(Happy holidays from Pepperjack and Racquetball. They take pictures better for my friend than for me lol ) 

There is something in my butt that is not supposed to be there. 

Fox tried to snarl, but his mouth felt like it was fastened shut. He squinted one eye open, then closed it with a pathetic wine. Everything was blurry and way too bright. 

"Alright, got it. There's not much, though. Hopefully it will be good enough for the test," a voice to his left said, making Fox try to growl again, but his ears were met with silence. 

"We really should take this tape off so that I can check his mouth. He's emaciated and could have dental issues if he's been in animal form for a while," the unfamiliar voice said before being answered by one that had Fox forcing an eye open again. 

"Trust me, he doesn't have any trouble eating. He killed my cat last night." 

Night? I was out all night? 

There was a quiet sigh before Fox felt something slowly move away from around his mouth that he hadn't even noticed. Hands then began tugging at something on his face that was clearly wrapped around his muzzle. It pulled painfully at his fur, but whoever was doing it was thankfully being careful.   

"You told me, but you brought him to me to check over and see if we can figure out why he can't change and why he's so skinny. Clearly he can attack something and kill it, but you said that he threw up and passed out a short time after that?" the man said before the familiar voice replied. 

"Yes. He threw up and fell over, but I think part of that was my fault. I was so mad that he'd killed my cat and I didn't want him to bite or claw me when I picked him up, so when I grabbed him I just shook him nonstop until I got him inside my house." 

There was a quiet chuckle as the tape was finally completely removed, freeing his jaws. The muscles were too tired to move it more than a slight quiver, though. 

"It'll be alright, little guy. We'll figure this out and get you back to normal," the unfamiliar voice said before gently petting his head a few times. 

I am normal. I don't need to be a human just to be content with my life. 

The light above his head was making it hard for him to see beyond the man's white coat, but the strong scent of animals that was filtering into his nose told him that he had to be at a veterinary clinic. He would have considered animal control, too, but he couldn't hear any barking at all. 

I must have really been out for him to be able to tape my mouth shut, then carry me all the way here. 

"The test came back positive for several kinds of worms, but thankfully no heart worm. The amount he has, though, could definitely be part of the reason he's so thin," another voice said, this one female. 

Fox felt the man's fingers gently begin to open his mouth and finally managed to get out a slightly audible warning growl. 

"I see that the anesthesia is wearing off. I'm just going to take a look inside your mouth and make sure that there's nothing bad going on," the man said as he held Fox's mouth open just enough to be uncomfortable. He poked around for a few more moments, then released him. 

"It's not terrible, but you definitely need to get a dental done if you can't shift soon. You're teeth have a lot of tarter built up." 

They still work. 

To try and prove his point, Fox growled a second time, then gave a pathetic lunge toward the man's fingers. He barely made it a few inches before his legs refused to hold his light body up any longer, depositing him back down onto the cold metal table with a squeaky grunt. He got a pat on his head for the effort, the attention souring his mood even further. 

"I'm not worried about you biting me, little fox. I've dealt with much worse. The only thing I'm worried about is what has you so skinny." 

The other man, the who'd brought him there, stepped in front of him as the veterinarian lifted his arm and finally switched off the frustratingly bright light that had been nearly blinding him. 

"Do you want to keep him here overnight, Henry?" he asked, making Fox grunt and force himself to his feet again. His legs shook with the effort, but he could make his own decisions, and they won't be involving staying in a stinking vet's office. 

"I think you should take him back home. I can swing by tomorrow morning before I have to come in and check on him if you'd like," the vet offered. 

Or, you could let me go and I can get on with my life? 

Fox flicked his left ear and inched toward the edge of the table. He knew that his body wasn't quite working all that great right then, but he didn't want to stay at the vet's office, nor with the man who had caught him. He was just scooting off the edge of the table when a damn cat carrier appeared beneath him and easily caught his falling body.  

Luckily, there was a towel at the back of the carrier so that he didn't slam his face into the hard plastic, but it still wasn't the most comfortable landing. Hearing the metal door clip closed behind him as the carrier was righted made him sigh in frustration. 

A pet carrier. A damned pet carrier. 

"Sure, you have a key. Come by whenever." 

Fox was feeling motion sick by the time his carrier was set on the man's car seat a bit later. He wasn't sure if he would be able to manage the ride back without throwing up, but at least there was nothing in his stomach to make it worse. 

When the car stopped only a few minutes into the drive, Fox's ears perked up, then he peeked out one of the tiny slits on the side. 

Why is he getting out? Isn't it frowned upon to leave a pet in your car when you go shopping? 

