were full of people who were in-the-right in their own minds. His attitude moderated somewhat as Jack related the depths of his story. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Max felt pretty good about the self-defense case, though he echoed the message from earlier, that it would all come down to how much the D.A. felt like investigating. Even though Jack&#039;s killing of Victor was obviously self-defense, all of the other criminal activities that Jack had admitted to participating in while working for Victor could come under scrutiny. And while Max felt that such an investigation would probably dry up for lack of witnesses, it could still hang over him for a very long time. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack sat back in his couch and laid his head back against the cushion, staring at the ceiling. It was nearing dinner time yet he had no appetite, despite not having eaten anything since the night before. His mind was trying to sort out all that Max had told him about what was going to happen, and what still could happen. Nothing has happened yet, he kept telling himself, trying to stop before he let his imagination run away with possibilities once again. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He stood up to clear his head, and walked to the front door and looked through the peephole. He could see activity over at Victor&#039;s apartment still, though the crowd of spectators had dwindled since he returned home. He was particularly glad that nobody had knocked on his door, whether from the press or just a curious resident. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack walked back to his bedroom, pausing for a moment yet again at the sight of Angelo&#039;s clothes pile, before dropping heavily on his bed. He lay on one side of the bed, and regarded the other side where Angelo had slept the previous night. He could picture the little grey-furred fox laying there, smiling over at him. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He dismissed the vision with a shake of his head, and threw an arm over his eyes to shut out the light that bled in through the window blinds. &ldquo;Angelo,&rdquo; he said sadly, then sighed. A moment later his abdomen began to shake as silent sobs beset the teenage fox.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The ring of the telephone roused Jack in an instant. He sat up abruptly, and noticed it was now dark outside. As he reached over to grab the phone next to the bed he saw the clock: 10:43. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;H- hello,&rdquo; Jack said into the phone, his head still groggy from the sudden awakening. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Oh, sorry, did I wake you up?&rdquo; a cheerful voice said. It was Max, the otter lawyer. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Jack grunted, then inhaled deeply and gave his head a quick shake. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Well, pardon me,&rdquo; Max said still cheerfully, &ldquo;but while you&#039;ve been getting your beauty rest, some of us have been getting things done!&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Max,&rdquo; Jack said, finding the otters demeanor somewhat irritating, given the circumstances, &ldquo;I&#039;ve had a rough day.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There was silence on the phone for a moment. Then, &ldquo;I know, sorry,&rdquo; Max said in a more subdued tone. &ldquo;But I figured you&#039;d want to hear about Angelo,&rdquo; he said, slightly more animated, but not&nbsp;&nbsp;nearly what he had been.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Angelo!&rdquo; Jack exclaimed, now wide awake. &ldquo;What about him? Is he...&rdquo; He couldn&#039;t bring himself to continue. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;He&#039;s fine,&rdquo; Max said quickly, as if he sensed Jack&#039;s state of mind. &ldquo;He&#039;s got a broken collar bone, but the doctors say he&#039;ll be 100% before you know it. He&#039;s got a private room at the hospital!&rdquo; The otter laughed at this comment. &ldquo;As soon as they heard the State was picking up the bill, they put him in the most expensive room they had!&rdquo; Another laugh. There was silence for a few seconds. &ldquo;Jack?&rdquo; the otter asked. &ldquo;Still there?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Jack said, his voice audibly choked as a stream of tears ran unchecked down his face. He took a deep breath through his sobs. &ldquo;Yeah, I&#039;m here.&rdquo; He laughed and cried at the same time into the phone, not caring who heard it. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I figured you&#039;d want to know as soon as possible,&rdquo; Max said gently after letting Jack release for a few seconds. He continued, &ldquo;I called the officer running your case to introduce myself, and asked him to call over to the hospital. So yeah, he&#039;s fine and resting comfortably.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Thank you,&rdquo; Jack said, finally able to find his voice. He also felt suddenly very hungry, as a wave of anxiety left him. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;It gets better,&rdquo; Max said, starting to perk up his tone again. &ldquo;You... are now on the Allowed List to go see him!&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Wha... how?&rdquo; Jack said excitedly. &ldquo;I though only family...&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Max, now sounding proud of himself, &ldquo;I&#039;m your lawyer, right? So, now I&#039;m his too! And since there&#039;s an active investigation going on, all 3 of us need to be able to meet. Bing-bang-boom: Allowed List!&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Can I go now?&rdquo; Jack blurted out, looking again at the clock. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;No,&rdquo; max said with a laugh. &ldquo;Only family can be there overnight. But 9am tomorrow visiting hours open.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack audibly laughed another relieved laugh into the phone. &ldquo;Max, wow,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;that&#039;s... thank you!&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Hey, I&#039;m on your team now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I do what I can. So get your red butt over there first thing.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;You better believe it!&rdquo; Jack said happily, now wondering how he was going to get any sleep that night. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There was a long pause on the phone, then Max said, &ldquo;There&#039;s... just one more thing.&rdquo; <br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack got off the elevator on the Cub Ward floor. It was just before 9:00 in the morning. A line of visitors was formed in front of a glass window, behind which sat a nurse taking IDs from people and passing them forms through a tray at the bottom. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The teenage fox clicked his tongue in nervous irritation. Max had told him that visiting hours opened at 9:00, but he didn&#039;t think to expect a line, though in retrospect he felt slightly selfish for thinking he was the only one with a loved one inside. Loved one... the thought made him smile openly. He waited in line patiently, and in five minutes or so it was his turn at the window. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;ID,&rdquo; said the nurse flatly, a rabbit lady who had probably gone through this routine thousands of times. Jack slid his driver&#039;s license under the window. The nurse took it and typed on her keyboard. &ldquo;Patient name,&rdquo; she inquired. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Angelo Cole,&rdquo; Jack said, still nervous, though Max assured him he was on the list. