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by RoyalOverdose on FurAffinity\n\nA different format to the story I am trying out, if you are looking for a detailed surgery story like my many others you will not find that here, I am using the story for this to do some character development and some relationship development as it kind of made some sense to do, hope you enjoy it all the same ^^\n\n(Also this is my first story to break 7000 words, which now make it my longest story to date!)\n\n~\n[u][b]TUESDAY - Three days before the surgery[/b][/u]\n\n\"Are you sure you are feeling ok\" Ion asked his fennec friend Flint who had been clutching his chest on and off throughout the morning, \"yes I am fine\", Flint replied, \"it is just my scars acting up, that all\" he continued. \"You sure about that?\" Ion and Flint's other friend Zephyr chimed in, \"you don't look so well either, I think you should go to the nurse's office.\" \"Yes I think so too\" Ion cut in, \"come on we will go with you, it is not that far\" Ion continued but Flint still resisted, \"come on guys, I am fine, really I am, no need to...\" Flint started saying but was quickly grabbed by Ion and Zephyr one hand each and dragged off, \"no buts, we are going and thats final\" Ion said in a more commanding tone that Flint rarely heard unless Ion was serious. They arrived at the nurse's office a few minutes latter, with Ion and Zephyr explaining to her Flint's actions throughout the morning, \"Flint sweetie, can you please remove your vest and unbutton your shirt, I need to take a quick listen\" the nurse said grabbing a stethoscope, with a sigh, Flint did as he was told as the nurse sat down next to him and placed the cold instrument on his chest, \"deep breaths for me please\" she continued as again Flint did as he was told. \"Hmm, I don't like the sound of this...\" the nurse started saying as Flint tensed up, \"you heart is beating quite irregularly, I am sorry but I need to call an ambulance and get you to a hospital right away, Ion, Zephyr can you please watch him while I make the call, come and get me right away if anything happens\" the nurse said as she quickly left the room as Ion and Zephyr went to Flint's side as he was starting to nervously shake. Ion grabbed on to his friends hand, \"don't worry Flint, I am sure everything will be fine, I am right here for you so don't worry\" Ion said in soft voice as Flint squeezed Ion's hand back hard and slowly nodded, still shaking from his nerves. The nurse came back in a few minutes and the paramedics soon after as Flint was loaded onto a stretcher and taken away, Ion and Zephyr returned to class but could not focus for the rest of the day. Heading out of school, Ion saw his parents waiting for him outside the Overseer's car, which was an oddity as he usually walked home on his own with Zephyr and Flint, parting with them when their paths parted. Ion's parents waved the both of them over, as Zephyr's parents were also waiting in the car as both Ion and Zephyr started feeling nervous. \"Before you ask, Flint is ok for the time being\" Ion's father Ivan started saying to them, \"we are just going to take you both to the hospital so you can see him for yourself\" he continued as Ion and Zephyr breathed a sigh of relief as they got into the car. The journey was a short one as they arrived at a special hospital that was usually reserved for members of the Contract Hunters, but they also served the tribal population of which Flint was a part of, and the Overseer's family to which Ion had experience here being the Overseer's son, once when he fell and broke his arm and the last time with a much more serious injury. \n\nThey walked inside and were directed to the cardiac ward where Flint was being housed, when both boys walked into his room, Flint's face beamed with a smile through his oxygen mask and Ion and Zephyr went to his side. \"Hey, how are you feeling?\" Ion asked, \"ok I guess... but I do need surgery again as soon as possible, as my heart is not doing too well... problem is I need a tissue donor this time, which we have not found one yet, as they cannot fix it the way they have done before\" Flint responded as Ion and Zephyr's expression soured, \"but don't worry, I am sure they can find one soon\" Flint continued to try and brighten the mood. \"Well I see your friends have come here to see you\" a voice could be heard entering the room, \"Doctor Dague, have you any updates on finding a donor?\" Flint's mother asked the doctor as he entered the room, \"unfortunately no, there are some that are a close match like yourself and his brother, but it would not be good for this type of surgery\" Doctor Dague replied as Flint's mother frowned a bit, \"is there any other family members that we can test or others that you know that may be willing?\" Doctor Dague asked as Flint's mother went deep into thought, \"is it possible to test me?\" Ion blurted out as he overheard the conversation, \"and me as well?\" Zephyr asked but in a more reserved voice. Doctor Dague, Flint's mother and both Ion and Zephyr's parents looked at each other with slightly puzzled looks, \"I can ask you to do that boys, I don't think...\" Flint's mother started saying before she was cut off, \"but can you do it?\" Ion asked out loud, \"er, well yes as anyone can offer to be a donor if they give permission and in this case our parent's permission\" Doctor Dague started saying as both Ion and Zephyr looked at their parents with determination in their eyes, \"so can I?\" Ion asked in a serious tone to his mom and dad, Zephyr remained silent but his demeanor showed he was in lock step with Ion. \"I guess so, it wouldn't hurt to find out if you can help him\" Ion's mother Ionia stared saying as his father nodded in agreement as Ion started smiling, Zephyr's parents also agreed to let Zephyr get tested as well as both boys were lead to an examination room by Doctor Dague, \"Ok Ion can you please undress and get up on the table, Doctor Mazee will be in shortly to give you the test and Zephyr, come with me as I will be doing your test in the room next door\" Doctor Dague said as Ion gave Zephyr a small hug before they left the room, Ion removed his clothing and got up onto the examination table like he was asked as a few minutes latter a mouse wearing scrubs entered the room. \"Hello there, you must be Ion, I am Doctor Mazee and we are just going to do a small little procedure here which I see you are all ready for\" the doctor started saying, \"I am just going to do a quick physical exam, is that alright?\" Doctor Mazee continued as Ion nodded. It didn't take long as Ion was deemed fit to undergo the small procedure, electrodes were attached to his chest as his heartbeat went on screen and a intravenous needle was placed in his arm which gave Ion a bit of a pinch, an oxygen mask was placed over his nose as Doctor Mazee placed a hand on Ion's forehead, \"now Ion, you may feel a bit uncomfortable when I begin but don't worry, you should not feel any pain, I will try to be as quick as possible so it should not take too long\" \n\nDoctor Mazee said as he grabbed a large looking needle attached to a long cord, \"are we ready?\" he ask as Ion nodded. The needle was inserted into Ion's chest between his ribs as Ion clenched a bit in some discomfort, with his other hand, Doctor Mazee had a different device which he moved around Ion's chest as it made a image of his heart appear on a nearby screen, with an image of the needle moving closer to it. \"Ok we just need to take a small sample here\" Doctor Mazee started saying as the needle make contact with Ion's heart, causing a bit more discomfort, \"and done!\" Doctor Mazee said as Ion saw the needle move away from his heart on the screen and soon after it was pulled out of his chest, \"now that wasn't so bad now was it? Much better then having that arrow being pulled out of your tummy right?\" Doctor Mazee asked as Ion cracked a small smile and nodded, remember the last time he was in the hospital after Flint accidently shot him with an arrow. Doctor Mazee placed a band aid over the small hole where the the needle was inserted as he helped Ion off of the table and helped him get dressed again, 'the results should be in shortly, for now lets get you back to your friend ok\" Doctor Mazee said with Ion nodding as he escorted him back to Flint's room where Zephyr was also waiting, \"how was it?\" Zephyr asked, \"not too bod, how about you?\" Ion replied, \"it stung a little but I can complain\" Zephyr replied. An hour went by before both Doctor Dague and Doctor Mazee reentered the room, \"Well we got the results back, Zephyr is in no way a match s he is out\" Doctor Dague started saying as Zephyr looked a little down, \"but Ion, he matches up perfectly, if everybody is on board we can schedule the surgery for this Friday, as long as Ion passes some other tests we need to do to make sure his body is fit for this type of surgery\" Doctor Dague continued as Ion looked towards his parents. \"Are you sure you want to do this?\" Ionia asked her son as Ion looked over to Flint who looked back at him with curious eyes and then back to his mom, \"yes, Flint needs help and I am the one to give it to him, if I have to undergo surgery to do that then I will\" Ion replied, \"just so you know it is open heart surgery Ion, we will be opening you up and operating on your heart\" Doctor Mazee added in just to make sure, \"I know that but Flint has been through many heart operations before and if I can help him by even doing one, then I will gladly do it\" Ion replied in a determined voice as his parents and Flint's mother smiled as Ion's selflessness. \"Ok then we will do the surgery Friday morning\" Doctor Dague said, \"but before we do that we need to make sure Ion is fit to go under the knife, Ivan, Ionia and Ion can you come with me, there are a few things we need to go over and get you set up to come back tomorrow for further testing\" He continued as the three of them nodded and followed the doctor out of the room as Doctor Mazee went to Flint's side, \"you are very special to have a good friend like him\" he said which Flint smiled, \"yes I am, especially after what I did a couple of years ago, I am glad he is still by my side after all that.