Just A Fox
Later the same day, after Marls had fallen asleep, Jim regained movement in his ears followed by his legs then tail. Immediately he curled back up and growled at Ange. “I’m really sorry Jim, I didn’t think it’d go like this.” Jim didn’t believe her, nothing was true. “I wish I could change things back to before, before you met me, when you were just a human.”
She was lying, Jim knew. It was all lies, he had never been human, he’d just gotten in a fight with a coyote and got hurt, then these people took him. He just growled more and bared his teeth. “Once you’re better, I can change you back and you can forget all about this.” He just laid back down and hid under his tail. Ange sighed and slid him a bowl of chicken. “Here, you need to eat to recover.” He eagerly eats and she continues “I’ll be going to sleep now but maybe Marls will stay with you,” she shakes Marls awake, “I’m going to sleep, but Jim’s awake now. Good night.”
Ange quickly leaves before Marls can respond. “How do you feel now, Jim,” she asks him, in reply he bares his teeth. “I don’t blame you, and again, I’m really sorry about the cage, but it’s to prevent you from hurting yourself unintentionally again.” Jim also drank more water and looked up at her with curiosity. “I can’t stay awake right now so I’m going to go, but there’s a nurse that watches over during the night if you need help. Good luck and see you tomorrow.” She walked away without looking back despite Jim hissing and gnawing on the bars.
The next morning, Ange came to Marls’ door and knocked, “Marls? It’s me Ange, I need to tell you something.”
“Coming I’m in my bed right now.” Marls gets up and puts on clothes before opening the door. “What is it?”
“There is a reason that Jim never trusted me. I don’t know if Franklin’s told you or his wife, but he wasn’t born like this.”
“I found out last night when I read his blood tests, and what does that have to do?”
“I know you know that there are people who can do that to others, and, I’m one of them. I never told you because I thought it wouldn’t matter. Earlier that day I was downtown and he spotted me, and he started complementing me. I began to trust him and let him convince me that it was okay to make him part fox.”
“What happened next?”
“We were spotted by a local man who then shot him in the leg after we both turned into our animal forms and that caused him to revert and be captured. The man incited the other villagers to try to burn him then. I left to get backup but he probably thinks I left him to be killed.”
“That doesn’t really change anything, I don’t think that’s the reason, but that’s good to know.”
“I don’t think I can face him for now, but I need you to tell me about him and how he’s doing, and once he’s healed I need to know if he wants to stay or for me to change him back.”
“I can’t force you to, but if you don’t want to see him, then I’ll do that.”
“Thank you for that. I’m just so ashamed of myself.”
“I don’t think you did anything wrong, the world is just ugly and unfair. I’m going to go visit him before breakfast. Will you be on patrol later?”
“No, Franklin wants me to take a break and I think he is right, I can’t focus right now.”
“I see then, that’s nice of him anyway.” She grabbed her purse she hung by the kitchenette. “I’ll be going now, take care too.” She walked out and to the stairs as Ange headed down the hall to her room. Marls went down to the ground floor and inside the infirmary. Jim was already awake and chewing on the cage bars.
“Still? I just came to check how you are, but with the scattered food and dark spot on the grass, it seems you are moving around now. Tomorrow maybe we can probably get you out of the cage and after that back to your human form. I do have to work today just wanted to see you.” As she was about to get up, Jim limped over to the grass to relieve himself and she added, “hope you’re back with us soon.” She walked away and to the cafeteria. She sat by herself in the corner and ate a muffin.
She went on patrol with two other colleagues and for once nothing happened. Just an uneventful day laying low. It was very good though, Jim wasn’t the only one to be almost executed by others. It’s why she joined. All this free time did let her worry, about Ange and Jim. She wondered what would happen happen to both of them. The complexity of having emotions, this was simply just a failed rescue at worst, but it felt so much worse.
She was surprised when she returned to the base and found Franklin standing in the lobby with Princess on his shoulder. “Marla, I have some bad news, come to my office to tell you.” He led her down to his office and sat down. “This is about Jim. I had Princess go with him, and then tell me how he felt.”
“Oh… Okay,” her stomach sank and she sat down in front of the desk. “What did she say?”
“This is a time where being able to directly communicate with all animals would be useful, but anyway, she let me know that it’s over.” Franklin pushed the door shut.
“He died?!”
“No, in fact he feels much better, he’s no longer scared and though he still can’t use his leg, he’s walking around just fine. He just doesn’t remember anymore.”
“Remember what?”