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Fill this out and sign, please,&rdquo; she said, passing a form under the window. She continued typing as Jack filled out the form which was basically just his name and address, and several paragraphs of text saying what the rules were. A section at the end was for him to sign, stating he would abide by the rules. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack signed the form and slid it back through the slot in the window. The nurse was typing away still, looking at his drivers license every so often. She stopped and looked at her computer screen, brow furrowing slightly, which made Jack suddenly nervous again that something was wrong. Finally she hit one button on the keyboard and a white paper sticker, about paw-sized, printed out from a little cube next to her monitor. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Room 135,&rdquo; the nurse said, tearing off the sticker and handing it through the window slot. It was a visitor badge, with Jack&#039;s name and what room he was allowed in, printed in large enough type for anyone to easily see. &ldquo;Through the doors, down the hall, second left, and it will be down on your right.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; Jack said, affixing the badge to his shirt and turning from the window. The doors directly adjacent to the window buzzed loudly and clicked unlocked. Jack pushed them open and went through. He heard the door buzz and click locked behind him. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The hallway inside the door went fairly far ahead, with intersecting hallways evenly spaced. Doorways to patients&#039; rooms appeared regularly on each side of the hall, broken up only by the occasional workspace containing a computer terminal and various cabinets. Lining the hallway in any available space was an assortment of empty beds, wheelchairs, mop buckets, and other hospital equipment.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack walked down the hall and noted his target, the second left intersecting hallway ahead. As he passed room doorways, he took a quick glance inside. Most opened into double-rooms, with a cub visible in a bed and family members standing or sitting nearby. A curtain drawn halfway through the room obscured the other side, though Jack did see an occasional fur visible past it. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Every once in a while, Jack saw a cub in the bed with nobody else in the room. He almost wanted to go in and talk to the youngster, but his badge clearly had &ldquo;--135--&rdquo; in large letters printed on it, and he wondered what would happen if he tried to go elsewhere. The sight of a uniformed police officer standing at a nurse&#039;s station up ahead left him little doubt. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack reached the specified intersection, and turned down the adjoining corridor. It stretched ahead similarly to the last one, though not nearly as long. A larger nurse&#039;s station was placed halfway down the hall, and the hall itself had the same array of equipment in open-storage as the main hallway. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Every nurse, orderly, and janitor he passed took a glance at Jack&#039;s badge to make sure he was in the right place. Jack counted off the room numbers as he proceeded down the hall. 129, 131, 133... 135.&nbsp;&nbsp;He stopped and took a deep breath, his heart pounding, as he read the label on the wall next to the door: &ldquo;Cole, Angelo J.,&rdquo; followed by his date of birth, and some two-letter codes hand-written below that. A clipboard hung on a hook by the door.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack stepped into the doorway and looked within. Angelo lay in a bed with the head end propped up to a 45-degree angle, putting him in a reclined sitting position. He wore no gown that Jack could see, though the sheets and blankets on the bed, adorned with teddy-bears and paw-prints, were pulled up to his mid-chest level. His left arm was in a sling, and his left shoulder sported what looked like football padding over white bandages. The television was on, set to some cub cartoon, but Angelo was staring straight ahead, his face neutral as if lost in thought. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;May I come in?&rdquo; Jack asked. Angelo&#039;s demeanor immediately changed as Jack&#039;s voice got his attention. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Jack!&rdquo; the little fox exclaimed, his ears perking up and a huge smile splitting his muzzle as he held out his right arm towards the door. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack nearly sprinted the short distance to the bed. He wanted to scoop the boy up and swing him around, but settled for crouching to Angelo&#039;s level and wrapping one arm around his neck, being very careful not to touch his shoulder, or to squeeze very hard. &ldquo;Angelo,&rdquo; Jack said softly, the tears flowing again. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo hugged Jack with one arm as hard as he could, and pressed his face against the older fox&#039;s muzzle. &ldquo;You came,&rdquo; he said, sounding as happy as Jack had ever heard him. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Of course,&rdquo; Jack said through his sobs. &ldquo;I promised!&rdquo; The two held the awkwardly-formed hug for what seemed like several minutes. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Finally Jack broke the hug and stood up. &ldquo;How are you?&rdquo; he asked, taking in his young friend. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Better now,&rdquo; Angelo said happily. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack laughed the lingering sobs away, then continued, &ldquo;No, seriously though, how are you feeling?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I&#039;m ok,&rdquo; the boy said. &ldquo;A lot better than yesterday. Kinda&#039; sore,&rdquo; he said looking at his shoulder, &ldquo;but it&#039;s not bad if I don&#039;t move it.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Good, good,&rdquo; Jack said, smiling at the eleven-year-old. &ldquo;I was... worried,&rdquo; he said. He regarded his young friend, taking in every detail of him like he had not seen him for years. &ldquo;You know, this might be the first time I&#039;ve seen you without your earrings!&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo wiggled his left ear with a smile. The three small gold rings he wore at the base of the ear, and the black diamond stud he wore at the tip, were conspicuous in their absence. The kit had worn them in the shower, in bed, at the pool, everywhere. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;they took &#039;em out when I got here. They&#039;re around, somewhere. I don&#039;t care though... I don&#039;t want &#039;em anymore, since... he... paid for them.&rdquo; He pondered for a moment, then his tone becoming a little more serious, he said, &ldquo;So how are you doing?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack took his meaning immediately, and was moved by the kit&#039;s concern. Jack had, after all, killed someone &ndash; even if done for all the right reasons, that plain fact was still there. &ldquo;I&#039;m...&rdquo; Jack began. He had not spent a lot of time thinking about it, having spent his time between the police and worrying about Angelo. &ldquo;Ok too. I guess. I don&#039;t really...&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo nodded again as Jack trailed off. &ldquo;I... tried,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I really was going to shoot the bastard. But...&rdquo; A slight smile crossed his face. &ldquo;I guess he got the drop on me.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack patted Angelo&#039;s head-fur. &ldquo;I&#039;m glad you didn&#039;t,&rdquo; he said somberly. &ldquo;I don&#039;t want you to have that on your conscience.