\" \n\n[u][b]WENSDAY - Two days before the surgery[/b][/u]\n\n\"Hello Ion, how are you doing today?\" Doctor Mazee asked the young kit as he entered the room, \"ok I guess\" Ion answered seaming a bit nervous, \"at least I get a day off school today for this.\" \"Well, you might be getting at least a month off school starting Friday, it is something to look forward to\" Doctor Mazee said to try and brighten Ion's mood but it didn't seam to work, \"nervous are you?\" \"A little bit\" Ion started saying, \"I guess I am just starting to realize what I gotten myself in to.\" \"You know you can still back out, you don't have to go through with the operation\" Doctor Mazee said as he placed a hand on Ion's shoulder, \"no, I don't have that choice\" Ion responded, \"Flint is counting on me, he needs me to live, his heart is giving out and I can stop that, I cannot let him die.\" \"Spoken like a true gentlemen\" Doctor Mazee said with a smile, patting Ion on the head, \"now how about we get started, please undress and I will get all the equipment hooked up to you so we can begin the test.\" Ion did as he was asked, as he became a giant mess of fur, Doctor Mazee motion Ion over to him where he started placing may electrodes on Ion's chest, \"you go some fairly thick chest fluff here\" Doctor Mazee started saying, \"remind me before you leave today that we have to get it shaved\" he continued as Ion gave the doctor a mean look, \"don't worry, we are not going to shave it all off, just thin it out a little bit as your chest fluff is a bit too thick to do the surgery, we will leave it about as long as your tummy fur here\" Doctor Mazee continued again as he patted Ion on the belly which made him laugh a bit. \"Ready to do some running?\" Doctor Mazee asked to which Ion nodded as he stepped onto the treadmill, the doctor then placed an oxygen mask on Ion's face, \"ok I will speed up and slow down the treadmill as needed, if you need to stop at any time just wave your hand and I will stop\" Doctor Mazee started saying, \"just remember to breathe as normally as you can, take deep breaths if you need to, we will make sure you are getting plenty of oxygen\" Doctor Mazee continued as he turned on the treadmill. Ion started running, keeping pace with the somewhat slower speed at which the treadmill was going, he was use to running as he was training himself in parkour and the combat lessons he also received helped quite a bit, seeing that Ion was having no difficulty on the current setting, Doctor Mazee turned it up a few notches. Now Ion have to work to keep up the pace, he could handle it but his heartrate started climbing, which was the point of the test as Doctor Mazee got Ion's heartrate in the zone he needed. \"Keep it up you are doing great' Doctor Mazee called out as Ion kept pushing himself, he was starting to feel a bit tired now, as he was not use to keeping up this momentum for this long, seeing Ion starting to struggle a bit, Doctor Mazee turned down the setting a notch, \"ok Ion, if you need a breather, we can give it a pause\" he called out but Ion just kept on running, his face full of determination but he was showing signs of exhaustion. \n\nDoctor Mazee turned down the setting a bit more as he saw what looked like Ion cursing under his breath, he monitored Ion for a few more minutes as he continued toi push himself, but seeing this was all Ion could handle, Doctor Mazee ended the test, \"alright Ion, we are done\" he started saying, \"you did quite well being able to go this long for someone your age\" the doctor continued as Ion slowed his steps as the treadmill started stopping, with him falling onto his butt in exhaustion. Ion was taking deep breaths as Doctor Mazee kneeled down beside him, \"thats it, just take your time and take it easy, when you are ready just let me know and I will help you up\" he said as Ion turned his head and gave him a slow nod. After a few minutes, Ion tapped the Doctor Mazee on the arm as he helped him to his feet, \"you know I said don't push yourself too hard, we just needed you work up a bit of a sweat to stress test your heart\" Doctor Mazee started saying, \"I... Know... I just... wanted to... see if I... could actually... keep up\" Ion said panting a bit in between every few words, \"you know... I am training... to be a... Hunter someday\" he continued as the doctor gave a small laugh, \"so you wanted to see if you could keep up with the likes of them\" he said as Ion looked up towards his face, \"yes... exactly\" he said still huffing and puffing. \"Well you got good determination, I can see you joining our ranks one day\" Doctor Mazee said with a smile as Ion forgot that since he was a doctor at the Hunter's hospital, Doctor Mazee was one of them, a Hunter in his own way. \"Think so?\" Ion asked as he regained his breath, \"I believe so, you got a lot of the good qualities that makes a Hunter and not just the physical ones as well\" Doctor Mazee said which made Ion smile, \"can't wait to tell Flint and Zephyr, as they both are looking to becoming ones as well\" Ion said as the doctor placed a hand on his head again, \"i am sure they will be as well, Flint is a great fighter in more ways then one and Zephyr, if I am not mistaken, are not both his parents Hunters as well?\" Doctor Mazee asked, \"yes they are and they are good at helping all three of use with what we need to work on to become one someday\" Ion answered in an enthusiastic tone. \"Well thats good\" Doctor Mazee responded, \"now then lets finish up with the tests, the physical one is done but we need to collect a few samples from you, nothing like what we did yesterday, just some blood and other fluids, just come with me and it won't take too long\" he continued reaching out his hand to Ion which he took as they left the room and walked down the hall. \n\nA hour passed as Ion was waiting in one of the examination rooms with his parents as Doctor Mazee walked into the room, \"well Ion is all good to have the surgery, his heart is in great shape, taking any tissues from it should not have any adverse effects, blood and urine samples are clean and he's got some good physical strength for his age\" Doctor Mazee said as he sat down in a chair in front of the three foxes, \"just need you guys to sign the consent form and Ion will be ready to go on Friday.\" \"Can we just go over what the surgery will entail for Ion?\" Ivan asked as he wrote his signature on the paper and handed it to Ionia, \"sure thing\" Doctor Mazee said as he motioned Ion to come over to him, \"we will make a slightly large incision down his chest here\" he started saying motioning his finger down Ion's chest which still had it's thick fluff, \"we still have to get him shaved before he leaves but after we will open up the sternum and expose his heart, we will have to put him on bypass as we do need to stop Ion's heart to get at the tissues we need, it should only be for about an hour at most\" Doctor Mazee continued saying as the three foxes listened intensely. \"When Ion's heart is stopped, I will make a small incision into his left ventricle and extract some tissues around his mitral valve, the tissues will be cleaned up a bit by some of the attendants and then handed off to Doctor Dague who will be the one operating on Flint and graft them to Flint's weakening ventricle wall, then hopefully Ion's healthy tissues can stimulate Flint's cells to reproduce healthier ones so his ventricle can re-strengthen and not be at risk of rupture\" Doctor Mazee continued in detail, \"once we got the tissues we need from Ion, I will make sure his valves and ventricle walls are still in good shape before tightly stitching closed the incision into the heart, we will get it beating again with a small shock, make sure everything is ok and the heart is pumping blood again like it should and then close him up, Ion will be in intensive care for a few days to a week afterwards, just to make sure everything is still ok, he won't be able to get out of bed but you can visit him, we will make sure he is roomed with Flint so they can recover together and keep each other company after visiting hours are over but for the first few day they would be mostly resting and sleeping.\" \"How long will he have to stay hospitalized?\" Ionia asked as she finished signing the form and handed it back to Doctor Mazee, \"well at least a few weeks after getting out of intensive care, but that would be in a normal recovery room, you guys can stay with him during that time if you like\" Doctor Mazee answered, \"we can place Ion in a semi private room if you choose, so he can still be bunked with Flint but as the Overseer's son you still have the option of the private Overseer's room.\" \"Can we put them both in my special room?\" Ivan asked, \"it can handle multiple beds and would give both boys more room to play around in as they recover.\" 'If that is your desire then it can be done\" Doctor Mazee replied, \"it is your family's private suite so that is your choice\" he continued, \"then lets do it, I think it would be the best for both of them, I will still talking it over with Flint's family but I think they will agree, make sure to give them access to the room as well with security\" Ivan said back. \"Will do\" Doctor Mazee said, \"well I think that is all for here, Ion can you come with me as we still need to shave your chest fur a bit and Ivan, Ionia, I will be right back once I drop Ion off, I need to go over a few things with you to make sure Ion is ready Friday morning, he will need to shower with special soaps the night before, not eat anything after his dinner that evening and a few other things\" Doctor Mazee continued, handing Ion's parents some papers as both Ivan and Ionia nodded. A moment latter, Ion and Doctor Maze left the room as Ivan and Ionia went over the documents that would make sure their son would be ready for the day of the surgery. \n\n[u][b]THIRSDAY - The day before the surgery[/b][/u]\n\n\"So are you ready for tomorrow?