Not that he was a pet, or ever would be, but the idea remained the same. It was thankfully cold outside, so he wouldn't cook in the car. He waited impatiently for the man to return, frustrated that he couldn't open the metal clasps on the pet carrier like he had at the animal shelter. The spaces between the intersecting bars were much too small for his paws to fit through. 

Can't even really walk around in this darn thing. 

Exhaling loudly, he flopped down partially on the messed up towel and waited. The man returned after a while, but instead of opening the front door, he opened the back and set two huge grocery bags inside. 

Something smells really good. 

Fox looked through the little slits in the carrier as his eyes followed the man's movements until he dropped down into the driver's seat and glanced over at him. Not wanting to be caught watching him for some reason, Fox ducked down and growled, though his voiced frustration only earned him a chuckle from the man as he got the car started again. 

"I picked up some groceries for the week. If you behave, you'll get some good stuff," he said as he began driving. 

Sniffing indignantly, Fox pinned his ears to the side of his head and settled in for the short ride. The second he got a chance to, he'd be out the front door and long gone. He kept his eyes on the floor of the carrier until the car stopped moving, doing his best to keep his uneasy stomach from getting worse. He didn't look up again until he was safely inside the man's house. 

Wait a second. 

Fox watched the guy through the bars of the carrier as he brought in the groceries he'd purchased, then put them away... then went to take a damn shower? 

I didn't even bite you yet today! Let me out of here! 

Of course, the man couldn't hear him so Fox just had to sit and wait until he emerged from the steamy bathroom twenty minutes later with a towel wrapped around his waist. With nothing else on, he got a decent look at his upper body, and, with a flick of his left ear, noted the faded scar on his left side. 

That looks like it had been a really nasty... dog bite. 

 Looking further up, Fox met the man's stare. 

"I'll let you out in a few minutes," he said before disappearing into a bedroom off to his right. 

Fox waited, unsure why what he'd seen was actually bothering him slightly. He hadn't done that kind of damage. It had definitely been an old injury. It possibly even happened when he was much younger. His ears perked up when the man reappeared in a pair of loose flannel pajamas. 

Backing away from the metal door of the pet carrier, Fox watched the man kneel in front of it and work the clasps open. As much as he wanted to run out and bite the guy, he held back and waited until he had gotten up and taken a few steps toward the kitchen before calmly walking out. 

I have to pee. 

Badly, too. He didn't remember drinking much of anything in the past day or so, but if he'd been at the vet, it was possible that he'd been given fluids. Looking around, he tried to find some sort of newspaper or something that might have been put down for him to go bathroom on, but when he saw nothing, he hurried to the bathroom. 

Tile is better than carpet, I guess. 

He would have preferred to go outside, but he knew that the man wouldn't just open the door for him. So, he found a spot on the tile that hopefully wouldn't make his pee run into anything that it might stain, then gratefully relieved himself. The idea of peeing in the toilet had come to mind, but he'd been there and tried that before. He'd fallen in more times than he could count when he'd been younger and wasn't about to bother trying it again. 

Once he was done he noticed a shadow looming over him and hesitantly peaked upward. 

Oh no. 

Tucking his tail, Fox darted into the bathtub and hunkered down, praying that the guy couldn't see him, even though he knew that it was obvious where he was. 

"You really had to piss on my floor, too? Why couldn't you just go—" 

Hearing the abrupt pause, Fox slowly lifted his head until he saw the guy run a hand through his messy dark hair and sigh as they looked at each other. 

"I guess I really do need to stop thinking that you can just change when you want to. I didn't leave anything down for you to go bathroom on so I shouldn't be mad that you peed in here."

He turned and left the bathroom, only to return a minute later with some cleaner and paper towels. The mess was soon dealt with, but to Fox's surprise, the man returned to the bathroom and stood in the doorway, staring at him with a quizzical expression on his face. 

What? I swear I'm not pooping in your shower. I haven't kept down enough to even think about it. 

After a few quiet moments the guy stepped forward, making Fox bristle and give a quiet warning growl. There was no aggression in the man's expression, for once, but he still didn't trust him. There were a few moments of tense silence before the guy actually sat down on the floor, then removed his hand from behind his back. Hadn't even noticed it, but I'm definitely liking what's in it. A big chunk of cooked chicken sat in his palm as he began to tear off a little piece. He then looked up at Fox and raised an eyebrow. 

"Come get some chicken if you're hungry. You have to come take it if you want it. I'm not going to throw it to you." 

Why spend money on me? First the vet, now you're trying to feed me. You also kept me from the police and animal control people for some reason. 

