FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A Burger for Hunter

(Also called: The Day A Burger Changed A Life).

By: Jenny Harlow

Hunter didn't know what else to do but swallow his pride and beg, his stomach was cramping so badly despite the fact that he didn't seem hungry. He just figured his stomach had moved past initial hunger pains. He lay against the wall of the Wendy's, breathing heavily, hand over his stomach as he panted. He wore his old ragged green coat, which was almost paper thin, jeans that were steadily becoming more hole than denim, a t-shirt that now had mud ground so far into it that it's blue stripes were almost entirely non-visible, and a pair of glasses that had a lense missing, his shoes smelled of old water and sweat even at a distance. His hair had grown long, and shaggy and his breasts were unbound. He looked like a woman, much to his dissatisfaction. A young couple approached, an ocelot and a flame point siamese. He looked at them, and tried to stand up and call out. Only a pained gurgle escaped. The flame point saw him and she ran over, reaching into her purse. "Oh my God, you poor thing." She said. She didn't really want to touch Hunter at all, though she wanted to comfort him. "Um, here..." She said, taking out a small bundle of cash from her purse. "It's not much, but it's all I've got to spare right now."

Hunter took the money, as he steadied himself. He looked into the cat's eyes and nodded slightly. "Th-thank... you." He wasn't feeling great, but now he at least had something to buy food with. He looked down at the bills. It was maybe about ten or so dollars in ones, enough that if he carefully rationed it, it would last him a while. He could smell the food cooking within. He waited for the young couple to walk inside, the siamese giving him one last sad look, before he too walked inside. The pain in his stomach finally dissipated to a tolerable level, and he straightened up as best he could. He walked over to the counter, his head hung low with shame.

"Can I help you ma'am?" The cashier asked, failing to hide the nervousness in her voice.

"I want a burger, cheapest you can give me, and water... That's really all I want." Hunter said, not even caring about his gender at the moment. He pulled a couple bills out, and attempted to pass them to the cashier. His whole body was shaking at the smell of food. A hand stopped his, it was a fox. A young male fox, he looked at the wolf with a small smile.

"It's alright, I've got it." the fox said, pulling a couple bills from his own wallet. Hunter could've hugged him, yet instead he merely smiled, his stomach clenching again. "Why don't you go wash up in the bathroom? You might feel better." The young fox said as he returned to work.

Hunter merely nodded. He walked into the ladies' room, his physical needs currently outweighing the mental. He locked the door and stood in front of the sink. It was the first actual mirror he'd seen in months. He looked at his face, his white coat was tangled and matted, and lacking it's normal gloss. His once shining purple eyes were now saddened and hollow, his cheeks around them thin. He could feel his clothes draping off of him, as he pulled his shirt up. He could easily see his ribs. He put his hands on the sink and cried for a moment. He had been on the streets almost a full year. He was kicked out of his house just before his seventeenth birthday when he admitted to his mom that he was trans. He hadn't finished high school, and at this point in his life it didn't feel like he would live long enough. Right now, he felt so sick that he wasn't even sure that he would wake up tomorrow. Still, he squirted soap on two paper towels, and soaked them through with water. He started with his face, he pulled back the towels to find a large gray patch, and several struggling fleas. He looked back into the mirror again, slowly washing himself as best he could. He then took a plain water towel and ran it across his body, the cold water causing him to shiver as it finally penetrated down to his skin. He knew he was running a fever, but there was nothing he could do about it.

When he felt clean enough, the wolf put his shirt and coat back on as he walked out into the restaurant. People stared at him, and he shifted his gaze away from theirs. One family's Mom whispered to her husband and shifted her child onto her lap protectively. The young fox handed Hunter his food, with a warm, sympathetic smile. He also gave him a small cup, with which he could drink anything he wanted. He chose a table, the furthest away from everyone else, in the corner. Hunter set the bag down, walking over to the Coke machine. He stared at it confusedly for a moment. "I just want water..." The wolf said, turning towards the cashier. She nervously shifted over and showed him what to do. "Oh, okay. I just didn't see that. Thank you." He said, looking at the cup in his hand. He filled it to the very brim and carried it over to the table, careful not to spill a single drop. He had recently been so thirsty without the ability to boil water, that he just drank water collecting in a ditch during a rainstorm. He sat down at the table, casually noting that all the other life in the restaurant was hesitantly returning to normal function. He pulled the burger and the small box of fries from the bag, and spread the meal out in front of him. His stomach was cramping badly, but he could feel his mouth watering. He closed his eyes and leaned his head forward, saying a silent prayer of thanks to whatever god that would listen. A thanks for the young fox, and the opportunity to at least have one last meal before he died. At least, that was his train of thought.