\" Zephyr asked as the bell to switch to the next class rang, \"I think I am\" Ion responded, \"not much of a choice either way, I need to do this for Flint's sake as I know he would if the shoe was on the other foot\" Ion continued as Zephyr placed a hand on Ion's back, \"that's what like to hear and I will be with you both in any way I can be\" Zephyr said as they walked to the next class. \"Just hold down the fort here\" Ion said in a sarcastic tone, \"sorry for leaving you alone here for about a month, especially with them lurking around\" Ion said as they snuck past some bullies that like to pick on them, \"ya I am kind of afraid of being on my own here for a while\" Zephyr said in a bit of a worrying tone, \"well I can see if my dad can get you out of here for a bit after me and Flint get out of intensive care\" Ion started saying, \"my tutor will be teaching us during the days in recovery, so maybe you can join in as well.\" Ion continued as he started scratching the front of his vest over his chest, \"something wrong\" Zephyr asked as he noticed Ion's odd behavior, \"oh, they trimmed my chest fur a bit and it is kind of itchy\" Ion replied, \"at least after today I won't be wearing a shirt for a while so it shouldn't be too bad.\" \"I guess that is one thing to look forward to\" Zephyr said at Ion's remarks, \"yes and the fact Flint and I will be spending some quality time together, just don't get jealous ok\" Ion said in a coy voice, \"you think I am that petty that I would get jealous over something like this?\" Zephyr responded with a glare at Ion. \"Well sometimes you can be, just remember I like you both the same\" Ion said as he gave Zephyr a small kiss on the cheek before running off ahead, \"hey, wait up\" Zephyr yelled out after being stunned for a second as he chased after Ion to their next class. They got into the classroom a bit early as the two boys were the only ones there for a moment, \"what was that for?\" Zephyr asked Ion as they entered the room, \"oh for no reason in particular, you know I like getting you all flustered \"Ion answered as he started furiously scratching his chest again, \"dam this short fur is so itchy!\" \"Here let me help you with that\" Zephyr said as he walked over to Ion and slid a hand up his shirt and started scratching Ion's chest, \"sometimes it works better if someone else is scratching for you\" Zephyr said as Ion blushed, \"but dam your fur is short, it feels weird with you not having that thick fluff here\" Zephyr continued as Ion blushed even redder. The eyes of the two boys met as there was awkward pause between them, as Zephyrs hand stopped it's scratching and just felt Ion's heartbeat, it was fast, like his own as the two boys moved their lips closer, contact almost happened but more students entered the class room as Ion and Zephyr quickly parted, Zephyr removing his hand from Ion's chest as Ion tucked back in his undershirt. Both boys quickly took their seats like nothing happened but were both now intrigued by the new found feelings they had within them.\n\n\"Mom I can handle this on my own, you don't need to watch me wash\" Ion said in a complaining tone, \"sorry sweetie, but I need to make sure you are using the special soaps properly to prevent any chance of infection from your surgery tomorrow\" Ionia replied as she dumped a bucket of water over Ion's head, \"now the grab the soap and get a good lather all over your chest fur, I will be watching\" she continued as Ion sighed before he grabbed the soap and began to wash is fur. \"No no you are doing it wrong, here give me that\" Ionia commanded as she took the soap from Ion and began scrubbing his chest fur, \"hey you are being a bit rough, I can feel it in my skin\" Ion complained but Ionia ignored his plight, \"what do you think the scalpel will be cutting? It is going to cut your skin under the fur, not the fur itself so I need to make sure you get the soap nice and deep\" Ionia said to her son as Ion sighed again. \"I think it is all good now, can you go now so I can finish the rest?\" Ion complained again, \"why are you so afraid to be in front of your mother, do you have something to hide?\" Ionia replied in a sarcastic tone, \"beside I need to make sure you are clean all over, you know you will be all fluffy to all the doctors and nurses right?\" she continued, \"it is not like I already haven't with all the tests\" Ion protested, \"and beside I am old enough to do this on my own, I don't need your help anymore.\" \"Oh you don't do you\" Ionia said as she dumped another bucket of water on her son and threw a facecloth in his face causing Ion to look at her with a glare as he pulled off the facecloth, \"ok then but clean yourself up quick, I don't want any fooling around as you need to go to bed early as we need to get up early to take you to the hospital, I don't want to have to be pulling you out of bed like most mornings since you don't like to wake up\" Ionia continued as she left the bathhouse, finally alone Ion finished washing up before heading back to his room for the night, after getting dressed in his pajamas, Ion laid down in his bed and started to think about the event he was about to undergo, his dad came in a few minutes latter, \"ok Ion, lights out, we need to get up bright and early so no fighting us in the morning\" Ivan said as he tucked Ion in, \"don't worry, I won't, tomorrow is not about me, it's about being there for my friend\" Ion said as Ivan kissed him on the forehead, \"you know I am very proud of you for what you are doing, your mom too but she is just a bit worried so just try and not fight with her ok?\" Ivan said before he left the room. Ion tried to get to sleep but the nerves were starting to get to him, it was a big operation he was about to undergo, nothing like he had ever had before but one the Flint had many times in his life, was he like this every time the night before Ion thought. Moments latter Ion felt a presence sitting on his bed as he looked over to see his mom sitting there, without thinking, Ion sat up and held Ionia in an embrace as tears started flowing down his face. \"I though you didn't need me?' Ionia said in a coy tone as Ion buried his face deeper, \"hey, hey it is ok, I know you are scared but just think what this means for Flint, just how much he is counting on you, you are very brave for doing this form him, I am proud to have you as my son\" Ionia said in a calming voice as she rubbed Ion's back with her hand, which seamed to help him feel better. A few minutes latter Ion tears started stopping and he wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his pajamas, \"there now feel a bit better?\" Ionia asked her son as Ion nodded, \"good then, lets get you back to sleep, you need all the strength you can get to better prepare yourself for the morning\" Ionia continued as she tucked Ion back into bed, giving him a kiss before leaving the room, moments latter Ion was finally able to let his eyes close and doze off to sleep. \n\n[u][b]FRIDAY - The day of the surgery[/b][/u]\n\n\"Wakey, wakey Ion, it is time to get up\" Ionia said to her son as she shook his shoulder, Ion's eyes slowly opened as he sat up and rubbed them with the sleeve of his pajamas, \"you can get a bit more sleep in the car ride over but for now we need to get you out the door\" she continued as Ion groggily got out of bed and went down the hall to the bathroom. A few minutes latter he emerged to see his father waiting in the hall for him, \"how are you feeling? Are you ready for today?\" he asked as Ion gave a wide yawn, \"I think so\" Ion said in a sleepy voice as he yawned again, \"I just need to go back to my room and get dressed, then I will...\" he continued saying as Ivan picked him up, \"no worries Ion, you can wear your PJs to the hospital\" Ivan started saying as he carried Ion downstairs, \"just relax here and we will get everything ready for you\" he continued as he placed Ion down on the bottom of the stairs in the foyer, Ion then leaned against on of the banisters and started dozing off again. Ivan and Ionia took a few minutes to get all the bags packed and ready for Ion's hospital stay as some attendants packed them into the trunk of the car, \"hey Ion it is time to go\" Ivan said to the sleepy Ion as he picked him up again, \"here you don't want to forget this\" Ionia said as she handed Ion his stuffed bunny that he got the first time he was hospitalized a few years ago with a broken arm, Ion held the stuffed bunny close as he started to doze off in his father's arms as he carried him to the car. Placing Ion in the back seat, Ivan and Ionia took they seats on either side of him as Ion leaned over to lay his head on Ionia's lap as she just gently stroked his hair as Ion fell asleep again, Ivan gave the nod to the driver as the car moved into the streets to take the somewhat short ride to the hospital. When they arrived, Ivan picked Ion back up into his arms and carried him inside, Ionia went to the registration desk as Ivan placed his son in one of the waiting chairs as he was still sleepy, before joining Ionia to sign Ion in. A few more minutes went by as Ion was quietly sleeping, not knowing the activity that was going on around him, until a young lady dressed in surgical scrubs came to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder.\n\n\"Hello, Ion I presume?\" she sad in a soft voice as Ion opened his eyes, \"my name is Doctor Zaru, how are you today?\" Ion wiped his eyes with his pajama sleeve before looking her in the face, \"I am fine, I think, actually I do feel a little nauseous now that I think about it\" Ion answered as the doctor smiled, \"a little nervous are we?\" she asked as Ion slowly nodded, \"don't worry, that is quite normal, it is a really big operation you are having today but I promise I will help you through it ok?