Chapter 5: A Love Lost...
Another month had passed. Nearer and nearer was the tod and the sheperd's wedding date. Never before had Jared felt so nervous. Every day, getting out of bed, he would look at the calender and check off the days. Quite simply, it wasn't the commitment he was worried about. This morning, he looked over at the tod sleeping so softly in his bed. How could he help make it right? Help make the whole event run to where it will be the day they will both remember forever?
Jared wasn't the kind of dog to have an eye for things like that. Vince has always shown great ability in that department. Thus why the place they lived in looked so great on the inside. The sheperd would always feel a tad ashamed when he drew blank slates as to what to do with the place, but Vince would simply pat him on his big, broad forearm and say something like, "Don't worry, honey, I'll get it," or his most famous line, "Ah, I'll look at it later".
But the wedding! Jared had to think of something to contribute to it. The tod had already gone though the trouble of getting the floral arrangements and guests lined up (though, to tell the truth, it isn't a long list).
The big German sheperd sighed. He'll think of something. Something extra-special. Standing in his camoflage boxer-shorts, he walked carefully over to the side of the bed, looking down at his loving fiance, still curled up in the bedsheets. Leaning down, his placed his lips on the tod's head, giving him a tender kiss.
"Wake up, sleepy-head," he said softly, "Remember, we were going to go see Greg and Bernie about a friend of theirs."
The tod blinked his bright eyes open, sitting up slowly and rubbed his sleepy eyes, "Already? Mmm..." he stretched his slim upper body and a few pops could be heard, "Meep! That felt good..." he giggled, then slipped out, naked, from the bed, "Yeah...poor guy. I really hope we can cheer him up some, huh?"
Jared nodded, "Yeah. I don't know the whole story. Just the fact that he's not been the same since something terrible happened to him."
Vince opened the drawer, taking out his usual clothing, including his adorable thong that Jared couldn't help but grin at before the fox slipped it on, "Yep. I'm not sure about it, either, to be honest," he said as he started putting on his pants and shirt, turning to the sheperd, "Hey, slowpoke!" he giggled, "I'm beating you!"
Jared reached up behind the fox and kissed his neck, sending a jolt of warm feelings throughout the tod's body in a second before the sheperd winked, "Hey, I gotta watch you, you know. Can't resist that sexy body of yours!"
Soon, they were both dressed and ready to go. The location of their travel was the local hospital about a mile in. Getting into Jared's truck, the two made their way through the usual morning traffic; not too many cars out, but at this time, some are heading to work and a little antsy, so reckless drivers were everywhere it seemed. Still, they made it in due time.
Upon arrival, their friends, Greg and Bernie, were already waiting by the hospital entrance. The tiger waved over to the two lovers and walked over, offering a hug to each one.
"Thanks for coming. I'm sure he'll appreciate having a few more people in there supporting him."
Jared nodded, "Hey, what are friends for, Greg?" he remarked as he patted the tiger's shoulder before turning to Bernie, "So, how long have you guys known him?"
Bernie shrugged a little, "I'd say around a year. He frequented the Dew Drop before and after the..." he cleared his throat, "Let's...uh, not talk about that. If he wishes to tell you, he will."
The tiger nodded, returning to his bear lover, "Yeah. Just...it isn't good. Left him in quite a state."
Vince tilted his head to the side, "What's wrong with him, if you don't mind my asking? I mean, don't tell me why he's that way, just...explain a little more, please? We weren't really told much."
They followed the tiger and the bear into the hospital as Greg answered, "He's got a severe state of depression. He's gotten to where he won't take care of himself. I actually was the one who got him in the hospital in the first place. He called me up one night and..." he sighed, shaking his head, "Threatened to kill himself. Right after hearing that, I called 911. Got the cops over there, and they sent him here."
Jared frowned sadly, "That's horrible..." Internally, his heart skipped a beat. He had known a few friends in his time who had threatened to do the same. Of course, none of them did it, but...
The tod stepped up beside the tiger before they reached the receptionist, "Is he all right? Did he attempt anything?"
Greg smiled a little smile, patting Vince on the head lightly, "Don't worry. They got to him in time before he could do real harm to himself."
Bernie leaned over the desk and began to talk to the receptionist before Jared said, "Well, that's good news, at least."
Greg nodded, "Yes indeed. They told me that he was getting close to trying something. Thank god, I called them, though. Would have probably been a different story."
The bear turned to them and took Greg's paw in his own, "She said we can go on up and see him. Apparently, he's been wanting to see some old friends. The nurse told her last night that the news of finally seeing somebody got him pretty excited."
The tiger leaned his head against his lover's shoulder, "Good. He needs some cheering up."
Up a flight of stairs and a few of those plain white doors later, they finally arrived at Greg and Bernie's friend's room. Opening the door to the plain, almost sickly white walls once more, they spied a bed. Upon it, in a greenish-blue suit of sorts for patients, was their friend. A young jackal, not even in his mid-twenties.
"Hey, Greg! Bernie!" The jackal walked over and hugged them both, "Gosh, it's great to see you two!" His pointy ears perked, looking towards Jared and Vince, "And who're these guys?"
Greg smiled back at the jackal, "Great to see you feeling up and going today, Darren!" He turns to the tod and sheperd pair, "The big guy who looks like he could actually pick up Bernie is Jared, and the tod there is his fiance, Vince."
Darren turned to the two and smiled, "Ah, husbands-to-be. Must be nice! Congratulations!"