The wolf opened his eyes, his vision blurring. He hadn't noticed that his shaking had gotten worse. He stared down at the burger, so delicious and just right there, he wanted it so badly. He could barely move his arm to reach for it. Just as his hand touched the soft bun, everything went dark. To everyone outside, the young wolf just collapsed off the chair he'd been sitting on, and was now laying on the floor. The manager of the store ran out, urging the customers to stay calm, he told the cashier to call an ambulance. He bent down, his face momentarily shifting to a look of mild disgust as his fingers pressed into the wolf's neck. He was relieved to find that her heart, though weakly, was still beating.

Tim had just returned from his break, he yawned and stretched wanting the last four hours of the night to pass as swiftly as possible so that he could get off his aching feet. This was his first job as a hospital nurse, and he was fairly inexperienced. He looked at his assigned rooms and tasks, he pulled the stethoscope back around his neck as he checked the board. "Where is room one seventeen?" He asked, turning to the nurse at the computer.

"It's actually just down the hall, last door on the right before the double doors." She said, tilting her head in the direction of the room so that her typing was uninterrupted.

He smiled and waved as he walked down the hallway. He checked the report as he was walking down the hallway. "Young female wolf, approximately late teens early twenties, unconscious, showing signs of severe malnutrition, with possible bacterial infection." He read the orders aloud, quietly to himself. He walked through the door, closing it as he pulled the curtain back. He paused for a second, sitting down on the small rolling stool. He looked at her monitors and carefully took her temperature via a thermometer across her forehead, writing down the results. Her fever was high, almost past a hundred and three, her pulse was low but her pressure was up. He knew she was lucky, if she hadn't passed out from whatever illness she had and ended up in critical care, she likely wouldn't have survived the night. He finally noticed the smell coming from the wolf, no one had bathed her yet, which was one of his instructions for later. He shook it off, and continued about his work. Her feeding tube was clear, and a probactro stock had been given to her not long ago. He put his stethoscope into his ears, and placed it on her stomach. Her stomach sounded as if it were digesting food. Though her bowels sounded off to him. He patted her gently on the stomach, he wasn't really sure why, it just seemed right at the moment. He lowered the blanket a little further beneath her raised gown, and checked her for any leakages. Thankfully, for the moment, none had occurred. He noted a replacement IV bag sitting on the pole already, the first one quite empty. He swapped the bags out, as he was doing this he started talking to the wolf. "Sure wish you could answer some questions. Would be nice to know how you ended up in this state." The husky was only twenty himself, the wolf didn't seem much younger than him. He sat down, and idly took her hand.

At his touch, Hunter jumped awake, panicked and confused. He looked around, not recognizing anything. His clothes were gone, he had tubes sticking into his nose and his arm, and other places he didn't even want to think about right now. He flailed wildly, trying to find anything remotely familiar. Tim gently restrained him, making gentle shushing noises. He locked onto the husky's face, those blue ice shard eyes. He didn't know why but his eyes wandered up and down the grayish-black body, covered neatly in black scrubs. "Uh... Hi?" Hunter said, eyes locking with the husky's again.

"Hi yourself." Tim said, with a small smile, "I don't suppose you have a name do you?"

"What?" Hunter rubbed his head, still feeling foggy.

"A name? You know, the sounds you make to get someone's attention."

"Uh... Hunter."

"Hunter, eh? Well, that's an unusual name for a girl like you."

"Not a girl." Hunter said, still dazed. "Only look like a girl, parents think I'm a girl. That's why I'm out on the streets." Hunter was still babbling slightly, trying to clear his head. Had he been more in control he would've likely been less forthcoming.

"Oh... I'm sorry." Tim said, he made a couple notes on his chart. "I don't suppose you've got a last name there Hunter?"

"Yeah, I do... Where am I?"

"You're in Arlington Healthspring." Tim smiled.

Hunter suddenly looked sad. "My burger, that was the first meal I've had in days that I didn't dig out of someone's trash. They've probably thrown it away, and after that young fox paid for it. I just wanted to eat my burger." He said, he leaned forward to grab his knees. As he did, there was a wet squelch beneath him.