\" Doctor Zaru continued as she reached out one of her hands as Ion took it and stood up. \"Now then are we all set? I see you brought a little companion with you\" the doctor said noticing Ion's stuffed bunny as he held it close, \"don't worry you will be able to bring him in with you to the operating room and he will be by your side as you go to sleep and be there for you when you wake up, we will take really good care of him for you as well\" she continued with a smile which made Ion feel a bit at ease. \"Ok, why don't you give your parents a hug and we will get you all set up\" Doctor Zaru said as Ivan and Ionia came over and embraced their son, \"we will be here when you wake up, just remember we are very proud of what you are doing\" Ionia said just as they parted, Ion took Doctor Zaru's hand and make one last wave towards his parents before being lead down a hall and into an examination room. \"Now then Ion, I just have a few questions to ask you before I do a quick physical exam, can you please tell me your full name, your birthday and how old are you?\" Doctor Zaru asked as Ion paused for a moment, \"my name is Ion-Yggdrasil, my birthday is March 24 and I am nine years old\" Ion answered, \"very good, now can you tell me if you have any medical issues that we need to know about?\" she asked, \"no, none that I know of\" Ion answered. \"Ok then, have you had any other surgeries in the past before?\" the doctor asked, \"well, I have had two of them, one about three years ago when I broke my arm and one maybe two years ago when... I um... accidentally got... shot with an arrow in my tummy\" Ion answered again, \"oh I see, probably you don't like to think about that one\" Doctor Zaru asked as Ion shook his head, \"ok one more question, do you know your blood type?\" she asked as Ion thought about it for a moment, \"no I do not\" he finally answered. \"It is ok, I just had to confirm some information with the chart I have here, it says you are O- which I will confirm from a blood sample I will take at the end of the exam\" the doctor started saying, \"now then can you please undress and lay down of the examination table?\" she continued as Ion did what he was asked as Doctor Zaru checked him over. \n\n\"You are a really healthy fox\" she said as she helped Ion sit up, \"now I am just going to take a small sample of blood, don't worry this will not hurt a bit\" she said as she took Ion's arm and inserted a small needle into it , Ion winced at first but like she said it didn't really hurt as the tube filled with the bright red liquid, \"there all done, now can you take this cup to the bathroom and fill it up as much as you can for me?\" she asked handing Ion a orange coloured container, Ion blushed a bit but nodded and walked across the hall to the bathroom and returned a minute latter, \"thank you, I know that was a little bit embarrassing but we need to make sure you body is all good for what it is about to go through\" the doctor said as Ion handed her the cup. She then placed the sealed cup and Ion's blood sample into a plastic bag and then into a tall tube before inserting it into a device in the wall, she closed the cover as somewhat loud sound was made as the tube shot up in the wall, \"pretty neat isn't it?\" Doctor Zaru asked as Ion nodded, \"this way your sample can get to the lab quickly and can be checked before you go under, now let me do one last thing and then I will bring you to see Flint who has been waiting for you\" she continued as Ion's face lit up. She helped Ion back onto the exam table as she grabbed his arm once more, \"now I am going to put a different type of needle into you, this one may hurt a bit at first but only for a second\" Doctor Zaru said as Ion braced himself, she unpackaged what looked like two tubes attached to a larger needle, she then tapped near Ion's under elbow before inserting the needle as Ion yelped for a moment as he felt a pinch of pain but it quickly faded, \"there see not so bad\" she said placing a couple bands of tape over the larger tube, \"you must of had one of these before right?\" she asked as Ion nodded. The doctor then took a bag of medicine attached to a longer tube and attached it to the one now coming out of Ion's arm, \"this should make you feel very relaxed really soon, but now why don't we go and see Flint\" she said in a cheery voice as Ion hopped to his feet, she led him down the hall to the waiting area where Flint was lying in one of the gurneys. Seeing Ion approach, Flint sat up and turned his body so his legs were hanging off the side, Ion took a seat next to him as Doctor Zaru patted both boys on the head before walking off to leave them alone. \"I see you are doing a bit better\" Ion said to break the silence, \"yes but my chest still hurts quite a bit, but I can at least breathe normally, the medicine has been helping\" Flint replied, \"thats good and hopefully after today, you can get back to feeling good again\" Ion said as Flint suddenly pulled Ion into an embrace. \n\n\"Than... Thank you so much\" Flint started saying as tears were flowing down his face, \"I don't know what I would do without a friend like you, even though I don't deserve it\" he continued as Ion started patting him on the back. \"Hey, hey now no need to cry, what do you mean you don't deserve a friend, of course you do, you are the most gentle and kind person I know\" Ion said trying to cheer Flint up, \"but after what I did to you, how could you do this for me?\" Flint asked as his tears continued. \"Are you still on that? Like I said it was my fault that it happened, I don't and never have blamed you one bit\" Ion answered back as Flint still cried on his shoulder, \"look Flint, I really care about you a lot, you were the first real friend I ever had, an accident like that would never come between us\" Ion continued as Flint looked him in the eyes. \"Do you really mean that?\" Flint asked as Ion smiled, \" I do whole heartily, I really like spending time with you, especially when it is just the two of us... you might even say that... that I... that I...\" Ion started saying but was getting choked up, but then suddenly Flint pressed his lips against Ion's which caught him by surprise but soon he closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Flint's muzzle against his own, Ion didn't know how long it was going to last but he didn't want it to end, the feeling was just so great, his first real kiss with someone and he couldn't be happier, he did feel a bit bad for Zephyr as he had similar feeling for him as well but Ion felt the ones he had with Flint were stronger, he was glad Flint felt the same way. Some more time passed before their lips parted before both snapped back to reality, Flint turning his head away from Ion, \"sorry about that, I don't know what came over me... I promise I won't do it again\" he said as Ion placed a hand on his cheek and turned his head back towards his, \"don't be\" Ion started saying, \"like I was trying to say, I do love you, that kiss was... fantastic so I hope your are not serious as I would love to have more of them\" Ion said in a caring tone as he blushed a bit, Flint then re-embraced Ion as their lips met once more as they shared another loving but shorter kiss, \"I love you as well Ion\" Flint said as he buried his head into Ion's short chest fluff, \"can't wait for your fluff to fully grow back, it is always so soft and warm\" Flint said as Ion smiled and patted his head, the two boys just stayed like this until a bunny and a rat wearing surgical scrubs walked into the room. \n\n\"Hey boys, are you guys ready?\" Doctor Mazee asked as Flint raised his head from Ion's chest as both looked into each other's eyes and then to the two doctors and nodded, \"good then please follow us and we can get started\" Doctor Dague added as Ion and Flint stood up. Ion reached out one of his hands to Flint as he took it, going hand in hand, Ion and Flint walked into the hall, followed by the two doctors as they were lead down to the operating room. Entering Flint gave Ion one last hug as Ion gave Flint one last kiss before Doctor Dague took Flint to one operating table and Doctor Mazee took Ion to the other one. The doctors helped each boy up onto the operating table, as many different medical devices were attached to their bodies, moments latter the sound of their heartbeats could be heard through the monitors, their rhythms slows syncing in tune with each other. Ion then turned his head to look at Flint who turned to look towards Ion, Flint smiled as Ion smiled back before the doctors placed oxygen masks over their snouts, \"ok Ion just take a few deep breaths for me and can you count backwards from ten?\" Doctor Mazee asked as Ion started feeling very sleepy again, \"ten, nine, eight... seven... si...x... fiv...e... f...ou...r...\" Ion said in a groggy voice as he fell into a deep sleep. Flint turned his head again seeing Ion passed out from the anesthetic as he heard Doctor Mazee call for a scalpel, the nurse handed him one as Flint watched the doctor make a cut down Ion's chest as a bit of blood started dripping down Ion's fur. Flint turned his head back towards the ceiling as the surgeons were already hard at work operating on Ion, his turn would be soon, \"ok FLint, take some deep breaths and count to ten for me please\" Doctor Dague said as Flint now started feeling really tired, \"one, two, three... four... fiv...e... s...i...x...\" Flint said in his own groggy voice as he too fell into a deep sleep. Doctor Dague waisted no time making his incision into Flint's chest as he was a bit behind as Doctor Mazee was prepping to open up Ion's sternum, both their hearts were still beating in tune as the procedure had only just begun, a new lease on life for one but a budding relationship for both of them\n~ ","description_bbcode_parsed":"Art by RoyalOverdose on FurAffinity
A different format to the story I am trying out, if you are looking for a detailed surgery story like my many others you will not find that here, I am using the story for this to do some character development and some relationship development as it kind of made some sense to do, hope you enjoy it all the same ^^
(Also this is my first story to break 7000 words, which now make it my longest story to date!)