Jared and Vince both felt a little puzzled. Usually, someone who is suffering from severe depression isn't this friendly and open to giving hugs. At least, that's what they heard. But Jared stepped forward, extending a paw to Darren, "Pleasure to meet you."
Darren recieved the paw and shook it, "Pleasure's all mine. Gosh, you can't believe how long it's been since I've had any company."
The tiger sat down in one of the chairs, Bernie following suit, "We were sure you'd like meeting some friends, Darren."
The other three furs found places to sit down as well, Darren on the edge of his bed and Jared and Vince on a couple of stools. Darren shrugged a bit, "Eh, I get nurses who come by and check on me, but that's not really friends, is it?" he chuckled.
Jared held Vince's paw as he sat down, "So, Darren...how are things going here?"
The jackal shrugged a bit, "Ah, the usual. Take meds, go outside for some fresh air with Dr. Godzilla hanging over my shoulder and making sure I don't trip or something," he chuckled a bit at that, "and then come back in here for therapy," he grins, "Typical day."
Greg tilted his head a bit, "So...would you be all right with telling these guys what happened? If you don't, that's all right, Darren. They were just curious, but we didn't want to--"
Darren nodded his head, a solemn look coming over him, "Nah...it's all right, I can tell them. I've...learned ot sort of accept that it happened now..." The jackal turned to Jared and Vince, "Well...me and my wife...we were having troubles at home. Little things. Things that, honestly, we shouldn't have been fighting about. I went out, thought I could blow off steam. Went to the Dew Drop to have a drink," here the jackal paused a moment, closing his eyes and took a breath, "I met an old flame I had in college. He's a sweetheart. At least...he was..." he sniffled softly, and everybody in the room knew he was holding back tears, "We went to a hotel room. We made love. Just like we did way back when. Soon after, I got a phone call. From the doctor here. He told me that someone...had broken into my house. Shot...and killed my wife..."
Here, the sheperd and the tod were in complete and total silence. Never before had they heard such a thing so terrible to occur.
The jackal took a few more deep breaths and continued, "I ran out of the hotel room half-naked, got in my car and drove like a bat out of Hell. Made it to the hospital. They showed me her body..." he wiped his nose, tears rolling down his cheeks, soaking his cheekfur, "And then...after looking at her body, I heard another ambulence coming..." he bit his bottom lip, "And..." he shook his head, "God, this is so hard..."
Greg stood up, patting Darren on the back, "If you don't want to tell the rest, you don't."
Darren shook his head, "No, I will...I'm fine..." he wiped his tears, "It was Kevin...my college flame. Apparently...he was trying to catch up to me. I was going so fast I didn't even see him. He ran out into the street after my car to come with me when...another car came. Hit-and-run, they said."
Vince covered his mouth, "Oh, god..."
Darren nodded slowly, "He's in here now. Paralyzed from the neck down..."
The visit went from there, turning to more happy notions shortly after the rather morbid tale that the jackal shared. New stories were told, like how Jared and Vince met and how they became engaged and the wedding date that was planned. Darren smiled for a while, enjoying the company and such happy goings-on with his friends. But, soon, their visit would be stopped by nurses coming in to tell them to depart.
As they were walking out, Darren told Jared by his bulky arm, "Can I have a few words with you, Jared?"
The German sheperd nodded, "Certainly..."
Darren leaned up to where he can whisper in the dog's ear, "That man you're about to marry. Love him with all your heart. Don't you ever walk away from him. Be there by his side, through thick and thin. And if you ever, ever have any quarrels, know there's two words: I'm sorry. Say them, mean it, and make it up to him. Don't let things weigh on your head like what happened to me. He's gonna be your tod. Your love. Treat him like a treasure."
It was a long, quiet walk back out of the hospital. Jared let those words sink into his mind. Someone who had lost everything, literally everything, in a mere few hours! And all because he walked away from his wife. Looking down at Vince, his mind ran through scenarios of him walking away. No, no. He would never walk away. Never from him. Vince was his rock, his soul! If he were to lose the tod of his dreams, it would shatter him like glass.
Waving good-bye to their friends, the two piled into the truck. Vince shook his head, "My god...Jared, I can't help but...feel so sorry for him..."
The German sheperd nodded, "I know what you mean, baby," he sighed.
"What did he tell you, by the way? I was way ahead of you when he pulled you aside."
Jared turned to his fiance, then reached over, taking his paw that held the engagement ring, running his thumb over it, "Something that I'm going to remember for the rest of my life." He leaned towards the tod, pressing his lips to his lover's.
The kiss seemed to last forever, their tongues intertwining in each other's mouth. Slowly, the sherperd pulled back, "I promise you, Vince...I may not have much to give...but I will love you. Not for the rest of your life, maybe, but certainly for the rest of mine. That's my promise to you. I don't ever, ever want to lose you."
The tod blinked, looking into those blue eyes, "Are you okay, baby?"
The German sheperd responded by wrapping his large arms around the tod, "I love you so much. I will never walk away from you, ever."
The tod smiled softly, his hand reaching up to stroke over the sheperd's muzzle. Slowly, he leaned back, kissing his future husband on the lips before saying, "I love you, too, Jared. And I promise, too, that I will never walk away. This is my commitment," he said, showing his ring, "And I am sticking to it."
They smiled at each other, tears swelling in their eyes. At that moment, they truly knew that they were in it for the long-haul. There were no questions, no doubts, no worries. Just them, and the big world that they would have together. Jared cranked up the truck and put it in gear.
"Off we go, then, my love. Off to face the world."
"Couldn't have said it better myself..."