Tim stood up, gently lowering the blankets. He saw the red mixed with the other material that had come out. "How long has there been blood in your stool?" The husky asked, turning a concerned glance to the wolf.

"A couple days now, can't get to a doctor. Figured it's because I haven't eaten well." Hunter's head tilted down. He was painfully aware of all the bad smells surrounding him right now.

"How about water, you staying hydrated?" He suddenly looked up, "Have you drank any water from a river, lake, or ditch recently without boiling it first?"

Hunter nodded. "I was so thirsty a few days back. When that large rain storm hit, I was caught in the open. My only shelter was a bridge over a ditch by the park I was sleeping in at the time. I climbed down into it, and under the bridge. I couldn't get a fire lit, I saw all that cold rain water just filling the ditch. I was so thirsty at the time that I just bent over and started sucking it into my mouth as much as I could stand."

Tim shook his head. "From the way your body's reacting, I'd say there was something living in that ditch that's in your gut now. Just gotta wait until we get your labs back to be sure." He crossed his arms, looking down at the chart and the evidence in front of him. "But with the fever, the bloody stool, everything seems to point that way."

"Am I going to die?" Hunter asked, his head rested on the pillow. It still felt so light, and dizzy.

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Tim said, with a wink. "Now this might sting a little," Tim said, as he carefully removed the tube from the wolf's nose.

After the tube was out and his nose was clear, Hunter started to closes his eyes. He opened them again in a flash. "My clothes, my glasses, where are they? They're the only things I own."

Tim pulled a bag out of the drawer, "They're right here." He set the bag down on the bed, the young wolf eagerly went through it, extracting his pants. He pulled a wallet out, it was blue and looked like old mimus leather. He opened it, pulling out the small wad of bills he'd placed into it earlier. He looked at the husky, and started to extend the money forward, but pulled it back at the last moment. "Don't worry about your bill, there's a charity nearby that we use in cases like yours."

The wolf extracted one last item from the wallet, passing it to the dog. "There, my highschool ID." He said with a frown, "It has my birth name on it, and at least one ID number that can be used if you need it."

"Thanks Ms... I mean Mr. Grayson." He said, passing the ID back. "I'm going to get you some clean sheets, and then I'll help you shower." He said a little more nervously than he'd intended.

The wolf stopped him as he was leaving. "Is there anyway you could get me some food. My stomach's cramping so badly, I just feel like I need to put something in it."

"Likely whatever is living there is making it cramp. You're on a no solids diet for a little while, at least until we're certain that you're able to digest and keep them down."

The wolf sighed as he laid back. "I don't suppose though, there's any chance I can get my clothes washed?"

"I'm afraid we're not supposed to wash patient clothing. It's a liability issue if it gets lost or stolen." The husky sighed. "However, we have no rules against off-duty nurses visiting an ill friend and taking their clothes home to be washed." Tim had his back to the wolf, yet he could almost feel the small smile forming as Hunter's eyes closed.

Hunter woke up a short time later. The husky stood above him, carefully removing the line to the drainage bag. Tim handed the wolf a clean gown, then turned around so he could change in private. Hunter changed relatively slowly, his limbs still moving at a tired pace. "Hey... Can you help me?" Tim turned around, Hunter wasn't able to tie the gown in the back, his fingers weren't gripping the strings enough to actually make a knot.

"Sure." Tim stood behind him, he felt Hunter stiffen slightly as his hands got near his back. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just had a couple years with bad people. My sister used to attack me from behind and pull the rib band of my..." Hunter stopped speaking for a second, rubbing his arm. He cleared his throat. "So, what about you, what's your name?"

"I'm Tim, it isn't short for anything, literally just Tim." The husky was careful in tying the strings on the back of the gown. "There ya go Hunter." He said, gently patting him on the shoulder. He put an absorbent pad on the recliner in the room. "Now you go sit yourself down in that comfy armchair, while I take care of your bed. Then you can take a nice hot soak. You look like you need it."

Hunter laughed, kicking back in the chair. "I smell like I need it too." He adjusted in the soft fabric. It felt so much better than the wall he had been laying up against not more than an hour or two ago. He stared up at the ceiling, as Tim whistled happily. He was in the middle of taking the mattress cover off the bed when he looked up at the wolf.

"Hey, what'cha thinkin'?" Tim said, he didn't know why, but he kind of felt attached to him, even though they'd barely just met.