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TUESDAY - Three days before the surgery
"Are you sure you are feeling ok" Ion asked his fennec friend Flint who had been clutching his chest on and off throughout the morning, "yes I am fine", Flint replied, "it is just my scars acting up, that all" he continued. "You sure about that?" Ion and Flint's other friend Zephyr chimed in, "you don't look so well either, I think you should go to the nurse's office." "Yes I think so too" Ion cut in, "come on we will go with you, it is not that far" Ion continued but Flint still resisted, "come on guys, I am fine, really I am, no need to..." Flint started saying but was quickly grabbed by Ion and Zephyr one hand each and dragged off, "no buts, we are going and thats final" Ion said in a more commanding tone that Flint rarely heard unless Ion was serious. They arrived at the nurse's office a few minutes latter, with Ion and Zephyr explaining to her Flint's actions throughout the morning, "Flint sweetie, can you please remove your vest and unbutton your shirt, I need to take a quick listen" the nurse said grabbing a stethoscope, with a sigh, Flint did as he was told as the nurse sat down next to him and placed the cold instrument on his chest, "deep breaths for me please" she continued as again Flint did as he was told. "Hmm, I don't like the sound of this..." the nurse started saying as Flint tensed up, "you heart is beating quite irregularly, I am sorry but I need to call an ambulance and get you to a hospital right away, Ion, Zephyr can you please watch him while I make the call, come and get me right away if anything happens" the nurse said as she quickly left the room as Ion and Zephyr went to Flint's side as he was starting to nervously shake. Ion grabbed on to his friends hand, "don't worry Flint, I am sure everything will be fine, I am right here for you so don't worry" Ion said in soft voice as Flint squeezed Ion's hand back hard and slowly nodded, still shaking from his nerves. The nurse came back in a few minutes and the paramedics soon after as Flint was loaded onto a stretcher and taken away, Ion and Zephyr returned to class but could not focus for the rest of the day. Heading out of school, Ion saw his parents waiting for him outside the Overseer's car, which was an oddity as he usually walked home on his own with Zephyr and Flint, parting with them when their paths parted. Ion's parents waved the both of them over, as Zephyr's parents were also waiting in the car as both Ion and Zephyr started feeling nervous. "Before you ask, Flint is ok for the time being" Ion's father Ivan started saying to them, "we are just going to take you both to the hospital so you can see him for yourself" he continued as Ion and Zephyr breathed a sigh of relief as they got into the car. The journey was a short one as they arrived at a special hospital that was usually reserved for members of the Contract Hunters, but they also served the tribal population of which Flint was a part of, and the Overseer's family to which Ion had experience here being the Overseer's son, once when he fell and broke his arm and the last time with a much more serious injury.
They walked inside and were directed to the cardiac ward where Flint was being housed, when both boys walked into his room, Flint's face beamed with a smile through his oxygen mask and Ion and Zephyr went to his side. "Hey, how are you feeling?" Ion asked, "ok I guess... but I do need surgery again as soon as possible, as my heart is not doing too well... problem is I need a tissue donor this time, which we have not found one yet, as they cannot fix it the way they have done before" Flint responded as Ion and Zephyr's expression soured, "but don't worry, I am sure they can find one soon" Flint continued to try and brighten the mood. "Well I see your friends have come here to see you" a voice could be heard entering the room, "Doctor Dague, have you any updates on finding a donor?" Flint's mother asked the doctor as he entered the room, "unfortunately no, there are some that are a close match like yourself and his brother, but it would not be good for this type of surgery" Doctor Dague replied as Flint's mother frowned a bit, "is there any other family members that we can test or others that you know that may be willing?" Doctor Dague asked as Flint's mother went deep into thought, "is it possible to test me?" Ion blurted out as he overheard the conversation, "and me as well?" Zephyr asked but in a more reserved voice. Doctor Dague, Flint's mother and both Ion and Zephyr's parents looked at each other with slightly puzzled looks, "I can ask you to do that boys, I don't think..." Flint's mother started saying before she was cut off, "but can you do it?" Ion asked out loud, "er, well yes as anyone can offer to be a donor if they give permission and in this case our parent's permission" Doctor Dague started saying as both Ion and Zephyr looked at their parents with determination in their eyes, "so can I?" Ion asked in a serious tone to his mom and dad, Zephyr remained silent but his demeanor showed he was in lock step with Ion. "I guess so, it wouldn't hurt to find out if you can help him" Ion's mother Ionia stared saying as his father nodded in agreement as Ion started smiling, Zephyr's parents also agreed to let Zephyr get tested as well as both boys were lead to an examination room by Doctor Dague, "Ok Ion can you please undress and get up on the table, Doctor Mazee will be in shortly to give you the test and Zephyr, come with me as I will be doing your test in the room next door" Doctor Dague said as Ion gave Zephyr a small hug before they left the room, Ion removed his clothing and got up onto the examination table like he was asked as a few minutes latter a mouse wearing scrubs entered the room. "Hello there, you must be Ion, I am Doctor Mazee and we are just going to do a small little procedure here which I see you are all ready for" the doctor started saying, "I am just going to do a quick physical exam, is that alright?" Doctor Mazee continued as Ion nodded. It didn't take long as Ion was deemed fit to undergo the small procedure, electrodes were attached to his chest as his heartbeat went on screen and a intravenous needle was placed in his arm which gave Ion a bit of a pinch, an oxygen mask was placed over his nose as Doctor Mazee placed a hand on Ion's forehead, "now Ion, you may feel a bit uncomfortable when I begin but don't worry, you should not feel any pain, I will try to be as quick as possible so it should not take too long"
Doctor Mazee said as he grabbed a large looking needle attached to a long cord, "are we ready?" he ask as Ion nodded. The needle was inserted into Ion's chest between his ribs as Ion clenched a bit in some discomfort, with his other hand, Doctor Mazee had a different device which he moved around Ion's chest as it made a image of his heart appear on a nearby screen, with an image of the needle moving closer to it. "Ok we just need to take a small sample here" Doctor Mazee started saying as the needle make contact with Ion's heart, causing a bit more discomfort, "and done!" Doctor Mazee said as Ion saw the needle move away from his heart on the screen and soon after it was pulled out of his chest, "now that wasn't so bad now was it? Much better then having that arrow being pulled out of your tummy right?" Doctor Mazee asked as Ion cracked a small smile and nodded, remember the last time he was in the hospital after Flint accidently shot him with an arrow. Doctor Mazee placed a band aid over the small hole where the the needle was inserted as he helped Ion off of the table and helped him get dressed again, 'the results should be in shortly, for now lets get you back to your friend ok" Doctor Mazee said with Ion nodding as he escorted him back to Flint's room where Zephyr was also waiting, "how was it?" Zephyr asked, "not too bod, how about you?" Ion replied, "it stung a little but I can complain" Zephyr replied. An hour went by before both Doctor Dague and Doctor Mazee reentered the room, "Well we got the results back, Zephyr is in no way a match s he is out" Doctor Dague started saying as Zephyr looked a little down, "but Ion, he matches up perfectly, if everybody is on board we can schedule the surgery for this Friday, as long as Ion passes some other tests we need to do to make sure his body is fit for this type of surgery" Doctor Dague continued as Ion looked towards his parents. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Ionia asked her son as Ion looked over to Flint who looked back at him with curious eyes and then back to his mom, "yes, Flint needs help and I am the one to give it to him, if I have to undergo surgery to do that then I will" Ion replied, "just so you know it is open heart surgery Ion, we will be opening you up and operating on your heart" Doctor Mazee added in just to make sure, "I know that but Flint has been through many heart operations before and if I can help him by even doing one, then I will gladly do it" Ion replied in a determined voice as his parents and Flint's mother smiled as Ion's selflessness. "Ok then we will do the surgery Friday morning" Doctor Dague said, "but before we do that we need to make sure Ion is fit to go under the knife, Ivan, Ionia and Ion can you come with me, there are a few things we need to go over and get you set up to come back tomorrow for further testing" He continued as the three of them nodded and followed the doctor out of the room as Doctor Mazee went to Flint's side, "you are very special to have a good friend like him" he said which Flint smiled, "yes I am, especially after what I did a couple of years ago, I am glad he is still by my side after all that."