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;It would have been justice,&rdquo; the cub replied softly. He looked away for a moment, then back at Jack with an unsure expression. &ldquo;Do you think,&rdquo; he started slowly, &ldquo;that... he was... lying?&rdquo; He looked fully into Jack&#039;s dark eyes, his own blue eyes so full of expression. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The older fox crouched down to his level again and stroked the side of his face with the back of one finger. This was what Max had thrown in at the end of their conversation the previous night. &ldquo;Ange,&rdquo; Jack said, not sure how to phrase it. &ldquo;Well... he wasn&#039;t.&rdquo; Angelo&#039;s expression didn&#039;t change much, but Jack could read a world of emotions roll through those bright eyes. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;The police...&rdquo; he continued. &ldquo;they had found a... murder victim last year in Lake Royal. A fox lady. She had been...&rdquo; Jack paused, though he knew Angelo had already heard the details from Victor, and he was just re-stating them. &ldquo;She&#039;d been shot in the head twice. The date matches up, her age matches up, and...&rdquo; He stopped as Angelo slowly turned his face away to look out the large window in the room. Jack could only pat his shoulder in support. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;And,&rdquo; Angelo said softly after a moment&#039;s silence. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack sighed. The boy wanted to hear it. &ldquo;And,&rdquo; he went on, &ldquo;the bullets were the same kind that were in Victor&#039;s gun yesterday. They&#039;re doing a full DNA test against you, but the preliminary one they ran said that she was definitely a close female relative.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I only had one,&rdquo; Angelo said quietly, still turned away from Jack. He did not appear to be crying, or even trying to stop himself from crying. He was just staring. Finally with a deep sigh he turned back to Jack. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I... hated her,&rdquo; he said sadly. &ldquo;For a long time. Because of what Victor told me. And now... that it wasn&#039;t true...&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I know, bud,&rdquo; Jack said. &ldquo;It&#039;s not your fault.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;You don&#039;t understand,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I mean, I hated her.&rdquo; He looked away again, and closed his eyes. &ldquo;I don&#039;t...&rdquo; Another deep sigh. &ldquo;This is gonna take... I... I dunno.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I&#039;m here for you bro, you can count on that,&rdquo; Jack said, completely unsure of what, if anything, he could say to help. Angelo clearly knew he was going to have to work through this in his own mind. He put a paw on Angelo&#039;s good shoulder again, and the little fox reached up with his own and squeezed as another silent moment passed. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;How&#039;s my patient?&rdquo; a cheery female voice said from the doorway. Jack and Angelo both turned their heads towards the door. An ocelot lady in a white lab coat stood there, smiling, with a clipboard in paw &ndash; the one that had been hanging on the door to the room, Jack figured. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I&#039;m ok,&rdquo; Angelo responded fairly brightly, a swift change from his mood a moment prior. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;That&#039;s good,&rdquo; the ocelot said walking into the room. &ldquo;I&#039;m Dr. Finnegan,&rdquo; she said, extending a paw to Jack. &ldquo;Everyone calls me Dr. Finn.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Nice to meet you, Dr. Finn,&rdquo; Jack said taking the paw. &ldquo;Is he really ok though?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Oh sure,&rdquo; she said, walking over to the other side of the bed where she could better access Angelo&#039;s wound. &ldquo;The bullet hit right on the collar bone. You couldn&#039;t have aimed better if you tried!&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;And that&#039;s... good?&rdquo; Jack asked, not following. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Most definitely,&rdquo; the doctor said, putting her stethoscope in her ears and applying the other end to Angelo&#039;s chest. &ldquo;The bone absorbed just about all of the bullet&#039;s energy,&rdquo; she explained as she moved the stethoscope about. &ldquo;It broke the bone into three pieces, but didn&#039;t tear up any blood vessels or nerve bundles as a result. And it was a small caliber, which helped too.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I see,&rdquo; Jack said. &ldquo;What about the air in his chest that the medics talked about?&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Pneumothorax,&rdquo; she replied. &ldquo;Also called a collapsed lung. Any time you puncture the chest wall you can get that, because the air has another way in. Fortunately those are easy to fix, as you probably saw.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack nodded. &ldquo;So, he&#039;s really going to be ok?&rdquo; He had to fight down the urge to break out smiling at the thought. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Oh yes,&rdquo; Dr. Finn said cheerfully. &ldquo;Kits this age are healing-machines!&rdquo; She smiled to Angelo as she gently lifted the padding from his shoulder and looked under it. Jack could see a swath of pink skin from where they had shaved the fur around his wound. &ldquo;I want to keep him here in bed for a couple of days so the bone sets properly, but after that there&#039;s to reason to keep him here.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She addressed Angelo as she continued. &ldquo;You&#039;ll be in a sling for a few weeks, with that pad on so you don&#039;t bump it into things. Then just take it easy for a few more weeks. By Halloween you&#039;d never know anything had happened!&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Wow,&rdquo; Jack said, overjoyed and surprised at the same time. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;All good,&rdquo; she said with a smile as she repositioned the pad back over the wound. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I... I can&#039;t thank you enough,&rdquo; Jack said earnestly. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;My pleasure,&rdquo; she said, curtseying slightly. &ldquo;Just don&#039;t go getting shot again,&rdquo; she said in mock warning. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Right there with you,&rdquo; Angelo replied happily. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;If you need anything, just hit the button,&rdquo; the ocelot said, then left the room with a wave. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Nice,&rdquo; Jack said, patting Angelo&#039;s good shoulder. He didn&#039;t want to go back to the conversation before the doctor arrived, and fumbled in his mind for a topic. &ldquo;So,&rdquo; he said after a moment, &ldquo;how&#039;s hospital life?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Ugh,&rdquo; the cub groaned, &ldquo;I hate it! The food tastes like cardboard. They take blood samples every few hours, even at night. They won&#039;t even let me stand up!&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;How do you... you know,&rdquo; Jack said, then pantomimed standing at a urinal. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo&#039;s ears flattened back somewhat. &ldquo;Oh, you don&#039;t want to know, trust me.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;What, a diaper?&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;They wanted to!&rdquo; Angelo said incredulously. &ldquo;No way in Hell I was doing that!