"When this is over, when I'm better, then what? I just get shoved to the curb again? Why even bother then?" Hunter looked down at his feet, covered by the yellow grip-socks.

"No, there's a place that can help you out, at least get you into shelter and help you look for a job." Tim frowned as he continued his work. "How old are you Hunter?"

"I'll be eighteen in just two weeks, if the clock in the park is accurate. Two days from now will be the anniversary of my first night out on my own." Even though his head was clearing, Hunter still felt inexplicably drawn to tell the husky his deepest secrets.

Tim finished making the bed, he stopped for a second to rub the lower part of his back, groaning slightly. "I'm sorry." He said, he walked over and put his hand on the wolf, "No one deserves that." Tim looked downward in thought, thinking about a friend of his who very nearly ended up in the same situation, for the same reasons. What a small world I live in, the husky thought with a shake of his head. "Tell you what though, let's take your mind off of it. Why don't we get you into the shower, and get you clean. I'll pick you up some fresh clothes and grooming supplies tonight." Tim said, as he rubbed Hunter's arm, taking his hand. He carefully removed tube connected to the IV line, and covered the port. He helped Hunter rise to his feet, the wolf cried out in pain twice as he got up, finally almost collapsing onto Tim. Tim held the wolf tightly, letting him stabilize. Hunter liked the way Tim's arms felt around him. He knew, as soon as he figured out that he was a man, he was gay man. He grinned a little, his face nuzzling into Tim's chest. The husky blushed under his fur. "Okay, come on now you." He held onto Hunter, turning him around so that he was facing into the bathroom. The wolf shook, his legs attempted to drop out from beneath him. "Easy, easy now."

Hunter pointed at the toilet. "I need to go before I shower." Tim nodded, helping him get lowered down onto the seat. Hunter patted the husky's shoulder. "Would you mind leaving? I have a thing about people being in the bathroom while I'm on the toilet... I don't really want to get into it."

Tim flashed a small smile as he walked out. "Let me know when you're done." He could hear the wolf's misery even outside the door. Hunter whimpered occasionally, each time triggering a pang of sadness inside the black dog.

"I-I finished now..."

Tim opened the door, the wolf had attempted to clean himself up as best he could. He carefully lifted him up again, placing him on the small bench in the shower. He let Hunter set the water for himself. The wolf was undressed, and his coat pinned down by wetness. Tim couldn't help but notice how easily visible the wolf's bones were. The skin of his chest pressed so tightly to his ribs that Tim could nearly count them, the individual bumps of his spine and his shoulder blades were clearly visible as well. He tried not to let his smile waiver as he rubbed the shampoo into the wolf's back. Hunter jumped the first time his hand touched him, but then he leaned slowly towards the husky. His breathing was still shaky. Tim spent more time helping Hunter shower than he was really supposed to. The feeling of cleanliness being enough to provoke Hunter into crying tears of joy. When he finally helped the wolf out, he took a blow-dryer and towel and let Hunter wrap himself up, using the dryer on any exposed fur. The wolf was tucked in again. "There should be someone coming by with a cup of broth for you soon, I've got other patients to attend to I'm afraid." He smiled down at Hunter. "I tell you what though, I'll see you later tonight when I'm off, check on you before I go home. Okay?" He rubbed Hunter's shoulder, mildly surprised when the wolf took his hand.

"Okay."

Tim walked out of the room, letting out a sigh as he did so. He looked at his report, dropping the chart back into the slot on the door as he pulled it shut. "Rough night?" A voice behind him called, making him jump. "Easy there kid, don't go into orbit just because someone spoke to ya." The female voice said, it carried a mild southern accent.

Tim turned around, he was faced with a small rat, wearing a white coat and blue scrubs. She had her arms crossed, and a small sideways smile on her face. "Oh Dr. Noble, I'm sorry. It's just so quiet around here this time of night."

"So what did you find out about our sleepin' beauty, I hear she's awake now." The doctor took the chart and flipped through it, nodding slightly. "What's this part here? Prefers he/him?" She said, lowering the chart down to look at the husky.

"His name is Hunter, he's t-"

"She's transgender is what you're going to say." The doctor shrugged, leaning against the door. "Kid, this isn't my first rodeo."