WENSDAY - Two days before the surgery
"Hello Ion, how are you doing today?" Doctor Mazee asked the young kit as he entered the room, "ok I guess" Ion answered seaming a bit nervous, "at least I get a day off school today for this." "Well, you might be getting at least a month off school starting Friday, it is something to look forward to" Doctor Mazee said to try and brighten Ion's mood but it didn't seam to work, "nervous are you?" "A little bit" Ion started saying, "I guess I am just starting to realize what I gotten myself in to." "You know you can still back out, you don't have to go through with the operation" Doctor Mazee said as he placed a hand on Ion's shoulder, "no, I don't have that choice" Ion responded, "Flint is counting on me, he needs me to live, his heart is giving out and I can stop that, I cannot let him die." "Spoken like a true gentlemen" Doctor Mazee said with a smile, patting Ion on the head, "now how about we get started, please undress and I will get all the equipment hooked up to you so we can begin the test." Ion did as he was asked, as he became a giant mess of fur, Doctor Mazee motion Ion over to him where he started placing may electrodes on Ion's chest, "you go some fairly thick chest fluff here" Doctor Mazee started saying, "remind me before you leave today that we have to get it shaved" he continued as Ion gave the doctor a mean look, "don't worry, we are not going to shave it all off, just thin it out a little bit as your chest fluff is a bit too thick to do the surgery, we will leave it about as long as your tummy fur here" Doctor Mazee continued again as he patted Ion on the belly which made him laugh a bit. "Ready to do some running?" Doctor Mazee asked to which Ion nodded as he stepped onto the treadmill, the doctor then placed an oxygen mask on Ion's face, "ok I will speed up and slow down the treadmill as needed, if you need to stop at any time just wave your hand and I will stop" Doctor Mazee started saying, "just remember to breathe as normally as you can, take deep breaths if you need to, we will make sure you are getting plenty of oxygen" Doctor Mazee continued as he turned on the treadmill. Ion started running, keeping pace with the somewhat slower speed at which the treadmill was going, he was use to running as he was training himself in parkour and the combat lessons he also received helped quite a bit, seeing that Ion was having no difficulty on the current setting, Doctor Mazee turned it up a few notches. Now Ion have to work to keep up the pace, he could handle it but his heartrate started climbing, which was the point of the test as Doctor Mazee got Ion's heartrate in the zone he needed. "Keep it up you are doing great' Doctor Mazee called out as Ion kept pushing himself, he was starting to feel a bit tired now, as he was not use to keeping up this momentum for this long, seeing Ion starting to struggle a bit, Doctor Mazee turned down the setting a notch, "ok Ion, if you need a breather, we can give it a pause" he called out but Ion just kept on running, his face full of determination but he was showing signs of exhaustion.
Doctor Mazee turned down the setting a bit more as he saw what looked like Ion cursing under his breath, he monitored Ion for a few more minutes as he continued toi push himself, but seeing this was all Ion could handle, Doctor Mazee ended the test, "alright Ion, we are done" he started saying, "you did quite well being able to go this long for someone your age" the doctor continued as Ion slowed his steps as the treadmill started stopping, with him falling onto his butt in exhaustion. Ion was taking deep breaths as Doctor Mazee kneeled down beside him, "thats it, just take your time and take it easy, when you are ready just let me know and I will help you up" he said as Ion turned his head and gave him a slow nod. After a few minutes, Ion tapped the Doctor Mazee on the arm as he helped him to his feet, "you know I said don't push yourself too hard, we just needed you work up a bit of a sweat to stress test your heart" Doctor Mazee started saying, "I... Know... I just... wanted to... see if I... could actually... keep up" Ion said panting a bit in between every few words, "you know... I am training... to be a... Hunter someday" he continued as the doctor gave a small laugh, "so you wanted to see if you could keep up with the likes of them" he said as Ion looked up towards his face, "yes... exactly" he said still huffing and puffing. "Well you got good determination, I can see you joining our ranks one day" Doctor Mazee said with a smile as Ion forgot that since he was a doctor at the Hunter's hospital, Doctor Mazee was one of them, a Hunter in his own way. "Think so?" Ion asked as he regained his breath, "I believe so, you got a lot of the good qualities that makes a Hunter and not just the physical ones as well" Doctor Mazee said which made Ion smile, "can't wait to tell Flint and Zephyr, as they both are looking to becoming ones as well" Ion said as the doctor placed a hand on his head again, "i am sure they will be as well, Flint is a great fighter in more ways then one and Zephyr, if I am not mistaken, are not both his parents Hunters as well?" Doctor Mazee asked, "yes they are and they are good at helping all three of use with what we need to work on to become one someday" Ion answered in an enthusiastic tone. "Well thats good" Doctor Mazee responded, "now then lets finish up with the tests, the physical one is done but we need to collect a few samples from you, nothing like what we did yesterday, just some blood and other fluids, just come with me and it won't take too long" he continued reaching out his hand to Ion which he took as they left the room and walked down the hall.
A hour passed as Ion was waiting in one of the examination rooms with his parents as Doctor Mazee walked into the room, "well Ion is all good to have the surgery, his heart is in great shape, taking any tissues from it should not have any adverse effects, blood and urine samples are clean and he's got some good physical strength for his age" Doctor Mazee said as he sat down in a chair in front of the three foxes, "just need you guys to sign the consent form and Ion will be ready to go on Friday." "Can we just go over what the surgery will entail for Ion?" Ivan asked as he wrote his signature on the paper and handed it to Ionia, "sure thing" Doctor Mazee said as he motioned Ion to come over to him, "we will make a slightly large incision down his chest here" he started saying motioning his finger down Ion's chest which still had it's thick fluff, "we still have to get him shaved before he leaves but after we will open up the sternum and expose his heart, we will have to put him on bypass as we do need to stop Ion's heart to get at the tissues we need, it should only be for about an hour at most" Doctor Mazee continued saying as the three foxes listened intensely. "When Ion's heart is stopped, I will make a small incision into his left ventricle and extract some tissues around his mitral valve, the tissues will be cleaned up a bit by some of the attendants and then handed off to Doctor Dague who will be the one operating on Flint and graft them to Flint's weakening ventricle wall, then hopefully Ion's healthy tissues can stimulate Flint's cells to reproduce healthier ones so his ventricle can re-strengthen and not be at risk of rupture" Doctor Mazee continued in detail, "once we got the tissues we need from Ion, I will make sure his valves and ventricle walls are still in good shape before tightly stitching closed the incision into the heart, we will get it beating again with a small shock, make sure everything is ok and the heart is pumping blood again like it should and then close him up, Ion will be in intensive care for a few days to a week afterwards, just to make sure everything is still ok, he won't be able to get out of bed but you can visit him, we will make sure he is roomed with Flint so they can recover together and keep each other company after visiting hours are over but for the first few day they would be mostly resting and sleeping." "How long will he have to stay hospitalized?" Ionia asked as she finished signing the form and handed it back to Doctor Mazee, "well at least a few weeks after getting out of intensive care, but that would be in a normal recovery room, you guys can stay with him during that time if you like" Doctor Mazee answered, "we can place Ion in a semi private room if you choose, so he can still be bunked with Flint but as the Overseer's son you still have the option of the private Overseer's room." "Can we put them both in my special room?" Ivan asked, "it can handle multiple beds and would give both boys more room to play around in as they recover." 'If that is your desire then it can be done" Doctor Mazee replied, "it is your family's private suite so that is your choice" he continued, "then lets do it, I think it would be the best for both of them, I will still talking it over with Flint's family but I think they will agree, make sure to give them access to the room as well with security" Ivan said back. "Will do" Doctor Mazee said, "well I think that is all for here, Ion can you come with me as we still need to shave your chest fur a bit and Ivan, Ionia, I will be right back once I drop Ion off, I need to go over a few things with you to make sure Ion is ready Friday morning, he will need to shower with special soaps the night before, not eat anything after his dinner that evening and a few other things" Doctor Mazee continued, handing Ion's parents some papers as both Ivan and Ionia nodded. A moment latter, Ion and Doctor Maze left the room as Ivan and Ionia went over the documents that would make sure their son would be ready for the day of the surgery.