&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;So what then?&rdquo; Jack asked.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo stared for a moment, paw flexing on the top edge of the bedclothes. Finally he pulled the blanket down below his waist. He was naked in the bed, and Jack saw a thin plastic tube protruding from the end of his penis, disappearing under the sheets. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Whoa,&rdquo; Jack said before quickly looking away. Angelo pulled the bedclothes back up to chest level. Jack made a face of disgust which made the kit laugh. &ldquo;So that&#039;s number-one, what about... you know, number-two?&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;That&#039;s pretty gross too,&rdquo; Angelo replied. &ldquo;I have to pull my legs up and they stick a metal bowl under my butt, and... fire away!&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Holy crap,&rdquo; Jack said, missing his own pun, though Angelo giggled. &ldquo;Hospital life sucks!&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yep,&rdquo; the little fox replied. &ldquo;At least last time I could walk around.&rdquo; His face took on a wistful look as he pondered something. &ldquo;This is my third life now, I guess.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack&#039;s ears perked. &ldquo;How do you mean?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Well, the first one was when I was born,&rdquo; the boy said. &ldquo;In a hospital, right? I lived my life for a while, then went back into a hospital. Everything changed and I was in a new life when I left.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Oh wow,&rdquo; Jack said, catching his meaning. &ldquo;And here you are again.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yep,&rdquo; Angelo said, &ldquo;Naked in a hospital again. And I&#039;ll be in a completely new life again when I leave.&rdquo; He thought for another moment. &ldquo;I want to live with you,&rdquo; he said, slightly hesitantly. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Ange,&rdquo; Jack said gently, as he brushed the fox&#039;s white cheek fluff, &ldquo;There&#039;s nothing I want more.&rdquo; His response was a broad grin from his young friend. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The telephone next to the bed rang, startling the two foxes despite the low volume of the ringer. Jack cocked an eyebrow at it as it rang; he couldn&#039;t imagine who would know that Angelo was here. He was going to pick it up, but Angelo reached over and grabbed it before he could. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Hello,&rdquo; the kit said, himself looking unsure about the caller. He listened for a moment, then his ears perked up somewhat. &ldquo;Oh hi, Max,&rdquo; he said with a smile. &ldquo;Yeah, I&#039;m fine. I didn&#039;t think you&#039;d be calling me. How did you know...&rdquo; He listened some more, then his eyes looked to Jack and he smiled again. &ldquo;I gotcha&#039;. Yep he&#039;s here, want to talk to him?&rdquo; After another moment he held the phone out to Jack. &ldquo;Your lawyer,&rdquo; he said with a grin. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yours too,&rdquo; Jack said, fuzzling the fox&#039;s dark head-fur before taking the phone. &ldquo;Hey Max,&rdquo; he said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Everything cool there?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yep, everything&#039;s good,&rdquo; Jack replied. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Good, good,&rdquo; the otter said. &ldquo;Listen, I heard from the police on your case. Your statement is ready for you to sign. They sent me a fax of it &ndash; it doesn&#039;t look too bad.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Ok,&rdquo; Jack said. &ldquo;Do I come to your office then?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Nope, this is just a copy. You have to sign the original at the station,&rdquo; Max replied. &ldquo;They reiterated that you would not be arrested when you come down.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack was relieved every time he heard that said. &ldquo;When should I go?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I would do it today,&rdquo; Max said, &ldquo;as soon as you can. You definitely should get it in before the weekend, and the more workday we can give them to process it, the better.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;&#039;Kay,&rdquo; Jack said, understanding the need to get this done before the week ended, but he didn&#039;t want to leave Angelo&#039;s side now that he was there. &ldquo;This afternoon maybe...&rdquo; he said evasively. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;They&#039;re going to throw you out at noon for a couple hours anyway,&rdquo; Max told him. &ldquo;That&#039;ll be the perfect time. You should be back there before the afternoon visiting hours open back up.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;An odd sense of admiration for the otter on the phone flashed in Jack&#039;s mind. Max had divined the precise reason for his evasive attitude towards when to leave, though Jack had not said anything, not consciously at least. Perhaps one develops that kind of insight when training to be a lawyer, he mused.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Ok perfect,&rdquo; Jack said, &ldquo;I&#039;ll go then.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Great, I&#039;ll meet you down there,&rdquo; Max said. &ldquo;Give Angelo a fist-bump for me.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack laughed. &ldquo;Will do&rdquo;, he said, and handed the phone back to Angelo. The cub listened into it for a second then hung it up. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Max is a good guy,&rdquo; Angelo said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;He is that,&rdquo; the older fox agreed. &ldquo;I gotta go down to the police station and sign my &#039;official statement&#039;,&rdquo; Jack continued, making quotes in the air with his fingers. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo cocked one ear. &ldquo;What did you tell &#039;em?&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;The truth,&rdquo; Jack said. &ldquo;I gave them everything I knew about his operation. Told them about how you and me got to be friends,&rdquo; he continued, which was met by a grin from Angelo, &ldquo;how we hung out, that I played along &#039;till I could find a way to get you out of there, that sort of thing.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;You left a few things out, I hope,&rdquo; the kit said with a smile. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack laughed. &ldquo;Let&#039;s see, there was a train if I recall, a schoolyard or two, and a fire. And a couple other things that are nobody else&#039;s business.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo nodded happily. &ldquo;They&#039;re going to want to talk to me too, I bet.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack nodded along. &ldquo;Probably,&rdquo; he said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The little fox giggled. &ldquo;I wonder how many times they&#039;ll ask who molested me!&rdquo; The older fox cocked an eyebrow. &ldquo;That seems to be everyone&#039;s biggest concern here,&rdquo; Angelo continued by way of explanation. &ldquo;Doctors, nurses, social workers, everyone: did Victor rape me, did you rape me, did customers rape me... Like that was everyone&#039;s motivation for everything they did. Doctors even checked my tail-hole out to make sure.&rdquo; The cub grimaced slightly as he said this. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I hope you set them straight,&rdquo; Jack said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I told them the truth,&rdquo; Angelo said plainly. &ldquo;Anyone who would have tried to force me to do anything I didn&#039;t want would have gotten my knife in their chest.