"I know Dr. Noble, but if you could call him by his-"

"As I said, not my first rodeo. I know what to call him, I've been working at this hospital since before you were born Tim." The doctor said, "I've seen my fair share of diverse people. Anything else you get from him besides a name?" She asked, even as she was looking at the chart. "Seventeen... That can't be right. Where's his parents?"

"They kicked him out." Tim said, looking at the closed door.

She sighed as she shook her head. "I've seen so many doctors, a few even at this place, put the cause of a patient's issues as being transgender. Yet, this is one of the few times I think that's even close. Poor kid, not his fault though, some parents just don't deserve the title." She patted Tim on the shoulder. "Now go finish your rounds."

"Before I go, I just want to know, have the lab results come in for him?"

The doctor nodded. "Pale skin, blood in drainage bag of catheter, severe dehydration, and the lab results confirm it. He's got a severe E. Coli infection, thankfully though it doesn't seem to be an antibiotic resistant strain. He's going to be here for the next couple weeks at least. Besides his infection, we've got to get some calories in his system."

Tim just nodded, "So what's your assessment of all of this."

"If I tell you will you make your rounds?" The doctor said, with a serious expression. The husky nodded. "Okay. He's weak right now, even though he may seem like he's okay, he's not by any means out of danger yet. We've got to keep an eye on him, make sure the food that gets down doesn't come back up. Besides that, we've got to get his fever down. Overall, I'm hesitant to say one way or the other. It could go either way right now." The doctor put her hand on the door knob. "If you really feel for the boy, pray for him. I know it sounds superstitious, but it can't hurt. It's helped me in the past." She walked into the room, closing the door behind her.

The first few days Hunter was in the hospital, Tim would visit him before going on shift, help him when he was assigned to, and visit him before going home. He made sure Hunter was eating, and did his best to take care of any grooming needs the wolf had. His visits became more and more frequent, as the wolf would absolutely light up as he came into the room. He would find or make up excuses to come and check on him. The wolf looked better and better every time he saw him. One particular night, after Hunter had gotten back onto solid food again, he snuck into the room with a smile on his face. It was close to midnight, most normal visitors had long since left. He crept over to the bed, shaking the wolf's shoulder. Hunter stretched and yawned, his eyes meeting those of the husky's. The dog produced a bag from behind his back, and placed it on the tray in front of the wolf. It was a small Wendy's bag, he set a cup of cold iced-tea beside it. Hunter was almost in tears again, as he looked at the dog. He pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you." He said, holding the dog for a while. Tim didn't mind a bit. Tim was as attracted to the wolf, as Hunter was to him. Hunter pulled the small wrapped burger out, and the box of fries, his smile getting broader. He bowed his head, holding his folded hands out in front of him. "Thank you for sending me this angel..." He said softly. Now it was Tim's turn to tear up, something he hadn't expected.

He sat, quietly smiling as the wolf slowly and contentedly ate his burger and fries. He tried his best to finish it all, but had to stop early. "That's okay," Tim said, rubbing his back. "You did severe damage to it. I know how much you wanted that burger, and I'm sorry our food doesn't always hold up well."

"Are you kidding me? It's quite good."

"Well, I guess anything's better than dumpster diving." The two canines laughed.

Hunter suddenly looked sullen. "Will I see you again, once I'm out of here?"

"If you want to." Tim said, holding the wolf's hand. He had struggled to keep their blooming relationship a secret, though a couple people suspected, and Dr. Noble knew. Initially, she had scolded Tim, feeling like he was taking some advantage of the wolf. Yet, the more she saw Hunter thrive with the husky around, the more she backed off. Tim leaned in and kissed the wolf on the cheek. Hunter put his hand up to the spot, his mouth opening in surprise. "Listen, that place I mentioned, the one that would get you back on your feet, you don't have to stay there any longer than the hospital orders."

"What are you saying?" Hunter said, as he took Tim's slightly larger hand in both of his.

"I'm saying... You could maybe... Stay... With me?"

Hunter's eyes grew wide. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. Instead, he merely opted for another tight hug around the dog's neck. It would be a few days yet, but he would finally have another home. He kissed the husky on the chin before he leaned back. Tim had to leave, his window to visit wasn't that long. He let his hand gently trail down the wolf's arm as he stood. Hunter lay in bed, staring at the moon outside the window. His parents and their horridness had almost stripped him of what little faith he had. However, he now really believed that angels existed, and one had sent him something he'd been missing for a while now. A home, a friend, and little did he know, a family.