"You look like you're trying to figure me out, but that's what I'm trying to do with you," the man said as he shifted a bit to lean against the wall, then reached out a hand with a small morsel of chicken gripped between his fingers. 

"Stop being stubborn and come get some food, I'm just doing what my friend said to. I've got nothing on me to hurt you with and I have no interest in getting bitten again. If you come eat, I'll give you as much as you want." 

Fox's stomach rumbled at the smell and sight of the chicken. He wanted it, badly. Even if he was still feeling unwell, he knew that he would never get much better if he didn't eat something soon, and drink. Looking down at his damp paws, Fox noticed a few small pools of water leftover from the man's shower and pinned his ears back. 

No thanks. Not that desperate... yet. 

"Crap, I forgot to get you a water bowl," the guy said as he quickly got up and headed for the kitchen. 

Hey, leave that chicken here! 

Of course, Fox knew that he couldn't hear him, and after a frustrating couple of seconds he scurried out of the bathtub and followed the guy to the kitchen. He arrived just in time to see him set down a small towel near the doorway, then add a large bowl of water. Unable to resist, Fox ran over to it and gulped down nearly half of its contents before coming up for air, coughing slightly from overdoing it a bit. 

Never thought water would taste so good. 

"Here, I'm not that great at training animals and I don't really have anymore patience tonight," the man said, drawing Fox's attention up to him just in time to see him lean over and set a big bowl of shredded chicken next to the other on the towel. 

Even though he was too close for his comfort, Fox held himself back from attacking and instead focused his attention on the food in front of him. It didn't last long, at all. The bowl had been nearly full, and after only a few moments, Fox had scarfed it all down and was looking up at the man for more. 

"Uh, well, that disappeared faster than I thought it would. I know I said that you could have as much as you wanted, but my friend said that your stomach is going to be a bit upset because of the dewormer he gave you. Are you sure that you're okay to eat more?" he asked as he walked back over to the chicken and began cutting off more pieces. 

Fox flicked his ear and pawed at the empty bowl repeatedly, making a clinking sound with his claws and earning a quiet laugh from the man as he relented and brought over another big handful of chicken. 

"Fine, fine. This will be it for now, though. I don't want you to throw up. If you hold it down, we'll see about more later, okay?" he said as he knelt down and refilled the bowl with the shredded meat. 

Fox eyed the old scar on his side as he moved, distracted by the jagged faded outline until the man looked down at him. 

"What's wrong, Fox?" 

Blinking back to himself, Fox took a step back and twitched his nose. 

I mean, there's a long list concerning that subject, but I'm assuming you mean about me spacing out a moment ago. 

For some reason, the scar bothered him. Glancing at the man's hands and arms, he gave an internal sigh of relief to see that the marks he'd left were healing well. They likely wouldn't leave much of a scar. 

"Are you not feeling great now?" he asked, reaching for the bowl he'd just refilled with food. 

I don't think so! 

Fox pounced on it, lifting his hackles with a growl as he covered part of the bowl with his upper body and glared over his shoulder at the man. 

"Okay, okay. I won't take it. Just don't get sick, please." 

When the man stood up and went to start preparing his own meal Fox returned his attention to his own and, surprisingly sated from his first gorge and the amount of water he'd drank, he nibbled on the pieces of meat as he lied down, watching the man as he slowly chewed.  

"By the way," he said as he scooped out some sort of potato mixture onto his plate of chicken and salad. "My name is Noah... maybe one day I'll learn yours so that I can stop calling you Fox." 

Maybe not, cause that's my name. 

Finishing up a particularly large piece of his chicken, Fox stood up and took another small drink of water before stretching his tired body. It had been a very long time since he'd felt full, and he was teetering right on the edge of being too full. 

"Give me a minute and I'll get you something to sleep on if you'd like?" Noah said, drawing Fox's attention up to him for only a brief moment before he sauntered out of the kitchen. He'd slept on everything ranging from concrete to grass, the carpet would be perfectly fine. 

He found a nice spot beside the television in the far corner and curled up, his eyes already heavy with the need to sleep off the stressful day and rare large meal.

"I'm going to put some newspaper down in the bathroom for you to use after I eat and I'll leave the chicken you didn't finish in your bowl in case you want to finish it later," Noah said as he got comfortable on the couch with his dinner and put his feet up, then turned on the TV. 

I wonder what he does for work. 

He clearly had to do something, considering he could buy groceries and take a random fox he found to the vet. 

Whatever, not my business. 

Fox gave one more small yawn before allowing his eyes to close. It had been years since he'd slept inside a home, but considering the faint dusting of snow starting up outside, he was just the smallest bit grateful to Noah that he didn't have to be out in it.