&rdquo; He instinctively reached to pat his left abdomen, where his knife would have been under his jacket, then stopped with a sheepish look. &ldquo;I guess I won&#039;t be getting the knife back, huh?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack shook his head. &ldquo;Mine either,&rdquo; he said, picturing it jutting from Victor&#039;s neck before dismissing the thought and getting back to the topic at hand. &ldquo;Did you tell them about that doctor who wanted... you know...&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Nah, not specifically,&rdquo; Angelo said. &ldquo;I told them that Victor had offers for... me... from some clients. I didn&#039;t get down to names. I still might though. That doctor never actually did anything to me, but... he might try it with someone else.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;That&#039;s my Ange,&rdquo; Jack said proudly, &ldquo;Saving the world!&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The young fox grinned cheerfully at this.<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack stayed with Angelo as long as he could. The boy was not exaggerating when he said how often they took blood samples, as they were interrupted once by a nurse coming in for just that purpose. &ldquo;Save me a little, would you?&rdquo; Angelo had requested with a friendly smile. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At noon the morning visiting hours ended, and all non-family visitors had to leave. The afternoon hours were from 2:00 to 6:00, which gave Jack a window to meet Max at the police station, sign his statement, and hopefully grab a bite of lunch before returning to the hospital in time for the afternoon hours. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack rode the parking garage elevator to the basement level where he had parked. Despite the noon hour, very little sunlight made it to that level of the garage, which was lit instead by overhead lights.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the fox walked to his car he noticed that many of the lights were burned out, giving the garage a twilight feel. A darkness which, for once in the last few days, did not match his mood. Angelo would be fine and would be out of the hospital soon, to begin as the cub had put it, his third life which Jack hoped to share as much as he could. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A voice from a darkened section of parking spaces interrupted Jack&#039;s thoughts as he walked. &ldquo;The little fox, he will live?&rdquo; The male voice was deep and thickly accented, and sounded like every Russian spy or army officer he saw in movies. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Russian. Jack stopped abruptly and slowly turned towards the voice. He could see several figures in the shadows of a darkened parking space, partially obscured by a large concrete pillar. One of them had a lit cigarette in his mouth, and from his position seemed to be the speaker. &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; Jack said weakly, then cleared his throat and repeated, &ldquo;Yes, he&#039;ll be fine.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The lit tip of the cigarette seemed to bob, as if the fur smoking it was nodding. &ldquo;Mmm,&rdquo; the voice said, before a shadowy paw raised to the face and removed the cigarette. &ldquo;Is good. This shooting of cubs is nasty business.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yes it is,&rdquo; Jack said plainly. He saw the ember of the cigarette return to the shadowy fur&#039;s mouth. This had to be Victor&#039;s &ldquo;Russian&rdquo;, or at least a representative. They obviously knew what had transpired, and were here to... what? Jack&#039;s heart suddenly raced at the logical conclusion. After a moment he said, &ldquo;So you&#039;re... here about Victor?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The form seemed to chuckle. &ldquo;You are nervous perhaps?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack took a deep breath and pictured Angelo&#039;s smiling face. If Jack was to be shot here in a parking garage basement, he wanted the boy to be his last thought. &ldquo;I am,&rdquo; he said softly, with audible sadness. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A nod of the cigarette tip again. &ldquo;Do not be,&rdquo; the voice said. &ldquo;Victor.... he was headed for this one way or other. If not you, I know ten others wanting to.&rdquo; Audible chuckles came from the furs accompanying the speaker. &ldquo;Where he was, he should be happy, but he want too much too fast. Ten years, it should have taken before latest product. He want it in two.&rdquo; The ember moved from side to side, as if the speaker shook his head. &ldquo;Not cut out for this life.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack breathed a sigh of relief. &ldquo;So,&rdquo; he began slowly, not wanting to push his luck, &ldquo;why are you...&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The speaker laughed audibly, though quietly. Then: &ldquo;I come to see face of fox who did this. Victor talk about you: he said you dodge train, nerves of steel.&rdquo; Jack nodded, intending to confirm what had been said, but didn&#039;t want to talk openly about that since he had omitted it from his police statement. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I want to see if perhaps you want job,&rdquo; the voice continued. &ldquo;Job with proper employer who knows right way to run business? Right way to treat his people.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack took a deep breath. They were offering him a position in their organization, most likely to replace Victor in this territory. The 18 year-old knew his answer immediately, but took a moment to make sure he delivered it properly. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I,&rdquo; he began slowly, &ldquo;don&#039;t think I want to be part of that world anymore...&rdquo; He trailed off. He was considering adding an expression of thanks and respect, but the shadow responded immediately. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Is not for everyone,&rdquo; the voice said. &ldquo;And... you are smart enough to see this.&rdquo; The form took a drag from his cigarette then continued. &ldquo;You and little fox go live good long life.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;That&#039;s my hope, sir,&rdquo; Jack said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The form nodded again. &ldquo;And now,&rdquo; the voice said, &ldquo;I think we never see each other again, yes?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; Jack said, understanding the deeper implications of the statement. &ldquo;Thank you.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The shadowy form nodded again and stepped back further into the shadows, as did the surrounding shadowy forms. Jack took this as his cue to leave, and turning back in the direction he was originally headed, walked briskly but not hurriedly towards his car, making a point not to look back. <br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack sat in a very comfortable leather chair in Max&#039;s office. He had met the otter at the police station, where Jack&#039;s official statement had been printed out and was awaiting his signature. Max read over the statement carefully, as did Jack. The otter did not find anything unexpected, as he had been faxed a preliminary copy, but he said he wanted to make sure they didn&#039;t sneak anything new into it. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once both were satisfied that this was what Jack&#039;s official testimony would be, the teen fox signed the form, which was promptly notarized by one of the officers in attendance. Officer MacAllister was there, and once the paperwork was done, the tiger made a request of Jack. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;We would appreciate it,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;if you don&#039;t go back to the hospital today.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack was surprised and concerned by this. &ldquo;Wha... why?&rdquo; he asked. He desperately wanted to return to Angelo&#039;s side. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; the tiger said, holding up Jack&#039;s statement, &ldquo;we need to talk to the boy, and get his statement too. He&#039;s probably got a lot more information about Victor Morrison, and we need that to complete the investigation.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I&#039;ll need to be there too then,&rdquo; Max interjected. &ldquo;I&#039;m representing both of them.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;No,&rdquo; the tiger said, &ldquo;actually you&#039;re not. Cub Protective Services is involved now, and since he has no family, their attorney has set himself as the attorney of record.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Max nodded, visibly irritated. &ldquo;Fine,&rdquo; he said, and turned from the room. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;We just need to get his account of what happened, and as much dirt on that ferret as we can,&rdquo; MacAllister said to Jack, sounding apologetic. &ldquo;It will probably take a few hours, and by then visiting hours will be over anyway. You can come back tomorrow morning, Jack.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack took a deep breath and sighed. &ldquo;Yeah, ok,&rdquo; he said. He knew that this was just another piece in the bureaucracy, and that officer MacAllister was just doing his job, but he still found it annoying. He left the station and found Max outside, who suggested they return to his office to discuss the case in more detail. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He now sat across the desk from the otter. They had gone over the time-line in Jack&#039;s statement again, and this time Jack told him of some of the things he had omitted from the statement, such as the stolen car and how he and Angelo had disposed of it. Jack also hinted at selling pot, but didn&#039;t go into all of those details. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I kind of figured there was more,&rdquo; Max said. &ldquo;Just put that in the back of your mind and never think about it again. At least until this is all years in the past.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Is that something they could... get me for?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Max shrugged. &ldquo;Maybe. Maybe not. But if they find out about it, and that you knowingly left it out, that will basically kill any good-will you had in their minds.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Right,&rdquo; said Jack. He felt good talking about it though, if just to get it off of his chest. &ldquo;What about my parents?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Don&#039;t tell them about that either,&rdquo; Max said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;No,&rdquo; Jack said, &ldquo;I mean... I haven&#039;t told them anything yet. Unless my name&#039;s in the papers, they don&#039;t know any of this has happened.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Max gave a soft whistle in surprise. &ldquo;Well,&rdquo; he said, sitting back, &ldquo;it&#039;s up to you if you don&#039;t want to tell them. I don&#039;t know what kind of relationship you have with them.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack laughed. &ldquo;No, we&#039;re fine. Just... when do you think I should tell them? Right away, or wait &#039;till this police situation is resolved?&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Look at it this way,&rdquo; Max said, pulling a plastic lunch container out of a small refrigerator next to his desk, &ldquo;If it goes badly, the first call you make to them might be from jail.&rdquo; Then after a pause, &ldquo;You mind if I eat while we talk?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;No, no,&rdquo; Jack said, &ldquo;Go right ahead.&rdquo; He pondered what Max had said. If the police decided to arrest him, they would almost certainly not give him any notice, just in case they thought he might try to run. So his first indication would be them showing up at his apartment, or the hospital, or wherever he might happen to be at the time. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Perhaps it would be better if he told his parents right away, he thought. If it all blew over then it wouldn&#039;t matter, and if it did go badly they would already know what was going on when he called them to come bail him out. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack&#039;s thoughts were interrupted by a sour smell hitting his nostrils. He looked up at Max who had opened the plastic container, which looked to be full of oysters, still in the shell. The otter picked up a metal egg-shaped paperweight, gold-colored, from his desk and was about to use it to crack open one of the shells. &ldquo;Are those... oysters?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yep,&rdquo; Max replied cheerfully, smashing the gold egg into one of the shells with a loud crack. &ldquo;Want one?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack&#039;s stomach turned. &ldquo;Ugh, no,&rdquo; he said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Suit yourself,&rdquo; the otter said, before sucking the contents from one through the hole he had made. &ldquo;Food of the gods!&rdquo; he exclaimed after swallowing it. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I think I&#039;m going to be sick,&rdquo; Jack said, only half-jokingly. <br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack walked down the hospital corridor in the Cub Ward, slowly and slightly nervously. It was the next day, Saturday, and visiting hours had just opened. The fox was doubly nervous as he arrived. Firstly, since Max was apparently no longer Angelo&#039;s attorney, Jack feared he might have been removed from the Allowed List and would be turned away at the reception desk. As it turned out, he was still on the list and was let into the ward with no difficulties. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As he walked down the final corridor towards Angelo&#039;s room, he tried to keep a calm and neutral facial expression, despite the contraband he carried in his pocket. As before, everyone he passed in the corridor took a glance at his badge to make sure he was allowed there. Every time they did so, Jack was sure they knew that he was up to something, though nobody stopped him. He finally reached Angelo&#039;s room, and went inside. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Jack!&rdquo; Angelo said happily as soon as the older fox crossed the threshold. The little grey-furred fox grinned a happy grin as Jack went to his side and put one arm around his friend. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;How&#039;s my boy?&rdquo; Jack asked. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Can&#039;t wait to get out of here,&rdquo; the kit said. &ldquo;Doc says any time now.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;All healed up?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;As much as I need to be to get out, I guess,&rdquo; Angelo replied. &ldquo;I can&#039;t wait! I don&#039;t think I can take much more of the food here!&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Oh really,&rdquo; Jack said innocently, yet conspiratorially. &ldquo;I might just have a fix for that.&rdquo; He turned his body so his right side pocket was right next to Angelo&#039;s head, with Jack&#039;s body obscuring it from outside view. The red fox slid a paw into his pocket and pulled out a still-wrapped, though somewhat flattened chicken biscuit from Burger Joint. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Angelo let out a muffled cry of delight as he saw the wrapper. &ldquo;You rule!&rdquo; he said, grabbing it with his good paw. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Eat it quick,&rdquo; Jack said, turning and angling his body so as to keep Angelo&#039;s head hidden from outside view as the little fox tore into the biscuit, making short work of it. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Mmm, that was good,&rdquo; he said as he finished the biscuit and licked his fingers. &ldquo;I really needed that!&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;My pleasure,&rdquo; Jack said, taking the wrapper and returning it to his pocket to leave no evidence, though a slight smell of the food lingered in the air. &ldquo;So, the cops talked to you yesterday, I hear,&rdquo; he continued, pulling up a chair next to the bed. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yep,&rdquo; Angelo confirmed, having cleaned his fingers and had begun picking the tiny crumbs from where they may have fallen on his chest-fur or the blanket. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;What did you tell them?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I gave them all the dirt on Victor that I had,&rdquo; he replied. &ldquo;Told them about you and how we... he... hired you on, and what we did for him.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Everything?&rdquo; Jack was slightly uneasy. He hoped he knew Angelo well enough by now to know what he would and would not have said, but there was still a constant underlying anxiety which flared up at times like this. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Almost,&rdquo; Angelo said. &ldquo;You know, like we talked about yesterday. I told them about how you and me hung out, too. Not a whole lot about that though, you know? I wanted to let them know that you were on my side.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Did they...&rdquo; Jack began cautiously, &ldquo;did they give you any ideas on whether...&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Whether they were gonna arrest you?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack sighed. &ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; he said. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;They didn&#039;t really say,&rdquo; Angelo said sadly. &ldquo;I kind of got the feeling that they agree with what you did.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;So,&rdquo; Jack said, trying to lighten the mood, &ldquo;how many times did they ask who molested you?&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The little cub laughed. &ldquo;A bunch! There were two cops and a social worker. The cops asked about Vic... Victor that is, and the social worker asked about you.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Jeez,&rdquo; Jack said. &ldquo;I wonder when they&#039;ll believe you.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I guess they want to make sure I&#039;m not hiding anything, and maybe they&#039;ll catch me in a lie or something if they keep asking.&rdquo; The kit pondered for a moment. &ldquo;Or maybe they just see how sexy I am, and figure that everyone wants a piece of me!&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack chuckled and fuzzled the little fox&#039;s head-fur. &ldquo;Goofball,&rdquo; he said, as Angelo giggled. <br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As had happened the previous day, the staff made Jack leave at noon when the morning visiting hours closed. This time he had nowhere to be, so went down to the hospital&#039;s cafeteria for lunch. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It was quite crowded, as apparently this is where many other furs went when the staff kicked them out. The cafeteria was buffet-style: furs lined up to take a tray and proceeded down the buffet, picking out what they wanted to eat, and paying a cashier at the far end. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack stood in the long line, waiting his turn. He was normally annoyed by long lines, but was in no particular hurry, as he had two hours to essentially waste until he could get back upstairs to Angelo. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;This isn&#039;t the same food they serve upstairs is it?&rdquo; he jokingly asked one of the attendants when he finally got to the buffet. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;No sir,&rdquo; the server, a canine lady, responded dryly and with a forced smile. She must have heard the same comment dozens of times each day, Jack reckoned, which made him feel slightly embarrassed. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack paid for his food and sat down at an empty 4-place table. As he ate, he surveyed the patrons of the cafeteria. Some were by themselves as he was, while occasionally there would be a dozen or more family members all huddled around a table that was too small to accommodate them all. Some furs, very often by themselves, looked emotionally exhausted and Jack could only sadly wonder what they were dealing with upstairs. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The food was surprisingly good, Jack noted with some surprise. He wondered why the same food was not generally available to patients, though after a moment&#039;s thought he figured the bacon-cheeseburger on his plate would not be considered healthy, and that the hospital would not serve that kind of thing to patients. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack did wonder how their breakfast food was, and perhaps he could sneak something up to Angelo the next morning. He smiled, remembering the sheer joy that his illegal biscuit had brought to the young fox. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The teen fox took his time with his lunch, taking most of an hour to finish it, including going back for drink refills several times. With an hour to go still, he went out to the main lobby of the hospital and into the gift shop, which was little more than a newsstand with snacks, books, and gift trinkets in addition to a fairly comprehensive newspaper and magazine selection. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack thumbed through some magazines for a while, before heading back out into the lobby and idly walking about, inspecting the floor-plan map of the facility, and generally just killing time. With 15 minutes to go until the afternoon visiting hours opened, he took the elevator back to the Cub Ward floor, and got in line behind the rest of the returning visitors. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At 2:00, the receptionist returned to her seat in the booth and began taking IDs from the visitors. Anyone who had already been cleared that morning only had to show their ID again and were given back their original badge, so the line moved quickly. Within 2 minutes, Jack was back at the booth. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Angelo Cole, 135,&rdquo; Jack said handing his ID through the slot in the window. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yes sir,&rdquo; the receptionist said, glancing at the computer before picking Jack&#039;s badge from where it had been stored for lunch. &ldquo;He&#039;s being released,&rdquo; she said, handing him his badge and ID. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;What, right now?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;That&#039;s what it says here,&rdquo; she said looking back to the computer monitor. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Well heck,&rdquo; Jack replied, &ldquo;Nice of them to tell me.&rdquo; The door buzzed open next to him. &ldquo;Thanks,&rdquo; he said to the receptionist and walked through the door. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He walked quickly down the corridor, unsure what was going on. Angelo had said that his doctor was ready to release him &ndash; &ldquo;any time now&rdquo; he had said. But Jack had thought that they would have coordinated with him before doing so, unless...<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He turned down the second corridor that led to Angelo&#039;s room. Up ahead he could see several furs crowded around Angelo&#039;s door. Jack broke into a near run, adrenaline pumping. Something was wrong here. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Mac,&rdquo; he heard a voice ahead of him say. A fur facing away from Jack turned around: it was officer MacAllister, and the voice who spoke was his partner. The tiger put up both paws as Jack rapidly approached. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Hold up, Jack,&rdquo; he said, blocking the entry to the room with his arm. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;What... what&#039;s going on?&rdquo; Jack could see inside the room. Angelo was sitting in a wheelchair, dressed in a blue sweatshirt and sweatpants. Beside him were Dr. Finnegan, an orderly, and 2 stern looking cat ladies in business suits carrying clipboards. They reminded him of some of his school teachers, the ones he didn&#039;t like.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Jack,&rdquo; officer MacAllister said again, trying to restrain Jack from entering the room. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;No,&rdquo; Jack said loudly, which caught the attention of those in the room. &ldquo;What&#039;s going on here?&rdquo; Angelo waved to Jack with a sad expression, his ears drooped. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;He&#039;s being released to state custody,&rdquo; the officer said gently. &ldquo;Cub Protective Services.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;What? No, you can&#039;t do that,&rdquo; Jack exclaimed. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;We can, and we are,&rdquo; one of the cat ladies said, smugly. &ldquo;And you will be arrested if you try to interfere.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Where are you taking him?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;That&#039;s none of your concern,&rdquo; the other cat opined. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;No,&rdquo; Jack said, his voice quieting somewhat and with an audible tremor forming. &ldquo;After... after all this, you can&#039;t... just take...&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Officer,&rdquo; the first cat lady said with an expectant tone. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Come on, Jack,&rdquo; the tiger said, leading Jack away from the door. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Please...&rdquo; Jack said, his voice a whimper, ears flat against his head. &ldquo;Not after...&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;It&#039;s the law, Jack,&rdquo; MacAllister responded, as he and the other officer moved Jack clear from the door, and stood between it and him. One of the cat ladies nodded to the orderly who pushed Angelo&#039;s wheelchair out the door. The young fox locked eyes with Jack but didn&#039;t say anything. Jack could read in his watering blue eyes what he was thinking though. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The orderly pushed the wheelchair down the hall, with the doctor and the CPS ladies following. Angelo turned as much as he could to keep his eyes on Jack, who had to bite his lip to keep from screaming. As they approached the next hallway, Jack could see Angelo mouth &ldquo;Bye, Jack,&rdquo; before the orderly made the turn and he was gone from sight. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack broke down in sobs as the remainder of the party disappeared around the corner. Officer MacAllister released his restraining grip on the fox, but gave his shoulder a supportive pat. After a moment, Jack composed himself to where he could speak. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;After... after all that,&rdquo; he said, his voice choked up, &ldquo;they just can take him away? After all we&#039;ve been through...&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;It&#039;s the law,&rdquo; the tiger repeated delicately. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Then the law&#039;s fucked up!&rdquo; Jack didn&#039;t care how that sentiment would be received. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Jack,&rdquo; the tiger replied gently, &ldquo;it&#039;s hard for me to disagree with your right now.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This was not the response Jack had expected, though he remembered that the officer had a family, and could identify with Jack&#039;s relationship with the eleven-year-old. &ldquo;Then why...&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Because it is the law,&rdquo; MacAllister repeated yet again. &ldquo;We may not always agree with it, but we don&#039;t get to pick and choose which ones we obey.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;So that&#039;s it then?&rdquo; The urge to cry had subsided, and Jack now only felt a hole in his soul, like part of him had been ripped out. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;For now,&rdquo; the other officer said. &ldquo;Whatever you do, though, it has to be within the law.&rdquo; Jack nodded gravely and went into the now-vacant room. He sat down heavily on the bed, which was still slightly warm. He stared at the floor. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;You going to be ok?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Yeah,&rdquo; Jack said back to the tiger, his voice emotionless. The tiger patted his shoulder again, then he and his partner withdrew from the room and slowly made their way down the corridor. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack sat staring at the floor, his mind numb. He stared for several minutes until his eyes began to lose focus on the floor and it became an abstract shape in his vision. His mind was too stunned to even think about what he would do next; indeed nothing mattered to him now. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Within the law. The phrase echoed in his mind, Suddenly his ears perked and he bolted upright. He reached for the phone next to the bed and dialed the number that he had by now memorized. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Cartwright.&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Max,&rdquo; Jack said gravely. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Holy shit, what happened,&rdquo; the otter said on the phone. He could obviously tell by Jack&#039;s voice that something was wrong. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;A.. Angelo,&rdquo; was all Jack could say. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Oh... oh no,&rdquo; Max said with audible emotion. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;No, no nothing like that,&rdquo; Jack said, stabilizing his voice. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Whew, ok. So what then?&rdquo; <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jack said the words before he even realized he was speaking. &ldquo;How do I adopt him?&rdquo;<br /><br /><br />to be continued...</span>",
  "pools_count": 1,
  "title": "Dangerous Games, Part 7",
  "deleted": "f",
  "public": "t",
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  "pagecount": "1",
  "rating_id": "2",
  "rating_name": "Adult",
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      "name": "Strong Violence",
      "description": "Strong violence, blood, serious injury or death",
      "rating_id": "2"
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  "submission_type_id": "12",
  "type_name": "Writing - Document",
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  "comments_count": "4",
  "views": "199"
}