“From his view, he was actually playing in the nearby field and killed a chicken from a farm so the farmer was trying to shoot him and he wasn’t being burned at the stake, rather the farmer lit the area around him on fire.” Marls just listened silently. “He doesn’t remember ever being human and thinks we stole him away.”
“Are you sure?”
“Well, not entirely. This is what Princess gathered, but he may still have a faint notion left.”
She stayed silent a while, “have you told Ange?”
“No, I don’t know how she’ll take it and furthermore I don’t know how to tell her. She obviously already feels very guilty.”
“Can I go see Jim before I tell her?”
“Yes, but I think that she may already have guessed. I let her in before I found out. He was no longer acting aggressive and scared so I thought it’d be fine. Maybe not.”
“That’s, something else, I have heard about it happening but didn’t think I’d see it. May I go see him now?”
“Yeah, go ahead but, be prepared.”
She got up and went back to the infirmary, and Jim lay there on a small cot on the ground. Ange was sitting by him scratching one of his ears. Ange turned to her, “what now?”
Jim was just playing with one of Princess’ toys, because they didn’t keep any other pet, while Ange scratches his ears. Notably he had a collar on now, “about what?”
“He’s gone. I’m just here, playing with a fox. What do we do with him now?”
“First he has to recover, but after that you can either let him free or keep him.”
“I took him out back earlier, and he got happy. He walked around and smelled the flowers then rolled around in the snow.” she started, “just a happy little fox. Now I’m not sure. I was going to turn him back anyway but I remembered when I met him, he looked miserable, and so does everyone else around him. And now, he’s so happy, I can’t do that. I know he wants to be free, but I just can’t let him go.”
“Then keep him, he doesn’t seem to mind.”
“You know that we’re not usually allowed to have pets and a fox isn’t domestic.”
“There’s been exceptions, I’m sure Franklin will let you. As for domestic or not, you’re a wolf, you can tame him.”
“I’m not worried about him attacking me, I’m worried about him attacking others and how I’ll take care of him.”
“You know I’ll help you, no doubt we all will. If you want, I can go with you and Jim to ask Franklin.”
She wipes away some tears and nods, when she gets up Jim does too. “Let’s go ask him and then take Jim with me to my room, he doesn’t need to be here anymore.”
“Sounds good, should I help you with Jim?”
“Not yet, I think he can make it.” She takes a few steps and calls Jim. He walks to her side and looks up at her with confusion. “Good boy! We’re going to go see if we can keep you here.”
“Ready?”
“Just go slowly so he can keep up.” The three walked down the corridor and into Franklin’s open office. “I want to ask you for something Franklin.”
Princess stood beside Jim and they sniffed each other. “I think I know what, but still ask.”
“When I went to see Jim I knew it. He didn’t remember, he looked at me like any captive animal would. Then I took him out for a walk.”
Princess jumped onto his shoulder and squeaked into his ear. “I see,” he muttered. “So, you want to keep him?”
“Ye, yes, but how did you know?”
“Princess told me earlier that Jim didn’t remember and right now she told me how he sees you right now. And yes you can keep him, it seems he also wants to stay with you.”
“Thank you so much!” She suddenly hugged Jim and surprised him.
“You can keep him in your room and later today someone will bring you a small bed for him and some other supplies. And, before you go,” he paused, “remember, this is not your fault.”
“Thank you again. I won’t mess it up.” She patted her knees, “c’mon Jim come see your new room.” Jim got up and followed her out the door.
Marls also got up, “pardon me,” she said to Franklin and followed Ange. “That went much better than I expected.”
“I have a suspicion I know why, but it doesn’t matter right now.” She held open her door as they went in. “I know he wanted to get a bed, but I think Jim can just sleep with me, he’s not too big.” She lifted him up to her bed where he laid down. He was tired from all the walking and curled up for warmth. “Other than that, right now I have nothing.”
“Think you’re doing the right thing?”
“I really do think so, but time will tell.”
“I really have to go back to work though, I hadn’t noticed it was three. Good luck with Jim here.”
“Marls? Do you think we should change his name now?”
“I don’t see a reason to, I guess you could call him Jimmy if you want.”
“Yeah, I think I’ll just call him Jimmy. OK, go back to work, Jimmy and I will be here.”
Marls brushed his tail gently and proceeded to leave.
“Jimmy!”
Ange runs up to a man on the street, “have you seen my pet red fox?”
He shakes his head, “no, but I have heard there’s one east of here.”
“Thanks!” She ran to the east and went on three blocks. There she saw him. Somebody had taken his collar and he had a dead chicken in his mouth.
She immediately took out her radio, “we have an emergency! Our location has been revealed, this is not a drill!”