THIRSDAY - The day before the surgery
"So are you ready for tomorrow?" Zephyr asked as the bell to switch to the next class rang, "I think I am" Ion responded, "not much of a choice either way, I need to do this for Flint's sake as I know he would if the shoe was on the other foot" Ion continued as Zephyr placed a hand on Ion's back, "that's what like to hear and I will be with you both in any way I can be" Zephyr said as they walked to the next class. "Just hold down the fort here" Ion said in a sarcastic tone, "sorry for leaving you alone here for about a month, especially with them lurking around" Ion said as they snuck past some bullies that like to pick on them, "ya I am kind of afraid of being on my own here for a while" Zephyr said in a bit of a worrying tone, "well I can see if my dad can get you out of here for a bit after me and Flint get out of intensive care" Ion started saying, "my tutor will be teaching us during the days in recovery, so maybe you can join in as well." Ion continued as he started scratching the front of his vest over his chest, "something wrong" Zephyr asked as he noticed Ion's odd behavior, "oh, they trimmed my chest fur a bit and it is kind of itchy" Ion replied, "at least after today I won't be wearing a shirt for a while so it shouldn't be too bad." "I guess that is one thing to look forward to" Zephyr said at Ion's remarks, "yes and the fact Flint and I will be spending some quality time together, just don't get jealous ok" Ion said in a coy voice, "you think I am that petty that I would get jealous over something like this?" Zephyr responded with a glare at Ion. "Well sometimes you can be, just remember I like you both the same" Ion said as he gave Zephyr a small kiss on the cheek before running off ahead, "hey, wait up" Zephyr yelled out after being stunned for a second as he chased after Ion to their next class. They got into the classroom a bit early as the two boys were the only ones there for a moment, "what was that for?" Zephyr asked Ion as they entered the room, "oh for no reason in particular, you know I like getting you all flustered "Ion answered as he started furiously scratching his chest again, "dam this short fur is so itchy!" "Here let me help you with that" Zephyr said as he walked over to Ion and slid a hand up his shirt and started scratching Ion's chest, "sometimes it works better if someone else is scratching for you" Zephyr said as Ion blushed, "but dam your fur is short, it feels weird with you not having that thick fluff here" Zephyr continued as Ion blushed even redder. The eyes of the two boys met as there was awkward pause between them, as Zephyrs hand stopped it's scratching and just felt Ion's heartbeat, it was fast, like his own as the two boys moved their lips closer, contact almost happened but more students entered the class room as Ion and Zephyr quickly parted, Zephyr removing his hand from Ion's chest as Ion tucked back in his undershirt. Both boys quickly took their seats like nothing happened but were both now intrigued by the new found feelings they had within them.
"Mom I can handle this on my own, you don't need to watch me wash" Ion said in a complaining tone, "sorry sweetie, but I need to make sure you are using the special soaps properly to prevent any chance of infection from your surgery tomorrow" Ionia replied as she dumped a bucket of water over Ion's head, "now the grab the soap and get a good lather all over your chest fur, I will be watching" she continued as Ion sighed before he grabbed the soap and began to wash is fur. "No no you are doing it wrong, here give me that" Ionia commanded as she took the soap from Ion and began scrubbing his chest fur, "hey you are being a bit rough, I can feel it in my skin" Ion complained but Ionia ignored his plight, "what do you think the scalpel will be cutting? It is going to cut your skin under the fur, not the fur itself so I need to make sure you get the soap nice and deep" Ionia said to her son as Ion sighed again. "I think it is all good now, can you go now so I can finish the rest?" Ion complained again, "why are you so afraid to be in front of your mother, do you have something to hide?" Ionia replied in a sarcastic tone, "beside I need to make sure you are clean all over, you know you will be all fluffy to all the doctors and nurses right?" she continued, "it is not like I already haven't with all the tests" Ion protested, "and beside I am old enough to do this on my own, I don't need your help anymore." "Oh you don't do you" Ionia said as she dumped another bucket of water on her son and threw a facecloth in his face causing Ion to look at her with a glare as he pulled off the facecloth, "ok then but clean yourself up quick, I don't want any fooling around as you need to go to bed early as we need to get up early to take you to the hospital, I don't want to have to be pulling you out of bed like most mornings since you don't like to wake up" Ionia continued as she left the bathhouse, finally alone Ion finished washing up before heading back to his room for the night, after getting dressed in his pajamas, Ion laid down in his bed and started to think about the event he was about to undergo, his dad came in a few minutes latter, "ok Ion, lights out, we need to get up bright and early so no fighting us in the morning" Ivan said as he tucked Ion in, "don't worry, I won't, tomorrow is not about me, it's about being there for my friend" Ion said as Ivan kissed him on the forehead, "you know I am very proud of you for what you are doing, your mom too but she is just a bit worried so just try and not fight with her ok?" Ivan said before he left the room. Ion tried to get to sleep but the nerves were starting to get to him, it was a big operation he was about to undergo, nothing like he had ever had before but one the Flint had many times in his life, was he like this every time the night before Ion thought. Moments latter Ion felt a presence sitting on his bed as he looked over to see his mom sitting there, without thinking, Ion sat up and held Ionia in an embrace as tears started flowing down his face. "I though you didn't need me?' Ionia said in a coy tone as Ion buried his face deeper, "hey, hey it is ok, I know you are scared but just think what this means for Flint, just how much he is counting on you, you are very brave for doing this form him, I am proud to have you as my son" Ionia said in a calming voice as she rubbed Ion's back with her hand, which seamed to help him feel better. A few minutes latter Ion tears started stopping and he wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his pajamas, "there now feel a bit better?" Ionia asked her son as Ion nodded, "good then, lets get you back to sleep, you need all the strength you can get to better prepare yourself for the morning" Ionia continued as she tucked Ion back into bed, giving him a kiss before leaving the room, moments latter Ion was finally able to let his eyes close and doze off to sleep.
FRIDAY - The day of the surgery
"Wakey, wakey Ion, it is time to get up" Ionia said to her son as she shook his shoulder, Ion's eyes slowly opened as he sat up and rubbed them with the sleeve of his pajamas, "you can get a bit more sleep in the car ride over but for now we need to get you out the door" she continued as Ion groggily got out of bed and went down the hall to the bathroom. A few minutes latter he emerged to see his father waiting in the hall for him, "how are you feeling? Are you ready for today?" he asked as Ion gave a wide yawn, "I think so" Ion said in a sleepy voice as he yawned again, "I just need to go back to my room and get dressed, then I will..." he continued saying as Ivan picked him up, "no worries Ion, you can wear your PJs to the hospital" Ivan started saying as he carried Ion downstairs, "just relax here and we will get everything ready for you" he continued as he placed Ion down on the bottom of the stairs in the foyer, Ion then leaned against on of the banisters and started dozing off again. Ivan and Ionia took a few minutes to get all the bags packed and ready for Ion's hospital stay as some attendants packed them into the trunk of the car, "hey Ion it is time to go" Ivan said to the sleepy Ion as he picked him up again, "here you don't want to forget this" Ionia said as she handed Ion his stuffed bunny that he got the first time he was hospitalized a few years ago with a broken arm, Ion held the stuffed bunny close as he started to doze off in his father's arms as he carried him to the car. Placing Ion in the back seat, Ivan and Ionia took they seats on either side of him as Ion leaned over to lay his head on Ionia's lap as she just gently stroked his hair as Ion fell asleep again, Ivan gave the nod to the driver as the car moved into the streets to take the somewhat short ride to the hospital. When they arrived, Ivan picked Ion back up into his arms and carried him inside, Ionia went to the registration desk as Ivan placed his son in one of the waiting chairs as he was still sleepy, before joining Ionia to sign Ion in. A few more minutes went by as Ion was quietly sleeping, not knowing the activity that was going on around him, until a young lady dressed in surgical scrubs came to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hello, Ion I presume?" she sad in a soft voice as Ion opened his eyes, "my name is Doctor Zaru, how are you today?" Ion wiped his eyes with his pajama sleeve before looking her in the face, "I am fine, I think, actually I do feel a little nauseous now that I think about it" Ion answered as the doctor smiled, "a little nervous are we?" she asked as Ion slowly nodded, "don't worry, that is quite normal, it is a really big operation you are having today but I promise I will help you through it ok?" Doctor Zaru continued as she reached out one of her hands as Ion took it and stood up. "Now then are we all set? I see you brought a little companion with you" the doctor said noticing Ion's stuffed bunny as he held it close, "don't worry you will be able to bring him in with you to the operating room and he will be by your side as you go to sleep and be there for you when you wake up, we will take really good care of him for you as well" she continued with a smile which made Ion feel a bit at ease. "Ok, why don't you give your parents a hug and we will get you all set up" Doctor Zaru said as Ivan and Ionia came over and embraced their son, "we will be here when you wake up, just remember we are very proud of what you are doing" Ionia said just as they parted, Ion took Doctor Zaru's hand and make one last wave towards his parents before being lead down a hall and into an examination room. "Now then Ion, I just have a few questions to ask you before I do a quick physical exam, can you please tell me your full name, your birthday and how old are you?" Doctor Zaru asked as Ion paused for a moment, "my name is Ion-Yggdrasil, my birthday is March 24 and I am nine years old" Ion answered, "very good, now can you tell me if you have any medical issues that we need to know about?" she asked, "no, none that I know of" Ion answered. "Ok then, have you had any other surgeries in the past before?" the doctor asked, "well, I have had two of them, one about three years ago when I broke my arm and one maybe two years ago when... I um... accidentally got... shot with an arrow in my tummy" Ion answered again, "oh I see, probably you don't like to think about that one" Doctor Zaru asked as Ion shook his head, "ok one more question, do you know your blood type?" she asked as Ion thought about it for a moment, "no I do not" he finally answered. "It is ok, I just had to confirm some information with the chart I have here, it says you are O- which I will confirm from a blood sample I will take at the end of the exam" the doctor started saying, "now then can you please undress and lay down of the examination table?" she continued as Ion did what he was asked as Doctor Zaru checked him over.
"You are a really healthy fox" she said as she helped Ion sit up, "now I am just going to take a small sample of blood, don't worry this will not hurt a bit" she said as she took Ion's arm and inserted a small needle into it , Ion winced at first but like she said it didn't really hurt as the tube filled with the bright red liquid, "there all done, now can you take this cup to the bathroom and fill it up as much as you can for me?" she asked handing Ion a orange coloured container, Ion blushed a bit but nodded and walked across the hall to the bathroom and returned a minute latter, "thank you, I know that was a little bit embarrassing but we need to make sure you body is all good for what it is about to go through" the doctor said as Ion handed her the cup. She then placed the sealed cup and Ion's blood sample into a plastic bag and then into a tall tube before inserting it into a device in the wall, she closed the cover as somewhat loud sound was made as the tube shot up in the wall, "pretty neat isn't it?" Doctor Zaru asked as Ion nodded, "this way your sample can get to the lab quickly and can be checked before you go under, now let me do one last thing and then I will bring you to see Flint who has been waiting for you" she continued as Ion's face lit up. She helped Ion back onto the exam table as she grabbed his arm once more, "now I am going to put a different type of needle into you, this one may hurt a bit at first but only for a second" Doctor Zaru said as Ion braced himself, she unpackaged what looked like two tubes attached to a larger needle, she then tapped near Ion's under elbow before inserting the needle as Ion yelped for a moment as he felt a pinch of pain but it quickly faded, "there see not so bad" she said placing a couple bands of tape over the larger tube, "you must of had one of these before right?" she asked as Ion nodded. The doctor then took a bag of medicine attached to a longer tube and attached it to the one now coming out of Ion's arm, "this should make you feel very relaxed really soon, but now why don't we go and see Flint" she said in a cheery voice as Ion hopped to his feet, she led him down the hall to the waiting area where Flint was lying in one of the gurneys. Seeing Ion approach, Flint sat up and turned his body so his legs were hanging off the side, Ion took a seat next to him as Doctor Zaru patted both boys on the head before walking off to leave them alone. "I see you are doing a bit better" Ion said to break the silence, "yes but my chest still hurts quite a bit, but I can at least breathe normally, the medicine has been helping" Flint replied, "thats good and hopefully after today, you can get back to feeling good again" Ion said as Flint suddenly pulled Ion into an embrace.
"Than... Thank you so much" Flint started saying as tears were flowing down his face, "I don't know what I would do without a friend like you, even though I don't deserve it" he continued as Ion started patting him on the back. "Hey, hey now no need to cry, what do you mean you don't deserve a friend, of course you do, you are the most gentle and kind person I know" Ion said trying to cheer Flint up, "but after what I did to you, how could you do this for me?" Flint asked as his tears continued. "Are you still on that? Like I said it was my fault that it happened, I don't and never have blamed you one bit" Ion answered back as Flint still cried on his shoulder, "look Flint, I really care about you a lot, you were the first real friend I ever had, an accident like that would never come between us" Ion continued as Flint looked him in the eyes. "Do you really mean that?" Flint asked as Ion smiled, " I do whole heartily, I really like spending time with you, especially when it is just the two of us... you might even say that... that I... that I..." Ion started saying but was getting choked up, but then suddenly Flint pressed his lips against Ion's which caught him by surprise but soon he closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Flint's muzzle against his own, Ion didn't know how long it was going to last but he didn't want it to end, the feeling was just so great, his first real kiss with someone and he couldn't be happier, he did feel a bit bad for Zephyr as he had similar feeling for him as well but Ion felt the ones he had with Flint were stronger, he was glad Flint felt the same way. Some more time passed before their lips parted before both snapped back to reality, Flint turning his head away from Ion, "sorry about that, I don't know what came over me... I promise I won't do it again" he said as Ion placed a hand on his cheek and turned his head back towards his, "don't be" Ion started saying, "like I was trying to say, I do love you, that kiss was... fantastic so I hope your are not serious as I would love to have more of them" Ion said in a caring tone as he blushed a bit, Flint then re-embraced Ion as their lips met once more as they shared another loving but shorter kiss, "I love you as well Ion" Flint said as he buried his head into Ion's short chest fluff, "can't wait for your fluff to fully grow back, it is always so soft and warm" Flint said as Ion smiled and patted his head, the two boys just stayed like this until a bunny and a rat wearing surgical scrubs walked into the room.
"Hey boys, are you guys ready?" Doctor Mazee asked as Flint raised his head from Ion's chest as both looked into each other's eyes and then to the two doctors and nodded, "good then please follow us and we can get started" Doctor Dague added as Ion and Flint stood up. Ion reached out one of his hands to Flint as he took it, going hand in hand, Ion and Flint walked into the hall, followed by the two doctors as they were lead down to the operating room. Entering Flint gave Ion one last hug as Ion gave Flint one last kiss before Doctor Dague took Flint to one operating table and Doctor Mazee took Ion to the other one. The doctors helped each boy up onto the operating table, as many different medical devices were attached to their bodies, moments latter the sound of their heartbeats could be heard through the monitors, their rhythms slows syncing in tune with each other. Ion then turned his head to look at Flint who turned to look towards Ion, Flint smiled as Ion smiled back before the doctors placed oxygen masks over their snouts, "ok Ion just take a few deep breaths for me and can you count backwards from ten?" Doctor Mazee asked as Ion started feeling very sleepy again, "ten, nine, eight... seven... si...x... fiv...e... f...ou...r..." Ion said in a groggy voice as he fell into a deep sleep. Flint turned his head again seeing Ion passed out from the anesthetic as he heard Doctor Mazee call for a scalpel, the nurse handed him one as Flint watched the doctor make a cut down Ion's chest as a bit of blood started dripping down Ion's fur. Flint turned his head back towards the ceiling as the surgeons were already hard at work operating on Ion, his turn would be soon, "ok FLint, take some deep breaths and count to ten for me please" Doctor Dague said as Flint now started feeling really tired, "one, two, three... four... fiv...e... s...i...x..." Flint said in his own groggy voice as he too fell into a deep sleep. Doctor Dague waisted no time making his incision into Flint's chest as he was a bit behind as Doctor Mazee was prepping to open up Ion's sternum, both their hearts were still beating in tune as the procedure had only just begun, a new lease on life for one but a budding relationship for both of them
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